r0L, XIX.
inr, j
ItJt^n
JAN
!     INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, FEB. 2, 1884.
NO. 6.
U'IE\T A.\D MODEItf AGRICMTRE.
evlcw of Agricultural Development
frtini I-nrllr-st Time* (<i
the Present.
inning   as   Practiced   by   Egyptians,
(ircfks, Humans, Early English and
_       Others—Present Conditions
and Prospect*.
|.*i..r prrp*r*Hl hy Pr. H. T. Brown. *t the rea-pst
ff th. i-tmi*. Uo.r-of Ajrlcultur*., for tht* mcetlnf
I Jsnusrjf, 1*94.
Tlu> art of tilling tho noil for the pro-
iftlon of food l*i tut old bu human clvlliza-
m. Tlio discevory of the nutritious
uslltltfH of tho grains, frulta and vegeta-
<■•*. as lhey grow wild must havo preceded
!c cultivation of them. The fertilo val-
ys of the Nile the Euphrates nnd tho
'•snglio must have abounded in these
■'uuanoous products; and population
ult! lie invited by this natural supply,
:l its density would demand an increase
production which would naturally lead
cultivation. In confonnity with this
pothesis we llnd that Egypt, Chaltlea
I China each claims the introduction of
■> agricultural art. It is possible tbat
f cultivation of the soil for the produc-
ti of crops was practiced in each of these
mitrics without the knowledge of the
hers; but the similarity of the ancient
; recesses* and i m pie in en Us strongly sug-
j '**ts a common origin, most probably
i '»t detailed In the ancient Hebrew nar-
i   tive.
] It is pretty certain however, tbat tho
'tlons on the shores ofthe Mediterranean
j ». Asiatic, African and European, bor-
i vf-d the artot farming from Egypt.
j r**iod describes the ajt of cultivation in
[ -e.*ce,.],uuon_ C, as "being in quite an
, lvanced -state. They used a plow with
! are, l*>am and handles, though the con-
\ ruction was evidently very rude. To
I mo extent they used animal power,
i *.cn chiefly, in cultivation, and paid much
1 lentjon to the caro of sbeep, swine and
•"Itry.   Hut  Greece was. mountainous,
J"kyand in no  respect favorable  tocul-
1 alien.    Plinv    aavs   that   an  ancient
edge of the .art of farming wllh the tools
and implement** at their command. The
ltomau Improved the plow of the Egyptians: and Cracks by milling a moiild-
board, ami sometime* two, for turning a
double furrow. Those were drawn by
oxen and were used only for breaking tho
ground. All after cultivation was dono
by hand with the spade, hoe and rake.
Manures wore save*! with euro antl applied judiciously, and good crops were
tlie result. Hut'after the imperial conquests had introduced foreign grain as the
annual tribute of submissive nations,
agriculture rapidly declined in Italy; ami
in Its dot-lino the doom of the empire was
written, for no nation can long survive Its
ability to feed its people on tho products
of Its own Industry.
The Hebrews cultivated tlie art of
farming from an earlv period. It Is generally asserted that they acquired the art
during their sojourn in Egypt; but Incidental allusions to farm scenes furnish
evidencoof cultivation during the pastoral
ago of the patriarch. I need mention but
one—the dream of Joseph concerning the
sheaves, (sen. XXXVII, 7. Hut thesnb-
soqiient history of this remarkable people
shows their devotion to the cultivation of
the soil, by their ability to support so
iarge a population on so small a frritory.
Hut of tho details of their agricultural
methods, we know almost nothing. The
samo may tie said ofthe millions that
were supiHjrted. from the soil inChaldC-t,
India and China during these long ages.
That   they   farmed   successfully,   though
_.        ... t .  »i-,.- . — a. 's   .   -1	
4
it     •       *""ny    aavs   that    an   ancient
iieni.tle king, Augean by name, taught
■■'.reeks   the use of manures, as the use
tie...   in Egypt was   superseded bv the
• "•lent .mm   the overflow   of the ".Nile.
• trie Greeks conducted their agricul-
■ " cruel*y by the manual labor of slaves.
