418 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept 



if it can be trulv affirmed of the Ayrshire cattle ; 

 we are anxious to know the origin, the history, and 

 the general management of this valuable animal. 



The origin of the Ayrshire cow is even at the 

 present day, a matter of dispute ; all that is cer- 

 tainly known is, that a century ago, there was no 

 such breed in Cunningham, or Ayrshire, or Scot- 

 land. Did the Ayrshire cattle arise entirely from 

 a careful selection of the best of the native breed ? 

 If they did, it is a circumstance unparalleled in the 

 history of agriculture. The native breed may be 

 ameliorated by careful selection ; its value may be 

 incalculably increased, some good qualities — some 

 of its best qualities — may be for the first time de- 

 velo])ed; but yet, there will be some resemblance 

 to the original stock, and the more we examine the 

 animal, the more clearly we can trace out the char- 

 acteristic points of the ancestor, although every one 

 of them improved. 



For Die New England Farmer. 



GEOLOGY. 



Mil. Editor : — It seems to me that all young 

 persons, young farmeis especially, should try to 

 obtain some just notion of the leading principles of 

 geology and mineralogy. Though I do not pre 

 tend to a very accurate knowledge of either of 

 these sciences, yet I have v>'ritten two brief articles 

 for insertion in your pajjer, if you deem them 

 worthy, in order to encourage some attention to 



knowledge of this subject can be acquired without 

 personal examination ? Where are the text-books, 

 so adapted to the capacities of common minds, as 

 to supercede the necessity of personal examination, 

 observation and experience ? Nay, where are the 

 geologists, or the mineralogists, who have derived 

 all their information from schools, or from books 

 alone ? If geologists and mineralogists themselves 

 have been obhged to take their chief lessons from 

 the works of Nature, rather than from books, so 

 must we and all others. Theory is useless without 

 practice, and practice cannot be advantageously 

 pursued without some kind of theory. In fact, a 

 judicious text book may be of essential service to 

 beginners in pursuing this study, as it will assist 

 them in arranging and classifying the different ma- 

 terials. 



The surface of the earth is found to be composed 

 of different strata or beds placed one above the 

 other. These strata or layers are very much mixed, 

 and their direction, matter, thickness and relative 

 condition vary considerably in different places. — 

 These strata are divided into seven classes, as fol- 

 lows : — black earth, clay, sandy earth, marl, bog, 

 chalk, and stony earth. The surface of the globe, 

 by its inequalities, is divided into highland, lowland 

 and the bottom of the sea. At first sight, the so- 

 lid mass of the earth appears to be a confused as- 

 semblage of rocky masses, piled on each other 

 without regularity or order ; but, on a nearer view, 

 a variety of beautifying arrangements has been 

 traced by the industry of geologists, and the light 

 of modern discoveries. 



The materials of which the solid crust of the 

 earth is composed, have been arranged into the 

 four following classes : — 1. Primitive rocks, which 



these studies. When I meet wiih mdividuals, as 1 1 pQ^tain no animal or vegetable remains ; the period 

 frequently do, who cannot tell one kmd of earth 'p ^-1^03^ formation is considered as antecedent to 

 from another, or one kmd of stone from another, ^^^^ ^f ^jj^ creation of organic beings. These are 



except by the quantity, color or size, I am am.azed 



beyond measure. I wonder how it has happened, 



that they have lived all the days of their lives in 



the very midst of their Creator's works, ^vithoutjj,yj^. jjjpj.g-gpj^j.jjigjy 



ever having their curiosity sufficiently excited top 



inquire into some of their peculiar properties, qual 

 ities, and uses. If I shall but succeed in drawing 

 attention to these two branches of science, I shall 

 accomplish my object. 



Geology, as it treats of the formation and struc- 

 ture of the earth, of its rocks, strata, soil, minerals, 

 organic remains, &c., is one of the most interesting 

 and useful branches of knowledge. The object of 

 this science is to investigate and describe the in 

 ternal structure of the earth, the arrangement of 

 the materials of which it is composed, the circum- 

 stances peculiar to its original formation, the differ- 

 ent states under which it has existed, and the dif- 

 ferent changes which it appears to have under- 

 gone. 



Now, it is perfectly evident, from various consid- 

 erations, that our knowledge of this important sub- 

 ject must be very shallow and imperfect. For in- 

 stance, we cannot examine into the interior of the 

 earth to any considerable distance. We can do 

 little more than examine what is denominated the 

 outward crust of the earth, while all the interior 

 parts remain unexplored. So that a question natu- 

 rally arises, how a competent or accurate knowl- 

 edge of geology is to be acquired ? Can it be 

 learned at school, or from books alone ? Where 

 are the schools in which a correct and thorough 



granite, gneiss, mica slate, clay slate, which occur 

 abundantly in all regions of the globe, with quartz 

 rock, serpentine, granular limestone, &c., which oc- 

 2. Secondary rocks, contain- 

 mg organic remams, and are therefore considered 



s having been formed posterior to the existence of 

 organized beings. These are greywacke, sand- 

 stone, limestone, and gypsum of various kinds, 

 slate clay, with certain species of trap ; and they 

 are found lying above the primary or primitive 

 rocks. 3. Alluvial rocks or formations, consisting 

 of beds of gravel, sand, earth, and moss, and lying 

 above the secondary rocks. This class comprehends 

 those rocky substances formed from previously ex- 

 isting rocks, of which the materials have been bro- 

 ken down by the agency of water and air ; they 

 are, therefore, generally loose in their texture, and 

 are never covered with any real solid and rocky se- 

 condary strata. 4. Volcanic rocks, under which 

 class are comprehended all those rocks, beds of lava, 

 scoria;, and other matter, thrown out at certain 

 points of the earth's surface by the action of subter- 

 raneous fires. 



Many have been deterred from the study of ge- 

 ology by the supposed difficulties which attend it. 

 But no greater difficulties have been found in the 

 pursuit of this study, than in any other useful 

 branch of science. Until the sciences of chemistry 

 and mineralogy had made considerable advances 

 towards that state of perfection in which we now 

 find them, geology was scarcely understood at all; 

 but, Mith the aid of these sister sciences, geology 



