The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-12-23
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

IN germany and England, great al
tention 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 a very fnely-written article
in the PLANTERS MONTHLY for Nov
ember, which is credited to the Bar
BADGES Agricultural Journal, in
which the writer emphasizes the inn
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 its support, but for the remarkably
clear language in which it is written.
The article is a continuation of one
on the same subject, written by the
same author, which appeared in the
September number of the PLANTERS
MONTHLY. We quote a couple of
paragraphs, showing his style of
argument:
In agriculture we have to deal with
plant, a member OF the vegetable king
dom. 1t is living and therefore has
life-history. Secondly, there is the soil
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 of
the plant, and this is determined by the
amount of sunlight, the temperature of
the air and its humidity, the nature of
the winds, whether they be hot or cold,
dry or moist, and SO forth. \
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
mate? Whether by study of the nature
and varieties he can improve in any
way its qualities and whether he can in
any way improve the soil and the
climate. As regards improving the plant,
a study of its life-history, that is study
of its botanical physiology, is the only
way to solve the question, and we have
already pointed out how much valuable
information has been acquired on this
subject. Experience long ago showed
the advantage of grating; but it is only
of late years by a study OF the theory of
plant life that we have arrived at the
present ideas OF cross-fertilization and
careful selection of seeds. In all matters
connected with the life of plant we are
| at the mercy OF nature and We can only
hope to arrive at a solution by studying
what the course OF nature is and leading
her in one of her own paths. When we
come to climate we are almost entirely
at the mercy of circumstances it is true
| that in some places we irrigate ii rain be
wanting; yet we are practically depend
ent upon nature in this respect; we get
our light and our warmth from the sun,
and the winds bring the moisture from
which is derived our rain. So the most
we can do in this field OF inquiry is to
find out the exact climate of place and
all its variations, so that we may bring
to that place the plant which is best able
to thrive in it. 1t need hardly be pointed
out what careful observation is needed
before we can consider we have such
thorough knowledge OF a climate 1t
means years of observations we have to
note all the variations Of rainfall, of
| light, of moisture, the direction and the
velocity of the wind and the fluctuations
of temperature and pressure But when
we have done this, we have the exact
knowledge which enables US to make
changes in our methods of agriculture;
and the great importance of this must be
evident to every practical man. AS re-
CARDS soils, the matter is quite different.
If phosphoric acid, nitrogen, potash, iron
and lime be present in the right proper
tions,a plant thrives. If soil is deficient
in any of them, they are chemical SUBJ
stances, easily obtained in suitable forms
and we simply have to supply them;
that is we have to manure the SOIL Here
again theory has answered simply and
precisely how to meet and overcome
most important difficulty.
Bartlett---Conley.
A. @. Alvo-,,J- T1otl,1J.S1 yXYol.,o,l,,.