A GLANCE AT THE HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 18 August 1880, Page 2

A GLANCE AT THE HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture is usually placed among tho natural sciences, and is universally cultivated among all civilised nations. Tho history of every nation, m any way colobrated for wealth or power is intimately connected with agriculture. The soil may justly be said to b© tho true riches of it country ; in ancient and in modern timen nations have increased in wealth, power, and importance, just in proportion as they have cultivated with industry this source of true riches. Commerce and manufactures are, no doubt, a means—and » powerful one—of multiplyingthe resourcos and wealth of a country j but these never have nor ever oan flourish till agriculture, has reached a certain degree of prosperity. In the early ages of the world mankind were probably not much acquainted with the practioe of agriculture, save that branch of it usually called gardening or horticulture ; for while men, were few in numbers, and thinly scattered over the face of the earth, they managed to pro-, vide themselves with sufficient food by hunting, fishing, and wild fruits. Later on a system, of pasturage prevailed, the tribes wandering through the land according to the will or fancy of their chief, and grazing their flocks and herds wherever 1 grass and water were most plentiful. As the population increased, and found it, 'inconvenient to emigrate from place <>> place, or to depend on the casualties of the seasons, they would, in order ta procure a more ready and certain subsistence,, naturally turn their attention to. tilling the soil. Spade husbandry and gardening wow probably the first attempt in this direction. The use of the spade was evidently prior to the use, of the plough. 'l' l '® branch of knowledge might havo been taught by Adam to his descendants, but whether it was lost again before tho deluge or disappeared at tho time of that calamitous event, we have no means ot ascertaining; the probabilities are tha the rise and progress of agriculture in after times was due to the wants and necessities of mankind. The Egvph ans ; and Chaldeans attained considerable knowledge in astronomy and geometry, 811 " seem to have studied these sciences m re--1 ference to success in agriculture; by i astronomy they learned the changes ana return of the seasons, and gooraewy' taught them 'to make a just division oi, the land ; a knowledge of these two su -• jects being essential to improvoWJOt, ■ agriculture. One of the principal divinities of the Egyptians was Osiris, wor-> shipped in the form of a beautiful win ox, and they imagined it was by the .aj of this animal that they were suooessfu agriculture. The Grecians are said to the first who taught agriculture aB . science, having learned the art of soff ' = and reaping, as some maintain, from Sicilians. The Romans, too, in the cany period of their history, held agricu in the highest estimation, and deem 6 > the most honorable occupation a could follow, frequently calling their vants and generals from the plough. ■ln ancient times the sacred plough em P ,°^, The kings and ancient of ma " , ' Who held the scale of empire, rul

storm . , . ~ OTl ,v Of mighty war; then with victorious »• Disdaining little delicacies, seized The plough, and greatly independent | The crops most commonly cultivatea / the early Romans were wheat, barley turnips, and pulse, they also undei the culture of the vine and olive, were proficient in tho luanagemout o

. Historians state that honey, milk, wte'r and cheese, were common articles If Set; that wool, skins, and horn were to well known uses, and that sheep "fcattTo were plentiful and cheap ; but Screes, having probably to be imported, expensive, especially good war T e3 The Romans were also acquainted °th a process of land draining, which are supposed to have derived from Prudent civilization. Columella, an Cultural writer in the time of the Emperor Augustus is the first who mentions a mode of draining farm lands, w means of andergronnd trenches filled sth atones or brushwood, and he gives a description of the manner of doing the t which is very similar to the modern W °thod. The implements of husbandry Ffcomrnon U3O among the ancients were h as to cause the farmers of the present t0 wonder how they could possibly 'iform the work required of them. The mentioned by Virgil must have b en's very clumsily constructed article. tribulam, or flail, consisted of a heavy lank studded with stones or spikes of ? ' an j drawn over the corn by oxen. Ueir other implements, judging from the description of them, and from drawings reserved in some of our classical books, must have been exceedingly imperfect nd inconvenient compared with those of modern times. The inhabitants of Eastern Europe and Asia are no more advanced • Q the practice of agriculture than were tie farmers in Virgil's time. Owing to t ke wretched implements used, and their deficiency in skill and science the people 0 f Palestine, according to travellers' accounts, are obliged to till the land all through the severest weather of winter because the frail ploughs and tiny oxen u3e are unable to stir the ground unless soaked with moisture. In Persia the husbandmen are treated with great respect and honor; their choaorT representatives are annually admitted to the King's presence, who addresses them thus :—"We receive our subsistence from yoc ; by us you are protected, being mutually necessary to each flther; let U3 live, brethren, in unity." The Emperor of China goes through the form every year of holding the plough, to ah,,*- his people, by example, that no man e u«ht to be ashamed of being a farmer. Institutions to facilitate production and honors to encourage talent and discovery in agriculture have been long common among- many of the nations of Europe anil Asia. In the Universities of Denmark, gureden, and Germany agriculture has loair been taught as one oE the most useful branches of education. After Trance had been exhausted by the long wars of the reign of Louis XIV., the Government gave special encouragement to agriculture as the only permanent means of recruiting the resources of the country. During the Crimean war agriculture received considerable stimnlns in Britain, owing to the increased demand for all productions of the soil; but it is probable that a state of comparative depression, rather than one of extraordinary prosperity, it is to be looked to as favorable to permanent improvements.