THE CULTIVATOR. 
121 
the market houses of Liverpool, that farmers at home 
may compare notes with the British farmer. In some 
subsequent letter I will give you a list of all the taxes to 
which the English farmer is subject, that so the compa¬ 
rison of situations may be more complete, ami a still high¬ 
er satisfaction, as I do not doubt it must rest with our 
countrymen. The duties on coffee anil tea are enormous; 
on the first, 15 cents a pound! on tea, 45 cents! The 
price of 
A goose in market, - 8S to $1.00 Cabbage, per head, 
Fowls per pair, [light,] GO to SO 
Turkey,.$1 to $1.75 
Hare, (w’t of 2 rabbits) 50 to $1.00 
Beef, per pound, - - - 14 to 20 
Mutton, “ 12 to 14 
Pork, u - - - 12 to 14 
02 to 04 
Celery, per root,-04 to 08 
American wild ducks, $1 to $1,25 
Apples, (Eng.) 30 for 22 
u (Am.) 14 for 22 
Cheese, (Stilton,) lb. - 25 to 30 
“ (Cheshire,) “ - 20 to 23 
“ (American,) lb. 14 to 16 
Veal, “ - - - 12 to 14 
Potatoes, per bushel, - 40 to 50 
In my next, I will give you an epitome of such agri¬ 
cultural glimpses as can be taken in a day's run through 
England from Liverpool to Gravesend. After which, 
and until spring opens (with me,) look for a chapter 
or two about the pruning hooks and vineyards of 
France. Yours, &c. 
D. G. Mitchell. 
MR. NORTON’S LETTERS—No. IX. 
Lab. of Ag. Chemistry Association, ) 
Edinburgh, Jan. 21, 1845. \ 
L. Tucker, Esq.—As I have now been long enough 
here to form an opinion as to the usefulness, and to be¬ 
come acquainted with the operations of the Agricultural 
Chemistry Association of Scotland, it has occurred to me 
that a sketch of its history, constitution and present pros¬ 
pects, may interest your readers, the more so as I per¬ 
ceive that the American papers teem with plans for the 
promotion of the great object of connecting science with 
agriculture. 
Desirous, as an American, to share the benefits of this 
Association, even more fully than I am able to do in its 
Laboratory, by attendance upon the meetings of the sub¬ 
scribers, I have enrolled my name among its list of 
members, and a few days since had the pleasure of at¬ 
tending the second semi-annual meeting, being at the 
close of the first year of its existence. 
The Association took its rise, and this cannot be too 
strongly urged in its favor, from tenant farmers chiefly; 
shrewd, practical men, who conceived this plan as most 
likely to promote, in its direct application to their inte¬ 
rests, that science which they felt had become necessary 
to them. 
The two leading objects proposed, were the diffusion 
of existing information, theoretical and practical; and the 
enlargement of our present knowledge. For the carry¬ 
ing out of these designs, Prof. Johnston was selected, 
and having received the appointment of Chemist to the 
Association, has been for eight months of the past year 
actively engaged in the prosecution of the arduous duties 
which devolved upon him. 
In the prosecution of the first object, he has delivered 
no less than fifty-three lectures in nearly every part of 
Scotland, some of which I have sketched in previous let¬ 
ters. They have been eminently successful, and have 
awakened much interest in every instance; no less than 
eight or nine agricultural periodicals have sprung up at 
various points, as the visible first fruits of success. Pri¬ 
vate lecturers are also busy in many places following up 
his teaching, or supplying his place in localities which 
he has not yet visited. The school-masters too, are 
aroused, and are many of them actively engaged in the 
same work, so that the effects of his visits are likely to be 
permanent. 
