Aumst, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



121 



ficiilly we feci in respect to liis third principle, 

 i\tiu ^^ rocks have not formed the soil which covers 

 them.'" And we can coiivenienlly, perliyps, state 

 our exceptions to botli of them in the same jiara- 

 graph. 



It is true that what has been called diluvial ac- 

 tion, as well as alluvial agency, has mixed up the 

 detritus of difiereut forinalions, and spread the 

 soil derived frou! one rock over others. But the 

 great mass of the soil has in very tew cases been 

 removed more than a few miles. allhouf.'h siu-^le 

 liovvlders have been cariied hundreds of miles. 

 Hence, when we linve gone a lew miles from the 

 bottlers of a formation, the soil is nuule np al- 

 most entirely of its pulverized fragments, remov- 

 ed, it may be a short distance, but still derived 

 from precisely the same rock as ibat beneath it. 

 Again, limited formations are sometimes so situ- 

 ated that little if any foreign detritus has been 

 left upon them, as lor instance, the trap ranges 

 along t;omieeti( nt river. From belli these caus- 

 es it liappens, thai over a large part of our coun- 

 try, each rock Hiiinalioii of much extent, does 

 present n peculiar soil, u liich the geologist easily 



izes 



I he 



Thai above granite and irneiss, for instance, is 

 light colored and saiuly ; that from argil aceons 

 and mica slale, dark colored and clayey ; ihat 

 from irap rock, brown and finelv coniininuted, 

 but not argillaceous. We cannot but believe, 

 therefore, tii.it lire slaleineiit, Ihat rocA'* have not 

 formed the soil ichich covers Ihcm, is far too general 

 in its terms. And if the preceding statements 

 are correct, we must believe that rocks do some- 

 times affect the vegetation ivhich covers them. We 

 believe there is some truth in the common opin- 

 ion, that limestone regions are more prolific of 

 vegelalion ihan any others. IIow very difTerent 

 is the Flora of the Irap ranges in the Connecticut 

 valley from lliat of the primary ranges of equal 

 height on the fides of the valley ! How diiferent 

 the oaks, maples, beeches, and hemlocks of the 

 floosac mouhlain, from the chestnut groves of 

 the 'rai-onuic! Alnst not these differences be in 

 part iuipuied lo the peculiarities of ihe soil ircri- 

 \cA liom the rocks? 



The authcir lelers to the cullivalion of the dif- 

 ferent sorts of grain on all soils and in all the 

 temperate regions of tl.e globe, as proof that 

 rocks do not affect the veaetalion above iheni. 

 But some species of plains, like some species ol' 

 animals, are adiipted by the Cie.itor lo almost all 

 climates; and as m;in is one of them, we should 

 expect a beuefieeiit I'rovideiice would give the 



food. But let n>- altempt lo'cullivale the numer- 

 ous peciili;ir siieeies toniiil in paiticolar localities 

 in all [daces' uhi'ie grain will grow, and w 

 should tiiil in nine cases out of leu. Does Ihi 

 argument llien liom the cereals prove the point 

 Would not the argument from the other specii 

 referreil to, be equally good on i he other side ? 

 But we have neiilier time nor s[Kice to say all on 

 this subject w hieli we could wish. 



The luurlli piiiiciple of agiiciiUural chemistry 

 is that "-all soils rniitciin CHOiigVi of lime,a!kali, and 

 other inorganic ekmenls, for anj crop grown on 

 them." We are constraineil to say that we could 

 wish this rule also were expressed in terms less 

 general and sueeping. To prove it, the author 

 has taken a strong case — the soil of a barren 

 pine plain, lie supposes it formed of the drift 

 of granite, which, upon an average, contains 

 seven and a half pounds of potash, and three 

 eighths of a ponn<l of lime. An acre then, six 

 inches deep, would contain 3620 pounds of lime, 

 and 73311 pounds of potash. 



Granting the premises, the conclusion is irre- 

 sistible. We will admit that the soil of a (line 

 plain may have been originally derived from the 

 disiiitegratinii or abrasion of granite. But let al- 

 most any soil of this description be examined, 

 and it w'ill be found that the feldspar and often 

 most of the mica have nearly disappeared ; while 

 liille remains but grains of quartz, which contain 

 neither lime nor alkali. Thus nearly all of these 

 ineredients may be removed from the soil; and 

 such we apprehend to be the fact in respect to 

 the soil of most barren, sandy plains'. Most feld- 

 spars, it is well known, decompose with great 

 readiness; and in our ojiinion, it is from this 

 mineral rather than the mica, that plants derive 

 their supply of lime and potash. 



