270 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



The present state of man is a state of trial. 

 As there are many facilities opened up by Provi- 

 dence, for the purpose of trial, not to be used, bii< 

 avoided ; so, there are many obstacles inter()osed 

 from the same source, not to discourage and 

 thwart us, but to test our ingenuity, resolution, and 

 perseverance in overcoming them. And this is 

 one of them : nor could men be placed in circum- 

 stances more (avorable lor contending with such a 

 foe than the body of eouihern planiers. They 

 have wealth, leisure, and intelligence, and have 

 not been thought deficient in energy. The result 

 to be reached is of such magnitude as should pro- 

 voke the ambition of the most cultivated, or 

 wealthy. The philanthropist, even, could find 

 no field more fit for the exercise of his high 

 powers. 



Were any person possessed of the secret by 

 which in an easy, practicable method, these ene- 

 mies of the cotton plant might ceriainly be pre- 

 vented or dislodged ; what might Alabama 

 afford to give for such a secret 1 Millions ! 

 millions ! 



But is it really the case that a remedy for these 

 ills is within the range of science ? True science 

 is modest, and does not assume to itself omnipo- 

 tence, nor even seek favor by boastful pretensions, 

 An answer to that question, however, may be in- 

 ferred from her achievements in kindred branches 

 of practical knowledge, known and read of all 

 men ; and from a view of the nature of the case. 



On this suhject, as the humble advocate of 

 science, I would content myself with suggesting, 

 that it is possible to capture some of these insects. 

 to keep them supplied, in confinement, with every 

 thing they could find in the fields, to oblige them 

 to carry on all their operations, and pass throuirh 

 all their translbrmaiions, under the scrutinizing 

 and unremitted observation of scientific and prac- 

 tical men ; who would mark all the phenomena, 

 their periods, their habits, their mode of propaga- 

 tion, their transformations, their winter abodes, 

 and the circumstances which give them influence. 



I ask now any plain, commcm-sense, unlettered 

 farmer, if there is not a glaring probability thai 

 Buch investigations, persevered in, might give the 

 planter a hint by which he could adopt means, at 

 least for the mitigation of ilie evil, so as to render 

 it comparatively harmless'? 



Who will deny the possibility of success, in the 

 instance of the cotton insects 1 We are sure that 

 ignorance and inactivity will not find a remedy : 

 /jer/iaps science may. And the whole cost of the 

 experiment for all time will not amount to the 

 tenth part of what ignorance is now levying upon 

 ue, year by year ! — It may cost the expense ol an 

 experimental farm, with suitable buildings, appur- 

 tenances, and apparatus. It may cost the' means 

 of engaging the services of some four or five 

 scientific men, skilled in natural history and 

 chemistry; practical, laborious pains-taking men, 

 who will be exclusively devoted to all inquiries 

 affecting agriculture, joined with a communication 

 of a thorough professional education, manual and 

 intellectual, to all classes of our young men, who 

 intend to be planters It may cost this ; the set- 

 ling apart, in a permanent investment, of some 

 $250,000 perhaps, of the people's money, to do 

 what may be styled, if ever any thing on earth 

 could, the peopWf own business. 



Could we even suppose it probable that the ex- 

 periment would fail as a means of extermination 

 ol ihe insects in question, can any reasonable man 

 doubt lor a moment what would be the effect on 

 the general interests of agriculture, ol such an 

 establishment? A body of able men profession- 

 ally and exclusively employed in applying the 

 deductions of science to the actual tillage of the 

 soil, to the developement of all its adaptations and 

 resources in every part of the state, to the sugges- 

 tion and proper trial of every species of improve- 

 ment in all the productions and arts of husban- 

 dry, to the training up, by the union of study and 

 personal labor, of a race of hardy, virtuous, 

 enlightened cultivators of ihesoil, — the Ibundation 

 and defence, the bone and sinew, the right eye and 

 arm of the commonwealih 1 



Gentlemen, it is too plain to admit of a doubt, 

 thai such an establishment would, in ifie course of 

 fifiy years, repay to the state m one form or other 

 the cost of the investment, one hundred times 



REPORT OF THE CUMBERLAND AGRICULTU- 

 RAL SOCIETY ON GYPSUM AS MANURE. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Farmers' Register. 



By order of the Cumberland Agricultural So- 

 ciety, at their meeting in November last, the 

 following report is sent to you, with a request that 

 you will give it a place in the Farmers' Register, 

 Very respectfully, The Committee, 



By J. Miller. 



3Iay, 1842. 



The committee appointed, by a resolution of 

 the society, to report, "on the benefits of gypsum 

 or plaster, the lime, manner, &c., of applying it, 

 to what crops, and .on what soils it is most be- 

 neficial, and all other information in relation 

 to the subject which they deem important," 

 have had these matters under consideration, and 

 respectfully submit the following report, in part. 

 They say m part, because, as presented to your 

 committee, it is a most fruitful iheme, requiring 

 a degree of labor and research which they have 

 not had time to bestow. But such inlbrmation 

 as they possessed, or have been able to obtain, 

 they freely communicate to the society, as far as 

 they have had opportunity to embody it, feeling 

 very conscious at the same time, that they are 

 communicating little or nothing that is new or 

 valuable ; and still more, that they possess no 

 talent lor giving to old thoughts a new and pleas- 

 ing dress. To enter into a formal argument, at 

 this time of day, to maintain the general proposi- 

 tion that plaster of Paris is beneficial to the agri- 

 culturist, would prove us a century behind the 

 age in which we live. It is, therefore, presumed 

 that such was not the intention of the society in 

 the reference of this subject to their committee. 

 Assuming this position then as granted, we pro- 

 ceed to the other subjects of inquiry presented by 

 the resolution, not confining ourselves to each in 

 order, but treating them indiscriminately, as they 

 most naturally suggest themselves to our minds, 

 yet, as we trust, intelligibly. Premising that this 

 valuable article can now be procured in our neigh- 

 borhood, from Stony Point mills to Farmville, 



