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PRINTED BY HOLLAND & CO. < r 7 \' II ?v 1 !■ r To the liight Ihnoruhle GEORGE, i:. flRL OF DALHOVSIE, G. C. n. Governor General of British Korth America. MY LORD, To you these letters are dedicatetl on various grounds. To say nothing of your exalted rank, under which an author is very strongly tempted to seek shelter when appearing at the bar of the public, there are other and more weighty considerations, both of a public and private nature, which point your Lordship out as the fit patron of this volume. At an early period of my course and hrfore I had made any great impression, your Lordsliip condescended to open a correspondenrc with Agricola, and to animate me in the arduous »»ork which I had voluntarily undertaken. Your high and di'^lin. guished patronage contributed, in a material degree, to accelerate the accomplishment of the scheme, and it directly (ended to invigo- rate me with the breath of a nttit and fresher existence. I saw that the cause in which f had embarked, was approved of ar.d sanctioned by your Lordship ; and that your ailicial authority as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, would give effect to the meajures, when- ever they were -natured and ready to be submitted to the pro\incial government. All these anticipations, inspired at first by your lively an'' generous zeal, were more than fulfilled in the interest which your Lordship manifested at the establisiiment of (he Central Board and in all the steps of its progress, while ycu continued to preside over lis counsels. When you were called to a higher command in tho Canadas, you recommended the agricultural institutions of the pro- vince to the care of your successor — Ijieutenant General Sir James Kempt— who has assiduously forwarded the plans wliich he received in a train of comptetioru To these public, I might add some private reasons for (his dedi- cation, did I not think myself in danger of running isito the usualstraiij of panegyric, with which such pieces of composition have too often been overloaded, and which would be incompatible with (Lo Ur.own dignity uf your Lordiliip's chanutcr. The act i;^^if of i/rtscr.tipj ^\ i.i ■h- JT DEDICATION. i> i I i, * ( ,f these lellers lo yoar protection will testify tlie icnHc I cntcttair. of yonr aiiifurm kindness and altentiooj and the refpect 1 feel for your many good and noble qualities. But tills ofloring on my part of respectful fitluiowlcdgtreiit to your Lordship, will be justified and applauded by the unanimous voice of the whole province. 'JMie letters themselves were written and pub- lished daring your residence here — thcProvincial Agricultural Society was founded by your npi>oiDtmenl — you gave ll'.e most l.earfy and sincere cooperation in cherishing the nascent germ of improvemenl — yon were ever present at the sittings of the Board, and wore well acquainted with its minutest details of business — a. d your Lordhhip must always be regarded both by the present generation and by pos- terity, as a prime mover of that change which has been effected in the provincial husbandry. These are claims, my Lord, whether on my gratitude or that of the people of Nova Scotia, which can never be effaced, more especially as the concern yon individually felt in our rural atfairs, was much more like the anxious and enpcr solicitude of a father, than the mere cold and official superiiitendance of a Gov- ernor. You regarded the inhabitants of this colony as yonr family, vrhere the affections of the hea.-t might be suffered freely to expand ; not as subjects over whom you were placed liy his most gracious Majesty. Every particulai instance of failure or success touched a responsive chord in your Lordship's bosom, and gave birth to corie- spondent emotions. The several institutions of public UEefulnesg Tvhich you here established and patronized, will endure as the hon- orable monuments of your administration ; and while they remain the ornaments of the country and leflett iu3tre on your public life, they will, I trust, shed the tranquil influence of virtuoua icfiecHon OD the evening of your days. That you may long live to reap the lewards of your services to this province, will be ever the fervent wish of Your Lordship's most obedient and Faithful Servant, JOHN YOUNG. Halifax, June 1st, 1892. C()XTI:N1S 01' Tin: lETiKllb. LETitR 1st, Describes the low s(a(c of figriculturo and tlio gKiioriil I'ointnertMal depressidu uf tli3 Pro- viuce. ricii) (I'jgf 17 !o -™ 2(1, llcroinmends tlic estallijimiuiit < f Bgrioulturiil soci(!tie.-i, anti ^;iv(s a t.iuf sketch (f wliat should he ;cs whitli iiivo 'jeen fouud elsewhere to result from tiiese iiistllulioDS, . .2S to Al • ■' 4ih, lusitcs the fniming cltts»P8 to corresp'ond with Agric'oln, and s^eciticd (ho Iciiits on v> Irih all commuuications would !■«, uccivcd 3 1 to r».S ■ Slh, Contains a synopsis of tie su'.jocts of discus- sion, and the order in which they would be conducted JIJ to U 6th, Enters on climate and describes the pliji-ioal causes,by wliich It is iulluenced and ullVcted, 41 to K) 7lh, Attempts to shew that the cultivation of a ter- ritory tcmjjers climate, by contra lisig the present with the ancient slate of F.ai(i,'C as delineated by the clasilcal wrJicrs M to hJ Sth, Oj.ens with the agre'jable prosper: of i ^iiidual improremer.t In ourK,'\icorditig to the pioi^rcss of cultivation ; and proves that a chanije to the better is already apparent since the oii- gin of the colony '>7 to L i 9th, Combats the prevaiiin^; picjudico \il;iili • xi^i- ed against the climaJe of Nova Scot!? ; and shews from (he nalure of iis ^e^.iai.io pio. ductions,that it will rioefi iul tl.c brcjJ t:!tri;s,(. j !j 6'J lOtl), Eaters on the coni-idf ration of sril us i! : It;! of ve^elatice ; and lays do;; n li.c inij.'.!'; do- meats (if agrict*UurnI clieir.jstry, ti!) to So i Yl CONTENTS. Letter IHh, Is a continuation of the cnme subject, vtith some hints on the food of plants 82 lo 1 — 12lh, I^inuniL^mtes the uses which the soil serves in vegetation P;') to lOJ > 13lhj Illustrates the physical properties of the fonr earths which chwdy constitute soil'-, nod en- forces the advantages of chemically nn;)lysin/; the latter 10 Ho 113 '■---•■■ ■ 14th, Describes the formation of soils as resulting from the disintegration of the primary and secondary rocks ; and conclude ith cone count of those found in the province 1 1 Ito 122 — 15tb, rxanilacs tlie dcsctijitions of soil in Nova- Scotia, with some practical remarks on each of thetn ' 127 to 136 - — IGth, Enumerates the purposes in agriculture, serv- ed by the difl'erent instruments of tillage.. . 130 to 1 44 — 17th, Treats on ploughs 141 to 132 — ISth, Continues the same subject, and expatiates on the benefit which would be gained by the in- troduction of the drill machinery 153 to 1G2 — lf)lh. Treats on the hariow and the roller 1S4 to 173 — 20lb, Treats on threshini; mills, faoF, the reaping machine, the patent sward-cutter, and the cul- tivator or grubber ^ 171 to T^'-^ — 21sf, Commences wid; the doctrine of manures ; and dilates on the nature of the animal and vegetable, or putrescent as they are called. .186 to 19 i — 2'2;i, Shews how water and eartli retain the gaseous r.nd soluble principles of tlie putrescent ma- iiurcb- 109 to 205 — 2.'!',', i'oinfi; nu!. some errors in the treatment of ma- nnros, and !-ugge?ts certain remedies 2l4to 223 Li CONTKNTS. '-ii LETTLiii^Jll;, lilt .ra(e« tlie cIiariuMcr of the fossil ma- nures '249loQ56 — — — "Tlh, Conlaiiis a dii^quisillori oti lime 2GI to 'i70 C:S(b, Kxplaiiis llio ruethoJs of burning it '271 to 273 '^gih, Shews how it should be applied, and elaci- dates its s*Jj){i03ed cllects on vegetation . . . . *SG to 301 . Soil), Tn.'nts of ^{yf;t.uni, phos|)hale of lime, mng- ticsiii and iis comLiuations ^^02 (o3It — :;ist, Ticnts rf the alkalies and ncatral salts 311 10 320 — — ~— 3id, Gires the hibtoiy of burnt clay ; a»d winds up the VI hole theory of manures with soccgene* ral observations ;>2G to 316 ., „„ j3J^ L'.nters on the natural obstructions in .the soil ; and descants on the first of these, or the trees of the forest 'M7 to 3911 — 31tb, Treats on the inequalities of the surface of the earth, which are preventive of tillage. .403 to 412 3.5th, Treats of stones and rocks, regarded in the saaie view 41 5 to 425 3flth, Treats of wetness ; and describes KiUiogtou's principles of draining 432 to 440 — 37th, Takes a view of the cultivation of land as af- fecting the individual-*society — and national wealth 443 to 452 -— . — .^ 38th, Concludes with considering land, iu rclition to iiB cmploj DTitnt of capital 453 to 4G2 •Ml rk ■ ^ ■ii ,1 i VJJl INTRO Ducrrox. fl ''B'^IlIvSK letters are of a characlfr k> singular ami anomaion^ as to ri'i|iiin T sonic account of the previuii^ cxiHtiiig ciiTiiin.stmicrs in iliv province, by which to afford an H('olngy lor the daiini; tone of the runiposilion. The laU' giiage throughout is no utirh allicil to llic vivid expression of sustained mental feeling, as often to appear jnroiisistent with the grave and humble subjects which it i$ employed to illustrate ; und it may be stilvd rather oiatorical.lhan the easy and siniplH diction of agricultmai research. But ihry had a twofold object- to ronsc the attention of the roniniunity to the value and paramount interest of rural atlfalrs.fully as much as to instruct the fiirDier in the elementary principle* of his art. Had husbandry hen- been in repute or h id assumle and irauner of writing would have been more cli i.-,triuHl and a little wealth, tliey were ship to escape from the ploiif^h and h'tako thrinselves to nometliina fU^. Tim keeper of a tavern or n tipplini;- hoiue, tho rt taller of mm, iii){ni and ten, the Iravellin;^ chapman, the constable oinf wa.s ainoiij,' Ihe iarliu.st objtcts of luy alle;iti(»!i ; iiml lor tb.u reason ihe lelleis be^in with recoinnitiiidinj/ s(>( itiivs in (lie coiintiy and a <>ii. trill Board iu Halifax ; of which tiic latter wm lo (.ontpieljend the governoi ai.d all the di! climate of Nova ^)COtia was advt-rse to Ihe pioduclion of tlie. ceroal {iraniinu, and partirulaiiy of wheat— the most valuable of that whole tiiinily. ']l:is opi- nion was quite current prior to the appearance of thtse letters i illa^e was » > n)uch neglected, that neither oats, barley, rye, Indian corn nor wheat were rais" ed iusutliciein abundance to answer the half of tlis duuieMie tou.Miinption. — Oatmeal and pot barley were refjular articles ufliujiort from Britain ; and tLe latter grain abo was brought largely fVori (he States, to be converted l>y our brewers into roalt. Indian meal, rye and wheaten flour were landed by thou- sands of barrels at our wharves from Boston and New A'oik, not only tos'upply the inhabitants of the towns, but also Ihe farmers in the country. Nova-Scotia, at that period, iHight be justly described as one va-*t grazing ground, destinsd for live stock ; and if legular ft nres werf anywhere areclei', this tiouble was taken to protect not white crops, but in nine cases out of tin, the grass which was to be cut for wlnler-fiidder. Straw was so scarce, th^t it generally fetched only a little less than hay, and was ofictj trauiiporud to market a distance of tifiy and sixty miles. To aggravate all our other misfbrtnnts, this a')aiidoii»unt of tillage was d<». fended by a numerous body of advocates, on the ground of l/arrennass of soil and inclemency of the hfavcns. Tije country, they maiutaintd, was only fit for pasturage, and woc.hl never repay the expenses of regular cullivatiun,— • Beef and pork miglii I.e raised; but (lour, pot barley and oamif^al were be. yond the uiinost ellorts of the climate. Though others strenuously resikted these coDciuHions and rxeited all their ingenuity, they were not successful iu sileiifing their adversaries ; and the balance on the whole pieponderated a- gainst tUem. The fiercest dispute which did occur during the whole progress of theseagricultnral writings, originated in the discussion of (his point ; though now the controversy is forever at an end, and the productiveness of Ihe pro. viiueinwh at and all the oiher corni, is incontessably cs?iAb!i>^lied by expert. ineiit and the best doeiiiHeniary evidence. The d:t!tient agricultural societie* scattered throu;;h the country, have made returns of tin cvops of 1820 and 1821; froiu whieli it appears that a >ti4H!te Em^li.-h acie, under eaiefnl and superior nianas»cinejil, will yield, of wluatfrom 00 to .'iS bushels Witichesler iDcafure— ef oats from 8!) to i)5 — and of oi cireinnstni ttl!« to V it; The Stat cultural dt e'dy soils, t'.;r;d instr s<'ill i]tii«; li boiitiilrtry, From sluno lo shore, from Kast, AV'-.-st, Nor;li a:id South, Xova-Srotia Ih capable ofpriividiiiji l>re.i(i lor a crowded (iopui>itioii.— There is ii<> riggardliiiess of naliu«, if inaii will do his part. Wiieti ^iich views were piedominatit anioii£; a jieo,-»lf', ji Is easy to iiifor tliR slate of tlifir agriniltine. Tlie priiieipics of ve^'etation were jo grossly niiscofi. reived, iliat few even of the farmers imagln«d that plants, like animals, stood in need oi f.xid ; aiid manures of all kinds were oitlwr diHregard«d, or sham«riilly wa-sttMj and thrown away. T!ic duDjiby many wassnlT; red to accumulate about the barns ; til! it l)pramf a qi:eslion of f xprdiency, whether it was less exiieii^ sivc to shift the site of the bnildinir, or lo remove such an intoleiable nuisance ; and several instances are on record, 'Ahere the former alternative \\as i;r?r( rred. This surest suurco of fruitfuinrss ua? of so little value, that the more sjigacions fanners frtquently obtained the rons nt of thi^ir foolish and ignorant neigh- bours, not riiercly lo carry it off without paylne; an equivalmt, !)ut stipulated to receive soi.'if leconipense for their troublo. No soits of compost were ever mixed topetlier ; peat earih was •»earcely heard of ; and iirae, if known, lay nil- wrought in its native quarry, and Mat; in no request. 1' iirtlier, tlie acri( iiltural machinery in use betrayed the same visible tokens of the degiadalion of the art. 1 he ilonslis were ol tni^kilfulccnstruetion ; fans were rare ; and a threshing iniil (!.(i not exist in the (iroviiice. A niarhiUk' f ■ r sowing turnips in rows; a weeding plough with moveable inoniJboards, or wilU bent cool te IS to cut np and destroy v ha lever gn w in the intervals of the diills; a enliivator or a grubber were iiiiplejuen.s. of which the names had hatdly crossed the Ailuitir. Even a common roller was a wonder, and there were roiinttes that could not furnish one of them. When the drill machinery was tii^t impoit(> i by tlse Ctntral Board .:\u\ f^ct to work at Wilhivvpark in 18'.i0, tha circunistanee was ;->nnounced in the papers, and attia-.-Icd crowds fiomall ijuar- ttrs to V itness the novel spectacle. Tiie state of liic land was of a piecf! with all the other civcumstances of aj;ri. rii)(ural Jebe.senient : as lime had never been applied lo subdue the siirt'i:e-s of e'ay soils, they had all the detects of their orij^iunl constitution ; and as agricuU tinal instrument -i were both fcvc and imperfect; a com[)lete pnlvi vization had »• iioiii or never been attempted, and its benefits were hardly umi .rstood. All ploughing was conduct»!d on ibc snnaco, and the sh.tre vvas nut ()ormilttd to descenii beyond hrce or at most four inelics. This shaUow uifthod vi vvorkii;g w;is fort:li( I by a great show of argument; and onr faimer^ had discovered, that the soil and climate of Nova Scoiii* were -.p ntdike Ihoso of lilnghnd, ih .i a nine inch fimow Wviihi ruin cntinly the expected ciop. Hssides, susinner. fallows had never crossed iLe imaginalioii ol' onr bus li;indnien ; and the njost of thoni coniprehenJed not the exact import of Ihe lerm. \v'h"n iiiyt proposed in tbe,e h tteis, they were dicsied as a tibJilf"' ai:d most injudioions a\.i|.l:calion t.f l..b;inr : and ilw. fist | leminms conlil »idi (liireolty Kuipt :u)y tu b;^:!!' ko n;:il and ronii-'ii- a sipecuItitifH'.— ;« u I'- ll m pi. ^ xn INTRODUCTION. (f -M ..w .r ^! The predominance of weeds in all our arable lands could not but Le the i-ott- sequence of such a state of things. To a height so alarming had thiNJ-vil ariived that the fields were sutfered to lie in grass lung alttr the jieriod when they had ceased to be pruf}tablp,froin the mere drrad of the iiiiiuintrable weeds. which would stait into life on their being broken up aud placed unJer a white crop. I need not add, after these other details, that any thing like a syslenialie rotationof crops wa!* unknown. The advantage of the conveiliLIe huttbandry j the principles on which it is founded ; the abuudunce to man and beast of which it is the fruitful parent, were views that had never opened to the minds of our farmers. In fact, a most profound ignorance of all the branches of knowledge, and of all the better practices which have exalted modem agriculture, niaiu- tained here au undisturbed domiuioa over the intellectual faculties: and the cultivation of the earth, that prime fountain of naliuaal wealth, and the first and most essential of arts, was accounted so despicable and vile, as tu be the tit employment only of the unlettered and vulgar heid. To this sweeping conclu* sion, it would be uncharitable to make no exceptions. We had farmers of wore elevated sentiment, aud of superior cast of mind; we had individuals, too, of affluence and knowledge, who regarded rustic ohjectxand occupations in their true importance, and would checrtuUy have aided in ndvuncing them to some distiection. But thete had no means of acting in concert ; and their iiiihience and feeble voice were lost amid ihe claniouts aud vocilcratiou of an ovcrpuw- ering majority. I have been forced to uncover this picture, which to ns is rather discredita- ble and bumbling, ill extenuation of the language of these letters, and also of the order in which the matter of them has been brought forward. The design was to correct the public taste with respect to farming; to bestow on it some degree of reputation ; to stimulate enterprize ; aud to attiact the notice of all classes, more than to deliver a code of agricultural precepts. Had I possessed a deeper knowledge of my subject, and been at pains to display it ; that very circumstance, in the prescut condition of the province nod its rural population, would have disqualified me from bfing either popular or useful : for what the people wanted here, at the period alluded to, wveiful adilres> to crJiuary passions and interests, by which I'araiers Hiijkht be instig pro vine to rely, wli The ri>fifd with the enormous prices they obtained for beef and hay, and trusting that the spiings of v\ealih v.'!ii(h tlowcd so copi- ously would be pcienuial, they discerned not the daik cloud at adisiame,wlii(U was gathering round to overcast their horizon. Peace came and at once dried all the sources of this artificial prosperity. Ut-al estate fell almost in an instant ; trade declined; the regular drain on the currency made a visible impression, because specie ceased to be poured in vsitb the forniur plenty ; land produce was lowered by the effect of this general depression ; ai.d in about tvvoyeais after the ratification of the treaty of Paiis, an univfrsal gloom had settled over the province. All men began to look round for some internal jiiops on which to rely, when the factitious ones erected by the war so suddenly failed iliein. The fl^icries gave no great promise of assistance ; onr mines of ('la'Ster, which for a long time had jieidud a staple export, became well nigh un,)roductive,(rom the couiitoractiog policy of the American States and our Legulature ; the timber trade was at a low ebb; and at this emergence when ini h*s invciiiion w;is on thi' rack and in a state of painful intensity, these letters appeared and dtcked tiut tiiefuliiru wiih the enlivening colours of hope. 'I'hey taught that llic re- sources of the province must be found in iissoil ; that an impiove;ifeiy ; and that despondence was iiiiwoilliy of a Irtt; ptople, eujojiiig so iu;i _. political and ualinal advantnges, '] Lese biiglit hi: ! exliilaralit'^' prospects \\eieeyed with eager attention, and Intiled witha c«id;:U welcome. I'hey were nnjilicinal to the sickly state of the luibiic mind ; and lie cliunge which they wrought was owing, less to the vii Un.' of the li^niedy, tlia.-t t* Ihe i>eu»o:iatleiies» uf the iipplkittiou. 'ill- -• J •:.-! 1^ I' 'f k v« '» .i' I 111 i \ I : ( i It! tir INTIU) DICTION. Bill this opporfnnily miglif have ?li)>t awHv widioiit bnipfit ni improvrnient, ?iad the govmiment iit the linie not liappet ril to be :idmii)isfeii'd by a noble- tnan, who iinliibed his very roriprt .inii first if)ca« of farming in one of the best rnllivali'd ibstriols of SroilancJ and saw its o-ifiHlion on the stability and oimi- Icnceof bis eonntry. Tlie vi. >»s uhich Irxbiiiitcd haj<;ii!y coinrided willi ibose 4)f his Lordsliip ; and h« di-ignftl lo i)ecome oiif; of my eiuliost ocirrspondents. Nay, he did more In iiis private convortalionH he mtorcrd my dortrines ; ».poke favorably of t!:f formation of agrionlinral sooirties ; and took fioqiieiit excursions into tin- province, lo a,?\k wh«'lbin, tbcv iiRstrmd within Ihtir nsptctive spheres of iidliicnic, to srnltcrand piojia^ate that >.aere>l lire, which soon burst out with irreprcssilf'e and inextingnishable bri:;lit:)e!is. To particularizi! the names of u«iy would be. invidious, \vh<'ii ail were so merito- rious and active. Suf^oe It to s;iy, tt'ii (hf views )f Ar;riro!a weie wainilv •npported by the members of his Majesty's {lotiucii bv tlie Majjistr ites, by ihfl Gentlemen of the Bar, and by most i:icn of note and imlcpendcnt cirnimstances throngbont the province ; so that mucii of the eflect and entiiiisiasm v.bicii lecmed to spring from iV.a Letters, must in j«-<)ice l>o referred to their patrons and supporters. lu trntb, a great number of agents conspired to produce th: mighty revolution iu riubl atlhirs, the fust siups of which art; narraied in thiii volume. In the history oi no r otintry has there evrr been reeoi d< i\ a more radical and uisianstaneous change, than has been witnessed in Nova Scotia. Inipiovement lias proceeded with such gigantic strides, that already the point is out of ^i;illt from which we started ; !.md although the vviiole \iit» been elFccted in liitie moie than three jeais, il is v. ii!i difiiciilty we can bring ourselvC's to the belief, tl at Ibe provincial hnsbandry was in such a state of barbarism at the 4'ommeneeme!;t of the period. 'Ihc pr'stnt aspect of our rural situatian is of a most consolatm y nalnre; and althouf.h we have not yet ie«clied independence in bread ccin, »ve are rnnMinf; to the goa! witli rentarkabic celerit}'. In seme articles ot prr>- duee,~as pota'ties ai;d turnips, we luive ontstript the demand, and (iroduccd tl repletion 'n the ninrkn ; in oilier"* as oals and barb y we have raised eni)ti.:!i /(.r ihe home consumption ; but we are still i^reatly deficient in wheat. \ el ino well directed (ittenlion now given to the collectuig and prepariuj; of pntir s ibie mannies and cnmpo (s, to the e>.tiipalion of wee«ls by .Mimmrrrallow and lbs drilling; of {jivi'ii croi>s, to ilie inn rovnd nioiks of plougbins, and Ihe more per- {( ct ;mlvtri/itiou of ihc soil, I'lini sliorlly bad to an extended cnMnre of ibis jjiain fully tfj'ial lo ilie w.iiiTi ol'ih.- coinmiinity. Lime, too, has been pretty g. iicraily tii- '), .i:id tViitid .-o heiiert iiti as to be son^;lit aft*>r wiih much avivbly aitliei ill MMVfs. ion have lieeu stiidic(),;v.!ri are begiuiiing to be justly appreciated. OaMiHiilof niiiive t;!n\M!i ba'^, widiin ibis last jcar, been greatly consni>:eii among tilt faimiu;; e!a'J(: liier< an the very and pro* the dilHt on ti.ifd aiieady I on their life and I hut theci funds. I hdn been •Ppaling thfi past a a!Iy than >ear-tlip which is 11 vision has .societies i givinga ne fi'slinipOM 'op!ne;it of violent anc portion to t •»oie apt to istration of •'>iil there is own intenli "»e or in th «l»nng, but •uislaken p 'use expem former imji "hai is prof venting its « fore of the p essential ar "'it cannon to the virtue out of the g, An cxamp ^fs. Crtitl '%' eni.iiatio, " ni(»i« j-rtref ""I* liiiikt he il INTIIODUCTIOX. XT k, vl »» lm.«, ll.icu^li llii op«: ration of ilir <.-oniMi«;s ollVied by Ihe Centvil "oard, but chiefly frtin a spi se of the jjieat value of tins article of subsisteiice. The h'cotch husbandry ill all its btai)ches liiis been fail ly transplanted iii^^ NovaScotia ; and thniigh many still adhere to old piejudiocs, and to oUI niude>, ther< are in I'Vt ry county zialom i>ud iulelli;'Ciit cultivators, who a'C setting Ihe very bi'st e\aiii|)les. A sjtirii o»r. torm actuates the whole ai;ucHltnral Hiae wiih which iln>y ware moving forward, this stop is tike more apt to endanger the ,^afety of the whole miiasiires,— Economy in the admin- istration of the provincial pur,se is unquestionably a virtue of the hi^'hist prais?, but there is an economy which borders ou the neifhbouiiiig vice, and defeats i)« own intentions. The husbandman, who n paisimoniong it. the iisi«of his riiaa* nre or in the quantity of his seed corn, may spare some little expense in the sprin/i, but his uariow views will mer t with their just retributioti in liarvrst. A mistaken principle of saving is fully as pernicious in its consiqucnces as a pro- fuse expenditure ; and in this lits the only ilitFereuce between them, that ili» former imposes restraints on prLdiu;t:o!i, and the otlior «a^te> and siiiiundei.s what Is produced. Both however are d«slractivo of property, the one in pre- venting its creation, the other in aiiniiiiiaiing it, should ilie wiihlioldiug there- fore of the proper means of i'n<;onrageineDt to extend tillaae, or to cultivate an Raseutial article, such as flax, thi«iw a damp on the ardour of instic cxtrloi*, this cannot be digaitied with the niiuio nf ei anuiuy, and bears no rvM-mblan* *« to the virtue. It is the savingof a ^IllHing to prevent a pound fioin beuij»draj(n out of the great sloiclionsc of vtgetalJon. An cxainplc of tills improvident fiugality bus been a'leady set before our eyt.s. Cattle shows have been fonnd in every country tin only meaiisof o.tit- ing eciuiationin llie iinproveniciit of live stock ; as tlie_\ ftifnrd inducements tn amoro careful «elef tion of tb»' young which are to be TC'.rcd Rut the pr^mi- »tin« li.iul be 61 siicli niaguitude a» to attract the anim.iU of iiiat rate excelletice /• i iiii 5ll *■ Xtrl INTRODUCTION'. f i( ff " ii %l lli iii ) I ^ from «omfi disUti?* ; for if ibey are lesstlian to gain this pinl, llie show will Jc gen«rate into a job among the farmers in tlie immediate ncij,'lil>oni imod . In the 111 »t year of the Provincial Society's existence ihesumof fifty pounds wasdis- tribiited at each of the two exhibitions wliich took plure. This was diminished next year to ^33 l."»s. ;— and llu;n followed what were called the coiimy cat- tle shows, for each of which either iJO or ^10 only according to the exlnitor importance of the distiict, weie appioi)riated : and thi^gnvethe death blow to these institutions, because Ihey were no lon/jcr ohjfcts of interest or ambition. They arc now abolished : and that of Hrij^hiou in Massuliusetts, which has im- parted so prodigious and commanding an impulse to that Siaie,niay be rendered iingatory and inellectnal I)y the samu contracled policy. As no other plan of fincouragemeut has been substituted in the room of our cattle shows, the anie liorationofonr stock is entrn.-ted to the gnilance of chance, and \%i , without cave or direction, to float down the sluggish stream of human improvement. — Every other object of how much importance soever, may be as easily npsit j and it is still possible to extingiiidi the fervour which has glowed in the dill'er- f)u{ departments of onr rural economy. The volume now given to the world is composed of thirty eight letters writ- ten to elucidate the first five sections of the synopsis ; but besides, other twenty fonr in continuation have been already published in tlie newspapers, which with what still remain, will afford ample materials ior another book. The circum- stance which has swelled the bulk ot this so ratich beyond expectation, is the narrative of the events which sprang from the excited and declared spirit of the country, and which led to the establishment of the seventeen associations,whose origin and officers have been interwoven with the thread of the story. Oilier right agricultural societies, analogous in con-^^titution mid design have been founded at a later date than that to which the present account teaches ; and the history of these will naturally be transcribed into thi^ text, should 1 ever be induced to go to the press with the remainder of these weekly essays. — It was at on« tinie my intention to omit altogether the various steps by which our hus- bandry has b( en conducted to its now nourishing condition, and to give the let- ters detached from all their accompanying facts ; but on second thought it occurred, that tlirir principal interest to the general reader and in a &fiecial nanner to t!ie iuliab t-«nts of the province, would lye in contemplating the pro- gress of cau-e and tility against every commercial arrangement, and seem prepared to throw obstacles in the way of all *direct intercourse. — They wish .1' ii' II. •At the period of writing this, a feeling; of irritation Lad been cxclfcd be- tween Amriica and tin Re vulonits. Viirious acts bad received the sanction of bi'tb Legislatnies lo regnl:^te Ibe commercial intercomse between the two countries, without begetting tbat unanimity and good will which inspire con- fidence, and are essential to trade. NovaSiotia had attempted to monopolize ilie carrying of its own Plaister; and in the year 1816, enacted, That this articip^ whiih wa* deemed indispcnsible lo the successful cultivation of the American territory, " Should not be landed or put on shore at any port or place totward of Boston, nor traukfcrrtd to^or piiton board any American vessel at any place eastward of Boston, under the ptnaltyof the forfeltuie of every such ship or vessel, from which s|ich gypsum should be uulatKfn, contrary to the pruviiiions of this act." The object of till* measure was to secure to our own shipping the exclusive trade of this bulky article ; and to compel our neighbours, to receive their sup. ply of it from colonial bottoms. This regulation, on our part, wa» met by an act of congress passed the 3d nf March, 1817, by which it was provided, "Thai noplaislerof Paris, the production of any country or its dependrncies, from which the vessels of the United States were not permitted to brmg the same article, should be imported into the United States :" and in which, too, it was fnrther provided, " That when the prohibitory regulation regarding Plaister should be discontinued by any foreign nation, or its dependencies, the President was authorized by proclamation to remove the restrictions imposed by the baid act of Congress." In 1818, the province of NovaScotia repealed the above act, and on the 2Sd of April,tliesaine year, a proclamation was issued fromWashington annulling the iestrictions. But thiit counteracting system of retaliation was not long confined to Plaistfr. The American government proceeded faither, and interdicted the entrance of all ve8sels,whicli belonged to,and sailed from any foreign port, to which theirs were denied admitiance ; — a measure apparently founded on a strict reciprocity of trade, but which was directly levelled at the colonial policy of Great Britain, and meant to embarrass her dependencies in this quarter of the globe ;— and, above all, was a bold and unwarrantable iufringenient on the ts- tablished mode, l)y which commercii^l inlereourse had been Uitlierto cpndtictcd Iji'twcen the two countries. I) 20 1; '■!< 'I I" to stand on high ground indoctl, ami dIcJafc «o (Ircal Uridiin \h« manner in which her flag, and that of her colonics, shall be admitlcd into their ports. The system of colonial policy, uhlch has grown up in Europe without complaint and which hii'^ been approved of, and acted upon by the dillcreut indepondcnt Rovernnienls there, hits been looked upon with an evil eye, by these haughty Ilcpublicans ; >and nothing will propitiate their pride, but the abandonment of its fundamental principle, which has all along dictated the exclusive irade of the colony in behalf of the parent state. All colonial ves- sets are to be excluded from their port*, because theirs, forsooth, arc shut out from the colonies: and in consequence of (heir holding the staffof life, they mean to chastise the British nation into obedience, and make inroads on the established rights and privileges uf the government. It is high time for us, amid prognostics of such danger, to look round for safety, and to husband and improve our own Inter- nal sources of subsistence. That colony must always be poo?,which buys its own bread, and must be liable to many accidents, from the numerous contentions either for safety or empire, in which the pro- teclirg slate may be involved. Nova-Scotia is doomed to eternal poverty, while it imports so largely of American produce ; and if its own soil is so unblcst by nature, as to be incapable of feeding the ].rcsent population, it is vain for us to struggle against our fate. It This act whicli, in iti U^ading fiatnre!), bore tlic chnractcr of a nonintcrconrse Iiill naturally cliangnd the ul^le complexion of Ihe American trade to thfse Provinces. Uttorc this period, it had tieen the invariahic practice of the Co- lonies, to send th»*ir own vessels to the States for whatever limibcr or agiicuN tiiral produce their wants mi(;ht require, wliile l4i<'ir ports remained shut a>- gainst the American flajj. This now mi asure of the Uuited StaJcs broke in vio. lenlly upon tills oider of things, and threw seemvngly insurmountable barriers iu the way of all futui e ilc.iling*. The British Governinent relieved her Norlli A- niciican pnssessions fioni this perilous and difficult situation by erecting llnlifax and St, John info I-'rte Ports, and there adniitti»f» American vessels to entry. At the date of this letter many vagne reports were afloat, that the American;; would not rocoKisise these Free Ports, but ripidly interpif t their own restiic- live law. To that ONtr< mity,as the event has shown, ihey have not proceeded ; but at pnsont take advantage of the indulgence, and permit their own vesscU to trade hither, white they debar from their own harbours the vessels belonj;- ing to Nova-Scotia or New-Brimswick, even although sailing from Halifax or St. John. The trade of these Colonics is thus entirely reversed ; their shipping is driven from a profitable channel of employment; aiid one of the strongest bulwaiks of the colonial systi in is overthrown. Hiis state of things .suggested then the expe- diency of ihise ngricnltnral letters, and furnishes mtiv powerful and additional motives to all of us to improve the internal resources of our soil,that the mollur country may speedily return to her accustomed course, which has preeminently seemed her own glory, and coatribnted towards the safely and prosperity »t all i^arts ef the empire, p. ^l is driven walks of the expc- (Iditioiial icniotlif r iinineinly H>erity »( will be moremaiii)- to nhandon it at onro, anA leave its blenk and threrlcss roiks to tlieir naflve steiilify. Tlial portion of lliejjiobc, which cannot produce bi rod for its people, is no fjlaco for the multi* plication of the speiit'S, or for the expansion of dij^nificd and indo» pendftit sentiment. If such be the case with this province, let u» consign it without a.sij;h, as an undisturbed haunt to the moose and to the bear. This is the latigu.'>ge I know, of a certain gloomy class of dcclaimers. They look forward to a gradual but certain decay of all our resources and wealth ; they |)rcdici the fall of all landi nud real estate ; they remind us of the abundance of specie duriiit; Ihc war; of the extravagant rents in the cap.iial ; of the rise of land in the country : and they triumphantly pass in review the altered state of things — the disappearance of dollars—the fall of rents — tho depression of farms— the qer.cral complaints of poverty— and, as the last stage of our declension, the obtrusive and loath.somc spectacle of beggary in our streets. They unhesitatingly maintain, that this Province cannot thrive, but during war; that it can only flourish on the miseries of mankind ; that Iliilifnx cannot he svislained but on the spoils of 'plundered nations, and that all the aids and propt^ given to our Agriculture and Fiihcries, either l)y legislative bounties, or by private subscription?, Biay suspendj for a wfeilc, but cannot stay otir final ruin. That doom, say they, is sealed, and irrevocably fixed in the absolute necessity we lie under of Importing bread. These it must be confessed, are alarming symptoms and melancholy prospects, and if true, " there is no hope for us but.despair, no relief but death." Dut in what consists this physical inability in the Province, to provide for its inhabitants the means of subsistence ? Not in the Soil; for there is enough of alluvial alone, if placed under active and judicious management, to support the population— keeping out of view entirely our rich loams, which are always propitious to tho husbandman, and which abound throughout the Province. Nor ia the Climate ; for our sumnters are suincicutly long and warm, to Firing corn of whatever description to maturity ; — and in addition, tho more our forests are cut down, the more will the temperature of our atmosphere be meliorated. There are certainly then some rays of hope, to brightca the dark horizon of Nova-Scotia ; and it will be found, that our increasing poverty may be traced to ignorance and inactivity, not to the niggardliness of rature, nor to lli<^ want of physical capabilities. * '* {■i The great defect, under whirh our Agriculturn labour:*, ii the yiant of general and scirutinc principle!), among the practical farm- ers. There it a total ignorance of the very first rudiments of the J icicnce ; and by mnny, I »hall even be derided, for applying this denomination to Agriculture. There is lidlc or no circulation of acntimcnt among that body of men ; and iho absence of Agricultural Societies is a decisive proof of the low aitd degraded state, which the profession occupies. The first grand step towards inlertial im- , proTcment must be ihe cstal)lijhmcnt uf such societies, in every count}, and in most of the townships, — which should hold slated meetings for the discussion of all matters of common interest, and for the adjudging and distribution of piizes, en subjacts, which hnvo been previously announced and published in the newspapers. These institutions would dignify rural aflfairs ; would excite a principle of emulation; would druw attention to useful di-coverie.o, and would gradually introduce a more eflc'Ctiro and ci)li{;!itened mode of practice. AGUICOLA. Halifax, J nly 15, 1818. LETl'Ell 2. I CONCLUDED my last letter with recommending the institu- tion of Agricultural Societies in different parts of the Province; •nd I just glanced at some of the more obvious benefits, whic'i must result from establishments of that kind. It must be apparent, how- ever, that to give such associations their full and beneficial cifect, there must be amongst them some centre of union, some Uoard to which they must all look up, as the prime director of their move* ments, and as the focus of their converging influence and collected energy. Halifax is unquestionably the place most suitable for this central Society ; and it should be composed of men, who haye a warm interest in the improvement of the country, and public spirit enough to bestow their services gratuitously in furthering such a pa- triotic undertaking. I do not pretend to be so fully versed in all the bearings of this cjuestion, as to propose a Charter to this Board of Agriculture,wifhout further and more mature inquiry — although the internal cultivation of our territory be un object of eufllcient magnitude to merit such attention and patronage from the Legislu- 93 stitu- iiicc J must how- Hoc t, rd to ove* ectcd r this ave a pirit n pa- all (oard kough licient turc : yet I shall not hp, given to Agriculture in the United King- dom, uus comtnuninited by men of exulted spirits, who, althou{(h not ihemsctvcs eiigngcd iuthe nccup.ition of farming a3 a professiuu, studied it ns a science, and perceived its sub-tervioncy to national filicity and iiidepcndeiue. The gontlenien and landholders in Ire- land formed themselves into nn association for thu purpose of improving husbandry and other arts, and in the year 1740 were incorporated by charter under the denomination of the DubUo Sofietj, which had the honour of being among the earliest in Europe ; and although at first its efforts were feeble, it has contributed in a rrmarkable degree towards the prosperity of that portion of the British Ktnpire, but btill more, it has been extensively useful in setting a noble example, and in directing the labours of scientific men into this useful field of inquiry. In 1784 a number of gentle- men either connected with, or born in the Highlands of Scotland, assembled at Edinburgh, and passed a resolution to take the sense of their countrymen on the propriety of forming an InttUution for internal improvement. From this small but auspicious beginning ihe Highland Society tf ScotlanJ ort should be prepared and published every three or six months, embracing all the valuable commuliications which may have been received — the hints at improvexiient which have been suggested — th« experiments that ought to be tried — and the objects of {iiquiry wh4cli the Board is solicitous to investigate and ascertain. These Reports must, in the first instance,be published at the expense «f the Institution ; but the sale of them will, generally speaking, refund theoutlay, and the loss, if any, should be borne by the joint contributions of all (he Agricultural Societies. The Honorary Mem* hers of the Board should be unlimited : and should comprehend His iE^xcellency the Governor, with other principal official characters, as well as the members of General Assembly. A fund must be created by an annual subscription,which will naturally be augmented by volunta* ry aids from the Honorary Members and other patriotic individualf. The practicable objects, which may be eiTectcd by such Societies, are neither few in number, nor unimportant in their results. And I shall only touch on those of a prominent character, for they all will naturally press on the attention, so soon as such meetings arc constituted, and are in correspondence. .First. The different publications in Europe, and particulaily in England, which have of late years issued from the Press, and which have tended to enlighten agricultural operations, will become acces- sible to all the members of the societies, and will rapidly dispel (hat total ignorance, which, like the gloom of midnight, has east over us a darkening mantle. Rural affairs will necessarily become to- pics of conversation and general interest ; and many of oar wealthy '^ i\r v ill . I i :|! \ .