T 



^\)i 



mtv B 



'itor. 



iiii>iircf?>riil iModes of o|ie~rtilioii will nwiiUeii a 

 spiiil (if relbnii iiiid iiii{)rovt-ii)eiil wliicli shall 

 tiiaUe «li;U 1j;is hocii the burden of" llie iUiiner 

 liis <;rt'ai<!sl |ileaptMT. 



Tlie (iiniici' Icj-islalofs of Massacliiisetts, where 

 tlici-e is an aiiiiiial vviiiici- session aUvnys longer 

 llian iinrs, for i!t-vnral winlers have had eveiiint; 

 n»eiiM;.'s ojice a week, in which Ihcj' have lieen 

 joined hy oiher rliizens « ho were ilesirons ol 

 iniiirovonienr. While iti Boston in ihejear 1840, 

 I. allended si.-veral of ihose tneetinj;s, and «as 

 often insirnend and sometimes deli^hied in lis- 

 tening to the information vvhieh was there elici- 

 ted. The hest and most useful 'inforinalioii is 

 that l<no(sliNl;re derived from pracli<:e; and I 

 have nevcM- vet talked with the tiirmer who has 

 snl'.icieiitly '|ifirsiied his hnsiness for thirty years, 

 who could not ^ive ine some points of knowl- 

 edjje in Ajrrienlture worthy to go fiirtli in print 

 for the readinjr of every tanner. Even if it he 

 familiar every-day practice and knowledge, it is 

 not the less acceptalile ; for 1 have remarked that 

 it is never nnnleasant to confirm any man in 

 what he already knows— it is coniplimcnlary to 

 onr judgment to lie InUI hy a man of sense and 

 di^crinjinaiion that the way we have chosen and 

 ])insne(l is the right v\'ay. 



The lin-rner v\|ir> ciihivales ifis gromid with the 

 k^iiowledge that his land is yearly growing less 

 capalile to prodnce, must ilo his work throngli 

 the year wilii sensations as paiidid as will he the 

 ridection pleasant and gratetid to that liirnier 

 who with a nohle presi-nt crop feels assured that 

 iiis land will next year, |ierhaps at less lahorand 

 expense, .\iclil an eipial if not more protitahle 

 crop, 'riie one goes to his work, .-md perhaps to 

 a harder hecanse miavailalde lahor, with a sad or 

 a snhdiied conntenance : the work of the other is 

 Ifis hest pastime, hecaiise, if he have thein not 

 already, he sees in the vista of fntnre life an over- 

 flow of ^11 earthly physical comforts. 



It is, orshoidd lie,tfie great |Uirpose ofall agri- 

 cnhnral associations to incite to individnal im- 

 jifovemenl, hy holding np a mirror reflecting the 

 liieans and the way of iigricnlmral success — to 

 point to the path so snre that the le:tst wary and 

 provident cannot liiil of success if he would avoid 

 the shame <;f a had example. 



Every sagacious man cati see how and why he 

 has succeeded or failed in any attempted ini- 

 proveinent. There can be an op|!ortuidty at least 

 once in a year, to gather informalion iiorn all 

 parts of the State of the hest experience of onr 

 most intelligent farn)ers. Having made it a part 

 of my hnsiness for the last six^'ears to "do good 

 ,ind comnnmicate" under this head — 1 have 

 found the task not indeed iini'leasimt, but such 

 a one as has sweetened all other unwelcome 

 cares and vicissitudes. I have found this path 

 grow brighter at every advance, while thorns and 

 ejidiarrassnients have beset mc round about in 

 all those relations residting from severe labor of 

 many years necessarily connected with politics 

 and public men. 



It is now only some eight or ten years that iriy 

 altewiiU) has been turned to practical agriculture. 

 Constitution;;! debility in early life taught me that 

 I could inn eiiconuter to advantage the labors of 

 the field. Since I began somewhat more in 

 earnest, I have had to do every thing under the 

 discomageinent of hired labor: 1 am confident 1 

 coidd have succeeded better under a better per- 

 sonal experience, when it woidd have been my 

 pastime to work liiyself and to educate my chil- 

 dren in that practical labor which has given a 

 zest to the classii'al studies of some of the best 

 professiiinal men of the fo'unlry. flly agricul- 

 . tiu'al experience is only that of the young tjirnier 

 wlio has just entered upon the ihreshhold ol" his 

 calling. There are gentleman present who have 

 had all the experience which makes perfect. 

 When these gentlemen shall here speak of those 

 tilings ill wdiich they have found improvement 

 and success, and note other experiments in which 

 they have failed — when they shall tell lis whal 

 Ikis assiirerl them success or what has resulted in 

 a failure; when other men shall have given the 

 results of their belter experience — in due time 1 

 may allempi to tell how I began my career as a 

 fanner, and where I have made more than two 

 Sj.ears of gCi.'S or blades of corn grow where 

 bill on" yrew before. 



i\lr. Hill said he .saw before hint, one who had 

 distinguished himself in raising the best shtep in 

 the Sia'" and he hoped to hear from him in re- 

 latiou to thit !»iifafp«*". 



