March, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



41 



knowleclge as the highest of airattainmentp, will 

 never rest satisfied with present acquisitiotiB ; 

 will regard thai Whicli is conceivable as luiowa- 

 ble; like a vigilant and skilful officer before a 

 besieged fortress, whose direct approach is pre- 

 cluded, will be continually seeking some private 

 or concealed mode of access ; or, like the man 

 in the Scripttues knocking at his nei<>hhor'sdoor 

 at midnight, and hoping [iresently to be heard 

 for his importunity. 



The immense importance and value of knowl- 

 edge in this case no sensible man can doubt. If 

 knowledge and science are useful in any art or 

 department of business, why should they not 

 be in agriculture, an art which involves many 

 others, and which in its success combines the 

 influence and operation ot more elements than 

 any other? It is well ascertained that certain 

 plants will grow only in certain situations, and 

 under certain circumstances ; that difl^erent soils 

 have different properties, prejudicial to the 

 growth of some plants, favorable to the perfec- 

 tion of others ; in some cases distinguished by 

 an exuberant fertility, in others by ;m almost in- 

 cm-able barrenness, but yet in most cases capa- 

 ble of modificaiiun, remedy, or improvement; 

 that the operation of various manures is various; 

 and that their efficiency or injury depends upon 

 their condition, preparation, or modes of appli- 

 cation. It is equally well ascertained, that by 

 some modes of cultivation, double the produce is 

 obtained on the same land that is obtained under 

 a difl%rent cultivation, and the land, at the same 

 time, placed under a progressive iniprovement 

 It is ascertained that by the application of gyp- 

 sum, or potash, or soda, or salt, or various animal 

 substances, an e.\traortiinaiy productiveness iiril- 

 lows, and the crops arc ofteii trebled and quad- 

 rupled. How shall we pretend, then, that there 

 is not here the most ample room for the applica- 

 tion of science in the resolution of these re- 

 tnarkable facts, and in profiting by these remark- 

 able means for the improvement of the soil and 

 the increase of its productiveness ? Separate, 

 however, from the obvious utility of such in- 

 quiries, it is difficult to conceive of sulijects niore 

 interesting to a |)hilosopliical curiosity than all 

 those connected with animal or vegetable lifo 

 and growth ; for what in nature is more wonder- 

 ful than the birth and progress of a human being, 

 or the gui-mination of a dried seed, and its ad- 

 vancement to the perfection of its uses and 

 fruits? 



There are besides grotmcis of encouragement 

 in this case, which the philosophical mind will 

 duly appreciate. In the ordinary course of na- 

 ture lhe..-e. is no such thing as accident or mira- 

 cle. As far as inan's sagacity lias penetrated in- 

 to the material world, — and of the spiritual 

 world, we know nothing luil by divine revela- 

 tion, — all the i>hcnomena of nature are found to 

 proceed u;!oi) fixed principles and laws, and to 

 be the results of nicely established and well ba- 

 lanced, com[iounded, and adjusted influences and 

 forces. Many of these operations man is capa- 

 ble of imitating, and the most extraordinary re- 

 sults are obviously at his coniinand. \Ve cannot 

 have a doubt, therefore, that the most recondite 

 ns well as the most familiar operations of nature 

 are all the result of established principles and 

 laws. Many of these laws we have already as- 

 certained, and they are of ilaily apjilif-alion and 

 use in the conmioii business of lilc'. Hon- much 

 further w-e may proceed in the discovery of 

 them, time only can tell. As yet we have only 

 placed our foot on the first step of the thres- 

 hold. 



Professor Liebig illustrates the spiiit of which 

 we speak. He is a bold inquirer of ualure for 

 the laws which govern her operations. He is for 

 explaining the idienomena of vegetable life and 

 growth upon the established priiici[)les of chem- 

 istry, as far as their apjjlicution can be traced : 

 and he is not willing to take a general answer 

 where a particular answer can be obtained. lie 

 does not feel satisfied to be checked in his in- 

 quiries under the presumption of inexplicable 

 tnystery, when further inquiry would untie the 

 Gordian knot, and show that some of the pro- 

 blems, hitherto considered most difficult, are ex- 

 plicable upon the established principles of chem- 

 ical science. 



