The Van Buren press., 1898-01-29
FARMER AND PLANTER.
EDUCATION FOR TIE FARMER.

farming in this country meant the de-
sbruetlon OF forests, To be followed by
the destruction Of the fertility Of The
Land. IL such process can be proper
ly called farming. the present condi-
hon Of the fields Of our southland benr
abundant testimony to the fact that
fools have farned them.
a former chancellor Of the University
Of Georgia. distinguished scholar and
divine is credited with saying: ANY
negro ean teach agriculture
The distinguished scientist who en-
Joys the honor Of filing the response
ble position of president Of the
state agricultural college Of Geor-
ga the cordial appendage Of
the university wrote, in substance:
Chemistry ie taught here. physics and
engineering are tanght hefe-whai is
left for the professor Of sagrieulture To
teaehg' The present distinguished
scholar aud dirine--ehaneell0f Of the
University Of Georgia-is reported TO
have said in III address before the leg
islature Of Georgia that The bows,
when they went to Athens for the pur-
pose Of studying agriculture. completed
the course 10 few days, rs the liter
sry students persuaded them toehange
their course Of study
ls il possible that there Is no intel
leetual training necessary to fit q man
10 pursue what Washing ton said WAS
the most heal tbtul, most useful and
most noble employment Of man" Let
Us inquire into this matter and see if
ANY fool" can take the worn fields Of
the cotton states and restore them 10
fertility, and, while doing SO, make q
living
On what Ia the art Of agriculture
basedY In the first place. the farmer,
in pursuing his complicated art. must
know somewhat Of the sod which be Is
To cultivate, and upon the proper ma
nipulstion Of which depends his sue
eess and subsistence. What sciences
convey an intelligent knowledge Of
soils?
For their origin and physical proper
ties we have recourse TO the science Of
geology. which. in this sense. is the
foundation of agriculture. To learn
what elements the soii contains upon
the presence and solubiiity of which
plant growth depends. we have re.
course to the science Of chemistry,
which tells US as well the constituents
Of the atmosphere which bathes the
surface Of the earth, the composition
Of the plants which derive their
food from soil and air. and how
they obtain this food. 1t tells as in
mha: forms the plant appropriates the
dead substances Of soil and ar which
1t and IL alone can organize into life.
1t tells US how We can best utilize the
products Of plant life TO the best ad-
vantage in feeding our domestic ami
mails TO produce milk. flesh. fat Or force
1t tells us not only what are the essen
tial elements Of plant food. but pre-
serib formulas for compounding them
in such proportions as will best re-
place the wasted wealth of our de-
nuded hills. Chemical science may
then, with truth, be denominated the
..Handmaid Of Agriculture.
steam engine IN Georgia he is required
70 show a license, which testifss TO his
knowledge Of the structure and needs
Of the complicated machine.
All animal life upon the earth is de-
pendent upon plants for subsisten nee,
and man, in addition, for his raiment.
Is ii not wise, then. 10 teach those who
are responsible for the cultivation Of
the useful vegetation OF our globe
something Of the laws Of being Of the
plants they cultivate?
The absence Of this knowledge on
the part al the tillers of the soil ia the
cotton states costs annually ia reduced
production Of crops more than enough
10 establish a first-class school OF agri-
culture in every county. AS indicated
by the results OF carefully-conducted
experiments the loss ia production by
the improper cultivation of single
crop amount annually TO no less than
$40, 900, 900.
lie who strews a mass OF clods TO-
gether and calls II seed-bed for cot
ton will ever complain of poor stands
and light yield. The man who pre-
parss thoroughly. by the use Of sound
judgment and good implements, who
thoroughly pulyerizes the seed bed and
substitutes, as far as practicable, mule
power for manual labor, cultiyates
shallow, mulching the surface after
each rain with loose earth, will buy
out his less thrifty neigh Dor.
The science OF botany teaches how
the seed vegetables, how the plant
grows and how 1t reproduces. 1t ex-
plains the mutual dependence OF leaves
and stems upon the roots and the roots
upon the work done by the leaves. We
learn from its teachings that the plant
is entirely dependent upon its root sur
face for its supply Of all ash elements
without which profitable production
is impossible Is IL not well then that
the farmer should possess some knowl-
edge Of botany?
The farmer has, among the in
sects which swarm in his fields,
both friends and foes. and yet not
Dne farmer ia one thousand can
distinguish them. lie incurs seri.
GUS loss every year by his ignorance OF
the life history OF these little maraud-
ers, and, indeed, the aggregate loss sus-
tained from this source is still esti.
mated in millions OF dollars. notwith.
standing the fact that most valuable
information has been disseminated by
the United States government and
through the agricultural colleges and
experiment stations. Is then the
study Of sciene of entomology beneath
the dignity or above the dignity Of the
farmers2
The microscope reveals the fact that