THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
133 
caiion of gypsuia was but an indirect way ol 
liming and further inquiries, since then, 
have only mure strongly confirmed me in the 
opinions I then advanced. M. Boussingault 
deservedly stands high as a scientific and prac- 
tical farmer, and in charity 1 should hope that 
Mr. Allen was right in his conjectifre that the 
assertion above mentioned is a.mispniit, or that 
it was a mistranslation. L. Bartlett. 
Warner, N. H., May 28lk, I8l6. 
FUTUSSSD AGRICUL.'ff'URAL. 
1 .?£. IP it O V JO il IM T. 
Extract from Report of the Commissioner of Patents, 
Tnere are some things which seem to autho- 
rize our augury of still greater advances in 
agricultural improvement. And in touching 
on these, we shall, at the same time, suggest the 
points of deficiency. 
The first ground of encouragement on which 
we rely, then, is, increasing agricnllural know- 
ledge. To any one who will take the pains to 
examine the list of agricultural periodicals, and 
compare it with that which would comprehend 
all the weekly or monthly journals of this de- 
scription a few years since, the contrast will ap- 
pear striking. Nor is it only in the number of 
these, and the wider extent of publication and 
circuia ion wnich is enjoyed by them, that this 
diiierence is manifest. They are not merely 
printed in more sections of our country, but 
they are much superior in their appearance 
and their contents, to say nothing of the beauti- 
ful and highly finished illustrations which make 
a part of them. Instead of being confined to 
results at home, they are filled with letters from 
able correspondents abroad, as well as condens- 
ed views and extracts from foreign works of 
high reputation. We have thought it might 
not be in uninterestingaddition to our appendix 
to subjoin a list of our agricultural periodi- 
cals. rhese weeklies and monthlies having 
more or less extended circulation, exert a very 
important influence on the public mind, and 
thus a direction has been given to the public 
feeling. The effect of this, and the impulse 
which has been given, are seen in the various 
channels which are everywhere opening to meet 
the craving for greater supply. The editors of 
many of our public journals have discovered 
that mere political intelligence, or scraps ol lite- 
rary intelligence and wit, are not all that are 
demanded from them by the yeomanry of our 
country. There must ne an agricultural de- 
partment, or a column, at least, devoted to agri- 
culture, to secure the patronage of the farmer 
subscriber; and, accordingly, there are not a 
few of our political journals which weeklv fur- 
nish articles, selected or original, on subjects 
connected with this great branch of American 
industry. 
Another means of diffusing such knowledge, 
is the publication of volumes of standard merit 
relating to agriculture. We think it truly an 
auspicious era in our country when such works 
as Thaer’s, Liebig’s, Johnston’s, Mulder’s, Da- 
na’s, Petzholdt’s, Youatt’s, and many more too 
long a list to name here— are brought within 
the reach of our agriculturists. If they do not 
at once give up former views, and adopt those 
which accord both with science and experiment, 
yet we can hardly doubi that in many ’..ases 
these will exert a modifying influence on their 
practice. Gradually they may be led to feel the 
importance of such things, and another genera- 
tion, if not the present, will be found to be im- 
bued with correct principles of agricultural sci- 
ence. 
The brilliant success which has attended re- 
cent demonstrations on the part of the well-trai.n- 
ed and thoroughly disciplined minds who led 
the way in the reformation ot agricultural che- 
mistry and vegetable and animal physiology in 
their applications to practical use, has prompted 
new aspirants to fit themselves thoroughly to 
share in tlie nicer discriminations and new dis- 
coveries yet to be made. 
We hail it as a cheering promise in this re- 
spect, that there are minds of enlarged views 
and accurate investigation abroad among us, 
and operating on the most, intelligent of our 
agricultural population. These authors, whe- 
ther ot our own or other countries, are only the 
precursors ot a constantly increasing agricul- 
tural literature, which is destined to render more 
efficient the means at our command for cover- 
ing our land with smiling fields and waving 
harvests, so that literally the wilderness may 
yet “bud and blossom as the rose.” The in- 
creased training ot the youthful mind agricul- 
turally, is also another feature which augurs 
well for us. We refer here to elementary trea- 
tises adapted to the young, to the establishment 
of agricultural schools, and to the proposed in- 
troduction, in a degree, of some ot these topics 
in our common schools. There is much not 
merely to expand and invigorate, but also to in- 
teresi the mind, in agriculture, studied in its 
bearings on various sciences. Chemistry, with 
its beautiful illustration of combination or de- 
composition ; geology, with its marvellous and 
time worn relics ot past ages; entomology, 
and its curious developemenis; together with 
all the mysteries ot animal economy, vegetable 
physiology or botany — all are made to open 
their treasures and present their attractive 
claims. The young student is brought thus to 
a world ol wonders; and his attention once ar- 
rested, he cannot but find that agricultural stu- 
dy, in the broad view which should be taken to 
its domain, has sufflcient to amuse and to dis- 
cipline the faculties of intellect and heart. Its 
influence can scarcely fail to be salutary, as it 
leads nim to the great laboratory ot nature, and 
shows him how the operations of Providence 
keep at work the means ot supply, and that de- 
cay is only succeeded by reproduction in some 
other form of vegetable life. It is scarcely ne- 
cessary to say that, with these inspirations of 
science, he will be the promoter and patron of 
improvement in every shape, and that he will 
be foremost in upholding the agricultural club, 
the County or State association, with its fairs 
for exhibition of products of industry. These, 
too, the more they are multiplied, will exert a 
wider influence. Our countrymen are apt to 
observe and to invent ; but they need more pre- 
cision and discipline in the developemenf ot 
their operations. As these are acquired by a 
severe training in science, the results will be 
seen in a thousand ways. We point to one de- 
sirable improvement which, it it were accom- 
plished, would doubtless exercise no little influ- 
ence on our agricultural prospects. We refer 
to the adoption of some such course as is taken 
in the great agricultural meetings in various 
countries ol Europe, where a week is spent by 
persons brought from all parts in discussing 
subjects of agriculture, previously arranged in 
a printed programme. Some idea ot what we 
mean may be gathered from the perusal of Mr. 