^'0^- \ I 'I >l li:y i II i! i::: i ':!' I mercliants will be tempied to ?est their capital in the cultivation of fhe'soil. The establishment of Agricultural Societies in the old country was followed cxacily by such results. Capital was drawn from trade and manufactures to the pToogh— .experiments were made en a large and liberal scale-^and the progress of improvement was instantaneous and unprecedented. Agrictflture was raibed to the dignity of a science, its laws were studied and explained, discover* ies trcde on (he hoels of each other in rapid succession, and the face of the country was changed in a few years. Secondly. Such Societies will naturally import all sorts of seed corn as well as the new varieties of grasses and of leguminous plants-,, which have been lately introduced and cultivated in Great Britain, and which have so materially augmt;nted the produce of the soil. It would be useless to enumerate any of these latter as they are uot^ known to our farmers even by name, and I must thcrefwre wait til! some more advanced stage of thi^ inquiry, when themindsof my rea- ders shall have become more familiarised with the objects and terras of the art. By (hese importations the aggregate produce of the soil will be vastly augmented,, a greater disposable surjilus will be thrown into, the market, to meet the accumulating consumption of the inhabitants ; roots and artificial hcrbngc will furnish to our lire stock a more generous and nutritive food ; and our agricultural resources will keep pace with our growing knowledge. Thirdly. By these Societies all the arts will be improved and en- eouraged, which are either intimately or remotely allied td Agri- culture. Tills is a matter of more radical importance, than appears at 6rst. The farmer depends, for the successful and prompt execu- tion of hia labours, a good deal on the mechanics, who have set themselves down in his neighbourhood. If they be unskilful and irregular, these very defects of their character are strongly marked in the structure of his implements, and often mischievously felt, in the loss of valuable time, and of many golden opportunities for ac- complishing Iris field work. The spring, in many of our poorer set- tlements, has long dissolved the frost, and '' led io vain the western breezes up the hill," before the plough, with all its necessary appen- dages, can be repaired by the blacksmith ; and when obtained, it is at best an awkward and ill constructed instrument, made up of varying and discordant parts. The local Societies, therefore, would find it of general interest, to «ncoura labourc tricls o\ derive i staii hal on what the cons whole i placed u efforts, as a man of merito in our nal gratificati fortune ; able to to the I'^nglis every clas exertions, tion of th ot Agricu «d by the I curing the obtain a si ten times i Among 'a^iily, thi held out to provement, a few of th practical ut ratelyto th( hurn,andsfl season ; apr flndJct the dence, be ii papers — Lc any one yea Oats ; and afnl>i(jon wi III! . r f seed >n. It ave not u;U til! my rea- d terras the soil MFill be ption of our life cultural lerest, to 27 fftcourage skilful mechanics, as smiths, CRrpenters— and steady labourers, as ditchers, limeburners, drainers, to settle in the Dis- tricts over which their authority extends ; that the members may derive a benefit from the ingenuity of the one, and the orderly and staid habits of the other. They should likewise confer premium*, on whatsoever improvement chance or perseverance may find out in (he construction of the imjdcments of husbandry ; and thus the whole inventive faculties of the community will in a manner be placed under requisition, and urged io the most ardent and intense cflbrls. Even the discovery of any useful mineral, which may serve as a manure or fuel, should not pass without receiving some mark of meritorious distinction. The lov« of fame is so deeply implanted in our nature, and endowed with such irrepressible elasticity, thai its gratificaiion will be preferred by many to any ordinary increase of fortune ; and public Societies possess the decided advantage of being able to touch this powerful spring of human action. In that way the Knglish and Scottish Institutions are stimulating, scarcely more every class of mechanics than every order of men, to the utmost exertions. The rewards which they have bestowed, and themcuo tion of them in their printed transactions, have done more in behalf of Agriculture and its subsidiary arts, than could have been effect- ed by the more common principles of conduct, which operate in pro- curing the means of subsistence, or in accumulating wraith. To obtain a silver or gold medal has often cost the successful candidate ten times its nominal value. Among the attainable objects of melioration I shall mention la;jtly, (hat Pretniums from the funds of the Societies may be held out to those enterprising individuals, who shall strain at im- provement, and take (he lead of other competitors. I shall run over a few of those, which without much thought strike me as of greatest practical utility. Let three premiums, rising in value,be assigned sepa- rately to those farmers who, in any partoftheProvince, shall cut down, burn, and sow the greatest number of acres of woodland during any one season ; apportioning the prizes according to the scale of their merit, mid let (he names of the successful candidatcs,and their places of resi- dence, be inserted in the Reports of the Board, and in the News- papers. — Let other premiums be given to those, who shall during any one year raise the greatest quantity of Wheat, of Barley, or of Oats ; and thus (he spirit of emulation, and the honor of successful aml.'ition will prove powerful slimulants in nil (he agricultural dis- •^It i i •i ■ n » 1 ' I '! 88 tricts.— The man, too, who raises the fattest ox, or who produces' the finest stall ron, or, if yon please, the largest hog may enter the honorable lists of corn-petition, in the annual shows afterwards to be appointed, and may partrcrpate in the (gratifications and triumphi of the day. In short, etery object of rnternal improvement either oir the soil, tbe produce, or the stock, may form the subject of a premi* urn ; and in this way the Societies possess the power of directing tite industry, and stimulating the genius of the country in whatever department they are desirous of making progress. I shall defer to my next letter, the last branch of my subject, vir' the advantages to be reaped from such institutions ; as I fear the length of this will have tired out even the most mechanical patience.. AGRICOLA. Halifax, July 22^1816. LEITER 3. T PROMISED tov devote this letter to give an account of tfte -'■ advaniagetj which' would accrue to the Province from the estab* lishment of AgricuiH»ral Societies, holding with each other an inti- mate union, and aiming at the same common ends. The mass of m^ readers must have, in a great measure,, anticipated, from the previous illustrations all I have to say on this head. Indeed,, it is easy i instead of retarding, actually accelerates the general progress, and his inventions and discoveries become the common inheritance of all the cultivators of the soil. Here, the rivalships of business^ the colllMon of commercial arrangements, the jealousies of capital^ the graspiug selfishness of cupidity have noplace. These peaceful' occu- pations may be prosecuted with the utmost activity without produc- ing those discords and animosities, which disturb the harmony of society, and exhibit the most humbling views of hutnan nature. A- raong farmers there never have been, in any country, secrets of trade, concealments, distrusts and aU that loathsome brood of passions, luces' r the ds to imphf ler oir reml- >g th» atever J, vir* ar the ience.. of tlie estab' n inti- s of my irevions 58 sy to lombin- tending coarse longly, jarring gricul- man^ sSf. and ance of iessy.the ilaVthe ur occu- produc- Bdny of re. A- >f trade, )assions, which have raged la commerce since the first dawn of cifiliiatimiy and so often set the world on fire. There is something in rural affair;:, which invites to reciprocal confidence, and the most unreserved communication ; and which serves to repress,or at least much to moderate the strifes of ambftion. The produce of the globe has never been too abundant for its rnha- bitanls. There has always been rather a scarcity than an excess of provisions, and, in consequence, the farmer never dreads the effects of a permanently glutted market, because he has never felt them.— > The active principle of propagation has always outstript the slovr and sluggish movements of the plough.— Not so in commerce. The productions of the manufacturing arts have in general exceeded the demand ; and Great Britain forming only a little speck on the terres* trial map, is capable of being the workshop of both northern and southern hemispheres. — Her merchandize is wafted by every gale, forces its way into every market, pervades the east and the west, and in truth outgoes the consumption of the Universe. The loom and the forge are much more prolific than the soil, aud their products may exist in such superabundance as to occasion a destructive reac* tion on industry. The fruits of the earth on the other hand, are al- ways exempt from such inconvenience. — If in any quarter they should chance to exceed the demand, either from Jhe sudden efforts of art,, or the liberality of a genial climate, a population quickly grows up to meet, and to consume them. The farmer, therefore, feels no- hesitation in communicating his improvements to all, because his interests cannot permanently suffer from a full and preoccupied market.'— China, which is cultivated to the tops of the mountains, is at times scourged by faminci even although its agricultural industry is encouraged by the precepts of religion, by the injunctions of th« civil code, and by the fostering and studied display of the patronage and example of the Monarch. These cursory remarks will explain the nature of that phenomenoiiy which is characteristic of husbandry ; and will show, too, the neces- sity of our combining in order to draw forth the utmost powers of fertility. There is here an obvious want of bread corn. We have no regular and adequate supply either of flour, of oatmeal, or of shelled barley for the use of the inhabitants : and Halifax has to import these articles from England and the States. — Even those products, such as hops and barley for malting, for which our climate is supposed to be peculiarly favourable, are rtareii !■ il f fii'^ { A' ;! ;t 50 such inconsiderable qnnntilics, as to bring Uic conviction irresistibly liomc, thnt a stupid and contented indolence lies at the bottom of our poverty, and that we could be richer and more independent of foreign supplies, if we would resolutely shake off our supineness. At all cventSjlhe matter is worth a tiial — and this trial of the productive powers of our soil and climate can only be successfully made by the organization of Societies, composed of the true patriots and well- wishers of Novn-Scolia, who will not shrink from their duty by the failure of a few first experiments, but hold on in an unvarying course of |;erbeverancc and encourage'.iicnt. The first great effect of their formation would be a remarkable in- ereaspof our Agricultural Knowledge; and a consetiuent and neces- sary excitement of emulation and enterprise. I can adduce, perhaps, 110 more decisive proof of the gross ignorance, which prevails throughout ihe country on the subject of rural economy, than the total absence of all books illustrative of these affairs. I am guilty of no exaggeration in stating, that, on questioning most farmers of my acquaintance, whether they have perused the Farmer's Magazine published in Edinburgh, all of them, with the exception of 'wo, con- fessed, that they had never seen it themselve«f, and that, in fact, they knew of no copy in the neighbourhQod. I have pushed my in- quiries farther, and asked, whether they have ever heart! of Tull's Husbandry, of Anderson's Rural Affairs, orof Arthur Young's Agri- cultural Tours, and the o .ly answer I received was the broad and v?cant stare of inanity. It seems from this, that our agricultural operations are left to the guidance of chance, that no pains are taken either to receive or to communicate instruction, and that the pro- cess of vegetation is conriftiied to the unassisted efforts of Nature. — Were our husbandry in a flourishing state, these and similar publica- tions would be the daily companions of the farmer, would mix with ills fhougiits, and both enlighten and direct his labours. By these lie would be schoolerl in the practice of his art, as is the boy by his juimcr, aiul the lawyer by the statutes. They contain the elements of that scirnce, of \\hi>.li he cannot remain ignorant without sacrific- ing both 'is own, nui\ the best interests of the pnblic. The institu- tion of.Societii 8 would place all these means cf information within his reach, would excite in liim an ardor of pursuit, and a thirst for kno«IeJj;e ; atu! thus gradually awake to life his slumbering facul- ties. Hi;; ntlcudance ispon their slated mc«lirigs Mculd furnish hitn m 51 with miilerials for ('liiikiig, and with subjects for ex()erimeqt. llfi would return hume with his mind stored with new ideas, and sti'nu- lated to take his |mrl in the progress of improvement. He would attend to tlio practice of his neighbours, and compare it with his own ; he would remark the diirorcMue in both, and apply to them the stand-, ard, which obtaiiis in oliier countries under the same parallel of latitude. — These exertloin of intellect would lead to further develop- ment, and there ia no point of improvement to which he may not ultimately attaiii. The very miscarriiigc of his plans would biing forth good practical results. He would be solicitous to trace out the cause <»f disappointment, the extraneous circumstances which may have interfered in the ell'ect, and the means to be employed to pre- sent their recuTcnce. The communication of his own observations to the society, with the strictures and remarks of the various rncvn* hers, would become to him at once a souice of enjoyment and instruction : — he would thus be Dfimulalcd to new efljrfs, and the spirit of general research diil'ased through the whole collective body. Another eflfcct of these Societies, not less valuable than the last^ would be the introduction of those new models Of agricultural instru- ments, which hare been purposely constructed for meliorating and loosening the soil more cftectually than those in common use ; and also of such descriptions of live stock as may be supposed calculated to improve our breed of Sheep, Neat Cattle, or Horses. These in Rural Economy are all objects of first rate importance ; but as the accomplishment of them is attended with much trouble, and consi- derable risk, it should be undertaken at the expense of a Society pre- ferably to that of an individual.* A man hesitates, and the caution is warrantable, to embark his own capital in any hazardous specula- tion for the public good, while he would most cheerfully bear his share in a joint adventure. As the benefit to be derived from intro- ducing any new implement is common, it should, on that account, *Tlie I'iiilaelclphia Society for promoting Hiisbanflry went so far as t0 <>rcct a niairafactory tVom the goiieial funds tor fabiicaliiit,' all rmioiis and vahiabJt Machines, and Instnmu'iits, in oidfr to funusli the members with the most approveil models ; and ihey even appioprialeil a farm, calif d by theni 4 /-"(i/ifiM r«rv?i, for makin<{ Agriciilttuul Expcrtiuents under tlie direction of a bpcciiil Coaunittee, See Memoirs of the Society, Vol. II. 8vo. IBU. 'I'he Irish Faiming Society, which has been incorporated for theenoonraRe- ment ofagricnltnre^has t>«tal)Iis!.td a nnmifai'tory of ini|il«menls in Dnblin witha view ta intiochue the i>tst kinds. Fariuer'i ^ia^azmc, Vwl. lT-pBge4l©. • <^' f i ,..? 32 ■•:<^};"' Jli i ' ! be effected by meaos of a general faod. This consideratiou suems to ha?e pointed out, that societies are best fitted for engaging in sach enterprises ; and, accordingly, it has been found in experience, that whereter they are once founded, and duly supported, they have al- ways directed a portion of their attention, and destined a part of Iheir funds to these beneficial purposes. And we certainly stand in need in this Province of more eflectivc instruments for breaking and tncliointing the soil, than any now in use. The Dutch plough— a clumpy and awkward machine— disgraces our Agriculture in more than one district, and would not be tolerated a moment by the most illiterate boor in England. The common Yorkshire plough has the necessary requisites of strengh and utility, but is by uo meant entitled to such preference as to exclude every other sort. The drill Bnd the hoe ploughs are, I believe, in a great measure unknown, as well as nil the other iustruments of the new husbandry; and so little curiosity have the most of our farmers, that not one in a hun- dred has ever tarned his thoughts to the comparative advantages ef di£ferent models, nor so much as heard of the curiously construct- ed implements of the Horse>hoe system. The elastic spring of bet- tering our condition, and the more powerful impulse of necessity^ which in old countries sharpen the intellect, afkst here to operate with their accustomed force, where there are no taxes to quickea invention, no rents to stlmulaie application. A thousand blunders may bt committed in the management of a farm ; the productife pow- CIS of tile earthy like the minds of the cultivators may remain in their natural barrenness ; and yet our peasantry maintain iheir in- dependence, and provide a rude and scanty subsistence^ The kind snd generous indulgence of the parent state, iu bearing the whole weight of our civil and military establishmepts, and exempt- ing us even from the sliglicst touch ef taxatioui has cast over our faculties a torpor, in which we doze away existence without ex- ertion either of mind or body. The internal resources of the country are not called into action. A climate,superior to that of England, and which is incontestibly proved by the field culture of maize, is by our indolence pronounced unfit for the production of the cdreal gramina: and ia supine languor we waste the profuse liberality of nature, and wait the menacing and sure approach of penury. If wc hare done lUtle in improving the construction of our im- plements, we have done less in bettering the breed of our live-stock. What exertions^ for instance, hare been made for introducing tbe Leicester or Cheviot aheep ? Are our stallions distiogolshed foir strength of bone, for symmetry of structure, or for any one quality, which would constitue superiority, or insure their receptioa in England or France ? These palpable omissions cry aloud for speed/ and effectual amendment, A third effect which would arise out of such Associations, would be the facility of obtaining n. statistical account of Nova'Scotia, which would embrace the diversities of soil scattered on its surface, the convenience and connection of its lakes for inland navigation, the moral habits of the people which impart a pernicious influencft to industry, the nature and legality of the tenures by which so much of its territory is held in its original uncultivated state,and to sum up all, every circumstance which has a tendency to accelerate, or retard its rising prosperity. Were enlightened and sciefatiiic men engag- ed in preparing such accounts of their native districts, the body of evidence, which would soon be collected, would be so rich, varied* and important, that the Board could with certainty adopt and pro- secute such measures as would overthrow every barrier to improve* ment ; — and its appeal to the legislature on momentous occasions would come sanctioned with such authority as to be quite irresisti- ble. The statistical account of the different parishes in Scotland, conducted under the auspices of Sir J. Sinclair, and the reports of the different counties in England, undertaken at the recommendatioa of the Board of Agriculture, paved the way for those rapid and un- expected strides, which Great-Britain took in the cultivation of her territorial soil : and the same causes here would be productive of the same effects. / The last benefit, which I shall ot present point out,ts So soothing to the benevolent mind, that were all the other advantages of a doubt- ful or trivial nature, this alene would invigorate and sanctify out efforts in the creation of such societies. The tide of emigration, which has for the two last years set in upon our shores, has mocked ns with delusive hopes ; and we have had the mortification to see it roll past, to fill the creeks and harbours of the United States. These strangers, who visited us in quest of settlements, were taken under the care and direction of no body of men ; and after wandering t}iroagh our streets— the outcasts of the old world, and intruders on E .:J" I \i ill * I ll t ,;f5;:V ..•nttiy. tlio new -llip> averted tliclr eye from our iDliosjsUablc rereption, ind sought ill oilier regions tJuit rest which was dui;ied Jhcin hcrei They would have been a;i invj\luab!o acquisition, and the most of thcin.\»ouid JVC iewaiji;.d amj.iijst us, had an Agricultural Srciety existed to jJoJHt out their vifvrs, and find employment for their indus- try. All tljiy could be easily accomijlishe'', were a correspondence established betwixt (he dilFeient counties and the CMpiial. The Board here could act in the caj>iiC'ty of a common agent, and fur- nish to the Pro?iiicirtl Assocla'ioiis, theexiict supply of .hands suited to their wants. This would reuiedy a tcry great inconvenience, felt often at present in some of our remote and insulated settlements, for which there is no existing provision. Besides, the spirit of improve- ment, wh!cli I liese societies would ?et in motion by turning the atten- tion of mankind strongly to Agriculture,, would create an additional demand foi labour; and that domand would naturally absorb the emigration, which to this Piovinte has been hiti.crto neaily useless and unavailing. AGUICOLA. Hartfax,JuIy 29, ISlS. '.1 ^1 :•>! ■: ! '' 'I LETTER 4. rimiE task I have undertaken is too complex and herculean to be -"achieved by the labours of any one man. 1 may lay dowuand Illustrate the general theoretical principles of Agriculture ;— - I may unfold the nature of soils, their distinctive qualities, the remedies to be applied for loosening the stifF, and consolidating the sandy ; I may expatiate on the chemical properties of manures, and the necessity of ihe putrefactive process for converting them into the food of plants ; I may descant on the utility of the different instru- ments used in rural operations, and suggest hints for the improve- ment of their construction ; I may describe the rotation of crops, the comparative benefits of different modes, and draw my illustratiotis from the practice of Spain, of France, of Holland^ of Italy and of England ; and when I have accomplished all this, to my own satis- faction, and taking the most favnurable view of the case, to the satisfaction of the Public, I shall have fallen infinitely short of that comprehensive plan, whirh I have figured in my own mind, and >vhich I shall imbody into this scries of Letters, provided a moderate^ 35 flii|)|)ort shall be given mc by couiitrv cormpnor -*>ft eogtft^i la practical fartning, niul competent to contribute ih' results uf h«-ir ezpeiieuce. I invite all classes of hu«>)aii(]men tu a ((wrespOH* . nee with me, addressed Agncola, Kecorder Olfn e, ilulir.]X : nnd i here publicly state the conditions, on which that must Ue understood to be conducted. I claim, then, the right of remaining concealed under the name I have assumed till the close of these iiapcrs : and there are many just and very obvious reasons for such precaution. No nian would be safe to come before the public in his real chararter, while these letters were issuing from the press, unless he were indilferent to thc^ endless animadversions, to which such undisguised, and to say thro least of it, injudicious pui)li:'ity would give rise. His motives for writing on such a suhjerf, lis style of cumposiiion.| his capacity for arranging the materials, his means of inforniaiion, the errors incident to the inquiry itself, would all bucccssively lay him Open to such a Tolley of criticism, that he must possess no common firmness of nerve to front so formidable an attack. Besides, the discovery of hia name would subject him f.o contend wi<.h his antagonists on unequal grounds. Few writers have afipuared in our weekly , papers who have been allowed quietly to leave the stage, and make their exit without encountering some oppo lire nfock, tht; best moiles of ploughing, of ftuiciug, of draining^, of wimMM>in)» and pri*" terring ihe crop, the moft ellicacious renu^diLM cither tu pn tent ur cure the diseases incident to cutlc, and, in ><), niid be rich beyond exumple. The vnst waters of the Missisippi If traced to their remote and ultimate sources, will resolve themselves into the tributary contributions of innumerable but iiikigiiitirant rilll. In the next place, all letters addressed to me must he dated as to time anA place : and whenever txpeiimeiits and facts arc adduced to strengthen or substantiate the conclusions of the writer, they must, in that case, be subscribed by real signatures. The distinction, 1 have drawn between these two s|)eciesi of communications, is essentiallj necessary in the nature of things, as well as for the success of my project. I can take no exception against receiving anonymous papers of a general and speculative kind, and u^ing these so fur as they are subsidiary to my main plan ; although, at the same time, I cannot bestow on them that encouragement, nor pay them the same devout attention, which shall be extended to practical pieces written by farmers in a plain and even uncouth style, and detdiling the facts which have fallen, within the sphere of their own observalion.— To this latter class subscribing thiir real names 1 particularly apply for assistance, and promise them that, while I preserve faithfully the mat- ter, I shall retouch the language, and remove any little errors ia grammar, which may disfigure their writing<;, and shall dress tlHti in an attire lit for public inspection. None need he a'raid to ad- dress me, who have facts to communicate. All they should aim at is clearness and simplicity, and leave to me the task of arrangement and composition. Many of them I know, are competent to convey their thoughts with cous'derable correctness ; and when I am fa- voured by suchi their essays shall go to the press without further polish or amendment : for I shall use my editorial authority only to rectify blunders and lop off redundancies. — In an infant country It; 1.. I > ' t 38 "^'kf ni If! like this, where education is not generally dlirii«ed, and Vrfiere the habits of writing are of dlfiicult altainmpnt, yuch a rensprifrn power v>':'>\ not be felt as a hurthcU) but hailed as a useful auxiiijiry ; and I sh.>ll strive to innke it fall as light ae the laws of a mild criticism wiU toit rate. The original coniniunitationp, addressed to me as Agricola shall he subjected to no scrut'iy save my own ; and after they have been perused and ('isposcd ot, ihey shall be locked up in the retesses of ao in-violable secrecy. To all of these pai)ers I request as a favour the subscription of real name;-, and ihese I must have the liberty of quoting in teRlimony of the facts and experiments to be brought be- fore the public. There is no other way of establishing them but by ao appeal to living witnesKcs ; and hence in the Farmer's Magazine j)ublished in ScotUuid, the communications ate printed with local tiates and genuine signatures. The same plan is adopted in tho transactions of the American Agricultural Societies — a proof both of the propriety and necessity of bucb ref^irences. Lastly, all communications sent me must be strictly agricultural, as matter of a forcij-n and extraneous chaructcr shall be expunged eve'i from ihose, whith on the whole are meritorious. The columns of the Recorder under the direction of Agrioola will be open exclu- sively to the followers and abettors of farming,aiid he must reject ail speculations about general trade and the fisheries, even although thete may be extremely valuable in themselves. It is the husbandry of the Province, and that alone, which he is solicitous to promote ; although at the same time he isno enemy to the oiher sources of our prosperity. He forewarns also his future correspondents against aM allusion'!, which may be drcmed personal, or by implication may gliince at any well-known or conspicuous character, as all such pa- pers shall be condemned without mercy, and consigned to merited oblivion. Nolhii g shall find its way to the public eye, not allied to Rural Economy, or which has a tendency to interrupt general liarmony and mutual good will — the natural concomitants of the plough, id the genuine otrspring of its peaceful labours. Such are the terms, which Agricola openly aiuiounces for the reRvilatiiiti of his correspondence : and should they not meet with full approl)a(ion, they aie sufficietitiy innocent, at least, to escape censure. He is amply sensible of the task he is taking on hia shoulders, of the pre-eminent importance of discussion to excite attention, of the little interest which has hitherto been felt about ihis valuable aud ncj^lected branch. of national industry, cf (he 3$ bandry mole i of our igainst m may jch pa- crited allied general of the rfilTicultics to be eftcountercd.as i$M as of the giory tfllic Wo«> and oa all these arrjuiits, he shall be careful lo redeem the pledge at tlie rinishiu^ of liia tourst^, vvhich he lias thus given at the outset. He calls upon all thust^, actively ciiga^'-J ia the occu- |iation, to contriiiute freely their quotas to tlie general slock of informnttoo, an>i in furnish him tvi'h uMteriuls diH>irii from practice and actual ob:trviition. Lot the stute of our Agriculture iu all the dillereut counties he laid before the public — let the errors,^ hick may liave irrown up from liiadverlence, be fearlessly exposed,— let remedies be prescribed, 1< t f.icts be collected and appealed to, let experiments be tried — und fioni the operatroa of these combined efl'ects NoTu-Scotia will ri.se from her embarrassments, will be reno- y vated with fresh vigour, and will cast off her slavish dependence for bread on a dangerous and insidious enemy. But above all, let not those caj;able of giving information be deterred, from my writing under an assumed name. It would have been better, had a Board been previously established, and all communications made to an oiTicial Secretary ; and such a plan would have been adopted but for ati insuperable ciiUoiisness in the public feeling about Agri* culture and all its concerns. This art holds so abject a place fa general estimation, that I met only with repulsion and discourage- ment from all such as I addressed to aid me in the furtherance of niy •scheme. To this mode then of arresting our careless attention I have been driven as to a last resort, and should it succeed, it may usher in the establishment of an Agricultural Aiisoclation, and the opening of more ausj>icious prospecis. Did it not savour of vanity, I might be tempted to state, with a view to strerglhen my claims oa liberal communications from all parts of the Provii^cc, and from all ranks of men, that should I reveal n') self, neither my motives, situa- tion nor character will, I trust, suffi sea blush into the cheek of any^' who may dtign to carry on r. correspondence with AGRICOLA. U^Hfax, Aug. 5, 18<8. for the )t meet least, to on hia excite lit about cf Ibo LETTER 5. TN my last I stipulated the terms, on which I would receive ** agricultural communications : and on further thought I am s» completely satisfied as to their propriety aod importance, that I do 4o i) i H ^ii anticipate from my friends, not merely an approval of Ihe spirrt-^ but to the letter of them, a prompt aud respectful obedience. The Svriter, who steps from the walk of private life in an assumed or fictitious character, in order to convey instruction, deserves some little deference, and has an undoubte-l title to dictate the way and manner in which he will serve the public. I request, then that DO oflTence be taken at the rules laid down for correspondents, because they are the fruits of sobor reflection, and will not for that reason be broken through either at the solicitations of friendship or the sneers of impertinence. They constitute the rampart in which Agricola has entrenched himself, that he may accomplish his scheme without distuibance, and be freed from the annoyance of doltish imbecillity. The annunciation, however, of these terms is only discharging the half of my duly. It becomes me also to dc lineate the general plan of riiy inquiry, for the guidance and satis- faction of those who may vouchsafe to me their correspondence. Without such an exposition of my system, their communications can neither be useful nor well-timed. They may write on that part of the subject, which cannot be overtaken till the whole interest be lost and evaporated. They may be so late in transmitting their remarks, that I cannot avail myself of their help, without disturb^ ing the order I mean to pursue in the development of my plan, and which, from being systematic, will admit of few digressions. On these acconnt^^, I must venture on a methodical division of my sub* ject, although i r^m sensible of the danger of erring, while I have neither matured fully my ideas, nor assigned them their proper dis- position. There can be no greater difficulty than this, nor any thinjj more embarrassing to a periodical essayist, unless heshall have used the precaution of bestowing on the whole treatise the lasttouch and finishing, ere any part be committed to the press. What once published he cannot recall, and over it he loses the power of amendment and further iUustratinn. Notwithstanding this impcdi. ment in my way, I cannot avoid in justice to my correspondent?, sketching a formal and regular outline of my plan, and I give it under a deep sense of its many imperfections, reserving the liberty of rectifying these as I proceed in my course. I shall divide my subject into three great parts. The first shall treat of the principles of vegetation and tillage— the second, of the jranagcment of livc-slock— and llie third, of all the miscellaneous matter i back its Some quiry, it 1 shall d lie otKce; uncultivi America which ha througho practicab oftheSh and to th influence and fisher either by pendents, indirectly ligeiice, o ment of th Under i on the pre of employ ting the n Cattle or diflerent ai crossing ai ticular pia destine th shall occu Qudirided request cc realized, w tural aflai •Dgs, it wi labours, to miscarriage thedesolat sod invinci rs 41 nutter connected with agriculture, and which either further or keep back its improvement. Some of these last, a! hough we are so distant from them in the in* quir)', it may beproper now bricily to notice. Under the third bead i shall describe the expense of obtaining grants of land from the puh< lie olfices— the occupancy of extensive and valuable tracts in aa uncultivated state— the existing laws regarding the importation of American producc,and their ell'ects on industry-— the legislative aids which have been given towards the formaiiou and repairing of roads throughout (he province, and which should be extended, if at all practicable, to the completion of an inland navigation by the chain of the Shubenacadie lakes. I shall also advert to the price of labour, and to the causes which regulate it in an infant country ; to the influence which agriculture exerts on commerce, manufactures, mines and ilsheries ; and in line to every thing which may be suggested either by the reflection of my own mind, or the hints of my corres* pondents. I shall exclude nothing here which may be directly or indirectly conducive to the revival of industry enlightened by intel- ligence, or which may lend an impulse to the progressive advance- ment of the province. Under the second part I shall introduce a variety of observations on the present state of our live stock — on the comparative advantages of employing horses or oxen in labour — on the profits of appropria- ting the rude produce of the farm and dairy to the fattening of black Cattle or hogs — on the best modes of breeding and rearing the ditTerent animals, — on the treatment of sheep, and the necessity of crossing and improving our breed by some new species : but (he par- ticular plan of arrangement I must defer in the mean while, and destine this day^s paper to the first division of my subject, which shall occupy me for the next three or four months, and engross my undivided attention. It is on this first branch chiefly that I now request communications ; for if the fears of my confidants be realized, who predict to me the total silence of all men on agricul- tural aifairs, and blast every rising hope by their withering forebod- ings, it will be high time for me, at the termination of these my first labours, to withdraw from public notice, to repine in secret at the miscarriage of my prospects, and in melancholy mood to brood over the desolate and forlorn fate of Nova-Scetin. Should such a total and iavincibie apathy benumb our faculties; it is Taia to shut our i|. I !►■'" i!i^ I .' • t , ,t ■ ilf 4S eyes on our coming poverty The decay of wealth, since the radfi- cation of the peace, has been rapid and beyond example. The im- ports of American produce alone wouM have been quite sulficient to ruin our currency, and account for the declension of trade, althouj;li vie had met with no calamity peculiar to ourselves. We cantiot continue for a scries of years to purchase thus liberally from a foreign country ; and unless vfo elicit and improve our jcsourceK, nothing remains for us but a" fearful looking for of judgment." IX PART FIRST I shall treat of the general principles of vegetation and tillage, and shall divide it into seven Sections. Section first — I shall throw out some observations on climate and its effects on vegetation, and inquire into the usual doctrine held here, of the unfitness of ours to perfect and ripen the bread corns. This will be highly necessary in (he outset : for if it bo true, that our climate is incapable of rearing- wheat, rye, oatS)and bailey, (to say nothing of the plants cultivated for their roots,) it would be the extreme of folly to amuse my readers with gaudy hopes, which, like the unsubstantial bubbles of the schoolboy, may Hit before us in airy brilliancy, but must melt and vanish at the touch. In what manner a proposition so unstable in principle, and contradicted by every year's experience, should hare grown up amongst us into the dignity of an axiom, and be received almost wii'iout dissent, I shall not pretend to determine ; bnt sensible I a:n tliul it cannot stand the test of examination, and will be found equally groundless and mis- chievous. Section second — I shall explain the purposes which the soil serves in the growth of plants :— its dilVerent kinds and distinctive pro- perties as laid on the surface of the earth by the hand of Nature— and the remedies to be ai)piifd hy the husbandman to correct its defects, and improve its natural unlosvard qualities. Section third — I shall turn niy attention to t!ie use of the difler- ent Agricultural instruments in picparing tlie ground for vegetable production. Here I shall be led to decribe the various sorts of ploughs, of harrows, and of rollers ; — also the cultivator, the sowing machine, and the curious implements of the horse-hoe hus- bandry. On this head I shall aim [)rincipally to fix the eye of the Farmer on the subserviency of the dill'erent machines to pulverize and meliorate the soil, and the litncss of each to accomplish this 43 . purpose ; anil I shall only give liim a very .sliglit glance of their construction and lluj i-ornpositien of their |)arls. This belongs more to the carpenter than to the ploughman ; although in books of Agri- culture much learned labour has been expended, and that usefully, on plates and descriptions. • Section fourth — 1 shall treat of Manures. These naturally divide themselves into two classes,— the animal and vegetable manurfs, which go more immediately and in greater abundance towards the nutri- nient of plants; — :iu(l {he fossil or mineral, which assist the process of nature and the diiisolvin|if action of the soil, in reducing the for- mer into tl'.eir cliemical and elementary substances, as well as con- tribute, in small quantities, towards the formation of the vegetable librc. Under the first, 1 shall descri'ne the characteristic properties of the different kinds ; tlie Lest modes of preparing, augmenting, and applying them to use ; (ho prevalent faults on this head which have fallen within my obscrvatiort throughout the province ; and (lie artificial means which may be recurred tofor the purpose of con- verting inert vegetable ninttcr in the form of composts into active and valuable manures. Under tlie second class, I shall explain the nature ar.d supposed agency of lime, of shell or pit marl, of sea coal ashes, of gypsum, of alkalies and of several saline compounds. Section fifth — I shall descant on the natural hindrances in the soil,\vliich are preventive of tillage, and which must be removed by human exertion to make way for the plough. This will lead to an estimate of the expense of cutting down the fores(, of chopping and burning the timber, and of ultimately outrootipg the truidcs to clear the land. A great deal of practical intelligence may bo conveyed to Agricola before he can reach this stage of the discussion; and in a country, where these operations arc daily going forward, the means of information are easily attained. I shall say a few words on the inequalities which are obstructive of aration ; and likewise on (he necessity of removing cumbrous stones, and of draining supcrliuous moisture. Section sixth— I shall explain the different Agricultural opera- tions, and (heir utility in preparing the earth, and assisdng tlie growth of vegetables. 