THE CULTIVATOR. 
267 
iforeicjti Correspondence. 
LETTER FROM MR. COLMAN. 
London, July 19, 1844. 
Luther Tucker, Esq.—Dear Sir—I have seen with 
poignant regret the annunciation of the death of Willis 
Gaylord, Esq., your colleague in the editorial depart¬ 
ment of your justly valued and widely circulated journal. 
If the length of a life is to be measured by its usefulness, 
his certainly greatly exceeded the common lot. His la¬ 
bors have been abundant, and of eminent utility. To an 
intellect of uncommon power, he united a corresponding 
thirst for knowledge. His attainments in science and 
useful knowledge were unusual; and with these in an 
eminent degree were associated a refined taste, a clear 
discernment of the practical and the useful, and a most 
happy and agreeable talent of communicating to others, 
what he possessed. He has contributed immensely in 
the country, to the cultivation of a taste for rural pursuits 
and pleasures, and for the promotion of agricultural im¬ 
provement. I wish very much that a selection could be 
made for publication from his writings, as it would form 
a book not only of delightful reading for the parlor, but 
of admirable utility for the public schools; and I should 
suppose that the Commissioners for forming District and 
School Libraries, for I believe a Board of that kind ex¬ 
ists in the State of New-York, would encourage the pub¬ 
lication. 
Mr. Gaylord affords one of those beautiful and remark¬ 
able examples, which we sometimes meet with, of men 
contending with heroism against difficulties, and nobly 
triumphing, where others would despair or sink in idle¬ 
ness and useless repose. It is well known that the dia¬ 
mond in his instance, was set in a very inferior casing: 
that his person was so greatly deformed as to prevent his 
going much abroad or mingling much in society. Yet 
how superior was the tenant to the dwelling; his power¬ 
ful and well endowed mind, to his weak and deformed 
body. The very fastening down of the person, appears 
only to have made the mind more active, more impatient 
of restraint, more bold and excursive in its flight. Hap¬ 
py is it when our friends can thus depart, giving us noth¬ 
ing to regret but their removal from our intercourse and 
their cessation from their useful labors; leaving behind 
them a track luminous with the beauty of virtue and be¬ 
neficence, and presenting an example in the highest de¬ 
gree encouraging to useful industry, to intellectual culti¬ 
vation, to perseverance in every struggle against difficul¬ 
ties, and to a life humbly, quietly and conscientiously de¬ 
voted to doing what good we can, by the means which 
Heaven affords in the place where it has placed us. 
I want through you, my dear sir, to assure my friends 
how much obliged I am by their kind reception of my 
First Report, and to express my regret that I have not 
been able as yet to give them more of the result of my la¬ 
bors. I bespeak their patience. I assure them I am not 
idle or negligent; and if Heaven spare my life, in due 
.season they shall hear from me as fully as they can de¬ 
sire. I feel it due to them as well as to myself, to make 
my work as little unworthy of their acceptance as I can 
possibly render it; but they would not have me recite 
my lesson before I have learnt it. Even a moderate 
share of self esteem may persuade a man to think his la¬ 
bors of much more importance than they are; but surely 
in this case, a proper and grateful respect, which I deep¬ 
ly feel for my patrons, should induce me to perform my 
work as well as I can, and not to give them what would 
oe the result only of crude and partial observation. I 
cannot fix any definite time for the appearance of my Re¬ 
ports; but 1 have no doubt of bringing them very nearly 
within the time of two years, which was assumed for the 
■enterprise. 
I want through you to say another thing to many per¬ 
sonal friends to whom I designed and ought to write. I 
nope to redeem my reputation with them presently; but 
they will make some allowance for my constant engage¬ 
ments, for a very extensive correspondence both at home 
*nd here, and for a mind harrassed with a continual suc¬ 
cession of exciting objects. One more thing I am sure 
I may assume, that as I never desire to remember an en¬ 
emy, I am equally certain never to forget a friend. 
