258 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAN. 89, 1S40. 



and hortic0ltdral register. 

 Boston, Wednesday, Januaby 29, 1840. 



The coiDTnittee having waited upon the Governor, he menls of soils, are formed by the disintegration iir wear- 

 expressed his strong approbation of, and interest in, the ing down of rocks, soils must, in consequence possesi 

 , I ■ . r 1 .■ u . . (• .aoo;.,» qualilies similar lo the rocks from which they originate, 

 great oniects of lie meeting, but on account 01 pressing ^ , . i .i i . r i j a- 

 & ■• 61 r D and iif course, inasmuch as the character o( soils differ. 



SPEED THE PLOUGH. 



The Second Agricultural Meeting was held at the 

 Representatives' Hall on Thiirsd:iy of ihe last week. 



Hon D. P. King, President of the Senate, was appoin- 

 ted chairman of the meeting. Mr A. VV. Dodge, repre- 

 senlaiive from Hamillon. was chosen secrelary of the 

 meeting. 



The Commissioner of Agriculture having expressed 

 to the meeting his reluctance at taking upon himself 

 the responsibility of conducting the meetings, selecting 

 subjects for discussion, and requesting gentlemen to ad- 

 dress the meeting, it was voted that a committee of ar- 

 rangements of five gentlemen should be appointed, who 

 in conjunction with the Commissioner, should have the 

 charge of this subject. The following gentlemen were 

 appointed on this Committee : 



Mr Dodge, representative from Hamilton, 

 Mr Clark, " " Northampton, 



Mr Cushman, " " Bernnrdston, 



Mr Buckminster, Editor of the Boston Cultivator, 

 Mr Bosson, " " Yankee Farmer. 



To these the chairman of the meeting was joined ; and 

 it was afterwards voled in committee that the members 

 of the joint committee of the Legislature on agriculture 

 should be invited to form a part of this conimitti'e. 



It was voted, likewise, that the meetings be held reg- 

 ularlv on every Thursday evening during tlie session, 

 unless the hall should be wanti'd by the Legislature ; 

 that the meetings should be opened at 7 o'clock precise- 

 ly, and with a general uij[fle;'slanding that tliey should 

 be closed at 9 o'clock, exti^ordinary circumstances ex- 

 cepted. 



The meeting was well attended, though the streets 

 on account of llie rain and snow, are seldom in a worse 

 condition, and access to the house was therefore difiicult. 

 More than two hundred however,^ were present; and 

 listened with very high satisfaction to ' Or C. T. Jack- 

 son, Geological Surveyor of Rhode Island, M.tiiie and 

 New Hampshire, full of knowledge and enthusiasm 

 in these his favorite pursuits, especially in their connex- 

 ion with agriculture. 



Dr Jackson treated at large the subject announced 

 for the evening, Soils and Manures. It was our inten- 

 tion to have given as full a report of his remarks as we 

 could make out from our imperfect notes, but we want a 

 little more time than we now have on hand to do either 

 him or ourselves any thing like justice in this matter, 

 and as we hope for the pleasure of hearing again from 

 him on this subject, we for the present postpone it. We 

 design, however, to give a sketch in the best manner we 

 are able, for our next week's Farmer. 



It may be thought hardly consistent with the gravily 

 of the subject, to say that the meeting was attended with 

 enthusiasm; but we shall do only justice in sayin;; that 

 there was manifested the strongest interest in the objects 

 of the meeting and as strong a conviulion of the. useful 

 bearing of Ihese meetings upon the objects propo.sed. 



At a sub'^equent meeting of the Committee of Ar- 

 rangements it was voted, that several gentlemen then 

 design.iled, should be requested to favor the meeting 

 with th'ir attendance and with addresses on such sub- 

 jects connected with agriculture as they might choose. 

 This part of the arrangement was not, however, com- 

 pleted farthi'r than to invite the Governor, wiio was 

 for some time President of the Bristol Agricultural So- 

 ciety, to address the next meeting. 



engagements, declined the seivice at this time, but 

 gave reason to hope that he would hereafter confer the 

 favor desired. 