We have made these exceptions to Dr. Dana's 

 rules, not with a view to prove tlietn entirely er- 



few soils. But th 

 Dana on ibis point, 



roneous, but to suggest to the author, whether m 

 another edition, lluy may not be so modified as 



to obviate all oliji I- is. lOven in their )iresent 



state, we regard llirin as nearer the irutli than the 

 that widely prevail. But we think they 

 can tie mipioved. 



riie tifth principle of agricultural chemistry 



;erts, that "«// sol/ contains sulphate and phos^ 

 phate of lime." For the difcovery of this import- 

 ant principle, imrieulliiial chemislry is indebted 

 to Dr. Dana. It was fust annonuced in the Re- 

 port on the F.connniieal Geology of Rlassachn- 

 setls, writleu in 1K!7 and published in lt>J8, and 

 is there accompanied by what Dr. Dana calls the 

 "agricultural prool ;" that is, the evidence deriv- 

 ed tioin the composition of plants. This evi- 

 dence was abundantly confirmed by the analysis 

 of no less than one bimdied and Ibrty-six soils 

 from every variety of (brnialiou in Massachu- 

 setts. In all these soils, (except one, which was 

 entirely made up of pure limpid quartz in the 

 form of .sand,) sulpluiie and phosphate of lime 

 were found. (See final Report on the Geology of 

 Massachusetts, Vol. 1, p. 4d.) The difliculty of 

 iletecliug the pbospliates had |)roduced the be- 

 lief lhat they exist only in : 



D . 



If that almost 

 everv pla'nt-heaiiiig soil contains |)bosphates, 

 usually less than one per cent. In Liebig's Or- 

 ganic Chemistry of Agrieiiltnie, &:c. published 

 ill 1840, this same principle, so kir as phusphoric 

 acid is concerned, is advanced; hut whether the 

 results of bis own discoveries or of a knowledge 

 of Dr. Dana's announcement, nearly three years 

 earlier, does not appear. 



The sixth principle is, that "soil, consisting 

 chief y of one silicate, or salt, is cdwnys barren." 



' ■ ' is, that " o/ie tase may he 



an isomorphoiis propor- 



phons substitutions in 



he veiietable or organic 



holds true in respect to 



Is, and admits of several 



impoiTantap'pliialious made with great ingenuity 



liy the author. But our limits comi'ei us to pass 



them unnoticed. 



The eighth iiiinciple is, that "geine in some 

 form is essential lo agriculture." As discussions 

 perplexing to the iiii uier have arisen in our coun- 

 try respecting geine. Dr. Dana has thought it ne- 

 cessary to be be very explicit as to the sense in 

 which he uses theleriii; and be has added an 

 appendix to the chapter on this subject, detailing 

 its history. He uses the term in two senses, viz. 

 an agricultural sense and a chemical sense. 



"In all its forms," he says, '-it is .•igricullnially 

 one and the same thing. They are all iuchided 



in its agricultural sense, is a generic term. Ji 

 incliulc's all the decomposed organic mailer ol 



that '•the great mass of organic matter of soil is 

 a well defined chemical compound termed geine, 

 coiisisling of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen." 

 p. GO. 



Agricultural geiiie, then, we understand to be 

 the equivalent of the huiiins and mould of olliei 

 chemists, and lo embrace the extract of nioidd, 

 the bumic acid, huniiu, crenic and apoereiiic 

 acids, and whatever oilier compound has lesnlt- 



he seventh princip 

 suhslituted for another i 

 tion." These "isoiu 

 plants relate only to 

 acids;" yet the pi iiiii| 



Berzelius, it is well known, originally gave the 

 name geine to this compound, in the French edi- 

 tion Of his works published in 1832; and the 

 same name is retained in Esslinger's French 

 translation of his Traite de Chimic, published in 

 1840, which lies before us. But very recently, it 

 would seem, he has substituted humic acid liir 

 geine; u mere change of name, but not of opin- 

 ions respecting the nature of the compound. 

 Indeed, the distinct and definite nature of this 

 substance seems to be admitted by as high chem- 

 ical authority as almost any organic compound 

 can claim, ahhougb the name is not yet sellled. 