Yours truly, Henry Colman. 
LETTERS FROM MR- NORTON—No. III. 
Lab. of As. Chemistry Association, ) 
Edinburgh, July 29, 1814. \ 
Messrs. Editors —I have lately returned from an ex¬ 
cursion through the north of Scotland, with Prof. Johns¬ 
ton. One of the ways by which the Agricultural Che¬ 
mistry Association sbeks to diffuse knowledge is through 
public lectures. Prof. Johnston, as the officer and repre¬ 
sentative of the Association, is allowed to accept invi- 
Itations from those places where a desire for instruction 
| is aroused. In pursuance of this branch of his duties, he 
has been travelling for the last two weeks, and has de¬ 
livered lectures in four of the Highland towns. 
It would give me much satisfaction to give extended 
reports of these lectures, admirably adapted as they are 
to the wants of the agriculturist, but each would require 
a separate letter, and I must therefore content myself 
with a mere sketch of the proceedings, 
j Our first point of destination, was Inverness. This 
down, having about 12,000 inhabitants, is situated at the 
'head of the Moray Firth, and is in effect the capital of 
|the Highlands. Prof. Johnston was invited there at this 
dime particularly, because it was the period of the great 
Wool and Sheep market for the north of Scotland. The 
|quiet of Inverness is for a few days effectually disturbed 
by a concourse of buyers and sellers; the former from the 
! Lowlands and manufacturing districts of England, and 
lithe latter from the hills, where some of them can count their 
130 and 40,000 fleeces. A singular feature of this Fair is, 
j that although business, sometimes amounting toX’300,000 
|is transacted, not a sheep or fleece is visible. The cha¬ 
racter of each man’s flock is known, and false represent¬ 
ations would ruin him ever after. 
The Professor delivered three lectures at Inverness, 
:giving, as far as possible within so limited a space, a 
sketch of the science of Agricultural Chemistry, in con- 
jnection with instruction upon various important practi¬ 
cal points with which it is more or less connected. The 
!first lecture was upon the constitution of soils, and the 
j methods of improvement. Under this head was inclu¬ 
ded a full and most satisfactory argument upon drainage; 
ja simple and concise reference to the principal constitu¬ 
ents of fertile and barren soils, and the advantage to be 
derived from geological knowledge. 
The second, was upon the inorganic elements of plants, 
ami included naturally, manures, as the means of resto¬ 
ring or supplying these elements to the soil. 
The third, brought into view organic substances. The 
beautiful analogy between the composition of the soil, 
jthe food, and the an.mal was also explained, and much 
light thrown upon the subject of feeding, 
j Though the business of the Fair was engrossing, a re¬ 
spectable audience daily assembled, and listened with 
marked attention. An enthusiasm was aroused, which 
showed itself at every public meeting. A breakfast was 
given to Prof. Johnston at which he introduced the pro¬ 
ject of an Agricultural newspaper for Inverness, Ross, 
and the adjoining counties. It was carried by acclama¬ 
tion, an editor at once selected, and a long subscription 
list procured before noon. 
Our next stopping place was at Nairn, the county town 
Nairnshire. Two lectures were delivered there to a full 
audience. Some of iheir peculiar obstacles to successful 
cultivation were spoken of, and from the satisfied ap¬ 
pearance of many a shrewd face, it was easy to see that 
a new path was opening before them. 
We then proceeded to Forres in Elginshire, where but 
one lecture was given. It was sufficient to arouse the thirst 
for more, and the stout, hardy farmer who presided, at 
the close said, “ he was sure it had done them good.” 
The last place was Keith, in Banffshire. A large num¬ 
ber of people were together, some coming from a dis 
tance of eight & ten miles. The lecture occupied more than 
two hours, yet I heard one of the farmers say, “he would 
gladly have listened two hours more.” Keith being in 
a high bleak situation, the advantage to be derived from 
belts of plantation, to shield the land from the cold wind 
