Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-11-03

The resources of the STATE are devcloped-the
wealth OF the citizen i Increased Private Interests
aud public motives stimulate the energc per
formers These benefits doW FROM the
of single scientific truth aud thu extent of ts value
will scarcely Ice appreciated by the existing generation.
IL Is greatly to be regretted that Information In
gard to she district above dewa Is 50 limited and
tain. There geological map guide over
the Different ofhis widely
variety Of primary s,ra6ed rocks producing soils every
degree of fertility Many counties covered by gneis
and the soils produced from them hghtcoorcd. def
cicnt In lime magnCsa SC. In many Others sansloncs
the leading formations and the soils formed them
are the most sterile perhaps to be found in the State
After crossing the Blue Ridge reach the lime stone
IornatOn which occupies the entire length aud most o
the breadth % the Naey-producing soils generally fer
tile, some Of them emineutly Successive OF
sandstone, limestone and slate found in proceeding
westward from the Valley, terminating Ia the great coal
formation of the by far the greater part of these
rich limestone soils destitute the carbonate lime
hut supplied with lime in the form Of silcac Of lime
I-(Prot Gham.)
There /, strong reason Zoe believing that deficiency Of
lime in any OF its combinations Is the chief cause of set
y in the naturally poor soils ni all OF those districts and
that increased is j. needed in the fertile soils
For the primary rocks in which quarts mica aud dspar
predominant, the sindtones, mica aud states and c,y
states, are generally poor ia lime. The less vigo-
rous vegetation OF the grasses and clUvers, the pre-
valcucc IT pine, broom grass aud poverty grass are
! generally sufficient indication of the want of Eule
| IN soil SIill, the few experiments with lime have
| not been OF conclusive satisfactory character.
| lf applied without analysis ascertain the conpo.
siton OF the lnr upon soils without knowledge OF
their origin they certainly empirical; om which no
| safe conclusion can be drawn
Those striking benefits which have followed the app.
cation Of lime in the tide. district may be- expected
all of the naturally poor sos OF other sections IL
the remark OF Df Anderson eminent practical Chem
st Of Scotland, that he had a poor soil in
it, natural state. which benefited ia very great
degree 10y cacarroGs matter when administered in proper
quantities Experience lac SAYS has proved that 10y ths
| one operation, such poor Land may be raised in
money value eight times, from Eve shilliug4 to
forty shilugs per of annual remit Prof Johnston
10 - - - -
districts even, is sometimes doubled THRILLED in value by
the use of lime aoueblrrcn sandy soils often admit OF pro
habe cultivation after lime has been added TO- In the
larger portion of the Atlantic slope the leading strata
and prevailing ora would indicate the necessity for lime
and wherever this deficiency exists abundant obsery
and experience prove that il must be supplied the ba
sis OF permanent Improvement and profitable agriculture
With the lights before us, compelled to state the
hy pothetcay, and deducc conclusion from anao
w Science has vet dcucatcd there areas and AK
rcuure is still msed by isolated and conflicting exPer
iments.
The members OF this society have assumed the high and
noble POSITION OF public bencfactOrs They have COM
mcnccd the 1udabc task of improving the agriculture u
| the State developing her resources, difusug scientific
and practical Information with energy that com.
mand the admiration aud respect of every citizen. Let
urge upon the society that the information shall be
founded upon geological maps and accurate chrIn
zeal analyses. Our public improvements penetrating
the limestone formations in almost every direction pre-.
pairing furnish the supply, the farmer has
! learned upon what soils lime may be probably ar-
piled.
cannot strongly illustrate the Importance of this
branch OF the subject than 10y reference TO the ag
cural Chemistry Association Of ScOtand.-( EdingbUe
/ Jour- Aug. lSi5I7, p PSI, &c) This association
bcred thousand MEMBER composed of the most
intelligent farmers and many of tho most distinguished
OF science. Its Chici object was, afford farmer,
analyses at cheap rate-upOu the accuracy OF which
they could rry-of soils, mauurs and other substances
To Investigations bearing the science aud
eral interests OF Hgriculure-And diuse information
thus collected nv public lectures familiar letters aud
VIBRATIONS. During the first two years Of its existence
thousand analyses made in the laboratory
seventy public lectures delivered by Professor John
ston, in different districts of Scotland audiences
! posed chiefly OF farmers Many conversational dlscu,
sions held and many letters transmitted different
sections accompanied by advice practical character
which the analyses were fitted to suggest or MS
walton Of the agriculture OF different districts rendered
valusbc. lie aided in his laboratory by several
sistaut and in the dby many geological;
veysthe composition Of the marls lines manues, crop
and sUls determined by anaySis-an intelligent bod,
Of farmers gave their aid in and well conducted
experiments; aud their untS efforts led to important
suits la the udciOus Improvement vi their soils, and in
the profitable returns of agriculture. They have ,eva-
ted agriculture into that position amongst the sciences IN
which rational conclusions may be drawn from well
Quoted Improvements; and such. trust will be the
position which tle agriculture OF State shall
| cupy, 10y means Of the efforts OF this Society.
