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50 A '■ I* * # w V \ •V' «>l , THE SOUTHERN WORLD, DECEMBER 16,1882. Affrlcnltnral School*. Editor Southern World:—Such is the na ture of things and language that definitions are very indefinite. This difficulty, in all but the exact sciences, has been the cause of end less discussion—the cause of division into parties—in politics, morals and religion,—of wars, of persecution and martyrdom. In one sense all human knowledge (from the Latin verb, teio, to know) is science, but it is now confined generally to a knowledge of certain troths or principles, which can be generalized and classified, so as to form some rule of guidance. Science Is one thing and art another; science is the discovery of truth and its classification; art is the appli cation of those truths to the formation of tastes, human action, or the physical, natu ral productions, or their modifications. Hence, all the fine and useful arts are based upon previous science, or such isolated truths which have not yet been developed into the generic rule, called science. Agri culture, then, is an art and not a science. It Is the art of production by means of the natural forces, just as the cabinet maker is an artist by the modification of wood or other material intj new forms. It is just as absurd, then, to say agricultural science os to call cabinet making a science. The ab surdity of attempting agricultural scientific schools is apparent. The art of agriculture can no doubt be taught in schools with pro fessors teaching some of the sciences, and working lit the fields; but it is better learned at home, or with successful cultivators of farms or breeders of.stock; for in those schools the professors are about bs ignorant of the art of agriculture as the studen ts them selves. This obvious result has been worked out by the stern law of experiment And all the schools or colleges, with agricultural basis or appointments have turned out a fail ure. The sciences which are most needed by tillers of the soil can best be learned in schools devoted entirely to mental action; and the art of agriculture can best be learned and practiced when the ownership of the soil and personal interest lead to the greatest re sults. . WHAT TUB STATE CAM DO. The State can not make a scientific agri culturist, but it can teach such sciences as are most necessary to agricultural art. It can establish a^bChool Where the sciences —"~moat important to agriculture and stock- breeding may be taught, such as chemistry, botany, anatomy, geology, climatology, etc., which assist the agriculturist; And when the ancient languages, history, the higher math ematics, the bases of the fine arts of painting and sculpture, morals, law, etc., which, though aiding the general scholar, may be dispensed with in agricultural education. The State can fit a portion of its subjects to enter upon farms and agriculture. The Btate can do more, it can form agricultural stations, where learned professors can assist the farmer and stock-breeder in applying ag ricultural science to agricultural art Let them use hired labor. Let them tell us what , cio*the chemical properties of wheat, maize, apples, potatoes, etc. How much starch, sugar, ash, etc., each has; and how much of such elements certain soils, manures, agri cultural chemicals, as salt, and ashes, agri cultural sulphates, phosphates, etc., can supply. Let them assist the farmer in class ifying his grains and fruits, and weeds, and insects and "all that.” Let this be done by the States at the public expense, and the re sults distributed in printed tabulated form to the leading agriculturists in the several States; and then let a national bureau col lect all these data for national distribution, and international exchange. SKIDS AND LIVE STOCK. It should be the business of the State agri cultural schools and stations to select the best seeds and live stock from all the world; best suited to certain soils and climes; and ^ distribute them—aided in the selection and distribution by the national agricultural sta tistical bureau. I have thus given a few hints at what the government can do in aid of the development of the greatest and most useful of all the arts—agriculture; leaving many things untouched which should bo done; my object being to set the govern ment and people upon the right track, see ing what can be done and what should not be vainly attempted. C. M. Clay. Whitehall, Ay. The Thomasville (Georgia) Times says: Sometime last spring, the Southern World offered a premium of $20, in gold, to the boy under sixteen years of age, who would re port the best yield of any crop, on a half acre of land. Master Mark Battle, son of Rev. J. It. Battle, saw the proposition and contested for it The results ofliis labor WM two hundred and fifty bushels of fine, large sweet potatoes, on a half acre. A specimen half bushel of the potatoes, and proper ac companying certificates—sworn to by disin terested parties—were forwarded the other day to the Southern World, at Atlanta. We commend the worthy example of young Mr. Battle to the young men and boys of Thomas. It shows what a boy can do, when be tries. Boys make a great mistake, when they think that farming is only drudgery, and can not be made to pay. What the county needs is fewer clerks, with their hair parted in the middle, fewer professional drones, and more manly youths who are not afraid and ashamed to take hold of the plow. But make the country prosperous, and the towns will take care of themselves. It is in the soil where the surest chances of success in life are found; it is on the farm, where the truest contentment is found; it is around the country family fireside where the purest virtue is found. Despise not the country. Georgia Gold Mine*. A. J. Nichols, of Habersham county, is having the Chattahoochee river turned so that he can work out the bed of it for gold. We are officially informed that the placers belonging to the Loud Company, are paying largely, the largest nugget recently found weighed fifty-five pennyweights. This, though