VoL. III. 
AUGUSTA, GA., NOVExMBER, 1845. 
No. 11 
iSEIIAKKS OF AA.^IES A. ^iEUiWE- 
E fS-, Esq • 
Before the Agricul.uraC Society of Putnam Co , May, i345 
[Publis. / request of tlie Societr ] 
The depressed price of Souihern agricultural 
products is leading the public mind anxiously 
io inquire, what relief can be lound irom that 
depse-sion? To those who inhabit the middle 
region ot Georgia, it is a proposition particular- 
ly interes ing. With a soil once productive, 
but now much exhausted,- a eoaniry almcst too 
poor to live in, and yet inhabited by a people 
unwillins: or unable to abandon or remove from 
it; the relief from our s’eneral embarrassments 
is naturally a subject of solicitude. Past pros- 
trations of our interests have been rapidly alle- 
viated by a rigid economy tor a lew years, suc- 
ceeded by remunerating prices for our labor. 
But, it is only justice to ourselves to declare, 
that the prospect of such a recurrence is very 
far from being probable. The increased supply 
of cotton beyond the demand — the opening of 
Itesh fields to the West, and the yearly increas- 
ed qt^niity of labor employed in them, admon- 
ish ns that it is io'lylo hope tor arelnrn of such 
prices tor our labor as we have belore enjoyed 
— while we mustfeel this evil of low prices ag- 
gravated by the continued deterioration ol our 
lands. Besides, we are consumers, and not 'pro- 
<lv.ccr$, of many cf the necessaries of life ,- the 
reduced price of our cotton will not cause a cor- 
/fjfsponding decline in prices, and hence we 
must bear the two-fold aggravated evils of poor 
lands, and low prices for their products, while 
%re have to pay co.mparatively high prices lor 
our necessaries. Then, with exhausted lands, 
and almost profidess labor applied to them, 
what shall we do? is the universal cry. 
Many can, andd )ubiless wib, 'ea-e the "sink- 
ing ship,” and find partial relief in the produc- 
tiveness of the rich alluvial lands ot the West ; 
but many ao -nut wish to leave, many cannot 
leave, and it is for' these to determine the great 
question, how can this country be rendered even 
tolerable for those who are to inhabit it. 
The answer to this proposition is clothed in a 
few words — “ live at home — diversify vour pur- 
suits — and, above all, enrich your hinds.'’ To 
sseert&ia the surest and best mode to attain these 
ends, is the object ot our immediate associa- 
tion. 
No people ever have, or ever will, perma- 
nently prosper, who relv as we have done, upon 
the labor of o' her people, for their provisions 
and other articles ol prime necessity. No prac- 
fical' man can doubt for a moment the high ob- 
ligation -upon every community of people, 
etfcied into States, to produce within itself the 
brvadstutis, meats and ail domestic animals 
employed upon the farm. The first principles 
of economy, both political and private, a.'-e dis- 
regarded by a people who will not recognize 
ibis obligatidn; and if pecuniarv embarrass- 
ments should overwhelm ibem. it is but the op- 
eration of cause and e.ffect, and is at no time to 
be regarded as any matter ot surprise, only that 
the effect is not more confounding. It is that 
system of economy which tolerates such im- 
prudence, that in its varied operations over- 
whelms us with rnin and prostration. 
One of the subjects which I shall more par- 
licularly invite vour attention to is the improve- 
ment of your lands. A prejudice has grown 
up in the minds of very masj persons against 
what is calleu book-farming and many val- 
nable suggestions are disregarded, because they 
i are said to owe their existence to such an ori- 
1 gin. Science is disregarded'becanse it is said 
I to be all theory, and not practice. But is it ra- 
Uional to reject the lights which it affords? 
What isthis earth but a mighty chemical com- 
pound, and how is it possible properly to ap- 
, preciaie and use its ingredients without a know- 
ledge of their natures? Soils ciffer in their 
; composition, and a*ll grains in their constitu- ! 
! enis. Every man knovvs from hisownexpe-| 
I rienee that some s-u'ls suit one plant better than i 
I others — and these very. men, who reject all sci- j 
j ence in agriculture as mere humbug, act upon ! 
this principle of adap'ting their crops to their j 
! lands. Now, if this be a proper course to pur- | 
i sue, why will they not go one step farther and 
i learn the reason for their preterences ? But no, 
1 this would be iook-fo.rrning:’ 
No profitable system of husbandry can be 
prosecuted without a proper knowledge of the 
basis on which to build. The farmer should 
know the elementary constituents of his soil; 
he should know the constituents ot the plants he 
cultivates — knowing these, he learns the ingre- 
dients wanting in his soil to grow the crop pro- 
fiiabh', and with a proper knowledge of the con- 
stituents of each manure, he is enabled to apply 
' that kind which will accomplish his object, 
j This knowledge is indispensable to the farmer 
who seeks the improvement of his lands. La- 
■ bor is often thrown away without it, which 
I would be p^ofit'^hly employed xviih it. Some 
I soils only require sand, others only clay to 
i make them prodU'-tive. Lime, one of the most 
valuable of all tertiiizers, is not only rendered 
j valueless by an improper application of it, but 
! sometimes it renders the soil to which it is ap- 
1 plied sterile and worthless. The secret cf suc- 
i cess then lies in a knowledge of the consliiu- 
j ents of the soil, and the like knowledge of the 
; constitnentsofthe manure. 
