SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURE. 433 



&quot; Society for the Promotion of Agriculture &quot; was estab 

 lished in this State. The first volume of their Transac 

 tions, now before me, was published in 1801, and con 

 tains many interesting practical and experimental papers; 

 and it is very curious, in. looking back so far as half a 

 century ago, to find things distinctly brought forward 

 then which are still considered new, and are published 

 as novelties even in our time. Among these I may 

 mention a paper by Dr Mitchell of New York, in which 

 he describes the wells in cities as being always impreg 

 nated with nitrates, which filter through the soil ; and 

 adds, &quot; That in well-regulated societies, aqueducts should 

 be constructed for bringing water to towns from springs 

 or sources considerably distant.&quot; The fact of this abun 

 dant presence of nitrates it has been necessary to prove 

 anew, and more satisfactorily, within the last few years 5 

 and the sanitary precaution suggested by it, our Boards 

 of Health have as yet been unable to persuade even 

 our own nation generally to adopt. 



Another paper in this volume, by a namesake of my 

 own, is on the influence of saltpetre in promoting the 

 growth of wheat, when the seed is steeped in it a true 

 and interesting fact, which will recall to mind the famous 

 u Campbell s steeps,&quot; which, four or five years ago, were 

 made the subject of so much pretence and quackery. 

 This Society is still in existence ; and though it has 

 ceased to publish separate Transactions, and probably 

 requires now an infusion of new blood, it numbers 

 among its members most of the friends of agriculture 

 in the neighbourhood of Boston, and has for its vice- 

 presidents Mr Daniel Webster and Mr Abbott Law 

 rence. 



About the year 1836, the Legislature were induced 

 to turn their attention more directly to the improvement 

 of agriculture ; and they ordered geological, agricultural, 



VOL. n. 2 E 



