Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-11-21
AGRICULTURAL.

An Address to "The Maryland Agricultural
Society,"" from their President, r. SMITH,
Esq. delivered at their Sem-Annual Meet.
ing, on the 18th October, 1890.
Those, who study the physiology Of
vegetation, have to encounter difficulties
not met with in otherphysicalresearches.
he Rationale of the effects of expert
mentS in agriculture cannot, in general,
be traced with the scientific exactncss
attainable in other disquisitions.-Be-
sides the great length of time required
in ascertaining the result of each ind-
vidual trial, the silent progress of vege-
tation is affected sometimes, by some
unknown principle in the soil, and, at all
times, by the varying indeterminabIc
state of the atmosphere. Solid founda-
tons, however, for rational illustrations
in this department of knowledge, have
been formed from a careful examination
and collation. of experiments furnished
| from time to time by judicious, pains
| taking cultivators of the soil.
In the estimation of some agricultur-
ISIS, science is unfortunately considered
as nothing but the imaginary speculation
Of visionary theorists. In its true point
of view, it is regarded as "the refine
ment of common sense" improved by a
knowledge of principles, that have been
established by a series Of facts and by
the diversified experience many years.
1t is only in this point of view, as war;
ranted by practice, that science is, in
any degree, worthy Of the attention of
the practical cultlvator.
Agricultural chemistry, it is true, is,
as yet, but in its infancy. Its admoni-
tons ought, therefore, to be received
with all the circumspection of the most
wary caution. They, nevertheless, are
Individually, at all times, entitled to re-
spectful and mature consideration.--It is
from chemistry that we have learned
the most useful lessons in agriculture
II is by the aid of this science that we
have discovered the commixture of those
ingredients, which constitute good land
and OF those which constitute bad land.
"The soil is the great Laboratory in
which the food of plants is prepared. -
The atmosphere is but an auxiliary.--
And hence it is, that the qualities of soils
are universally considered objects of the
highest importance. All soils consist
of certain primitive earths differently
combined. These have been enumera-
ted and classified with great precision by
the chemists. To their classification,
however, it is not my intention, on this
occasion, to resort. In language more
familiar, although less exact, shall con-
tent myself in stating, as sufficient for
the practical purposes of agriculture,
that the soils Of our country are, in
general, clay, sand, gravel, clayey loan,
sandy loan and gravelly loan.
Clay, sand and gravel need no de-
scription. l would only remark, as TO
sand and graveL that the difference be-
tween them is merely in the size of their
constituent parts viz. the grains of the
one and the pebbles of the other.
Clayey loan is compound soil con-
sisting of clay and sand or gravel, with
a mixture Of calcarious matter, and in
which the clay is predominant.
Sandy or gravelly loan is compound
soil, consisting of sand or gravel and
clay, with mixture of calcarious mat
ter, and in which the sand or the gravel
is predominant.
Calcarious matter is any substance
that burns to lime.
By chemical tests, we are to ascertain
all those primitive earths and the pro-
portionate parts thereof, which compose
soil naturally fertile. By the same
means we are able to ascertain which OF
those salutary earths and what proper
tons thereof are not to be found in soil
naturally sterile, and also what principle,
if any, noxious to vegetation, may be
therein concealed. We are thence ne
cessarily led to the conclusion, that the
absence of those salutary earths, on the
presence of that noxious principle is the
cause of the sterility, of such a SOIL
And, of course, with view to its i'm
provemeut, the surest method is to sup
ply by artificial means such defects, or
to destroy by an appropriate specific
such noxious principle. But in the
practice of agriculture, as in the prac-
tice of medicine, the greatest difficulty
is in ascertaining with precision the
proximate cause ofthe malady. "FeAr
qm hotuh rernm cognoscere causas."
The sterility Of a soil proceeds from
one or more of the following causes +;
whist, Its bad texture.--2nd, The
absence of some essential Ingredient
3rd, The presence of some noxious