Every farmer knows full well that he cannot 
plant a succession of bke crnp'=^ upon the same 
land without greatly reducing the amount ol the 
product, and the reason is obvious; each cron 
takes from the soil the salts necessary to its ex- 
istence, and unless they are returned to it by 
manuring exhaustion follows, and sterility is 
i inevrtable. The true maxim is tagive back to 
I the soil aniriiaUv f'lfi measure of whatever is 
! taken from it bv the erop^ in fact we should 
give back annually more than we take from it ; 
I by such means we increase the crops and en- 
j rich our lands. To do this the farmer must 
1 know what has been taken away, and he must 
I know how he can give it back. This alone cr n 
i be derived from that mu’h despised system c?ll- 
j ed aook-f arming.” It is ob 'ions that without 
, this knowledge all efforts at restoration .are eon- 
i trolled by accident and uncertaintv ; and the re- 
1 suit must and will prove unsatisfactorv and 
I discouraging, f would not argue that it is ne- 
cessary that every farmer should understand the 
whole science of agricultural chemistry in order 
to impro.'e his lands, but 1 do contend that he 
should understand some of the elementary prin- 
ciples of it, that he may apply them to practical 
purposes. Hence, to obtain tlvis knowledge — 
which is beyond the reach of the great masses, 
is the object of agricultural societies and the 
circulat'un of agricultural papers. 
A few facts will illustrate the truth of what 1 
say. In Rhode Island aa analysis was made, 
and an estimate based upon- it of the saline con- 
ten:? taken from one field which had been cul;!» 
vated lor eight years, and the result was: potash 
424 lbs.; soda 131 lbs.; lime 532 lbs.; mag« 
nesia641bs.; afumina 5 lbs. ; silica 390 lbs.; 
sulphuric acid 113 lbs. ; phosphoric acid i(^ 
lbs. ; and chlorine 58 lbs. 
Here, then, a large quantity of salts have been 
withdrawn from the eaith by cultivation. Na- 
ture does not restore them as rapidly as they 
are taken away, bat by knowing them, science 
enables us to restore them, and make the landpi'c- 
duciive, which would otherwise become sterile. 
We have only to look at the crop just gather- 
ed, or the one to be sown, to learn the necessary 
and proper manure for it. We know that 
wheat contains of potash 33.84 parts; lime 
3 09; magnesia 13.54; phosphoric acid 49.21. 
If, therefore, wheat has been sown, or is to be 
sown, the proper manure to be applied either to 
restore the land or to increase the crop, is that 
which contains the salts mostly contained iu 
wheat. It has been ascertained by experiment 
that the actual amount of earths, &c., contained 
in 2000 lbs of green cornstalks is about 78 lbs. 
In every ton of siaiks there are of 
Potash lbs j Manganese., .....lbs. 0^0 
.Soda " fl.tS S.lex f4 16 
Lime.,.. “ 1 : 5.04 ! Snlphoris >.cid. 2 12 
Magtiesia 4 72 j Phosphorit; Acid.." l.OS 
.ilumina “ !2 | Chlorine ‘‘ 0.12 
With a knowledge oi these facts and the fur- 
ther knowledge cf therropenies of each manu 
how easy and h.-w agreeable is ihs pu s >it ' r 
the farmer to ad I increased fertility to his soi', 
while he draws increased crops from his lani-. 
Bu‘ chemical science not only gives this 
know'ledge to the farmer, but it enables him to 
learn the value of foods, and the most profita- 
ble use of them. He aseertaius the properties 
of one kind to give fiesh to his animals, and of 
another to give fat — and what particular kinds 
will accomplish his object the soonest. 
Fieshform'.ng Fit fcrm'ng 
princi] !e. '' principle. 
Peas contain parts 5t parts. 
Beans “ 31 •• 52 '• 
Oats “ lOA “ 6S “ 
Barley “ 14 “ 63 “ 
Hay “ S '= 63 
Turnips “ I “ 3 
Poiaioes 2 “ .,.24.^ “ 
Ind.Corn“ ,.12^ “ 77 “ 
Thus it will be seen that there is a great dif- 
ference in the different kinds ot food to form fat 
cr flesh. Peas and beans give flesh; corn, oats 
and barley give fat. 
Again, he ascertains another important fact 
bv chemical science ; the rel-aiive value of the 
different kinds of food for either purpose of fat 
or fiesh. 
Sixty pounds good hay from clover are equal 
in nutriment to 100 lbs. common hay 7 23i of 
potatoes 7 520 of wheat, or bailey straw ; 574 cf 
oat straw ; ClQ-lbs of turnips; 20 lbs. of beans ; 
31 lbs veliow peas; 49 lbs. wheat; 5l lbs. cf 
rye ; 54 lbs. oats, and 59 lbs. of barley. 
It is by the aid of 'oook-farvung, that the farm- 
er ascertains the existence of ail iheseimroT'an 
facts — and without a knowledge of them, the 
true principles of agricultural economy can 
never be applied or practised. 
Our Legislature some few years since seem- 
ed to he impressed with the importance of plac- 
ing agri-eultural information in the possession 
of the people, and ordered a geological survey 
ol the State 7 one of the objects ot which was to 
