20 



meridian ; its subsequent treatment, and the like. In engrafting 

 and innoculating", besides the state of the weather, and the mode 

 of performing the operation, we should state tfie age of the 

 stock, and of the tree from which the scion or bud was taken. 



In irrigation, not only the nature of the soil to be watered, 

 and its previous state should be given, but also the character of 

 the water brought over it ; whether from a river, or a pond ; a 

 lake, or the ocean ; and the character of the rocks and soils in 

 their beds. 



But not to dwell upon particulnr cases ; I remark that there 

 are certain circumstances of a collateral and more general char- 

 acter, that seem necessary to be made known, to enable us to 

 judge correctly of an agricultural experiment. The most impor- 

 tant of these relate to the state of the wind, the weathtT, and 

 the temperature through the season. So important is the bear- 

 ing of these circumstances upon the vegetable kingdom, that it is 

 impossible we should rightly estimate the result of an experi- 

 ment upon the productions of the soil, unless a meteorological 

 journal, more or less perfect, accompany the result. One regis- 

 terof this kind might generally serve for a town ; and how great 

 would be the benefits of keeping one in each town, not merely 

 to the interests of agriculture, but also to those of science ! And 

 since the state of the weather is a subject so deeply interesting 

 to every class of the community, would it not be easily practica- 

 ble, to obtain in every town, the means of observation, and an in- 

 dividual to whom the keeping of the journal would be a pleasure. 

 In the innumerable discussions that take place, every where, con- 

 cerning the weather, how very satisfactory it must be, to be able 

 to appeal to some fixed standard, by which one day, one week, 

 one month, or one season, might be compared with another. 

 This would be substituting facts for vague conjecture; and 

 would tend, more than almost any thing else, to convince men 

 that neither the moon, nor comets, nor shooting stars, nop eclips- 

 es, are the principal causes of change in the weather.* 



* I am not prepared to say that these things have no eiTect upon the weath- 

 er ; but we have no evidence that they exert any important influence in this 

 respect ; much less have we any data for calculating beforehand how they 

 wiU aflect tho weather. An opinion, however, still exisip, that makers of 



