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ticle in a cubic foot of earth were to be endowed with instinct and 

 were to rise up and take its departure for its original rocky home, 

 I have no doubt," says Professor J. A. Nash, " there would be a 

 wide scattering, and I believe an extent of travel would be shown 

 quite surprising to those who have not reflected on the sub- 

 ject." 



It must be conceded therefore, that soils do not always depend 

 for their composition or capabilities upon the rocks immediately 

 underlaying them. Soils usually come from wide-spread regions 

 generally North and North-west of their present location. Ver- 

 mont soils however partake more of the character of the adjacent 

 rocks than the soil of any other section of the Union. Under these 

 circumstances to which I have alluded in very brief and, I fear, un- 

 satisfactory terms, I venture to suggest that the further chemical 

 analyses of soils ought to be postponed until they can be made up- 

 on a more extensive scale than is contemplated by the existing 

 law. The time has scarcely yet arrived when the State of Ver- 

 mont can employ an agricultural chemist to visit in person every 

 part of the State with the view of examining the different soils 

 and their physical or mechanical condition or their climatic loca- 

 tion and thus be enabled to make a practical and scientific report 

 upon the chemical composition and fertilizing elements of such 

 soils as may be subjected to such analysis and examination. 



But with respect to both the qualitative and quantitative anal- 

 ysis of the rocks and minerals of the State, there are abundant 

 and controlling reasons why this requirement of the Statute 

 should be faithfully observed by the State Naturalist. The min- 

 eral wealth of Vermont yet remains undeveloped. To the exam- 

 ination, description and arrangement of mineral substances already 

 known or partially so ; to determining the character of certain 

 rocks and minerals so as to indicate their economical uses and to 

 prevent useless experiments and wasteful expenditures of time and 

 money, have the labors of my predecessor been to a great degree 

 devoted. Circumstances to which allusion has already been 

 made have conspired to prevent the results of those researches 

 from being hitherto systematically arranged and presented to the 

 public in such a manner as to be of the greatest practical benefit 

 and most scientific interest. 



There is such a diversity of soils in Vermont as to render the 

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