NEW e:ngl.aj^d fakme 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISHED BY GEORGE C. BARRETT, NO. 52, NORTH MARKET STREET, (Aoricultobal Warkhodse.) — T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



V«H,. 3C1V , 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 1836. 



NO. 46. 



CFroin the Sontlicrll Agriculturist.) 



ON M/INURES. 



The Committee on Agricultural Subjects to lire Society fur the Ad- 

 vancement ol' Learning in ^outh Carolina. 



Ge.ntlemen, — Having been honored lij' your 

 clioice to present to yon some !tgrieulttn-al subjects 

 Avliicli may be interesting and advantageous to 

 our State, we must, notn itlistanding tl c inadequa- 

 cy of our knowledge and experience, to do justice 

 to so copious a llieine, c.xert our feeble powers. 

 Relying on your indulgence, we hope to take 

 such views of the subject as may enable you to 

 glean a few ears from among tlie stubble. 



Although Agriculture is the most ancient, and 

 the most lunorable, because the most useful and 

 necessary profession, it is, as a science, as yet, in 

 a surprising state of iinijerteetion. It lias always 

 added to the glory of the States which have giv- 

 3n it encouragement, and wlien skilfully conduct- 

 3'J, has ever proved a source of individual wealth 

 and national iiower. We cannot, therefore be- 

 stow upon it too much of our care, nor seek with 

 00 much zeal the surest modes of securing the in- 

 ;a!culable benefits to be obtained from it. Indis- 

 )utable as these propositions are, it is a strange 

 tnomaly in human affairs, that this, most necessa- 

 •y wealth, and power-giving art has never had a 

 •egular footing in the schools of the ancient or 

 nodern world, there to be taught with the other 

 Vrts and Sciences which have given to man so 

 nuch cause to be proud of the efforts of his reason 

 ■ :nd of the flights of his genius. Is it because, it 

 13 die most easy and less intricate vocatiuu ? The 

 nost superficial observers only can look upon it in 

 hat lighL It is very true that the industrious 

 nan, though guided by ignorance, is generally en- 

 l.bled to make a support, and even, in some cases, 

 I acquire affluence ; but we must also admit tliat 

 I lis e-vertions are most bewildered, and his success 

 (nost limited, when a difficulty arises that baffles 



She routine of his operations. 

 The knowledge required to form a competent 

 griculturist, is as profound as it is various. So 

 ;reat is the amount and multiplicity of that knowl- 

 dge, that wo may well doubt the practicability of 

 ts ever being all possessed by one individual, be 

 ds talents, industry and opportunities ever so 

 reat. Every branch of science or art is directly 

 T indirectly connected with rural affairs. We 

 hall not make the vain eflibrt to enumerate tlieiii, 

 e shall only point out a few of the nearest, such 

 s mathematics, natural philosophy, botany and 

 he physiology of plants, and the philosophy of 

 egetation. Chemistry is also indispensable ; for 

 is in various ways intimately connected with ag 

 iculture. 



The first principles, however, to which we must 

 onfine our labors for the prtsent, include the 

 nowledge of the different kinds of soil, and the 

 daptation of each to every particular object of 

 ulture. 



FerlUity depends on various circumstances ; for 

 lOt only the ujiper stratum of the soil must be 



conij.ounded of the pro|)nr earths and other sub- 

 stances n ;cessaiy to constitute a good soil, but the 

 subsoil almost have pro|)crties to correspond with 

 the uppt^r. .'V few inches of the very best soil 

 wouhl bo of little avail over a stratum of imperme- 

 able clay, or over atliick bed of pure Hand or gravel. 

 The former could not atloid room for the e.\tension 

 oftlie roots of plants, and it would retain too much 

 water which would stagnate and destroy vegeta- 

 tion, while the latter would sutTer all the water to 

 sink and leave the surface too dry for the desired 

 purposes. It is frequently impossible to remedy 

 the defects of the subsoil ; but, when it is feasible, 

 the u|)per stratum may be improved by adding to 

 it such substances of which it may be deficient, 

 even to the degree of bringing a very stertile soil 

 to a high state of durable fertility. Indeed, we can 

 see no reason why such soils should not by proper 

 means within our power, be brought to the high- 

 est state of feriilily to which land has ever reach- 

 ed in any part oftlie world. Land, at the North, 

 has been made to yield upwards of 179 bushels of 

 corn to the acre, which land Was probably not 

 originally of the highest grade. We have the 

 same means of improving our land as the people 

 of the North, and we have a more sure climate in 

 our favor. Can any one show that it is impossi- 

 ble to make much of our land equal to the best of 

 Alabama .' We think it not only possible, but 

 practicable. In order to do this, however, we 

 should know the constituent parts of those richest 

 soils, so .-IS to know how to form one, the most re- 

 quisite for fertility. 



