New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-13
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
Chemistry In its Relation to Agriculture.
DR.. ASTIsELL's SIXTH LECTURE.
Delivered oefor. Tie American Aercrsar.l AssocA@soe

Delivered eeior. Tie American Agreaaf.i A'soe--''e
The ; xth OF this Course Of Twelve Lectures
gwen on Friday evening. The subject was sou"
formed by the action Of the air. water ana
tare upon Rock.-Tne previous evening, observed the
Lecturer wa. occupied with the Geological portion o.
the Cour.. the consideration Of which became aoso-
lu,sy necessary in order to enable Us to understand
thoroughly the structure aud composition Of the Soil
Soils. generally speaking are derived from the decon
position Of certain kinds OF Granite rocks In the vicinity
and from the wearing away Of these Of different vare
ties at distance. Ia the Champain dsuie, Of thu
State for instance find the prevailing rock is Gran
lite the soil consequently psrakes Of the same eharse
ter and i,s ingredients granite. TIA, variety Of sol
derived from distance is known by the name Of Dnh
and 10 found composed OF sands and clsys Along the
banks Of Lake Chanpsin, again we fad beds Of clay
running from North TO South and extending also siop
tie River ST. Lawrence 10 great depth-in some To-
sADces TO Two or three hundred feet ln explanation Of
these deposits the Doctor reviewed bis theory oil ine
primary formation Of soils by the disintegraton oil
yock and The fact Of the substances thus separated De-
ms c.rsd down 10 the form Of hoe sand to the ocean
The ou he argued 10 formed 10 the same wy as the
s,rs,a Of rockbeiDg placed, however under different
Gsan roek. are generally found covered with very
s0iia
Seult Of oecom position as 10 its occurrence mainly
on M. highest atoms hence existing In the coolest
regions OF the mosphere and liable 10 have but little
earth upon the surface. 80.
stst the Dr. made particular alusiOn 20 the excellent
qualities Of our finer Cays He considered them fu "
sous 10 the varieties the other SIDE OF the water
f the manufacture Of POrcesns and the hner kinds Of
pottery Ia considering the Boud1s OF this state the
Dr inclined to the theory OF their transportation By
Icebergs The circumstance OF an iceberg holding
them a. long could In the mpscted condition. and
when approaching Southern lattudes, dropping them
a. II passed aosg will account for their position In
beds OF sand and claybut will not account for their
presence other countries where they nave been iOono
on the tops of hills The explanation OF this IN
doubleday is that such bills were formerly banks De
meath the surface Of the and that the iceoergs
coming ia contract with them, were melted by the
warmth OF the surrounding water and these banks IN
time becoming pushed up TO tue hight oil NILS carried up
with them the substances previously deposited. In
England the bouders found disposed In circles In
the Doffshed Mountains in Sweden, and 10 neighOOr
Ing beds OF clay and sand disposed toward the sea the
lines Of bouders are found 10 follow that direction
II is not So however in the British Islands there the
boulders have no centers and have Norhery direction
-snd what 10 remarkable, appear 10 be derived from
Labrador and Greenland
Now In this State the beds OF Drift are disposed
pretty much In the direction-North and South
and strongly Prot Emmons impressed with this
circumstance that he concluded some strong tidal ac'
ton must have beeen the cause OF the uabsngration
But he also that there other These
Or. A. demonstrated by diagrams, &c.-showng that
beds Of cays found by the action OF ceberss and
that the clay and sand produced have come from
great disaces He then passed 10 bref aud general
consde ration OF the formation OF earths By the gradual
wearing down Of the rocks and went on 10 speak Of
the various substances which enter into the compost
ton Of Soils.
The three great agricultural classes of Soils the
sandy the oldyfy and those containing large quantity
OF time As the other Of these predOminates IN
the greatest proportion the distinctive Characteristic Of
the soil 10 formed When sandy MISTER exists therein
~ very large extent IL Is then In the condition ~
which find the soils which are OF granite origin.
Sandy soil said the Dr., 10 capable OF supporting yege
taton II due proportion be supplied OF the other mat
necessary to render soil fraitfuIn treating Of
limestone soils the DR. coDs tered that to be very
rich one indeed which contains 80 or 40 per cent Of
lime He detailed the OF formation of Mari which
is found TO be nothing than carbonate OF lime
Another and perhaps the most important substance.
said he which enters into the composition OF soils is
Vegetable Matter This Il is which gives color 10 the
soil and mpsts to II Ito main yegetatve power. The
DR. then went 10 demonstrate how this can be sepa
rated from the other ingredients of the coil By simple
means. and proved 1t by simple experiment IN jar
Of water.
The Doctors closing remarks were upon other and
various constituents OF sols-Gypsum first. which Al
though found only in the proportion OF hall grain u
q pound OF soil yet 200 VT VI II are Contained IN Al
acre; very important item to the agriculturst lie
then passed to brief consideration OF tho capabilities
Of this State for the growth Of Maize aud Wheat and
other matters-s notice OF which we compelled 10
defer, for want of room.
The Lecture of the Course will treat OF the For
tilzsrs--Animsl, Vegetable and Mineral.