Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-05-21

iney simple. II is true than these means are no,
mentioned IN his account Of the case but all thai
was necessary, was 10 take small portion &c The
soil. aud having placed ii in elass TO pour some
water o'ei II. and then, after IL had snod for
fe" minnies. TO Md few drops of an infusion al
nut-galls. When thus treated, the sulphate OF
the oxide OF non would discover ITSELF by the deep
black colour which II would give 10 the liquid. In
such case ms this, the advantages resulting from
knowledge OF chemistry must be apparent to every
one.
In most instances, sie,y arises from the absence
OF some one or more of the elements Of good
SOIL ahd II IL 10 the interest OF the iariner by the
aprl't alton oil proper manure, To suppl, Tins def
Cheney That II snot always The same element which
isabsent.'s evident from The fact that "A manure winch
VIII prove very beneficial 10 one portion Of Land
willbe entirely useless and even in some nslauees
positively detrimental To another Putre.rent vcpe-
table meiter and common salt OF the mnnures
IN common use IN Engla Some sails are nnprodue.
tive Tor The tety reason that they much We.
eeiable matter, aud others because they con-
lam 100 much salt To apply vegetable matter 10 the
FIRST ~ sa To the last, would he than useless
and yet II does not admit OF question, that IN mosl
cases. each OF these substances manure Of great
value. Bu suppose that II IN not necessary 10
urge the matter further. Every fnnei knows. that
there IS no one manure which will act well on eve
~ KIND OF sal and every one. presume. will ad-
mil thai lhIl d ference arises almost entirely f,om
differences IN the composition OF soils. II ,hls be
united, fhen the conclusion necessarily follows.
that Ia apply manure IL advantage "a any soil,
must first know the particular nature OF that sill
and this can he asce,lalned IA no other way well
MS by chemical analysis:
The mnst common objection which is made, when
the claims Of ohemislr, upon the practical agricul
lnfist are urged is based upon The compexlly ri
chemical operations, and the difficulty uf peliurmne
chemical analysis In answer this, | will say.
fhal mhiIstn must be admitted that the accurate a.
naSlsis OF SOILS and minerals Is work of great dtli
Guilty, aud such rs none bat the eumplshed hem.
ISL with "slllurnlsHed laboratory at comsan can
hope to pefint1n, vel the duenlfs ~ an imArinnry
aud not - zeal one, rs lar ~ the matter IN hand IS
concerned. These accurate chemical analyses are
seldom wanted ini agricultural pnrposesi whist
such roogh analyses rs needed, can be performed
with but lite ltbour. aud but lutte apparatus. The
remarks OF SIR ~. Davy on this point ale ,"1hete
Is 10 dra more unipnnded than that u eient dcto
non OF Tue, and minute knowledge oil geurrd
chemistry are necessary for pursuing experiments On
The naure 81 soils, and The ptopetlics Of manutes.
Nnthine be more easy than 10 discover neither
asol cftet,esces OF changes euioor by the aeuon 81
an. acid. nhed e. IL buns when heued, or
what weight II loses by heal and Vet these SIM lie
Indications may be 81 gleat importance 10 system
oil cultivation. TheeSpense e,norctrd will ohcmt-
cal enqHnles Is extremely unDg; small closet Is
sufficient lot containing all HE nutrrials required,
Tie most mpo'thul experiments may be made by
means OF a small portable apf aratus;-a lew pals
Continuing acids alkaIles, and chemical reagents; a
aud elasse, Tor receiving products. all that can
be considered ~ absolutely essential for putsuiHp
useful researches" The opinion 81 man. who like
Davy. devoted Il $ lle 10 chemical studies, and
small portion OF It 10 agricultural chemistry, and who
Of course competent 10 express IN opinion
should be received as decisive respecting tins mat
ter.
Intimately connected with che nstry, and bcali lg
upon the same point, VIZ. tie elncidllon OF the
tare offs lis are be two Iimaley connected sciences
Of MHeratogB and GeotoGy. Besides tl1er direct
application agriculture, IN lhis way, any one who
will call TO mind the large number OF mineral sub
stances which are uesfnl 10 man, in almost all The
various arts !Ile must at see the value II u
Knowledge OF these sciences to the farmer, consider
ed in The character II the owner OF the soil. In
speaking of The great value OF mineral substances, II
will be Sufficient mcution The various metallic
ores; silex used IN The manufacture If glass; the
different CLAWS, used as pigments aud IN The manu-
faeture Of porcelain, eartheuwafe aud bucks by
draullc aud common limestone, used IN the prepa-
ration Of cemenls, and The latter, extensively and
"lh such evident benefit applied as manure ,
MARBLE snlphale OF lme Of plaster, salt and coal, the
uses Of which are familiar to every one. These
co pstitute what - very properly termed the
'.mneral wealth" OF a country, mud have been seat.
tered in such prolnsion by the band Of bonntrons
Creator, that no large porto oil baud tan be found
in any country, ~ which some ot them do not exist
II fact perhaps generally known, TIN, almost
all minerals are definite compounds; thai Is, cOhlald
fixed and invarIable portions OF the elements Of
which they composed; aud that the different
species OF minerals can be Distinguished from each
other by characteristics obvious ouce 10 the senses,
or else by such simple chenncal tests as every
may commaud SO that 10 person familiar with
these characteristics, chemical anal ysis is very sell
dom requisite to determine their exact composition.
II is the object of the mlnerAlogsl TO ascertain the
obvious characteristics Of each specirs oil m,oera 50
that by avery simple examination he nay be ena-
bled to recognize ia.
Every yea there is great deal OF L,bour uitlcss
~ expended. aud great deal Of money thfo%n away
IN different parts oil our country, I" which esena
/ slight knowledge OF minenlogy would give such
direction, make II profitable, INSTEAD OF beng
as it is, complete loss to the community. al
! acquainted with case III which a copper unne was
sold some yea1s since for $4,000 dullafs, aud nov
F the purchasers are prosecuting The sellers on thu
ground Of "A FRAUD the sale, The fraud alleged con
sistng 1l1e having represented lie mine rs val
usble QUE, when intact ii was utterly worthless
From personal examination Of this mine, Wade a
The request of person who thought Of becoming 10
terested ini | will venture assert that with
slight kuo"icdge OF mineralogs, all tbs waste .
time aud money. and character too, might have beei
saved. | an acquainted with case In which, a
this present time, person IS lndusliousy engaged
IN digging ~ what he believes 10 be plas er, whei
by she simplest process IN the " nd. he might b
salts sd that there particle of plaster in II
| know Of an instance in which a gentleman expen
de latge part Of his turtune, IN making exiepsiy
preparations COR working what he supposed to be
gold une. when IA ltct 1t WIS nj thing but sulphu
rel OF Iron=nr martial pyrtes; and 50 simple an of
Grafton as heating small ia sment Of il IN ltn
OF a candle. woull AT aRce have made him aware a
hi, mistake. .tu'the first settlement ofVitguia,
ia