" A rational system of agriculture," says he, 

 " cannot be formed withour the application of 

 scientific principles; for such h system must Iw 



all the morning talking to the soldiers and moving 

 about his short sword among them in such a way that 

 theij all felt lihefght: " 



We have seen the drunkard melt into tears, 

 and exhibit contrition and sorrow, at the mild and 

 affectionate appeals of an uncomplaining and 

 heart-stricken wife ; we have seen the passionate 

 man subdued to the docility of a child, by the 

 soft and appeasing answers of an amiable daugh- 

 ter ; we have seen the unblushing libertine bend 

 with reiTiorse before the pure and dignified, and 

 lovely of the earth, who, instead of encouraging 

 his vices with smiles of approbation and blan- 

 dishment, turned from him with virtuous and 

 maidenly resene. 



Agricultural Chemistry. 



Better than many pages from our own pen, w 

 present below the review of the late work of 

 Professor Liebig from the North American Re- 

 view. The article is from the pen of the Rev. 

 Henry Colman. To the common reader there 

 is nothing more discouraging than the use of 

 technical terms which he does not understand; 

 and to all but those who have studieiland under- 

 stand something of the science, the chemical 

 terms in general use are almost like a sealed 

 book. These terms ti-eating of things not ma- 

 terial are not easily miderstood : chemical opera- 

 tions and i-esults nuist be made much more fa- 

 iniliar than they now are, to enable the great 

 mass of agriculturists to avail themselves of the 

 advantages which this science discloses to those 

 who have gone deep into it. The discoveries 

 and illustrations of Sir Humphrey Davy many 

 years ago have thrown a flood of light which is 

 not all lost even to farmers who have never read 

 his work. Professor Liebig has gone even deep- 

 er than Davy : and the researches of other philo- 

 sophers are destined we cannot doubt, in future 

 time, to disclose those operations in the laws of 

 nature which may enable every man at once to 

 apply the true principle of action to each kind of 

 soil which comes under his care and observa- 

 tion. 



The fact in relation to soils and manures 

 which scientific enquiry and experiment has 

 educed, that much the greater -portion of the natund 

 requisite of production exists even in that ground 

 which is considered most sterile — is a discovery 

 worth every thing to the irian of enterprise. 

 This truth once established, every man of enter- 

 prise will take courage, in whatever position he 

 may be placed, to improve where all was dark 

 and discouraging. Hundreds and thou.sands of 

 acres of " worn out lands," deemed good for 

 nothing because all good upon them had been 

 apparently exhausted, will be reclaimed when it 

 is once imderstood that this may be every where 

 done with an increase of value greater than the ex- 

 pense actually thrown upon them: for it isa demon- 

 stration to our mind that even the poorest sand- 

 heaps where there is not in its natural state suffi- 

 cient strength of soil to enable the green sward 

 to form upon the surface, may be made,_^with the 

 apjjlication of a material little more e'xpejisive 

 than the sand itself, a profitable and a fruitful 

 field ; and fhat an exchange of soils alone with 

 deeper penetration of the earth will convert 

 some of the worst land into the very best. 



Such a book as that of Professor Liebig is 

 calculated to awaken the attention of farmeis to 

 facts which had long remained undiscovered: it 

 will raise a taste for enquiry and experiment 

 such as all men who are imbued with the enthu- 

 siasm. of. discovery and enterprise entertain fiom 

 the iove of irriprovement. We wish to infuse 

 this spirit so that every man who strikes an in- 

 struinent into the earth may feel that he has a 

 right to say to those who are looking on and 

 consider themselves too good to work — " Stand 

 aside, for I am holier and l)etter than thou."— JEA 

 F. M. Visitor. 



From the North American Review. 

 Organic Chemistry in its applications to Agri- 

 culture and Physiology : 

 By Justus Lieeig, j\1. D., Ph., D., F. R. S., M. 

 'R. L a., &c. Professor of Chemistry in the 

 I'niversity of Giessen. First American Edi- 

 tion, with intreduction, A'otes and Appendix, by 

 JoH."! W. Webster, M. D., Professor of Chem- 

 istry in Harvard University. 

 Thfs Treatise makes a contribution to the 

 cause of an improved agriculture, of extraordi- 



nary value. It has been received with great in- 

 terest in England, and will be read with equal 

 eagerness by a large poition of our own people. 