The committee were also instructed to apply to Pro- 

 fessor Silliman, of Yale College, now in the city dcliv- 



ill also the jirodnctiveness of the anils to which Ihe) 

 contribute. Now is that science which tells us, on oui 

 ascertaining the prevailing character of the rocks ii 

 New South Wales the qualities oftlie soil in that region, 

 a matter to be slighted .■' Or shall a knowledge of tlu 

 science which teaches us by ascertaining the dip uf x 



ering a course of geological lectures, who has been kind \ ledge in our own neighborhood', whethirr il pushes inU 

 enough to encourage the expectation that the meeting ; the earth so as to become no hindrance, or lies alon( 

 , ,, , . ,uu 1- „ „, „A j slightly buried by the surface, so that there cannot b( 



sha I be favored by nim as soon^as his engagements ad- ,f> -'^ ,u a: • , , „ » ,i „ „;„ i;, 



' r> o II- depth of earth suthcient to overact Ilic pinchings o 



mil of his doing it. Professor Silliman and Mr 15. bdli- 1 drought or aid the purposes of successful vegetation, bi 

 man,' Jr. have been likewise invited by the committee to ! deemed superfluous .'' Nature sometimes places sterili 



attend the agricultural meetings and consider themselves 

 as members of the body. 



The next meeting will be holden tomorrow (Thurs- 

 day) evening, and the unfinished subjec'i of the last 

 meeting, Soils and Manures, will come up again for 

 discussion. Dr Jackson having by no means completed 

 his views of the subject, it is hoped will again address 

 the meeting : and as the attendance was comparatively 

 thin, a wish has been expres.sed th.1t he may recapitu- 

 late as far as he may find it convenient, the instructive 

 remarks given at the last meeting. 



It is desired that any gentlemen having subjects which 

 he wishes should be considered, or queries that he de- 

 sires should be answered, would hand them in writing 

 to the Secretary of the meeting or the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, that they may be laid before the commit- 

 tee of arrangements. 



It is understood that the meetings are open to all 

 who choose to attend; and .ns far as the subjects are 

 connected with natural science, with domestic industry, 

 with rural improvement and the mora! welfare of the 

 community, so hr from there being any objection to 

 their attendance, we think the ladies would be often 

 much intere-'ted, and the meeting would feel gratified 

 and honored by their attendance. II. C. 



soils ill the vicinity of productive ones. There are nat 

 Ural causes for such etfecls, and Geology leads us V 

 trace them out, and avoid what might be unph:a8an 

 consequences to the farmer, wIk' forsooth would pur 

 chase, because he sees ilie lands in close proximity, wa 

 ving in rich foliage. Another advantage may be sup 

 posed to originate from a knowledge of this science, ani 

 one in wlsich the Mmerican farmer, as he is the lord o 

 the soil he cultivates, must be deeply interested. Mine 

 ral wealth usually lies buried below the surface, and sel 

 doin, unless by the merest accident, comes out to telle 

 its existence. Yet there are general geolological sign 

 or iniliralions by which its lurking places may be found 

 the depth of incumbent strata be ascertained, and oftei 

 the limits of the buried treasure decided upon with 

 precision which would cause the eyes of ignorance t 

 stare as though they had seen a vision. Wc can form: 

 tolerably accurate estimate of the healthfulness of 

 country by its geological formation. Primitive region 

 usually possess the purest water and purest atmospherf 

 while alluvials are the most destitute of either, particu 

 larly in the earliest stages of their improvement; ye 

 these last possess the greatest fertility and of course re 

 tain it the longest; hence they furnish the farmer an ir 

 ducement which counterbalances the fear of sicknesi 

 by promising the greater reward for his labor at a let 

 expense. Which of the two regions is most desirabli 

 bringing all things into account, we are not the judg 

 to decide, but we simply urge the claims of the scienc 

 which tells where either are to be found. 



