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It is trae that the Illinois soil contains 

 1.28 per cent, organic matter, which would 

 contribate to produce heavy crops for the 

 first few years, but the above inorganic con- 

 Btitaents are the true elements of perman* 

 ent productiveness, and the Illinois soil, 

 with 84.47 per cent, of sand insoluble sili- 

 cates, must of necessity be far sooner ex- 

 hausted than the more retentive argilo* cal- 

 careous soil of the blue grass regions of 

 central Kentucky. 



The rich black, fat silicious prairie soils 

 of the West are indeed wonderfully produc- 

 tive at first for the reason above stated, but 

 they never can have that permanent pro- 

 dactiveness of the best argillo-calcareous 

 soils of Kentucky, cultivated with any de- 

 gree of judgment. 



Let not, then, the Kentucky fanner, with 

 out due coDsideration, leave the home of 

 his nativity in the hopes of finding in the 

 far West land more productive than his 

 own; let him rather seek to gain an insight 

 into the qualities of his soil and adopt a 

 frugal method of husbanding the strength 

 of bis new land and renovating the consum- 

 ed ingredients of his old. i 



D. D. OWEN, State Geologist." 



We shall not undertake to depreciate 

 the general importance of chemical analysis 

 when applied to soils; but we may properly 

 remark, that in this case, long and practical 

 experience in Illinois is directly adverse to 

 to the deductions laid down by Dr. Owen. 



Dr. Norwood, State Geologist of Illinois, 

 in a circular addressed to many gentlemen , 

 practical farmers and long residents of this 

 State, solicited information from them in 

 regard to their experience of the permanent 

 productive qualities of our soil. He has 

 numerous replies, all directly tending to the 

 same point, — that our soils with a proper 

 rotation of crops, will not wear out. Ma- 

 nure undoubtedly stimulates these soils, — 

 crops will be the larger and better for 

 manure, — but with proper rotation, they 

 are the best soils to be found in our country. 



We append a valuable communication on 

 this subject, from Dr. J. M. Peck to Dr. 

 Norwood, and this will be followed by others 

 as we have room. This subject is im- 

 portant to our people, on account of what 

 we deem the unfair report of the Kentucky 

 Geologist. We have chemical theory on 

 the one side, and practical experience on 



the other. Let the world judge in the case: 



On the Prairie Soil of Illinois, arid its Produc- 

 tiveness for a Succession of Crops, especially 

 Com. 



Book Spbing, OfaUon Depot P. O., m., 1 

 AprU 14, 1867. J 



Dr. J. 0. Norwood, State Geologist: 



Dear Sir: Your circular of the 18th 

 March, making inquiries about the capabili- 

 ty of our prairie soils to produce a succes- 

 bion of crops, and especially maize or corn, 

 came into my possession on the 26th March. 

 Being then extremely feeble from repeated 

 attacks of illness, I was compelled to post- 

 pone an answer. Even now I am unable to 

 over memoranda made and documents pre- 

 served, that would furnish collateral evi- 

 dence of the correctness of the statements I 

 send yon. 

 ► At the very first of the discussion, I ob- 

 ject against the mere chemical analysis of 

 soils in settling the question of their certain 

 and permanent productiveness, on the same 

 principle that 1 object against chemistry as 

 the ultimate arbiter on the question of ali- 

 ment, digestion, assimilation, nutrition, and 

 all other elementary principles in the animal 

 economy. Chemistry analyzes and explains 

 the nature and laws of matter in its inert 

 state, It takes no note of the laws of 

 physiology, or that occult, mysterious thing, 

 called life, and its functions in animal and 

 vegetable existence. This science has im- 

 portant uses, and also its limits, when ap- 

 plied to agriculture. But to rely on the 

 science of chemistry as the sole and sure 

 guide of the agriculturist is preposterous, 

 of wijichthe comparison of Dr. Peter of the 

 "argillo-calcarious soil" cf Kentucky wiih 

 the prairie so'I of Illinois, taken from a 

 vague locality, "opposite Keokuk, a few miles 

 back from the Mississippi river," for corn 

 growing, is proof direct. 



In the county in which I reside, we have 

 the experimental facts of 150 years, to up- 

 set the chemical analysis and speculations 

 of Drs. Owen and Peter. 



Either the soil of Dr. Peter, was from a 

 sand ridge, brought down by some of the 

 great floods from the abraded sand stone 

 in the Upper Mississippi, (for he denomin- 

 ates it "silicious") or the laws of chemistry 

 are contradicted by the laws of vegetative 

 life. 



But in reply to your inquiries in a general 

 way: I reside in the county of St. Clair, 

 eighteen miles from the Mississippi river, 

 due east from St. Louis. I removed 'from 

 Missouri in the month of March, 1821, and 

 resided that year on a farm that was settled 

 and improved about 1810. The season 



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