Stephkn Siblkv, list]., ol ilopkinion,.>;.iid that 

 he had no statistics with him in relation to sheep- 

 raising, and that he was entirely unprepared lo 

 address the meeting upon the sniiject. 



Dr. Jackson, the State Geologist, having been 

 requested to address the meeting at length, said 

 he should <lefer his main remarks lor the ailjoiiru- 

 nient in the e\niiiig, but would at this time con- 

 fine him>elf lo ilie single subject id" soils. He 

 said he had during the last three years exanuned 

 the soils of New Hampsliire in its whole exieiit, 

 and by the process of analyzntion would he able, 

 in the report which was about to i)e publislii:d 

 under the auspices of the State, to shew ihe farm- 

 ers of every location the liasis of iho soil— In 

 which he might as<-erlaiu in wlia[ qualities it 

 idiouiided or was deficient, and uhal it nl0^t re- 

 quired. 



He saiil all the various snils are tierived from 

 rocks — these rocks in tlie iMccess of decompo- 

 sition become pouiler; and the tdiaracler of the 

 soil is always derived li(im the nature of the 

 rocks. Vegetation is commingled with the soil, 

 but it derives its elements fiom the atmosphere. 



The prevailing rocks of the State of New 

 Hampshiie are mostly primary, granite, gneiss 

 and mica slate. Jim along the westerly side ol 

 the Stale argillaceous .>late prevails — in llie same 

 seciion there are large heiis of limestone. The 

 limestone region is invariably a stronger tind 

 richer soil. In the decomposition of. rocks, pot- 

 ash and soda are eliminated. Felspar coiilaius 

 these. Mica contains mine potash than granite. 

 The soil from slate is lilne clay. Carbonate of 

 lime is derived lioiii limestone. Trap rocks con- 

 tain a large portion of alkali. Potash is one of 

 the most usefid ingredients of soil. The iialnre 

 of the soil should he imdeistood by those who 

 would remedy its delects: lime and clay should 

 be addled to sandy soil. Sandy loam sliould" be 

 added to slale or clayey soil. 



All vegetable matters are naturally acid, and 

 these must be nentialized by alkali. 'J'he mica 

 slate soil has the greater retentive power: it bet- 

 ter holds on to the elements of fi-rtiliiy — it is 

 theretiire the greater f»asis ot" ihe alk.alies. 



Ill the course .of earth's revolutions all land 

 has lieeii siduiierged. Currents (d' water, as is 

 evident from ail appearances, have removed the 

 soil sniiihvvard by dritiiiig. Here the soil de- 

 pends not upon the underlaying rocks, but nptni 

 the jocks in another position from which the soil 

 has drilied. 



The action of rivers in times much more mod- 

 ern than the age of the drifts het"ore the present 

 earth was tornied, lias been a grand agent in fir- 

 tilizing ihe grounds. These aVe whal is called 

 alluvion. Here the characterof the .soil de()enils 

 on its course and the kind of rocks over which il 

 [lasses. 



Tlie Connecticut river, flowing in a limestone 

 region, makes itsallnvion invariably fertile. The 

 lime f^irmatioii gives the character lo the soil, 

 and has contrilaiu'd llie quality of production in 

 an eiijinent degree to tlic whole valley of that 

 heautifid region. 



Merrimack river bass its' sources in a more 

 granitic region, and is not as riidi as llie Con- 

 neciicnt. It is more sandy- — of finer particles; 

 hut its alluvion is rich enough to give very good 

 crops. 



In this State there are vast depositesof peat or 

 swamp muck. This peat or muidi is more or less 

 valuable according to the material of earth or 

 vegetable which composes it. By \'i:ry simple 

 changes much ol it niay be made into niamire, 

 the appliiatiou of which w ill enable are.ble lands 

 to yield seventy and eighty bushels of Indian corn 

 to the acre. 



Peal hog itself may lie made highly pKuhiciive. 

 In the Slates ofiMassachuseits anil Rhode l?land, 

 peat bogs have claimed the ultemion of ciihiva- 

 tors: they are there considered valuable above 

 most other kinds of land. 



In this State there are other sources of fertili- 

 ty, which have been hardly regarded by those 

 who live in the near vicinity. There are numer- 

 ous and extensive marl beds in the iioriherii part 

 of the State, which will become extensividy use- 

 ful hereafler. 'ihe principles of chemistry will 

 teach how these iiijiy be ii.selidly applied and be 

 come an enriching mine to the eidfivalorii of the 

 snironuiling coiinirv. 



