174 [ASSEMBLT 



written and said by others, to the same eflect, that I fear but 

 little force or novelty belongs to the views liereiu submitted. 

 Such as they are, however, I hope they will contribute sometliing 

 to the concurrent testimony of all enlightened men Interested in 

 agricultural improvement, and I place tliem accordingly at your 

 disposal. 



The necessity for some means to assist the progress of enlight- 

 ened agriculture arises out of the following considerations : 



1. The great extent of country involving a climate and soils 

 capable of growing almost every edible production. 



2. The condition of our agriculturists ; the nature of their 

 calling necessarily precluding them from seizing the best oppor- 

 tunities for makiDg themselves acquainted with the highest 

 condition of their art. 



3. The backward condition of the philosophy of the science 

 as connected with this country ; the great dependence which this 

 country, in theoretical matters, places upon European data. 



1 . That there are particular zones of the earth best adapted, 

 from their annual mean temperature, for the sure growth of cer- 

 tain plants, is an admitted fact. This limit is not sufficiently 

 well understood, nor well defined in practice at present. The 

 physical geography of the State, as far as its capability of grow- 

 ing plants is concerned, requires more careful study and observa- 

 tion, not merely with regard to what it does at the present time 

 sustain, but also to what it is capable of supporting. There ar© 

 many valuable vegetable productions indigenous to the eastern 

 hemisphere, which might be made to flourish on our continent 

 were the climate and habitats peculiar to them carefully studied. 



The study of our soils, in connection with climate and zones, 

 of vegetation, is only in its infancy. Climate being the same, a 

 variety of soil produces a dilferent vegetable growth. This is 

 shown in a very marked manner in the vintages of the Rhenish 

 provinces, where the vines in one vineyard will differ in flavor 

 £i'om those of the neighboring yards, owing to a variety in the 

 ■soils. 



