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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[August i, 1884. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



[The following is an extract from an address on Science 

 and Art in connection with Agriculture, Arts and Manu- 

 factures, delivered at Barnstaple hy Sir T. D. Aclaud, Bart., 

 M.P., and now published in the Journal of the Bath and 

 West of England Agricultural Society.] 



I felt bound as a matter of respect to my agricultural 

 friends, and still more to those teachers of science who 

 desire to assist them, to say in a few words what I really 

 think on the subject of the teaching of the science of 

 agriculture in the west of England. I will not waste your 

 time by reiterating what I said on a similar occasion two 

 years ago at Ilfracombe, on the authority of men who are 

 really eminent investigators of science, that the scientific 

 explanation of the art of agriculture is still very imperfect — 

 that, in fact, the practice is ahead of the science; and 

 that, under present circumstances, it is impracticable for 

 ordinary farmers safely to take science as their safest guide 

 in the conduct of their business. I will not enlarge on 

 what the business of the farmer is, but I will say, in pass- 

 ing, that if there is one business in the world which depends 

 on practical minutiae, it is that of farming. One reason 

 for the opinion I have just expressed is the extreme com- 

 plexity of the influences under which agriculture is carried 

 on in this country. Secondly, if you set yourself calmly 

 to consider the number of sciences which must be laid under 

 contribution to raise the art of agriculture to anything like 

 scientific perfection, it will be obvious that hardly any one 

 man, however highly educated, and however Jong and large 

 his experience, could possibly hold in his brain all the prin- 

 ciples and facts, and qualifying or "disturbing" considerations 

 which must be taken into account before anything like 

 certainty in any scientific sense could be attained. Thirdly, 

 the more profoundly a man of science has investigated the 

 facts, the more cautious will he be in drawing conclusions 

 with a view to giving practical rules and advice to pract- 

 ical men. I know something of the opinions of men who 

 have spent their lives in trying to discover truths which 

 may assist in guiding the farmer, and I say with some con- 

 fidence that what they most desire for the advancement 

 and also for the dissemination of useful knowledge among 

 the cultivators of the soil is, that agriculturists should re- 

 ceive a higher general education. It was only yesterday 

 morning that I received from one of the best authorities 

 in Europe a remark on the inquities which had been on the 

 continent as to the various agricultural schools established 

 there. The gentleman to whom I am alluding says that 

 those schools would not suit England, and that what is 

 wanted in this country is to multiply county schools. Tbat 

 is exactly my opinion; audi found it upon what has been 

 siid by very much abler men and more competent judges 

 than myself. Fifteen years ago there was a plan for agri- 

 cultural examination by the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 and I was engaged in collecting information from a large 

 number of eminent farmers and sbhoolmasters. Their al- 

 most unanimous opinion was that farmers required a better 

 general education. To proceed I would say that this higher 

 general education is advisable — 1, that agriculturists' facult- 

 ies of observation may be awakened ; 2, tbat their power 

 of recording facts and experience should be strengthened 

 and made morp precise; 3, that by working practically at 

 some of the branches of science in a properly furnished 

 laboratory, or on a farm specially set apart as an experi- 

 mental station (I should like to see more such farms as 

 those than there are in Englgnd at present), they should be 

 able to put questions intelligently to Men of science on 

 matters of practice which admit of a scientific explanation ; 

 and 4, that their general habits and judgment should be 

 matured and balanced so that they may not be misled by 

 spurious pretenders to science, while turning to practical 

 account the most advanced knowledge of the day supplied 

 by specialists in science. 1 need only sa}" in a single sen- 

 tence that knowledge of the ordinary forces of nature — 

 heat, light, the laws of gravity affecting the motions of 

 soliils and fluids (a very important thing for the farmer), 

 and of gases, chemistry (inorganic and organic,), physiology 

 of vegetables and animals, a knowledge of disease — all are 

 valuable to the farmer. But more valuable than all this 

 knowledge will be the effect on the training of the mind, 

 either of earnest study in the laboratory or of practical 

 habits on the field, or in the homestead. One caution I 

 will earnestly utter, and it applies generally. Let parents 



and students be careful not to confound a knowledge 

 which is part of general education with the experience 

 and the technical knowledge of apprenticeship. Education 

 is one thing ; apprenticeship is another. Both are needed, 

 and both should always go side by side through life. I 

 must apologise for going at such length into this subject ; 

 but I was really anxious to place the matter elearly be- 

 fore you. I wish the agricultural class to be formed in 

 connection with the institution, and to be conducted by 

 Mr. Parly, every success: but would again urge that they 

 must clearly bear in mind the difference between scientific 

 training and practical business. — Agricultural Gazette. 



