The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-12-27
AcRrCuLruRAL CnE,nsrny


~ itfely-' Uulbtsibof Oh inc SOIL, because
every farrncr'is practical chemist, whether
he knows it or not his whole life is de-
voted TO dealing with the clements, air,
earth and water, in chemical compounds.
His business also requires more thought,
investigation, reflection and chemical cx-
pertinent, tiian any other business with
which we are acquainted, outside the
Chemical laboratory itself. r..-
lie should, therefore, put himself into
the daylight, to know, as far as possible,
achy he does soAand-yo. I, therefore, repeat
again, that the farmeris practical chemist,
and has to deal with tho elements Of that
science continually. The artizan, the mcr-
chant, and, indeed, all others in business,
can carry on their vacations with .regu-
larity and dispatch, and are enabled to
make their arrangements beforehand, and
carry them out, for all their business trans
actions, without regard to the outward
clements, unless it is something to be per-
formed cut of doors, which would be but
mechanical disturbance. !. n & (; g,
While the Farmer can make no such an
rangement, he cannot know over night what
compound elements he will have TO deal
with in the morning. One farmer says,
cannot sow my grain until there comes some
rain to unite with the soil and soften il and
put it otherwise in proper condition; an
other says, | cannot go on with..ceitain, of
my business until we. have, some days Of
sunshine to put the land in. proper condi-
ton, &c., &c. Therefore, the farmer is de-
pendent on circumstances and chemical ar
rangclnents,with nearly all his business OPP
erations, Another wants the ground frozen
before sowing his grass seed, in order that
the thawihg may sink it into the soil, &c.
| propose, therefore, with the approba-
ton OF This club, Tor the ensuing year, to
hold myself in readiness to give some arti-
cles, at stated periods, on the subject of
chemistry applied to aa,icultsae, which will
consist very considerably of extracts from
series. of eighteen lectures on that subject,
delivered before an English audience some
years since by Alexander Petzholtlt, and re-
published in this country in the Ftnn,9's' H.
1rqy, vol. !, New York; lin, which the
American editor says: In conformity
with the designs of the Farmers Library,
we have selected for republication, a work
recently published in England, under the
above title. ssA .,. "a N ,g ID
sit seems to be as. exactly adapted TO or
purpose, as il it had been written to iUds-
t.ate 1t. NThc taste for scientific agriculture
in the United States has GRATED a demand
for the very information which these lee
lures supply; for, much as that taste has
been whettcd and gratilied by our numcr-
GUS and well conducted agricultural jour
nails, it was not yet quite prepared to di-
gest such more technical and profound
works as Davy's and Liebig's."
inile {thei American edtor) further adds,
thatethe lecturer 'gocs over tue usual series
of subjects, and treats, of them in clear
and Ineligible ENTHUSIASTICALLY de-
scribing experiments by which the phe-
nomena of chemistry may be exernplified.
.'Ihe author seems to have formed q Just
conception of the benefit that may be cx-
pccted to be conferred by chemistry on
practical agriculture. w s., -4s
ts14ie author himself avows to his (hear-
ers), as will be seen, that in undertaking his
task he was animated chiefly by q wish to
increase their interest in the subject andto
excite in thcm.a desire, actt usdd Of Pro-
.fcss@ ,Liebig's classical aoorh, to study this
important science more profoundly. My
aim is TO impart to you the necessary
3n.eliaiisapX qualifications 10 prepare you
for entering upon that deeper study, and to
facilitate your progress IN it. If instruction
thus prepared could be deemed useful and
i i
Instructive IN that country, now
much more pregnant OF pubic benefit must
be the VIDE dlitu diffusion OF u IN TINS country,
where almost everyone has alec-simplc N
the soil .ho tils, and reaps a personal adj,
vantage rom It's siighttfe ties neliofatiqn, ana
at Tune, too, that a general ana most ,es
ansplcious change IN puoiic sentiment is mt
ing agriculture to ITS high anu proper rank
among industrial pursuits, rendering y not not
only more surely. Plollaple, put Dy com,
parlson quite as dlsniiled, attractive, ana
inteliectnalfy amusing, as me so-caiied
learned professions. 5,-..,,s 1AAlifudng
10, ana giving instances OF immense ~
crease OF agreeable crops WHINE the lastllye
years, he exulungiy eXclianlmFs N iaVo FOL eile
MFttencf OF fho'csedge upon ayrllc e,
VINO can doubt, ne says, that tllese eX-
tra9rqinary results are Inc eiiecs " tNlt ul-
elligeht and cnllshtened Skill Which are
equally the Instruments O. success IN every
otner arr! but u seems idle 70 argue tals
point. All the improvements winch nave
been made III agriculturc,iar arg as much Inc
result OF the application OF NINA ana OF
kmo'otedge to the subject, as any OF inc m
proyements rnade IN mHi'efdctolr'es or TN,
3nechth'ic arts. accident has produced
nothing; the dull ploddmg lapoTer or'Si-
mates nothing, any more than the reasl
which nc drives. Inc present ADVANCE .n $
n