PROMOTION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 15 



vicinity of this place? In fact, agriculture and commerce depend, in a great 

 measure, on mineral treasures. Many persons, who have not had an opportunity 

 of consulting works on mineralogy, conceive that minerals, properly so called, 

 are ores, or metallic substances ; but all the solid substances of which our globe 

 is composed, are called minerals, and that branch of science which describes 

 and investigates their properties, mineralogy ; which is usually divided into 

 stones, salts, combustibles, and ores ; these again are subdivided into orders 

 and families. It will be highly useful to have a cabinet of such minerals as 

 have been, or may be, found in our country, properly classed, and, if the funds 

 of the Institute should hereafter permit it, a complete collection of foreign 

 minerals, scientifically arranged for comparison. 



Another object, which claims the attention of the Institute, is, to obtain 

 correct information respecting the mineral waters of our country. * * * 



The communications which may be received on agricultural subjects, on the 

 management of stock, their diseases and the remedies, when promulgated by 

 the Institute, will afford valuable information to the practical farmer. 



The sixth article of the first section of our constitution, which embraces 

 topographical and statistical information, contains so many questions, highly 

 interesting to the community, that volumes might be written on their impor- 

 tance. On these, as on many other branches of knowledge embraced by the 

 Institute, we may expect many learned communications from the enlightened 

 representatives of the people, who annually visit this city. 



Finally, the selection and publication of the most valuable papers, which 

 may have been communicated, whether on commerce, agriculture, the arts, 

 sciences, or manufactures, will, I trust, furnish annually a respectable volume 

 of information. 



Recommending the printing of circulars, "containing the neces- 

 sary questions for the information of the Institute, so arranged and 

 divested of technical terms that those persons who have not been 

 engaged in scientific pursuits may be enabled to comprehend and 

 answer them with promptness," and suggesting " the propriety of 

 offering premiums or some honorary reward, whenever the funds 

 will permit, for important discoveries in agriculture, or the mechanic 

 arts or sciences which may promote it," the speaker turned to the 

 subject of the science of chemistry which " may be considered a hand- 

 maid to many of the arts embraced in the objects of the Institute." 



In connection Avith the operations of nature and existence of man, this science 

 is worthy of a more general diffusion ; it unfolds the most important phenomena 

 of nature, and teaches us to render the productions of the animal, vegetable, 

 and mineral kingdoms subservient to our use, and enables us to reason on the 

 properties of bodies which most immediately concern us, and to predict then- 

 alterations; it presents to us a sublime view of the order and harmony of 

 the different parts of our system, and displays, in a superlative degree, the 

 wisdom and goodness of our Creator. * * * 



Dr. Bancroft, in his philosophy of permanent colors, observes, that Mr. Wedg- 

 wood, whose ware has been so much admired in this country, in consequence of 

 his application to chemistry, was enabled to procure all the fine diversity of 

 colors, which decorated his pottery, from the oxides of iron. Bleaching, tan- 

 ning, glass, and porcelain making, the working of metals, and various other 

 arts, are purely chemical ; therefore, in proportion as chemistry is cultivated, 

 in the same ratio will the arts flourish. Agriculture can only be improved by 



