No. 216.] 345 



bleness of his opinions: it is the generally received opinion that" 

 manures descend into the earth, in gravel and sand much more rapid- 

 ly than in clayey and compact soils, and that the descent is particu- 

 larly rapid in a loose, sandy soil. All is entirely false, as well as all 

 that practice founded on the supposition that manure descends into 

 the soil, except, perhaps, temporarily, for the heat of the sun, acting 

 in much the same manner as capillary attraction, causes the manure 

 to rise. This influence of the sun extends very deeply, particularly 

 in those loose, sandy soils, and draws up toward the surface of the 

 earth, more or less, all substances that are not absolutely inert — de- 

 void of vegetable life. The influence of solar heat to cause the rise 

 of all manures, is great in proportion to the degree of heat. In the 

 Cape de Verde Islands, where there is often no rain for weeks to- 

 gether, the sun has an exceedingly powerful eiFect on manures. 



The only time when manures tend at all downward is during rain, 

 ■when of course they are washed down; but ii is only during the con- 

 tinuance of the rain; the action of the sun upon the earth immedi- 

 ately draws them back, they ascend. The purest water is found in 

 the loose and open soil above the clay, and if manures do descend, the 

 water would in time become contaminated, while it is a notorious 

 fact that the purest water is Jound in those very soils. 



The Doctor stated that he acted upon this principle of ascension 

 for ten year<5, and on all kinds of soil, and had accumulated a suffi-- 

 cient weight of evidence to make it incontestable. A common il- 

 lustration of the correctness of his theory was afforded in grave- 

 yards. All had witnessed the astonishing change produced in the 

 most barren grounds where dead bodies had been deposited. Soils 

 before the most sandy and barren soon became dark-colored, and 

 gave the rankest growth to grasses and plants, whose seeds had found 

 their way to the surface. He had induced several farmers on Long 

 Island, during the past year, to deposit their manures twelve to eigh- 

 teen inches deep, and when this had been done in every case a dou- 

 ble product has been acknowledged. If his views were correct, 

 •which he could easily prove, a revolution in the management of soils 

 through the entire country must follow, 



. He then spoke of the importance of Institutions for making ade- 

 quate and thorough experiments, and the application of them to pub- 

 lic use, on important questions of this kind. What science has done 

 must be thrown on Agriculture, for that is the foundation of all 

 national prosperity and influencej and even if government should ap- 



