The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-18

export value was 8 BOG, 00O, 600 That in the world
at large ZOO, 600, 900 Of human beings sup
ported by agriculture, and nine tenths OF the avail
able capital in the world is employed in agricul-
tural uses.
With these facts before us, il was strange that 50
little had beeh done TO advance agriculture as sci
ence; and the lecturer here gave variety Of rea-
sons for the want of energy the part OF farmers
in adopting the current improvements OF the day;
and cited number of exceptions, showing that
over 100 bushels of sheled had been raised per
acre in many parts OF this State, but that still no
organization had existed for disseminating know
ledge of these improvements. He dwelt at some
length on the improperly Of manuring soil with
out reference to its chemical constituents or the re-
quirements of plants, and stated that no farmer
who could read, need at this time pursue unpro-
fitable course Of farming. If any soil known to
produce large crop should be analysed, any other
soil containing fair share of similar constituents
could, by judicious manuring, based on an analy-
sis of the soil, be made to produce similar crops.
We regret our space will not permit us TO go
more fully into the details of the early part of the
lecture, but were fully convinced that the argu-
ments were tenable, and that if our farmers would
attend the lectures OF Professor M, new.era in
agriculture would be the necessary consequence.
He complained that our colleges have no organi-
cation for agricultural instruction, while those Of
France and other countries were founding profess
sorshps for all the branches collateral TO agricultu
raj instruction..
He spoke at length of the importance of geology,
meteorology, botany, &C., to high state of agri-
culture, ana tnat IOr the want Oh SUCH knOWlcuBo
farmers were not occupying the position in the
body polite that the importance of their vocation
entitled them to- Here the professor made some
alluson TO his farm, and the high state of cul
tivation ii was now under, from merely applying
the published improvements of the day in the best
manner. That he was entitled to especial credit
for originality, but that he had simply collated the
discoveries Of others, and applied them with refer
ence 10 the chemical constituents Of bis soil.
The lecturer then remarked, by the time he had
finished his lecture before this audience, any of his
auditors will be capable of duplicating the expert
ments.
shall find two classes Of constituents: the
called organic, or those parts which will pass away
by burning-and the other inorganic, being those
earthly materials which are found in the ashes of
plants.
He then proceeded To the examination of the or
ganic constituents, the sources from whence they
were obtained by the growing plant, the manner Of
their qualification, &C., all of which has been go
fully set forth in the working Farmer" which
he edits, that must refer our readers there for
minute information. ltresulted, however, in show
ing that many of these organic constituents
received from the atmosphere, and that the atmo-
spheric ocean was the great store-house of nature,
into which all the organic ultimates of plants passed
after the decay of the plant, and that proper state
Of the soil was for the reception OF the re-
sultant gases arising. from the decay Of former
creation; that the principal organic constituent of
plants was carbon (charcoal); that this pervaded
the atmosphere in the form of carbonic acid gas
carbon dissolved in OXYGEN; that every cord of
wood ton of coal that burned, passed its
bon into the atmosphere in the form Of this gas,
leaving the inorganic portions as ashes.
The same results occurred when vegetables were
digested as food, or decayed in any way. The
grain used by the brewer distiller, &C., all passed
into the great store house of future re-creations
The decayed crops of lS49 but furnished the
material for those Of 1880 The processes of nature
were fully described, and number of experiments
cited to prove the fact, that carbonc acid gas
absorbed by plants, and in passing through them
the carbon retained to increase the size of the
plant, while the oxygen passed, of into the atmo-
sphere for reuse in a similar way.
The subject was still further carried forward and
illustrated, but the points taken at the close
to be recapituated at the next lecture-whch il is
hoped Wilt be rewarded by fuller attendance-we
think it unnecessary to report them. The next
lecture will be on Thursday evening next, and the
subject High Farming, embracing sub soil plough.
ing, undertaking, &c.