Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1851-01-21
DIR. BAER'S LECTURE ON2AGRICUL
TURAL: CHEMISTRY.

Al a meeting OF t!,c Valley Agricultural Socie-
ty on Friday, the l1tl instant, afger the society
was called 10 order. the President Introduced I3r.
WM. BAER, of Carroll county, Md twho had been
invited by the SocietY 10 visit this portion Of VIZ,
ginia as their guest. The DoclorihereUpo DC.
livcrcd a lecture on Agricultural Chemistry, and
its application to AgricuIturs, wISch was replcte
with scientific researEh. He commenced by illus.
trating the b~eauIifu3 truths coRntGted with The
science OF Chemistry, and the simplicity of its al
p~lication to the knowledge of the sails, and shoHs-
ing how readily each and every: farmer may
make h;mselfacqualnted with this important SUB
iect. The beauty Of the Doctor : lecture Goa
sisted, in part, OF its heing unlike most d;scoursss
from scientific men. from the fact4hatha desired
no display OF supposed knowledge and scientific
terms. but whencverit was necessary to use these
terms he gave a full and lucid explanation Of
them, and at The sane time maEing it evident
that there was more ~meshing in tie purely scier-
tiic appellatives than in those commonly in use
by men unlearncd in the science. In the first
place he spoke Of tie laws of nature, and their
intimate and necessary ConnexiOn one with the
other, the forcible attributes existing to their Sc
yeral and general cEntinuance. He then treated
claboratelv OF tie composition o.. soils, and the
necessary compounds essential 10 The production
Of certain grains, grasses, &c, going tully into
The base, and aciis which constitute all sciss
and showing the necessity of ALTO exist in ats
proportionate quanEuIn 10 FcmuHerate the farmer
Tor his toll expended in the preparation of the
soil orycrops. Ths remarks OF, this portion. of
the lecture were beautifully illustrated ny maps /;
in the first place, showing the a%lfinities ot metals
and their compounds for the acids and alkaII's
and OF a second map was rePresented the vartcus
substrata met witIfin the varieties OF soil, from
the purely sandy through alfits p.adatiuns tC The
insoiuble red clay-.-a variety, which, fortunately
We, in, this region, ARE little inflicted with. On
another map the Doctor explained The effect of
the different locations of land ard the influence
on them exercised by certain prevailing winds,
during the springlnonths. Thisiecturs afforded
universal satisfaction 10 tliUse who were SO fOstu-
nate as 10 be present, and one universal senti-
ment prevailed liiGl the subject Vas treated oi,by
a master.mind, cYiDcing deep I~esearth, and a
clear and intelligent power tOexRain. After the
Doctor had gralIIsA his audiehce Tor TIure than
an hour, which seemed only a few mements, in
this Intellectual trsat, lie requested his audience
to ask any guesti0lis on which their minds we're
not fully satisfied: Variousa dyaried questions
were then propouaded by his delighted heaters,
to all of which he gave answers, and not only an
swcrE, but the Fcssons why and wherefore, until
all were satisfied, and retired to think an the sub
jecl 'uliy with Il view Of haVingthe mind graft
fed to its full extent on MondayS when the Doc.
tor had kindly consented 10 delIser another lee
tuFe. The Society then passed, unanimously a
vote o! thanks 10 DR.. Baer for his able aud fote-
restipu lecture.