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THE GENESEE FARMER, 



BOYS, STUDY AGRICULTUEAL CHEMISTRY. 



It is a grent mistake to suppose tliat boys can 

 not learn and understand the principles of agricul- 

 tural chemistry. And it is a still greater mistake 

 in fathers not to provide their sons with some sim- 

 ple treatise on scientific agriculture. We recollect, 

 when quite a boy, of devouring every book, treat- 

 ise, pamphlet, or lecture, on this subject, which 

 could be borrowed or purchased. We believe most 

 farmers' boys have a taste for agricultural chem- 

 istry. Fathers should encourage this taste. Agri- 

 cultural chemistry has been brought into disrepute 

 by the extravagant pretensions of enthusiastic but 

 mistaken writers. A brighter day is dawning. 

 Much of the chaff has been blown away, and the 

 golden grain begins to appear. Chemistry can and 

 will render vast aid to agriculture. Let every 

 farmer, and especially every farmer's son, rest 

 assured of the fact. We hope to see the time when 

 agricultural chemistry will be taught in every coun- 

 try school house. The difficulty in the way is not 

 in the boys — not in their inability to master the 

 subject — but in the inability of their teachers to 

 impart the desired knowledge. 



The lamented Prof. ISTorton, in one of his " Let- 

 ters " from Europe, alludes as follows to an exami- 

 nation of twenty-five boys, in agricultural chemis- 

 try, selected from the parish schools in different 

 parts of Scotland. These boys had attended to 

 agricultural chemistry for half an hour or an hour 

 once a week, this being the time recoirimended by 

 the Educational Committee of the Agricultural 

 Chemical Association. Prof. Norto:x says: • 



" As a preliminary step they were examined by 

 Mr. Davidson, Rector of the Normal Bchool, Edin- 

 burgh, on the usual branches of education in tlie 

 parish schools, to show that these had not been 

 neglected. In conclusion, Mr. IJavidsox dcvcJared 

 that in these branches they seemed eciual tc. the 

 children of other schools. Prof. Johnstox then 

 commenced the jjart allotted to him, and i)urp()sely 

 striking away from tlie beaten track of the Cate- 

 chism, made his questions unlike in form to any 

 they had before heard. The readiness and the 

 thorough acquaintance with first priijciples which 

 they showed, astonished every one present. Some 

 prizes had been offered by the Agricultural Com- 

 mittee to the boys who acquitted themselves best, 

 and the eagerness whicb they all manifested, was 

 most amusing. The different ma.-^tors also became 

 highly excited each for his own boys, and I felt 

 myself, when the competition waxed keen, 'becom- 

 ing almost as much interested as if I were one of 

 the parties concerned. Some eight or ten of the 

 boys were so equally matched th;it it was almost 

 impossible to decide which was best, nnd premiums 

 Wijre accordingly given to each of them. I never 

 saw anything more entirely and triumphantly satis- 

 factory than this examination. No person present 



could have remained unconvinced that young boys 

 could not only remember, but understand^ the prin- 

 ciples of scientific agriculture, as laid down iu 

 Prof. Johnston's Catechism. One of the boys who 

 took a premium was a little fellow of eleven years, 

 and the pertinency of his answers frequently elicited 

 bursts of applanse. Eight schools were representeij 

 at this time; but this instruction has as yet been 

 introduced into but a small portion of the j)arisli 

 schools of Scotland. What has been done there 

 and in Ireland is most encouraging, it shows that 

 the movement is on safe ground. 



"I trust that in America, by the universality and 

 completeness of our instruction, we shall be able to 

 show the old country an example in this respect." 



This was written fourteen years ago. Had Prof. 

 NoKTON lived he would have done much toward 

 the general introduction of the study of agricultu- 

 ral chemistry in this country. But he was cut 

 down in the flower of his usefuhiess. 



" Oh ! what a noble heart was here undone, 

 When Scienoo self deslroy'd her favfirrte son." 



But "he, being dead, yet speaketh." His "-Elementt 

 of Scientific Agriculture'''' is the best book of the 

 kind extant, and one which we desire to see m the 

 hands of every young farmer in America. Boys, 

 study Agricultural Chemistry! Study '•'■ Nortoii's 

 Elements.'''' 



m m 



DISCUSSIONS AT AGRICULTURAL FAIRS. 



The evenings of the days on which the New 

 York State Agricultural Fair was held at Albany, 

 were devoted to the discussion of agricultural ques- 

 tions, by the prominent farmers brought together 

 by that occasion. One evening, the subject of 

 manuring Avas discussed. The general cpoiion of 

 those who spoke, was that it was preferable to 

 compost manure, and spread it on the surface of 

 the land, rather than plow it in. Mr. Marks, of 

 Onondaga, said : " I never want to plow in any 

 more manure, whether I intend the ground for 

 grass or cultivated crops," Geo. Geddes, of Syra- 

 cuse, said : " The best plan is to manure gmss till 

 you get a good sod, and that itself, when turned 

 under, is a good coat of manure. I liave lost more 

 corn by manuring, on account of the grubs, than 1 

 have gained by the manure. I prefer to make tlif 

 grass Jand rich enough for a corn croj)." ^Ir. 

 Goldsmith said Orange cotmty farmers generiillj 

 prefer surface manuring, which keeps the grass in 

 good condition many years without plowing. ^Ir. 

 KiERSTKD, T. 0. Peteb5}, Mr. Collins, L. F. Allkn. 

 and several others, agreed tliat harrowint, in nianm t 

 was better than ])lowing it in. Mr. Mosei.p:y s.i',<; 

 he spread all his manure on the snow. Oth 

 again, among them W. Plfm.mer, Hon. Z. Pratt 

 Mr. Lyon, Mr. Sylvkstee, «fcc., preferred plowing 

 the manure undejr. 



