The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-08-29

| elementary and INDUSTRIAL plan. BESIDE
the Federal donation it also receive
State aid. Its resources are manage
with marked economy, resulting in til
extension of its benefits to large mum
ber of individuals.
EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS.
Besides the experimental station re
ferred to SIS provided by the Hatcl
fund, two others have been erected b.
the Legislature; one in the Piedmon
belt and one in the lower section of tn
State. These three stations are now be
ing established. =
The final provision, as the law nov
stands, for the advancement OF agrieul
tural education is that of farmers IN
stitutes. The board of agriculture ha
been empowered to conduct farmers
institutes at such times and places ant
in such manner as may appear expedl
ent. Assuming this duty, the boare
have decided that there shall be held
annually one State institute under
charge of its executive committee, ane
that, in addition, there shall be suct
county and local Institutes, when re-
quested by any local agricultural society
or grange, as may be found practicable
THE VALUE OF INSTITUTES.
Reviewing these provisions it cannot
be said that cur Legislature has been
unmindful of the interests of the farmers
What calling or profession among ou1
people has upon the statute book such
care taken for its advancement? The
question that arises is not as to the ex-
tent, but as to the efficiency of the
scheme adopted in some, if not all, o!
it's particulars. Let us consider this.
And at the outset We are compelled to
60 largely into theory and conjecture.
The scheme I have explained has not
yet, in some of its particulars, been put
into operation, AMI experience abroad
has developed as to these sane partieu-
lars no certain results.
This remark does not apply to agri-
cultural fairs with their object lessons.
So far as they go, and in what they. pre-
tend to, they are success. The fairs
of the State Agricultural Society at Co.
lumbia, as well as the-society itself, are
firmly fixed in the affections of our
farmers, and by the good already ac-
complshed to our agriculture by: the
social reunions afforded and by the al
most heroic history of the society, when
South Carolina was known as the Pros
trate State, this affection is deserved.
State experimental stations have within
their sphere like certsin value. In the
close competition and narrow margin
between cost OF production and msrkes
value OF farm products no liberties can
be taken with the cash account. Expe-
is conducted at q certain
loss IL the current account, whatever
good may, eventually result. Individu-
als can neither afford this, nor are they
often competent. The State, for the
general welfare, should bear the e3-
pense; and experts, who make such their
life work, should be in charge. Again,
every farmer in the State, however hum
BILE or remote, at once and Immediately,
through the bulletins of the station, may
reap the benefit of the success obtained,
or learn the lesson of the failures in
CURED. Experimentation has both its
practical and scientific aspects. Within
the recollection of most of US the oat
crop was almost exclusively confined to
the upper portion of the State, and even
then it,was frequently injured by rust.
In the middle snd lower sections no
variety had been found which was not
oftener a failure than q success, from
the same causes, and in my own county
of Barnweil it had ceased to be planted
at all. The red oat Of Mexican origin
was accidentally brought to the stten-
ton of a farmer of Abbeville, and its
rust-proof quality ascertained by field
experim ments. Since then the area in
oats in the upper country is greatly ex-
tended, and it is nov sn ordinary farm
product in the lower country. With
this variety it is everywhere as certain 8
crop as any that is grown and the State
has had added to its assured resources
this most valuable of all grains for the
feeding of horses. Had the Abbeville
farmer, instead OF the experiment made,
carried his small parcel of seed oats to
chemist, could the crucible or the retort
have detected its rust proof quality?
Yet smother success in experiment like
this, and I speak advisedly, would be
worth more in pecuniary value to the
State than the sum required to defray
the expenses of its three experimental
stations for fifty years. Governor Ham
mond introduced the sorghum plant
into South Carolina, and demonstrated
on large scale the prscticability of its
growth AID its value in the production
Of syrup. The culture has now attained
such proportions throughout the Union
that the Federal Congress is now dis
cussing measure to supplement former
appropriations to the same end by
adding $1O0, ZOO for efforts to crystalize
the sorghum syrup into sugar. Here
the province of the field trial ceases and
that of the scientist begins. Each has
its sphere, and both are essential to any
complete experimental station.
HOW TO KEEP UP INTEREST.
I am led to place the experimental
stations, in positive value to our agricul.
ture, in the n1st place among the means
at our disposal for its advancement, but
when we come to the consideration o1
Institutes and the agricultural college
we are forced to rely, to great extent,
upon theory and conjecture in making
ap our estimate OF each. Institutes have
met with appreciable success and at
tanned considerable favor in. some of the
Northwestern States. That the ides
upon which they are based is good one
there can be no doubt. Disquisitions
upon important subjects by those who
have given them special attention, follow