In this Laboratory, three assistants have been at work, 
nearly ten hours daily, through the year. Analyses are 
performed for subscribers, at certain fixed and very low 
rates, so low indeed as not by any means to repay the 
expense of the operations. Of the great privilege thus 
placed within their reach, the Scottish farmers have not 
been backward in availing themselves. The report says, 
that no fewer than 384 analyses have been made during 
the past year; the subjects as follows: 
Marls and Limestones,. 27 
Potatoes and other vegetable 
products,. 9 
Miscellaneous,. 37 
Soils. 134 
Guanos,. 122 
Ashes of Plants,... 25 
Oil Cakes,. 4 
Waters,. 26 
The mere reading of this list shows that from the very 
large amount of work performed, much information and 
many useful results must have been obtained. With 
most of the analyses, letters of advice have been sent, and 
with some of them, elaborate reports. Among some of 
the more strictly practical points upon which light has 
been thrown, it may be mentioned that analysis has 
shown striking differences in the chemical constitution 
of turneps raised by dung and by guano. In consequence 
of this, experiments upon their feeding properties have 
been made, and the result so far, seems to indicate the 
superiority of those raised by dung. Oats have been 
found to yield in larger quantity than any grain used for 
food in this country, those ingredients which furnish 
muscle to animals. 
The quantity of these ingredients in turneps, is under 
investigation, and it has been already ascertained/ that 
(hey equal in (his respect, 1 -30th or 1 -4th of their weight 
of wheat or barley. A variety of rocks have been analy¬ 
sed, with a view to the determination of the quantity of 
lime contained. The Trap rocks have been found uni¬ 
formly to contain a very considerable proportion, while 
the clay slates scarcely contain any. These facts show 
that we may expect a decided difference in the quality of 
soil resulting from the decomposition of the two rocks. 
These instances show the nature and utility of such re¬ 
searches, and they will I think, give your readers an idea 
of the sphere embraced by the labors of the Association. 
But analysis is not all; a very onerous portion of Prof. 
Johnston’s duties has been the answering of questions up¬ 
on practical and scientific points, for many of the farm¬ 
ers have commenced thinking, and propound queries 
which often touch upon the very verge of our present 
knowledge, and sometimes go beyond it, opening new 
fields of most difficult investigation. 
I think that this institution may safely be said to have 
realised the expectations of its projectors. They were 
most fortunate in the selection of Prof. Johnston for the 
office which he has filled so well, and to which his ener¬ 
gies have been so zealously devoted. By the co-opera¬ 
tion of his scientific researches with the practical expe¬ 
rience of the farmer, great advances have been made al¬ 
ready, and a spirit awakened which will bring forth in 
all probability, still more remarkable results. 
The Scottish farmers, thus have the credit of being the 
first to establish an institution purely for the purpose of 
applying- chemistry to their profession; so far it has been 
successful, but remarkable as that success has been, it on¬ 
ly opens the way to vast fields for research, yet untrod¬ 
den. It has shown however, what may be done by uni¬ 
ted effort, by skill and perseverance, and I would in that 
light, recommend it to the notice of my countrymen, not 
that I would consider it absolutely necessary for us to 
found institutions constituted in exactly such a manner; 
the form is comparatively unimportant, it is the convic¬ 
tion and the spirit, that are indispensable. 
I may suggest, however, that in the formation of agri¬ 
cultural colleges on an extended scale, such as now seem 
to be projected in our country, with each should be con¬ 
nected a branch for the pursuit- of chemistry as connected 
with agriculture, and for the dissemination of knowledge 
on that subject. Only by means of such institutions can 
rapid progress be made, and until they are established the 
great mass of farmers will be unable fully to profit by 
the knowledge we already possess. 
Our country opens a noble field for improvement, and 
I hope that we begin to perceive it. Other nations have 
commenced the work before us, but when our farmers 
arouse, and apply that American enterprise and perse¬ 
verance which has outstripped the old world in the paths 
of commerce, we shall have no cause to blush at our de¬ 
ficiency, nor at the share that we shall take in comple¬ 
ting one of the leading desiderata of our time, a system 
of scientific agriculture. Very truly yours, 
John P. Norton. 
Look to your bees and poultry. 
