The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-29

ly and persistently failed, no matter what
the attempts to protect them. At last,
after long and patient study, it was
found that where Smyrna figs were con-
sidered as indigenous there was a little
wasp that fortified the blossom of the
fig trees, and it was insisted in those sec
lions where the Smyrna fig tree. prosper
ed that it was this peculiar fertilization
by the wasp that brought success to the
crop So the Federal Government, while
importing fig trees, imported the wasps
that made them successful, and the next
experiment resulted in raising some fif-
teen or sixteen tons of perfect Smyrna
figs.
I'VE may look to forestry as a field for
the exercise of skill and scientific train
ing, and ! am sure that the South is in
terested in the developments going on
under the care of the Government. How
to secure all the wood that is needed
for the various purposes and necessities
without destroying forests is very grave
question. We have all seen here, and in
the North and in the West, great for
ests actually slaughtered for the pur-
pose of securing small results. Now
with the application of skill and science
this slaughtering of the trees can be
avoided and yet the products secured. A
great paper trust, or, as it should be
called great combination of paper in
terests, has recently purchased thousands
of acres of spruce lands in the State of
Maine, but instead of going over the
forests as the driver of a moving machine
would run through a wheat field, cutting
down everything and using all sizes of
spruce trees for the manufacture of pulp,
the company has set a corps of scientifi-
cally trained foresters at work, so that
the trees that are fit to be cut, that are
of a size to be cut, shall first be used
and the others allowed to grow until they
have reached maturity Thus while Sc
curing sufficient supply for the manu-
facture of pulp the company is constant
ly increasing it's supply from among the
smaller trees. And | suspect that here
in the South, in the use of Southern pine,
there has been little or no discrimination
no attempt to save for future use by
culling the suitable sizes from the rich
pine forests.
"These illustrations might be extended,
as seen in the development of roads, the
propagation of grasses, the composition
and use of fertilizers, the introduction of
new crops-everything that means the de-
velopment of varied products, and hence
of wealth.
Perhaps one of the most useful direc-
tions in which this science | speak of is
being utilized for practical purposes is
in the matter of soil. How much waste
there has been, both of labor and of eff
fort, of time and of money, in trying to
produce from a particular soil crops that
could not thrive in it! The wrong crop
and the wrong soil for other crops has
been the rule rather than the exception.
Now science comes in and tells the agri
culturalist how to use his different soils,
what crops will flourish best in this or
that field, how to mix his soils. The
farmer had a primitive knowledge which
taught him that if his. soil was sandy
he had better cart upon it sufficient
quantity of muck which, when mixed with
the soil gave something profitable; or, if
he had a black, mucky soil, how to mix
sand with it. and thus reverse the pro-
cess. But when it became question OF
the chemical elements of the soil and the
necessities of different plants for speci-
fic chemical elements to secure their
growth and success, the farmer was at
a loss. Now he has learned, or he may
learn if he feels so disposed, how to
utilize his different soils by planting diff
ferent seeds. He knows what is essen
tial He has learned by practical eX-
perience that he may return to the soil
some of the elements of the tobacco plant,
and thus prevent it's exhaustion. He has
learned from practical experience the
science of rotation. But he needs to know
something more that he may become fa
miliar with what we know in those days
as intensive farming. All these things
mean wealth, prosperity, development,
the best and highest possible use of the
gifts of nature; by them man learns how
to develop and thus to utilize the great
attribute which has been given him and
which allies him to his Creator
"In the mechanic arts there is more
specific illustration of what can be done
by technical training. l do not speak
particularly of manual training in the
public and private schools, but more
specifically of trade and technical train
ing. Manual training is without definite
purpose; it's motive is to accustom the
minds and the hands of boys and girls to
the use of tools, but not to teach them
any particular trade. The graduates of
manual training schools more easily
adapt themselves to trades and semi
professions belonging to the mechanic
arts than those who have not had manual
training. Manual training does vast
deal of GOOD and little or no harm. but
the technical training which is Illustrated
here in your own college is something diff
ferent. 1t is aimed to secure definite,
specific purpose.to teach a man how to
conduct his agricultural pursuits in
skilled way or how to apply his brain and
his hand to those lines in mechanic arts
which will give him superiority over these
who have not had such training.
Comparisons are usually odious, but
they are sometimes Of very great value;
and the most convincing comparisons are
those of results with results. The South,
until recent years has devoted her eff
forts to the raising of two great staple
crops, one of which has been the COM
petitor with iron in securing the kingdom
of the world Cotton was king. Iron to-
day is king, but cotton is the regent.
Those two great staples-iron and cotton