The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-26


tnhnuuM, without any psrce ptibls deterioration
IN quality, Is reduced to science, taught in
academies aud colleges And trough We may
not. 10 this country, feel the s.ecessity of hus-
baading our almost countless sources Of the
forest, yet more attention than has hitherto been
paid to the subject, is certainly due to it, II ia
TO such societies yours, submit this sugves.
ton. 1t is to your zeal, wisdom and experi. nee
that the country may confidently look for thu
prevention of these evils
The limits OF this discourse will not allow mn
to ref,'r TO the subject of breeding domestic AMI
mails, but cannot omit to bring TO your notice
most valuable quadrupad---''the ship Of he
desert'-tor the Introduction Of which, an sp-
preparation was made by the last Congress. |
have no manner of doubt that the cnmels which
our government are about to import from Am
bia, for the transportation of military stores.
may soon become domesticated in the sterile re-.
gions and sieppes Of the far West 1t NAV. in
time, prove valuable auxiliary to our internal
commerce, and very convenient though CON-
parativey slow means ofcommuncatiou between
distant territories The camel Of Arabia is. TO
all intents and purpo les, domestic animal:
fulfilling the joint functions Of the horse the OK
and the sheep, and will, no doubt, enter largely
into the domestic economy of our people.
CameTs hair and the hair of the Augora goat
an animal which | yet hope to see introduced
into the Allegheny and Rocky mountains-are
the raw material employed in many of the most
valuable tissues Of the East, and there is no rea-
son to doubt, that with the same raw material
ut our command, and with the aid or suitable
machinery. our Ingenious and enterprisinq coun-
trymen. would, in due time, furnish similar. If
not better fabrics.
| must now apologize for briefly Introducing
topic, not legitimately connected with aQricul-
ture, and not properly coming within the scope
OF your society would gladly avoid it, If its
Introduction were not in some degree neeessarv
to complete the cycle Of ideas which have su1.
gesfed these reflections. | cannot close nv re-
marks without referring to the mineral wealth Of
our country.
America is ms rich in minerals as in soil, and
produces all valuable and useful metals in the
ereatest Guidance. Iron is not confined to any
paIticu 'ns locality. 1t is found IN various parts
of New England and New York; it extends
throughout the whole State of Pennsylvania.
and the mountain regions OF Maryland, Virginia.
and North Carolina; it exists In large Quantities
in the States of Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky. Ten
nessee, and Illinois, and on Like Superior; furn-
ishng everyw here the levers of civilization to
an industrious and energetic people.
The coal region Of the United States includes
Pennsylvania, parts of Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and
Ohio and covers an area larger than the united
kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland Lead
and zinc nre to be found in almost every portion
OF the United States but in inexhaustible GUAM
titles in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Copperis found to some extent in various parts
of the Union; but the great copper-felds are on
ho nxda IF lab 7
Mexico. Gold and silver are found in California,
Oregon, and New Mexico, and along the range
of the Allegheny mountains in Virginia, North
Carolina, and Georgia
One great popularity of the mining regons
of America, and especially those Of coal, iron,
and lead, consists in the remarkable fact that the
minxal is found, in large quantities, beneath the
richest and 80 productive soil; promising at
the same time rich harvest to both the miner
and the husbandman. We not only produce the
minerals necessary to the construction Of tools.
agricultural implements and machinery, ia an
advanced state of industrial development but
also the precious metals in sIch abundance as
will eventually enable us to regulate the stand
ard of values, and to control the commerce of
the world. 1t is maintained by some writers on
the subject, that mining, If not branch of ag-
riculture, is at least a kindred pursuit The ag-
ricnlturist draws from the earth the organic
power which sustains vegetable life-the miner
delivers her of the treasure long accumulated in
her lop. Mining, like the pursuit of agriculture,
nerves the arm, hardens the body, and renders it
capable of great physical exertion. knowl-
edge of Hnineralogy, geology, and chemistry, is
to the successful pursuit Of both
branches of industry, ard will enable the farmer
TO look for new sources Of wealth beneath the
soil he cultvates; while it will induce the miner
occasionally TO turn bis attention very proftably
to the external surface of the vault thai covers
his mining operations. The division of labor
has, no doubt, its advantages as regards the
mere cheapness of production but it il less
conducive to the development of the mind, and
is rarely applicable to sparsely settled country
In thus cursorify reviewing some Of the chief
articles Of agricultural and mineral productions
which form the basis of our foreign exchanges,
and regulate, in great measure, also the do
nestle exchanges of the different States of our
own confederacy, the question may arise, how
far the establishment OF proper institutions, or
the Improvement and better administration of
those already in existence, may aid in the dis
semination of knowledge among the great body
of our industrious and independent cultiva;ors
of tho aoil The subject is m important one,
and appears thus far, to have excited but little
pulUc atteftlOn
IL woud seem, too, as If our diplomatic and
consular system were organized simply in re-
gard to the great interests Of commerce and
but could they not be made
equally subservient to the mother interestof ap-
riculture and its co-ordinat branches While
our consuls report on the commerce and mann
faciu of foreign countries, would il not be
well to require them to report also on the differ
ent agricultural productions of those countries.
and the improvements which from time to time
NAV be introduced into culture! Might they
not be made TO furnish detailed accounts of the
different modes of cultivation, the manner Of
preserving crops, the agricultural implements in
use, ana the various kinds Of manure resor'ed to
as means of preserving or restoring soils r.
Could they not be induced to report on all the
variety offruit, shade, and ornamental trees, and
forward specimens Of seeds, plants, roots, and
bulbs, for gratu'tous distribution, accompanied
by proper directions for their use, An occa-
sional paper on the domestic amin ais of different
countries, and the mode Of breeding them and
improving the breed, would be particularly no.
ceptable, should the official business Of the CON
MI I,x.t Of A