The ninth principle of agricultuial chemislry 

 asserts that " carbonic acid and the carbonates, de- 

 compose the earthy, alkaline, and melulic silicalcs of 

 soils." This is an exceedingly important princi- 

 ple, and applicable especially to the agriculture 

 of |irimary regions. 



The tenth principle is, that "the base of all salts 

 act ever the same in agriculture. Peculiarity of ac- 

 tion depends on the acid of the salt." This the an- 

 thor regards "in all its length and hreadih, as the 

 great practical principle of agricullural chemislry. 

 It opens veins rich in results, more precious than 

 mines of gold." This is no idle boasting. The 

 author in a chapter of thirty-seven pages, on the 

 Mutual Jlclion of Organic ayid Inorganic Elements 

 q/" /Ac SoiV, has o|)eiieil some of these mines — 

 enough to bring up to view rich samples of the 

 golden ore. In plain language, we have never 

 met with so luminous aiuf satisfactory a view of 

 the.mutnal and complicated action of silicates, 

 salts, and geine, as this chapter presents. Glad- 

 ly would we lay before our readers an analysis of 

 its contents, but we must forbear. 



Similar remarks will apply lo the still longer 

 chapter ^on manures, and to that on artificial 

 niaiinres. For the tiumeroiis analyses by the au- 

 thor of several sorts ol" manures, and the import- 

 ant resulls he hence derluces, and for the import- 

 ant suggestions he makes as lo ailificial manures, 

 he deserves the gialilude of his country and the 

 patronage of its government. For it heeded by 

 the farmer, the doubling at least of our agricul- 

 tural productions will undoubtedly be the result, 

 and fijvv farmers can read these chapters without 

 being convinced that " rivers of riches run avvay 

 from farms liom want of attention to saving that 

 which ordinarily is allowed to be wasted." ]). 

 175. 



In conclusion, we con cordially recommend 

 iliis woik lo onr aurlciltiiral liieiuls lor irs ).rac- 

 lical character. It is not savin- loo much to as- 

 sert, that Dr. Dana has done lor ilie farmer in 

 this treatise, what Dr. Bowdich did lor the sailor 

 when he piiiilislied his practical Navigator. In 

 this respect this treaiise contrasts strongly with 

 snchaunikas lhat of Liehig on the Organic 

 Cheniisliy of ALririiltiue, &c., which, notwilli- 

 staiidiiig " ils oriijiniilily tiiid llie jihilosophical 

 beauty of its theories, is .'ipt to make the imprrs- 



great 



that without geiii 

 is as essential to 

 61. Some of the 

 Graham, do not 

 crenic and aporr 



d the mode of .ac- 

 ig taken np as a 

 only as a source 

 tical lesson of all 

 ■e, leaclies that geine is es- 

 and perfection of the seed ; 

 ips are not raised. Geine 

 ts as is food to animals." [i. 

 est chemists, as Liebig and 

 it the distinct existence of 

 acids, ennnierated above as 



■act 



of mould and huiiiin, as mere lorms ol iinniK 

 acid. But such ipiestions are of little practica 

 agricultural importance, and may be safely left n 

 the chemists to settle. Dr. Dana has anopinioi 

 on these points, and h\s chemical geine, as we liavi 

 seen, is "a well defined compound," embraciu.! 

 the bumic acid, the huuiin and extract of inouli 



Daiibeiiy and Johns 

 most niitnieiiiMl va 

 now we iiav a . ,,-, 



prospects that aie o| 



Iliuts to Men of Business. 



Superintend in person as lunch of your busi- 

 ness as practicable, and ob.serve with a vyaichful 

 eye, the management of what is necessarily com- 

 niitted to the agency of others. 



Never lose sight of the powerful influence of 

 example, and be careful in the maimgement of 

 your concerns, to recommend by your own per- 

 sonal practice, nniforin habits of active, interes- 

 ted and perseveriiii' diligence to tlio.=e in your 

 employ. Be prompt and explicit in your inslrnc- 

 liuns to your agents, and let it lie understood by 

 them that yon expect they will execute the same 

 in strict conformity thereto. 



Let no common amusements interfere or min- 

 gle with your business; make them entirely dis- 

 tinct puiployments. 



Dispatch' at once, if possible, wlinteve-- yc 



of Berzeliiis, 'iind' the sacchulmin of Liebig. I may take in hand » if interrupted by unavoidable 



