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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



which result from a knowledge of the sciences connected 

 with agriculture, I may briefly notice some of them. 



An acquaintance with chemistry is valuable to the 

 cultivator of the soil, as indicating the composition of 

 the soil, the materials removed by various crops, the 

 crops most suited to the soil, the manures which will 

 most economically maintain the fertility of the land, the 

 cheapest sources of manure, their manufacture and man- 

 agement, the time and circumstances under which their 

 employment is most advantageous ; the selection and 

 use of food according to the object in view, whether it 

 be the production of flesh, fat, bone, or milk — these 

 and numberless other points of the deepest practical im- 

 portance are rendered familiar to the mind by the study 

 of chemistry. If it produced no other advantage than 

 enabling agriculturists to judge rightly of the value of 

 food and manure — to avoid those fraudulent adultera- 

 tions which are now so common — there would be abun- 

 dant reason for studying this branch of science ; but the 

 numerous and important connections existing between 

 its principles and the practice of agriculture render an 

 acquaintance with it absolutely essential for any one 

 who wishes to render his farming operations superior to 

 mere manual routine. Besides these reasons, I may 

 show you another which appears to my mind to be 

 enough to stimulate the feelings of any one who is 

 directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture, because 

 the fact I am going to relate is about the greatest insult 

 ever offered to agriculturists as a body which has come 

 under my knowledge. A manure was recently offered for 

 sale, and the prospectuses contained accurate analyses 

 made, and duly signed, by Professors Way and Campbell ; 

 but to anyone knowing the character of the ingredients 

 specified, the manure would immediately appear as 

 worthless. But the proprietors relied upon the igno- 

 rance of the farmers as a safeguard against discovery, 

 presuming that it would sell readily because the 

 analyses by two leading chemists were attached, not- 

 withstanding that these analyses condemned it as worth- 

 less to any one who could interpret the terms u?ed. We 

 are but on the threshold of a system in which artificial 

 manure is destined to play a most important part. We 

 know by the experience of a few years the extraordinary 

 advances which have been made in the agriculture of 

 certain districts by the use of artificial manures, whilst 

 there is scarcely any farm in this country but has expe- 

 rienced some benefit therefrom ; and can we doubt but 

 that, now we are beginning to understand their mode of 

 action, even greater advantages are yet to be deve- 

 loped ? The agriculturists must, therefore, prepare 

 themselves for taking advantage of this progressive 

 movement, or else frauds will proportionately increase, 

 and the ignorant will become the dupes of the cunning. 



The study of botany has also powerful claims. It is 

 not simply the duty of the agriculturist to produce cer- 

 tain plants in a natural condition, but, as we have 

 already seen, to maintain and encourage certain pccu- 

 liarities. It must evidently be an advantage, to anyone 

 thus occupied, to understand the structure and food of 

 plants, and their general processes of growth, so that he 

 may enlist the assistance of the functions of life in pro- 



moting the object aimed at. A knowledge of botany is 

 likewise valuable in enabling anyone to judge of the 

 quality and capabilities of land. The weeds which land 

 produces will enable a botanist to form a very correct 

 idea of the nature of the land. These may be considered 

 as natural products of the soil, and such as are suited to 

 its condition and composition. Almost every class of 

 soil has its peculiar plants — sandy soils, clays, clayey 

 loams, alluvial soils, lacustrine and fluviatile beaches, 

 gravels, drift-sand — moors, marshes, and mountain 

 pastures ; whilst these again are modified by the subsoils 

 being porous or retentive of moisture. These may be 

 looked upon as natural indicators of the character of 

 the soil, but a botanist can alone interpret the tale which 

 Nature thus so plainly tells. 



In like manner geology is valuable, in developing the 

 hidden resources of property ; and thus wealth is often 

 accumulated from stores which the untutored mind 

 would fail to detect. By a study of this science we like- 

 wise gain considerable advantages in the drainage of 

 land, in the search for water, building materials, and 

 also in obtaining those stores of mineral phosphates and 

 soluble silica which exist abundantly in some geological 

 formations, and are of the greatest value as fertilizers of 

 the land. Nor are the advantages which geology gives 

 confined to the assistance it offers as enabling the re- 

 sources of a property to be developed economically, but 

 it also teaches when your search will be useless, and 

 thus save you from loss and disappointment. 



The principles upon which farm buildings should be 

 built and arranged so as to combine economy of cost in 

 the erection, with an economy of labour in their subse- 

 quent use, are very important subjects for study ; and 

 so likewise are the circumstances and conditions which 

 maintain and promote the healthy action of animal and 

 vegetable life. 



Thus, to the agriculturist a study of the sciences con- 

 nected with the practice of farming offers inducements 

 of no ordinary value, and reveals to him the laws which 

 regulate and govern those results, to the attainment of 

 which all his efforts are directed. The advantages, how- 

 ever, are not limited to this class, for any improvement 

 which promotes the welfare of the occupier of the land 

 indirectly benefits the proprietor ; for their interest 

 being bound together, prosperity and adversity are alike 

 influential upon each. The owner of land has another 

 inducement ; for as the practice of agriculture becomes 

 more and more perfect, so will tenants be able to pro- 

 duce from the land crops of greater value with even less 

 injury to the land than under present systems. The 

 improvement of landed property is closely connected 

 with a knowledge of the science of agriculture; for it is 

 manifest that he who with equal practical knowledge is 

 also acquainted with the nature and character of the 

 bodies he has to operate on, must be in a better position 

 to carry out improvements with economy and success. 



The record of the past justifies these hopes ; for although 

 most of our improved agricultural practices may be traced to 

 a foundation originally laid by experience, still the im- 

 provements which have been introduced may in a great 

 measure be traced to the light of knowledge and observa- 