THE ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDENS. 



Dr. Schomburgk's habitually cheerful tone looms more 

 largely even than usual at the commencement of his annal 

 task. He has indeed good cause for saying " I have never 

 penned an annual report with greater satisfaction than the 

 present one," for rains so copious and widespread as those 

 of the last twelvemonth (ending March) have seldom 

 occurred in South Australia. The fall in Adelaide amounted 

 to 25-400 in., agunst 15742 in. during 1382. Add to that 

 the fact of a temperate atmosphere predominating through- 

 out the spring and summer, a paucity of hot winds, and 

 those only of short duration, and good cause is shown for 

 satisfaction. Summer flowers and, in fact, all florists' flowers 

 surpassed everything previously produced; roses especially 

 have seldom given such large and perfect flowers. 



Dr. Schomburgk has devoted much time and attention 

 to the culture of medicinal plants, both allopathic and 

 honneopathic. Quite a large number have proved their 

 adaptability to the country. The inquiry for some of the 

 herbs is on the increase, especially the English broom 

 (Cytisus scoparius) ; a decoction of the leaves is used for 

 dropsy. The mullein or shepherd's club (Verbascum 

 Thapsus) ; a decoction of its leaves being recommended by 

 some American papers as a remedy for consumption; a 

 number of persons who applied have asked for further sup- 

 plies, many stating that they experienced great relief from 

 its use. It would, of course, "be a beneficial discovery 

 if these domestic remedies were really proved to be effective." 

 The Virginian pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra) is much 

 iuquired for by homoeopaths, by whom it is now freely used 

 as a remedy for diphtheria. Dr. Schomburgk is assured by 

 an authority that, through the use of this plant, a large 

 number of children who were attacked by the disease have 

 been saved from death. The common European dandelion 

 (Leontodon taraxacum) is also much inquired for; its utility 

 is well known. The culture of medicinal herbs is urged on 

 farmers and gardeners ; the demand is said to be consider- 

 able and increasing, so that the produce would find a ready 

 market. An acre of peppermint, it is said, would yield 

 eight or ten pounds weight of oil, worth about 40s. a pound. 

 Common herbs, such as camomile, peppermint, lavender, 

 dandelion, &c, would be easy of culture in the gullies, and 

 druggists would prefer them to imported produce. 



The cause of the assumed decline of native trees and 

 shrubs where domesticated, i.e., planted in gardens, may, 

 it is thought, be found in the quick and luxuriant growth 

 of these plants when shifted into better soil than that of 

 their native localities, so that the altered circumstances 

 favourable to their growth produce over-stimulation and. 

 finally exhaustion. That this is a shrewd guess at the cause 

 is more than probable, but Hakeas, the smaller acacias, 

 Grevilleas, callisteraons, and other plants of the same class 

 are uot naturally long-lived, especially on dry shallow soil ; 

 it is only in the deep moist soils on river margins in our 

 ranges that acacias attain the size of timber trees. Dr. 

 Schomburgk remarks that a very peculiar phenomenon of 

 the Australian vegetation is that most kinds of trees and 

 shrubs when dying die from the top downwards. He might 

 have added that exotic trees die in a similar manner ; 

 Oupressua macrocarpa and C. Lambertiana are familiar 

 instances. 



It is pleasant to learn that hi the Adelaide Botanic 

 Gardens orchids obtain a fair share of the space and at- 

 tention. The collection, which is distributed in several 

 stove-houses, has been enriched during the year by the 

 addition of 46 species, making a total of 337 species. In 

 the arid climate of South Australia much difficulty is 

 experienced in growing epiphytal orchids on blocks, but 



