THE FARMER'5 MOiNTHLY \ 181T0R. 



the same individual obtained five females ; and in 

 another case, from 15 mares he obtained 13 fe- 

 males. It was to him (Mr. Cole) therefore evi- 

 dent, that the sex followed the most vigorous pa- 

 rent. 



Another principle seemed to him well estab- 

 lished — that the female offspring resembled the 

 sire, the male offspring the mother. He had 

 tried to raise good cows from heifers from £ 

 cows, but he always failed, and was at a loss for 

 the reason, unless it were to be found in this 

 principle. His observations in respcci to tlie hu- 

 man race seemed to confirm this position 

 Daughters in general resemble their fathers; 

 sons resemble their mothers. It was often said 

 that there had been no distinguished man in so 

 ciety who had not had a distinguished mother 

 and the character of the son had been determin- 

 ed by her education, her moral influence or char- 

 acter. He was of opinion that this physical law, 

 to which he had referred had always much to do 

 in the case, as he believed facts, if carefully observ 

 ed, would fully prove. 



In making a cross, he thought the male should 

 be smaller than the female. If the cross is made 

 with large males, tbe offspring might suffer for 

 want of sufficient sustenance ; the animal will 

 be restricted in his growth. Collings reduced 

 the size of the animals, which he bred by select- 

 ing small males to cross with large cows. In 

 this way, the Durham Ox was pioduced, for 

 which £2,000 sterling had been refused. 



Mr. Weld of Sturbridge said that a person, in 

 order to determine what stock he should prefer, 

 should look to the character of his farm. In 

 many cases, the pastures are poor, and we have 

 nothing but meadow hay for our stock. Our 

 pastures and meadow hay might suffice to keep 

 sheep ; and he had found sheep more profitable 

 than other stock. The grade sheep, 3-4tlis or 

 7-8ths blood, had been most profitable. He kept 

 50 to 60. He wintered them on lowland hay, 

 and he obtained three to three and a half pounds 

 of wool. He usually got a lamb from each ewe, 

 and seldom lost more than one or two in a sea- 

 son. His lambs came about the middle of April. 

 If a man keeps sheep for market, he would ad- 

 vise that the native sheep should be kept; if for 

 the wool, he would recommend the 3-4ths meri- 

 no. 



The stock already in the country was, iu his 

 opinion, adapted to our soil. We should take 

 more pains in improving iL In general, farmers 

 raise the calves which first come ; and iu this 

 very way, sometimes make a mistake. The best 

 calves will show the most activity. There is as 

 much difference iu animals as in men. In gen- 

 eral, the poorest cows will calve first. He raises 

 his calves on new milk. They should be well- 

 treated the first year ; the second year, they may 

 have poorer fodder. We may raise as good stock 

 here as is to be found in any country. 



Gen. Low took occasion to add to liis former 

 remarks, that sheep were useful in destroying the 

 white-weed in pastures ; the ox-eyed daisy. He 

 had known a field in which, in three or four 

 years, they had completely eradicated this trou- 

 blesome weed. He added that he had referred to 

 the case of the working-women as an example of 

 excellent domestic economy. 



Col. .laques remarked that he knew no way of 

 determining what the sex of the future progeny 

 should be. He himself and an able physician 

 had been making experiments and observations 

 in this matter for thirty years, but without decid- 

 ing any thing. Males are likely to mark their 

 offspring more strongly than females, because 

 they are bred with more care, and there is more 

 pure blood commonly in the male. 



Seventh Agricultural Meetiag at Boston. 

 [Reported by Rev. H. Colmax] 



Feb. 25, Mr. Kino in the Chair. The Secretary 

 announced the subject of discussion — Soils and 

 Manures. 



Mr. Teschemacher, Superintendent of the Bo- 

 tanic Garden and Conservatory, in Boston, pre- 

 sented three pots of geraniums, one of which 

 had been grown in the natiu-al method, two by 

 an artificial process. Mr. T. stated that he had 

 .•ecently read Liebig's work on Organic Chemis- 

 try, as connected with agriculture, and consider- 

 id it a valuable contribution to science. Liebig 

 ■tood very high in his profession as a chemist ; 



and presented views in relation to soils and nin 

 nures, quite different from those which are usual 

 ly entertained. Liebig supposes that plants, by 

 decomposing the air receive a considerable pro- 

 portion of their nourishment from the atinospheie. 