Fleischmann’s letter, and also the translation 
of the regulations relating to the great agricul- 
tural meeting at Breslau last summer. It is 
true, that something of the same kind on a small 
scale has been attempted at Albany, Boston, N. 
York and other places, during the sitting of the 
State Legislature, or weekly, and we see not why 
the object might not be attempted and executed 
successfully on a much larger scale in our own 
country. 
Anotlfer ground on which we rest our augury 
of prospective improvement in this great branch 
of national industry’ is the application, in new 
forms of enterprise, of the products of the soil, and 
of the departments of collateral husbandry. To 
take a single instance for illustration. It isbut 
a few years since the improvements were in- 
troduced by which such quantities of lard and 
lard oil are prepared tor the market. The bu- 
siness connected with this has already runout 
into varied channels, and so it must be with 
every invention which appropriates the fruits 
of the farmer’s toil. One branch of laborgives 
rise to yet another. But our career in this re- 
spect seems but just begun. The vast increase 
ot inventions, the numerous shapes through 
which industry is developed, all furnish reason 
to believe that we have by no means reached 
the end of our progress. The enlargement of 
these outlets of skill and enterprise, and the 
prospect of increased civilization through our 
commerce abroad, will undoubtedly have a ten- 
dency to make our land teem with an industri- 
ous population, whose wants will multiply as 
their wealth shall increase ; and thus, through 
the diversified reciprocities of trade at home 
and abroad, a more steady and reliable market 
be created, which shall help to enrich the dili- 
gent and reward the efforts of successful econo- 
my. It will not be long, as we confidently be- 
lieve, before an average uniform price at points 
equi-distant from the great marts of commerce 
will be established throughout our land by 
means ot telegraphic communication, and the 
facilitiesof conveyance b? so multiplied as to 
check the inequalities induced by speculation, 
and give assurance that they who provide by 
the sweat of their brow for an extending em- 
pire of freedom, shall not labor in vain. If af- 
fluence may not be the lot of all, yet steady 
prices, on which they may count, will aid the 
contented and industrious spirit to enjoy the 
comforts and many of the luxuries of life, qf 
which others in the same employment and oc- 
cupation in foreign countries are so greatly in 
need. 
From considerations like these, (and others, 
too, might be meaiioned,) if we are not mista- 
ken, there is ground for cheering augury ot 
agricultural improvement, which, though its 
progress may be gradual,, will yet be certain 
and permanent, as well as productive of happy 
effects on our country and the world. That 
there is a rising feeling in favor of agriculture, 
the ten thousand voices echoing back from eve- 
ry quarter to us, in approbation ot the humble 
efforts made from year to year in collecting, 
and, through their own representatives, laying 
before our farmers and planters the information 
of various kinds within our reach, abundantly 
testifies. We might, likewise, refer to the em- 
bodiment of this feeling in resolutions at Ihs 
farmers’ convention, urging the importance of 
their claims to regard, and as it meets us strong- 
er and stronger from year to year in the agri- 
cultural journals in all parts of the country. 
Never was there a fairer time to aid its devel- 
opement. Without resorting to more question- 
able means, which might rather injure than 
benefit, it lies in the power of those who occu- 
py places of influence to lend a warm-hearted 
co-operation to every effort of improvement, 
and to diff'use as much as possible a generous 
spirit of enterprise into all the branches ot agri- 
cultural industry. We indulge, we are sure, in 
no fancied dreams when we say that the past 
years have only been the harbinger of a more 
perfect agricultural economy. It is with presa* 
ges like these, while we see our bounds enlarg- 
ed, we watch every indication ot the awaken- 
ingot the raindof onreountry to the importance 
of true science and practical knowledge. It is 
matter of gratulation to learn that a new agri- 
cultural journal has made its appearance, like 
a star first breaking through the darkness, in 
any section ol our land, which, till recently, 
could furnish no such proof of advancingknow- 
ledge. The information that a successful ex- 
periment, too, has added another name to the 
lists of our products, or that the introduction of 
some choice specimen, either animal or vege- 
table, has brought to the agriculturists of those 
Slates the means of yet greater progress in im- 
provement, is read with the confident expecta- 
tion that another impulse has been given to the 
energies of industry, the results of which after 
ages will record with grateful satisfaction. 
Compared to the whole, each individual enter- 
prise is but as a pebble dropped into the wide 
waters; but as even that slight motion agitates 
the nearest surface, and one wavfe after another 
spreads silently on, yet further and further from 
the place where it begun; so the community, 
in increasing circles, will feel the effect of eve- 
ry such event. One and another will follow 
on— a township, a county, a State, and yet larg- 
er portions of our country will in turn welcome 
the stranger, till it shall have made itself a 
