The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-12-18
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
In the old countries, particularly
in Germany and England, great at
teDtion is now being paid to the
education of young men in scientific
agriculture and mechanics. In Ger
many it is with special reference to
the great sugar industry, which has
developed so rapidly by the applica-
ton of such knowledge as can only |
be acquired by patient and hard
study The wonderful development
of the common beet, which possessed
at the start only five per cent. Of
sugar, or five pounds of sugar in
every hundred pounds of juice, to
the present sugar beet, which under
the highest culture in Germany pro-
duces fourteen pounds, and in Cali
fornia eighteen pounds of sugar to
the hundred pounds of juice, is an
example of what laborious and prac-
tical education can accomplish in
this department.
Our attention has been called to
this by very finely-written article
in the PLANTERS MONTHLY for Nov
ember, which is credited to the Bar
BADGES Agricultural Journal, in
which the writer emphasizes the i'm
portance of Scientific Agricultural
Education. It is an article which
everyone interested in agricultural
education and pursuits should read,
not only for the arguments advanced
in it's support, but for the remarkably
clear language in which it is written.
The article is continuation of one
on the same subject, written by the
same author, which appeared in the
September number of the PLANTERS
MONTHLY. We quote couple of
paragraphs, showing his style of
argument:
LII We nave W Ncdl Will
three elements. Firstly, there is the
plant, member of the vegetable king
dom. 1t is living and therefore has a
life-history. Secondly, there is the sol
in which the plant grows and from which
the plant derives all the mineral constit-
uents of its food, and thirdly, there is the
climate best fitted for the cultivation O
the plant, and this is determined by the
amount of sunlight, the temperature o
the air and its humidity, the nature o
the winds, whether they be hot or cold
dry or moist, and so forth. X
The question that the agriculturist has
to deal with is, what is the most profit
able plant for him to cultivate under
certain given conditions OF soil and eli
mate2 Whether by a study of the natur,
and varieties he can improve in an,
way its qualities and whether he can il
any way improve the soil and tn,
climate. AS regards improving the plant
study of its life-history, that is stud,
of its botanical physiology, is the onl.
way to solve the question, and we hav
already pointed out how much VALUABLE
information has been acquired on thi
subject. Experience long ago showe
the advantage of grating; but it is onl
of late years by study OF the theory c
plant life that we have arrived at tn
present ideas of cross-fertilization an
careful selection of seeds. In all matter
connected with the life of plant we ar
at the mercy of nature and we can onl
hope to arrive at solution by studyin
what the course of nature is and leadin
her in one of her own paths. When W
come to climate we are almost entlrel
ut the mercy of circumstances 1t is tru
that in some places We irrigate il rain b
wanting; yet we are practically depend
ent upon nature in this respect; we %
our light and our warmth from the SUI
and the winds bring the moisture fror
which is derived our rain. So the mos
we can do in this field of inquiry is
find out the exact climate of place an
all its variations, so that We may brin
to that place the plant which is best alb
to thrive in it. 1t need hardly be pointe
out what careful observation is needle
before we can consider we have such
thorough knowledge OF a climate.
means years of observations; we have
note all the variations OF rainfall,
light, of moisture, the direction and ii
velocity of the wind and the fiuctuatloI
of temperature and pressure. But whe
we have done this, we have the exa
knowledge which enables US to maE
changes IN our melhous VI asrIcuItui
and the great Importance OF this must
evident to every practical man. As r
CARDS soils, the matter is quite differen
Ii phosphoric acid, nitrogen, potash, ire
and lime be present in the right propo
tons, a plant thrives. ii a soil is deticiel
in any of them, they are chemical SUI
stances, easily obtaiSed in suitable form
and we simply have to supply then
that is we have to manure the soil. He
again theory has answered simply al
precisely how to meet and overcome
most important difficulty.