Agricultural.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 20, 26 November 1874, Page 7

Agricultural.

Soienoe applied to Agrioulttzre.

Mr J. Brodie, at the last meeting of the Staindrbp Farmers' Club, .read the following paper ;— " The art of agriculture ranks above every sciepce in point of utility, and its antiquity beyond that of all others, for we are informed by Scripture that Adam after heing expelled from the Garden of Fden was sent forth to till the ground; but it would be absurd, however, -to suppose that he was ' acquainted with all tbe methods of ploughing, harrowing, sowing, &c, that we* are conversant with at the present day. Agriculture, as a practice, has been carried on from the earliest ages of mankind ; for from the earliest accounts of the eastern nations we have reason to think that agriculture has at all limes been understood by them in considerable perfection, as they were always supplied not* only with the necessaries but the greatest luxuries of life. As soon as the descendants of Abraham were settled in Palestine, they generally became husbandmen, from the chief's of" the tribe of Judah to the lowest branch of the family of Banjamin. "High birth did not thon make any distinction, for agriculture was considered as the most honorable of all employments. Take, for instance, the illustrious examples of Gideon, Saul, and David. The Chalneans, who inhabited the country where agriculture has its birth, carried that valuable art to a degree of excellence unknow in former times. We read of the Egyptians being well versed in agriculture,-, about the Greeks, who used bones and horns as a manure, as we are told by Hesiod, the earliest Greek writer on the subject, who wrote in poetry, and embelished his poem with luxuriant description and sublime imagery, Xenophoh also remarks that agriculture is the nursing mother of the arts. The ancient Romans esteemed agriculture as a most honorable employment, as we find the most honorable senators of the empire when not enengaged in the public concerns, applied themselves to this profession, and the Ciricinnatus, one of Rome's greatest dictators, was at the plough when chosen by the Senate. At what time agriculture was introduced into Great Britain is uncertain, but when Julius Csesar invaded the island it was not wholly unknown, for it appears, however, that they were not unacquainted with the use of manures, particularly mail, for we are told by Pliny in his natural history that the use of mail was peculiar to the people of Great Britain, and that its effects continued eighty years ; but centuries have passed since then : the races of mankind having so greatly increased, the earth is now required to produce so much more than it did in those days of antiquity, that agriculture, is now no longer an art of labor, but one of the important sciences for I think there is no profession in which there is so much scope for scientific researches; and the object of my paper to-night is to enumerate the different; sciences I oonsider needful to modern agriculture. - . . .

You must not for a moment suppose that I shall dive into the niinutise of the various subjects that I shall mention (for you have neither a Leibig a; Voeloker, or a Lawes in me), but I will merely give you my opinion why the following sciences are applicable t> agriculture. As the great object of every farmer is to raise from his land the greatest quantity of the most valuable produce in the shortest space of time, without deterioration to the soil, I think a knowledge of geology, ohern* istry, and ohemioal physiology will aid him considerably in this objeot. Let us take the soil, from which everything the. farmer has to sell is produced, and geology will enlighten us on the inorganic parts of that soil, then if we turn to chemistry we shall learn its organic parts,, and having ascertained both its mineral and vegetable properties, let us consider the crops to be raised, the organic and inorganic, matter needful for their maintenance, and we shall then understand the proper kinds of manure, rich in what the land is deficient and which is indispensibly necessary for maturing the crop to be grown. Then, let us consult chemical physiology, and we shall know tie habits and composition of the: various animals we have to deal with, the kinds of food requisite for fattening, or thefoods most beneficial to the production of milk. As all soils derive their inorganic or mineral mailer from the strata of rock, on which they are situated, and their organic from the decayed plants, &c, it will be easy for the farmer to find out the nature of the soil he has to cultivate when he knows the basis on which it is situated. Many soils being rich in mineral and deficient in vegetable matter, while others are quite the reverse, it behoves us to apply to the former manures rich in vegetable and to the latter those rich in mineral matter. Botany I consider the sister science to agricultural geology, for having ascertained by the latter the nature and properties of the particular soils we have to cultivate, a knowledge of the former will not empower us to recognise - any plant we may meet with in "the .fields,, but botanical physiology, will make us conversant with the internal structure" and : functions of plants, therebyienabling. us to select the plants most suited for the soil they^haye|^9'bp."* i *grow4 iupon. Mathematics T think ! a" gciehce vary