Vi,^nrIerf*to,>(« drainage, aud Xenophon
* a that lhey often made out of swamps
'rl morasses their most fertile fields.
'heearly Romans had a high   apprecia-
j «i asriciiltura! pursuits, and hence we
'•' agrarian   laws in their   early legisla-
i assigning a homestead to evcrv citi-
... * ane*e"t Homan orator is rcpre-
■'*«">   as saying   that "He   is not   to be
■nie.1 a go^i nu^ but rather a dan-
fons ni _n to the State, who cannot con-
r, uf w'th seven acres of land."
ne Koman acre was ISO squaro nxh).
, -r agrarian laws p«rmitted the holding
■>> acres., and linallv of 500 acres. Hut
... "tensions added fuel to the fierce
;.'; ""*we«ri the patricians and plebeians.
•',.,„- '*" P«"»ie war, the Homan
■i»ie ordered the  translation into Latin
- volumes of Mago, a learned Cartha-
jisn on the subject of agriculture. In
lat.er days of the republic and the
-k*^»"r-V .of U,e e«»I'ire, numerous
:W,rT ,Y.mi?* Were ""'Hen bv Homan
*>lrT\-£-, "_"¥ *** wt,rks of Otto,
. ~.' . ,rK>*1.   Columella.^ Plinv and Pal-
perhaps rudely, is fairly inferred from the
heavy population that" was maintained;
but that little   progress was   made, either
«*:
■- _„h*v* ™me "dri,vn ^o"*U'Z'"*riier
"i   general a good,   practical knowj.
in the processes of farming or in the Implements, is certain, as no tracos remain of
such Improvement*.
With the decline of the Homan empire,
agriculture lost tho high and honorable
position which it had held during tho
centuries of the republic; and when the
northern Barbarians beacme masters of
Italy they substituted their rude methods
of farming for tho more intelligent processes of Virgil, Columella and Pliny.
Art and literature, hardly lost more in tlie
fall of Home than did agriculture. Frjra
period of nearly a thousand years we are
in utter darkness with regard to tbe condition of farming throughout the civilized
world, with a solitary *_xception. In the
eighth century tho Moors established themselves in Spainjand brought with them
improved farm tools and advanced methods of cultivation. Thoy drained the
marshes and irrigated the sandy plains
by works of astonishing skill, antl for
more than .100 .fears thev mado Grenada
the garden of the world. It is said that
the surplus products of that province
reached the sum of $W,000,(K*0annually—
a sum equal to three times that amount at
the present value of our currency. Hut
tho .Moors left to us no substantial improvements, neither in methods nor in
implements of culture. Their success
was achieved by indomitable industry
antl perseverance. |
Early in tho Kith century Belgium and
Holland liegan to wake up to the importance of an improved antl more extended
agriculture. They introduced new crops
and paid especial attention to cultivation
of gartlen vegetables. They introduced
from Italy and the I>evant cablmge, beets,
asparagus, beans, peas, etc. Catharine, tho
queen of Henrv VIII of England, was
obliged to sent, to Holland for the vegetables she was in tbe habit of using on her
table.
About the middle of the lflth century,
Sir Anthonv Fil-herliert published his
"Hoke of Ifnsbandrie," the first work on
farming ever published in England.
