202 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Sep' 



than oats, pound for pound, which we suppose to 

 be very near the trutli of the case. 



As there are vast tracts of soil in this country 

 much better adapted to the culture of oats than 

 wheat, it is a question of no small moment to deter- 

 mine the I'elative value of a pound of oatmeal, and 

 a like weight of ground wheat as food for animals. 

 Leaving out of the account the coarse covering 

 or bran of botli seeds, (which are worth some- 

 thing,) two or three pounds of the flour of oats 

 can be produced in many sections cheaper than 

 one pound of the flower of wheat. And in such 

 localities it will doubtless be found that, pound 

 for pound, the flour of the former grain will be 

 more valuable than that of the latter. How much 

 flour 100 lbs. of good oats will yield we do not 

 know with sufficient accuracy to make a state- 

 ment. According to Boussingault there are four 

 pounds of incombustible earthy matter in 100 of 

 oats ; of which 53.3 are silica, (mostly in the 

 thick covering of the seed,) 12.9 potash; 14.9 

 phosphoric acid ; 7.7 magnesia ; 3.7 lime ; and 

 1 sulphuric acid. 



It would be easy to show that oat meal is infe- 

 rior to wheat flour to furnish the elements for 

 making good the wear and consumption of hone 

 in laboring animals. But we will take another 

 occasion to discuss that part of the subject — bare- 

 ly hinting at tlie fact that, it is mainly owing to 

 the comparatively small amount of bone earth — 

 phosphate of lime — in oats which enables soils 

 poor in that mineral to yield large crops of oats 

 which can grow only small ones of wheat. — [Ed. 

 Gex. Farmek., 



Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry and 

 Geology. 



The Editor's Fall Course of Lectures on Ag- 

 ricultural Chemistry and Geology will commence 

 on Monday, October 5, at 2 o'clock, P. M., and 

 continue, one each day, four weeks, Sundays 

 excepted. The time of commencement has been 

 postponed a few day, to accomodate young men 

 that will not get through with their Teacher's 

 Institutes till the 2d of Octo])er, and who wish to 

 attend the course of Lectures to be given by the 

 writer of this. 



At the risk of appearing vain, or egotistical, 

 we will say a few words on the subject of these 

 Lectures, and of qualifying the Teachers of Com- 

 mon Schools to introduce the study of Agricultu- 

 ral Chemistry and Geology into these seminaries 

 of learnine:, which are emphatically the Colleges 

 of the peopl:. Great as are the improvements 

 already made ji. .^mmon School Education, all 

 must admit that the ; ourse of studies therein pur- 

 sued may be exte'u!ed .so as to embrace inore 

 than they now do. of the elements of natural sci- 

 ence. This can be done without impairing the 

 thoroughness with which any branches of learn- 

 ing now taught, may be pursued. Young men 

 well grounded in a good English education, in 



the popular acceptation of the term, greatly de 

 sire, as they truly need, that acquaintance with 

 general science which will place them on a level 

 in mental culture, and attainments, with the most 

 favored in the community. The expense of at- 

 tending the higher institutions of the country, is 

 too great for their limited means. The Common 

 School witnesses alike the beginning and the end 

 of their scholastic career. We have ever felt a 

 lively sympathy for this numerous class, who de- 

 serve better opportunities for improvement than 

 the}^ now possess. To such we say, " be of 

 good cheer." The popular Mind is beginning 

 to see the wisdom, and feel the importance of 

 illuminating the four walls of every school house 

 in the State, with the best lights of modern 

 science. Never do we realize so sensibly, 

 our lack of a tongue to speak, and a hand to 

 write as they should do, as when attempting to 

 awaken all sleepers to a just appreciation of what 

 the world may gain, by studying the unerring 

 laws of nature, as established by the Author of 

 our being, and obeying the same. These laws 

 have more to do in bringing annually around, 

 both "seed time and harvest," than many persons 

 are willing to admit. Thanks to the progress al- 

 ready made in Chemistry and Geology, as applied 

 to rural affairs, the apparatus and other means 

 required to investigate, and understand the most 

 important truths of these sciences, are now with- 

 in the reach and means of every school district 

 in Western New York. No one can say, pre- 

 cisely, what can be done in the way of mental 

 improvement, in advance of a fair trial. A fair 

 trial is all that we ask of an intelligent commu- 

 nity. In most branches of the mechanical arts, 

 chemistry has more than doubled the products of 

 the skill and labor of the best operatives, as ihey 

 wrought 2.5 years ago. Will a knowledge of 

 the elements that form all his crops, fertilize every 

 field, and make the daily food of all that live, b<^ 

 of no value to the practical husbandman ? Sure 

 ly, we need not argue this point to the readers of 

 this journal. It is enongh to say that, no reason 

 able pains nor expense will be spared, to n)ake 

 these Lectures alike useful, interesting, and sat- 

 isfactory. 



Lecture fees $6., to others tlian the regular 

 pupils of the Agricultural School. A portion of 

 the time each day will be devoted to teaching 

 the class the practical details of analyzing soils, 

 mineral waters, fertilizers, &c. Having been 

 started on the right track, most young men will 

 be able, with the assistance of books, and a cheap 

 apparatus, to pursue their researches with equal 

 pleasure and success. 



He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge 

 over which he must himself pass, for every man 

 hatli need to be forgiven. 



Our best friends are those that tell us of our 

 faults, and teach us how to correct them. 