Dr. .lackson here alluded to a" fact first pub 

 lished in the Monthly Visitor about fijur years 



ago, in relaiion to the disastrous moimiaiii slide 

 near the notch of the White Mountains; that 

 rank vcgetalioii Has growing from ihe gravelly 

 pebbles which had slid down from the tipparent- 

 ly barren mountain in a mass, and which seemed 

 at first sterile iis ihe native rock from which they 

 was decomposed. His position now is, that the 

 under or subsoil has the elements of fertiliiy 

 greater than the cidiivaled soil overlaying il. 

 This liici is often demoiislraled in the rich vege- 

 IKtiou, after deeoniposiiion by the atmosphere, 

 springing lioni what was the naked sand and 

 gravel taken fi'oin cellars and wells. 



Dr. Jackson dwelt wilh some emphasis upon 

 the salutary efl'ecl of" the use of the subsoil 

 plough. He described this plou;;li ».< used l>y 

 immediately following after the surface plough. 

 S.-iy the first plough goes to the depili id' eight 

 inches — and the subsoil plough follows, siirring 

 the groiiyiid leu inches deeper. The grtjund thus 

 stirred eiil.irges the field for the growing roots: 

 Ihese I'liols will reach lo all tho.se points where 

 they can find aliment. 



The use of the subsoil plough is but recent in 

 Europe, and has hardly yet been begun in Amer- 

 ica. It is demonslralfd to he valuable beyond 

 all previiins calenhiiion in that cunntry, aiding 

 most that soil where there is a bel'er preparation 

 of nianiire upon the surface. Several gentlemen 

 in iMassachtisetts had experimented in subsoiling 

 connected with unihidraining', and had liiund 

 the capaifily of the earth tojield much iiicrea.<ed. 

 Mr. Elias Pliiuney ol' Lexin;;ton and Mr. B. V. 

 French of Bralntiee, .Massachusells, have put an 

 entire new liice ii|ioii some of their lauds hy sub- 

 soiling. 



Di. J. concluded by informing the meeting' that 

 he had aiialvzed every kind of soil in New Hamp- 

 shire; and said III.' would defer further remarks 

 until the evening, when be would treat on the 

 subject of munures. 



After siiine conversation I'etween Mr. Cooke, 

 senator from di.-tricl number nine, and iMr. N. 13. 

 Baker, on the proposition for a conimiltee U) pie- 

 sent subjects lor discussion at liilure meetings, 

 at three o'clock the meeting adjourned lo meet 

 again at half past six o"clock the same evening. 



EVF.NI.NG. 



When we entered ihe Hall at the adjourned 

 evening meeting. Dr. J.iCKSO.v was speaking of 

 the tdworptiiiii ofcaibon. He said plaiils re- 

 quire carbon from the aiinosphere : they also re- 

 quire salts fiiMii the earth. Carbonic acid gas, 

 which is poison, taken into the lungs of animals, 

 is the fiiod of plants. 



'j'he bodies of men and animals, the dccomjio- 

 sition of vegetables, tend to corrupt: we are 

 disgusted and endangered with the ifiiuviii; but 

 the growing plants, the leaves of trees and flow- 

 ers are imbibing them continually. }l is lliis 

 beautiful arrangement of nature which preserves 

 all and ailoius creation. Combustion is going 

 lorward at all limes; and all vegetable sulislun- 

 ccs decomposing by this proce.ss are giving out 

 carbonic acid. Another supply of carbonic ficict 

 is found in minerals— it is given out wiih graui-_ 

 tic rock. The process extracts a carbonate of 

 jiotash, and separates il from the granite, reduc- 

 ing it to clay. 



Dr. J. noticed tlie rapid decompostion of rocks " 

 always taking place at and near the rocks. The 

 naked rock decompo.ses not sofastas when over- 

 laid wiih aidiers or mosses. These growing U))- 

 on rocks leave it with the appearance of a lioli- 

 eycoinb. S|niugs of water issiiing from the 

 ground likewise give out carbon'ic acid. 



Salts also eonirihnte to tlie grow lb id" vegeta- 

 tion : the roots of planis draw l"rom the soil those 

 lliings most sohible. Nature makes sidnbihiy lo 

 accord wiih the wauls of vegetation. Liquids 

 entering the plants come frmii the soil. 'i"lie 

 plant takes in sohible limnns entering by the 

 roots: this idiaiiges lo sugar and gum, to the 

 sulistances whii-h give to them their peculiar 

 character and value. Salts also unilergo decom- 

 position : they combine with several acids and 

 various other substances. 



Phosphate of Inne, a suhstanci! idriiiical with 

 those of whiidi bones are made, exists more or 

 less in the soil. Sllic;iieof polasli, iilentu-d with 

 Ihe sllb,<talice of lilass wilillows. enters liic plants 

 I.I" wheat or Imliaii curii, and covers tin: |.l;int. 

 'I'he presence of the silicate, of po!a.5h, is proved 

 in the burning of a piece of ratun. Each fibre 



