THE SOU THERN CULTIVATOR. 
159 
priaie manner. Auer which, the Society re- 
quested of the Doctor a copy of his address, 
to be published in the Soothkrn Cultivator. 
The Doctor ^ranie l the request. It was then 
agreed on by the Society, that the address, to- 
gether with the proceedings be published in the 
Southern Cultivator i have been instructed 
to forward the same to you for publication, and 
as it is the first Agricultural Society that has 
been formed in this section ofcountry, and as Dr. 
Watkins is generally known throughout the 
State of Alabama, as a very intelligent man, 
and wifnal as one of our first farmers, we hope 
that his address, when read, will have conside- 
rable influence in calling the attention of our 
fellow-citizens to the grand object of our Socie- 
ty, which is the extension of the knowledge of 
the principles and practice of scientific agricul- 
ture. R spectlully yours, 
John Green, Sr., Cor. Secretary. 
Burnt Com, Ala., August \\th, 1846. 
ADDRESS OF DR. WATKINS. 
Gentlemen: — It will be unnecessary for me 
to state to you that the object of our meeting, 
and the aim of our Society, is the promotion 
of that most important of human pursuits. 
Agriculture, which not only feeds and clothes 
those engaged in it, but likewise all other pro- 
ductive avocations — besides a numerous class 
of individuals, in all countries and societies, 
cnnsumere fruges," or drones, who add no- 
thing in return to the aggregate production of 
the industrial classes, on whom they live and 
depend for food, raiment and luxuries. Agri- 
culture does all this, in fddition to rearing a 
multiplicity of animals fi r the aid and comfort 
of the cultivator, and those engaged in the nu- 
merous arts and literarv employments of man- 
kind. Agricultuie may be defined the art by 
which man produces from the culture of the 
soil, the various vegetable substances out of 
which he subsists and clothes himsell. It may 
date its origin trom the expulsion of our pro- 
genitors from the garden of Eden, and is there- 
fore the oldest profession on record But, whilst 
we are thus compelled to admit its great an- 
tiquity, and its indispensable necessity (or the 
support of our species, we must, at the same 
time, make the humiliating confession that it is 
far behind its sister arts and sciences in the 
collation and development of its facts and prin- 
ciples. This tardy progress of agriculture, in 
modern times, may be mainly attributed to a very 
general belief that no study or information is ne- 
cessary to cultivate the soil, which our Creator 
has made ready and unc.iangeable; and conse- 
quently to the practice of planters under this be- 
lief, of dedicating and educating their bright- 
est sons to what is called trie learned profes- 
sions, of Law, Physic and Divinity; whilst 
for the plan er, ne devotes the dullest and 
most unpromising of his offspring. An- 
other cause, more potent than ihe above, 
and the effect of it, is the too prevalent prejudice 
against book-farming. If we cast a retrospec- 
tive view upon the history of mankind, for the di- 
minutive period ofa century only, we shall find 
that the progress of all the other art.s and sciences, 
was preceded by free dissemination and discus- 
sion, by means of books and papers. Until 
within the first quarter of the present century, 
agriculture has had little aid from this source. 
Need we then wonder at the frequent and dis- 
heartening spectac-le of « orn-out fields, turned 
out to grow up in briars and pines, and washed 
inio almost impassable gullies, and hear sen- 
sible men as they sigh over the barren field, ex- 
claim, it IS lost and irreclaimable forever. Is 
it true then, that all oiner arts and sciences 
have the means of advancement and perpetuity, 
whilst agriculture alone, the most indispensable 
of all, has the very seeds of destruction sown in 
its own operations. If this is the truth, and as 
is frequently as.serted, southern soils are incapa- 
ble of resuscitation, or amelioration, then in- 
deed is our condition deplo.rable. If Providence 
is less bountiful to the planter than tootherpro- 
lessions, then does the curse of Cain, the first 
planter, rest upon h!5de.scendants— then is there 
no science in agriculture. In vain have the 
experiments of chemistry developed the ingre- 
dients of component parts of the soil, and of its 
productions, if this knowledge cannot be made 
available. Then, like wandering Arabs, it is 
time to be makinj preparation for a move west- 
ward, and into some fresh country, to again be- 
gin the battle of conquering the forest. But it 
chemistry has discovered to us the nature and 
component parts of our soils, and of Us produc- 
tions, and the variousaffenciesofair and water; 
and if we possess those ingredients that, with the 
aid of air and water, increase the fertility of the 
earth, and replace to it what our heavy rains 
wash away, and our hot sun exhales — then 
would it not be the duty of us all to commence 
this study and carry out its principles in our 
culture! These aids to agriculture, by her 
sister sciences, are certainly of vast importance 
to the planter and farmer. All the planter has 
to do, then, is to stu fy and examine his soils, 
and the articles he cultivates, and adapt his 
manures accordingly. To the planter who pos- 
sesses a plenty of rich virgin soil, and who is 
under the impression of its inexhaustibility, 
these hints and exhortations are superfluous; 
but, to the most of us, the lime has come when 
we should commence the w'ork of reclaiming 
and ameliorating our tired and exhausted soils, 
or else begin the preparations necessary for the 
abandonment of our irreparable homesteads. 
Believing, as I do, however, that our Creator 
is as bountiful to the planter as to other profes- 
sions, and believing like wdse that all the ele- 
ments of the richest soils lie scattered around us, 
ard awaiting our scientific application of them, 
and are accessible to us all, it is my purpose to 
put these developments to the lesiof experiment, 
before yielding to the very common belief of 
the irreclaimabiliiy ofour soils. Allsoils con- 
sist mainly in clay, sand, and vegetable mould, 
and is rich or poor in proportion to the quanti- 
ty ot this last substance ; clay being necessary 
for the purpo e of abs<irbing and retaining water, 
and this vegetable mould, and the several salts 
which enter every soil, as w'ell as adding tenaci- 
ty to it, whilst sand renders the soil permeable 
for the roots, and prevents occlusion of the air 
and other nuiricious matters trom the vegetable 
mould. Although airperformsa very conspicu 
ous part in the nourisnment of plants, yet, 
without soil no planter expects to reap the truits 
of his labor, although there are some species of 
aquatic and parasitic plants could not live 
in the soil. 
