PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. 513 



myself obnoxious to the charge of travelling somewhat out of 

 the record, and touching upon things irrelevant. I now pro- 

 ceed to submit a few observations more immediately connected 

 with the subject matter under consideration. 



Concerning the county of Plymouth, the opinion seems to be 

 more prevalent than it formerly was that her soils are adapt- 

 ed to the culture of fruits. And judging from the reports of 

 officers, and the statements of competitors for premiums pro- 

 posed by the trustees of this society, to encourage the raising 

 of Indian corn, there is, at least, one other crop which can be 

 grown here with something more than tolerable success. In- 

 deed, the magnificent results which have been attained in the 

 culture of this plant, could hardly have been predicted, little 

 more than a quarter of a century ago, without incurring the 

 imputation, I had almost said, of mid-summer or som.e other 

 madness ; so little encouragement did the meager experience 

 of that period give to any just expectation of such unlooked for 

 issues. What has been achieved is alike creditable, allow me 

 to say, to the parties who have reaped and are still reaping 

 their reward, and to the society. It had been thus creditable 

 in fact, had the efforts of the former been crowned with a 

 success less brilhant ; since something might well have been 

 spared from the superabundance of production, in some in- 

 stances, and enough still have been left, one would think, to 

 satisfy the reasonable ambition of any reasonable man. 



Competitors have satisfactorily demonstrated that by a 

 course of deep manuring with ordinary composts, heavier 

 crops may be grown on congenial soils, under favorable cir- 

 cumstance, than it had been thought possible to produce. 

 For this they are entitled to our gratitude, and to that of the 

 public no less. Yet notwithstanding what has thus been done, 

 it must nevertheless be admitted that little progress has been 

 made in practically elucidating the momentous question with 

 reference to what combination or combinations of matter, in 

 the form of manure, are best adapted to supply the various 

 elements of nutrition to this great staple of our country. In- 

 dividual experiences have been too nearly alike, practise too 

 little diversified, and not sufficiently influenced by theory ; — 

 nature has not been often enough carefully interrogated in the 

 field, to afford data sufficient to warrant any satisfactory con- 

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