'I'his subdivision will comprehend plough- ing, harrowing, rolling, drilling, sowing and summer-fallowing,with other business of minor importance, but conducing to the same ends. I shall aim here at giving distinct ideas of these operations, which constitute the very essence of farming j and I shall endeavour to li- f P I I! H i* i f :;i ' X. ,.^r 1 . ■X 'I M ■il ,i'i M 44 rectify the errors which exist In common practice. On the right ana judicious performance of these labours depend the ultimate success of improvements, the abnndauce of crops^ and the progressive nieiior- atioa of the soil. Section seYcnth— .1 shall enumerate and treat of the different plants and vegetables, which are reared for the use of man and the other animals. The preceding sections are all preparatory to this capital object : and hence I shall dilate on the different kinds of crops ; the soils most suited to each ; the most approved methods of cultivating them ; and the new plants, which may be introduced here with in- calculable advantage. I shall then proceed to the Rotation of Crops adapted to particular soils, and illustrate the practice of otlicr countries in this important branch of husbandry. These various topics will exhaust whatever i can advance on the general principles of vegetation and tillage : and as they will occupy me till the end of the year in a weekly communication, my readers "will have leisure to survey the subject in its dependances and rela- tions, and to understand the fundamental principles of Agriculture, considered as a science. I shall intermix my reasoning with practi- cal details gathered from my own observation ; and 1 cannot but entertain a hope, that many correspondents will assist me with the fruits of their experience, aadl support an undertaking, from which I am to reap no pecuniary benefit, and which threatens, from its unin« teresting and dry researches, and from the little notice it has hitherto awakened, to drop still-born from the press. It may, perhaps, turn out a misapplication of my leisure hours ; but it is an honest and upright attempt to stir the public attention to know and estimate our true interests : and there must be many men of liberal minds both in Halifax and the Country, viho will cheerfully lend their services, and extend their patronage to a project, which promises to construct our future prosperity on tke solid aud permanent basis of Agricul- tural improvement. AGRICOLA. Halifax, August 18th^ 1818. LETTER G. On ij\i\\\ate. "JVrOTHING affected philosophers with so much surprise, on the -*-^ discovery of America, as the differeot laws to which it was 1 7 I ■,iH # 45 Bubjecf with reeppct to the distrihution of heat and cold. "When they compared any portiou of the new continent, with Europe or Asia lying under the ^ame dt-gree of latitude, they were struck wiili a remarkable dissimilarity of dinate, and found, on the o>ie hand, that the rigours of the frigid zone t?;:tended far into it ose regions, which belonged to the temperule »rom their (;eogia|.>hical pcs-iiiou ; and, on the other, that the heats of the TiDpirs were there much more tolerable than on the opposite coasts of Africa. Thesi- unu- sual appearances led to a variety of theories and ci>nje<'tuies.— *Acnsta fir0foiO ('ic J,'!' •'■llOWMi ofsii- .'taiiiJilli;; SHCI iiKtnys (;\}icpt iJiit 111 sjjfakii ;i'i:'.!;;t iitui so. ni'iilc; a slicit< !>iOj)er iii.UJii !iiay Ii3vc l!u'; I* ^|P nclei uity by (5e. Mtly vc of heir s and y the ch is r H)e npei- on to ) foet, II the 47 acrour.ts of difliTcnt author". Iiuii^cd (hi-t cplobratoil mouiitnia which, accortliug to IJrydonc and Sir W'm. ii:imilton, does not ex- ceed two milc3 in lUMjitMuIicular ht'ijfnt, is a docisive proof in fa- vour of the genurul doctrine, :ind contains on its sides an epitome of all the climates in tlic hahilable globe. A( (he foot, the vine aud the olive llourish nioKt I' ' nriantly ; in tiie middlebrow the beech, tho chesnut and (lie pine .ree whicli, as you ascend, iiceomc gradually more slunted in their -ro'.vfh, (111 vegetation degenerates into the smaH and sickly shrubs of a L^ipland cliniatc ; and the topis hid "u a frozen inantle of ice. 8tandini; on (hopeaic and lookin!:; downwards, the eye distinguishes three diirerent regions ; that of snow, where i-a to be seen no trace of ve;^elat!on ; that of for(?st, which surrounds the whole mountain with a zont' of the mo.it bf.iutiful green ; and tirj lower, covered with hamlets, vineyards and groves. This same law prevails in countries distini^uished by.no uncommnn elt'valiorj. In the soutJj of Fiance th'.' suminits of their high range-, as the nionnlains of Auvergne, a!(lioui;h unsuitable for the culture of (he vine and of maize, abound in corn ; and in Great Britain, particular ly in ti le northern parts, the crops ripen according to their elevation above the sea. The low lying lands are more early than bleak situations in mountainous tracts, and the harvest is always finished in the former, before It has begun in the latter.* Many of the chains, which intersect both ICngland and Scofland, arc too high for cultivation, aud although the soil be excellent, oats, the hardiest of the farinaceous corns, have been often tried, l.ut seldom come to ' III tlic Rc-orl of V.irk<-iiiro presented to tlie Hoard of Agricidtiire I find ihi'- (Ijctriiii- .liii'lialt'd ;it so'itc lonj^i!), " Tim liighi! t of those iiills in t!u> Nortli !{i(lin.'.j is about 1 1 41 feet above tlsr. Kvi.'l of tilt; tictvv<'iti latltiidf -!,"j'^ aiul 55'' is grtally abive that in which grain of any i\niil will (ip, tliat wIumo ciain is sor.ni-.t an o'ov.uion nf iiljont o )) foel, iliecrcp Iteco-nes extrcnifly iuicoitaiii; tlnU inav ho reckomv! ttio giiatcsi iiciijlit ;;t wliioii \shcat will ^lov., witli any cliancf. of rt jiayiu;^ t!.e hnsbandiiia'i fntU later in npcnini; tli ui if sown at the foot of the Iiills ; bi'tu«>«ii tliit ami MOD feet may !ji; rc'( l;')!iiii the niaxiininn of^ilovation lor any other i;.ain : liciween GOi) aaj S.'JOicet, in bacUwHid sta^oiis the pKulnci!! will be littio wortii, and some- times liot npiroach niatniity ; >in«'l in otiu'r seasons it may be late in <)clol>er hofoie ilic j,'roiinci ni ly heclo(l ; aud fici^nently hel'.jre liiat period, heavy ^llo■.v^■l■!^ of SHOW will have, fallen, and sour tunes vvlnle the crop may he still .'tamiiin;; such fli'iwcrs the people who inh-ibit tKe dales oi these iiiorelaiids aKtays expert, and intheir exptctition are larcly deeeiv.d, diiiio!; harvest. J5at in speaking of ihvs. heights, we must not look for inathiunatiral accnia'-y ; .'I'ie'.-t and sol will inak - cons:dcrat;le diifirenee, for w Inch allowances invi.^t be made; a sheltered, warm siJnation ni.iy ha-it'n vc[.'etJtion,aiid t)rin'.^ a crop to |iin|)er niatiirily at an heiglu gieilnr thai llw abovj ; or a warm, dry soil, may have llu'samc cfl'oct." — jMarshall's ileview, vol. I,, p. 12S. ■. -1 ! ' ■ ' m '^Kk .'!< «,; h'... t ■iy '■;;); I 48 matority. All laad in Biilain, placed about \b()0 feet abbre (hi level of the ocean, must be upproprialed exclusively to pu»(urage. Under the guidance of these factb and observations, when we turn our eye to NoTa>Scotia, we must be convinced, that her elevation i> iio obstacle to her agricultural capabilities! The whole country may be considered as a level, swelling gently into hills and dales, suthci* ently diversified to delight the sight by picturesque scenery, but nowhere ribing into the rude magniticeiice of rocks and mountains. There is no sumiDit of commanding sublimity from which to take in any extensive range of landscape : and to this cause may be attribu* ted, in a great measure, the dulness of our public roads. The tra- veller is constantly buried amongst trees, and he can seldom gain an eminence from which to descry olijects at a distance. Outhe whole way to Pictou, Mount Tom is the only exception : and although, on the other great roud, there be some fine views at Windsor, at IIortOD, at Cornwallts, and at Annupolis, from some hig.i points 'which command the rich marches below, there is no rising ground throughout this extent of country, uhich, if cleared of the timber, would refuse to reward the toils of the husbindman. In coasting along our shores, the same regularity of outline 'j everywhere per- ceptible. No lofty peaks strike the eye with the meagre image of iterility, but it is universally saluted and charmed with the waving line of beauty, drawn on the top of the wild and unfelled wilderness. Our whole surface is so near the level of the sea, as to be capable, ia its most elevated ridges, of ripening in ordinary seasons the common sorts of corn. 2. The relative position of any country with respect to land or water influences also its climate. The temperature of an extensive continent, and of an island or peninsula is very dilTcrent under the eane parallel of latitude ; and this depends on the nature of their surface, and the expansive power of heat. When the ocean is ex* posed to extreme chilliness, its superficial waters become specilically hiavier,sink downward, aud are instantly replaced by what is warmer from below. When these are cooled io their turn, they likewise descend, and a similar alteration takes place on the surface. The sea by this process continually gives out heat, and mitigates the se- verity of the air, until it be frozen at the top, which puts a stop to these successive changes. The surface of the earth, on the otiier hand, has no means of escape from the action of cold ; and hence whenever subjected to its rigour, it is buried under aa accumulatioq 19 vl i(carid snow. — — Hut the Rca hns iiol only (lie power of rcsisliiii^ jiiiicli better thanliind tho keenest frosl5!)ut,()M in>? to its trnns|)nrcncy uitd ceusclc"!5 limitation, ilib heated willi inuelj urealer dilViculty. No exposure to a tropical sun ever raises the ten)|)eriiture of tlio ocean ill uiiy (legToe liku that, which is felt on tiic surface of the ground ; and hence in sultry wcatiier buthing it* an universal relief to our ex- hausted and overpowered s» illations. We rush into the eooliog Stream, or plunge into the shallows of the deep, to escape the uiieii>ine.s'', and iiliakc olt' the Uin;;uors of a burning atinosiilierc— ]ij the same parallel (if latitude, the heat at sea is never so oppress* ivcas on shore ; which can only lie aceounted for by ihe waters absorbioj]; the fiery ardours, with which the air is impregniited. From these cansos it is, that insular i-itualions are ntiich cooler in summer, and warmer in winter, than those placed in the midst of vast continents. The West India islands aic far more tolerable tlian the central parts either of Africa or South America, and tlie frosti in Kiiglaiid are not nearly so intense ns in corrcspondini; places on tlic continent. Kvery spot on the liabitablc tjlobe, which is on all sides eiu;ompas«ed by the ocean, rnjoys a proportionable improvement of its temperature ; and Nova Scotia, on that account, washed on the one side by the Bay of Fundy, and on the other, by the Atlantic and Ihf Gulf of St. Lawrence, bids fair, at no distant period, to reap the full benefits of her peninsular position. She is more commodiously silaatcd for a milder winter,tlian eitherNew-Iirunswick or the Cana- da?, and even now the cold which reigns here is not half so rigor- eus,as on the banks of the Ontario and Lake Huron. The last circumstance, which I shall notice, as affecting climate is the state of cultivation. This is ihe principal and most powerful of all the causes, which disturb the regular distribution of heat and cold, and as it operates here with unchecked force, I shall for that reason in my next give it a full and elaborate consideration. AGllICOLA. Halifax, Aug. 21, 1818. u TO CORRESPONDENTS. Agricola Is gratified with Mr. Fleigher's attention, and shall avail himself of the benefits to be reaped from his mite. Humphrey's Gleanings will be acceptable, and both in due time shall be returned. To TnES from the River Philip, Agricola is indebted for the expression of his good viH) and shall gladly receiTe any practical G 4 ■ r**f ^ . information re;;nr(tin|; (lo husban'Iry (o bi! adofHcil on JiffuK*!!: soils, or other rural mnttord wliii h )u- iiiay ducni of imporlaiTCc, ^x\>i irhich htiTC fallen \>uhiii liiii t>xi)crieucL>. LUll KK 7. MAN in fiM iiuiiviilual lapai ity is a weak and eTanenccDt heiiijf. I'iic ilTi.Ll>i of his power arecoiiliiud to the siimll |)orlii>n of matter on which he acts : ind the physical laws of the uiiivcirse arc Lcyoud his conlroul. Such is his fee!)leiicss in fact, whoi coniiast. cd with their mighty opciations, that he seems rather sul ioctcd to their agency, than capahle of ruling, ^«)r directing them. viewed in his collective capai ity, his power swells into irtij.orlunce, and eaunes tlTi'Ct?, wliiih, wliile they astonish the imagiiialioii, gratify his vanity ; and in ootliiog are they so apparent as in his having cleaied and enibelh'htd the earth, that he might render it the source cf his subsistence, the place of his residence, and the theatre of his glory. On it he has levelled the mountains, and filled up the Tallies J he ha?, subdued the nildernes?, and taimd its savage inha. bitants ; he has constructed canals, aqueduets, and bridges; he has piled up the pyremid and pointed the obelisk ; he has reared monas- teries, villages and cities ; and aUhoU|!,h he could not resist anJ struggle against the laws of the material worM,lie has rendered theip, subservient to his use. Indeed, without his presiding industry the-e laws are apt to run riot, and waste thenivelves in a useless and tumbeisome profusiou. The trees of the fuicst thicken and imbovvcrJ till the face of day is hidden from his sight : the brambles and shiubn entwine on the surface, and present to him an almost impervioui barrier ; the waters stagnate into marshes, at once destroying thel salubrity of the air and the fertility of the ground ; and the uscfulf plants are scattered at random, spring up by the side of noxiouil weeds, and with dilTiculty are collected and propagated for the con- venience of social life. Such is the picture of all rude countries, no; inhabited by men, long and considerably advanced La arts aud industry. The changes, vrhich are effected on the face of the globe by tliel plastic hand of human application pursued through a succession (I I it^t.% and g iningine. Teitlure of it^ oii^inal The * Hert along its l( versing the starting < fl truce of its which in ti been en I iff pitches at '\ now thickl therefore, \. week, of dc climiite, thii Asia a migi account of I these rc^ioi tude, wiiitc and plants thrive ^000 llif itiliuenc HtTodofl of ihe Jilac winter was buried in st accounted the Euxinc, *Hujns H( cxpertito patf runt. Oriini iliiniinis Uani tit finistrorN propter niagi: aiit adissf ad tjiio ex iocoo t Ardf-nne l)iit tin- large; The one alliu ^y : and wa iTce, »!nl li lit being. orlioi) uf iversc arc coDtiast* I ieclcii trt Viewed aiicc, and 1), gratify lis haviitg er it tho he lhea(ii> lledup tin; vage inha- ;s; he iins cd inonas< I resist anJ dcied their, ustry the=e seless and J inibowcr, and shrub; iropervioui troying the the unci\i\ of noxioui or the cod' uiitric?, not 3 arts auil obe by (he accession »' 51 a((f < and gonrrafion , arc miK li more wondiirful than we nro npl to imagiiu'. An did >tlll«il country, smiling in nil ihe rikhncss and Tetduro of corn ficMs nnd mc.idows, lias rcry liltle ipscmlil.incc to it^ 01 initial s(att> ( itlicr in its groi{rapliical features, or in its climate, 'i'bc *ni'rcyniHn fdtcst, which reached from the source of the Danube alnnt; its left hfifik ('< an immcasurnblc nnd unknown distance, tra« versing the wlude of (ierninn) till it touched (h.e F.uxine, and then starting' ((land |dtini;ing into the wilds of Siberia, has not left ono trace of its li;i.ifs «-.\C'pt on tjjc pr.gi» of history ; and the I'Ardennc, which in the time rt Augustus embraced Finnco like a girdli', has been entirely cut down, with the exception of a few i«-muining pitches at Tliionviilo : and the ground, which both overshaded, is now thi< kl) studded with cluteaus, hiimlets nnd cities. I shall not, therefore, be able more « H'(C!ually to fulfil tho promise made last week, of denionstrafing that the state of cullivalion male/iallj alTet t« climiite, than by pp; taling l(; hi.-tory fo prove, that in I'luiope and Asia a iniglify alleraiion has lieen pr. luced sii ce (he first authentic account of the>e countries. If we hhall fn*d oit i x^minalion, that in tliPse regions l>iiig within the -Kuh and oOlh debtees of iNorth lati- tude, VI inter reigned with a ievcrity now totally unkiiow n, that fruits and plants in these dnjs grow abundantly where they would net thrive "2000 years ago, we shall establish, beyond all coxitrovcrsy, the influence of cultivation upon climate. HiTodofus the father of history informs u?, (hat on (he r\orlh shores of (he IJiack Sea, nnd round the ancient Palus Majoijs, the duration of winter was for eight month-;, during which tho ground wa>i entirely buried in snow ; and that all the countries f re;^innibnH ; miilianuiiqiie g^niiuni fines propter uiac;niludnipm atttnt,'ii ; iietpie qiiisquam eist Inijiis Gt'iinania\ qui !itable climate of Lapland or Siberia. V^irgil is so distinct on this head, and is, besides, an author in c\ety body's hands, ihat it may be only necessary, in order to avoid all parade uf Gieekaad J^atin quotations, to rest the facts upon his simple attestation. He is contrasting the shepherd life on the plains of Tiibia with what it is round the sea of Asoph, on the banks of the Danube, and at the foot of llhodope — a mountain in Thrace, — places situated between the 40ih and 48th degrees of lati- tude, and exactly corresponding with the parallel of Nova-Scotia. *At non,qn;i i irrs and se of the nig that p in the icy catch nets, but icir gar- •c flow the his yfl lav axle, bs on the er a heap in always 53 '• iTjents stifTrr on (heir backs, and the icicles hang from their beards ; <' even the wiiie, which (hey drink, is distributed in frozen masses, " and cut with (heir haUhels." Those, who arc curious and versecd in Ihenottliern parts of (he last. •MiiltoR fnimja!^ niPjnoraUiles auf tores compcri ]'prstiao lihio, ,>u.Mn (iHatriiciiltura scripsMin ieli<|tiit, nritatiini r;i;li stalnm >ic c ."i;:it, '|u(.(l ijinv rcL'iniio-. aiin-a, proptor hieniis asHJdnani vit)l< ntiam, iiiiliam siii ixmii viti-s act ol* .'^ dopoHiiain eustodirt' poiiieriiit ; niim , miiiua'o j;!'.ij d int- '.'•''ccnte piistino lipcre, lar- ^iKsimisolivilatihiis, Liliprique viiuii niiib ixuberent. Columells, Lib. i. ch. i. t Casar's (ialiic war, Lib. v.ch. xix. ) Idem, Lib. vii.ch. viii. '.; i ill- •■ * '»- 54 ;i! I ■'•rj» h m V ►tI The animals too, which inhabited these parallels during Ihe pe- riod now under revievr, clearly prove, not only the uncultivated fitate of (he country but the severity of the climate. The *Elk, the Buffalo and the Unicorn were found In the llercynian forest, and some are of opinion that the reindeer frequented this illimitable wil- derness. JPausanias the geographer expressly stales, that inThrace there vrere white bears and swine even in his day — animals which have now abandoned ail the warmer climates of Europe, and retreat- ed into the desolate and icy wastes of the arctic circle. These col- lected facts and concurrent testimonies Wrill bear us out in the con- clusion, that the whole country fiom Spain to India lying between the 10th and 50th parallels were aI)out 2000 years auo nearly in the same eiluation with respect to climate as the corresponding places now are in North America. The evidence on this subject becomes more distinct and inconfro- Tertible, when we confine our views solely to luily, uiiqucstionahly the best cultivated spot 'n that whoie range at this early period. — The Roman legions regularly went into winter quartern, because that season of the year presented an insuperahte bar to niiliiary operations; and the todes of Horace lead us to believe not only that the streets of Home were filled wiih ice and snow, but that the surrounding country wa* so bound up with frost as to stop the la- bours of the plough. V'T^il too in his (jleorgics e\ery where al« ludes to the severity of the winter, prciciibes precautions against its rigours, and casually drops some insulated facts of a most decisive character. nam fiigoie mella C'ogif hyems, cadem4ue calor liqnefacta remlltit I shall close this long and perhips too learned and ostentatious dissertation by citing the authority ofjuvenal in his filh satire to prove (he nature of an Italian frost. The Roman Matrons in obedience to the piiests were obliged even in the depth of winter and early in the morning, to perform ablutions in the sacred waters of the Tyber, and for this purpose the ice had to be broken. Hvbeiiium fiacia Rlarie descnidet in anincm 'IVr Hialdtiiio 'iyburi mergetiir. » Vide Cirsar dc hello Gallico, Liber Gth, 23, 21, 25. * Itfe's CyilopaJiii — ClinialP. > Vide Horatium passim, Liher 1, Ode 1th, 9th, Liber tth, Ode lY. 1 atious juove licncc irly in Tyber, The Tyber ciowadayi is no more bound willi such fetlcrs thatf the Gauges or the Nile ; and cannot furnitih to the moderus such cpportunilics of khowiiig their zcul and devolion. These views, whicli I have cxhihitcd of the ancient »(ate of Eu- rope and Asia, would be still farilK r strengthened, could we only discover the physical cau^cs, whi.h ure adequate to produce the im- mense change that has been clFected. These are chieily three ia number, and require otdy a very brief illustration. The extirpation of the forests undtlie dcainin^ of morasses give free scope to the influence of the soiar rays. — When a territory is shaded with a canof)y of coniinuous trees, the loaves and the brandies intercept the beams of the sun in their passage downwards, and pre- vent them from communicatiug the heat felt in open situations. The superabundant moisture too with which tlie ground is sonked ; the stagnant waters whiclj are collected in the levels ; and the thich rmed. t only rise in clouds and fogs to ob- scure the sky, but in reiility cool down the natural hfat of the earth. j\o evaporaliou can lake place withbut tlie expense of ralot'c ; and moist ground, on that very accouiit, is always much colder than dry. Let anymanjat this season, lay his hand upon the mould in his gar- df n at midday, and thenco pass quickly into the nc'ghhourieg woods^ «! d there touch the ground steeped in snp, and overhung with tang- '. .1 coppice, and he will be made sensible without farther argument of the vast dilTerence vhirh must exist, in the tem[:eratore of a clear- ed and cultivated region, and of a boundless and woody waste. — Tlie leaves when acted upon by the rays of the sun olVer resistance from the princl|»le of vegetable life, and perspire in proportion to the hcut to which they are subjected. Not so the earth — Fts inert matter presents a sluggish and impassible surface, and- imbibes that quantity of heat which streams from the noontidte day. This heat of the ground sets in motion the nutritive juice?, aids the process of pu- trefaction, a wakes into life the vegetable kingdom,and,from its contact with the circumambient air,ditruses a kindly warmth throughout all na- ture. Conformably to these general Tlcws,\\e find that the frost con- tinues long in the woods after it has disappeared iu the open intervals; and that snows will be met with in sheltered rece^^ses as late as the month of June. When our forests are cut down and the naked bosom of the earth harcd to the heavens, we shall have no concealed magazines of ice, snow, and fogs to chill our atmosphere and bla^t the teudcr blossoms of the spring. I i { it • I ; , ■f 1 \ ' if .'■ i M H. r ;1i '■.■\m^ 1 ■ ■■■ ]■ ■y.m ;' > ," ^ ■nni I observe further, that the very increase of population bcconr;es a source of heat — Mail nnd nil other treaJures are so constiiutt'd as lo preserve in their own bodies u mean tempcr;i[ure. The mi'chaa- ism, by which this animal heat is evolved and su}^(ciiiied, iseurioufore this Province, ia the natural order of ihings, will be wholly settled and peopled. In t:lin;.ilf, it every stage of this pro- gress, will become gradually milder, till it attain that temperature which it is destined to enjo) from its gto;',rnpliicul position ; and which will cause the vine and the olive to shoot here in exuberance, and the Indian corn to come to regular j erfecfion. This is no idle and fantastical theory, con»ri»td to rcconinend the study and pur- suit of Agriculture, and the erection of Agricultural Societies; but it is a sober conclusion deducible from facts, and supi-oried by anti- quity. In confirmation of it I ask, whether the effects of our pre- sent cultivation, scanty and imperfect as they are, L« not already visible in a strikiug melioration. This sim])le fact, should it com- port with the experience of our older settlers, and be established by their united voice, verifies and corroborates all my train of reason- ing; and on their honest and impartial testimony I leave the question at issue.— In old books of French Geography, Acadia is described as sterile and joyless in the utmost degree, as the region of perpetual fogs and frosts, and as of inhospitable and fotbidding aspect. When it wasgranted in the reign of James the First, its winters were re- markable both for their length, and the intensity of the cold ; and its summers were so short and precarious, that it was accounted n «ift of the Crown,of but little value. Even in the year 1794 whenllalifax was divided and apportioned, the features of the climate were harsh and rugged ; and the old inhabitants here, who can recal the sensa- tions of from 40 to 50 years ago, narrate, with a kind of touching ■■^v A f'l i i -I ■/i'M il' i i f'i I 60 pathos, their sufferings from the rigour of l.'ie weather, and descend to facts, which stamp and ponrtray its character. They tell us, that in those days the snow generally set in about November, and con- tinued often till May ; that the harbour was frozen ever every ivinter at Halifax, and that waggons and oxen, horses and sleighs crossed it without the least danger of accident ; that the peninsula was 80 deeply buried in snow, that the fences were overtopped, and no traces left of the inequalities of the ground — the whole being an even glassy suiface without break or impediment— and that the winter was steady and invariable without any of the present alter- nations of frost and thaw. Dr. Williamson is equally positive as to the increased temperature of the United States ; and ^enumerates a variety of circuDistanceF, which seem to strengthen the conclusion. The vine, the cucumber, the squash, and the puiopkin are continually creep'^ng northward, and now produce abundance of fruit where formerly they vegetated sickly, and were nipped by untimely frosts. Having at length attained this point in the inquiry,let us pause for a moment, and ask, What duties are obligatory on us — the inhabit- ants of this Province — if we really love the soil on w hich we tread, and endear it with the name of country ? Our first great duty is to encourage Agriculture by the most liberal patronage and protection. This art, in every age and in every place, is the prime source of na- tional prosperity and grandeur. Commerce, mines, and hsberics, languish without its fostering care and propelling impulse. Tho seasons themselves frown on a people who live in the midst of woods and morasses, and nature hides her charms from their sight : for these are only displayed in the verdant meadow and the winding ▼alley, in the cultured hill and the planted and ornannental wood- land. The rude and unchastened luxuriance of the forest can never be allied to the pleasing and wild attractions of rural scenery. It Is cultivation, and cultivation only, that tempers the bitter and chil- ling blasts of winter, softens the gentle breathings of the zephyr, renders the heats of summer unstifling and salubrious, and crowns the year with the joyous and ample stores of autumn. Cultivatiioa * Voluiut 1 page 272, of the Transactions of the American PhilosopliiciW Society. He observes iii tb:s disrussion " that vrhin the ext«'n$ive country of North America becomes entiicly open, wlien its woods are cut down, audits plains cultivated, the severity of the winter cold will not only decrease, but the stitlini; unhealtliful heat of summer will b« moderated. The quantity of snow, ice and moisture is already evidently lessened ; and many plantSj wbicb coul^ not be cultivated there formerly, now thrive and succeed." arrogatei ture, aud Mut (h Societies improvem rest and a now are. We have aud cultiv self into a der their i them suita spectators, (ion, to pa! Every emij He diminis market som produce, oi taxes, and t out in the t is correctinj dividual infl features of / come I namely, tha stationary, a Iher progres llie purposes grains. As I shall devoi the more ntc I shall do ranced on cl eye at one gli mate is detei that all place same tempera These 1 point •^hich when 61 iciid that con- itery cighs iisula , and )g an t the lUer- as to atcs a asion. lually where frosts. use for ihabit- tread, y is to ection. of na* beries, Tho woods : for inding wood' never y. It d chiU ephyr, crowns Ivattoa Isopliicu} liiiitiy of , audits but the lof snow, Icb couW arrogates to itself a sort of omnipotence, controls the laws of na* ture, au«l stamps the character of climate. Itut there is another duty of no less high and commanding import. Societies should be formed everywhere, to cherish a vpirit of infernal improvement, to create a demand for labour, and in this way to ar- rest and absorb the emigration from the old country,which, as things now are, merely touches at Halifax and hastens on to the States.— > We have lauds enough to grant ; wc stand in need of hands to clear aud cultivate them ; and as yet no public body has constituted it< self into a Society, to take these strangers who land amongst us un- der their care and protection, to direct their views, aud find for them suitable employment. We remain passive and unconccri>ed spectators, and suffer these opportunities of adding to our popula- tion, to pass away without a single effort atbcnedttingthe Proviucc. Every emigrant, who settles here as a farmer, is a public benefactor. He diminishes the extent of our forests; he necessarily brings to market some surplus produce, and lessens, to the amount of that produce, our dependancc on the States ; he bears his share of the taxes, and thrsws funds into the hands of the Legi>>lature to be laid out in the further extension of -^ublic roads ; by his cultivation he is correcting the severity of our «f inter ; and however triQiiig his in- dividual influence on the general scale, he is truly softening the harsh features of our climate. I come now to the last view which I shall take of this subject, namely, that admitting our climate from this period, should remain stationary, and not become more and more temperate from the fur- ther progress of cultivation, it is now fit, in its present state, for all tliepurposcs of agriculture, and the production of the farinuccous grains. As this is the point to which I have been all along tending, I shall devote my next paper to its consideration, — which becomes the more necessary from the prevalence of the opposite o[)iniou. I shall close my remaiks now by recapitulating what I have ad- vanced on climate, that the whole subject may bo brought under the eye at one glance. I laid it down as a general position, that cli- mate is determined primarily by distance from the Equator ; and that all places under the same parallels of latitude would enjoy the same temperature, were it not for the action of disturbing causes.— These I pointed out to be : — first, Elevation above the kve! of the see, which when applied to Nova'Scotia, exerted a very slender inP ly: If!.' ill! cnce, as we ha»o nowlicrfi within ou • ' 'ids any barre» snow-raju niountuiiis :— ici'oiull), ti) be'in^ ivholly early enci.nip.it ttd with ta't. tvaler — wh'uh ci^cunl^tarlce uiwHys improves diiimlc by tcmpcriiig Uif colds of winter, and niodcmtiMK tlio Leals of summer ; and (hi-i (hiows the !)alanrp also in fav(»Hr cf this Frovince, from lii r peniiisii. lar situation : and lastly, the eK'ut'tng Uate of euliivutbn. This is (he most powerful of the thicedi»iuri)iii|5 causes ; and, accordingly, { took some pains to prove, that ancient Europe and Asia bolwecu the 40'h and iOih degircs of latitude were as cold and inhospitable aj America now is under ihc same parallels. I investigarr;d the pliy. sical causes of this curious phenomenon, and traced them to tho More diiect and uninterrupted action of the solar rays on a (l(;iired and cuitivatrd <)iVil ; to the animal heat of an expended popitlatiun and the arlilituil heat of villages and cities ; and also to the chetni. cal htat of puticfacfion dcpenditig on agricultural operations. Un< der the inlltience of these same i.auses 1 have evinced in this day's letttr,that our climate, since the first accouiils of it, has been Rlwa}5 imp''ovin>{ ; and in my next I shall attempt to show, that it has now readied suth a pitch a^^ to be perfectly capable of producing and pcrfcctii g all suria ofi^rain. It \i not the inclemency of our sky, nor (he barrenness of our soil, which lays us under the necessity c[ Importing flour so la-ge!y from the Slates, hut the want of actiri, fckill and persevering industry atucngst ouiveives. Halifax, Sept. 7, 1S18. AGlllCOLA. ., ! LETTER 0. A T the conclusion of my last letter, I wound up the long trali; •^^^ of reasoning about climate by exculpating ours from the com- mon imputations cast upon it ; and stated, ihat neither the inclc niency of our sky, nor the barrenness of our soil was the cause of our not raisirg a sufficiency of bread corn for the consumption of the Province. 'J'his position, which I know, contradicts a prcvall< iiig prejudice etifortaiiied on this head, well deserves a little consider- ation : for it would be vain to stimulate to improvement, unless we sv were satisfied that improvement is placed within outreach. If thij I Af I j,^^ country bf destined by Nature for pasturage, and be unfriendly to production of corn ; or if the breeding of stock, as is now gene rally prn( would be rttrnordit case, h> 1 1 and in pla pnidarice, ronfinue f minds \\ \\\ « hither w» firiniies5;, n survey the 'li»: isvue wi wlio hav»? fi 'i'li little a thrive so lo of the popul afour whan iiig there ; vihion wo h mines io giv( fourSflhs of llie scarcity the lower or a'isail his ear (•fall morcar. conii(aiiis of it in the natu this order, ' a country 11 oi for its bread I orders I;e eitli manufacturi- i and animated, to give ? Wh( viviiig efficacy sad reality, procal oxchani without holdif ^^ 'lie materia quantity ; and tth tah' nil th'w ettittMi. IS is ihc ecu llie tublo «j he liliy- n to till! I cleared )p\ihiliun ,c chemi- ns. Un> his day's n !\Ut;\}s t has now ^ci«ili a"'l our skV) cessity cl of activi. C3 tally prnrlis»?il,l»c ♦Iir best ftnd most juillcious rmplnjmrnt of land, it Hovild be a ml!«H|),ilicuti()u of induitiy to turn to iillai^e, or miike any pstrnordinnry ert"orts with ih- plough. Wo are doomed, in that ciisr, b) ihf vvry con-^titution of the el-Mneuls to u scarcity of bread ; and in place, therefore, of writhing under the y«'ke of foreign de- prndance, and extrlin*; ourselves nobly to »-h .ke it ofl, we should continue til g<» on pe;4ce[ibly in the present system, and fortify our minds «i;h becoming rfMgna'iou for that abject stale of poverty uliitherwe nr« fast descendioij. It belrnys a want of munly firiniics?;, not to look the evils nf oor situniion boldly in the face, to survey them in tlu ir worst aspect, and, if irromediable, to abide iIh: issue with colleiJe'J nvigrianimity. With most of my readers, who hav» followed my views with ordinary attention, 1 shall need but little ar|;uniont to convince them, that this I'rovince can never thrive so long us American produce is Indispensable for (he feeding ofthe population.— liCt any man, versed in trade, take" his station at our wharves, and count the endless barrels of flour daily di^cllarg. iiig there ; and let him be toM, that in exchange for all this pro- vision we have neither manufactures, nor fish, nor the produce of mines to give as an equivalent, but are r<^nstrained to pay at least fourSfths of it in hard LiOney ; and he bhall no longer wonder at the scarcity of dollars — at the dejected and squalid appearance of the lower orders in the capital— at the numberless complaints which assail his ear — at the ircroaso of public charities — and at the languor ofall mercantile activity These, in fart, arc the inseparable con- comitants of the exisllntj state of our Agriculture, and grow out of it in the natural order of thinjjs. It would be iraposr,ible to reverse this order, without abolishing the political laws of society. Caa a country llourii^h, which feeds not itself; and has nothing to barter for its bread that is the fruit of its own industry? Can the lower orders l;e either well fed, lodged, or clothed in the absence ofall manufiicturi' g and agricultural enterprise ? Or can trade be lively and animated, when we have a hand only to receive, and not another to give ? Wheie are all our high-blown ex.iectations about the re- viving efficacy of the F.ee-1'ort Bill ? Sibered down already into snd reality. We are just beginni-g to discover, that Trade is a reci- procal exchange of commodi.ie>^, and that no nation can carry it on nithoul holding some productions either ofitssinl or its industry, las the materials of commerce. N ither of these we possess in any quantity ; and of course that boasted i3ill will prove a dead letter, y f ' ;' ■;•) m I il:| H 1 iS-; >■■ -t^: '\ 'I ■rj;! i r I III ■i 1 ,1 ( . ■ Hi ■; "' f ir I "It! 61 and MtoLk us with uii!>u()»(anlia! Ii0|ti's. Tt ii en the infcrdal rt" Bourrcs of the country nlon«', thai we must place our reliance ; for all el.je will on trial he fouinj vain and illusory. If our soil refus* Bcs to ylild us the ncccssiirlts of life with the most Cttreful rultivntion, flhd if w must always rrpuir to (he States for our essenli.il aupplies, no fontiivanre of human wisdom ran stay ns from '«li.kli;g, mid our plaister roiks, our fisheries and our J'lee-I'ort Bill have not eollec- lively sullii i(.'nt buoyancy to keep our heads above the water. I am anxious to impress this great (ruth indelibly on the public mind, and I have taken occasion to recur to it mort- than once : " (hat nhilt; we continue to import (lour and other pro(Uicc on so large a scale. and hare no eq'a\alent to xiv*; for them except our circulating s|n cic, we arc chaining ourselves di to culti ,ate it with skill and perseverance, and we shall soon meet plenty ♦. --ding ill the truck of the plough. The heavens will smvy ears, will shut the scene." The corns, which Nature has obviously designed as the chief food of man and beast, require no great skill of manrigemcnt ; and are, withal, plants of a firm and robust constitution. Like the gras- ses, to which they bear a strong afllnity both in their habits and structure, they grow in all soils and situations, and unquestionably, ill all climates of the temperate zone. They are so hardy as to vegetate, when the thermometer is only a little above the freezing point ;and it is well kDown,that as plants they will stand ihe keenest frosts of winter. Either in the seed ^v v> the blade, they are per- fectly safe although the mercury be at zero ; and after they have Iain for months buried under a thick coating of snow, they greet us —as harbingers of spring — with ? refreshing and lively rerdure. — The grains, in short, without this hardness of temperament would have been totally incompetent to meet the wants of society ; and man dared not have migrated to those high and frosty regions which skirt the arctic circle, unless he had been attended by these trusty companions to his new and dreary habitation. — They seem even to liaTe the property of accommodating themselres tp the climate, ■ 1 ; f «■ 1. • T 1 , 1 t , .] 