About 15T5 Thomas Tussar published a
rambling sort of poem under the title of
"Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry." These works merely detail the pro-
cesses and methods then'in use, many of
which betray si. absurd superstition, but
they are inten*persed with maxims that
show a habit of careful otiservation; for example, FiUherbcrt says: "A housbande
j cannot thryve by his cbrne without cattell,
nor by liiscattell withoutcorne,and»her>e,
in myne  opinion, is   tbe most  profitable
rat tell tbat   any man  can have."   During1
the   17th century   but Utile   progrtws was
mails   bv   the   English, though   lUrtiaby
(.ooge,   Hugh Platto,   Waller  Hlvlh   and
Klilianl Weston wrote  liooksoii fanning;
lhe last of which   was a nkeU'h   of the improved   methods   itstsl   In  I'landers  and
Holland.   It   was   in   this  tvniury   thai
clover was   lntroduci-d into   England and
turul|is became a 11*1*1 crop,   lint the llrut
rval advance towards the Improved methods of modern agriculture'was   in the experiments nnd   new modes   of cultivation
liitrodue<>d by   Jnthro Toll,   whose Jaliors
extended   through thu   Unit quarter of the
1Mb   century.   Ills  introduction  of new
Implements' of  farming   ami his   experimental inquires   into tho chumo*   and eon-
ilitlona of the fertility of the soil,   and the
action  of  manures   In treating  It, fairly
entitle  him   to a high   rank among  thu
early patrons of   agriculture.   Though his
theory of the nutrition of plants was false,
yet the practice he instlliiUsl upon it was
correct.   His   favorite   hobby   was a fine
soil; he therefore   made deep tillage and a
fine pulverization of  the soil   the pivot of
his system, and  to assist in   this he called
in the  aid of potash,  ammonia nnd lime,
and to secure a  uniform   moisture In the
still ho used   common salt.   Tull Invented
antl introduced a seed drill for planting all
grain crops.   He also attempted   to supercede tho   flail bv a   threshing   inaehinoof
his invention,  but was   prevented by tho
Jealousy. oLlhA  laborer**.   Hut his   labors
awakened   a «plrit of  Investigation anil
thought on  field topics,   antl prepared tho
way   for Arthur   *i<iutig  who   was reallv
the   harbinger   of modern   scientific agrf-
culturo.   His labors  cover the  period between   17H0  and 1SI0  In   which   time he
traveled extensively over Eiirojio, observed
the   methods   of   farming   in    different
countries and the  effect of each   on crops.
He visited France antl acquainted himself
with tho   wonderful discoveries   of Lavoisier, Harthollet  and Fourcroy in tho Held
of chemistry, the  principles of  which ho
assiduously applied to the examination of
soils and manures,  and to the  growth of
plants.   Ho  made a  special  and  careful
examination of  the clloct of  ammonia on
vegetable growth, and divided all manures
Into  ammonlacal   and   mineral.   He first
announced   the    limitation   of   vegetable
nutrition to substances in either  a liquid
or   gaseous   form.    About   the   yoar ISOO
Young collected   tho  most  Important of
his works and published   them under the
title of "Annals of Agriculture."   A more
complete collection of the works of Young
and   other pioneer  agriculturists  of  this
jierlod was made and   published In 1W7 bv
it. \V.  Dickson,   under   tho  title  of   "A
Complete   System of   Improved   Agricul
lure."   This  important work   was translated   into  several of   the European   languages  antl   gave  an   impulse to  better
farming all over the continent.
At the instigation of Sir John Sinclair
of England the Jtoyal Agricultural (Society
was organized bv act of Parliament ln
17!«. This Hoard in IWi invited Sir
Humphrey Davy to deliver liefore them a
course of" lectures on the chemistry of
soils and tho laws of vogetablo growth.
This invitation ho accepted, and repealed
the course annually, closing in !*<._!. In the
following year he published a condensed
synopsis of these lectures, with the modest
title of "Elements of Agriculture." Tliis
was the first really scientific work ever
published on the art of farming, and
marks the beginning of the lyth centunas the birth of modern agriculture. This
work was not exhaustive but It was mar-
velously    suggestive.    It   was   translated
Into German and  French, and formed the —
basis  on which   Houssingault   in France, ]«'' the past
vear ISO", the most notable of tliis century,
brought the introduction   of guano to lba
farmers of  Europe, bv which   their fields,
exhausted by thecull-valion of a Ihoiisan*.
years,   were   brought back   almost to Ihe
condition   of  the virgin  soil.   Yet there
wero some remarkable  over-*lghU In tlie
work   of   Davy   and hi*  coadjutors.   He
recommends crushed   lnuies as   a maiiuro
on account   of tbo   decoinjsisable   animal
matter which   lhey contain,  overlooking
tin* value of their phosphaUi*., In which, as
Is now well known, their   excellency lie**.