 Tlie plants which he presented to the meeting, 

 he called his Liebigites, because they were grown 

 under the application of Liebig's princiii" 

 though this was nndertaken before Liebig's work 

 had been seen. The geranium grown in the 

 common way presented a leaf four inches across, 

 The geranium grown by the artificial process, 

 was from seed sown last September; and was 

 potted last December, and the leaf of it now was 

 six and one half inches broad. This was a 

 markable growth. He supposes the effect may 

 be as great in the flowers as in the foliage. If he 

 is successful in producing flowers corresponding 

 the size of the leaves, he will acquaint the pul ' 

 ^vith the [irocess which he has adopted. The 

 subject has a direct bearing upon agriculture.— 

 What affects one species of plants, will be as like 

 ly to affect others. In this case there was no 

 poudrette used ; and he considered the result 

 remarkable and encouraging. 



Dr. C. T. Jaceso.n inquired whether these prin- 

 ciples are peculiar to Liebig; or are they well 

 known, and such as have been published in other 

 works. He thinks Liebig's discoveries not origi- 

 nal. The existence of ammonia in rain water 

 is not a new discovery. There was no doubt it 

 might always be found in rain water falling in tlie 

 vicinity of cities; in such a situation Liebig dis- 

 covered it. Mr. Hayes, of Roxbury, discovered 

 it in the rain water in Vermont. 



Mr. Teschemacher inquired whether the dis- 

 covery had ever been made known before it was 

 made known by Liebig. It does not appear that 

 it has been. 



Dr. Jackson then jiroceeded, agreeably to ap- 

 pointment, to .«peak of Soils and Manures. ■ 



He slated that he had had little leisure to jire- 

 pare himself for the evening; and he must draw 

 upon his recollection for facts. He has devoted 

 many years to agricultural chemistry, with a 

 view to the advancement of agricultural science. 

 He wishes particularly to present some im]iortant 

 rules in the management of composts. 



His first remarks would have relation to soils. 

 All soils originate from the crumbling and disin- 

 tegration of rocks. Under tlie influence of air, 

 water, frost, and mineral substances in the rocks, 

 the hardest of them will be reduced to powder. 

 Soils vary according to the different characters of 

 the rocks from which they are derived. This is 

 distinctly shown in nature; and it will be found 

 that groups of plants are peculiar to certain soils. 

 Simple soils consist mainly of one mineral sub- 

 stance ; compound soils of several united. Allu- 

 vial soils which are formed by the flowing of wa- 

 ter, by which various matters are taken u]) and 

 doposited together, arc of course compound soils, 

 as they embrace a variety of elements. Diluvial 

 soils ai« found in those parts of the country 

 where there are evident traces of a rush or flood 

 of water pouring from the north, by which large 

 rocks were hurried onwards and various soils 

 commingled. Soils embrace a variety of miner- 

 al elements ; such as silex or flint, alumina or 

 clay, lime, magnesia, oxide of iron, oxide of man- 

 ganese, jiotasli, and soda. These are important 

 to constitute a soil. Silex serves to open the 

 ooil ; alumina, or clay, if found alone, consti- 

 tutes too tenacious and close a soil. Soils com- 

 posed almost entirely of lime are too porous, and 

 suffer the rain too soon to pass through them. 



A soil must contain at least three earths : silex, 

 alumina, aud lime ; and besides these, other ele- 

 ments must he found in soils in order to the pro- 

 duction of certain plants. Soda and potash are 

 required in the soil for the production of particu- 

 lar plants. Plants must find the element neces- 

 sary to these plants, in the soil, or they will not 

 flourish. Clover contains gypsum or the sulphate 

 of lime. Gypsum, therefore, must be found in 

 the soil iu "which we expect clover to flourish. 

 The seeds of all the cereal grains contain phospho- 

 acid, united with lime and magnesia, and this 

 acid is very rarely found in the soil in a free state. 

 When free, this acid is pernicious. A soil which 

 is acid cannot be fertile. It is rarely fertile when 

 exclusively alkaline. The acids and the alkalies 

 should be in proper proportions. Soda and oxide 

 of iron likewise, when united with acids, form 

 bases. Mineral constituents may vary much ; I 



but certain other substances, such as s.iline and 

 organic matters, cannot vary much without affec- 

 ting the fertility of the soil. Many substances in 

 the soil are derived from decay of organic sub- 

 stances. The first plants on the earth, it is sup- 

 posed, drew theii' nutriment from the atmosphere. 