1 ill i If v'.' .:|t„ r •■. , ii'i' 8 i; i '. „ 1 ' , 1 ' III ' ' whiHrer (hoy arc transported. When sown under a genial sky,s favourable cli:nate, they quicken their growth, and hasten to an earlier maturity. The Indian corn is distinguished by the same peculiarity. If seed be brought to this Province from the Sates, the plants in the first year will withdiffi- cuUy be ripened. If sdme of the more forward heads be saved and planted next season, the crop will both be more certain and earlier from becoming more inured to the climate ; and in the third and sncceeding years, it will be completely naturalized and easily come to perfection. It is owi.g to this singular property of the farinace- oas corns, that we find among them such an immense variety ; and that wheat — the most delicate of the culmiferous tribe— ran grow and perfect itself in Siberia. There is a spofies of wheat in ths neighbourhood of Archangel* which ripens in six weeks — a sur- prising proof of the accommodating nature of this plant to climate ; —and at the above port vast quantities of grain arc exported, which are brought down the Dwina, and raised on its banks— a river, whose whole course lies in about the 60th degree of North latitude. Wheat, rye, oats and barley are cultivated with great success along the coasts of the Baltic, and not only supply the inhabitants, but leave a surplus for exportation. The mean latitude of these coun- tries may be reckoned about 55° ; and of course they are nearer the Pole than Nova-Scotia by 700 miles. But in opposition to these facts, wer? there still any doubt about the genial friendliness of our climate for the production of corn, when contrasted with these colder latitudes in Europe, we can ap- peal to more decisive evidence, aitd to a new class of witnesses.<-> ^Indian corn will not ripen in the north of France, and is only ad- mitted as an article of field husbandry in the middle and southern departments. In Great Britain during the most favorable seasons, it never comes to perfection in the open air, and is only seen as a rarity in the central division of the hot-house. It will not vegetate on the shores of tho Baltic without the forcing aid of fire, and is treated there by the gardener as a curious exotic. Maize, however, •Tr^voN in Pn«sia in ilio v^ai* I^RS and 1789, trani^latcd from tbe Frcucli •/ Cliani'au vol. '2 under the wo:d Ardiaiigci. ;Vonng's loni in Frniice, vol.1, pajjc S4. C7 [lerfect when atckcn n corn to this thdiffi.- red and earlier ird and ly come ariiiace- y ; and »n grow L ill th« —a sur- ^limate ; comes yearly (o perfection in Corowallis, Horton, Falmouth and Windsor, beside many other places in the Province ; and so much adapted is it to Hants' and King's counties, that several farmers eullivate it to the extent of from four to six acres, and regularly lave their own seed. It may be laid down as a rule without excep- tion on the face of the whole globe, that whatever climate is capa- ble of perfecting maize, is more than capable of ripening all tho ether bread corns. This is not the the whole of the evidence. In Great. Hrifain and Ireland, in Prussia and Denmark, in Sweden and European Russia, the squash and the pumpkin, the cucumber and the melon cannot be raised without the shelter of glasses ; and although in the heat of summer they live in the open air, their fruit is neither very ripe nor abundant. In these countries they must be all sown in a hot-bed, protected from the early frosts with incessant care ; and their cul- ture is attended with inlinite labour. Their seeds, as here, cannot be iicaltered carelessly in the earth ; and their produce both in bulk and quantity, after much pains, falls vastly short of our spontaneous profusion. — When we pass from the kitchen to the flower garden, new proofs of the superiority of our climate crowd on our notice* The ice plant, cockscombs, balsams and peppers canilot in Englaudj far less in Prussia, Denmark and Sweden, be sown in the o()en bor- ders; and yet here ihcy thiive vigorously, and perfect their seeds. I could instance many more proofs drawn from the class of aunu{^^M|[| alone, were I not afraid of trespassii.g on the patience of my readerSj^^ ' by multiplying facts in confirmation of a doctrine too firmly estab- lished to admit of farther doubt. The irresistible conclusion from the whole of these details settles the point at issue, that the climate ef Nova-Scolia, such as It now exists, is superior, with regard to the genial influence and heat of its summers, to all the northern European kingdoms, and ii/ much more capable of producing the farinaceous corns. Were the half of the labour expended on our fields, whit h toils and sweats in England ; were our soil to be impregnated and varmed by the application of the same caustic manures ; the whole face of things would undergo a sudden transmutation, and corn flovr la upon us in ample abundance. In accordance with th^se general views, I call upon farmers, io all parts of the Province, to come forward with their honest testi- mony, and declare whether it is the climate, or their own careless tnaltentionj that accounts for our shameful and ruinoas defiQicccy . .1 - 1 I I X. ^^ %^ sei ▼et %l': h iiii 68 of bread corn. Who ever cleared the forest and was disappoinled iu his wheat crop ? Who oversowed his grain on land prepared by previous hoeing and manure, or on what is called in Uie country in good condition, that was not compensated for his labour ? I cx« ccpt those calamities that befal our crops in particular seasons, cither from premature frosts or the invasion of mice, both which are refer- able to onr forests ; for in all countries disasters have at times blight> ed the hopes of the year, but we are not more exposed to them than others in similar situations. I have seen wheat as strong and vigorous in Annapolis, in Cornwallis and Ilorton, on the Shubenacadie, and at Pictou, as ever grew in England or France. True, I have wilnes. sed also very inferior crops ; but on investigation I could always trace them to l)lind and wretched husbandry. Barley is the very foster- child of Nova-Scotia ; and I have heard farmers profess that with them it has not failed more than once in twenty years; and yet enough has not been raised for the ordinary purposes of brewing. Oats grow plentifully on our highest grounds : and just now wheat has been cut down, full and heavy eared, on the Ardlse mountains, which from their height are a fortnight more backward than the ad- joining levels of Windsor and Falmouth. We want industry, not a propitious climate, to make us rich in agricultural produce. I shall admit, that the length and intensity of our winters form a serious interruption to country woVk, from the earth being covered Ih snow ; but it should be recollected, that in England there is no egetation during the same p*;riod, and that the only advantage its inhabitants enjoy over us in tlM8 respect, arises merely from their then tilling and preparing the ground. For this, we have some atonement made iu the mildness and duration of the autumn, which is extremely favourable to all sorts of rural operation, were our farmers only diligent to improve it by the unceasing motion of the plough. This should be spent, not in the idleness and dissipation of horse- back, but in the assiduous and active labours of the field. T ought now to make some observations on the common opinion en< tertained by many, — that pasturage in a country like ours is morepro- Jitabh than tillage — a position which I flatly deny, and which since the introduction of clover and the other artificial grasses, has been eontradicted by the experience of ail Europe — but it would lead mc loo much out of my direct road to enter on this qucstion,till it conies before mc in its due place. Suffice it to state generally, that it is the en plough which draws from the cnrth the treasures of vegetation, and renders it fourfold more prolific, e?en in grass, than when it is suffered to repose in sluggish inaction, and to yield its scanty and polluted herbage. AGRICOLA, Halifax, Sept. 14, 1818. LETTER 10. On ^o\\. THE earth, with which the surface of our globe is coTered, has been denominated soil or mould, because in it the powers of vegetation were supposed to reside. It is there that «ecds germiuatr, and plants and trees grow. Hence in every age the first imprcssiotis of mankind led them to imngine, that the *soil constituted the prin- cipal food of the vegetable kingdom ; and philosophy was far ad- vanced, before this conclusion, seemingly so plain and natural, was the subject of dispute. In tiie progress of chemical discovery, the surface of the earth was detected to he, not a simple body possess- ing uniform jjroperlies, and giving similar results ; but a compound ofvarions, and I was going to say, heterogeneous materials ; and these mixed up in all varieties of combination. It became then a question of nice discussion, whether all or only some ofthe compon- ent parts went to the nourishment of plants ; and in the controversy, first one, then another, and at last the whole were discarded from this honourable and useful function. AV'atcr was next exalted to this office, and many curious experiments have hcendctailed to prove that this universal iluid was the grand agent cinployed by Na- ture in supporting the vegetable tribes. V^an IlelUiOnt, in the be- ginning ©f.the seventeenth century, adduced an experiment ingeni- ous enough, and seemingly conclusive, which went to establish, that all the vegetable products were capable of being derived from it ; and his results served, more or less, to mould the jjeneral opinion, till the real compesition of water burst on the world from the la- bours of Mr. Cavendish. Ilylrogeue and exygcne — it., C'»nstiiuent parts— were found inadequate to account for the presence of the ' Tail and Duhamel were both of this opiuiou. ^ 1 ■>^ , .■i i '.' ' 11 i .. • ■ : ••! f ■ :f ; y ^\ .•■5S^ r:] i ,1 ■*,^i. i^H m •^ifc 'i!'. "*■ ^yf^^' I • ii' '1 J, i 'k 70 •(her simple bodies yielded hy plants on analysis ; and ihus mau. kind were forced to rectify the doctrines of an imperfect philosophy. Lord Karnes is among the most distinguished, who adopted in their agricultural writings, this whimsical theory : and although he la- bours hard to establish it, he frequently deflates from his own prin* ciples, from that prompt and innate obedience which his honest mind paid to facts and experiments. Though convinced, after a careful examination of all the phenomena tending to elucidate the theory of the food of plants, that moisture formed that Inez* liaustible supply which produced the immense quantity of corn annu* ally raised from the earth ; and that the chief property of a fertile soil lay in its capacity of resisting the effects of drought, and retain* ing for a long tiu)e the rains and dt:ws which fell on it from above : still he could not shut his eyes on the manifest agency of the other powers of nature, in aiding and accomplishing the great work of Tegctation. He seems sutriciently sensible of the influence of air, And instances several plants-— ^uch as the house-let k, the hot-house sedum that is never watered, the varieties of wall-flower that de- light io station themselves on the mouldering ruins of ancient buiid« ings — all of which must derive their main subsistence from the aerial fluid with which they are surrounded. Nor does he exclude the operation of the sun, whose rays impart that gteen c.oXoMry which is the universal livery of the vegetable creation, and is essential to the health and devefopment of the diiferent species that abound in every region of the globe. Notwithstanding all these explicit concessions, and others casually and more obscurely made, he discovers an on- conquerable propensity to recur to his favourite hypothesis, and at every turn underrates the efficacy of every thing else, not excepting dung and lime — which, ocoording to bis own account, he deferred applying to a sandy moor under a course of improvement ; " *until *' he incorporated with it a quantity of soft spongy earth, that the <'^ field might be made to hold water." lie adds ; ** Lord Bacon *' long ago gave his opinion, that for nourishing vegetables, water ^' is almost all in all ; and thattheearth serves but to keep the plant " oprii{h(,and to preserve it from too much heat or too much cold." Throughout the whole of the Gentleman Farmer, a book that will always be read with interest, his Lordship is solicitous to discover bonie principle of perpetual fertiiiiy, and at-rordirgly his directions m 71 for imFroTtinj soils proceed on the notl«n of making; I t' i :rm >»., ■,"»hv tilii ' i ii »» : ^ i II i 72 animals require for their support and increase, /W, drini ami air f and as this is the most important analogy between them in our pre- sent inquiry, and will, besides, furnish a philosophical explanation of most of the practical rules to be afterwards laid down for the conduct of the farmer, it will be necessary for my readers to ground themselves in the rudiments of agricultural science. It will be extremely didicult to write in familiar and perspicuous language on this part of my subject, especially considering that I am addressing a community supposed to be untaught, not only in the terms of chemistry, but in its rudest and simplest principles. It vrill be impossible, on this account, to avoid giving some technical de6nitions and illustrations, which are essentially necessary to the right understanding of those changes produced on bodies by the agen- cy of the powerful solvents that are diffused throughout all nature, and that exercise a sovereign authority in vegetation. — It is time, that the farmers in this Province should turn their attention a little to those chemical researches, which, for some years past, have been directing and enlightening the practice of Europe, and raising their profession from its prostrate condition to the rank and dignity of a science. I know no other branch of industry, in which so much philosophy can walk by the side of ma- nual labonr. It is because we have despised or neglected philosophy, that our fields are so unproductive; and that our wealthy merchants, -who have retired from business, rather idle away existence than en- gage in what is esteemed an inglorious and unworthy pursuit.— The savage never tills the ground ; the unlettered boor just scratches its surface, and amidst a thousand blunders draws from it a scanty and precarious subsistence ; it is the province of the scientific agri- culturalist alone, to give it its utmost fertility ; and by his mode of culture, the improvement of his instruments, and the application of stimulating manures, to call from it the richest and most luxuriant harvests. I observe, first, that most substance*), of which the material world is composed, are capable of existing in three distinct states, from the mere expansive energy of heat ; called in philosophical composition, caloric. The first of these which is termed the solid, depends on the presence of a small quantity of caloric ; when that quantity is increased, the body passes into the second state of flui* dity ; and by still further increasing the heat, it rises into vapour ; and this is said to be, the aerial, the aeriform, or the gaseous state> (■ I Almost j of calori h, that s io iii(Juc( 'i pliere as ; uiometor talscxIiiL tion of lii ©fintcnsi solid carl riiiit ai)(J ami ifcxj] assume m ('X^'ibi(ii;(T rock-crysl violent ex( from this from (he cause the ( principle ii into combi into the re It is this On the ret lievcs the r vented fron warmth, in; capillary ai or by mean in dews am on all the tlie activity climate fro capillary at the tempera hly the cou orgajjs, and in a cold co ed pace no to laterial states, ophical solid, en that of flui* apour ; IS state- Almost all natural bodies arc susceptible of txisting from the action of caloric in tlicse three modes ; and the only dillcreiice among tlieni is, that sojne rcquiio less, and others a ^^reaier prooortiou of caloric to induce these cliangcs. Water which u^u.iUy exists in our atmos- phere as a iluiJ, civu lluctuate by a very slight alteralioii of the ther- iiiomeler either into jo/i^/ ice, or into aer'tfurm vapour. All ihe me- tals exiiibit similar |)lienomeiia. Ifsuiiit, they melt by the a|i^'lica- tioti of fire i;ilo a fluid mass ; and if that be carried to a gi^en pitch of intensity, they tly oil in funies and assume the gaseous state. The solid crtrt!) is not exempt from tiie dominion of this universal law. i'iiiit and sand when put in tiie furnace, dissnlrc into liquid glass ; and if exposed to a powerful heul, they arc dissipated in vapour and assume new atrial forms. True ; chemists have not succeeded in cxhihiting all s-- '^stances in this threefold state of existence ; for rock-crystal has never been made to pass into fusion by the most violent exposure to fire ; yet this inability has arisen, not,itis thought, from this substance for;ning an exception to the general rule, but from the dilficulty of concentrating heat !^uHititntly powerful to cause the change. — It may be taken by my readers, as an established principle in chemistry, that when diflcrent portions of caloric enter into combination with bodies, they pasfi, according to the quantity, into the respective states of foUdity, JluiJity and aeriform vapour. Itisthis property of caloric which is the grand causc of vegetation. On the return of spring, the solar heat penetrates the soil and re- lieves the moisture or sap, which has been so long l)ound and pre- vented from circulating. The fluid, thus dissolved by the genial warmth, instantly obeys the laws of matter, and either by means of capillary attraction enters the roots and ascends the stems of plants, or by means of evaporation rises Ir. lightsteams, which again descend in dews and rain, and thus shed a kindly and refreshing inlluence on all the vegetable tiibes. The increase of temperature quickeni the activity of those chemical changes ; and lience the dillerenceof climate from the more or less powerful ellects of the sun. JJoth capillary attraction and evaporation are more rapid in proportion as the temperature is higher ; and thus the sap, which is unquestiona- bly the conducting channel of the principal food, flows through the orgajis, and deposits the vegetable fibre at a faster rate in a hot than in a cold country ; while evaporation is going forward at an increas- ed pace no less on the surface of the earth, in order to replenish the K i( , t < y I . fl 74 J' ■ 4.\ m I J I i i!imo.S|)here with the adJiiional and nrcc^sary q.jaiililj of arpjooiis fluid, than on the learcs of all vegetables, iu order to lurry ofl' the 6Uj)eilluous parts of the sap, whiih hare been brought tiiilher by tlie accelerated capillary action. The increafe of evaporation, in con- erqueiice of raising the hcnt, is a fart fumilinr to the most com. tnon observer ; and it is in the power of any person, how little conversant soever with the doctrines uf physiral science, to satisfy Ikimself, that fluids when sulijected to heat, obey more promptly the law of capillary attraction. f f two wine glasses of equal capacity are filled, the one with cold, the other with warm water, and if a hollow stalk of grass, bent into the form of ii syphon, is plunged into each, the warm water will be sooner discharged than the cold : and this simple and beautiful experiment clearly founds a dii^tinction, as far ns growth is concern. not only between the diiTeient sea^ioni of the year, but between the different parallels of latitude. No vc' getation can take place during winter, because the sap, frozen into ice, cannot circulate nor stream throut;h the living organs. Neiil;er can it commence in spring, till the solar beam has shot its dis^olviui; and vivifying influence throughout all nature. Within the tropii«, again, the ascent of fluids through the tubes is accelerated by the great heat ; and this cause becomes less and less operative as we ap> proach the poles ; in consrqucuce of which there is a gradual decay of activity in the vital principle of growth, until it is arrested alto- gether by the unchungeable frosts of the arctic regions. I observe, secondly, that the substances, about which agriculture is employed, are all eompoundt ; that is, they consist of elements into which they are capable of being resolved. Of this no farmer should be ignorant ; and he ought to attain at least so much chemis- try as to know the nature, the properties, and the combinations of those elements which are almost never at rest, but, from the oper- ation of heat and of attraction, sire going one constant round of com' position and decomposition.'^ /^a/^r and air are themselves not simple, but made up of aeriform fluids according io fixed proper. tions in the grand elaboratory of nature; and as they have no small share in the process of vegetation, their component parts should be familiar to him. In fact, he ciiimot understand the nature and use of those vulgar operations, which his hands are perpetually per- forming, nor perform them arijjhl, until his mind be illuminated l)y| a few glimpses 01 this science. 1 impose upoa bim no laboricui fctudy of ( aliove I lie by such a him to dii ority. 1 kiiowiedp sJon ; l)eci for ordina of learnip^ nocps'-ary tr), for \\ tions, that the (lisciisj to di?j;p| I involved. All surr tude, ill fo invented wii a few siinpl neiicp, the ' ly">is has, J imjiorfant c mary bodiei and fheeart compoundec the retort ar Voltaic batt stituent part our arrangci bable that a the subjoine facts consist periment. The numb are 47 ia a sobstanccs ;• 3 more ; cali are considere ?ng a well fo m ! 1J fctufl) of iltcp rhrmicnl rcsraich ; I only rcqiiirp, that he be cxaUed a!)ovo the biut(; vtliicii tui;s i.i hiirncss and assists liiin in his labour, by $urhn:i illsi^ht i:itn ttie priiici)ilfs ofiiis prartice, as will enable him to direct ,iii(} |irfsii!i: ()\er it ^ilh nnc)C of intellectual su|ieri- ority. It is impossible for me in ihiii place to give him nil the knowledge, whiihis essential to a sucressful pur'uit of his profes- sion ; because these letters being of a popular nature, and desigoed for ordinary readers, must not glare with any unnecessary display of learning. Notwithptandicg this conviction and determination, so nefPS'-ary is a moderate acquaintance with the rutlinu-nts of chciiiis- tiv, for theproper understanding of thiii and the subsequent sec- tions, that I am struck wi(h (he p:i!pable impropriety of entering on the discussion of soil, till [ have planted around me a few lights, to dispel the darkness, in whirh otherwise my papers would be involved. All surrounding objects, how much Eoever diversified in magni- tude, in form, or other sensible qualities, wliethcr inorganic or invented with the powers of life, are capable of being reduced into a few simple substances, which hiive been called, by way of emU neiice, the " elements of matter." The progress of chemical ana- ly-iis has, within the last few years, introduced considerable and important changes into the number and arrangement of these pri* mary bodies. Some known substances, such as the fixed alkalies and the earths, which have all along been accounted simple and un- compounded, and which resisted with an unconquerable obstinacy the retort and the crucible, have yielded to the powerful action of the Voltaic battery ; and have been successfully separated into their con- stituent parts. These recent discoveries have thrown a doubt into our arrangement of the elementary bodies, and it is more than pro- bable that as yet we have not arrived at them ; on which account the sui)joined catalogue must be reckoned a mere annunciation of facts con&ibtentwith the best aad most careful results of statical ex- periment. The number of bodies entitled to be classed among the elements are 47 ia all : — 3 acidifying and solvent agents ; — D inllammable sabstances ; — and 38 metals. To these, perhaps, should be added 3 more ; caloric, light, and electricity, which by most philosophers are considered as peculiarly subtle fluids, and of course as prefer- ing a well foocded claiRi to be ranked among the others. It wouU i ' I't' ■A 1 } ■ in, i ;■->■ 1 . Vi i I 70 bo dangerous to r.iiio tlicm to tlili distinction, wliilr '.o nntiy mrn of splendid reputation hiivu denied tlicii !iul)st;tiitiiilit)',aiid dciluiod tlicni to be only motions or vibiutions of the piirticies of matter ; and therefore, witliout deciding on tliii intricule (question, 1 have omitted thcni in the present enumcrjition. The three acidifying and solvent principles ure oxygcue, chloriiio and fluorine. '1 lic first of these has been long familiar to the clic- mlat, and conrtilut<>s about one-fifth of our atmosphere. The sec ond is the snbsiance which has been latterly employed by the BritiNh Manufacturi'r in bleaching, as it possesses the singular property of destroying all vegetable colours ; and which has passed under the name of the oxymuriatic gas. United with hydrogeiic it forms the muriatic acid, whose composition has so long remained a secret. It I: a permanent elastic fluiij of a yellowish hue, and of a disagrccahlo smell ; and so strong is its tendency to ctimliinatiou, that many of (he metals take fire and bum in it spontaneously. The last is the principle of the tluoric aciil, and can be obtained, combined with hydrog(Mie, by appl) ing hc.t to a mixture of sulphuric acid, and lluor, or as it is more commonly called, Derbyshire spar. The six combustible bodies arc hydrogcnc,azote, caibon, sulphur, phosphorus, and boron — the two tirst bciiiij; gaseous, and the four last solid subslauces. All of them have been long known, and been fully described in chemical treatises, except the last which is only lately discovered from the decomposition of the boraticacid. The oilier thirty ei»:;ht bodies consist, lirst of nil, of the twenty seven perfect and imperfect n'efals,the knowledge of which, at Icastof many of them Jias existed since the origin of history ; and of the niiio and two new mefals, which constitute the respective bases of the earths, and of the fixed alkalies. Those eleven have derived their names from the substances in which they have been found, by adding the termination um ; and have been flenominated barium, strontium, cal(iun>, magnesium, silicum, {aluminum, zirconum, glucinum, and iltrium from the corresponding earths ; and potassium and sodiuii- front potash and soda. I shall next state, that agricultural chemistry Is not conversant about all these elements, for the greater part of them have never been delected in the structur ' of plants, nor in the soil which is the ««Mt of vejjf llic part of iadisciiuiin I iins|)icu()U! I is professif iiumber : hi ,.nd co[ii!)iii; ihe an ilyMS 'I'iie el em ^ -table mat of the |)roiii -ulphur, pJK :l^^ium, and (er, cifher in (he fibre wm\ tlicm. Those fi ft f with eaclj ot (hat harmoni i)p;iMS of the 31.(1 fi )v,Qry iur.inier heii; ling tints. |)lants, shru meiits of nati lioussalts. ' and after er organs, and long expositi on water nru 1 ninatk p()u:ided of tv Tory ordiiiarv from these through then * Soc Sir Hut lii tins treatise of wliicli is iiiipi riiit;--auf'ssenti iJ'S'iini and sod i'lvaiiably t'ouiji 77 M-at of vpgrliiiion. It is not, liurtforc, rssonthlly nrrcssary, on llie (larl of Clu' ii^ticultmist, t » t;xt(.'ml his iii(|uiiirs uii!o all of «hcm iadi-iciiiuiiiati'ly ; •)"• liomjiy (.mfim,' his att(»nlioii (o such us oxert a , (iiu|)icuous iiilluriu-c on tiio [)r(»(('S';es and phi-noincnu coiiutctcti with Ills profession. Thrsc, In ordinary cases, do nof cx.'Pcd fifteen iu iiunibiT : iumI un .n(jiiiiiii(»inro with tiieir niori' (-cmriou properties iiiid cniii!)inatioii>, will suffuo for tho pursuit of i^mh (x;it;ri:ju iitSj us itu- ftinly^is of .soils, of manuri-!'', and of |/l:nits, may rcqufrf. 'I'Ik' eltTnents vrhich oonstitut;; the greatest |;«i{ of orguiilzed vc- :: table niatlcr iir.; oxygeiio, h ilnvff'ir, and c.nhoii, ^titii, in some of the |)roilu(;l.v, a little of azf>u>. iJut iij additis.n io (he.M.«, chlorine, '^ul|)liur, phosphorus, cihiuni, inai^uesi" >, «ilii.iini, al Jiiiini;i:i, pot- a>sium, and sodium, with smill portions of iiun and mangaiif mcjIMI- (cr, either in their simpler oi more eoniplica!! d ai!iifige:ncnls, into tlie fibre and ti xlurc of plants, or into the agents which operate on tliem. These fifteen *elemcnfs, by the prvv(^r of cliemlcal attraction unite with each other into an imncnso variety of substance?, and compose (hat harmonious and beautiful as'cmMage of Tui: g fuims, which, by Mfiiiis of their roots, stem-, leavc"^, and blossonf, weave tho verdant 01. il fl )wery carjct tli.it sprii g < xrcnds l)enraili our f;.i,'t,and that thu {uninier hei;;hlens and decorat s wiiii llie most glowing and anini.i- tin^ tints. Ijifore they pass into the more cotnplex arrangement of plants, shrubs, and trees, they previously nnitr into tlie simpler elc- ;i(MiiS of natur,, and coiislltutL* water, air, acids, alkalies, and va- rious salts. 'I'h( --o latlerai^aiii areaetod upon by the powers ofgrowtli, ai'.d after enteiieg with (he sap into tho system, assimilate to the organs, and assume the characters of life. W'ithoutengi ;it.:^ in any long exposition of these compouniN, I suill maki^ a few oh .jrvalioas on water and air only, in lespect of tlivir preemlnont impoi lance. I remark then, that water, althonfrh a (luid, is in reality com- pounded of two aeriform bodies — hydtc-rene ami o.iygent: ; tliat it is a very ordinary experiment to decompose ii into Jii;!-o two gases — and from these again, to form water by pnssii'g tho (dectric spark thrcuj^h (hem. Tho air too, w hich surrounds vegetablei^, and in * Sec Sir Hunt;ilii«'v Tavv's I'Irments of At>ricnll!iral Chomisdy, ••;^r" ")«.— liitliis trratiso llic li anicil antlior niuiiierate-i only twlvc clt'ii, cut-, tie stiiily ornliicli is imporfanf to the aurionUiuist ; Init he has obviously oiniltci riil.i- riin' an cssentnl iiis;rritieiii,aic. idin'.' to ills ouii pr-iuiiies, in xmX -ami pnt- u-vnni mid sodinin — thf res^ievlivo liases of tlii> two fixed alkalies vriiich are iiivari.ilily t'ouuii in terrestrial ami nuriuc vegetublo productioiij. .f .t,' ,i 1 \ J ^•1 . '■> y • : .: I 78 II I i ; . _, tvhich we brfalhr, is a compound of three anlff-rri fluitl*— of »>:y. {fA« whiih Isoneofllio elfincnts of wftlrr. -jf ;i'iiO is coiTrrlrd iiilo cRrboiiir at id who^c Imsc \% f^t'|»ara(cd firm »lie animal by an ^internal rxIialiMW sj-crction, and is thrown bacli into tlic alm«)S|)li<'u.'. 'Ihc disappcaiuiic ■, (lu-ii, of o*vgei)C in tlie fjtfiiird niris easily and satisf.ictoiily accounted for, by the whole «|naritify ha»iiig been nctessuiily tniploycd in the formation of tlie cuib )tiic acid. By this conversion of die purc> part of ihr uir, two icry rcniaikalle c'b:iiigcs arc Bccnmpli»ii(jd in the animal cconumy. Firfif, a cousidcrnbio p(up tin; moan temperature of tiie body ; and next, llio superlluous cir!)onai'eniM matter, whii-Ii woald prove ncxiou* (o hoaltb, is expelled by (h° outUowing stream of respiraliun, 0.\}geiio has boon thus called vital er respirablo air, being essential to the support of animal life ; while the oilier elastic element has been denotninnled d«o/«— a word of Greek origin — and which means " destructive of life."' A mouse or frog, being plaeeil in the latter, and excluded from the atmos- phere, will in a short ti:nc diijin violent convul!.ions 'I'hc caiboiiit acid, which only exists in a very small proportion in our atmosphere, is a cuiiipound of carlm and ozygene. Caibcn is that light, black, brittle substance, which remains after the burning of wood, and it commonly known by (he name of charcoal. It could be found last Sunday scattered in all parts of tiie town contiguous to the +dcstruc' live fire ; havjrg been carried Up into the air by the force of the con. flagration, and afterwards droj)t at r;indom, 1 saw innumerable Specimens of it strewed in all directions. When combined with oxygeiie, it passes from the solid into the aeriform state, and con- ptitules carbonic neid — a g.is of important influence In vrgetatioii, and by some modern theorists supposed to form the chief food of plaits. Animals and vegetables are compounded of nearly the name ele- mentary principles, wliirli enter into their systems by the food, water, ond air they are constantly consuminjf, and which encour- * Sop Ellis on respiration tThis hIIihIos to an pvenr wliioli linppriiod at (he time, when tlio old luill of a shi|'. wliich infi Ixit-n lont; used u< a store on ou« tf the wlinrves, aerirf«ntalN caii^jiit tiio iiBtl borncd uith jjirat (»ry. »f9 thrir lion and piirts of ( cheniicul variety of under the bonic acid principles conspicuoi icription. of chemist fcrred to : Sir IJuinpl in a course V\i\)\s a maturity ai piitrefrictioi ployed in tl principleii, and escape iiiditisolubit fonibinuiio compound' mixes wiih of the man, cariousness iiig vegetal because the from each e and niysteri dilFerent or islence. I observe, enter into Hi iutioQ,are,us >vhich take fraas/ortnatio chemical ini analysis has ■ft ^hnr jfrowt^, in«1 lii<*fc«*e thiir bulk. Their *r(jart» cf dli{f«- lion uinl t«'iii'tioi', the duc(s, vessels and tubes whicii pervade all ts ul' (heir htrui'urc, arc no o'her than coiitrivuiicci of difine thomlitti wisdom, to distribute, roolvc, and conililru', in nn endlesi variety of ways, these simjde bodie**, which I have been eiplaining under the oiirnuth iiiiines of Ox)gene, Azot, tlydrogene and Car< bi)iiic acid Thi'sc, as il has been already stated, are not the onfy principles of aiiiniul and vgftuble composition ; but they hoM a cunspicuous place, and o'l tlcit account nv-rited t particular dc- ki'tij>tion. To such as wish to pubh (heir rcsr trchcs farther, (ystcnis of iheinistry, of which there are several of distinction, must be re- ferred to : and besides these, every scientific fanner should consult Sir Humphrey ])av)'3 Elements of Agiicultutal chemistry delivered in a course of lecturer before the Ijuard of Agriculture, in London. I'Unts and animals are either violently destroyed, or come to muturity and die. After death they submit to a new process called putrefaction, which is just the reverse of that which nature had em> ployed in their fornmtion mid growth. The dill'oreut elementary principle?, which hud united in their composition, are di.' ' ,1 80 tvilh tliat of (lift original compoviul. Nothin.s; will be lost in li,;. process, except fiom llieclornsiiifss of the exjierimeiitcr, or their.:- perfection of tlie instruments. When a licip of vei^etable matter, Ihcreforr, is liiiJ on the ground exposed to ihe action of the sun ain' air, and there iiUowod to putri*")-, it lo ..'s coasi('rialdy in both it- bulk and weight; bi:( ifth» stean-.s, or to use our new l;:ngU!if,e,fho gases, whiih ari^c from it, Inid been preserved, their j)iiit weight would have exactly balanced this di ficioncy. The ashes, loo, m liitii renjain in the chimney, licar no sort of pro[.ortion eillier in we'glit or bulk »o the lo,;s con«unu-d in forming them ; because tlic arr.ount of the whole aeriform fljids, whi h pas'^ed olf in tlie shnpc of smoke, has been lost in th.e compulation. — Thcsj arc familiar in- stances level to every rapacity : but the nicely of chemical experi- ment has now analysed (he greater part oi compound bodies, am: stated in decimal fraciions the quantilies of their inte^jral parts.— The practical use of this doctrine in preparing and augmenting man- ures, may be readily anticipated by the agriculturist, but shall b fully explained, when we approacli that branch of the subject. I observe, fourthly, that the dissolution of organized bodies mn take place in two ways : either into animal existence, or into cli ■ mentary decomposition. When butcher-meat in hot weather run- into a living mi natter, un atii! )Q'.]\ ;•: j[;e,tln; weight , wlilth V f- gill use the lie shr.i!c liliir in- 1 cxpcii- lics, am: parts. - iiig mau- shall 1) •ct. xlics rmv into ell • thor rutir jccies n[ ble sub- lit in my xt sitiiH an timo i on of til ious faci: I atul ioi )on then ractitioiK"! :OLA. niulliplic'i measure a| ~lat exciUJI •ittrntion, whlth tlicso letters aie awakening. Some of these com- tnuiiioations are im|jor(ant in a practical point of view, a few arc s.toculative, .ami many of them complimentary. To all those who iiiiv(Miot received a private answer, I offer my public thanks ; and I cm as.surc them, that such approbation and proffered assistance are hii|)py omens of our future prosperity. I see already the embryos of several agricultural Societies, and 1 only wish that 1 may be able to roixiuct the discussion so as to sustain and [iropagate its growing in- terest. Thi^ will depend much on the iuformation given me of a local and practical nature. lam if( possession of the respective letters and package sent me by Mr. -Mortimer of IMctou, by tiie Reverend Doctor Cochran, by Air. II. II. Cogswell and by tlie honorable Mr. Jcffery. In addition to the notices published from week to. week to my correspondents, and which f shall subjoin to these letters, I mean to rei'ord the principal events as they occurred, which have distinguish- ed the history of our agricultural progress. Although this may seem to the general reader a departure from the original plan, and an encroachment on the systematic and didactic tenor of the subject, yetitwillbs interesting to the inhabitants of this Province, for whom chiefly this volunic has been sent to the presn. I shall lake the present occasion to review shortly some steps which r had taken to arouse tlie public attention, which contributed iu a signal manner both to awaken a lively interest in my success, atid to multiply the number of my correspondents. After the ap- pt'iirance of the fifth letter, which sketched the outline and great di- vision of the subject, I ordered 200 copies of that Synopsis to be struck otV ; and these I distributed over all parts of the province, by enclosing them under cover to the principal characters of influence, whom I deemed useful to my purpose, liy this means they became acquainted with the mode in which I meant to conduct the investi- gation, and were prepared for giving me eifectual assistance. From this correspondence they soon began to account me a well known personage, though concealed under the signature of " Agricola ;" iinil,as my end was publicly and manifestly beneficial, to write me hack freely, and without reserve. About this time the (jrovernor— the Right Honorable Earl of Dalhousie^addressed me in a very flat- tering manner, praised my past efforts, and encouraged me to per- severe. This opened new prospects ; as it gave rae the first pntron- L ^ 8S m I J! m r age of (he province; and I became sure of acceiriplisiilng iiy object niilcss I should prove fiiithloss (o myself. AUhough no public i)o< tice was taken by me at (he time of this distingoished and friendly intimation, yet it was eminently subservient (o the attainment of my main design. His Lordship approved of my writings in his priva(e circles, and those about his prrson and government scrupled not (o enrol themselves among my correspondents. My rapid and unprc- cedented success is, in a great measure, attributable to this early at* > h tlie same earth that had been dug out of them. Towards the end of August, I took a second survey, that I might note the progress of my experiment. The piece deeply buried was nearly all wasted, and the flefib, still remainia|; round the bone, was sweet to the smell, aud converted to something like white soap — without the vestige of a single animal either en it •r in the ground. In the other Dear the surface were iaxuriatiag myriads of vermin, mostly of the same size, and all of tht samcspe* wei. I again replaced theui^ and two daya ago opened Uiem up f«E f . It •'•««- ^rnw- V 'I 81 the last lime. The first piece had now entirely evanished except llie bono, and even It exhibited symptoms of d( cay ; and tiie nest of vermin, that came to life from the second, had themselves subniitfcd to the dissolvent powers of the soil ; and all that remained of ihcin was a blackish earth in which they had putrllied and perished. From this experiment I am justified in drawing the following con- elusion ; That the elementary substances, which enter irlto the composition of animals and vegetables, arc nearly the same; and that their remains will give similar results. I fence it If, that dcc(Mii> posing animal and vegetable bodies have been with equal success aj). plied as manures ; because both of them dissolve into the same pri- mary elements. The last general observation which I shall make on agricultural chemistry is, that the principle of combination among the elements of matter, as they are arranged by the powers of life in tlie vcgela- ble structure, is entirely dissimilar to that which obtains in inorganic compounds, and is governed by difl'erent laws. These element-, when they are employed to form thevarious substances in the mine, ral kingdom, unite with each other in certain definite proportions ; and these combinations are pretty accurately known, and, in many respects, are under the power of the chemist. In this class of bo- dies he can imitate the workings of nature, either by analyzing th(m and exhibiting their component parts; oragain, by joining these parts and reproducing the original compounds. The sulphuric acid can be resolved into sulphur and oxygene; and these two elements c:iii be, by the mere process of combustion, reunited into the acid. Our knowledge, in this case, is perfected by the application both of tlio analytical, and of the synthetical mode. If hydrogene,whichis the lightest of all known substances, be taken as the standard, or common measure, and bo made to represent unity, or I ; all the other elements may be expressed by numbers, and the proportions, in which they enter into organic combinations, may Im shown and distinctly conveyed by those numbers, or by somcmultijilij of them. This law of definite proportion has not yet been thoroughly investigated ; for the numbers representing some of the simple bodie', notwithstanding the utmost patience and assiduity of modern inquiry, are still ucknown ; yet research has been prosecuted so far as to lay «pen a wonderful order and uniformity in the arrangement of the uii- nute particles of matter. Thus ; hydrogenc,which is at the top of (he scalcj is f^^prcsented by Ijoxygentby li>, chlorine by 675azotc by 20, ff carbon by sodium by num by JJj H liich arc < tioQS above rush into t from all foi posed of.or constitutioi 7:)+ 15=9( dose of sodi Carbonic of carbon ; •11.1. Lime »iid one of c 1 1 is nee (hat this beji t'le combina of their comj (■ srth, Is a m ed of one pn and miy be this gross am in a given pi( carbon, and And further, indicated by to heat undc; '''■■ elasticity factory and (aken to VL>ri of the earth, j>" sirfgular Jcad matter, either of the i^cy fornj. * •'>ir Jnmes I coiiiprfci,sioii,iu .