necessary in agriculture, ior in they' present days of the high-priced labor* everything, that is practicable ia: let bypiece, and the farmer is enabled by tbia science to measure off work, whether it be surface work, such as hoeing, draining, dbc, or the more complicated work of either mason or joiner, without calling in the aid (as is too often done) of the services of the village schoolmaster. Mechanics I regard as one of the principal sciences in agriculture, -for the implements that are in use at the present day are constructed so syste** matically, and whose adjustment is sb mathematical, when compared with those used years ago. True is;it that a farm ■ laborer may be able to work any machine that is put into his hands constructed for a certain purpose; but without the aid of mechanics he oannot understand the principles upon whioh •-- it is made; in faot to understand the manipulation of the implements that are at present used, a farmer requires to be a mechanical engineer ; and, I think if farmers were to make themselves adepts in this particular science, we should not - have so many useless implements lyino' dormant in our implement-houses, dot should we find so many flourishino- implement agents in every market °tbwn we go to ; we should endeavor to select the most simple and useful ones, and make as few do as possible, Hydrau- " lies— To have a., knowledge, of this is beneficial to the farmer, for even in this advanced age ofsteam, waterpower, when it can be brought to bear, is so much cheaper; and how many farms are so badly watered that water has to ' be brought from a great distance, perhaps over elevated ground, when the requisition of the water-ram is called into office ! Then, should anything go wrong, the farmer, should he under-, stand the motive power of water, would. , be enabled to rectify it with the aid of his local smith, without having to send to the nearest town for some experienced hand, thereby not only saving time and expense, but perhaps having to move a great portion of his stock from that part of the farm where the water supply was cut off, Meteorolbgy-,1 oannot pass this scienoe over without alluding to it as a science not only useful to the a°ri.-. culturistbut interesting to all classes of the community, for who is there in this country, let his pursuits be rural or in the town, that does not fanoy he is somewhat weather wise ?. In .'factj when two Englishmen meet, after having passed the ordinary compliments, they talk about the weather, and the different opinions expressed on this topic are often somewhat amusing. But, perhaps, I have made an unlucky allusion in the presence of so many agriculturists, for was there ever weather that suited all farmers ? Nevertheless, I think a knowledge of meteorology is of advantage to. the farmer, for then he will' be., able to read his barometer scientifically, ahd by observing atmospherical phenomena will be in a position to a certain extent of prognosticating the ooming weather, whether if suit him or not.

As the farmer of the present day is not . only , an . agriculturist ' proper but bucolical, that is haying the management of cattle, a knowledge. of zoology will be an advantage to him, for he .will be enabled ..to understand the habits of the different animals, he may have on his farm, and comprehend the relation one class of animal has to another. Then, shonld he study etomology, he will be conversant with the myriads of insects that inhabit this globe,* and be able to discriminate between those that are detrimental to the great animal and vegetable economy of the universe. Veterinary Science— Doubtless, when Hamlet in his soliloquy on sheep speaks of " the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," meant human flesh ; but I am inclined to think that the flesh of the lower animal has participated in a great many more legacies than that ofman ; and I think it is the duty of the farmer under whose care and management his stock is, as long as it remains on his. premises, to acquaint himself,, to a- certain. extent, with the veterinary art, in order that he may not only alleviate the sufferings of • an animal, but perhaps save. its life. As most farmers live a considerable -way from a town, where '.only a veterinary can be procured, and that often after " considerable delay, it behoves him to keep drugs in his possession that; will in-set the emergency in any ordinary 'case, and ,1 think that when we.havesuch firms as Day, Son, and 'Hewitt, , who are able to supply us with antidotes for so many diseases, with instructions how to use them, we should not have so often to send for a veterinary surgeon, nor should we have so many of his bills to pay. There are a great many moreysciences equally applicable I to agriculture than the few I Jhave men-/ tiohed, but being particularly requested I by our worthy secretary when asked to. | bring a paper before the club, not W j ascend to the moon or. stars, I have en* deavored to stick to the planet that we . inhabit ; for had " I attempted to soar \ high, I should have had to have gone, A ' deep into pneumatics and" the : other sciences that relate. to i.thfi.air';.b.utb,eing neither a Gaiisher nor a Coxweil^l^elt some'cohsiderable timidity in ascending' beyondthe earth's attraction,. -for then I might have been, drawn into some ;? ;c>ther sphere to passed tberemain-Ser-dWIy my days; ; perhaps, in the, service" of 'i? Jupiter, tne director of thunder, jighU* y : ning, and : rain, br possibly [_ to have vyassisted the men in the moon to flfatb^p - sticks oh Sunday, _ ■-'"■'■: "'^ '■■■