The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1849-10-20
CGclL County AGRICULTURAL SocIE

CGclL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
-DR. HtGGiNs' LECTURE-The Agricul-
tural Society of Cecil county met in the
Court House on Wednesday last. Gen.
Sites, President, in the chair, and John
Cooley Esq, Secretary, pro tenn. One OF
the Vice Presidents, Nathan Lacklant
Esq, having died since the last meeting,
his place was supplied by eIecting Jehoai-
kim BricAIey Esq, in his stead.
Doct. Higgins, the State Agricultural
Chemist, being present, at the request of
Of the society proceeded to address it.
We took lengthy notes of the Doctors
lecture, but time and space prevents any
thing like full writing out. He spoke of
the advantages of farming-of the neces-
sty Of that interest to the prosperity Of the
nation, and proceeded to make some sug-
gestions and to state some facts calculated
to tend to make labor in this department
of industry more productive.
Information on the subject, he held to
be as necessary in farming operations as
in any other business-that it was as i'm
portant to employ the mind as the hands
if success was hoped ior-that the amount
OF knowledge on the subject was small and
defective, and that what was certainly
known was not generally diiused. That
he knew no better way 10 spread intorma-
ton on the subject, than by the formation
OF Agricultural societies, in which matters
Of general interest could be agitated and
discussed, results be compared with re-
suits, and the members thus be made of
mutual advantage to each other. Men
CT science and research would thus be
brought together with practical men, and
science and practice were alike necessary
in the successful prosecution OF farming.
He dwelt at length on the importance
of knowing the component parts of soils
and of manures. Ignorance in this respect
led to putting on land, manures containing
the agents already Astounding in them,
when it was necessary to supply some
thing that did not already exist in the soil
that thus expense was gone to, without
corresponding benefit.
Nothing was more common, he said,
than to hear one farmer praising one ma
nure, and another decrying it as useless
one asserting that one system Of tiIlage il
admirable, and another that it will not an
swer at all. And how to reconcile these
things has been difficulty; but the ex.
PLANTATION is plain--it is simply the differ.
ence IN soils
To the production of grain number O
substances are necessary, and al of then
are necessary. II then, one be wanting
the ground will not yield as it should, unit
it be supplied. Among these substances
as necessary compononts ola fruitful soil
he enumerated: organic matter, or, re-
mains of former vegetables; clay, iron
lime, magnosia, pot ash, soda suIphuri'
acid, &C. That some of these 90 TO form
the grain. some the stalk, some the blade
&C.; and that some combinations were ne
cessary to cause the absorption Unnecessary
elements from the atmosphere. And her.
was where the science of chemistry cam
into service: 10 determine what the sol
contained and what it required.
BY analysing any number of fruitful
soils, 1t was ascertained that they all agreed
in having certain ingredients in common
necessary to the formation Of grain; anc
bv snalys;nr NOR and f,rrop eo;l, - r,,