lint liislisctissing the   causes which "led to
the   rapid    development    of   agriculture,
Ivolliiisa   science and   aaanarl,   we must
not  overlook the   iiilttieuc** of   Napoleon
lkmaparte In the  early years  of this century.   He gave the power of his empire to
the  patronage of  s*Jence  and   the useful
art*.    While tlie researches In agricultural
chemistry   wero thus  successlully ptiuse-
ciitcd, Isitb lu England antl   on the continent,   with   the  most  striking  praeiical
rcsulta, Do  Candalle in   ISwiUcrland took
up another line of tbe  work,—tho physiology of   vegetable growth, a  branch* of
the science without a knowlodgo of which
agriculture  must  always lie  lame.   His
labors seconded by tbe research of American   and   English   liotanisu,    havo   well
brought  up the  science of plant  life and
growth   to   Its    present   status.    In    1M0
itaron  Lleblg  produced his  great  work,
dodicatotl   to the British   Agricultural As-.
noriation, with the title  of "Chemistry In
Ils Application to Agriculture and I'hysi-
ology."   Hoatilisoqiienlly prod need several worksof elalximto ritfiearch on branches
of science connected with agriculture and
domestic economy. •
Turning to the'l'nlted Htai>s, we find
hero a large and comparatively Intelligent
agricultural population, with views, well
advanced in all mattors of practical farming; yet no great luminary has arisen to
enlighten our farmers by the brilliancy of
his discoveries. Hern, as In other matter),,
our light Is a diffused light, a galaxy of
stars rather than ono overpowering lunil- '
nary. And yet our progress in the advancement of agricultural methods bas
been quite as rapid as could have lsoen
reasonably expected. 3Hio man w ho looks
over our corn ilelds to-day and remember*
tho maxims and methods of farming .'i0
years ago ran hardly fall to lie astonished.
At that period tho work ofthe farm, In
many cases at least, proceeded by fixed
rules and maxims which in no wise grew
out of the reason of things, and were
therefore aa unchangable as the laws of
the Medea and the Persians. Tlie corn
must lie planted in (he new of the moon
in May, and the wheat must Ik* sown in
the light ofthe .September moon; llax
must Is* sown on (Vtsid Friday, and it was
the only Friday of the year on which
any farm wurk could be safely liegun.
.Similar rules were adapted to almost
everything done on the farm; and though
they were observed with almost religious
fidelityj'ct nobody knew w hy he obs*r*-ed
them.
How strangely this contrasts w itb pros- '
ent farm method**. Now farmers plant
their crops w hen the ground is in proper
condition and woll prepared, and lhey can
generally tell you why they plant "then
and there. 'Hie modern farmer cuts his
wheat, mows his grass, gathers bis corn
•nd digs his jsHaUics when each is in tho
proper condition, without enquiring in
what sign of toe rodiac tho moon may
happen to be just at that time. In a fow
remote corners and obscure *>pots some of
these sujierslitions still linger, but our
public schools and the general diffusion of
larm literature will noon make them things
Sprengel in Sweden, and Liebig in (Jer- | Hut **orrecl knowledge of tbe relation of
many proceeded with their laborious and crops to soil, moisture, heat and light
successful Investigations on which the with correct methods of cultivation how-
largest production of crops de'iends. In ever important, could not have given airri-
1M>S Davy made a careful analysis of a culture the advanced position it occupies
sample of Peruvian guano that had been to-day, without the aid of Inventive
sent to the Jtoyal Hoard the previous year, genius and mechanical skill. The Rlorv
He also made experiments with it on the "f modern farming in this ago and rounlrv
growth of wheat and barley, which fully is the small amount of hand labor wo
confirmed his analysis as to it.*, value as a employ compared with the results weob-
fertihzer. In the same year Fourcroy and tain- Timo would fail us to detail the
Vanqiiclfn published a similar analysis wonderful improvements ln farm tools
made by them   in 1'aria.   Asa result, tho concLvftED os m.vth ,_(,£	
■M