AND H O R T I C V L T U f{ A L REGISTER 



PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & Cf J., rvo <;9 ivnuTu 1,^,1^^^,^ ' 



_ ' *"■ °^ NORTH MARKET STREET, (Aoricultuhal Warehoose.) 



t. xvm.] 



_BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1840. 



N. E. f ARWEB, 



Ve give below a sketch of the remarks of lie C. 

 rackson, at the Second and Third AgricultHri'l 

 tings, on Soils and JMutiures. Our notes, as we 

 : before said, in such cases are very imperfect, 

 our aim ia simply to give the ideas and gtate- 

 ts of the gentlemen whom we report, not 

 mpting to retain their language. Under such 

 imstances, it is a matter of no small labor and 

 ;ulty to write them out in full ; and -we must 

 n the indulgence of our readers for the dress 

 hich these remarks appear, and for which their 

 ors are not responsible. We have deemed 

 1 too valuable and interesting to be lost. 

 must not be forgotten, however, at the same 

 that, if we have not misrepresented thenj (,as 

 rust we have not,) they, and not we, are; respon- 

 ! for the statements made and the opinions rr'iy. 

 Because we give these opinions it is not there- 

 to be inferred that we adopt them ; but we do 

 3eem it courteous to interrupt the discourse by 

 interpolation of our queries distrusts, or con- 

 ctions. From some of the notinns of our friend 

 ackson, we dissent — but that by no means 

 es that he is in error : and we give them for the 

 3nt to our readers with all the claims to re- 

 t and confidence, to which his intelligence. 

 Jistinguished learning, his indomitable spirit of 

 iry, and his persevering industry entitle them, 

 h and evidence are the great objects of all sound , 

 -sophy ; and all that we want for these are fa'rj 

 and an open field. f^_ ^ 



[NO. 38. 



factAh't bt^rche^'lr':?- T^^'^'' '' ''■'' ! ^'^' '°'' "^^'^ ' l.igl-r a^t^uity U^n Ure'alh^ 

 examination ^f sols 2 r' . """°«=''P"' The fertility of alluvial soils is o^ving, in a conside- 



tbeZfe elenien? ' . ? "' ^""""^ '° '"""'' °^ '''^'^^ '"«"="'•'-• '° ">« ^"^ comminution of the parti- 

 o^tl ^rocS In soTl 1 ""T T "" '""""°" I "'"' °' "'^''^'^ ""^^ ''' "-P"-''- ^his allows the 

 found nuam feM- °, ''"^ TT """' '•°°'' "'" P'^""^ '° ^P^"^"^ themselves freely. There 



SnoTsTatevnlt'^ ' ," '^ ^"1,!^'^ decompo- is much vegetable matter m,.xed up with them, 

 of ilstoles nd ^'l ''"^- ■ ^""^ '''''"''' ^''""^"^ '^'''' ^°''^ "•= ""' remarkable for its abun! 



produce a np?r '^"''^^"'^ '"''' '" ""''' "''' '° r""" ^^P"" "" e.xaminalion of the alluvial soils 

 All f.e r. , , u "^'^' Missi.,.,ppi, the Ganges, and the Nile, they 



nnon , P T'T '"L""='' ^^«J ^ave an influence are found nearly to resemble each other, with the 

 "por the character of a soil. Some of these mine- 1 vegetable matter contained in them in a finely di! 

 ri.b undergo a decomposition and enter directly in- vided state 



to plants : sile.c, alumine, magnesia, all enter into The mi.xed elements of soils have a powerful ac- 

 o ^tlL r n"' '' " ""T"' *°™^^ the c°^ttion upon each other, and upon the plants which 



of nhn! h 1 ^■■^'"^'^^^"^ P'^'f ' °J otherwise grow in the-m. Their earthy parts have an electro- 

 The e 1 ?^r . '^""i'y °^ ,'^° ^''''''- ' '"^''^^ P""*"-' ^^h'='' °P^™'<^« "«' "nly by the roots 



° "/°' ■ . ments in a positive and a negative electric state, 



i he enriching mineral substance found in New fairly balancing each other. If the soil is acid, it 

 Jersey, alluded to in a former discussion, is what is 's barren ; .f alkaline, barren. The acid is in a. 



SPEECH OF' DR. C. T. JACKSON, 

 Jgical Surveyor of Maine, Miv Hampshire and 

 hode Island, at tlw Second mid Third Agricidtu- 

 l Meetings. 



■ Jackson began by expressing tlie pleasure he 

 n these meetings for mutual information and 

 ivement ; and he augured the most beneficial 

 ts from the active spirit of inquiry which was 

 30 generally awakened. 



friculture is yet to derive immense advantages 

 scientific cultivation. The first element in 

 ulture is the soils, whicii constitute the seat 

 operations. The soils which the earth pre- 

 , and which in different localities are found 

 lifferently constituted, although thq same sini- 

 ements enter, to a certain extent, into the 

 ination of all of them, are among the most im- 

 it objects of inquiry and examination to the 

 igent farmer. 



ils are, properly speaking, only the detritus or 

 n substance of decomposed rocks, intermixed 

 ■ious degrees with organic matter in a state of 

 ution and diffusion. The breaking down and 

 )mmihution of the rocks, so as to form the 

 articlesof the earth, have been the progres- 

 jsults of the influence of air, moisture and 

 exerted through many ages which have passed, 

 •ill in constant and active operation. That 

 trths were derived from the disintegration of 



called a green sand, composed of silex, potash, and 

 iron. It yields potash, and thus neutralizes any 

 acid substances which may exist in tlie soils, to 

 which it is applied. 