Many of the .Arts, assisted by Science, have been 

 in our day, carried to such perfection, that he who 

 should, only a few years back, have ventured to 

 predict that which we now witness, would have 

 been thought a fit subject for a lunatic asylum. 

 Agriculture is, at the [iresent time, in the state 

 that some of the imjiroved arts alluded to were a 

 century ago, and no man would dare to predict 

 what wonders may be achieved in this department, 

 if proper means lie adojited and prosecuted with 

 zeal. We venture to assert, that there is not one 

 object of the pursuits of man, more deserving the 

 use of these proper means, and of the most zeal- 

 ous perseverance than Agriculture. Tliis is true, 

 with very few exceptions, in every part of the 

 world ; how mueh more then is it of a country 

 like this which is essentially and exclusively de- 

 pendent on the produce of the soil. This is em- 

 phatically true of the South-eastern States. De- 

 pend upon it, not only your prosperity; but your 

 independence, nay, probably, your very existence 

 rest on the exertions now recommended. We 

 shall not say, Gentlemen, for your own sake, but 

 for the sake of your wives, children and their pos- 

 terity, and for your own posthumous fame. Reflect 

 on this, and act promj'tly. 



Arable soils are composed of silicious, alumi- 

 nous and calcareous earth, to which may be added 

 the magnesian. This last is most frequently ab- 

 sent, and its use, as a component part, is not well 

 ascertained, it is snpposed not necessary to the 



formation of a fertile soil. Tlie other earths in 

 ilue proportions, with a suitable quantity of vege- 

 table and aainial matters, or putrescent nmnurcs, 

 form the richest soils known to agriculture. Either 

 of them, by itself, is perfectly inert and sterile. 

 '1 he first, viz. sand, is usually, if not always the 

 must abundant in all cultivated soils, even in those 

 denominated aluminous or clay soils. The third, 

 viz. calcareous earth, which is most generally in 

 the form of carbonate of lime, is th; least in the 

 component jiarts of fertile soils. Siliceous and 

 aluminous earths are never absent in cultivated 

 land ; but calcareous earth is frequently so, at 

 least in a perceptible degree. Without it h jwev- 

 er, no soil is naturally or can be made by art jier- 

 iiianeutly fertile ; for although putrescent ma- 

 nures exert their fertilizing powers, when no cal- 

 careous earth is ];reseut, their beneficial effects 

 are comparatively evanescent. We have said that 

 neither of these constituent earlhs,by itself, is other- 

 wise than perfectly sterile. ^Ve have sufficient 

 proofs of it in the chalks ol Europe, and the bald 

 prairies of our western coimlry, as regards the 

 calcareous earth ; and we need not point out to 

 examples of pure sand, or pure clay to prove our 

 assertion. 



From what precedes, it is evident that, when it 

 is desired to ascertain the qualities of the soil, it is 

 bcs-t done by analysis, by which alone the propor- 

 tion of each of its component parts can be ascer- 

 tained. If it be found that one of the necessary 

 earths is warning, or is insu.Tcient in quantity, 

 such a soil can only be rendered fertile by sup- 

 plying the deficiency. We have said that of the 

 three principal earths, the calcareous is most fre- 

 quently deficient, and this is unfortunately the case 

 in a great portion of this State. Rut although it 

 is most often found wanting in the upper soils, we 

 aie not left quite destitute of resources; for in a 

 considerable section of the country, all below the 

 falls of the river, ricii and extensive beds of car- 

 bonate of lime, in the slia]'.e of foss.l shells, are to 

 be found a few feet below the surface, and these 

 can supply the deficiency. By means of these 

 very e.xtensive strata of shells, immense tracts of 

 land in the low country, which are now abandon- 

 ed as exhausted, can be, not only restored to their 

 primitive state, but also be brought to a state of 

 fertility far above that which they ever possessed. 

 It cannot be denied that to perform this requires 

 much labor, and your committee do not pietend to 

 free you from the original sentence passed upon 

 us : " In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." 

 The question then is, is it worth while to u.ider- 

 take such a great work at the cost of so much la- 

 bor? Or is it not better to abandon our impov- 

 erished State and seek fertility in the western 

 wilds.' Too many, far too many have already ta- 

 ken the latter alternative, and the population and 

 wealth of our dear State are far removing to the 

 West. If this system of emigration is persevered 

 in, we ask, in dread, of the answer, wo ask with 

 the feelings of men exposed to the most imminent 

 danger, what is to become of the State, the glori- 



