AGRICULTURE OP MECKLENBURG. 



415 



No. 1 is a loamy soil of specific gravity 2-353, from the hill-side rising from the Roanote low 

 ground. The land belongs to Richard B. Baptiste, Esq.. and this is true of the first six specimens. 

 No. 2 is from the bottom of a ditch 3 feet deep in the Ptoanoke low ground ; clay loam of spe- 

 cific gravity 2272. No. 3 is from the Roanoke low ground, below the house ; loamy soil of spe- 

 cific grav. 2-222. No. 4 is from a sand-bank near the river, of sp. grav. 2-367. No. 5 is from an 

 old pond, 2 j-ards from the ditch on the side toward the river ; subsoil cloy, of sp. gravity 2778. 

 No. 6 is the soil from the same place ; clay loam of sp. grav. 2-200. No. 7 to No. 15 inclusive are 

 from the lands of Alexander Jones, Esq. No. 7 is from a field east of the house ; soil loamy iron 

 of sp. grav. 2-380. No. 8 is the subsoil of No. 7 ; sp. grav. 2-272. No. 9 is limed subsoil, second 

 low ground Butcher's Creek, loamy, sp. grav. 2-173. No. 10 is the soil of No. 9, clay loam. spec, 

 gravity 2-130. No. 11 was supposed to be unlimed, from the same place as the preceding ; soil 

 loamy ; sp. grav. 2-222. No. 12 is from the low ground of Butcher's Creek, opposite the old house 

 on Mr. S. Lockett's laud ; loamy soil of sp. grav. 2-222. No. 13 is from a field in cultivation 80 

 years; .soil south of the walnut tree ; loamy; sp. grav. 2-173. No. 14 is subsoil of the preceding, 

 clay, of sp. grav. 2170. No. 15 is from the field that had been subsoilcd ; loamy ; sp. grav. 2-130.' 

 No. 16 is from the land ot Mr. Geo. Jones, lot west of the house ; loamy clay soil ; sp. grav. 2326. 

 No. 17 is from the laud of Col. F. W. Boyd, from the newly cleared field on the road to Lom- 

 bardy Grove; loamy soil; sp, grav. 2-345. The next three specimens are from the land of Dr. 

 Wm. Jones. No. 18 is from the field on the same side with the house near the lane and oppo- 

 site the barn south of the houise ; loamy ; sp. gravity 2.440. No. 19 is the subsoil of No. 18 ; red 

 clay; sp. gravity 2200 (a remarkable result compared with the preceding). No. 20 is from the 

 same field, 100 yards from the lane in the bottom ; loamy soil ; sp. grav. 2-400. Nos. 21 to 26 in- 

 clusive are from Col. Lockett's farm, Richland. No. 21 is from the lot toward the river, at the 

 old house ; loamy soil ; sp. grav. 2400. No. 22 is from the tobacco lot, old garden near the old 

 house ; loamy soil : sp. grav. 2-398 ; No. 23 is from the same spot as No. 21, but IS inches deeper ; 

 sandy loam ; sp. grav. 2-222. No. 24 is from the same spot as No. 22, bat 1 foot deeper; sandy 

 loam ; sp. grav. 2-280. No. 25 is the subsoil of 22 and 24 ; loamy ; sp. gravity 2-4 to. No. 26 is 

 from the gate north of the old house beyond the valley ; red clay, specific gravity 2-400. 



Auothei- important branch of Agricultural Science relates to the composition, value and 

 use of the different manures. I have obtained a few results, which I submit for your con- 

 eideratiou. I made five analyses of the ashes of farm-yard manure, prepared by Mr. Geor'^e 

 Jones in the usual way. The pen was covered, whenever it was necessary, with corn 

 stalks, wheat and oat straw, and particularly with leaves. 



TABLE No. 1.— Farm-Yard Manure. 



COMPOSITION. 



Carbonic acid 



Sulphuric acid 



Phosphoric acid 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Alkalies 



Silica 



Common salt 



Alumina and oxide of iron. 



Loss 



Total. 



The most important questions connected with Scientific Agriculture are the following : 

 1. What is the composition of the soil ? 2. What is the composition of liie crops grovvin" on 

 it ? 3. What is the compositifm of the various manures ? 4. What are the relations exislin,'^ 

 between the s<jil, crops and manures by a knowledge of which it would be easy to adapt the 

 manures to the soil, and the soil to the crops in the most economical and profitable manner? 



It is necessary that the first three questions .shouUl be answered before the fourth can bo 

 undertaken. In the present state of Agricuitnral Science we can only prepare materials, 

 state facts which may assist, perhaps, in answering, hercal'ter, these important questions. If 

 I have obtained one fact that may be used for this purpose, I shall be fully compensated. 



With soils varying in their composition almost eveiy step you make, with manures as 

 changeable as the means of their foi-maticm, and with crops diffei-ing in their natures witli 

 the soil, manure, the period of their growth and the season of the year, it is not easy to an- 

 swer the least important of the inquiries above mentioned. Many facts and much investiga- 

 tion are needed, and every fact clearly ascertained will assist. 



The relations between Geology and Agriculture are beautifully illustrated in your County. 

 The principle is everywhere manifest, that the nature of the .soil depends on the nature of 

 the rocks beneath. The sandy soil at Mr. Hall's arises from the granitic rock, in which 

 quartz predominates; the strong, black, enduring soil of Dr. Tigual Jones's home plantation 

 is derived from the granitic and sienitic rocks in which hornblende predominates — a soil 

 that cannot be exhau-sted with proper management sf) lf)ngas the rocks emlure. Butcher's 

 Creek is distinguished by a hard clay iron soil ajid liard clay iron rocks. At the College, 

 yellowish-white argillaceous rocks give rise to a poor, aluminous soil, belter suited to the 

 manufacture of briclts than to the growth cf plants, but easily improved with lime and ina- 

 (-75) 