knowledge OF the origin and composition OF the soil
Of those inorganic substances which constitute the she
of plants, and the composition Of the various
all important to success But the organic elements o
plntS-o1ygen, hydrogen, carbon aud ni,rogen-must
also, claim attention. The from which plants de
rive their oxygen and hydrogen Of practical vAu,
to the farmer they constitute water, aud oxygen
supplied from many Carbon aud nitrogen
| important elements and the from which plant
derive their supply must be carefully considered
The carbon constitutes nearly one halt by weight Of al
dry vegetable substances. This leading substance If al
plants j. derived from carbOuc acid IN much the larges
proportion from the atmosphere which surrounds them
and 10y assimilation through their leaves. The
the plants may furnish questionable, but any rate
small proportion. (SDmeryile's Physical Geography 2g
Lebig The atmosphere which surrounds their leaves
the great source from which rbon is supped-hOn
which nearly one halt in weight Of all cultivated crops
derived. Yet the atmosphere contains only thous
andth Of it. weight OF clrbOnc acid For this small sup
py there j. constant struggle by all vegetable creation
It i necessary to the growth Of plants aud they will
flourish in atmosphere where the proportion is ml,l
reduced Il i rapidly absorbed hy forests, well
/ growing crops. Quick growing plants such crap,
vines, melons, Indian COtu &c, when in full gTOwt
absorb II passes nearly all the clrbOnic acid from quit
swift current Of air that only slight Of il
afterwards be- found (NortOns Elements 3ll Crops ar,
more houri-hiug whcu the uniform proportion eAstn.
n the atmosphere under ordinary circumstances u in tina
body Of air Immediately surrounding their leaves. They
feed upon the clrbOnc acid IN the air above
than they derive benefit from the which hl
been hauled from the farm pen. Hence they thriy,
better in air that Is in motion and frequently renewed
than IN Gains (llou-iug,ult AZ The free access %
carbouic to their leaves promotes their growth increase
their vgor, and curichcs their secrcOns. Farmers In
cyclopudi 522 Whatever impedes the free circulation
Of the atmosphere, eHhiust- its clrbonc acid in II,
progress to the grosng crops always produces injurious
]
IL has been observed in Europa, that the crops always
yield inferior produce when surrounded by thick plan
itious Of timber trees, from the effects Of shading
but from their eHhau'rg power upon the carbonc ac
OF tie air. This j. the obssrvcd effect, when
large proportion Of the country il OPEN aud when i,
same density OF forests does occur prevails with
Upon many forms there il incNcusabc carelcssucs
neglect IN the dense growth Of old field pines in the arab,
| ieds-nCgectCd hedge rows ditch aud creek banks
sometimes few Of native forest and irregular
lines in tho clearing These must not DO regarded
merely negligent but positively inuriousuOt only
presenting sOvcuy appearance, rendering the "uva
ton and enclosure OF the fields expensive and abO
rou7, but diminishing the products Of the cultivated
surface. The old field pine is particularly liable to this
objection the rapidy Of it, growth upon the poorest
soilsthe number Of its leaves-shOw it, eGhausting
powers upon the atmosphere. The farmer should rpinen
her that hi crop thrive better in atmosphere
deprived Of clrbouc acid than in a soil exhausted
H. fertility. f he wishes striking illustration let him
alternate strips Of clover with plaster Of wheat with
GuanO and leave harrow strips for trial The pastcrcd clover
aud The guauOed wheat will Overop the uuaidcd por
tons exhaust the cir Of its cnrbonc acid In passing
and by H. greater luxuriancc actually riuro the unaid
cd strips The experiment will not present simply str