Every observing traveller in passing through dif- 

 ferent countries, perceives thar. che soils of different 

 countries possess properties peculiar to themselves. 

 Thus limestone soils seem most congenial to the 

 production of wheat ; and granitic soils to that of 

 grass. Each rock may be traced by its peculiar 

 vegetation. The soils on the trap-rock formation 

 in this State, are distinctly marked. 



A groat jjartofthe gtftte ia tyf what k calltnl the 

 diluvial formation. In this case there is an evi- 

 dent removal of the earth's surface or soils by some 

 violent convulsion in a sort of wave, from the north 

 to the south. The proofs of this deluge in its ad- 

 vances south may be distinctly traced. Thus in a 

 diluvial formation the soils will bo found to be com- 

 posed of the same elements as the rocks some miles 

 distant to the northward of that place ; and maybe 

 very different from the soil, which might be said to 

 belong to the place, where they are found. As ev- 

 idence t»*" this movement south, the rocks in the vi- 

 cinity of Providence are evidently formed from the 

 disintegration of rocks of the greywacke formation 

 some distance to the northward. The greywacke 

 rocks are those composed of other rocks of various 

 descriptions collected together in a miscellaneous 

 combination, and cemented by a kind of argillace- 

 ous paste. In Maine there are abundant proofs that 

 the whole soil of the country has, in many places, 

 been removed southwardly. In Thomaston the soil 

 is evidently of diluvial formation. Portland rests 

 upon a formation of mica and talcose slate ; but the 

 soil is granitic and evidently transported from the 

 vicinity of Brunswick. 



The diluvial soils were transported by some ex 

 traordinary change in the earth's surface, produced. 

 It may be, by a deluge or some similar catastrophe. 



negative, the alkaline in a positive electric state. 

 Vegetable manures become acid or negative ; ani- 

 mal nianures positive or alkaline ; they must be 

 combined in order to produce the best results. When 

 peats alone are used for manuring soils, the results 

 are not always favorable. Farmers pronounce it a 

 cold substance. In its natural state it abounds in 

 acid properties and produces sorrel. We may ren- 

 der this substance one of the most valuable of ma- 

 nures by suitably preparing it, according to the ex- 

 perience of many farmers. Peat should be com- 

 bined withFome alkaline or basic substance, which 

 will neutraii.i tJie acid which prevails in it, and 

 then ;i w>l»<!ay;,;y ai; a.biir,;l ;r,l. autrys^jit to vege- 

 tables. Peal is composed of mosses which grow 

 and then continually decay, giving place constant- 

 ly to a succession of these sphagneous plants, inter- 

 mixed with leaves and decayed trees. They 

 abound on the sea-board. Swamp mud resembles 

 peat in proportion to the decayed vegetable matter 

 which it contains ; and is adapted to supply the 

 manure we want. 



Peat being dug out, another growth of it comes 

 forward, and after a while its place is supplied 

 again. On Block Island, where it abounds, it ia 

 used altogether for fuel. In this place the peat 

 contains 98 per cent, of vegetable matter. Our 

 peats contain from 80 to 97 parts of vegetable mat- 

 ter. Swamp mud consists of vegetable matter and 

 earth, making a good manure when its acid prop- 

 erties are neutralized. Several farmers in the neigh- 

 borhood of Boston have experienced its value. Peat 

 can be substituted by proper management for ma- 

 nure. A distinguished farmer says that farming 

 cannot be carried on in his location without peat. 

 'J'wo farmers within his knowledge have mhxed 

 three parts of peat with one of stable dung. By 

 mixing it with lime and animal manure, ammonia- 

 cal gas is produced, which dissolves the peat and 

 converts it into a powerful manure. 



Lime is highly useful in its application to soila.- 



.,, . , ., ,, ° , . , -..jj^..^. r^ime IS nigniv I 



Alluvial soils are formed from the washiiio- of liio-h r u • . - ,.--.. 



„!„„„ • , .L ,■ , "'" '-lie "diiiiiig 01 iiign In bone manure it is found n combnaton with 



places into those which are bwer, bv rains or fresh i i ■ i r,,, '". "^umuiiiduuii wun 



ets and tnkn nUr^ h„ n „. A il '"^ ""^ "'^7 phosphoric acid. The crenic and apocrenic acids 



etis, ana laKC p ace ov a irradual denosit nf onrthc ■. -.i ■. , /- .. 



J r J' -^ o'auuui uepobii, ot cartos umtg With It and fomi manures. All manures be- 



or sands from water thus rendered turbid. The di- f„,o .»,o., . k manures, nu manures oe- 



^u 1.UIU1U. -iiii-ai- tore they act, become converted into sa ts. Soils 



