THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



237 



mediate, or middle stratum, which ia now rich 

 Willi calcareous matter, and pass to the lower 

 stratum, ilie terminus ol" which we have never 

 (bund, decompose this partially, (as there are siill 

 many shells in it, perfect as to Ibrm, and retaining 

 all their lime,) but stiU no traces ol' sulphate of 

 lime, other than as you suppose from a siuiilarity ol 

 action on the crowinfr crops'? 1 1' I am correct in 

 my views, as I think I am, I should rather thinl< 

 you will iiave lodipsiill deeper into the arcana 

 of nature, than you have yet irone, belbrc any 

 eatislactory solution of the enicma of ijreen-sand 

 can be arrived at. I do not know but ihat you 

 may be correct in your theory, or at least that it 

 is a plausible one, of the sulphate of alumina 

 and iron, aciinji partially upon the lime of the up- 

 per or overlying stratum of ffreen-sand marl, 

 as the sulphuric acid would in all probability, 

 when cominw in contact wiUi limp and potash 

 together, unite with the lime, in preference to the 

 potash, and thereby produce the insoluble com- 

 pound of sulphate of lime ; and should any ex- 

 cess of sulphuric acid be present, and sulphate 

 of potash be Ibrmed, it could not be delected, as 

 it would, as soon as formed, be carried off by the 

 water. But this admission can only apply to the 

 upper or overlying stratum, in which is lound 

 gypsum ; it could not apply to the two underly- 

 ing strata, which both contain lime, but no 

 gypsum. 



The more, my dear sir, I investigate this sub- 

 ject, and seek alter the mot/us operandi of \he green- 

 sand. the more I am involved in mystery. "Alps 

 on Alps arise," at every step. I must therefore 

 withdraw from the field of science, and leave it 

 to the culture of your more skilful operations; 

 while I confine myself within the more appro- 

 priate vocation of a farmer, of trying experiments, 

 to arrive at practical results. Yours. &c. 



CoRBiN Braxton. 



PROPOSED REMEDY FOR THE CONFUSED AND 

 CONTRADICTORY STATE OF POPULAR NO- 

 MENCLATURE OF THE GRASSES. 



From tlie Kentuclty Farmer. 



In a communication addressed by the present 

 editor of this paper, some m onihs since, to the 

 ediior of the Farmers' Register, on " Kentucky 

 .blue grass," the idea was suo^gested that a work 

 on the grasses, giving all their common names in 

 connexion with their botanic description, so that 

 they could be readily distinguished in all pans of 

 the country, as well by the unlearned as the learn- 

 ed, would prove a valuable acquisition to ihe agri- 

 cultural literature of the country, i'he letter was 

 copied froai the Register into this paper, current 

 vol., p. 156. It is highly gratifying to find, flom 

 the articles which fbllovv, that the suuaestion 

 receives the powerliil support of the able editor of 

 the Register, and that it has been so favorably 

 entertained by the distinguished botanists, Mr. 

 Curtis and Professor Darlington, who have writ- 

 ten to the Register and the American Farmer on 

 the subject. Every intelligent farmer appreciaies 

 the importance of botanic science to the improve- 

 ment of agriculture ; and it is painful to reflect 

 how much this and other sciences, applicable to 

 the art of farming, have been neglected in the 



education of the sons of the soil. May we not 

 hope that, apfireciaiinr; the niility of the various 

 sciences in aid of practical husbandry, a hiizher 

 standard of education lor ilie I'arnu-r will be soon 

 adopted. And such a work as the or.e pro[iosed, 

 by showing the utility of botany, would promote 

 ihe study of that beauiilul science by the larmer. 

 There are some excellent sufr.'.restions in the 

 letter of Mr. Curtis; and that of Mr. Darlintrlon 

 tnay be re<rarded as a nucleus around which the. 

 useful work suL^gested will be formed. VVe ho[)e 

 that, in furnishing the materials lor such a work, 

 the Kentucky botanists will not be behind their 

 scientific breihren of other regions of the country. 

 Professor Short of Louisville and Professor Mi'- 

 chcll of Lexington, could give much assistance in 

 I'erlecting the proposed work; and our hiixhiy 

 valued correspondent, Mr. Lewis, whose letter, 

 living another plant to the list of Professor Dar- 

 lington, is appended, could, and no doubt would, 

 furnish much useful matter. Aid could also be 

 derived from many other gentlemen of Kentucky, 

 one of whom, cur able correspondent, Judge 

 Beatty, we almost feel aiithorizeil to pledge. We 

 hope the scientific gentlemen named, as well aa 

 others, will send us not only specimens of the va- 

 rious grasses ol' this state, prepared as suegested, 

 but communications lor publication. We will 

 take great pleasure in fbrwarding them to Mr. 

 Curtis or to any other gentleman who will under- 

 take the preparation of' the projected work. By 

 the way, it occurs that, as Mr. Ruffin of the Re'- 

 gister proposes that the specimens be sent to Mr. 

 Curtis, and Mr. Curtis proposes that they be sent 

 to Mr. Ruffin, (Petersburg, Va) it would be im- 

 portant that the latter gentleman, in behalf of the 

 cause of American agriculture, emer into a cor- 

 respondence with the most distinguished botanists 

 of the United States, to solicit tlieiV aid in the un- 

 dertaking, and to designate the one who shall 

 filially complete the work from the materials to be 

 furnished. Mr. Cunis has agreed to do it if the 

 specimens be sent him, and no one else under- 

 takes. No doubt he could well perlbrtn the task ; 

 and if he absolutely aeree to do it, the public 

 should be ap|)iised, thai specimens may be sent 

 directly to him. Let, therelbre,' general notice 

 be given in the Register and copied in all other 

 agricultural papers. As, among other objects,- the 

 work is desired to establish a uniform nomen- 

 , claiure, some such action will be requisite, to ren- 

 j der the undertaking succfssful ; and it is to be 

 I hoped that every botanist in the country will hold 

 himself bounl to do something in this enterprise, 

 not only as a contribution lo the science of boany, 

 but as a concession to tlie claims of a.qriculture. 

 Mr. Ruffiii's liigh character as an agricultural 

 writer, his extensive acquaintance, his Ibrlunate 

 location at a point midway between the extreme 

 north and south, toi/e'her with his enerofy and 

 spirit in promoting the interests of agriculture, all 

 indicate him as the person peculiarly fitted to 

 organize the action which shall ultimately accom- 

 plish Ihe desired object. In the hope that he 

 will recognize our right to make the nomination, 

 and that he will accepi it, we undertake lo 

 guaranty him ail the aid which the Kentucky bo- 

 tanists can bestow. We believe the plan pro- 

 posed will insure the execution of the work ; 

 while if no organized system of action be adopted, 

 we may never see its completion and certainly 