It appears to me then, very plain, that all the 
planter has 10 do, in order to elevate his pio- 
iessionlo a level with other professions, and to 
take trom its follow'ers the opprobrious ep thet 
of “ clod-hopper,” is to educate his sons and 
give them the same preparatory and scientific 
instruction as he would for the lawyer, doctor 
or divine — and my word for it, you will see 
agriculture Advance jiaripasm with he sister sci- 
ences, ar.d the cultivators of the soil themselves 
advance in respectability to a level with other pro- 
fessions, and compete successfully with them tor 
the highest offices in the gift of their fellow- 
citizens, and discharge them with equal hones- 
ty and ability. As the case is now, even the 
fastidious boarding school miss turns up her 
beautiful nose at the young planter, and takes 
refuge in the arms of the first loafer she meets; 
and even the common foot pedlar, with his trin- 
kets and finery, carries off the lair prize from 
the cli d-hopper, and all because they havesome 
show, at least, of possessing brains. For, de 
pend upon it, the ladies are very quick at de- 
tecting sense in the male sex, although they are 
often wolully deceived in our moral qualities. 
Then let me persuade those old planters who be- 
lieve it unnecessary to educate their sons to qual- 
ify them to make corn and cotton, that without it 
they certainly lose caste in society, and sink far 
below the respectability and influence to which 
the universality and usefulness of their avoca- 
tions entitle them — for above all other pursuits, 
agriculture is calculated to call forth the highest 
efforts ot the mind, as well as to impress us 
wiih the loftiest conceptions of the wisdom. 
greatness and goodness of uui heavenly Father. 
And, as planters are generally acknowledged to 
be the most honest, they may and will become, 
by a proper C' urse of education, the most able 
and disinterested defenders ot true religion and 
civil liberty. But what can be expected from 
an uninformed and uneducated class of men! 
Why nothing but a plodding on in the beaten 
track, without a single ray of light to cheer 
them on with the assurance of betierdays, easier 
work, and more production — supinely taking, 
with open mouthed wonder, everything told 
them by the befter informed classes— looking, 
even up.on the soil they murder, as one homo- 
genous lump of matter, not caring to know 
that the simplest rock or lump of soil, is a 
compound of many other elementary substances. 
Then, is it surprising the yi-ung planter sits mum 
when every other class have ideas from which 
to draw lor discourse ! Then, I repeat, let the 
old planters educate their sons, and pul into 
their hai ds such books and papers as will place 
tbem^on a level with other prjfessions. Whilst 
the physician has hismedical journal, thelawyer 
his cases, the merchant and politician his 
newspaper, concentrating informaiion from all 
quarters, touching their interests; the divine 
even has his paper to disseminate and defend his 
peculiar tenets; and, finally, it is even thoughiol 
importance, for the reformation of a lew old to- 
pers and to endeavor to prevent the destruction of 
property and life, by alcohol, to have a pa- 
per— yet the clod-hopper must still bear the 
reproach of stolidity, for want of ihe proper 
sources ot informaiion being pointed out to 
him ! Even the inetchar.t and pedlar can dis- 
course most eloquently about laces, ribbons 
and the fashions, whilst the pl.iDier knows no 
more of the soil he works than ihe beasi he 
drives, consequently, has nothing to say of the 
wisdom of his Creator in the arrangement of 
the soil, and his bounty in affording him plenty, 
even under his unskillul culture. It siiouid 
then be the duty of every member of the com- 
munity, and especially of ihis >ociety, to seek 
out the means by which the condition and cha- 
racter of the cultivators of the soil can be im- 
proved and elevated. For this purpose, nothing 
appears so well calculated as the fuimaiion of 
societies or clubs, fonhe purpose of stimulating 
curiosity and rewarding meiit, and at the same 
lime, to encourage the circulation and reading 
of such agricultural journals and papers, as 
have, in other partsof ourlavored country, been 
multiplied of late, for the use ot the farmer. In 
conci us. on, let me regret that the choice of a 
presiding officer for your society did not fall on 
one more competent to afford you practical in- 
formation, al hough, I ihink, one more zealous 
in the cause would be hard to find. 
Pendleton Farmers’ Society. 
Mr. Camak — Enclosed, I send you a list of 
premiums to be a warded, by the Pendleton Far- 
mers’ Society, at its next anniversary meeting 
in October. As it presents rather a new fea- 
ture, you will most probably think it worthy a 
place in the Cultivator. It inav encourage 
other societies to offerlike premiums, instead of 
silver cups, money or diplomas. 
Our Society having recentlv built a commo- 
dious hall, with a library and other rooms be- 
low, at a cost of some twelve or filteen hundred 
dollars, is unable al this time to give large 
premiums. The Committee were, therefore, 
under ihe necessity of .spreading a small amount 
over a list embracing all or most of the objects 
the Society has usually encouraged the produc- 
tion of And, as a volume of ei'her of the 
works will not only seem to be a more respect- 
able premium than (he amount it will cost, but 
really will be of much xuoxavalue to thesuccess- 
ful competitor, with the further and not less de- 
sirable objecis of patronizing the authors, and 
encouraging Agriculturists to read such works, 
both for informaiion and to do a way with a fool- 
ish prejudice that exists with some against 
“ book farming,” a greater variety ha.s been 
selected than msual, and all as appropriate to 
