73 



laws. There is much yet to be learned from 

 observation on these and connected subjects, 

 and on which, correct observation would learn, 

 as furnished by the trees and other plants grow- 

 ing most freely, indications of the peculiar che- 

 mical conditions and wants of different soils. It 

 would be very interesting to have observed and 

 made known any such facts — and especially the 

 irregular line of division (which is not identical 

 with/but somewhere above, the line of the falls 

 of the rivers,) between the regions of the two 

 different "old-field" pine-second growths — and 

 whether this line is, or is not, identical with that 

 which separates the lower lands improvable by 

 lime and not by gypsum, from the upper lands 

 improvable by gypsum (in many cases,) nnd 

 rarely, as it is reported, by lime. I invite Dr. 

 Pendleton, and every other competent agricul- 

 turist, residing near to these lines of separation, 

 to observe and report upon these facts."* I am 

 attempting to pursue this investigation, and will 

 be glad to add my contributions to those asked 

 for from other observers. 



Until recently, I had known almost nothing 

 of the facts just referred 1o, of the region above 

 the falls; and my personal observations have 

 been very limited even since their being so di- 

 rected. Scarcely any satisfactory information 

 is to be derived from foregone observations, by 

 inquiries, because scarcely any one has noticed 

 these differences with care or correctness. But 

 even from my previous very slight and general 

 means for information, and with scarcely any 

 aid from personal inspection, I had reached the 

 conclusion that there existed important and gen- 

 eral differences in the chemical constitution of 

 the soils below and those farabovc the falls of the 

 rivers, in regard to the proportions of lime con- 

 tained naturally — and, inversely, their degrees 

 of want of applications of lime — and also of the 

 relative capacities of the lands of these different 

 regions to be enriched by aid of gypsum, and 

 by putrescent manures, without previous liming. 

 These views were staled generally and con- 

 cisely, but distinctly, in the last (5(h) edition, 

 pages 160, 161 of the Essay on Calcareous Ma- 

 nures. 



9 Edmund Ruffin. 



Mar/bourne, Feb. 7, 1855. 



Penny and penny laid up will be many. 



* To aid new observers of the desired facts of trie pre- 

 sence or absence cf different kinds of pines, I will offer 

 the most certain marks of distinction of the species com- 

 mon in either lower or middle Virginia. The "old-field" 

 pine of the lower country, (P. tctda?) has leaves growing 

 three together in each slicath. The "yellow," "pitch'^ 

 or "woods" pine, (P. variabilis?) and the ' river" or 

 "spruce" pine, (P.inops?) have their leaves growing two 

 in a sheath. These last two differ so much in general ap- 

 pearance, that no observer can mistake one for the other. 

 The only other pines in lower Virginia, are the "slash" 

 pine and the "long-leaf" or Southern pine. The last, is 

 seenonlv •" 1 part of the.southern margin of Virginia— and 

 the preceding grows only in ponds or wet and poor foresi 

 land. The long-leaf pine (P. palustris or anstralis) has 

 its leaves three in a sheath, and also, I believe, the slash 

 pine (P. scrotina?) 



A GOOD PLAIN CURRY. 



Cut up undone or fresh veal, rabbit, or fowl; 

 if the latter, take off the skin. Roll each piece 

 in a mixture of a large spoonful of flour and 

 half an ounce of curry powder. Slice two or 

 three onions, and fry them in butter, of a light 

 brown. Then add the meat, and fry ail to- 

 gether till the meat begins to brown. Put all 

 into a stewpan, pour in boiling water enough 

 to cover, and simmer very gently for two or 

 three hours. A little broth is used instead of 

 water, for cooked meat. Serve with plain boiled 

 rice. 



APPLE JELLY. 



Wash and cut the apples in two or three 

 pieces, to see if there be any worms in them; 

 put them in a bright brass or porcelain lined 

 kettle, and cook until the apples are done ; take 

 out and strain the juice from them, and put 

 them on the stove again, and boil until they 

 begin to look dark ; then add one- third as much 

 sugar, by weight, and boil until they become 

 a jelly; put into cups or tumblers, and tie pa- 

 per over the tops. This is excellent for making 

 jelly cakes. Try it. — Ohio Cultivator. 



[Published by order of the Executive Committee.] 



Washington College, Lexington, Va, ( 

 October 27, 1854. { 



To the Committee of the Virginia State 



Agricultural Society on Written Essays, &c. 



Gentlemen, — I herewith send you a report 

 of some investigations made on the potato, so 

 far as those investigations have been completed. 

 Had there been time after the maturity of the 

 potato crop, I would have given you a complete 

 analysis of both the specimens examined; but 

 I have been under the necessity of confining 

 my examinations to those ingredients cf the 

 ash, most likely to be materially influenced by 

 the fertilizers employed. If you do not con- 

 sider my labors worthy of one of the premiums 

 offered please hand the manuscript over to the 

 editor of the Southern Planter, as a communica- 

 tion to that paper. 



Very respectful ly , 



Your obedient servant, 



J. L. Camps: ell, 

 Prof. ChemiUry Washington College. 



ON THE INFLUENCE OF ASHES, GYPSUM AND 

 COMMON SALT ON THE CHEMICAL CHARAC- 

 TER OP THE POTATO. 



In the spring of 1852 I applied to a certain 

 portion of a small lot of potatoes, a mixture 



