14 



and the alkalies, play important parts in the economy of vegetation, 

 but few of them have any idea how much of these valuable ingredi- 

 ents is requisite to fertility, or what are the best means of supply- 

 ing their deficiency. Until every farmer is also a chemist, an an- 

 alysis of a soil or manure which is not followed by a commentary 

 on its defects or virtues, leaves him just where the diagnosis of a 

 disease, without a prescription for its relief, leaves the patient. 

 He is no wiser nor better off than before. It will not do to presume 

 that when the chemist pronounces what a soil contains, the agri- 

 culturist will know what it ought to contain, and how to supply its 

 wants. Every farmer should insist upon an interpretation of the 

 analysis furnished him by the chemist."* 



In regard to the benefits to be derived by the agricultural inter- 

 est from chemical analyses of soils, I beg leave to quote from 

 published letters written by President Hitchcock of Amherst College 

 and by Prof. Benjamin Silliman, Jun. of Yale College, New Haven, 

 Connecticut. 



President Hitchcock in a lettert to our first State Geologist says : 

 " I should not think it strange if some should be disappointed, as 

 they have been in other States, by anticipating too much from the 

 mere analyses of soils. The impression is very strong through 

 the community that the chemist, by such an analysis, can determine 

 what is wanting to render a soil fertile or what renders it barren. 

 Now even admitting that he could do this, an analysis of the soil from 

 almost every farm in the State, nay, from almost every field, would 

 be necessary to make it of much value ; and it is not generally 

 known that every such analysis, accurate enough for this purpose^ 

 could not consume less than two or three weeks. But I do not be- 

 lieve that agricultural chemistry is yet far advanced enough to en- 

 able the chemist to say in many cases what ingredient added will 

 be sure to render a barren soil prolific ; although it is more easy to 

 detect hurtful ingredients. But the analysis of some of the 

 prevailing soils of the State (for example those from the limestone, 

 mica slate, gneiss and and argillaceous slate regions,) will enable 

 you to make suggestions that may be of great use." 



Professor Silliman, Jr., in his correspondence} with Professor 



* See Appendix No 10. 



fSee First annual Report on the Geology of the State of Vermont by Prof. Adams, 

 pp.G7,68. 

 JSee Prof. Adams' Second Annual Report on the Geology of Vermont, pp. 262, 263. 