Mimralogy. — Notwithstanding this science has th 

 siunc materials for its base as the former, it is essentia 



— ly different in its effects. The former we have said n 



We must say that -mr correspondent W. B. is a good ! I^es to the e^rth in its various forma-.ions : the latU 

 „. . ,. , , , I has for Its oh 



fellow. His 



read with much interest 



, , , , „ao .... lie .jhiect an investigation of the qualities an 



ramunications are always welcome and | ygg^^d,,e materials of which it is composed: the foi 



The subjoined, on the con- mer is an out-doors employment, as it must take thins 



nexion of science with agriculture, will be found after 

 the address we had at the agricultural meeting on Thurs- 

 day, a valuable ' formation' and exactly ' in place.' 



— H. C. 



SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE. 

 Mr Colman — In a promissory note to our article on 



where they are ; the lattc r brings specimens of the foi 

 mer to the cabinet and investigates their intrinsic qua 

 ities. Does any wonderer gape and inquire if this sc 

 ence is necessary for a farmer.^ 



We have in our '• enlightened New England " hear 

 tif famers taking valuable granite and martile from ih 

 quairies and laying it into walls as unconsciously a 

 though they had never beard of the existence of sue 



' Science for Farmers,' in the Farmer of Dec. G, we gave j minerals, much less of their va'ue. We have ah 

 'premonitory symptoms' that the subject would be con- , heaid of individuals selling their right to soils simpl 

 tinned. T/im,it was our design to pursue it forthwith, | because they were unproductive, when in fact the ver 

 but circumstances which we should not willingly have I cause of their sterility was the abundance of rich mil 

 avoided, however desirous we were of continuing our | erals contained in them. We know not what we ha\ 

 si'ties, have prevented our giving them hardly ' a local j around us until we learn. It is often the case that ma 

 habitation' in our mind until the present time. And ^ casts his pearls away simply because he knows not thi 

 now, since the cause of our delay is retnoved, or in other ' they are such. Most readers will recollect the anecdol 

 words, has become effete, we ' leave the things which | f,f the Scotchman, who went to a jeweller in Londoi 

 are beiiind,' and 'again reach forward' in Ihe task which j purchased for his wife an expensive necklace, and on ei 

 we have voluntarily assumed. | quiring what part of the world was so rich as to furnie 



Hqw lindeR'lhe canopy it could ever be supposed that such splendid jewels as weresetin it, wasfilled with pe 

 ignorance cnujd successfully cultivate the soil, we can- ' feet dismay at the re>ponse, that they were furnished t 

 not well divine.; but common sense, ol>servaiion, and his own /flrm, where Ions and ton.so' them were there ri 

 the whole retinue of whys and wherefores to whom the maining Had he been a mineralogist, and paid anemia 

 case is referable as judges and jurors, when truth gives to the fracture of rocks he would never liave obliged hin 

 in its testimony^ must give judgment against such de- selfto the London lapidary for intelligence of what h 

 lusive speculations, and if there Is any hope for escape farm contained, nor have lugged hnme, at a great expens 

 fur those who utter so abominable a doctrine, it must be a trinket, the essential beauties of which he might ha\ 

 through the ragged loop-liide of sheer ignorance. But gathered by cartloads for nolhing, and perhaps ha\ 

 what are the sciences connected with our ' earthly ball' received a rich remuneration for doing so instead c 

 which demand the attention of the Ihrnier .' giving them away as formerly. But in its applii-atio 



Geology, or the science of the earth, as regards its to the supposed simple and unassuming operations i 

 formations and structure, Our pledge does not require, agriculture, mineralogy is a useful science. The mati 

 nor will our knowledge or the limits to which wo ofne- rials of similar rocks do not in places and in all circun 

 cessily must restrict ourselves, permit us to enti^r into stances enter into the same combinations. For instanc 

 detail in this or the other sciences. This much, how- lime, a mineral whose existence is appreciated as a cr 

 ever, we say for Geology — its object Is lo class the va- lerion to the soil wherever it is found, and which in 

 rions rocks and strata, of which the crust of the earth manufactureu slate, is valuable in the recuscitation i 

 is formed, and as the earths which constitute the ele- many soils, runs into eleven species and a still great! 