*li:i 8j 3 tak'^n t unity, aud the may l)*^ nuUiiik'i M 'a oroughiy g e bodies laibon by 1 1.1, sulphui by 30, phosphorus l)y 20, pofassiutn by 75, sodium by 8S,t:alciuin by lO, magnesium by JS, Miicuir. by jI, alumi- num by 3J, iron by 10j,and maiigaoese byl77. Thcso Qftccii eleiiicais, which arc conccrnetl with the vegetable kingdom, unite in the j-ropor- lioDS above stated, or in some simple multiples of them,vvh(uuvor thi y rush into the forms of dead matter. For instance, potash, when iVeit from all foreign admixture and consiiting of the pure alkali, is cciii- posed of. one dose of potassium 7j, and one of oxygene 15, and in constitution may be represented by these numbers added together, 7.) + 15=90. Soda again, or (he pure mineral alkali, contains one (lose of sodium, and two of oxygene ; SS + 2 x 1 ■)=:;()= 1 IS. Carbonic acid is composed of two proportions of (txyk^ei-e, and one of carbon ; and its con»lilution will be indicated by the nuiwbert> •11.4. Lime, on the other hand, is formed of one dose of calcium 40, »iid one of oxygene 1;"), making the sum total 5j. it is necessary here to go a sdp farther and inform the reader, that this beautiful law is so regular in its operation, that it directs the combination not unly of the elements themselves, but also of their compounds. l..imcstonc, as di'g from the bowels of the rirth, is a mixture of the two substances last named, and is compos- ed of one proportion of (he carbonic acid .">.), and one of lime 41.4, and miy be expressed therefore, by the number TO. 1. If we resolve this gross amount into its elementary pro()ortions, we shall find, that in a given [)iec(! of limestone there are l.i parts of oxygene, 1 1, i of carbon, a(ui 10 of the newly discovered n\el:il, denominated calcium. And further, were the identical proportions of these three elements indicated by the above numbers agiin brought together, and exposed to h'?at under &, proper degree of compression, in order to suppress '' elasticity of the gaseous part?, JOinewhat similarly fo the satis- f;u:lory and well conducted experiments of Sir Janu;s Jlill* under- (ftken to verify certain princi|)les assumed in the lluttonian theory of the earth, the whole would form anew into ihe carbonate of lime. So singular and uniform is tliis law that, in the combinations of (lead matter, no instance has been found of its violation, in t!ic union either of the elements with each other, or of the substances which they foroi. For example ; several of the metals can co.T.bi:je che- * Sir James Hall's accoiint of a series of < xperiaients, sliovvii';^ the iti". ( tsof coiiiprts'-ionjiu moilitying the action of heat. r' !| il ■ Ji; . •,! \\ h6 Biirally wi(Ii from •ne to four proportions of oxy^cne, and thus constitute oxides ©f dlirirent colours and properties ; but in all these i!)e vital air unites with the metallic base either in its numeri- cal proportion l.'j, or in multiples of it ; as 15, 30, 45, GO. Water, which is undergoing constant changes, and entering into a maUiplicity of bodies, is constituted of two proportions of hydro* ^ene'2, and one of oxygene 13 ; so that its joint number is 17.— When this universal fluid rushes into a hydrate, and chemically combines with any other substance, it follows the same law of defin- ite proportion, and unites according to the iiuiribers 17, 34, 51, (iH ; so that this doctrine, in the hands of a skilful 0n\ enlerprihin^ ana- lyser, becomes a master-key to unlock the mysteries of the constilu- tion of natural bodies. But when trc ascend from dead to living matter, from inorgiinio substances to the produrtions of the vegetable kingdom, the domi' nion of this law is no longer ai'knowlr(ij»ed ; and we Rrc left to grope our way amid lights, that are incomparably more dim and imperfect. The origans of plants are fitted to perform functions that bear no sort of analogy to the powers of attraction and repulsion, of crystalline arrangement and galvanic decomposition. Ihc veget- able products, cither of a ratjcilaginous, saccharine, extractive, resiii* ons or oily nature, arc cliielly composed of carbon, oxygone, and hjdrogene; and, in a very small proportion, azote is blended witb these others in albumen, gluten, gum clastic, and indigo. These four elements, by means of slight chanijcs among themselves, consti. tute that variety of [)roducts detected in plant) ; and although wc fan analyze all or the most of these produvt^-. and approximate nearly to a corr«ct knowledge of their conj^titution, nevertheless it is beyond the ability of the first f^xperimcnter, and peradveuture re* jnovcd at an infinite distance from human skill, to combine these elementary principles anew, and produce the substances which the powers of vegetation can so easily generate. The philosopher can decompose and reproduce the acids, (ho alkalies, the metallic oxideE, the sal' and all the innumerable fossils which constitute the ter- rentrial mass of ma<' 't ; because the law of definite proportion acts by its own native energy through the endless changes, which these are undergoing : but no man, whatever may be his talent for deep research, how diligently soever he has interrogated Nature about her profouodest secrets^ or whatever the store or complexity of his instruments, has yet been able, from the simple elements of matter, fe create the compaand products, which are feund in the vegetable been obtaii fully been Vet aftei organs, anil that the pri baffling mat are, most ol dissolution sap by capil with that SI nia or carbo representati( is a point wj functions of in the forme latter,and as the unsearch impresses up by a diversit' ferent substa sap so many the way by v are perhaps f After mak that although ists, what is t iiy elt cntar these princip we know cno long and um over the prop when we put economy, to and conservat no bar in the (lucive to hea plants oppose usefulness of i believe it « 8? ltd thu3 it in all iiutneri- g into a liydro* is 17.— emicaily of Jefin. 51, (i8; ng aou* constitU' norgimii; lie domi- ) loft to dim and fanctions repulsion, he veget- ive, resin- ;one, and idcd with These .•S, COhbti. lough wc proximate leless it is euturc re* jne these which the opher can lie oxi(ieS| e the ter- rtion acts I hich these U for deep tare about ;xity of his } of matter, 5 TegctabU ^.■»tiou. Starch, sugnr, wix, resin, gum, indigo bare all hithcrt* been obtained from the proceiis of vegetation, and have never success* fully been imitated by art. Yet after all, it is only in the assimilation of the nutriment to the ergaus, and in the conversion of the sap iito the vegetable products, that the principle of vitality displays itself in this unaccountable and baffling manner ; for, in other respects, the phenomena of growth are, most of them, referable to tlie chemical laws of matter. The dissolution of manure into its elementary parts, the ascent of the sap by capillary attraction, the mixture of alimentary soluble matter with that sap, and its being impregnated with gases—* either ammo< nla or carbonic acid — may be exemplified by the chemist, and a full representation of all the processes subjected to the senses. Siill ihero is a point where the laws of attraction and repulsion end, and the functions of life begin : and though we can truce and mimic Nature in the former, she eludes our bold and adventurous inqairics in the lattcr,and asserts, at the expense of all human intelligence and skill, theunsearcbableness of her ways. The peculiar character which life impresses upon her productions — the mode by which the elements, by a diversity of their arrangement, arc made to form the most dif- ferent substances— the process, by which can be elaborated from the sap 60 many juices of dissimilar taste and virtue — and in one word, the way by which the vegetable is sustained and increased in bulk, are perhaps forever placed beyond the discovery of science. After making these preliminary observations, I would remark that although it be not yet discovered to the satisfaction of natural- ists, what is the pro[)er food of vegetables, nor ascertained how ma- iiy el< cntary principles are subservient to their aliment, nor how these principles are changed and eonsolidatcd into the woody fibre, we know enough to guide our practice, and are confirmed i:i it by a iong and uucontradictory experit-nci;. The same obscurity hangs over the proper food of sentient txMngs ; and wcare equally puzzled, when we push our researches into the secret recessc> of (lie animal economy, to find out the simple and original elements of its support and conservation. This difllculty, however fjnsurmounliible, tkrows no bar in the way of our using that food, which has been found con- ilucive to health ; uor should our ignorance of the nutriment of plants oppose any obstacle to the application of those nianures, the usefulness of which has bceu sanciioun;J by time and observation. — i bclievs it would serve tiie purposes of philosophy much better, te I 1 I '\\ •i fiil M w. In 1 li 88 lay Bsit!(; thl-* pr) iti;; cniiosify into the insrrulablo work;? of \iituic, •lid to govrrii our conduct by Ihuscfacis which arc plain :iiul palpti. bic. Siiire it i«, therefore, un'Jciiiahlc that a ^vondcrful uiid utrik- iiig anMloyy iiolds between plants nnd animals, in the propnj^.ilion of rinciples are intro duced chit lly by the roots. ilowiMcr much this doctrine may co- incide with the Ic'ijitiuiLitP conclusions of science, I am iutliued to S9 , hydro* ingrPiJi- are intro may co* .liucd tfi Blitv^j along with many etili^htcncd agriculturists in Europe, that itlio!!b''en a rain and unprofitable pursuit to waste so much time) nnd rnuKiply so many experiments in (he prosecution of this object ; for that plahtS arc nourished, in a greater or less degree, by all thos* >obstances which arc found in their composition, and which haft been assimilated to (he organs by the exercise of the vital ';.nctiODS. the roots spread in the soil, sirctih in every direction, divide and Bubdivide into almost imperceptible ramifications, in order to collect the sapj which, holding in solution various matter, mounts into th« Mem, and, like the blood of animab, distributes through all parts the neccsijary nourishment. Water then is (he first grand solrent acting on the decomposing substances In the soil, and which becom- ing impregnated with the gases^ juices, and other Soluble matter ariin^ from corruption, carries these along with it through all its winding channels, and deposits them in its course by the action of the secretory vessels. But although the putrefactive products^ consisting principalty b( carbon, hydrogenc,oxygcne,azote,and their combioations, cannot bat be regarded !ls eminently nutritive, and as What plahts tnainly depend uii for support, yet we must not exclude other elements from (he just rank they hold in this department of Nature. The fou. earths of which, as shall be afterwards explained, soil is composed,the various acids, the alkalies,the oxides of iron and manganesc,and several saline compounds, all find their way^ through the medium of (he sap either suspended in it mecbanicaliy^or combined with it by chemical aflinily, into the heart of the organised structure. I am not certain whether it be very corrcc(,in point of language,(o describe these as constitut- ing part of the food, because they are detected in plants on inciner- lion,aDd other me(hods of analysis, any more (ban it would be war* rantablc to call lime, sulphur, phosphorus, and a multiplicity of acids, constituent principles of animal food, on the simple ground of their being found in the bones and secretions of the body. Severol substances can be introduced by the sap which are in fact deleteri- ous, and ma»y may enter the same way, from their accidental pre- leacc in the soil, without producing any useful effect ; so that tb« common doctrines of exalting whatever may be yielded on analysis ioto the pabulum of vegetation, is both questionable and dangerous philosophy, and the rather, because it is a known fact that the ashe» •f many plants abound with the substances pr«domiiatiog in the M If it f ■ i ^i ii 'i foil (hat picduccd (hem. We w'.il in nil probnhilily come iicarrr to the truth, by cunsideiing thn putrcscilile maiiuicii uiiJ the sa[) oiilV) as the eleiiientii of food ; and the other bodies as subservient, Ihdugh in a less dcijrec, to the h(;alth, solidity, strength, or the ri lit |.>eifurman('c nf tiic vegetable fuoctioiis. Ahhough the roots form thft grand ch innel by which sustotiancu Is coHTeyed, and, in order to answ. ' "'.is necessary end, are of a tasculiir texfurc, yet the leaves are no 'i,., necessary for the growth and healtli of the vegetable ; and the atmosphere is wi.sely and be- ncfirtntly constituted, (hat it may be aliccted and puri^'cil by their agency. Th>»y serve the same purpose as lunys in the animal economy, and by them is exhaled the . '|ierfliious part of Ihts water in the snp ; anil what remains, acquires new properties, and des. ccndi along tli bark to ndmintstcr nourishment. So indis;iensablc arc thry for the necessary functions of vegetation, (hat if stripped oIT, the flowers, that otherwise would follow, will not open and cx- p.'.nd their blossoms, nor the sends come to maturity : in many cafes the plant will die ul(ot;et|ier. During sunshine leu\es elevate thetiN selves upon (heir footstalk-', and seem (o move towards (hut lumina- ry. In daikness they bliul and contiact their outer edges, and are then said to sleep. If violently turned roun'', «o (lu( (he under ho comes (he upper side, ihey will (wis( (lieir libres, and regain (heir nutur.il position. Wlitn jilaced in a window, (hey will turn towards the li^'ht^ and as often as the pot is shifted round, so often will they h;n(l bu'kand spread their broad sutfato t»the refreshing iiilhiencv: of day. These all are curious propeities; but the most essential function they perform is their decomposing carbonic acid. Thisgas ihey attract from (he atmosphere, of which it always forms a consti- tuenf [)art; and after ('ecompoiing it they retain the caibnn orchar- coal, and disc h insf! (he pure oxvgone oi resjjirafde air. Cailiof. therefore, which is unquestionably a prime i'.igredient of vegetable food is '■u.jpl'ed hy the lea< es fiom (he atmosphere, and f) the roots fromihe caitli. Ir ii owiig in this capacity of the ()lant to take in cnrbooarc^'u^ liiMttrr (i.herabou' oi below, that so miny species can be turned up'-ide dov\n ; tin- roots growing into branche"', and (lie branches into roots. All tlit^ willow tribes, and even the gooseherry and (nrrant t)nshes can snbiTiii to ihis violent, and seemingly uiiiin- lurnl inversion. IJig u) at this si iioii, or early in sprin*;, any one of ih'se lasr, and plant the branches immediately in tlie jircaiid, tlic elevated roots will seud out buds, leaves, llowcrs, aud fruit ; and in I ihc.coQT'^c of next summer the bu^lt will uiulfr^o such a coinpleio ai* (rration as not to be ili'^tint'ui-.iinhlc from nny otli«T of ihe same spe- cies ill tlic garden. I have tried scTcral ('X|)crimi;nt4 of this kind, and never failed hut one**, wlirn nge nnd previous dccuy in the sub- ject had cnfecl)led llie powers of vcgrtalion. It succccls bcbt in sup- IJDps of a .single stem. 'I'liis succinct view of elimiioal agriculture which I havp exhibiteil supi;es(j a variety of moral reflections, too imjiorlant and too useful (0 l)c omitted ; and whii h. I li(>pe, will not be deemed intrusive at the close of this abstract inquiry. J shall pass over the greater part of them, and confine my attention chiefly to two. — One is not able to conti'niplatc the putiefiicti\e pro ■ ss, and the uses it serves in the Tcgetalile kiii£;dom, without l)t'iij^ .rmk with this atliniiable con* trivaiico of Divine Wisdom to r- i.. " fiom our sight the putiid re- niaini of animal and vegetable bo(l' d ciiaiige them into new and nutritious forms. The beauty of the universe would ha\e been much marred, and our sense-, coulinually ofFt'iided, without this ex;, -(lient of putrefaction which sweeps away all truce of former organized be- ings, by converting them into pure and uncontaminaled gi-cs. — These retain no tincture of their former corruption, aiut are ready to enter into new bodies, invested with all the attiii)utes of healliiful, enlivening and agreeable existence. The vegetables cooked for our teiice, but as soon as their structure is destroyed, and they begin to pass into corruption, they feed quickly on the decomposing matter ;; and the earth and air, as the great consumers, absorb and swallow up them all. Although the atmosphere becomes the receptacle of the volatile parts arising from the decay of putrescent substances, and likewise of the gases which are forined and liberated by the processes of fer< mentation, of combustion, of breathing and ptf elective afitnity, it vvonderfully preserves Us own purity, and restores, by a multiplicity of physical means, whatever is superfluous and unnecessary for its own composition ; and this is effected by the new combinations, which the forms of matter are unceasingly assuming in the mineral, vegetable and animal k>''gdoms. Nor is the soil to be regarded as the grave of the dead organized systems which it is constantly re* ceiving. It hastily dissolves them into carbonaceous matter, into fluid or aeriform products, wh^uh, either by the roots or leaves, go to the support of the incumbent crops. Thus th? soil supports plants, plants animals, animals and plants support man. They are all coin< pounded of a few simple elementary substances, which are perpelu. ally revolving into each other by laws and processes discovered by chemistry, and set in a clear and striking light. I have further to remark, that if Nature has fallen on this admir- able conli ivance to get rid of animal, vegetable, and excren\enti(ioui matter, she has shown herself ^o less provident and skilful in prescrT- ing the balance of the atmosphere, that it may at all times be flt fot respiration, and the other necessary purposes of life. The air,whicl; is inhaled; produces certain known €0*0011 upon the blood ; and,t>y i^s transmi *S per cen nic acid, great beyoi breathing, of the glob »iiig the ail (ive and ins tiuming oxy »i(ality» ' gtion the a^ (Ity of carb( double proc-i must be plaii ed, had not these, the pr of plants pos bining with CDiittiog (he | |s(s,tbat this the living fun the solar ligh air a peraian mals ; and t »ert the pure has made the been conduct Ms predecessc gated, to one ning at the I the genera ai like manner, perception am the Sovereign tory organsr- gene of the a i'Te, into carb Cfolution of (a tQthat prganis ' *>f Mesjre. i OS lis transmission through the lungs, is iiself changed by losings abent *S per cent, of oxygene, and acqEiring an exactly equallulh of carbo* iiic acid. This waste of the reepirable portion of the air must be great beyond conception, »vhen we consider the uncetTsing action of breathing, and the infinite number of animals existing ou the face of the globe. All tribes of living being, that walk the earth, or wing the air, the largest and most perfect, as well as the most diminu« (tve and insigni5cant,are during every moment of their existence con* burning oxygenous gas, and thus robbing the air of its principle of vitality. They are doing more : they are throwing back by expir- gtion the ajiotc unchanged and of itself deleterious, and also a quant tity of carbonic acid almost equally destructive of life ; and by thii double process they are affecting the purity of our atmosphere. It piust be plain, that its salubrity would have been long ago destroy- ed, had not Nature provided some countervailing expedients. Of these, the process of vegetation may be accounted one.' The leaves of plants possess the property of decomposing caibunic acid, ofcom« bining with the charcoal, and, when acted on by the sun's rays, emitting the pure oxygene. It is the opinion of some physiolog- ists, that this effect induced on carbonic gus arises not so much from the living functions of the plant, as from the chemical influence of the §olar light ; and they contend, that all vegetables exert on the air a permanent agency of deterioration analogous to that ofani* mals ; and that both classes, on the whole of their functions, con^ vert the pure part of the air into carbonic acid. Mr. D. CIlis, who has made the latest researches into this branch of natural science,hai becQ conducted by a careful examination as well of the labours of his predecessors, as of the phenomena which he has himself investi- gated, to one grand general result ; That all living natures, begin- ning at the le^st perfect of the vegetable families, and tracing all the genera and species of that kingdom, and then proceeding, in like manner, from the most minute and least complex structures of perception and sensation, whether iiquatic or terrestrial, up to man, the Sovereign of the creatioD,are, during the ej(ercise of the respira- tory organsr-whether leaves or lungs — constantly changing (he oxy- gene of the atmofphere, or of the air of the fluids on which they live, into carbonic acid ; and that ttiis change, which effects the evolution of cahrif, is essentia) to that assemblage of occurren(e<;,and tQthat organization which are expressed by the term — life. Others — . '■■• ' ■ ^ — - - ■• ^ - * S^tf Mestn, Alice A; Pepy's experiments on respired ^ir, IJ- I- K' Alt ii • F 1 '■ . .-I "'»' -K^miM, I t ]§ %l 91 Iiave opposed this conclusion ; nnd among (htse may be rtckorict! Priestly, Ingenliousz, Woodhoupp, De Saussure nnd Davy, who in. eist ; that when a growing plant is exposed, in the presence of solar light, to a given quantity of atmo.Kphciical air, the carbonic acid is, «fter a certain time, destroyed, and ozygcne found in its place ; so that carbon is added to plants fiom the air by the process of vegeta- tion, and oxygene to the atmns[)here. Both parties, however much they differ in other respect?, admit (his power in plants of reducing carbonic gas to its elementary parts during sunshine ; but the first regard it as the means of only throwing the acid out of the leaves, that they may aseume or preserve their green colour, which is depcn- ilent on the predominance of alkaline ninttcr in tHte juices ; while the second refer it to that final cause, which sustains, for the pur. poses of life, the uniformity of the composition of onr atmosphere. According to them, plants in (his way restore to the air the vilal principle of which it is deprived by aniniais ; and these two king- doms perform mutually a service of the utmost importance to eoch other. The balance of the universe is preserved by their reciprocii! counteraction; for without animal life the air would not be sur- charged with an excess of carbonic acid, and with'>ut vegetables there would be a deficiency of oxygene. Tlie more tve investigate (he works of Nature, tht- more we arc struck with astonishing indications of wisdom and design. Chemi- cal Agriculture not only enlightens the understanding, but betters the heart, by opening up endless and illustrious displays of tliat in- finite power and goodness which preside over all things. Il.Uifax, Sept. 30, ISiS. AGRJCOLA. TO COKRESPONDENTS. I am again fuTourc'! this week with several communications, and although I canr.nf acknowlidr them indi\idually, I am duly sensi- ble of their merit and irapoi , — I Iiave received Henry's Chem- istry from R]r. John Lawson, Jr. with the specimen of shells. The marl and limestone he alludes to would be acceptable, with a chem- ical analysis of both by means of the muriatic acid, which he would find an amusing, and by no mean?, a dilTicult experiment. The end is, to ascertaiti the quantity of calcareous earth in both, on whicli iJjeir cnicacy as manures depends. To Cincinn.Vtu:-, I return my thanks fo IiUUALIbT, forgotten, feeling, ur with succe: uiidertakin f'iends for Ihe soils foi mHEsoil -■• posed ( character ; j site prcpertit: lands are of before the ap con)binn(ion. rcct (he natur due its steriii is not piactM it may have Ik by injudicious J'l-escrihed, u, struciive to a zard in (anoiid the reach aud assistance of art, because it may have !)een impoverished by repeated cropping, or spoiled by injudicious management. The remedies, which may be safely prescriljcd, and successfully jpplitd to one field, may be de- structive to another ; and heme without skill there is always ha- zard in canipering with improvemeuts. The fact is, thai the rudi- ments of scientilio farming must be begun with the knowledge and tieatnicnt of soil ; and we will be gieatly heljjcd in this attain- nient by inquiring bpforehaiHl, what pur[)Oses it serves in tha growth of plains. Wlien these arc clearly asrerlained, we shall; proceed with some sort of coiifuk'nce in owr plans of nu-iioration ; for in most cases, all failures m:iy be traced to a mi.-cont option or mistake in the |)rinciples. If we shall be fortunate to defect the OSes, to which the soil is subservient in the secret and mysterious processes of natue, we shall thrreby be enabled tojudge, in v\ hat manner we should set about either the improving or the altering of lilsquiilities. As 1 am now approachicg the practical: part of the system which vl ? r, W'i i i! 06 t hare proposed (o illustrate, and as tlicre runs from beginning i6 •ad an inliinale connection between its views, the attention of my readers must not relax ; for if they wish to understand it, it must b& Studied and embraced as a whole. That imperfect and vnguc know- ledge, which takes up witii detail, and rests on detached nrid insula- ted points, breathes nothing of the genius of science, that from par- ticulars ribes to general and comprehensive conclusions ; that com- bines scattered facts, and disposes them in brdkr ; and that deve- lops the laws by which all the effects are governed and produced. A neglect of carefully pernsing these letters, as they issue from the press, will disqualify my readers from enjoying the further beneHl of instruction ; and as I aim only at their improvemettt, let me be re- warded at least with a systematic, patient^ and uninterrupted hear- ing. There arc some oBvious advantages, besides, attending the union of theory with practice ; and in the present advanced state of agricultural information^ it is disgraceful in uti to remain any longer ignorant of its first and elementary principles. lam far frdm expect- ing that these essays will enlighten the great body of farmers, sonic of whom will never honour them even with a transient liotice ; while othierf. will despise them ad Unavailing or delusive speculations ; but I do hope that a select few will devour them greedily, and digest them into intellectual food. These last must not be fettered by the Injudicious and unskilful mod6s which obtain ; but boldly taking the lead, and stimulated by new and commanding motives, tnust start forward from the boundaries df the present system, and enter upon fto untried course. Their successs will draw after them a humble train of followers ; and the improvements introduced at first by the few,will in the long run become the practice of the many« Theindi' gent and remote settler, who would be fearful to deviate from th: beaten track, and on whose mind the light of science has scarcely dawned, can be much nore easily excited to action by a successful sxample than by the soundest precepts. Self-interest will spur him to imitation, where success has led the way; while his incapacitj «nd dulness will exclude him from all the benefits of being taught bj\ reading. The purposes, which the soil serves in the vegetable econoiny, may I be brought under three great divisions, which I shall elucidate ia order, that they may be understood with preci3ion,and retained withj the slightest effort of memory. First ; The soil is the bed in which the roots sink and extend] tliomseUes. — The items and trunks of all plants and trees rise ioi line perpsn silion, wen o( the wiudi attempted t before the f] undertaken influence in Whatever m the fact Is ui hy examining serve that all "lelr perpent The common as those on tJ ous stems ar this pecu||ari( drawn, and w that no mon round and rot Qad that what! f ace, they wil the level, were thevalueof la ef seed with w This perpen he preserved w the soil. The veng ,• and the resist their unc «s a centre, fro pass. These firmer hold or 'he currents of | the ground, wl 'ioned to the gi shrub throws it] l«d by those of] 'stretch themseli ^ It \ 1 g lo f my st b& ■ tJQQgj to the girth and talness of the trunk. A tender and delicate inea tr |g{,fQ|) throws its fibres a short way, compared with the distance gain- _ed by those of the mountain oak,or the stately cedar. These latter " f ^ . ,|stretch themselves below as far as they do above, and cling so firmly 1. i 1 hi '■I 'i I' I] m / XxxxS .1'. ■I- . ■■■ ■ I s rise iaU 1 •"fti» M^m»^ hilll »' :' ' k i)8 to the soil, as to bid defiance to all the eiTorts of human strcngtli^ and, generally, to the wildest fury of the elements. There seems even to be an arcommodating capacity in the lurgct vegetable production?, to adjust the strength and firmness of Ihtir roots to the situation in which they iuippen to be planted. Mr. T. A. Knight, who hay communicated to the scietitific world in tlic ♦Philosophical Transactions a set of curious and interesting experi- ments on the motion of the sap, and the laws to which it is subjcc', found, that its ascent in the stem was a good deal modified by the agitation of the winds. If a tree be planted in a high and ex,)osed situation, where it is kept in ceaseless motion, the new matter that is generated will be deposited chieQy in the roots and in the lower parts of the trunk. This arises from the interruption given to the progress of the ascending sap, and accounts for the low and sturdy appearance of the pine, which stands alone ou the craggy eminonte. The same pine, surrounded on alS sides by a forest, will assume a very different form ; for being deprived of part of its motion, it brings another cause into action. The leaves, on all tho hiteral branches, will be partly excluded from the influences of light ; imi of course, the sap will not so rapidly undergo those change?, which in its descent fit it for increasing the alburnum, and enla.'-ging the dimensions of the woody fibre. These branches, thils impaired ia vigour, will require less sap to support their diminished growth ; more, in consequence, remains for the leading shoot?, wliich elong- ate themselves with a powerful energy ; and the pine will contend with all its neighbours for superiority, as if endued with the pas* iions and propensities of animal life. The tall slender trunk?, which we meet with in the thickest of the wilderness, have been stretched to their present height by the operation of this law ; and if left, without support, to brave the violence of the tempest, would be speedily overturned : because the roots and stems have neither beea thickened nor invigorated by the effects of constant motion in the breeze. They rise erect on their bases ; but the roots are compara- tively feeble, and but little extended. . This support, which is given to vegetable perpendicularity by the earth, is not the only use of the extension of the roots in it. It is secondary, only to a more important end — the extraction of nourish- • PJiil. Traus. 1 803. Part 2(1. 1804 Part Ist. It is Inourisli' 90 ment for ths plant. This lias been (he primary purpose \vliii;h oa- lure has iiitoixled in the forniHtion and organic texture of the fibres ; wliifh arc the means given to the vegetable tribes to collect the sap circulating below the surface, and enriched with the products of pu* trefaction. They are organs of a curious mei'hanical construction, admirably adapted to convey to (he st^m, branches, and loaves, the nutiiment essential to their growth and perfection. The soil may be considered as the pasture in which (he fibrou!; roots go out to feed ; and the more easily they can penetrate in all directions, 5i» much more aliment will they gather, and so much more vigorous will the plant become. That this is the principal use of the roots, is apparent from (heir very structure. Where they immediately issue from the steni, they are thicker and slrocgor than at their more distant ex- tremities ; and in fact their size diminiihes gradually into an almost imperceplible lilament. 'J'hese slender threads suck iu (he subtln juices ; discharge them backward towards the ijraitch of which they more directly form a part : (his branch carries (hem to the larger trunk from which itself issued ; the trunk conducts them to (he base of(hes(eni, where (hey blend and mount up with the general sap collected by all the roots. Tiiut (hi^, is not a theoretical, but a cor< red description of the process, may be proved by experiment. Lay bare the root of any plant, and cut with a slsarp instrument one of the chief leaders close (o the stem ; rai'ie the leader a little upwards above the surface without disturbing it materially in the earth ; and in the course of a few hours the sap, coming from the distant parts, will be quite visible at the incision : and iu many species it will there elaborate a new stem, which will shoot up and grow to a perfect plant. The inference to be drawn from this first view of (he s /il is : that the judicious farmer will remove from ii all sorts of obstructions, as sloues and roots ; for it will be moijt productive, when il Is rendered by tillage loose and crumbling, so that the flexible and fine hbres niny stretch themselves iu all directions. ir. The soil is the laboratory in which putrefaction is carried Ion,— Some of the primitive earths are much more capable of re- solving animal and vegetable bodies into their elemcatary princi- Iples than others. In stiff clay putrefaction goes on at a very glow Ipacc ; in sand and gravel the process Is more rapid ; and in cau*(ic lime and magnesia it is quickest of all : yet every one of them pos- licsscs this power to a certain extent, aod as they are usually found 1 t-T I. . 14 11 1 4 ■' " H \ ■ If! la !l f i 100 oo the furface of our globe in a state of coinbiiiation, all soit., io a greater or less degree, can decoiii|)o$e orgnnizcd subtituticcs.— The stubble which is buried by the ploughshaie eulinly dibuppcuri in the course of the season : aud a dead uiiiinal deposited in the ground) although it takes a longer space to pass into corruption, leaves in the end no trace of its existence, except in deepening tho coloar of its grave with a blackish hue. Uones themselves yield to the dissolving powers of the soil, as well as horns, claws, and all other hard animal substances. Even the metals are not able to resist its corrosive action. Iron and steel wear away by throwing off in< cessant coats and incrustations of rust ; and gold and silver— the most precious of them all— flose their briJliancy, and submit to the general law of dissolution. The earth has not only the property of decomposing animal and vegetable substances, but what is more essential, it lias the power of vetainiog the putridsteams which arise from them. Were th,e gases, into which bodies dissolve themselves, to escape immediately from the ground, as through a sieve, at the moment of their disunion, it would be unfit for the purposes of vegetation : hni when it absorbs and gradually gives them out according io the action of chemical affinities, we behold it endowed with an admirabfe quality for the support of vegetable Nature. Nothing is established on clearer evi> dence, nor more consonant with our experience, than this absorp. ttoo by the soil oi putrid e^Iuvia. If a dead body is suffered to rot either in air or water, it emits a pestilential stench, because neither of these elements is capable of absorbing or retaining it : but when buried in the ground it no longer offends our senses, oi vitiates the atmosphere. It returns into the bosom of the great mo* ther of all things, and is there refined from its impurities. The] church>yard, where moulder into rottenness the ashes of our fore> fathers, is hot more insalubrious than the festive hall which resound' ed with their merriment, or the temple where they melted into onej reverential and devout feeling. The earth not only absorbs all the effluvia of cortupted aniniBl aud vegetable matter lying in itself but it attracts these effluviil when set at liberty, and floating in the atmosphere. Dr. Priestly found, that when he brought air impregnated with putrid vapoursi into contact with fresh mould, it inhaled them greedily, and did tbiij more rapidly upon being stirred. On this circumstance depend per* l^ap^ the great salubrity of the atmosphere iu the couotry^and tb*| Iicjithinesa plough ur ( the surrouii Jurious to I From th receptacle i ill the stom< conrey it at able system. But altho it is not the of its own ( exterior barl as does the < it passes usu a hollow sta epidermis or u glassy net' the perpendii served ; and which might able uutrimei io the follow plants, and < insoluble in v metallic oxi metals which, exhibited in t living power this form int water, it is dii with the sap a istry are ins uf terious resean HI. The: with moisture also from the dews ; and, { ooist weather Protected froB] 101 IiijUhUiess of those who are employed, either in foUowiag the plough or digging the ground. The ' ^sh turned up glebe purifies thf surrounding air by attraclinij from its volume ««hatioever iiiia- jurious to respiration. From this second viuw of soil we may consider it as the great receptacle and provider of vegetable food, where it is prepared, ai ill the slomacD of animals, for entering (he ducis and tube^^, which convey it along the stem to the most distant parts of the living veget- able system. But although this be the grand ur^eof the soil with regard to food, it is not the only one, becauiic it alTords for the same purpose part of its own constituent elements. Silex or sand exists in that thin exterior bark, which serves the same important ends in the vegetable, as does the efiJermit in the animal economy ; and with physiologists it passes usually by the sanie name. In all the classes which have a hollow stalk, such as the cereal gramina, reeds, and caues, this epidermis or outer covering is wonderfully strong, and is woven like a glassy net-work. By meaAs of this silicious and hard structure the perpendicular position of wheat, oats, rye, and barley is pre< served ; and the plant itself is defended from the puncture of insects, ^v'hich might otherwise pierce into the sap, and withdraw the veget' able uutrimeof. The other three earths, which will be described ID the following letter-^clay, lime and magnesia — are also foun.d in plants, and constitute the principal matter of their ashes, which is insoluble in water. These earths, as has been lately discovered, are metallic oxides ; and their bases consist of highly inflammable tnetals which, from their strong afFinity to oxygene, can hardly be exhibited in their simple state. It is extremely improbable that the living power of vegetation can decompose the earth of flint, and ia tills form introduce it into the system ; yet as it is insoluble in water, it is difiicult to conceive in what other manner it can combine with the sap and be assimilated to the organs. The lights of chem* istry are insufficient to illuminate our path in these dark and mys- terious researches. III. The soil is the reservoir whence plants are supplied chiefly with moisture. It is true, that by their leaves they can attract il also from the atmosphere, for during night they certainly sip the dews; and, besides, they are found to increase in weight duiing* moist weather, even when the earth that supports them is purposely protected from wet. But their greatest and principal sapply of thU I. .; i; S.ii r:\ ■iil i i Ml necessary fluid must be drawn frnm the ground l>y tlie absorho.it TL'Ssclsof (heir roots. The rains atui hhowcrs nwiihtcn the 'ociil, (low through all its crcviccs, und lodge there till thry arc wasted hy eva- porulion niid hy plants. If ihcie he a lon^ continuuncc of drought, thr whole vegetable kii:^doin tanguitihcs iiudor the ptivution ; and at all times the future harvest is very much regulated by the abund.'incf; or deliciency of moisture. All Hoils arc not ciiuully suhCCfitible of retaining it when it falls from the heavens : ^oino, of n sorirly and gravelly contexture, allow it to pass so quickly Ihrougii their inter- stice.i, that it administers lidlc oruobenclil; others, of a clayey cast, hold it so tenaciously, that they cako and consolidate into a compact body, and arc, on that account, us unfriendly to vegotalion OS the former. Iloth of these kinds are naturally barren ; and they can admit of improvement only by blending their opposite riualitics. In the one, plants are panhcd for the want of humidity ; in t!.e other, they arc drowned by an excess of if. The sandy dofcrts of Nubia hare been cursed with perpetual sterility as fur back as ll.o monuments of history reach, thou|;h plactd in the iramcdiiito neigh, bourhood of the rich plains and dense population of Kgypf ; and modern improvement, in her wide range of discou'ry, has pronounc- ed them incurable. The siifl'clayey soils, however, are ca|)ableof melioration by paring and burning the surface, b;' the application of lime and sea-coal ashes, and by a nak.'d fallow which exposes the surface to the intense influence of the summer's sun. A mouldering loam of all others is best ada()tcd for furnishirg to the incumbent crop (he necessary quantity of water. It is not so retentive as clay, nor loose as sand, but enjoys a happy combination of consistence on the one hand, and friability on the other. The juices contained in it are drawn up by the roots, and as it binds not by heat into a solid mass, it continually affords a supply to support the circulation of the sap. Pure sand without a mixture of clay is absolutely sterile : and pure clay, before its cohesion be destroyed by lime, by marl, or by compost manures, is equally unblest by the genial power of TCgetatlon. I know no soils more unfertile than the stiff tilly clays, commonly called moort in the old country, which barely afford a green sward to cover their nakedness. A rich mould not only retains moisture in itself, but has the pow cr of attracting it from the atmosphere; and, what is still more wonderful, attracts it in exact proportion to its fertility. Professor Davy found upon exposing to the air difTerent soils, dried to 212 degrees of heat, tljat thocc which gained most veight in a given (fme f'rom t} The animal abound, e.te eJ in thi.'atr Ing veg(?tab|( ex|ierimcnt : a^pirit of lo require some tate the resi turth, and di iiic/cury in 1 1 rises to 212' from the »e«.s fd field VVt Ih'ce parcels surfaces may I but under a sh The sea-sand i other two. / shall not y with one gene reasoning :— .