quite handsome, does not compare with pieces that were found years ago. I think the present Company has found larger nuggets than this, one weighing 190 penny weights and many others of less value. Borne of these contain quartz, rongh in char acter, au evidence that tiie gold had been carried but a short distance from the vein. Auraria is situated one mile southeast of the Etowah river, and six miles southwest of Dalilonega, and near the conter of the great gold belt, that has attracted so much attention throughout the land. The name itself indicates gold. In its early history, it took the name of Knucklesville, not from the fact that the name was taken from a resi dent of the place, os some suppose, but from the innumerable fights that took place be tween the placer miners, years ago. They were so fond of this sport that they could not get satisfaction among themselves, so oftentimes the weary sojourner was com pelled to stop and participate. But now those days are past, anil all is quiet. Though the population is small, there is a con siderable amount of trade, on account of the rich mines that are actively operating from day to ,day. At all times the stamps of the quartz mill can be heard, pounding out gold from the golden ores. Off to the north, but a few hundred yards is the Chicago and Georgia, which has been running a consider able time, and will, no doubt, for years to come. To the west are the Wells and Aura ria, both active and well managed. To the south and southwest are the Cleveland, Bell and Chestatee. The latter is of 40 stamp ca pacity, and beyond a doubt one of the finest mills in the State. Two and one-half miles northeast are other well organized compa nies that are doing an immense business and are realizing large profits, and still others that are just getting under headway with a view to success. Aside from the properties that are being worked in this vicinity are various other tracts that are rich in gold, and in a future day there will be many other stamp-mills at work with equal success. - The question now to be considered is water. Of course there is enough for the present de mand, but if there was more the mining in terest could be increased ten-fold, and Aura ria might be able to compete with Dahlonega as a mining center. - A Voice From Middle Florida. Editor Southern World:—This is some distance north of that “frost line” to which Southern Florida real estate agents so per sistently direct your attention, and yet the orange I have jnst finished was the product of this section; so the orange in Florida— as should our National President—knows no North, no South, no East, no West We, of this section, are beginning now to see the gray streaks of silver light that are following after a night of blackness and al most of despair. The railroads and saw mills have held out inducements to the ne groes of middle Florida, and Quite a number have left. Whether that had anything to do with it or not, I know that our future looks much brighter, and as I have said, we see silver streaks. We are having a greater di versity of crops—truck gardening is growing profitable and hence popular—and improve ment of stock andsoil are marked features of the change we are undergoing. With a prom ised outlet via Thomasville to the North and Weet, and a fertile, productive soil, middle Florida promises to be the fairest portion of the State, and money invested here now Js certain to return a handsome interest in the increased value of property. Thomas W. Conrad. tfonticello, Fla. Why Farmers do not take Agricultu ral Papers. Editor Southern World.—There are two reasons why farmers do not take agricultu ral papers. 1. For many years past, a large majority have found it very difficult to make any thing more than a scanty living, and it has been very seldom that they have bad a dollar that was not needed to supply what was in dispensably necessary for the support of their families. The unfortunate farmers have been much abused for this very un*. pleasant state of affairs. The papers ail over the country—North and 8outh—say it is the result of bad management on their part— too much cotton, too much waste and ex travagance, etc., but such is not the case. It is the result of bad, shameful, sinful govern ment. The farmers’ hard earnings have been wrested from them and given to rich monopolists by the strong arm of wicked laws, and they have thus been reduced to a condition that rendered good management impossible—a condition that placed them completely in the hands of men who hap pened to have money, and who have ruled them, regardless of the farmers’ interest or choice, so as to get their hard earnings into the most convenient shape for converting into money. To say that if farmers would do this and so, they would succeed, is about os consistent as to say a monkey would weigh as much os an elephant if he was heavy enough. But to my subject. 2. A large majority of farmers are igno rant of the principles involved in the science of agriculture, and as a general thing they think they know all about farming; conse* qucntly they do not know the value of agri cultural publications, and it is impossible (or them to know it until they get a certain amount of information on the subject of agriculture. If it was possible to make them understand the value of agricultural publi cations they would soon find some means to get a dollar for a journal that would be worth so many dollars to them in the course of a year, but that is impossible, and they' are in a pitiable condition and are entitled to the sympathy of those who have been so fortunate as to learn the value of agricultur al papers; and it is certainly the duty of the latter to work faithfully, intelligently and patiently with their unfortunate brethren to get them to avail themselves of the light of agricultural publications to help carry the unreasonable, unconstitutional and unjust burdens that are forced upon them by an unwise and unjust goverment, and for carry ing which they get no equivalent, either di rect or indirect. It would be an easy