 These were a very hardy kind of plants, which 

 could almost live on mineral aliments. Carbon 

 is taken up and oxygen eliminated. Brongniart 

 supposes that the atmosphere in the beginning 

 was more highly charged with carbonic acid than 

 now. Plants served to jirepare the air lor tlie 

 respiration of human beings. Plants draw car- 

 bonic acid from the air. The air contains one 

 ten thousandth part of carbonic acid. Saussure 

 found that this proportion did not vary in the air 

 on the summit of Mount Blanc. Gay Lus.sac, 

 who ascended in a balloon higher than any one 

 before, and at twenty-five thousand feet obtained 

 air, found, upon analysis, that this air contained 

 as much carbonic acid as that near the ground. 

 Carbonic acid is every where equally mingled 

 with the atmosphere. If two jars are taken with 

 hydrogen gas in one, and carbonic gas in the oth- 

 er, the latter placed undermost, the two gases will 

 mingle, though a bladder should be placed be- 

 tween them ; half carbonic acid will be found 

 above, and half below ; the one gas will be inter- 

 mixed with the other, contrary to the specific 

 gravity of the two gases. The atmosphere is 

 composed of four-fifths nitrogen and one-fUjJi ox- 

 ygen. They are not chemically combined but 

 mechanically united. Were a chemical union to 

 take place, it would become nitric ncid, and we 

 should be deluged in aquafortis. Hydrogen and 

 o.xygen gases when poured into the same receiv- 

 er, are said to be mechanically united, but when 

 the electric sjiark is introduced and water is form- 

 ed, they are chemically combined, and a complete 

 union i.s effected. 



Organic matters from the decay of plants form 

 mouhL Plants will not grow upon a mixture of 

 mere earths; or rather will not perfect their 

 seeds without organic matters. 



Vegetable matters decaying on the surface 

 produce vegetable mould. He, Dr. J., prefers to 

 retain this name. This mould is highly charged 

 with carbonic acid and contains many acids. — 

 Vegetable matters in their decay iiroduce acids. 

 A fallen tree in a state of decay destroys vegeta- 

 tion in its vicinity. Plants will not grow round 

 decaying logs. It is difficult to induce farmers 

 to use peat, because they say it will produce only 

 sour crops. The acids produced by the decay of 

 vegetable matters are numerous. Vegetable 

 mould is not a simple substance. Some chemists 

 have given it the name of humus, ulmin, ulmic 

 acid. Berzelius has examined this substance, 

 and found it possessed of various properties. — 

 He called it geine or apothme in his work pub- 

 lished some years ago, but has now abandoned 

 these designations. These names have since 

 been adopted by chemists in this country. So 

 far from being a simple substance many substan- 

 ces are included it. In a late work Berzelius 

 says there is no such thing as geine, considered 

 as a simple or elementary substance. Within the 

 last three years he, Dr. J., has found the various 

 substances to which Berzelius refers as existing 

 in it. By his own independent examination he 

 (Dr. J.) has discovered them. Berzelius in a 

 work in German received within a few days has 

 described them ; and they correspond with his 

 (Dr. J's) discoveries. In respect to seme of them 

 he has anticipated the discoveries of Berzelius. 



There are ten distinct matters found ia this 

 substance called geine, which substances he ex- 

 hibited at the meeting. The substance called ge- 

 ine contains the crenic and apocrenic acids. The 

 appocrenic acid forms an insoluble substance 

 with lime. The crenic acid derives its name 

 from Krene the Greek word for fountain, as Ber- 

 zelius first discovered it in the waters of a well in 

 Sweden. This acid is yellow, semi-transparent, 

 soluble in water and alcohol ; and forming solu- 

 ble comhinclions with alkalies. Apocrenic acid 

 was found as the crenic was fouiul. He (Dr. J.) 

 has found these two substances iu soils and peats 

 iu Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. 

 Berzelius has not yet discovered them in peat, 

 but presumes their existence iu it. Humic acid 

 is distinguished by forming a grey precipitate 

 with the subacetate of lead. Crenic acid contains 

 much less nitrogen than the apocrenic acid. Hu- 

 mic acid containH nitroaen. The apocrenic acid 