( edand broker freely ; that it ment to thecro to keep the roo ten)pered and c of moisture neci soil serves no o stedjand by du steadily in view pies from whic land under his Ifeffledies for its iliUtiw, Oct. 5, There hats beei I'ioiis, since I ent r I I s the ciiug mbeut clay, iice on ned ill a solid lion of tcrile : ' marl, wer of ' clay?, fford a Ic pow |l more mfessor 10 in la given 103 (!me ^oni the absorptlou uf moisture, were aho the most fertile.-*^ The aiiiinal und vo^^ctahic decomposing uattcr, wiih whiili the/ abuund, exerts a powerful altniciion uii the watery vupourb suspend- ed in fht-'utinospherc, and drinks tiieni to repair tho waste b) ^row* iiig vegetable!), and to Ieplenl^h its own exh-tusiiun. This is aa ex(ieriment within every boily's reach, and as 1 am anxious to dilfuMi a^pirit of iavestigalion— the infallible prccuriior of improTemeni — I require some one of my correspoudcnis to make trial, and comniuni* cate the result. Let him take from a cucumber bed a portion of larlh, aud dry it in a common pot or fr)iiigpan over the hre, till tlic mercury in the thermometer, when the bulb is plunged in the earth, rises to 212°. Let him perform the banie process on sund taken from the yen. shore, and on earth from a couimun or some uni'ullivat- td field. — Weigh n pound of each accurately In a scale, and put the three parcels into flat earthen vessels of the same sizc,^ that equal surfaces may be exposed to the atmosphere. Set ihem out all nighf, but under a shade, and again weigh them separately in the morninj?. The sea-sand should be lighte3t,and the richest soil the heavier of the other two. [ shall not prosecute this subject farther at present, but concludo with one general observation derived from the previous facts and reasoning :— that a productive mould should be suRicicntly pulveriz- ed and broken, in order to admit the roots to expand themselveii freely ; that it should contain putrescible matter to afford iionrish- ment to thecrop ; and that it should he of !>nch a texture as neither to keep the roots soaking in water, not yet too dry, but so happily tempered and compounded of ingredients, as to supply that portion of moisture necessary for the circulation of the sap. I believe the soil serves no other purposes than those now expluined and enumer- ated; and by duly appreciating their importance, and keeping them steadily in view, practical farmer will be furnished with princi- ples from which to judge of the defects in any particular tract of |laad under his mamgement, and also to estima i the litncss of tho 1 remedies for its improvement. ACllICOLA. . Hilifax, Oct, 5, 1318. TO CORRESPONDENTS. There has been a great falling off" iu the number of my commuuica- Itious, since I entered ou Agricaltural Chemistry. The subject, I i' 1 r, ' i\ I Mil I i ■ ;!' \'- m f^ar, is cledfncd of such trivial importance, as to excite neither coni° ment nor discussion. If sucli be the state of the public feeling, it aagtir& ill of our improtement i fbr [ hold it as incontroveHible, that till sciehce shall enlighten our manual operations^ they n^ust be clum.' sily performed. I request my readers, ihenj and correspondents^ td take a second, and a third review of these two letters, thoroughly \o digest them, and even to prosecute Iheif researches in that line of stndy. All great improvements have originated from lnen,who Com* bined science with practice ; and there is not at present a more po. palar pursuit in England, nOr a tnore interesting topic of convcrsa. tloo \r well Informed circles, than the philosophical and leading doc trines of Agriculture. This art is now clearly understood to be the chief support of national greatness and independence ; and the v.-i- rious questions in political economy, te which it gives rise and af- fords a solution, all hold a share in the general interest. Amid this dearth of intelligence, I am cheered with one letter from a quarter, where reside the necessary knowledge to be useful, and the positive promise of future aid. I anxiously expect his comma* nications prepared for the public eye; and in the mean time I proffer faim my thanks* LETTER 1». ■■^OrTHEN we cast our eye on the surface of this globiJ, and " ^ observe such a multitade of ftiaterials, differing in their colour, bulk, form, weight, and other sensible qualities, all of them scattered in disorder and blended in endless combinations, we are ready to conclude, that their number must be infinite, and their dis* position under the guidance of no general laws. Ho judgment could be more precipitate or worse founded. In this apparent scenri of confusion the utmost regularity prevails : and the whole ma&sil oiade up of a few simple ingredients. The order of the parts is eo determinate, that it obtains not only at the surface, but in the very bowels of the earth. The internal structure is composed of strata, either loose or solid, as far down as human art has been able to | penetrate, and the presumption is, that they extend to a vast deptli. With regard to Agriculture, our geological inquiries are bounded I to the soil on which we tread, and to the subsiratum which supports it. These, interest and a scritpiilous provemenf, a yond (he rea more immedi o( thera ough clay has been ing on a bed cuiii valor, w should go ovc Jeast eighteen terials on whi greater cerfai my furnish h In the progi readers to the covering of ea enumerate and and I shall poi i^gricu I tu re in Notwithstan liibits, it is, ill iry, of warm a only of foar s iRAgnesia. f. Clay, ca or argillaceous ( others, and so d tiou. When pu irJiite sapphire ral waters, whic jolngoD the surf hhades, for it ha pffect it not ma hlierefore, of litt jfourfollowing pi rf^getation :^ iOi i!. These, ill a judicious system of Farming, are objects of grtftl interest and importaace ; and both of them should be examined with a scrupulous nicety. The obstncles, which baffle the hopes of im* provemcnt, are just as likely to lie in the subsoil which is placed be- yond the reach of the ploughshare, as in the upper surface, which is more immediately subjected to culture ; and for this reason, neither of them ought to be overlooked nor disregarded^ A coat of stiff clay has been rendered productire, by the mete circumstance of rest- ing on a bed of sand, or a rock of limestone ; and, therefore, every cultivator, who wishes to pursue a course of good management, should go over all his fields, by digging pits in various places of at least eighteen inches down, that he may know and discover the ma< terials on which he is tooperate^ He can then lay his plan with greater certainty of success, and, what often happens, the subsoil may furnish him with the means by which to ameliorate the surface. lit the progress of this letter, I shall direct the attontion of my readers to the component principles, which constitute that exterior covering of earth, with which our globe is encompassed ; I shall enumerate and explain their qualities so far as respects vegetation ; and I shall point out some of the advantages which must result to Agriculture in this province, from beginning to analyze our soils* Notwithstanding the different appearances which the surface ex- hibits, it is, in reality, compounded, in ail its varieties of wet and dry, of warm and cold, of light and heavy, of barren and fruitful, only of foar simple and primitive earths — clay, sand, lime, and mngnesia. I. Clay, called indi^erently tn agricultural pttblicat{otis,alumiue or argillaceous earth, is a substa^^ce so easily distinguished from all others, and so familiarly known, that it needs no particular descrip- tloD. When pure, it is white, and when chrystallixed, becomes the white sapphire ; but in general it is found discoloured by the mine- ral waters, which are perpetually esca-'iog from their beds, and run« ning on the surface. It is tinged witn blue, brown, grey, and red shades, for it has a strong affinity to all colouring matter, but these lafiTect it not materially in an agricultural point of view, andare, therefore, of little consequence. As an ingredient of soil, it has the four following properties, by which it exerts a powerful effeot en wgetation ;— ' 1' V ■i.l t^'lf :b. II' II ■I .M n '^'':'\\' i I- M '^ I 11 \ i. i '^ :: 106 Utf It absorbs water like a sponge, and is so close in the tektur6 as to prevent it from filtrating through its pores. 2d) When thoroughly soaked, and afterwards dried, it hardens and cakes into a solid mass. 3d, It shrinks considerably in bulk, wlien exposed to heat, and (he contraction of its parts is in proportion to the intensity of that heat. It thus forms an exception to that almost general law, by which bodies expand under the action of caloric : and whea once strongly healed, it is ever after less coherent. 4ifa, It powerfully retards putrefaction by enclosing as in a case, animal and vegetable remains, and thus shutting out the dissoU Tent action of the external air. If we shall now e:ill to our recollection the purposes served by the soil, and detailed in my last letter, we shall be enabled to judge how far clay, in its original and unsubdued state, is favourable to vegetation. The roots, which are the collectors of the nutriment, and are withal of a tender and delicate texture, cannot easily stretch themselves in a substance of such stiiTness and tenacity ; and which besides so readily consolidates after rain into a compact body. Its closeness opposes material resistance to their extension, and accord* ingly, in its unmellowed state, the fibres arc hampered, and cannot ramble forth to pasture. Besides, admitting that they overcome io part this obstacle in the soil, they must, whenever it hardens in ths sun and gapes into chinks, be violeuty torn asunder, and separated from the stem. The stronger fibres may escape unhurt ; but, gene. rally speaking, the finer and more slender filaments must suffer coo* siderably. If clay be so hurtful on the surface, it is almost equally pernicious in the subsoil, from the capacity it has of interrupting the passage of water downwards, and of keeping the roots perpetually drenched— otih no less destructive to the health and vigour of the crop than the opposite extremes. Again, from its antiseptic power putrefac* tion goes on slowly, and tl>e vegetables growing on it are ill sup* plied with that generous and nutritious food so essential to their perfection and maturity. All its qualities,therefore, are unfriendly to vegetiitian, except its capacity of absorbing and retaining mois< ture ; a^id this is of such immense importance as, in some mea8ure,to I make atonement for its other defects. When existing by itself, this virtue, which it possesses in so eminent a degree, is Hseless and uoa* railing ; bu nature, itgi ous vapours retentive of If. Sand I or earth of fl character, w be distinctly htf Sand is far more 2d, It power at iibert 5(J, It has lit thealteri It will appe is provided ai two are destin ancein nature curious adapta and reared thi respondent clu more conspicu 00 diflicHlties t sand and clay truth may be o easily througl putrefaction ; c in the decomp( extension of th( supplies the mo classed among t their common v III. lilme, ci position of soils I in combination it has so strong The burning of to expel by heat for the purpose 107 tailing ; but when mixed with other materials of a loose and friable nature, it gives tenacity and firmness to the whole, absorbs the aque- ous vapours which are sui^pended in our atmosphere, and Is highly retentive of the dews and rains which fall to fertilize the soil. H. Sand or gravel, called rometimes silcx, silica, silicious matter, or earth of tlints, is distinguished by properties of a totally opposite character, which require to be enumerated that their influence may be distinctly and visibly displayed. 1st, Sand is incapable of retaining water when poured on it, and farmo're of attracting moisture from the atmosphere. 2d, It powerfully promotes putrefaction ; but it allows the gases set at liberty to escape, and the soluble fluid matter to descend. 3(1, It has little or no cohesion among its parts, and never binds by the alternations of wet and dry weather into a compact body. It will appear from this account of the properties of sand, that it is provided as a corrector of alumine ; and that in their ellects, the two are destined to counterwoik each other. This sort of contriv-' ancein nature is no uncommon occurrence; and while wc trace such curious adaptations, we are struck with the wisdom that fabricated and reared this noble edifice. Inconveniences are obviated by cor* respondent checks, and this system of balancing ull things displays more conspicuously the indications of design, than if there bad been DO difhculties to overcome, and no evils to remedy. Let us contrast sand and clay in their qualities, that this singular and important truth may be more strongly impressed. Sand suffers water to tiller easily through its pores ; clay is highly retentive : sand promotes putrefaction ; clay delays it, but absorbs the gases which ate formed lathe decomposition : sand opens an unobstructed path for the extension of the roots ; clay gives them firmness in their course, and supplies the moisture which sustains them : in fine, the two may be classed among the contending elements, of which a union heightens their common virtues, and rectifies and subdues their defects. III. Lime, commonly called calcareous earlh,enters into the com- position of soils — This is never found naturally in a pure state, but in combination with the acids — chiefly with the carbonic, for which it has so strong an affinity that it attracts i from the atmosphere. — The burning of limest«ne is undertaken for no other purpose than to expel by heat this gas, and reduce the base to a caustic powderi \kt the purpose either of building or ef agriculture ; and la the pro- h\ > '1 I. 1 '■i ' t , i i! >i: I m r, ■ I \m\ i,>i i 1:1 cess it loses about the half of its weight. But no sooner is «iuick. lime applied to use, and exposed to the atmosphere, than it greedily absorbs at first moisture, and then carbonic acid; and thus either in the ground or in the oew'formed wall, it quickl}' hardens and returns to its original state. Ist, Lime is closer than sand, but much less adhesive than clay. It occupies therefore, a middle region between the two, free froni their Imperfections, and blending (heir common qualities. 2d) In its caustic state, it is a powerful promoter of putrefaction, and helps to decompose the animal and vegetable matter lying in the soil. To this circumstance is owing, to a certain extent, its efHcacy as a manure. 3d, It has the power of combining with carbonic acid in different proportions. In the common state in which it is found as lime. stone, it h perfectly insoluble in water, and of course is denied •II entrance, by means of the sap, into the composition of plants : but it can unite with an additional dose of the acid and then constitute what is called a *hypercarbona(e. This com. pound possesses new properties which render it subservient to vegetation ; for it is highly soluble in water, and the excess of carbonic acid adheres very loosely to the base, and can be ezpelledby a slight degree of beat. ^ He^^ce toe lime helps to fix the carbonic acid, which is generated by the fermentation of putrescent manures in the soil, or which floats in the air on the surface of the earth, and it freely imparts this gas, in union with water, for the nourishment of plants.* It is not necessary to dilate farther upon the properties of calca. reous ear(h,a8 at the first glance,it must be recognized as an extreme* ly valuable ingredient ; and accordingly, wherever Agriculture is carried on with spirit, it is eagerly sought after, though at a high price. This earth exists in immense abundance among the solid strata of our globe, mostly without any foreign mixture, except the acids with which it combines ; but occasionally it is blended also with the other primitive masses. With carbonic acid, which in a previous letter 1 particularly described, it forms the most frequent compounds — denominated carbonates of lime — and assumes a variety of names and appearances, and even possesses distinct properties.—- Spar, marble, stalactites, limestone and chalk are all varieties of thif — -, ■-■■ - — .■,_■■■ .■■■ — ■ „ ■■.,■■ . »■_ — !■ — II m^ m ,11 ■ ii. w l — • *Faimers Magazin^^ vol. 16^ page 48C. 169 combination. With glle^iil — a substance with which every farmer must be acquainted,' since .t is commonly used as a medicine of the shops. Its properties are oearly analogous to those of lime, and were long suppoi^ed to Oj^erate in the same way. It has also a strong, (hou^h less atliuity fnr ca bo> nicacid, and often forms a constituent principle in limestone irck : but at present agriculturists are divided about its usefulness hs a ma« nure ; some of them holding it up as a poison to plants, and others defending it by an appeal to experiments. Mr. Tennant was am'r j^ (lie first in England, who raised an outcry against the mag cts to the presence of the magne- sia ; and Sir II. Davy hassince attempted to account for tt)e pin i!o« menon by referring it to the property possessed by this earth, of le- mainingfor months in a caustic state, although exptsed to ihe nir. It becomes quite harmless, so soon as comliined with carboiHc a(i>l ; and in many cases seems, in its mil*l stale, a useful constituf iit of loils. It is found in the counties of Sonimerset, Leicester, l)er!)y, Darham and York ; and I believe, also in Shropshire. The ahua- dance of magnesia in the soils of so many English countieii, and ti)e!>e of eminent fertility, has given reason to doubt altogei her of the just* ness of Mr. Tennant's objections, and to seek for some other lause I in explanation of the effect. It has I'cen therefore suppose(',that the soil, which was the subject of experiment, had been previously over* "I ;l:t'> v'l i ii il;^ .;»;; I'. i V ' .;!■ ii : ?' JIO charged with tnagaesia> and that the noxious Lnflucnoti waa owing in su(i£rsaturation. It is not worth while to introduce my readers fur> ther into this dispute, as I am uticertain whether our limestone con. tains any portion of magnesia ; although its presence in the old country, upon accurate investigation, is found to be a very common occurrence. At all events, it is probably only pernicious when ap. plied in an excessive dose ; and this holds equally true with respect to lime ; for these two earths should, in ail cases, be used sparingly by the skilful cultivator. On analyzing the various soils and subsoils, they have been found to resolve themselves into one or all of these piiraitive earths ; and their barrenness and fertility have, in no small degree, depended on the mining and assorting of these ingredients. Loam is by no means a distinct body, possessing In itself appropriate and marked characters, as many of our farmers with whom I have conversed ignorantly suppose ; but is a combination of cla^, sand or calcareous matter: and as we advance in science, and men among us arise vers. ed in conducting such investigations, the component parts of our rich intervals and uplands will be ascertained and gi«en to the pub< lie. The very diversity, which exists among what are accounted loams, is a decisive proof of what I advance. Some of them we denominate clayey, from the excess of argillaceous matter ; others Open and light, from the preponderance of sand. In fact, these tvro original ingredients seem capable of being compounded in such au infinite variety of ways, as to give occasion to that diversified tex. ture of soils met with in ail countries and situations ; and are con. trived to counteract each other's qualities, that by their union, they might furnish the bed of that beautiful and splendid creation of flowers and plants, of shrubs and trees, which decorate the face of nature, and charm us by a sweet assemblage of all that is gay and soft in colouring, with all that is elegant and attractive in design. Besides these four primitive earths, which constitute equally the soil and subsoil, the upper of these, or the mould as it is sometimes tailed, contains the putrid relicts of organized substances, that have grown and decayed upon it, or have been conveyed thither in ttie progress of cultivation. The decomposition of 4hese is the proxim. ate cause of fertility ; and the richness of soils bears reference to the relative quantities. The residual earth remaining, after the pro* cess of dissolution, is extremely light in weight, and always of al blackish colour. It is owing to this, that a garden, which has been «n()er long ct lively deepen 111 addition are found to and metallic'^ and u fow inju the strata from lied (a it by t[ the coucse of Ler, 60 smaliir in ve/^etafion, i 3(1erlong continued culture, approaches to a black shade, prrgies* lively dre^ientng according to the abundance of this matter. Ill addition, all soils lying in the territories of an old country, are found to contain various chemical compounds, mineral salts, and metallic oxides ; some of which arebcnciiclal, others harmless, and u few injurious to vegetation ; and which either pre-existed iu the strata from which the surface has been formed, or have been car> Tied to it by eubteiraneous springs,or !)y foreign causes o^era'ing ia tlie couBse of post ages. These chemical bi'Oies are s-i few in num- ber, so smaliin (j^uaotity, and generally of" such unimportant efficacy in vegetation, thnt it would be preposterous, considering the present SJiite of knowledge, to dilate upon them in these elementaiy letters. The most frequent art, Epsom and common salt, combinations of potash, sodn, lin)o,and magnesia, v^i'h the acids and the oxide of iroa —which last is just the rust pmduced by exposing this metal to the action of the air. It is this t'Xide,w hich gives ihe browo aud reddish colour, as well as the intermediate tints to sand and clay. It seems plain, that considerable advantages must be derived by the practical farmer from analyzing the different kinds of soils ; from comparing the proportion of the earths in the productive, with those found in the barren ; from studying the separate effects o( these ingredients ; and from ail these results, deducing the most jkilful plan of procedure iu effectuating permanent improvements. Chemists of great fame hove embarked in this line of research, and last progress has been made by their elucidations. They have laid dotrn rules (o assist and guide the agriculturist in this department of his art, they have exemplified the different processes to be performed, and even described the instruments necessary for an elaborate, and accurate analysis. All this matter lies vastly beyond the limits of onrinquiry,and we must wait,till the cultivation of the human intei« lect, a: well as the cultivation of the provincial soil have advanced forward to an unknown and remote distance, ere it can be "^^llshed or understood. it would be easy, but extremely injudicious, to trauscribe the directions given : and all that I can attempt to achievr^^ IIj merely " to hold the mirror up to nature," to portray the ».m?.ges vbich croud upon tt)e eye, and by their novelty, their beat'.ty, ibe'ir |iiDportance, their variety, imperiously to excite attention, to - 4\{al;.eii (Dterprise, and, if possible, to create a taste for such inv«sti nations.. qofal ^''^''3 i^i however a less laborious and less iDtricate r ^^alysis of Ih e beenF^^' defective as our knowledge of chemistry may be,w.* ^^ch is plac- .:■ r 1! ,; J . 1 is': • J n ^i: lis ed within our reach ; and which may in time lay the foundatloa of mure perfect and iicciirttte methods. Some of my correspondents may rejM^at the t'X|>eiimeMt,mul cnmmuiiirale tome iheprodact»,thn! I may publish them and give the furmii g classes some idea of such reseaiches. In the field to be examittcd^ lalie earth a little below the surfare, from four separate places, aliout 1-4 lb. avuiidupois from each. Ex- pose it to the sun, or befoie the fire, till it is completely dry ; and turn it over firqnenlly that it may be well mixed together. From the heap tfke exactly four ounces, and pass this through a fine sieve, which will allow nil the particles of sand and gravel to escape, but which will hold back sioncs, small fibrous roots,and decayed wood. Weij^h the two parts stj)iiately,and tuke a note of each. The stones and other bulky materials are then to be examined apart from the roots and Hood. If they are hard and rouj;h to the totich,alid scratch glass easily, they are silicious or flinty ; if they are, without much difficulty, broken to pieces by the fingers, and can be scraped by a ]Li>ife to powder, they are aluminous or clayey ; or if, when put in a wine glass and common vinegar poured upon them, small air bubbles ascend to the top of the liquid, they arc calcare'^us. The finely dl« vided matter, which ran through the sieve, must next undergo the test of experiment. After being weighed, agitate the whole In water, till the earth be taken up from the bottom and mechanically sus* pended, adding water till this etfcct be produced. Allow the mass then to settle for two or three minutes ; and in that time the sandy particles shall have all gunk to the bottom. Poor off the water, which will then contain the clay in suspension, and the insoluble earth arisint; from animal and vegetable decomposition. The sand should first be attended to, and if from inspection it be thought either bilicious or calcareous in its nature, the requisite tests may be instant* ly applied. — By this time the mixture will have deposited at the bottom of the vessel the clay, and other earths, with the insoluble animal and vegetable matter. After pouring off the water, dry Ibe se'limeut, and apply a strong heat by placing it on tho bottom of a pot ignited to redness, and the animal and vegetable matter will burn and iiy oiT iu aeriform products. The remainder lying in the bottom will be found to consist of clay, magnesia, or lime. To obtain accuracy, another 1-4 lb. of earth should be taken from the same heap, and the whole process gone over a second, a third or even a fourth time, that the operator may rectify any blunders he had previously committed, and be satisfied as to the results of hii. experiment. aiid a set of Although vi lolve it 80 el ties of which pease. I am io our up lag {ypsum, and suspect (ha't most of our s Halifax, Oct. This week Ii last, and those interest Io my i ay pcwer to Ii ters in the imroe because as I an it in its appropi respondence th fflannres, and w fore, there will perhaps, I havi fflttoicated. I hare been n "Acadien6is,"w 'f newspaper ;b I want— the cap green crops— th |ei2era1 approbat •Dconrage me h |iDd more tbta ci Iwdcal doctrine. rtasoa and instr lncontrofertlble, ImajrcommUin 113 experiment. lie shoi|ld;.providfl himself with a pair •t fint scales aud a set of we'Khts divided at least into oaoces and drachms.** Alitiough vincf^^i- will detect lime by cfferTeiccDce) it does not dis- solve it so efiectoally as the dUiIc or mariatic acid ; small quanti- ties of which may be procured from the druggists at oo great ex- peose. I am particularly anxio is to ascertain the existeuce of Urn* in our uplands or intervals ; because from the ?ast abttodanca of gypsum, and limestoneoroik in all parts of this Province, I strongly suspect tha't this earth will be found a rery general ingredient in most of our soils. AGRICOLA. Hilifax, Oct. 12, 1818. TO CORRESPONDENTS. This week has been more productive of communications than tho last, and those that have come are cheering pledges of a growing ioterest in my favour. I beg to notice once for all, that it is not in ay pcwer to imbody the information given me from different quar- ters in the immediately succeeding Ietter8,which issue from the'Press ; because as I am pursuing a general system, I can only introduce it in its appropriate place. I am already in possession of much cor* respondence that will be useful to me, when I come to treat of manures, and which I shall then duly acknowledge. I hope, there- fore, there will be oo relaxation iu the efforts of my friends ; because, perhaps, I have not yet published what they have so kindly com- manicated. I have been repeatedly called upon by correspondents to answer ["Acadiensis,*'whoattackedmy theory of climate in another week* ly newspaper ; but this I must humbly decline,' for as he concedes all I want — the capability of our climate to perfect ail sorts of grain and green crops — the controversy would be a useless waste of words. Hit leneral approbation of what I have advanced, and his exhortation to eoconrage me in my coarse, honied, as he thought, the bitter pill, iiDd more than counterbalanced his difference of opinion on a theo- JTctical doctrine. My design is, not to wrangle and dispute, but to Iteason and instruct ; and if my ultimitf conclusions be sound and liDControTertible, indulgence should bo extended to the many errors |l may commit in the illuitration. P 1, .„( ' ■/.i 1 ) V } -,1 1 I i ■«m h^^f^ ^ I '!■ ilii i » J 114 LETTER 11. On »o'\\. IN the eipoiitlon, which I gave last weclj, of the isigrccllenls o! soil, there was a question whLh constantly obtruded itself in the course of my reasoning, and which, I doubt not, has also occurred to many of my readers : In what way,and by what means, Ins nature arranged, mixed and laid these primitive earths on tlie exterior of our globe ? Though this may seem, on first sight, a mat. terof pure spfculation, it will turn out iu detail highly instructive and interesting ; and naturally conduct us to a more perfect and just idea of the diiferent soils met with in this province. These ma) be all classed under the three subsequent heads : Upland, Interval, and Sea Marsh ; each of whichs claim in oider a few words of iilus* tration. Upland is a provincial term applied (o all grounds placed at such an elevation astobu above the overflowing of our fresh water rivers, and the tides ; and this first class constitutes by far the greatest part of this, as well as of other countries ; and owes its origin to the disiotegratloa of the rocks, which constitute the frame of our globe, ami ou which the soil rests iucurabenl. These rocks by geologists have been arranged into primary and iecondary^ and marked by distinctive characters. The first are purely crystalline, contain no fragments of previous formations, and are dis< posed in strata cither vertical, or ipore or less inclined to the horizoD. The second are made up of the debris of the first, abound in the re* mains of vegetable and marine productions, and often present tlie bones of laud animals. The disposition of the two classes, likewise, follows a certain determinate law both with respect to each other; and in regard to the arrangement of the genera of which they arc composed. With respect to each other, the secondary always rest! on the primary : aiid as yet no inversion of this order has beea found. In the arrangeovent of the genera belonging to each class, a certain succession has been observed, which infers the existence of n general law, and is analagous to the uniformity, in other respects discoverable in the mineral kirgdom. This order of succession is much less distinct in the older and primitive strata, and perhaps too less determinate, than in the more recent formations ; yet in thesel last, it is so fixed, regular, and oqTarying, in Great Britain and tbsl \16 atb^r connfries of Kurope which hare been cxamineJ, as to cntifln gpolojiyi '" some digree, to the rank and name of a science. The whole scries of secondary rocks is nowhere presented cooiplete and imhroken; Itut the relative place of none of its several members is occupied by nnother ; and they all recline, stratum upon stratum) t»i«h 1 most methodical exactness. Thus, if the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6. be supposed to represent the natural families of secondary rocks, it may happen, that 4 or f), or both, may be wanting ia the stratifi- criinn ; aid consequently, 6 be found Immediately above 3 ; but the order is never reversed by the discovery of I above 2, nor of 3 above 4 or 5, or any other number which succeeds itt Particular members may be thrown out altogether in the arranKement, and such irregularities not unfrcquently occur ; but the scries, in no case, ia violated by any palpable departure from this rule. In consequence of the violent changes and concussions to which this earth has been subjected, both the primary and secondary rocks have been disturbed, and heaved into every possible angle of incli- nation to the horizon. Ilenoe they all come in succession to the surface^ present cither their sides or fractured udgc:^, and from their own decomposition furnish the materials of the soil which now rests on them. Granite, which would seem to claim the highest antiqui- ty, and be of primeval origin, holds the firstplare among the primary rocks, and constitutes the greatest mass of terrestrial matter. Whea its composition is ejfamined, we meet with nearly all the elements \«hich go towards the formation of the other rocks ; and can easily describe, how its disintegration furnishes an immense variety of new stratified bodies. It is formed of three ingredients — quartz, feldspar, and mica ; and these contain sand, clay, lime, magnesia, potass, and oxide of iron, variously corabiaed. As these substances unite in the secondary formations, and as these formations come to the surface, we are presented with the bases of soils ; and their mnltiplicity need no longer be matter of curiosity and sorprise. A naked rock of this kind exposed to the inftuence of air aitd waier rapidly decomposes. The lime, the magnesia, and the potass are acted upon by the carbv- pic acid of the atmosphere and by water ; and the oiride of iron, if In its least oxygenated state, tends tp combine with more oxygene. A disunion follows from: tbifl internal change in some of its constituent partS) and a thin layer of earth is thus formed. Lrcheni», mosses, ^nd like imperfect vegetables take possession of this new territory, H:; i. . n ii- n If. 1 1 ■1 ■ s| il ; mi . 1 ( i fl lii 116 and beglo le Tegetate. Their decajr affordi a certain i|iiaiit>4jr of on gaoizable matter, which bleodi with the earthy bed whence thry grew, tod lays the foandation of a more improted toil. The ditio. trgratlon still goes forward from the action of air and water; and the grasses next appear. These begin to absorb nonrishmcot from the unformed elements around them ; and their annual dccoroposi. tion accumulates still more vegetable mould, till at last, by a gradual process, the soil is deepened and prepared for the reception of forest trees. It is obvious, that all soils will consist of more or less of the four earths, in proportion to the quantities of them existing in their native rocks ; and that the character of the latter will stamp that of the former. A sandstone will produce a poor and hungry soil, which, unless improved by artificial means, will remain forever with a scanty covering of vegetation ; while chalk, basalt, calcareous sandstone, or limestone will break down into ingredients naturally so fertile, a!) to be soon beautified with the perennial grasses, and wh'en ploughed vp, to afford a rich bed for the inalft which Hved and decayed on it. It is. so fat, that in many parts of this Province marsh mud i«. employed as a manure, and is experienced to be highly beneficial on many .of our uplands. ^ There is thus a natural order of fcrt'rlity dependent on the laws of the universe, according to which soils are arranged, bSefore they are appropriated by man or subjected to his culture. At the head of this order stands confessedly Sea Maiisk, next Fresh Water Inter. TAL, then Loam, and towards the foot, CtAY and Sand. Of these two, clay is the more valuable, because it is capable of being im« proved by certain processes performed on itself ; whereas sand is ab> solntely unfruitful, till it be mixed with some tenacious and binding I. materials, which generally must be transported from a distance «od at a very great expense. Besides these kinds of soils— the onlj ones we have in this province— there are calcareous and chalky to be met with in England and several parts of Europe^ These are well adapted for every species of corn, particularly for the produc* tibn of wheat ; and in the order of fertility they should occupy the space between the Loam and the Clay : but it is of no use to assign any reasons for this particular station, because, as far as my know* ledge goes, they exist not within the limits of Nova-Scotia. It is a matter of course, that the order of occupancy in a new country should obey precisely, and follow the order of fertility : and this view of the subject will both strike out new lights, and . suggest some practical applications. — The coast of the Bay of Fundy is unquestionably the garden of Acadia : and accordingly, we if)d (hat the French planted themselves there, on the first occu* pation of the country. They threw across those dykes, and aht- teouMy by which to shut out the ocean, that they might possess them* selves of the rich marshes of Cornwallis and Horton^ which, prior to our seizure, they had cropped foT.a century* without the adven< »■.■■■ '•> . 1. . ■ ' ' — — ' ■ "^See Gavercor Lawrencc'ii ProcUuuatiou of 1759, publiitbed in last Kccorder, Wtious aid ing o( the in on the forest (hey might li Since we i actly the sam all first taken and now (he roads, or lie i Whenever a i sand which ii it fs passed o cultivation, is a trite, but The agricultu which is comp of stock laid < wise of the mi rent is paid, v nearly of the j pends on the < profits of stock latioo is scanty tiiog on and i least expense, favourable terr 1 must omit all of them, except such as record aqd illustrate the establishment of I the several agricultural societies which qow startefl rapidly into ex- listcnce. The two subjoined letters published along with my 14th essay are lagood specimei of my plan, and aDDoance, the first ef them^ th^ 'vl ( , ,"■ ,M III :ii: ;i I ■!. ' ' !•■! 