thing for the present subscribers to agricultural publications to get one new subscriber each. Many no doubt might easily induce a dozen of their unfortunate brethren to become sub scribers by a little well directed effort, with no appreciable cost to themselves, and thus do an incalculable amount of good. Now what say you brethren? Will not each one of you take at least the little trouble neces sary to get one new subscriber? Is it not your duty to your neighbor, your editor and to the public ? It undoubtedly is your duty, and if you will consider the matter intelli gently you will take great pleasure, every one of you, getting in as many new subscri bers as possible. If every farmer could be induced to become readers of agricultural and other papers, and inform themselves of their true situation, we would soon be able to relieve ourselves from the Shameful, sin ful robbery that is being practiced upon us for the benefit of rich monopolists under false pretense of protecting American labor. So here brethren let us go to work in good earnest. M. H. Zellner. Athville, Ala. [We commend the above to the careful at tention of the farmers who do read The World. Those who are not readers cannot, of course, be reached through this medium. We think our correspondent "strikes the nail on the head" in his second proposition— "A large majority of farmers are Ignorant of the principles Involved in the science of ag riculture, etc.” They do not appreciate the value of the information that may be ob tained through the medium of agricultural books and periodicals. There is a very deep seated prejudice against what is contempt uously called "book-farming.” Intelligent reading men know that this is an unfounded prejudice,—almost as ineradicable as it is unreasonable. It is almost useless to attempt by mere writing to remove this prejudice, for the reason that those whom we would convince will not read. The most that can be done is to furnish good papers, filled with interesting and instructive matter, and aid our readers in their mittionary effort* by sug gestions and arguments. Every intensive reader knows that valuable, practical infor mation in every department of industry (especially in the professions) sooner or later finds Its way into newspapers, agricultural * journals and finally into books. . How a valuable suggestion or fact can lose its value'-• — and practical character by putting it into type is beyond comprehension. The appeal of our correspondent to his brother fanners (readers of the World and others) is practical and pointed and needs no further comment than to assure them that the proprietors and editors of the World will endeavor to do their part by furnishing a good paper at the bare cost of printing and paper. Practical and Nuggestlvc. Editor Southern World.—Parties with whom I have talked about your paper have asked me if it had an inquiry department. I am going to do all that my limited means will admit of to extend the circulation of your journal. Every one that writes to me about cotton seed or anything else by which I know he is a farmer, is recommended to take your journal, and one wrote me that be did so and was highly pleased with it. The Southern World is so cheap at one dollar, that every subscriber ought to take advan tage of every opportunity to get subscribers for you. It is their duty not only to you but to the public. Thousands of farmers have no knowledge of the principles i n volved in their occupation, and millions are lost to them annually on that account. There is no other way in which a man can do as much good at so little expense as by getting a sub scriber to a good agricultural journal, but very few ever make any effort to lead their benighted brethren out of darkness. This, it seems to me, is the selfish age—don’t think - I can be mistaken about it, and every editor ought to devote considerable time and space to correct this ruinous evil; but be sure you don’t encroach on your agricultural depart ment to do It Enlarge that if possible so that you may have abnndan|^pun-tO£JUba^^ quiries and other communications from your subscribers. I regard it the duty of those who write for publication to sign their names to their communications, and have always done so and expect to continue doing so, notwithstanding the annoyance and ex pense to which it subjects me. When I read a communication—a good one especial ly—I have a great desire to know the name ot the author. M. H. Zxllnir. Athville, Ala. Plowing in Green Crops. Editor Southern World.—I see an arti cle in the World, on the subject of plowing in green crops, and the writer wishes to know which is the best, to plow in green or let the crop die first and then plow in. I think nature answers that question for him. The leaves never fall to the earth green. They first die then fall and decay and enrich the soil. Let him put dead leaves in one furrow and green leaves in another and plant the two rows at the some time, in the same crop, and he will find that there is a great difference in favor of the row with the dead leaves in it. I think the proper way to do, is to mow the crop down and let it die and then plow it in. Jas. D. MacRae. Brunswick eo. N. 0. Crops in Alabama. ______ 4 Editor Southern World :—Colonel Fur man’s address on intensive farming and DeKalb’s Model Farmer are calculated to do much good. I will contribute occasionally as I may find time to do so. I will just here remark that our Dallas crops are better than for some years, oats, corn, cotton, potatoes, peas and sugar cane. The last is being al most universally cultivated, even sorghum is quite abundant—came in well to supple ment the great meat deficiency. U. J. Crompton. Pleatant Hitt, Ala. According to a writer in the Britiih Medi cal Journal, the opium habit may be discon tinued with perfect safety and without dis comfort by gradually reducing the doses of morphia and substituting bromide of potas sium in increasing doses. The point is to keep up the proper proportion between the two drugs and hence the necessity of mod- ical supervision, f •