GEOLOGICAL TEXT BOOKS -AGRICULTURE m 
TERHSSSEE. 
D. Lee, M.D,, Dear Sir:— There is a disposition in this 
■Ticinity to get up a Geological Club, and v/e want suc i 
books as will suit plain farmers. I know none as well 
calculated as yourself to advise us in this respect. You 
■will, therefore, indulge me in calling on you for the de- 
sii'ed information. We want the plainest and least techni- 
cal books; such as will give the principles and theories of 
the science, and the most practical instruction. 
For myself I know too little of that important science, 
though I have devoted, for years, much thought to nearly 
all the other natural sciences ; and for half an age Agri- 
culture has interested me more than any other subject ; 
but it is certain that it can not be well understood with- 
out Geology. I am, therefore, at this late age (.50) forced 
•to become a student of that science. 
While writing, permit me to give you an account of our 
Agricultural Society in this (Smith) county. In February 
last our Legislature passed a law creating an Agricultural 
Bureau, and providing for an organization of County So- 
cieties. During the last week in July a dinner was pre- 
pared in a grove of this vicinity, at which speeches were 
made on various subjects, and I made an extemporaneous 
talk on Agriculture. I assunaed three positions : 
1st. That Fanners, as a mass, are not respectable, so far 
as influence is concerned, and it is their own fault. 
2nd. That not one farmer in our county plows deep 
onough. 
3rd. The plan of farming, so as to wear out our lands 
and waste our timber, fs a sin of great magnitude, of 
which our whole farming population are guilty before 
God. 
Contrary to my expectations, nearly every person pres- 
ent (about 500) admitted the truth of all these positions. 
On the last Saturday in October, we had a meeting in 
Rome of about 100 persons; at which two short discours- 
es were made on Agriculture, by Esq. Montgomery and 
my self At the close, 52 men became members of an Ag- 
ricultural Society. 
On the 4th of this month we adopted a Constitution, 
and on the 20th enacted By-Laws. At the last meeting 
we had 92 members ; 65 are life members, who paid $10 
in advance, and 27 are annual members, who pay $2 per 
annum. Thus, you see, we have $704 to begin with, and 
shall soon double the amount and the number of members. 
You will be better prepared to appreciate our Society 
by a few extracts from our Constitution and By-Laws. 
“Articles. This Society shall he ycrpetual \ dispens- 
ing benefits not only to its existing members and the pres- 
ent generation, but also to future members and generations 
for indefinite ages. 
“ Article 4. Sec. 6. This Society shall vest all money 
received for membership in some way, so as to yield at least 
6 per cent, interest per annum ; in all cases the invest- 
ments shall be so made as to have real estate bound for the 
sum or sums invested, so that there shall be no possibility 
of loss ; and oil money so received and invested shall be a 
perpetual fund ; the Society having no power to use it so 
as to diminish the principal. 
“Sec. 9. Any money or property which may be donat- 
ted to this Society shall be added to the perpetual fund, 
^ * unless otherwise directed by the donor.” 
BY-LAW*. 
“Article 6. Section 1. Should any donation be made 
<0 this Society, so as to make a permanent fund ; said fund 
shall be forever called by the name of the donor. 
“Sec. 2. * * * * but should any donor fail to 
specify the objects of his gift, then this Society shall lay 
out the interest or profits of the donation, annually, bienni- 
ally, or otherwise, in awarding premiums for Essays upon 
selected branches of production or the education of the 
laboring classes- 
“Sec, 3. In all cases where a series of Essays shall be 
called forth by a donation, the series shall be forever call- 
ed by the nam.e of the donor.” 
From these extracts you may learn the spirit of our 
Society. Our Fairs will be held at Rome, a small town 
on the Cumberland River. 
I think that we may rightly claim that our Csnstitution 
is multum inparvo. What will be our permanent fund 
20 years hence, we cannot guess, but it will be large, and 
must increase indefinitely. 
There are at least four important features in our so- 
ciety : 
1st. It is perpetual. It will last for centuries. 
2nd. It never can be bankrupt, because it never ean go 
in debt, and real estate will always be bound for the per- 
manent fund. 
3rd. The Society must ultimately possess a very large 
fund, because every new member and every donatiorr, for 
ages, will increase the fund. , 
4th. Should we be fortunate in receiving donaUone, the 
best tolent of the Union will be employed annually, for 
ages, in getting up and publishing to l4re world Essays 
upon Agriculture and the Education of producers. 
Our members have the right spirit ; we all confess our 
ignorance, and hence are ready to learn. Our eonarauni- 
ty, old and young, will soon make a large class of stu- 
dents of Agriculture. I hope all the counties in the State 
will do likewise. Then will Education become general^ 
thorough and. practical. 
Disjointed as this letter is, I know it will be aecepfcable 
to you. Some of us, in this section, read the Southern 
Cultivator, and know what exertions you have beert mak- 
ing for years, to instruct, elevate, and ameliorate the pro- 
ductive classes; and you may regard some of the spiitit and 
senbments of our society as having emanated from your- 
self. 
Could the docte'ines you have so long and s© forcibly 
urged upon the renovation of land and the diversity oi 
products, be generally understood and praetieed, what 
would soon be the wealth and strength ot this Republic'? 
And could our farmers and planters rightly understand 
their interest, they would soon respond to your calls, and 
speak out at the ballot box in tones not to b® misunder- 
stood in the halls of Congress. Our aspiring polilacians, 
who, on the stump, have such large love for. the dear 
people, and in the councils of the nation know and ©are 
so little for their true interest, would receiv® an uwnoia- 
takcable hint. 
The business of stimulating and informing th® prpdwcem 
of our country is as arduous as it is noble. Th® stmnbling 
stone is the want of proper information, and how a requis- 
ite amount of information can be disseminated is the puzzle. 
I hope your school will be a centre from which many in- 
structive rays will radiate, and many teachers will be sent 
forth to teach Scientific Agriculture, 
And I hope, too, that we shall soon get up a» Agricul- 
tural School in Tennessee. We tried it 16 ywrs ag© and 
failed, but there is more correct thinldng among us now 
than then. Respectfully, 
F. H. Goi^ow, M.D. 
Sugartree Fevrm, {near Rome, Tenn.,) Nov., 1854. 
Remarks.— Absence from tke Slate prevented the letter 
of our esteemed correspondent reseiving earlier aUention, 
The enterprising farmers of J'ennessae are deterring of aH 
commendation for having constrained the Legislature to 
establish an Agricultural Bureau at the seat ©f Government, 
and divide the State into several districts, Uie better to ad- 
vance its great farming interest. The thorough organiza- 
ations of Societies after the plan given by Dr. Gordon, or 
something similar to it, cannot fail to render the most im- 