1^4 annual election of ofBcers for the Pictou society that had been form- ed about a year before this date ; and the second, the institution of the Colchester society, which I hailed with no little triumph as (he first fruit of my labours, and the pledge of more extensive and com* plete success. PICTOU, OCTOBER 10, 1818. AT a meeting of the " West River Pictou Agricultural Society," held on the first Wednesday of this month, being their annual meet- ing for the election of oflicers, the following gentlemen were unani. mously elected ofhce-bcarcrs for the ensuing yoar : — Edward Mortimer, Esq. President ; The Reverend D. Ross, and Mr. R. Stewautj Vicc«Prcsidents ; Mr. D. Fraser, Treasurer ; Mr. John BoNNYMAN, Secretary. After a number of the members had respectively communicated the experiments made during the last season in preparing seed wheat,(he best method of raising turnips, and many other useful observatioos, the Society voted their unanimous and most hearty thanks to tbe unknown *^ Aguicoi.a" ; and appointed the Reverend Duncan Ross to correspond with him in behalf of the Society. HALIFAX, OCTOBER 20, 1818. TO AGRICOLA. SIR, Since I had the pleasure of addressing you, very many of there! spectable inhabitants of the district of Colchester, whose attentioal had been called to the subject by your exertions, met at the Court-I House in Truro, on the 7th inst. for the purpose of forming an Agrij cultural Society. They did me the honour, on this occasion, to eleclj me for President ; The Reverend Robert Douglas, of Onslow, Yice«President ; Mr. Edward Blarichard, of Truro, Secretary ; and Mr. William Dickson, of the same place, Treasurer. They also elected a Committee, consisting of, Reverend Mr. Graliam, of Stewiack, Reverend Mr. Blackwood, of Halifax road, Mr. James Fleming, of Londonderry, Mr. Thomas Brown, of Onslow. Tills So and (lie p( warm intei both by ex tin's quarte Agricultur farour of ( I am sir. In aciditii cei»ed, in tli terly Repor catching the and I trust w Ti'y. It is I was excited h Parr, and wh cd, and wel either in No\ society, to wl existence, eve birth. Jt st£ ruins of that too perishabU the Hants Soc ♦his symptom raay happily r stitution. 1 instituted at I the inhabitants niilarassociatii moting agricu od in 1790, Brunswick, ui ^fom the only e>'ery thing bet system of impn esception. eocr 125 This Society is designafed the Coixiir'Tcil A cnicuLTUuAL Society ; and the persons who arc named, with many others who have taken a warm interest ill it, arc determined to use their utmost endenvours, both by exanvplc and advice, to improve the state of agriculture ia this quarter. If you, sir, arc furnished witJi the rules of the " Hants Agricultural Society," or a!>y other already formed, may I beg the favour of their perusal. J am sir, with liigit regard, your most humble servant, S. G. W. ARCHIBALD. R KM ARKS. In addition to the above inlelligeni'o. my readers will have per- ceived, in the newspaper of last Tuesday, tlio insertion of the Quar- terly Report of the Hants Agricultural Society. This body is catching the general flame which is spreading through the Province, and I trust will soon give indubitable proofs of a revival of its acti« rity. It is now the only remnant of that agricultural spirit which was excited here 30 years ago, under the administration of Governor Parr, and which, from (he want of legislative aid, speedily languish* cd, and wellnigh became extinct. Not a vestige of it remains either in Nova-Scotia or^J^ew-Brunswick, excepting this solitary society, to which much praise is due for preserving the frame of its existence, even although it has outlived the ardour which gave It birth. It stands like a desoktcd and fractured column amid the ruins of that noble edifice, which was then erected, but erected of (00 perishable materials. No notice of any kind has proceeded from the Hants Society for many years, and [ ara truly glad to witness this symptom of reviving vigour which, under proper management, may happily restore the soundness and strength ' f its pristine con- stitution. The first Agricultural Society io Nova-Scotia was instituted at Halifax on the 10th of Deccmder 1789 ; and soon'after, the inhabitants of the county of Hants formed themselves into a si- milar association, with a view to cooporate with the Capital in pro- moting agriculture and rural economy. Much about (he same peri- od io 1790, a society likewise was founded at St. John's New- Brunswick, under the patronage of Lt. Governor Carlctun ; and from the only volume which was ever published here on rural affairs, every thing betokened the establishment of an energetic and active system of improvement. These associations however, with this one exception, eoon fell into pieccSj and all their eifects .disappeared, — >' a a li i 'f 1: 'I'lJ iiii\ lid A-em the new and ioteose interest which was etched by Ihe marvel. loas Bod criminal transactions of the French Rerolntioo, and by tli« long and sangainary war which grew ont of it, and set au unexpect* •d flow of wealth into these Provinces. By the failure of these first attempts we must not be too much cast down ; and although many predict a like fate to the present appearances, let us make another and a second effort, and pcrhsps the current of events may favour the enterprize. I hope we are approach'rag a new sera in the annals of our agrtcul* ture, and that Nova-Scotia, which has been so long prostrate at the feet of the States, and has purchased their produce, at thceipense of our circulating specie and our internal prosperity,will shake off her tupinenesF, will arise in the plenitude of her resources, and strain every nerve to draw from the soil wherewithal to maintain her peo* pie. The path is straight and open hy which to accomplish this end. We hare only to enlighten the public mind, with regard to the importance, the legitimate objects, the utility and even the dignity of farming ; for I hold it as unquestionable, that there is no other art, in the whole compass of human ingenuity and skill) which «dmits of such interesting experiments, of such a clear insight into the laws of matter, of such philosoph'^ contemplation, of such healthy and invigorating exercise, and of such intimate anion with all the sciences that ennoble man and exalt him to his just pre>eminenrc. It is not a mean and pitiful pursuit fit only for the grovelling, ignorant, and untaught class of society. Kings who wore the i.-nperial purple, have held the plough : and the Patricians of the Roman Senate — lhe:e Conscript Fathers— the Arbiters of j^Tations and the Disposers of Kingdoms, disdained not to mingle in the labours of the field. It is past endurance to hear Agriculture— the best, the noblest, the most dignified of the arts, spoken of con* temptuously. The next question is, in what manner is this knowledge--!>this illumination of the public mind-»to be most extensively and most usefully diffused ? Clearly, by the establishment of Agricultural So* cietics throughout the Counties and Townships ; and all other means will prove inoperative and fruitless. These associations were the | main spring of all the improvements which of late years have cbaog* ed the face of the mother county and raised her Agriculture to snchl fto enviable pitch ; and here they will work, though more siowiy^ j 1^7 ^\^h equal certain!)^ of effect. It becomes then the duty of ever/ patriot to recommend in his prirate circle aucb societies ; and the RepresentatiTes and Magistrates should unite their common influence tad exertions for their immediate establishment. There are several stations obvionsly pointed out for this purpose by their topographical position : and I hope soon to have the satisfaction of announcing to the public the realization of my mostardent wishes. I recommend, first, a society to be formed and to meet so as to comprehend JHorton and ComwaUlt ; another, at jinnapolis -^to embrace IVilmot Gram' fn7/«and Dighy i a third at Cape Fourchu ; a fourth at Liverpool g a fifth at Lunenburg s and two more, at eligible places for the respect- ire Counties of Sydney and Cumberland. These seven with the three already in operation at Windsor^ Truroy and Putou would be sufficient in the mean time ; and would be accessible to every spirited farmer, vho was desirous of information, and anxious to contribute his mite to the advancement of the Provincial prosperity. Were the country organiEed in this manner^ and were the Representatives to become members of these Associatibns, an appeal to the Legislatdre when next assembled, to patronize and incorporate a Central Society fit Halifax, invested with certain powers and privileges, would be made Qoder the most auspicious circumstances. In the meanwhile, it is requisite for the Country to show itself ripe for this improvement ; and the cheering prognostics, in many quarters of the Province, are a demonstration of that general and simultaneous movement which is the prelude ofgreat events. In the Capital there are several in- dividuals who are already promising to subscribe liberally, when the Central Society is instituted under legal sanction; and supporters both of rank and influence will appear for it,who are just now stand- ing behind the curtain, and watching the progress of public feeling. AGRICOLA. ii ge-^tiiis jid most lural So* \t means Jere the' chaog' to sock I slowly) LETTER 15. Oil SoW. I 4 FTER having travelled over so wide a field of illustration, fa *\* the course of which I have touched on many topics of interest pod instruction, I now approach the last and most important point ithe second section of my plan. Ifmjr readers hare boen at all % :H •I'fn m ii li' I2« . itteotite (6 my struin of argiimcnf, and m.idc themselves musters of the multiplied views I have exhibited, they will find no dilTicuKy in appreciating the Gtiiess and eRicary of the remedies which I am about to prescribe, in order to rct:tify the natural defects, and con. quer the untoward qualities of diiTerent descriptions of soil lying ivithin the bounds of the Province. It is only by huv;nj5 recourse to first principle8,and laying them down in oider and with precision that any thing like system can be introduced into the practice of husbandry : and the advantages of this when grounded on eiperience and placed under the direction of this faithful and unerring monitor, arc manifold and apparent. There should be nought like quackery in Agriculture — no authoritative tone of dictation to the farmer vrithout assigning satisfactory reasons for the practice recommend. ed : for this profession in not a piece of patch-work, made up of ar. bitrary rules and doubtful maxims handed down immeuiorially from father to son, but it is a science, which walks hand in hand with philosophy and takes the full benefit of her lij^hls and which disdaius to command, till it informs the understanding. I need make no apology for taking a slight retrospectiTc glance •f the leading doctrines I have deUvered on Soil, io order lo com- prise them into one view, and set them, as it were, before the e}» of the mind in a conspicuous and impressive attitude. I have seid, that the soil serves three purposes In Ihe process of vegctatioo : it furnishes abed in which the roots expand themselves, in order to give firmness to the stem, and collect the nece\««ry nutriment ; it is the laboratory in which putrefiictinn goes fokward, and it has the! capacity of fixing and absorbing the gases or streams set at liberlyl during decomposition } and it also chiefly supplies the moisture to the plants which live acd grow upon it. To answer these end J Nature must have either formed the mould, which, like a robe, io' Tests the habitable Globe, of n triple and corresponding character or she must have spread and blended into one composition diiTerenI materials adaptt-d to these essential purposes of vegetation. She ha made choice of the latter plan, and it opens an iutercsting and beau tiful view of design, to mark the quulilius of the primitive cartiii il connection with their subserviency to the vegetable kingdom- T render the surface peuotrablc by the roots and the smaller fibres, anj to keep it open and friable, sand or gravel are provided in s abundance that they pervade both the old and new Continents, ai are met with in all countries and climates : to render it again rctej tive of moisture, that the plants vrhich vegetate most vigorous •H. I k hot wci thrown lu lender it a pnd apply i (io/i and a acid. Mat serves as a i e/lt'cfs ; but fufourable \ nony, nod i '">ld a bene/ the elements '•orrespoiidli, '" ""i"y plac ""i, which ha vf't received a froportioii of ( To ascertain tl ^ious soils iias JiaTe been note( '"ade at Paris, '^""■elghtljs of s |yy proper for ^ 'St Lothian, S, '^'e clay amount "'<^ vegetable ma \M^ of lime. from Somersetfihi r^J '^eans, and k -^ compound of 'Henry's ci,erui,s( 'farms,.', ^^ag^^. 129 o( in am con> yH >aise :ision ice o( r-ence jnitor, ttckery farmer ( of ar- ly from nd witli (Visda'tu} In hot weather, miglit not be parched by oxrcssive jlroughl, clay was thrown into tlie heaj), and blcntlrd with the sniul : aiul lastly to lender it a fit laborutory for rcsolfing animal and vegetable matter, pnd applyins; 't to use, lime was atldod, which assi-.ts tho putrefac- tion and also cnfer-s into coinbitiatioQ with the liberated carbunic acid. Mui;nesia— the scarce^ of all the four [irimltive oarliis— sirTes as a substitute for lime, and Is jiroduttivc exactly of the same tlTt'Cts ; but as calcareous earth supplies it'j place, taking the nr.ost fufourable view of iti clTicacy, it is distributed willi extreme parsi- mony, and in most caiies, is entirely dispensed with. Here we bc- lioltl a beneficent iidjptation of means to end?. In the constltctlon of the elements of soil, ;,inEist Lothian, Scotland, and divided it into 100 parts. Of these, n differen«(],g ^^^.^y amounted to -4.3, the sand to 25, the calcareous earth to 11, . one '■tlic vegetable manure to 9, and the water in absorption to 4, and th« *" .■remaining G were taken up. in chemical compounds, chiefly the sul- cartlii il llom 1^1 fibres, anl td ii» A linents, aij Igain relei vigorousB *5^e"ry's Chemistry, page 426. ■ i Farmer's Magaziue, vol. 10, p. 482. Ipliate of lime. lie submitted, also, to the test of experiment a soil Ifrom Somersetshire celebrated for producing excellent crops of wheat lord beans, and found it to consist of eight ninths of calcareous marl l-a compound of clay and lime — and one ninth only of sand. iSir 11. ]h M \ \ It ■•"'*««(. ^ ill] I 13« Bavj (liicoTcreif, lliat a ^oil, coiitainlnfl; eleven pnrts tut of (hcIv« of satid, could yield a (oIt'r;ibl(; crn|) of turi\i[)(joiti(»n : ond (his is analuijous (o that law of Tari« ty whii h is obscrval)le in other arraiigemcuh, and seems (o goTern all Ihetpcra- tions of Nature. It cannot, however, bo denied, (hat (his n mark applies more particularly to (ho clay and sand — the two priniipal ingredients— whiih from the above experiments may be mixed up and assorted from one ninth (o eleven (wcll'ths : (hat is, a soil may coii. fist of clay except a ninth part of sand, or of sand except a (wclfdi part of clay. These two «'xtremes so wide of each other, leave a vast intermediate space to bo filled up, and account for the almost infinite variety of loams,— truly productive — that are ni?t with on our globe. But lime must not be introduced into (ho eomposition of soils with the same freedom of admixture. If- bei.cfiiial (pmli- ties are only exerted when a moderate dose is applied ; and it it universally pernicious when existing in excess, M.ignesia is equally, and in all probability more so ; for many are of opinion, that itacti even ID the smallest quantities as a poison to vegetation. These views will be found highly conduiive to the right undpr. standing and judicious application «»f tits rrmccies, to nliiih ih,' 'farmer should have recourse in rectifying the d'ifects of any fitld he is (■olicitous to jt'prove. He has only to inquire, which of the 0)!gi' nal ingredients is wai'Tntfj, and (hen endtav(>ur to find it attfieeabi" est and cheapest rale : lor he may be assured, that the utmost ferti- lity 13 uuattainable without the presence of all the elementary sub* stances. Under the ^uidfincc of these conclusions, and aided by the lights wliieh they aft'i»rd, 1 --hall proceed to exTininr shortly all the ties- crijUions of soils found in Nova-Scotia, and appropriate to each a few pra<;tiral ohservaiiuns. 1. Manby the formation of which was explained last week, i compounded of all the primitive earths, and is confessedly the bes of all our soils. It requires to be emb.inkod against the ocean, tha it may becrme fit ior tillage ; but in all other respects it is place beyond the belp and operaiions of art. The iugredieuts are so hap [lily mixed, tamperi/ig, ment. J „„ houdreds oi and all our plies of (III i^ lafive ima^iin of (he deco them 1(8 strei must beeonit land has beer definite Icngt of the whole been found, tj to contain lU been much so the idle ond o rf'sult must foj uninterrupted i f'tion of manu •luiion experii '■'■e (iiminishef dence of (J,e ^r (Jespito of the «orae of our n Morton may be grass alternate >nd have not be( f'fher of fossil o served by the un «nd keeping (her 'erval of rest, w] "four best marsh "Jjich is not th !»ere a different [certain portion ol f'tantial food of v "may be permittt '^ 's pitiable hush l^'oJaudVe and in 131 / m\\y mixed, (hat my attempt to modify them would be injudicious timpcrii'g, and as likt-ly to issue in iu (leieiiurutiuii us it!> im|iiove> ment. 1 iiin fur, however, from the belief, that it can be cro, pi d for hnudreds of years, withuul impnirin^ its natural pioductivcncAS ; and all our idcns of a poipctual fertility, independent of fresh sup« plies of animal and vegiMuble matter, uie mere chimeras of a specu- lative imagination, Kvery soccc»sive crop vegetates at the cxpenst of (he dtcomposing deacf substances in the soil, and draws from them itsstrenjj'h and nuurishnuuit. The original store, therefore, must become exhausted in proportion to the number of years the land has Iteen under eultivatior, and if these be extended to an in- definite length, the inevitable consequence must be, the extractidu of the whole nntrimcnt. \n coufuirnlty to thiK hypothesis, it has been found, (hat the rich meadows in America, which were supposed to contain the elements of an inexhaustible pfoductiveiiess, have been much sooner worn out than was expected, and (hus blasted the idle and unsubstantial hojics of visionary projectors. The same result must follow in Nova-Scotia, if our marshes are laid under an unin(errupt;:d course of cropping,and neither renovated by thcappli- fition of manures nor repaired by lying in pasture. To (his con- iluiion experienr? huL now brought an act cssion of strength, and (!,e liiminished produce of these fine levels is an incontesfible evi- oiider* I denre of (he erroneousness of that theory which has been set up in Iku \\\i ■ despite of the first principles of vegetable nature. True it Is, that In 1(1 bfl ■ some of our marshes, and 1 beiiove spots iu the Grand Prairie of \v: o)igi*B Horton may be instnnccd as an example, have been under wheat and he eabi'B8''38s alternately and iu succession, for more than a century past, ist fi rU-B»nd have not been replenished during 'hat long period with any sort ry sub'Bcither of fossil or putrescible manure ; but the fertility i3 here pre- Hserved by the uniform prnctice of laying out these marshes to gra„ me liii'itsBand keeping them so for several seasons. Notwithstanding this i^,- [the tleS'Bterval of rest, which toaoertain extent reckuits all sells, (heprod*'^'* ea('li»Bofour best marshes may now be estimated at from 12 to 13 br'hels, which is not the half tliey once yielded, or would again yi^^ld, I week, •■irere a diiferent system of inanagemeut adopt vi by giving i^em a the "fi^wertain portion of the barn manure. This is the genuine nno sub- an, (nii»tantial food of vegetables, and on nothing else will they -' ' ? if js P'^'^^tt may be permitted to borrow this term from the animal econo • so hapBij J5 pitiable husbandry to extract from such excellent lands (hes(»> vialDutive and insignificant crops. I''- it. vj J.:i 132 ' IL The fresh water intervals are our finest loams ; beciiusc il.y- tlay and sand of which they are formed have been blended hy the deposition of the floods, and consist altogether of the minutest par. tides of eaih. I am satisfied, that the application of lime to these would lie of incalculable benefit, as furnishini; a quickening aiul stimulatinij substance, which would assist putrofiction, and serve (o fix and absorb ihe fruc(if3in;;( gases. Some of them, I am certain, already contain a portion of calcareous earth brought down by the torrent ; but in none of them which I have examined, docs it exist iii suiTicient abundance to exercise its full activity ; and all of thcrn would be greatly improved by the use of this (xcellent and valuable fossil, "-'i'oo great a dose in the first instance need not be given ; ruid although th<; expense of (iO or 80 bushels per acre swells into magnio lode in th3 tne of a farmer, he should recollect, that the benefits of liiiiing are permanent, and are felt for thirty years afterwards. — Lands In.vo beoa limed iu Scotland at the rate of three hundicd buolicls per acre, J IF. Upland loams are exactly formed of the same materials with Inttrval ; but the mixture la t»ot so corisplete, and the parts are of a coarser a:.d bulkier descrinllon. The loams generally in the Pro- Tifjce are iiiclined more to sand than clay, and en that account aie admirably adapted to the turnip husbandry. My tillage they could bo j}ulveiised iato a fine soil capable of producing oil sorts of greca crops — and I hope the period is not very remote, wheu their capabi- lity cirri!) be put to the test. Jiime would be a great and beneiicial improvttaent to them all, as it is the oi\\y ini'redient wanting to complete and perfect their composition. The qauntity that should be l.';id ni;, must dcpead on many circumstances, so tiiat no rule which I cuuid prescribe, v.ould be of genera! applicability, and 1 ""^ar the cipense of burning and transportii'.g ii will operate with . ' fanners in inakincr them lean iooiruch to the safe side. — Vv'iicii .vraciice of iinuni; wr.s first introd^Hcd into Gieat-Britain, which '" nt!y about 70 years ago, the lenants of those days proceeded wilh i ^ caytion, and harrowed in a very inconsiderable quantity: but '*i'ier v^]c^ when its beneficial effects were palps ble and acknow Iedg< . they advanced with more boldness, aviu applied from l."0 to 250 J. . i^is per Knglisb acre. The luxuriance of the succeeding *" ^ uf'ed their most sanguiiie expectations, and quickly repaid jutlay. This success encouraged to farther efforts ; and "' 'A them laid on a second time as large a quantity as at first. r- ihls aflcr-dose was not accompanied with the same staking (iiiv.intagfs, tiied a ;hiri and in genv vv.'is never k ill the prod'. This txperi lirst atternpd ture, that a ai^filnst, but apply if to il kw soils of I but the one conceive, (he vlisappolntmer t'.'ct soil tr- con must Lea defc( tfatrd ; giuj ai plants and is n 3'Jl should eoij lation. Wiieth h nfimniateria Joiib?od, and I rtous earth. f'^rtlier, it „ ff quicklime a 3'c, as pouiide niodification of ^"''j and in (hat tlie soil, (Jj(i( a (em of farming land with almos jcorrc'spondctifs, I'aken from Air. ("valuable manu pd on uplands Jtonibiiie to rend piinot be paid t jriche.s. To sand pod, in order to P soils, it beco c 133 \ {iiivantagfs, nor mTereil so sure a prospect of remuneration. Some jiied a ihinl, bat liiis was followed by no sensible im()rovemeiit ; and In general the capital cxjjeiniiid on the seeoiid and third liniinga \v;iH never ie,)lucc(l ; and in many instances, a vi-ible defcrioration ill tlie produclivene jS of tlu? soil was the unfortunate con*ie(iiiente» ']^\)h experience corrected tlie hasty conclu'^ions drawn from the llist attempts ; ar.d it is now a rert giiized niiixim in Hiitish A«;ricul- jure, that an overabundaiit dote should be cautiously guarded aiialnst, but that it i-* pcrfcttly safe, and highly Ijeneficial, to apply it to the extent of three or four hundred bushel?, and iit some. I't'W soils of siifl'clay, in a ^uiitcr quantity, tlH)«t;h not all at once, lint the one half at an intervnl of a complete rotali' n of crops. I conceive, there is no grent diffitulcy in RS«igtn!'.g the cause of this disappointment. Lime is one of the original ii-gredieots cf whi. h a per- fect soil is composed, and ancxcessof it as well as ofany of the others m"?t be a defect, upon those principles which havebeen alread) illws- tiatrd ; mid as only a very small portion enters into the onrnns of plantsand is nccessar;,' to the constitution of their fibre, perh^ips the 3,ratioiis of man. V. Clay, in its unsubdued state, ii^ the most barren of all soils «nd requires more than any other an expen-jiture both of capital and labour. It may seem paradcxictl to recommend the laying of *sand on this stubborn earth, but wherever it can bp easily procured, it is the most certain and infallible remedy, and will much sooner work theefTcct. — About II y«arB ago, in another rouniry, I rented a small ield, which consisted of a fiialde loam, except one corner, where protruded on the surfaie a stiff and unyielding (lay, which had proved so ohstinate fo the former occupiers, that they had given it up in despair, and it was accounted hiirdly worth seed and labour, previous to my po«!^ession, it had been linud and manured, and mors than once subje.-icd to a naked fallovf, and still its refractory naJurc refused to be taraed, though rich in calcareous and decomposing malfer. About this period I recollect, that Millar's Dictionary on Gardening and Agriculture fell into my hands ; and under the arti- cle Earth, which any of my readers may consult at their leisure, he recommends sand as an efficient manure for fat borders ; and slate'Jj that the gardeners about London were in the practice of using it, to restore the virgin temper of (he soil in lieu of trenching ; and 'n\s9 that it would prove useful on *' clays, to open the pores, give f-Vee- "dom to the circulation of the sap, and make way for the exteiision "of the roots." I formed at once the determination of making the experiment on my barren corner, and proceeded to cart ^«faid as fully equal to what grew on the other parts of the field. T he it to 40 B^fg ^jjj complete ; for ever after while under my management, th a<: rs, aim Kece vied with the rest in native productiveness, rose ra^ ■ y^qixi all this reasoning it seems deducible, that sand and clay in th sand ■jjojt ^^y proportions, with a quantity o( lime laid on with judg- ic name Bent, imt not in excess, constitute the lest and most fertile soil ; [a^lon toBid that the only mode of improvement is to supply whatever sort ed the I ferti- irl,and retative )unda' East, the last inly, as ual ad' ee ; its he first ( them kl v:\ \:' rYoung't Caleudur, page 43. ! i Ij 1 ■ i i ■ 1 ' 1 < r ■■ ;»■ • •"**.«, _^^ 136 t)f these original and elrmcntary ingredients h dufi-ient in the compositioii. But all this will be far from bestowiDg lusting ferlili- ty, unless to (he mass be added deciyed animal and vegetable sub- stances, which unquestiouably minister to plants their principal food and nourishment. AGRICOLA. Halifax, Oct. 21, 1818. LETTER 16. On AgYicwllwxal Mac\\iueY^. XN the first ages of society the instruments of husbandry wcri ■-simple in their part?, and inariificial in their coiutruction ; and the handling of (hem \%as accounted mean and discreditable — dero- gatory to freemen, and fit only for slaves. While (hings coutiuued ''I this state, little ingenuity would !«e directed towards the improve* r at of those in common UFe, or in (he iiivenlion of others ofn r>ft: . comijlcxand effective make. The opening of Ancient His(ory prc^stt s us with Agriculture in this lamentable and forlorn con" dititin — its practical followers reduced to servitnde, and its appara. tusc-f clumsy and unskilful woikmanship. Sparta, that renowned ?pu which disputed so long the preeminence of Greece, applied her ^ e genius to the art of war, and intrusted the culture of her fielci ' the Helots-*— an abject and d( bised race, from whom were wUFi id 2ill the rights of liberty. The other States copied (his pef|:!?_*if ^ 1US example : and although there was amongst them a con- lifl;tirr)'>le variety of nadonal manners, they all trained their youtli t6 f^. practice of arnts^ as the only honourable profession ; and do 'w'*' 1 (heir slaves to (he labours of husbandry, as compatible willi the i'' > jlitical degradation. Their *ploughs, from the scarcity ofl ire, », wore made of wood ; and barley was the first grain which they :^;ii-ied, as (he osdinary food both of men and horses. •'inong the llomans Ajjjiculture, from the first foundation ofllii .(_>', was held in es(eeni, and .seems to have been practiced by al fders of men in the CnrnmonweaUh. The severe manners of (!ic;i ancient Conquerors of (he World were extremely favourable foster Hiat patient industry, and ruiiged habit of labour, whici •Rutherford's Ancient ilistor.v. Cai«. I2th. are essentia were of the ed its origin the classic i after the tide magnificence tor, and of T crooked elm. aod io these \ with two baci of barbarism v century, there and from these of the state of I the revival of iJ emerges from t tinned, during alteration, and ( mentsofhusban pears io have be "I'd a cylindric i wsally extende »nd thus atoned, '')' the diffusion »ho issued from attempt any innc llierors had estal j'oo much coDtem pusillanimous pu Mabitants they ™f the preservati( '«"t of life, the ^""ed, to cultivat iit seized with ui ^^'thout prose< NiuGreat-Brit, h'''Sil'»Georgir,,. hi lb- pal i. 137 are essential requisites in this occupation ; but their implements were of the simplest and most imperfect kinds. The plough retain- ed its original shape amid all the fluctuations of their fortune ; and the classic grounds of Italy were turned up in the same manner, after the tide of conquest had poured upon her shores the riches and magnificence of the Eust, as in the times of Cincinnatus the Dicta- tor, and of Tarquin the Proud. It had only one handle formed of crooked elm, into which a *beam was fitted eight foet in length ; aad to these were added a double mould-board, and a share*head with two backs. After the fall of the empire, and during the ages of barbarism which succeeded from the sixth almost to the fifteenth century, there are only a few incidental traces left of Agriculture, and from these scattered gleanings, no correct estimate can be formed of the state of this art in the different European Governments. At the revival of literature the plough, having still one crooked handle, emerges from the gloom, and leads us to presume, that it had con- tinued, during that long interval of darkness, with scarcely any alteration, and certainly with no improvement. The other imple- ments of husbandry were equally imperfect ; and their number ap- pears to have been limited to the unwieldy harrow, osier hurdles, auda cylindric roller : — all borrowed from the Romans, who uni- versally extended with their arms the useful and ornamental arts, tnd thus atoned, in some measure, for their violence and injustice by the diffusion of knowledge and civilization. The savage hordes, m werel^lio issued from the North and the East, were too unlettered to i/icd thislittempt any innovation on the husbandry which these elegant con- a con-lqnerors had established, and in general, they held the pacific arts in r youtliltoo much contempt, to bend the severity of their manners to these a ; andlpusillanimous pursuits. Content with subjecting to slavery the blc >vitviDhabitants they found in the Roman Provinces, and caring little larcity ofj liich theyl WCtl •, and -dero- tiuucd jprove' ;rs of n History n con- appam- novtncd applied e of her ,n oftl-." led by a1 of thcii .arable H tr. Dor the preservation of what tended either to the comfort or refiae- nent of life, Ihcy left their slaves, or villains as they were soon kallcd, to cultivate the earth after the fashion of their forefathers, |)ut seized with unsparing rapacity the products of their labour. Without prosecuting this history farther, I shall just remark, — fatiu Great-Brltain,Fitzherbert,Platt, Sir Richard Weston, Hartlib whici 'Viigii'j Georgicf , Book l«t. ilr' 't'-^- >' llM-r s 158 'A-v 1 11! ! ■:^' r "i.1, ,< h b : I and Evelyn were the first wrifers,who inspired their countrymen with a desire to revive the study of Agrict]lture,and they were followed by the famous Jethro Tull — a man, who though whimsical in some of bis speculations, laid the foundation nf the drill husbandry, and the numerous improvements to which it gave rise. His labours wert incessant and unwearied, not so much to amend the old, as to invent new instruments ; and although his theory be now exploded in cod* sequence of the increase of chemical Science, still his practical de> tails enter into the modern system of management, and prove a last< ing memorial of his sagacity and discernment. lie believed, that the fine particles of terrestrial matter constituted the food of plants; thatmanure served no other purpose than to divide it minutely ; and that the practitioner, Miereferc, should have no other object in »iew than to pulverize the soil, and if possible, reduce it by tillage to an impalpable powder. Under the influence of this opinion, he set about improving the construction of his Agricultural Machinery, directed h'.s attention to the expertness and dexterity of hia plough- men, levelled his ridges, drew his drills in straight lines that he might more readily break, and loosen the soil between the rows; and thuS| as he supposed, supply to the roots the fine particles by which they were nourished. — Since his time juster views, as to tbe food of plants, have succeeded : but his practice of pulverizing the earth cannot be too highly praised ; and a farmer, versed in the modern theories, may still derive considerable benefit from the per< usal of his work. It is the production of a great and original mind, bursting impatiently thetrammels with which he felt himself enthral' led, and boldly daiing to strike out a new path at utter TariaDceH(;|JQ,g(g ^^^ with all that had preceded him. The singularity of his reasooioglrjir jq Great Brit attracted much notice, and led to those alterations in the formaQdlterminateia fami make of the different instruments, which have exalted modern huAve should know bandry so much above the ancient. There is perhaps no couDtrMcally employed i where this taste has been carried to a greater length than io Eoglthose in use amo land ; and the number and variety of new machinery which, duriDfloov oecupy our the last century, has been broukrht before the public, and recoranometimes conde mended in different wriiings, have been great beyond all paralleflrecommend it ml Many of these, it is true, have only enjoyed a short-lived reputatioiBledge of jjjg . because they have been succeeded by others, superior in structurBrhlch they may or cheaper in purchase ; yet all of them had a certain effect in prwitioos. With t ducing a powerful excitation of general enterprise, and diverting Wes which agric efforts of iogealous men into this walk of invention. The state for vegetable prod] Agriculfnre request in w wherever it with the cli have brought at ptrfection, means may ac Should the; of societies th tenia] improvf funds, contrib direction of th the various im| There is no syi our husbandrj- ed condition, every farmer pc tial to his sucf< isf not in Nova met more than s^'stem, and tha the roller. X( •rith such execrd waging war wit} indolence, owe 139 with dby le of lithe Mfere nvent 1 COD< al de> I last< J, that )lants; I ; nnd in view e to an , he set ■Vinery, plough, that he le rows; icles by IS to the zing the 1 in the the per. al miix^t enthral' variance |reasouin| form an Idem hu countr; in Engj h, dvirioi id recoml I parallel ■eputatio fitructuii |ect in pt' verting t he state Agricaltare !o any community may be safely estimated by tht request in v»hiih new and more effective instruineiits are held ; for wherever it is despised or neglected, the farmers conteot themselves with the clumsy and uoskilfu' machines, which chance or custom have brought into use : whereas, if it be progressive, and straining at perfection, a demand is created for whatever discoyeries and meaus may accelerate its advancement. Should these letters be fortunata in promoting the establishment of societies throughout the Province,and in stirring ap a spirit of in- ternal improvementjthe first visible effect will be the appropriation of funds, contributed by the local Associations, and placed under the direction of the Central Board in Halifax, to import, as models, all the various implements of latest and most improved construction.—- There is no symptom of more ominous aspect in the present state of our husbandry, nor any thing whi<'h more clearly marks its depress- ed condition, than the want of those common instruments, which every farmer possesses in England, and which are conceived essen- tial to his success. A vteediog-pluugh, a cultivator, a grubber ex- ist not in Nova-Scotia ; and in all my peregrinations, I have not met more than once with the double moulded plough for the drill system, and that with immovable earth boards, and but seldom with the roller. To expect wheat for the subsistence of our populatioa with such execrable husbandry is outraging the laws of Natare,and waging war with Heaven. The fine crops, which so often bless our iadolence, owe nothing to our skill, but are the gifts of our superior climate, and most productive soils. The same labour and machine- ry in Great Britain, with her present immense population, would terminatein famine, and all its concomitant horrors. It is time that we should know the different instruments, which are now uniwer- jally employed in modern practice, that we may compare them with llhose in use among ourselves. A brief description of these shall pow oacupy our atteoticn, and as I shall both praise and dispraise, sometimes condemn with unqualified reprobation,and at others freely lecoromend, it may be proper to introduce my readers to a know- ledge of the principles on which my judgment shall be founded, by hich they may be enabled to accompany me la my critical inwesti- [»tioas. With this view, I shall devote this letter to explain the lies which agricultural machinery serves in preparing the ground for vegetable production i and these may be reduced under the (ovr >? 4: mk « If 1 • 140 following heads:— It serves to brcaken, loosen, and pulverijic t!ii< eoil ; to destroy the remains of the preexisting crop, cmd extirpa'c M'ecds ; to bury both seeds and manure at proper dcptiis ; am* lastly to level all iuequalities,and roaV-e way for the drill and hori^r.. hoeing system. 