INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1872. l v 



They were obtained by the collectors connected with the 

 United States Geological Survey of Territories, of which Dr. 

 Hayden is the chief. We may also mention, in connection 

 with fossil plants, the "Introduction to the Study of Paleon- 

 tological Botany," lately published by Balfour. 



The next subject that claims our attention is that of Agri- 

 culture and Rural Economy, a department in which a restless 

 activity has been manifested ; as usual, evinced by the pub- 

 lication of numerous essays and communications to the agri- 

 cultural and scientific journals. Much of this is, of course, 

 mere repetition of facts already well known, or the crude 

 views that carry their own refutation on their face. Real ad- 

 vance has, however, been embodied in the memoirs of agri- 

 cultural societies, and particularly in the reports of the exper- 

 imental stations in Germany and elsewhere. 



An important aid in the future progress of agriculture 

 will, it is hoped, result from the action of Mr. Lawes, the em- 

 inent agricultural chemist of England, who has given half a 

 million of dollars for the endowment of an experimental farm, 

 providing also for a corps of investigators, whose labors will 

 be duly presented to the world. 



Various agricultural societies in the United States have 

 been diligently engaged in carrying on their work; and, by 

 means of annual fairs and experiments, have done much to- 

 ward introducing improved machinery and methods into va- 

 rious parts of the country. 



The Department of Agriculture of the United States con- 

 tinues its useful labors in the dissemination of valuable infor- 

 mation through its monthly and annual reports, and in the 

 distribution of seed and roots of useful plants. It also con- 

 tinues to exercise, to the acceptance of the public, the function 

 of reporter upon the state of agricultural products during 

 their season, so as to give timely notice of the probabilities 

 of a harvest. 



The subject of manures, both animal, vegetable, and miner- 

 al, as heretofore, occupies special attention (the rapid exhaus- 

 tion of the soils consequent upon wasteful modes of culture 

 making such restoratives and stimulants absolutely necessa- 

 ry) ; so that the exhaustion of the guano of South America 

 will probably be met by the manufacture of artificial substi- 

 tutes. Many of these consist of fish mixed with sea-weeds 



