The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-23
AGRICULTURAL TEXT BOOK.
WILL BE USED GENERALLY IN
SCHOOLS OF THIS STATE.
Object to InstiI Idea OF Scientific Ed
Notwithstanding Emphasized--A
Review of the VOIume-COmmOn
school Teachers Required to Quail
fy In Agriculture.

Review of the VOIume-COmmOn
School Teachers Required to Quail
fy in Agriculture.
Grecnville. July 2O.-With the
opening of the common school term
throughout the State this fall, prob
ably no one introduction of books
will effect more widespread results in
the course of a few years than that
of the adopted text book on agricul-
ture. which, while 1t has been on the
lists for some years, will be brought
into general use all over the State for
the first time this session. Agricul-
ture has this year. for the first time.
been made a requirement on teach
ers' examinations for certificates, and
a special course in this study will be
given to the teachers of Greenville
county at the summer school, which
will be held in this city August 1927,
Mr.. c. b. Haddon. of Clemson Col
lege. acting as instructor in that de-
partment.
The text book. which was adopted
In 1906, and which will be introduc-
ed generally all over the State this
fall. is Agriculture for the Common
Schools" by James B. Hunnicutt, ed
itor Of the Southern Cultivator. The
book treats its subject well, handling
the important details Of the work
with care and accuracy. at the same
time instilling the idea of scientific
education for farmers. the entire
book being comprised within 236
pages. not including an able appen-
dix. by John N. Rogers.
Agriculture Is the noblest pursuit
Of man." runs the first sentence In the
work, and following a general intro
ductory chapter. the relation of
science to agriculture Is brought out,
the necessity o. farming being stud
led as a science being emphasized.
The book treats then, Of the his
tory Of agriculture. the construction
and possibilities Of the soil, and it's
composition, together with chapters
on the uses of the soil and it's pre-
servation. this portion consuming
some forty pages. Plants and their
growth Is next taken up, in connec-
ton with the water on the farm
Manures and fertilizers are treated Of
at some length. and both the chemi-
cal theories in this connection and the
practical application are discussed in
an able manner.
Planting. selection of the seed, and
preparation Of the soil occupy a CEN
tire of the discourse. and with the
marketing of the goods, this section
occupies some sixty odd pages.
In the concluding parts of the book,
chapters are given on farm animals.
grass culture. truck farming, dairy
farming, stock growing. raising of
poultry, bee keeping. good roads and
the farm. farm buildings, village
farming, and forestry.
In addition to these chapters, there
are scattered through the book, chap
ters which bring to the young student
OF this important activity of man,
ideas Of the relation of the farmer
to the world. and inspirations toward
making the Southern farm a greater
and more scientifically operated pro-
ducing element than IL Is at present
Among these may be mentioned the
chapter on the marketing of the
goods, one paragraph of which serves
admirably to show the theme running
through the work:
Cotton is worth in the seed, about
two cents per pound. In lint it brings
six and up. In thread 1t would bring
about twelve to twenty cents. In cloth
from fifty cents to dollar. why sell
1t In the rough, bulky, cheap lint
bale? You say we should. cease to be
farmers and become manufacturers.
so we would and SO we should. We
should put our goods in shape to
bring the highest value. We have as
good reasons for spinning as we have
for ginning. There is no reason why
we should forever tread the dusty
plough burrows and enrich the world
I'm the sweat of our brow. Farmers
should think and act. If cotton is
King. cotton growers should be
princes"
In the chapter on farm labor, the
writer takes up and discusses in de-
tail the three princina1 pootbod, ~.