REPORT 



ON THE 



AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK. 



PART II. 



CHAPTER I. 



PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 



INOKGANIC BLEMENTg OF VEGETABLES : THEIR NUMBER FEW; THEIR CHARACTEK, ORIGIN, AND SOME OF THEIR 

 COMBINATIOm. IILEX, ITS RELATIONS AND USES IN PLANTS. ALUMINA, LIME, MAGNESIA ; PHOSPHORUS, 

 SULPHUR ; IRON, MANGANESE ; POTASH, SODA AND AMMONIA ; CHLORINE, CARBON, OXYGEN, NITROGEN AND 

 HYDROOEN. CARBONIC ACID AND ORGANIC MATTER ; THEIR UTILITY IN SOILS. VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES : 

 •TARCH, UGiriN, GUM, DBXTRINE ; eXTRACTIVE AND COLORING MHTTER9. ANIMAL SUBSTANCES : PROTEIN ; 

 ALBUMEN, FIBRIN, CASEIN, GLUTEN, GELA.TIN ; BLOOD; MILK. — RECAPITULATION. 



In the preceding volume of the Agriculture of New-York, I attempted to give the results 

 of many analyses of the soils peculiar to the State, the object of which was the determi- 

 nation of the amount of nutritive matter contained in them. This seemed to be required, 

 as one of the first steps which should be taken to elucidate, in the order most natural, the 

 principles which lie at the foundation of all improvements in husbandry. That the com- 

 position of soils requires a full and perfect determination, is now admitted. It is only by 

 possessing this knowledge, that the farmer can cultivate his lands understandingly, or 

 cease to work empirically or by rote. A knowledge of the composition of soils is not all 

 that is requisite to good and profitable farming : there is still remaining an entire field of 

 facts, to which the husbandman should by no means remain a stranger. These facts relate 

 [Agricultjral Report — Vol. ii.] I 



