MONTHLY 



JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



VOL. II. FEBRUARY, 1847. NO. 8. 



CHEMISTRY AS APPLIED TO AGRICULTURE. 



THE OBLIGATION OF GOVERNMENTS TO PROMOTE SCHOLASTIC INSTRUC- 

 TION IN THE ART OF HUSEANDRr. 



There would, we must confess, be no violence in the presumption that we 

 had stolen a leaf from the book of the esteemed author of the following Report, 

 when we very hastily penned, for the last number of The Farmers' Library, 

 the following query ; " Ought not every State, or Agricultural Society or Insti- 

 tute, that possesses the means of doing it, to employ a competent chemist, whose 

 duly it should be, for the benefit of its Agriculture, to analyze such soils ana 

 substances as might be sent to him for that purpose from the different parts of 

 the State ? Could any more useful office be well established?" 



Coincident as are our views with Mr. Naill's, and gratified as we are to find 

 them so, it was only the coincidence of different minds, animated by the same 

 spirit of devotion to the same object. It was only since our remarks were in 

 type, that a chance, fortunately for us, brought us acquainted with Mr. N. ; and 

 to learn, incidentally, that as far back as March, 1840, exactly at the time that 

 we were called upon to take charge of an important Bureau of the public ser- 

 vice at Washington — and so had our attention partially diverted, but never en- 

 tirely withdrawn from the interests of Agriculture — he, as Chairman of the 

 Committee of Agriculture in the Senate of Maryland, had actually presented to 

 that body the following Report, and Bill in conformity with it, for the establish- 

 ment of just such an office — one that, with some modifications, every enlightened 

 friend of Agriculture must see could not fail to be attended with the most im- 

 portant benefits to that branch of the State's industry : 



House of Delegates, March 5, 1840. 

 Mr. Naill, from the Committee on Agi-i- 

 ciiltnre, delivered the following Report: 



The Committee on Agriculture, taking into 

 consideration the deranged condition of the 

 finances of the State, and the difficulties into 

 which she lias been thrown l)y her system 

 of internal improvements, beg leave to sub- 

 mit the following lioport : 



Your Committee, regarding the agi-icul- 

 tuml product of the State as the great basis 

 open which all her various interests mainly 

 (721) «3 



depend, and as almost the only source from 

 which returning prosperity may be expectetl 

 to How, have been deeply impressed with 

 the importance of the subject and induced to 

 inquire whether anything could be done to 

 augment the agricultural product of the State. 

 It is admitted, on all hands, they believe, that 

 knowledge is power ; consequently, if means 

 be a'^opted to extend knowledge, an increase 

 of power will follow. Tlius, then, iflhemmd 

 of the State be cultivated, will it not lead to 

 the better cultivation of the soil? And who 

 can estimate the mighty results that may be 



