ANALYSIS OF SOILS 



AND THE 



DIFFERENCE IN THE SEVERAL PARTS APPROPRIATED 

 BY DIFFERENT CROPS GROWN UPON THEM. 



BY WILLIS GAYLORD.* 



Ever since the revival of chemistry, and particularly since its im- 

 portance in its application to agriculture became known, experiments 

 have been making to determine the character of the soils, their pow- 

 er of production, and thecauses of their varying fertility, by a chemi- 

 cal examination of their constituents. That soils varied much in 

 their adaptation to particular plants, was a fact perfectly obvious to 

 all; for instance, that oats would succeed well on soils where wheat 

 could not be grown, was a fact familiar to every farmer, and it was 

 desirable to ascertain, if possible, the reasons of this non-adaptation, 

 so far as it existed in the soil. It was found, also, that certain plants 



* This paper was one of the last productions of the late Willis Gaylord, 

 and was found on his table immediately after his death, which occurred on the 

 27th of March, 1844, and was announced at a meeting of the friends of Agricul- 

 ture, held in the State Agricultural Hall, by John P. Beekman, Esq., Presi- 

 dent of the State Agricultural Society, in the following just and appropriate lan- 

 guage : 



The President said that he had just received intelligence which would be heard 

 with regret by every individual familiar with the agricultural movements of the 

 times. The mail just arrived from the west announces the death of Willis 

 Gaylord. The judgment of every intelligent farmer in the State will respond 

 to the assertion that to no man whatever — excepting perhaps Judge Buel — is the 

 agriculture of the State more indebted than to Mr. Gaylord. 



The character of Willis Gaylord was in all respects what might be expected 

 from his writings — benevolent, enlightened, elevated — yet plain, practical, unas- 

 suming. His character may well serve as a beacon-light, not only to farmers, but 

 to men in all conditions of society. Without any advantages of| early education 

 — debarred even, by physical infirmity, from many opportunities vyhich others 

 enjoy for self-improvement — he conquered all obstacles by unflinching perseve- 



