Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-04-03

Under these two laws millions upon
millions of acres have been vested in
the farmers Of the West, Northwest
and Southwest. In addition to this
generous treatment, Department
Of Agriculture has been established,
which was intended "to acquire and
diffuse among the people of the
United States useful information on
subjects connected with agriculture
in the most general and comprehen-
siue sense of that word"
Within this department. are vari-
GUS bureaus and divisions engaged
in original research as to soil con-
stituents, the disease of vegetable
life, and the insect pests which prey
upon fruits and cereals, and there is
Ia Bureau of Animal Industry, the
object of which is to study the
causes and prescribe the cures, as
far as possible, for all epizootic mala-
dies which are known to infest
sheep, cattle, horses, swine and
poultry. AS considcrate dissent
nator of useful knowledge the de-
partment has been, and may con
tinue to be, a useful instructor for
the reading and reasoning agricul-
turists of the country. 1t is it's bust
ness to show the people how things
in profitable farming may be accom-
plished.
But it is not its legitimate func-
ton to do things for the people
which they ought to do for them
selves. 1t has no rightful, legiti-
mate business to distribute garden
and flower seeds among few Of the
people at the expense of all the
people. II ought not to be in the
manufacture, for free distribution, of
antitoxin and other medical prepa-
rations used among domestic ami
mails. The farmers Of this country
are not paupers. They neither
deserve nor desire to be treated as
wards of the government. No just
government can take from the many
to bestow upon the few. Gifts of
seeds, slips, antitoxin and publica-
tions, paid for out of money raised
by taxation of all the citizens, can
not reasonably and equitably be
made to few citizens by popular
government which is honest and
just. Ruskin says: "Charity is the
temple of which justice is the founda-
ton, but you cannot have the top
without the bottom" This republic
should not favor one class until it
has been just to every class.
THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS.
The whole future Of agriculture is
vitality dependent upon arborculture
and forestry. The reckless destruc-
ton of the groves and forests of the
United States threatens utter infer
tility to all parts of the Union. More
than twenty-five thousand acres of
trees are cut down in the United
States and made into railroad ties,
lumber, furniture and other com
modities every twenty-four hours !
Among seventy-fve millions of peo-
pie even this vast destruction of
trees gives very small per capita
portion of wood or lumber.
The interdependence of tree life,
vegetable life and animal life is con-
slant. Unless forests are conserved
and trees planted, all farming must
perish within the next hundred
years; and should the whole globe
be denuded of forests and groves all
animal life would become extinct.
The intcrmission of tree life and
growth throughout the world, for a
single summer, would extinguish all
animal life. Teaching tree planting
at home, about the fresde, and
practicing tree-planting on all the
farms in the United States, arc press
ing necessities. Self-preservation
should inspire every American to do
all in his power to promote arbori-
culture. Agriculture everywhere
must lend helping hand to the
tree planters. 1t is time to plant
trees and begin the partial renewal
Of the forests of the continent, if
we care to leave to our postcrity a
habitable country.