New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-02
TIE CURIOsITIES or AGRICULTURE.
A LECTURE

Professor JAMES J. MAPS.
Last evening Professor MAPS delivered Lecture
as above, in the Mechanics Institute No. Bowery,
to very numerous audience. CHARLES A. DELA
VAN, Chairman Of the Lecture Committee, presided.
The Professor commenced By abiding TO the great
importance Of Agriculture in thi. country, where nine
tentbs Of the wealth belorg to farmers snd of which
class the mercantile may be considered more than
the factor employed to dispose Of their products aud
TO import the foreign goods they require Bat, OF the
knowledge Of the farmers he could not speak 30 wei
as Of their wealth. good lsborer merely Is not
a good farmer; pursuit offers 20 many induce
meBts even in regard TO pecunisry profit, for the
application of scieI ce, as that of the farmer Ine
lecturer next presented view OF the gradual pro
erosion of matter from chsotic state to Its present
condition, commencing with the aggionera,i9n
Of the elemental particles, which fosted widely
apart through space and advertDg to their chemical
combin atobs into the substances Of which the esrth
is composed. He then detailed large number OF
facts not generally known, in regard to the grown Of
animals and plants from among which our space only
admits of our collecting the few following; Ine
gradual improvement of animals as well a. plants,
though contrary to the popular idea, nevertheless
indisputable. Ii il completely proved by the Egln
marbles in which horses are sculptured Of such
make as would not bring $50 TO day in the New York
market. Men, too, must have improved. AT the
Eglinton tournament, q few years ago. the OLD armor
taken down for the found TO be altogether
too small for the men Of the day. Fruits and
vegetables have equally improved. The present
peach il the lineal though much improved, descend
ant Of bitter almond, in which the ancient Persians
used 10 dip their ARROWS TO make them poisonous.
The hybridstion, or uniting into one kind, OF two
kinds of vegetables, and the Improvement IN some
instances ard dete riOraon in Others described.
The Professor edverted to the reclaim ston OF lands
there is not an acre this Continent that cannot
Re converted to the support Of human life. The
favorpg matter Of all fruits Is the sane; the
difference only depends on the different acids
with which this matter is combined The scen-
tifc horticultural can by different manures, pro-
duce from two trees of the same kind fruits dill.
feripg as widely the cherry and the peach Al
the waste of continents carried out into the ocean
by large rivers, is restored and made OF u'ulty-n
oil. fish, shells and other marine products. by
law of nature nothing is wasted every particle OF
water after doing service in one shape is thrown into
the natural laboratory and turned out again in the
same or another form, to be again OF use. By COM
mutation made by the Professor, the quantity OF
beaches brought toto New. York City one week, ex-
ceeded that Of all the fruits, of every kind imported
into Great Britain in one year. Some doubt the
utility of applying to soil that fertilizer which an
analysis Of il show it to want but facts, of which the
lecturer quoted fevera, decidedly show the reverse
to he the truth Not month passes that there Is not
in the bsrbor of New-York or Boston, ship lading
with bones for England; the result is seen IN the de-
crease Of American wheat from 30 to - bushels per
acre and the increase of English from ii to 49,
Where barren soil is found to be of the same con
stituept as fertile one the barren one il not sut
GENTLY pulverized to produce; thisfac is an answer
10 any objections founded on such instances
The address was listened to with the utmost atten-
ton and elected frequent applause.
vote of thanks 10 Prof. Mapes for his Instructive
and entertaining Lecture was proposed By the Char,
and unanimously carried.