 Intelligent minds among us are everywhere 

 awake to the immense and universal importance 

 of the subject to which it relates. 



The perfection of agriculture, as an art, im- 

 plies the obtaining the greatest amount of pro- 

 duct from the earth, with the least injury to the 

 land, and at the least cost of labor. It has been 

 often remarked, that the actual productive pow- 

 ers of an acre of laud have never yet been fully 

 tested; the niaximum of product has not been 

 reached. Magnificent and surprising results have 

 been attained ; but in no case can it be said with 

 confidence that more might not have been effect- 

 ed. In geneial, the agricultural art fitlls fitr be- 

 low the condition of productiveness and im- 

 provement which it might obviously attain ; and 

 the aversion among fai'mers to change their es- 

 tablished habits, and the slowness with which 

 agricidlm-al impiovements of great and decided 

 advantage extend themselves, even into neigh- 

 boring districts, are well known and sufficieiitly 

 remarkable. Something of this has been owing 

 to the stationary habits of farmers, to a want of 

 education, and neglect of reading and inquiry 

 necessarily growing out of this ; and much to 

 prejudice, the natural child of ignorance, against 

 scientific suggestions and the application of 

 science to an art which, so far as they are con- 

 cerned, is wholly of a practical character. This 

 prejudice against the applications of science to 

 agriculture, or to what in vulgar parlance is called 

 book-farming, has, we confess, tbund some natur- 

 al encouragement in the liict, that many |)ersons, 

 wholly destitute of practical knowledge and 

 skill, have undertaken to apply purely theoretical 

 rules, without regard to differences of s< il, cli- 

 mate, nature of the crop, and nameless circum- 

 stances by which the application of these rules 

 should be varied, or might become unseasonable 

 or futile: and that in truth, many persons have 

 undertaken to make books, and to give directions 

 in husbandry, who were grossly ignorant of its 

 great principles, and possessed little knowledge 

 of its various practical details and rules. It tnust 

 at the same time be admitted, that science has 

 accom[ilisliea comparatively little; and that, be- 

 yond tliat knowledge whicli any intelligent, prac- 

 tii-al and experienced man easily and almost 

 necessarily acquires of soils, raanures, vegetation 

 and crops, little has been ascertained of a jiracti- 

 cal value; and the profound seciets of vegetable 

 life, or what is properly termed vital action in 

 yegetable organism and growth, remain iii all 

 their oiiginal nbstruseness and mystery. The 

 little success therefore which scientific men 

 have had in their attempts to resolve and ex- 

 plain them, and especially the little practical- 

 utility which has come from their theoretical ex- 

 planations, have created, with the purely prac- 

 tical, a prejudice against such inquiries as invin- 

 cible as it is unworthy of sensible men. 



But it will not be denied, in this case, that we 

 know as much of vegetable as we know of ani- 

 mal life. AnatoiTiy "may be termed an exact 

 science ; it is to a great extent matter of sensible 

 observation and measurement; but the opera- 

 tions in the human organism, which are strictly 

 vital, are altogether undisclosed. We know in 

 truth as much how the stems and leaves and 

 fruit are formed and perfected, as we know how 

 the food, which we receive, is converted into 

 blood, and serum, and bile, and muscle, and fibre, 

 and tendon, and lione ; and we know no more. 

 Shall we despair of going further ? By no 

 means. There seems, indeed, in this case, to be 

 a limit to inipiiry ; an impassable barrier, where 

 human sagacity and inquisitiveness are at once 

 repelled ; the "darkness is intense before, above, 

 and around us, and the mere rush-light, which 

 we hold out to guide us, serves no purpose but 

 to render this darkness visible. Shall we then 

 be discouraged in all attempts at further ad- 

 vancement? Nptat-all. It may be indeed that 

 we have reached 'the end of our line; and that, 

 until new endrfwments are bestowed, the mind 

 can soar no higher in its flight. But with equal, 

 nay, with mi'ich more reason may we suppose, 

 that the ctiuse of failure is not so much attribu- 

 table to the limitation or impotence of our facul- 

 ties to proceed further, as to the imperfection or 

 error of our modes of approach and inquiry. 

 The philnsophioal mind, valuing truth and 