1. The use of machinery is to break and pulverize the soil. — The earth from its own gravity naturally settles down into a hard, com- pact, and impenetrable body, ^yhile in this state the roots of plants,— which are the collectors of the food,— -caunot find a free passage, nor overcome the continued resistance. The activity of ve- getable life may push them a little from the main stem ; but they can neither ramble at large, nor draw the same copious supply of nutri- ment. When we trace roots to the boundary of their range, we are struck, both at the distance to which they travel, and at the obsta- cles they surmount. Mr. Peters, President of the Blocklcy and Mcrrion Society states,that, a grain of wheat, if planted in a mellow soil} will strike its fibres three feet downwards, and elongate them much farther horizontally. The roots of pats have often beeo discovered at eighteen inches from the stem ; and those of the turnip, which, yrith the exception of the bulb and tap-root issuing from if, arc all slender flexible threads, have diverged on all sides to the dis- tance of twenty inches. This doctrine may be illustrated in tlie garden as well as in the field, and in most cases in the former, with greater effect ; because there the cultivation is superior, and is carried to a greater depth. The fibres proceeding from an onion are of a whitish spongy substance, and are distinctly discernable In a black mould: and these have been found to descend fully two feet in a treuch- ed soil. The carrot will often measure from twelve to fourteen inches; and the fibres which fed it must have sunk much deeper. The potatoe will push outleaders to the distance of fifteen and eighteen inches in a sandy open loam, well stirred vfith the hoe. These facts lead irresistibly to the cooclasioD, that the skilful cultivator should pre- pare the soil fbr the utmost extension of the roots, and should em- ploy such instrnments as will pierce it deeply, and crumble it tc powder, for the free and unrestrained passage of the radical fibres. If the ground be ploughed only three inches deep, the roots can de- scend no farther than the share and coulter have gone before them ;| and if a tangled sod of grass be merely turned over without being hroken and pulverized, they will find vast difficulty in stretchiod tlicni^clves will apply, broken t|o< coits, and 1 because ina fifness, then becomes a ci acHy proper iiig this ess( 1'. Anol old crop, a language, is i their congen value either culture, every earth at thee? lield of turnip; manure deposi port of what i« lives upon it, i (he common m crop." Alost weeds covered with e; mit at once to t [>ly, if the surface be encumbered with unsubdued and un- broken clods. The roots will be unable to penetrate their hard coif, and however full of vegetable nourishment, it must be lost, because inaixcssible to the«e dispersed feeders of ihe cro}). Tho fitness, therefore, of e?ery instrument to break and loosen the soil becomes a criterion in judging of Itsmcri' , and its perfection is ex- actly proportioned to the superiority of its structure for accomplish- ing this essential end. II. Another use of machinery is to destroy the remains of the old crop, and extirpate weeds. — The term tueeJ, — in commoa language, is applicable to all those plants, which spring up from their congeniality to the soil and climate, and which are of no value either for use or ornament : but in the language of agri- culture, every thing is so called, which extracts tiourishmentfromtho earth at the expense of tho grovviHg corn. The grasses are pestsina Jicld of turnips ; and a potatoe is mischievous in an onion bed. Tho manure deposited in the ground is de:-tii)ed exclusively for the sup- port of what is meant to be raised, and every pliint, therefore, which lives upon it, is so far noxious and ought to be extirpated. IJcnce the common maxim — "A fanner should lot nothing grow but his crop." Most weeds can be destroyed by being overturned by the plough, (overed with earth, and excluded from the external air. They sub- mit at once to the process of putrefaction, and add to the fertility of the soil which produced them. There are others again, so tenacious, of vegetable life that although buried — botii roots, stem, and leaves — to a conside/able depth, they shoot up afresh, and grow with the utmost luxuriance. The common crowfoot, which flowers with .a yellow cup consisting of five obtuse petals, and is well known ia all our pastures, belongs to this class. It is completely indestructible, though ploughed dowD, and buried in the ground, and many of our grasses possess the same property. The couch-grass, for instance,^ I propagates by sending from every joint a new stem, and although [cut into a thousand pieces, and seemingly destroyed, it will spriug anew, if at all within the influence of the solar heat. This last or- der of weeds can only be extirpated by being brought to the surface^ gathered into heaps, and carted ofl'the field. They abound in aU most all lands : and harrows of various forms have been constructed It* tear; thera from the soil, and lattejly, 1 believe in the year 1816j„ 4 ■ ■I .H i Hit; •'""*-»v _,. J49 a pecuUiir lastrament has been formed for this purpose in Scotland staled (he rerolting Brake-Harrow. The first class of plants and weeds are nearly as troublesome at the last to the farmer : and it cooiprehends the most of annuals pro. pignted by shedding (heir seeds, the clovers and tender grasses, and all the corn species. By simple ploughing the green verdure which clothes the fields, is buried to rise no more ; and all the plants com- posing this carpet, with a very few exceptions, ferment and hasten to decay. It is in this way that we get rid of the remains of the pre- existing crop, destroy the cultivated grasses, and kill the new race of annual weeds. Tlic destruction is complete, provided the opera* tions of the plough bo conducted with skill and jud|$ment,nndproTi« ded also, its structure be formed on principle:) calculated to answer this great and im|)ortant end. The general rule, whicli in this case ought to be observed, can admit of a very strict dt'liiiitioM,and allows but little latitude in the performance of the work— the furrow-slice, as it is cut and Uid down by the plough, should be inverted at an angle of from 46® to 50° ; the green side turned downward, and the fresh mould appearing on the surface. Such instruments thcreforr^ and there are many in this Province, which sot the furrow-slices on an edge of less inclination, and leave a narrow stripe of green visi. ble in the lir.e of their junction, are utterly worthless, and should be universally reprobated. The weeds and grasses spring vigorously out at this opening ; and in a short while the whole benefits of (he ploughing are lost : for they rise with the growing corn, contend "with it in its progress, and during the whole season rob it of its nou* rishment. III. Another use is to bury the dung and seed at proper deptho in the soil. If any part of the dung be left exposed on the surface after the operations are completed, it is absolutely thrown away by this mismanagement. There, it mostly passes into aeriform products, mixes with the atmosphere, and is carried off by the winds. Its va- lue is as much annihilated to the owner,as if he had tossed it into the neighbouring brook to be borne away by the current : except, per- haps, with this slight difference, that the small quantity of residual earth, which remains after putrefaction, adds to the future fertility of the spot. This is ofjo small account, that every farmer should be careful in coveri.ig up his manure, and conducting his ploughing with the profesHed tiesign of burying it completely. As it decom- poses in the soil; the soluble and volatile parts are absorbed, entet Into the r if is no lir rays, a: growth of ( ring this fii emits carbo the leaves e tfais account the light, b( Dotyetnnfo tkey are dch external air portion of oi lifc. When cess to them, existence. I grown with a der its surface IV. The] the ground an In exery coun tem be introdi tion of my reai general practi( ed for its oper of our uplands the trunks, is a double value force us to trai sw'j to employ manures, and cattle than we bread-corn foi coru for the use of the inhabitants. The adoption of this sys- tem will be followed by an immediate improvement in our imple* meats of husbandry, by au increased productiveness of tho soil, by a flow of wealth into the landed interest, by an additional demand for labour, by a progressive population, and finally, by that most envia- ble of all situations, — independence of American supplies for our own consumption* * Davy's Agricultural Chcmiiitry, pa;;e 21 3. •1V ,m 'J I" 1 • < 1 ^ ! l! ,, 1 .1 i 144 • These four general views, which I have (has vhortly cxhibitecl,wiii become tests by which to try (hu usefulness and construction of all the bgricultural instruments, which are now to pass under review ; ■ud the excellence of all of them will depend entirely od their sub^ serviency to answer one or more of these ends. AGRICOLA. Halifax, Nov. 4, 1818. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Last week I am favoured with a good number of communications ; and I am pleased to observe, that a general interest is excited by these periodical essays. The information, too, given nic is of much more importance than at first ; and this can only arise from clearer views of the objects that ought (o be brought into public notice. The minds of my correspondents arc opening apace, and they can both reason more distinctly, and draw justcr and sounder conclusions. — A great deal of practical detail is contained in several of these letters ; and although in some points, they are at variance with the mode of good management I shall noH in a short time explain, yet in many parts they entirely correspond with it. I am beginning to de* rive considerable benefit in the elucidation of my Synopsis from these private communications, and I beg their continuance. LETTER 17, On t\\e. T\ovvg\\. fTnHIS instrument, which consists of so many detached pieces, may -*- admit of a considerable diversity in their arrangement, and as the form of these may be endlessly varied without sacrificing fitness or utility, this circumstance afiords to invention additional means on which to exercise itself. The structure of ploughs, ever since Agri- culture has awakened much attention, and called to its aid the sci- ence of mechanics, has become a capital object among the practi- tioners of the art ; and the variety of them, which ingenious and en- terprising men have exhibited .to the public, and put to the proof iu their rural operations, has been so great as to bewilder the judgment, and leave it in suspence as to their comparative excellence and superiority. Most of these by their respective patrons and admirers hut been I tlii'in have ( ca|}(:d (he c my iiitcntio ous kinds ; by tiicro lan^ composiliun in a country funds, and li rulturul das tion, must li tfcii' jul scie (Ji.Ntu "ry, ar ifuprov. ment cominuiiity. all (he ranks iiig husbaiidr known by the ihcir private machines, m the same hoiJ which promisJ h is studied f culations at i (lie nobler pas become the an from public li pictures no g estate, or the wealth, and t There his plea: the din, smokf quilJy iu some guished either melody of the Seasons, the a Serene and he ^tted to produ thinery mostly with poverty, I 145 have tjcen praised with (he moht extravagant encomiums ; many of tlioii) have enjoyed uiily a transient popularity ; and a few have es- caped (he common Mreck, and outlived their inventors. It is not 111) intention to trouble my readers with a doKcription of these vari- ous kinds ; for without plates of reference, it is next to impossiblfi bv iiiero language to represent the proportions, the figures, and tha (Oiiipoiii'ion of these instruments. Neither, indeed, in it necessary ill acountry like (his, v\hi(h labours under the want of disposeablo funds, and has little (o s[)nrc on the score of experiment. Our agri- cultural classes must have surmounted the dilhculties of their condi* lion, must have umitssed capital, und attained a greater height ia ir(>iii rul science, eie men among^t them will venture on a range of ili>c<' ry, and construct iiiiplenients of curious mechanism to make improv. ments whidt are to benefit not themselves, so much as the community. In ICngland, Dukes, Marqui.^ses, Earls, liaronets and all the ranks of nobility emulate each other not merely in patroaiz- jiig husbandry, but in actively engaging in it : and hese patriots known by tlu; name of (icntlemenFarmers, scruple not to draw from iheir private revenues the wherewithal to construct experimental machines. Manufacturers and Merchants of opulence embark ia the same honourable competition : and no scheme is left untried which promises to be useful, or to advance the National Agriculture. It is studied and pursued with an enthusiasm which sets selfish cal- culations at defiance, and which warms, agitates and interests all the nobler passions of the heart. The peaceful labours of the plough become the amusement and solace of every gerUleman who retires from public life, and after he has made his fortune, his imagination |jiitures no greater happiness than the cultivation of his paternal estate, or the embellishment of the country seat purchased by his wealth, and on which he means to pass the evening of his days. — There his pleasures centre, and there his hopes rest. He llics from the din, smoke and bustle of the crowded city, and sits down tran« quilly in some sequestered nook, rich in varied beauty, and distin- guished either by the picturesque or sublime, there (o enjoy the melody of the grove, the low of cattle, the grateful change of the SL'isons, the alternation of labour and repose, aud above all, that Serene and healthful exercise of mind which rural recreations are fitted to produce. It is from such men that all improvements in ma- chinery mostly emanate ; while the mere tenant, often struggling with poverty, looks on an uiuoncorned spectator, reluctant, in many T I :? 1 :!.* -146 il ■ ■ .;■ m \ ckses, to avail himi^elf of their successes, eveh Qlthoogh he runs no risk of their failures. Id this Proviuce we have few such characters. Agriculture — the grand basis of stability and inde- pendeuce— is abandoned to its fate, the town is preferred io the country, no experiments are undertaken by patriotic individuals for the general good, the superfluous \»calth acquired in com- merce is transferred to the public funds of England or of the States, our monied men saunter avray their old age in listless inactivity j and the " amor Patriay^ or love of country never rises to any force, be cause it is not mixed and identified with the soil. We consider our. selves as strangers and aliens in a foreign landj and will always do so, till cultivation has swept off our forests, has laid naked the genuine features and brought out the native charms of the landscape, and in short, wen our affections by the display of hill and valley, of bubbling stream and rolling river, of grassy mead and tufted upland, and ail those natural ol/jects, which link the sympathies and associa- tions of the human heart into the mystic tie,embellished by thepoetj, and endeared by the namo of country. These distressing views at. count satisfactorily for the inferiority of our Agricultural Inslru ments ; and whisper in my car to abstain from all curious descrip. tiou of such as are inapplicable to the present state of the art. Alt that I can attempt, therefore, in these letters will be^ to point cut the uses which the principal parts of the plough serve in the oper* lion of tilling ; to notice briefly some peculiar instruments of thiii sort which have been contrived with the design of heightening and improving their effective power ; and lastly to enter into the recom. mendation of those which should be introduced into this country, and which are indispensible to our success. The first hasty glance of the plough suggests to the mind, that it is a moveable iveJge, and that all the other parts attached to it are no other than necessary appendages to direct, regulate, and drag it for- ward. This simple idea, abstracted from all utility and effectiveness, conveys most correctly its general nature. The shape of this wedge, its size in length and breadth, the materials of which it is formed, the disposition of all its dependant parts, are circumstances Hhich will odmit of considerable modificatioM ; but any change in these must be referred to this primary conception, as the ciiterien of their merit. Keeping its nature as a moveable wedge distinctly in our recollcctior), Mc shall be prepared to estimate the usefulucss, and necessity of all its other accompaniments. H7 The bandies are of no other ase than to gaide Us motion— the iron sock to give it a har-!, sharp>and penetrating point— the mould.board t9 throw off and turn over the furrow.sHce— the coulter to cut the land, and save the w tste of animal exertion — and the beam with its QOtched and moveable muzjle, to regulate and govern the line of draught. In judging of the construction of the plough the first thing to be considered is, whether its parts in their form and arrange- pv^nt are calculated to accomplish the end with the least possible friction ; and all improvements, which have been attempted on thii tool of first-rate importance, have aimed at increasing its effective- ness by diminishing the resistance in its passage through the earth. Its he^,d--or what may be called the body of the wedgCf— should be itraight both on the side towards the land, and on the sole, that it may pass onward without any material obstruction ; and the length ' and breadth of both these should be diminished as much us is consist- ent with the steadiness of its movement. E/ery inch of the side and of the sole rubs strongly on the ground ; and any unnecessary length or breadth occasions a wasteful expence of the strength of the team. The mould-board which inverts the furrow may either project from the body of the wedge at a sharp angle, as in the old Scotch plough ; or in a curved waving line, as in the English. The Grst of these may be pronounced at once a defective adjustment, as the furrow- slice must maintain a powerful and continued resistance: whereas the other throws it off with i^ore niceness and facility. The sock fitted on the wedge may either penetrate thp ground by a sharp point, and tear up the furrow from the bottom by mere violence ; or it may be furnished with a feather to cut it olT easily, and with little retard- ation. The beam may be pierced for one coulter, merely to part the sod from the firm land, and tlirow it off in an unbroken body i or it may be armed with two or more, to cut it into narrow stripes before it is laid over by the mould-board. Tull invented a four coultered plough for tilling bis Icy, or grass lands ;and he conceived that material benefit was derived from this contrivance, because in place of turning it over in an entire and firm body, it was cut into foar slices, before the sock raised it fropn the bottom ; and thus it vas more effectually pulverized. At the end of the beam there niny be a simple muzzle, to which the swingle-tree may be hooked | or one moveable on a pivot and secured by a bind-bolt, to raise of idepress (he draught — with the front divided into notches, to incline ikz share cither to th^ land or furrowed side. In addition to thr^c ...>- 1 hi. 115 .1.1 11 148 essential parts of the plough, there is one other, nlilch in (his hv.r. ried description ought not altogether to be overlooked ; I moan iu throat or breast — which may be formed in a straight line behind and equidistant from the coulter ; or it may be fashioned into a gentle bend, widening as it rises, that the danger of choking may be more certainly obviated. It must be apparent to every man of ordi. nary reflection, who attends to these various parts, and the uses for which they are destined, that the structure of ploughs may be almost endlessly diversified, and that a very great yariety may be expected as a matter of course. To delineate the whole of these would be a vain and useless task, and therefore, I shall only select, and lay before my readers, a few — distinguished elJher by a happy combin- ation, or s-^me peculiarity which seems to adapt them for our hus- bandry. The Rotherham plough was invented about eighty years ago by Mr. Foljambe, and was accounted then a capital improvement ; because it avoided many of the defects of those in common use, and embraced several new advantages. It is at this day much esteemed in the northern counties of England, and particularly in the West Riding cf Yorkshife ; and in fact appears to have been the model of that plough, which has found its way into this Province. It is, however, distinguished from ours in the shape of its coulter, which is bent forward and rounded at the point somewhat like a Turkish scimitar, and is supposed on that account to be better fitted for cutting the earth, and throwing out all roots and stones in its pro- gress. It is covered, at least that part of it which is under ground in tillingjwith plates of iron, has a spiked share, is capable of being drawn by two horses, and is of easy execution. For all common purposes, it is an effective and useful machine, and is only exception- able on account of the length of its head, and the form of its mould- board, both of which offer no small resistance. There is perhaps, no other instrument so welt calculated for fircl arable land free of natural obstructions, as the Chain Plough — surhj as was invented and made by Mr. Small in Blackadder Mount,! Berwickshire, about fifty years ago. It received its name from (hel Chain, upon which the stress of draught fell whenever it met withj any uncommon obstacle, and thus the size and weight of its bean could admit of material reduction. This was, however, among the least of its preeminent merits. By attaching a feather to the sock ol such projection as to cut the bottom of the furrow the whole width] by rontr.K ini( to the im[)i'»ved r soils, it w day, and f( duciion, a { bic to the c oxen xvere ( tivatioii wa has shown t tillage of a rvery opposi y^'^les and / iA'.ul. At fil altogether a solely of iron alteration ha hin£te,and th^j i' imagined tc eJ. In some ( then passed fo and screw. ' daced since I seen about six an Aberdeen h There is a s land— called t and stir the ea and which can iirment owes roofs strike inf beneficial to ex he effected by t because it h no si'fiice, but onl hardness and^ c ms of thii Aline ' '^I'pcndix to th liO by rontractint; both the lengtli aiui brendlh of i Ir-- mi t ■ I * Aiipendix to tiicGtneral Report ofScollaiHl.cap. ',No.2. "A-,_^ ) ! m l:i\ nm. !l 'U\ no JQ Jges OD principles. U cannot be so adrantageoas to stir the earth merely at the bottom of the furrow, as to throw it up by a mould* board and mix it with the soil ; because in the latter case, the next slice that is cut off by the rieturning share falls to a greater depth, and as it contains the fibrous roots of gras'^es, and must be partly cut riched by former manuring, the staple of the land is deepened, ind the 8U( ceeding crop can both stretch its feeders to « greater distance, and extract a more copious aliment. The purposes, therefore, of this instrument can be better supplied, either by a strong plough -which will turn up at once a ten or eleven inch furrow ; or by two of common construction following each other — the one skimming the surface and casting it down — the other coming behind and tear* ing up the fresh and virgin earth. There was a plough some years ago invented by the Rev. Mr. Can^pbell, which obtained the name of the /1rgy1$tbire Plough^ and was honoured by the Highland Society's medal, la this liie coulter is dispensed with, and in place of it, the share is armed with an upright feather sloping backward, which parts the furrow-slioe,aad delivers it over to the earth-board. At its first appearance, this wag considered an excellent hoeing machine; because the eyeof the hold* cr could direct the share close to the edge of the turnip rows, and kill every weed that grew in the intervals; and besides this, none of the mould could fall over on the green crop, as it som^times does in •ommon ploughs,hetween the coulter and the sheath. lu all ordina. ry work, too, it was found to be of easy draught, and of admirable execution ; and it possessed the peculiar advantage of never beiii| choked from the nccumulation of stubble. Notwithstanding all these recommendations, it never came into very general request, because Its principal useful npss-— that of hoeing green crops->-wa8 almost instantly superseded by the introduction of the Sl'm Weeding Plough which has become a highly effective instrument in the drill husbandry, and U decidedly superior for destroying all weeds between the rows. As this is an instrument that belongs to the drill husbandry, and! is of paramount importance, I shall be a little more particular in the description, that my readers may be able to form a just ideaofl it, as they cannot have the benefit of ocular inspection ; for at thii moment there is not one in the province. As might be expected, it has been constructed with considerable diversify in the arrangement pf the parts*; and the ingenuity of mankind has been active in botl •illiplif)i»g and improring thes?. The most eommoo fpriit of thi tveeding p|( i^rtttgih, ai There (hey can be place oUhe drills sock, whit] liie centre of handles, are i^'iT, when th( 'ange of the s Hith an uprlg] \>^o\igh^ U'hic^ tfieni towards construction o plough accomf accumulates it Tills it e/icrfs b I whldi scoop ill bed and stirrf{ |thisiostrument "Of'', and that luestioi.ablt' im. Afy the peculiar' construction of its part?, performs in one operation what tire common plough accomplishes in two — it turns (he earth from the rows, and accumulates it into a rounded hca[) in the middle of the interval. — This it efl'octs by (he angular position of its (wo shtires, the heels of whic'li scaop in the mould ; and the whole intermediate space is well hoed and stirred by the BCtion of its sock and harrow teeth. With this instrument a man and one horse will execute a great deal of work, and that too with much eirect ; and it is a decisive and un* qucjtionable improvement in the modern system of Agriculture. After this implement has gathered up the earth in the centre, and tffectually buried and destroyed all weeds, the Double Mould boatd Plou^b is requisite to cleave this ridge, and spread (he earth bick itowards the roots of the plant. This plough is so well known as to II these ■jipgjj „Q particular description. Suflue it to state, that its mould- Auards should be moveable on hinges, in order to expand and narrow auBOS mjigjij jjj pleasure. This is essential for adjusting them to the exact '^'""i lidlh of the drilU, and it fits the instrurnejit to b'j used in all sorts banary,»|j^^gpi^ crops which arc planted in rows of equal distanci?. ero«s.B Qf j-jtc the various parts* of these two ploughs liave been combined ijry^andMnd modelled into one; which has prove(l,in the first iiistaiuc,a great iJcularinBiniinution of expense, and has on trial lean acknowlc(iged equally tideaolfcantageous and rirective. By a sUght change in tlie. m,icliinory r at tbuBcan be speedily prepared either for wooding Ihc row=;, or earthing ccted/iW^fiP plants; and this excellence has given it a superiority ever the mjnft"tw« which have been, in a great measure, supplanted. Its d. ■xt th, ind kce, ,of lugh two teat* r. Mr. is »he d with ife,and his wa» ,e holdi , and none of does in ordioa* mirable ir beii)| in hot meral form bears a close resemblance to (hat of thr ccmmon . >M. f thd*"*"^' "^ *" ^^^ ^ '^^^^ *"'^ mu//.lr— a head, feck and, in somf ■lit ^^^^.1 J52 t. ! case?, !i coulter, — llie two haiidlci fixed i.ito llie head and beam,—, ^vitli otlKif parls of aiialot^ous structure. 'J'he sock, however, is furnished with two feathers, and is of a triangular shape; dm mould-boards are moveable for greater or less expansion, andean also he entirely sej»uraUd from the body of the instrument when it is to be used as a weeding plough ; — in which latter case two wings, urnied with straight and curved coulters, are secured to the btain ; and these also, by means of hinges, can be spread out or contracted, to correspond with the width of the intervals. I sorely need not dwell on tlie undisputed advantage to be derived from tills plough, and 1 shall only add, that it should be of Ij^ht construction, and well proportioned in the adaptation of its parts:, it is always wrouglit with one horse, and is admitted not only info (he field but sometimes into the kitchen garden, to earth up turuips, cu jbagof and potatoes. Besides fl'.efe diilcrent kinds of Swing Ploughs which Iharcjust now delineated, there are a numerous class built with wheels, vvhichi have miny advccates, and are of extensive use in I'^ngland. Tlic^ latter are all distingui.'-hed by one comn)on circumbtancc— thai ofl This wcf k iar reply. /„ iuiliiect iriqui ' /fttfcf on f/,e ^i'ight to nut \cll, w/iei, 1 „g Jlfiiersto uii ii„ m ik'ni Sir ui m privacy ; 5, jfou/idei,ce,ai,d, JJ'de M0jneut/\^; J/Jesameasce.ida mets, and surf jipeii.e for the ht mjOKCtioa of reli, )"tl should not i liaving one or two wheels fitted towards the point of the beam, to] tpgulatc the niovenient. This apparatus of cumbrous machiisoiy was] •ir fir; t attached solely to supply the inexpeitness of the woikmcnM ^'^'''cre be and has been continued from that unyieldingstubbornness of fiationaB'^P''o^ince, A. anners, which- oft;M) iesi>t3 im|)rovement because it comes in tliB''""' fead it f, a Co.' m " questionable shape" of innoviition. The introduction of these into this l'rovinc:e,consiucring tiiat th; occasion greater fiiction, cost more expense, and are much more \h\ bio to be injured and put out of order, would be a serious bar (ti 1! atlvancemeut of our Agriculture : and 1 do not hesitate a moment ij (M.ndcnin them as totally unsuirable to our preser.t conditioi (■ides, tiiey have no superiority in the arrangemolit of the iiifij impoitiit pait-i, and theii turi t -r.^, so:-ks, sheaths and inould-bOiirj flirtVr U( t iicm t!iose of the swing [ilough, and for these reasoi^ tlu-y pilfer no title to UMivcrs;-.! adoption. 1 leave them, tlierefoj VEiiTl^EMENT. If there be a cofiy of Jrmuo Tui.l's Horse-hoeing Husbandry io fceproviiice, A^i ic-U f.q>ie'-is that it be sent him for perusal. He jiinot read it t >< •.'>.> la-tt 14 years, and although he recollects the |eiie;al systciii, tie iias iorgoiten the details and illustrations. . \.^ LETTER 18. On t\\e TlousU. ^ ^IIE condition of the agr cultural classes in this province is s» dissimilar in point of wealth and local advantages, that the resort of machinery cannot be safely or pnidently recommended thertio^ill y,i(ijoyj distinction. The new settler, struggling with a thou* jiyii't I k'01.1 [ddiiiicultie.o, shivering in his log-built hovel, scaicely enjoying necessaries of life, and hemmed in not infrequently by a pathless Igloomy forest, cannot be supposed to have the means of purchas- Idle ploughs essential to the tillage of the cleared and arable dis« h Neither^ ia reality^ has he any occasion for them. Xbd V m 154 gronnd is too firmly occupied by the stumps— these mudlated rem. naots of the wood—to be easily subjected to thut improfcd mode of cultivation, which is incompatible with numerous or very material obstructions existing in the soil. He muet wait till time effects those meliorations, which cannot be brought about speedily without an infinite waste of labour and expense. The common plough is all that he should aim at ; and indeed, ail that is within his reach. I would not even hazard to commend any other instrument to the countryman, who has just got a little above the lot of the former, and has only perhaps, from ten to thirty acres of cleared land. One plough is perfectly sufficient for all his necessities ; and where one only is wanting, it is best to abide by that to which habit and cus< torn have inured him. The state of the province, in many place;, presents insuperable bars to the introduction of the new husbandry; and centuries must elapse, before the yellow harvest can wave upon those uplands now under the dominion of (he forest. But althougli ¥re are thus excluded by physical ciicumstances from attcmptinga better mode generally, particular counties are ripe for improvement, and they should take the lead, and set the first animating example. Several parts of the county of Sydney— many of the district of Pictou, and of Colchester — nearly the whole of Cumberland, and Uatits, oi Horton, Cornwallis, and of Annapolis — with detached spots inH pg^ o„^ ^f ^^^ Queen's County, in that of Shelburne and Lunenburg, and also inl somewhat hi^l the district of Halifax, have attained that maturity of cultivalionflibuudantly coi which is favourable for the trial of (he new and improved machineryfloess : and it is and I invoke the opulent and patriotic to hearken to (he sacred calHand cleared up of their country, to fling aside stubborn and benumbing prejudices, ((■ late years has break through the restraints of old and established habito, to eotel Small's is gener with becoming fortitude the field of experiment, and deliver us bltbls account (h their cheering and vigorous cooperation from this slavish dependentBjjstance, the sh on foreign bread. Our agriculture ought now to be raised ffomiBbeam, with an prostrate and fallen state ; our grass lands to he converted into tiH omitted in (he lage J the drill system (o be introduced ; and capitnl from othflt,„(,g ^^ j^ .^ sources attracted to the soil. I hail the rising spirit of iroproTfl|],rovvQ ^^jj^ ment, which has already partly shed its vivifying influences, &fl*operiority is fou *' diovelike sits incumbent" over the rude and indigested massofoBed and sweeping rural chaos — which is beginning to quicken, arrange, and illumiowf the sole and o — and which ere long, if cherished by wise and liberal provisiofltjie muzzle, by ivill exalt this proTioce, in her agricultural concerns, to an eoviaVesc Mr. Small pinnacle of of subsisten the price of be iuv.'gorat oufactures, ty, will erec resources by progress is (h been accomp Though Hi I cannot hel| proved and f lentor. This io the head, b cates among others, it is c< structed, the joil. From b( of all its parts friction; and kept under cov e cc ^i 155 pinnacle of indopendence and plenty. When ^e can draw the means of subsistence from our own soil, population will maltiply apace; the price of labour will assume its relative level : our fisheries will be inv!gorated,l)ecause we can feed our fishermen ; and domestic ma- nufactures, which always come last in the train of national prosperi- ty, will erect the loom, the forge, and the wheel, and swell our other resources by their enriching treasures. — The very first step in this progress is the improvement of our husbandry : and this has always tteeo accompanied with improvements in machinery. Though no enemy to the Yorkshire Plough in common use, yet I cannot help giving a decided preference to Small's plough, as im- proved and perfected by the unwearied mechanic genius of the in- ventor. This, in several districts of Scotland, continues to be built, Id the head, beam and handles, of wood ; for which it has advo- cates among farmers of great skill and experience ; — while in others, it is composed solely of iron, and Is reckoned, when so con- structed, the best and roost forcible instrument that can enter the soil. From being made of this useful metal, the size and proportion of all its parts can be so reduced as to occasion the smallest possible friction; and its very wear polishes and brightens for use. If kept under cover, it will last for many years ; is little liable to be pat out of order ; and is easily repaired. Its first cost, although somewhat higher than the wooden plough of the sanie make, is ibuudantly counterbalanced by its strength, durability.and efl'eclive. Dess : and it is evidently worthy of a trial on our marshes, intervals and cleared uplands. Some are of opinion that the chain, which of late years has been attached to the improved Scotch plough, as Small's is generally called, is far from being a valuable addition— on this account, that in case of meeting with any sudden and abrupt re- sistance, the shock is too violent, as the chain yields not, like the beam, with an elastic spring ; and accordingly, it is now generally omitted in the construction. But this part, alihoogh of such impor- Itance as to give the instrument its name, may be dispensed with and thrown aside, without abating from its other good qualities. Its linperiority is founded on the feathered shape of the sock, on the curv- led and sweeping flexure of the mould-board, on the diminished size lof the sole and of the land side, and on the form and adjustment of Ithe muzzle, by which the line of draught is regulated,—* and to all lihesc Mr. Small can justly lay the claim of invention. t '-.■.I ,.<«>«• .M • ijt' . i 'l»" ,:t |il 15G Every cultivntor, who has marsh, intcrral, or ere. 'leaded upin.ii lo any extent, should furnish himself with ihiii itii^trunK a sort of objection against introduc- ing it into the province, that the weeding plough requires previous dexterity in drawing straight furrows, and perseverance in remoTiii; from the soil stones, roots and other obstacles, as indispensably ne- cessary. At the same lime, this implement in the hands of an ex- pen ploughman will most eflectually destroy all weeds between the TOWS of Kreen crops, with ten times less labour than the handhop, nnd with half of the common plough. Its trianii^ular sock penetrate; the centre of the interval, cuts and severs the roots of annuals ;and its teeth and shares stir the earth, and impart all the benefits of the horse-hoeing husbandry. Since 1 commenced this series of letters, I had the mortification to see this with its accompaniment— the double mould-hoard plough- on board a British vessel in (his port brouglit from the old countrj, not to fi*rward and revive our agriculture, but addressed to a gentle. man in Boston. I could not refrain breaking out into an apostrophe on the occasion, and bewailing the lukewarmness of this ill-fated colony, whi'h could allow instruments of such manifest utility, to p<8s quietly and unnoticed to our rivals, there to rear that flour which we were afterwards to pay. The talents and ingenuity of Ei'ijland were pressed into the service of American agriculture ; and the inactivity and ignorance of Nova-Scotia were to find for it a mar* ket. LpA the blush of shame kindle its lurid fires in every cheek,! and burn tiiere unextingui hibiy till we wash out this foul blot byl an universal excitation of public enterprise. The day is past, tol talk any more of ihe inferiority of our climate, or the barrenness ofl our soil. This fine-spun cobweb, in which the spiiit of improvememl 157 »»fl'fn(anc!ed — wlierc it slrugtjled, spent its forcf, and ctpirod— li irrptri«'vnlily brushed awny ; And we arc uwakcneil from the lorpur io whii'h our cuerKies were palsied. It is a profanation of the ^ifis of heaven to irdulgc such uiJiollowed thought:^ : for it (here be a coun- try ndiipted to the culture of corn, and to the production of grcca '.top**, that country h Nova-Scotin. Its spring, though lalp, is vigor- ous ; its summer glows with a tcpming and prulific warmth ; its autumn is mild and long to nn extreme : and tak( n all in all, ii is more than amply suflTicient to ripen all sorts of grain. What then do vpe want ? Not the blessinp of kindly and genial seasons, but the skill aud well (jirouted Inbourofman. That skill and that labour,aided and enllghfrned by the use of (he WF.KDiNoand DounLC MOULnED Pi.oi'cii'<, would biing in anew and erentful e,iOrh, a. id prepaiefor the extension of gieeii cr< ps, in the mnnagement of which they cunnotbt; dispensed with unliss by mak- ing great sacrifiifs. The first gathers the earth into ihe middle of Ihr intervals ; and the second dividts and si)read8 it back towards the roots. These two are all that are rfquired, in the mean time, for the horse hoeing culture ; and their joint tost at home vaiies from eight to nine pounds sterling, according to the strength uf ihe materials, and the execution of the workmanship. The agricultural societies, whith are now established, and to which the country has a right to look up for eticooragemtMit and direction, should ench of them set the exiimple of impoiting next bationto ■ spring two sets of these implements ; and this plan may also be a- lloueh— ■ tlfp td by such wealthy farmers as feel the inspiring ii fluence of (country, ■ public spirit. The very handling of these tools, independent of a'l gentte- ■ views of their excellence, will operate with great force in stimulating )stro|)hel and forwarding our agriculture : and 1 shall dedicate the remainder |il|.fated I ef this letter to state a few of their more palpable advantagt-s. Itiruy^lol I. They will compel the cultivator to draw his furrows in straight [at flourH lines, and to deepen his ploughing. — These two circumstances lie ;nuity ofl more at the bottom of good husbandry than we are apt to imagine. re ; and ■ Some are foolishly of opinion, that if they apply to land ii good it a mar-H dressing of dung, they have done all, for vegetation, that art ran y cheekjB effect. No theory can be more false or more pernicious. Tiic soil blot byHthat is properly opened by tillage, and fieqnently siirred by subse- past, toBqnent hoeing, will yield more luxuriantly thttn that whuh, tbough nnessofBiii'h in manure, is carebissly and intperftcti) wrnnght. As nio^h ovemeutl depends upon the operations of the ploi gli, an, on the coiitcnis of the 'm L ' *» r ' ' iHir 158 farm yard : and this belief has had a mighty influence in the an. precedcuted and gigantic strides which the art, during the last hulf century, has taken in Kuropp. Correct ploughing i) the first and great lesson taught to, and improsscd upon (he ftumcr ; and tins consists in drawing a straight furrow, and u( a regular depth. When this is accomplibhed lu the fi »t instunro, all the after operations go •n with more exactness and facility ; and in truth will ont this, the weeding plough commits dreadful havoek, and is utterly desttuctive. When the lines, in which potatoes, cabbages, and turnips grow, are not straight and equi'distant ; this mnchine,which from its moveable joint is widened to embrace the whole interval, must either encroach on, and interfere with the crop, or must fie(|uently be stopped and by the workman adjusted to occurring irregularities. This incoo* venieoce attending its use compels the farmer to pay attention to hin ploughing, and to rectify the defects which naturally creep in under iloveoly management. It becomes, as it were, the corrector of the previous work, and by it the muster can tell when it has been accu* rately «nd systematically executed, l^ikc the plummet of the stone- mason which determines the perpendicularity of the wall, the weed- ing machine detects every deviation, and points out with most iufaN lible certainty tlie best and most expert ploughmen. The usefulness of the double movlded plough is no less apparent. Id cleaving asunder the ridge in the middle of the interval, it over* whelms all weeds, supplies fresh earth to the roots, and lays it up so loosely that they can extend themselves freely, and in ail dim- tioDS. By the same operation being performed a second and a third time, it accumulates the bulk and height of the rows, and sujiplies the crop with additional nutriment. Besides, every successsive earthing up deepens the furrow in the centre of the interval, and brings up the subsoil (o be mixed with the surface mould. Hy this means the staple of the land is increased ; a deeper, softer, and richer bed is prepared for the succeeding grain ; the whole soil is mellowed by these reiterated hoeings; weeds of every kind are extirpated; and the future fertility, in place of being exhausted and impaired, is pre- lerved and augmented. It must be plain, however, that before ail these advantages can be reaped, we must train our farmers to be just and exact ploughmen, and therefore, the *Pictou Society deserves i • A short time before the date of this letter, the Pietou Society held tlie first Ploiigbiiii; Miitob ever witnessed in Nova Scotia ; and this took place in a we mjj which musfbt pulverization mention the qi means of them '"re, I shall n< forward my evi The Andros •lie best and hi "tuafed in tbi * Farmer'i Mas 159 ]in afield, Ihisdircc." well of (he eommnnity, in haring assigned the first premt«ins fop suclii'xIiibUions. It is to be hoped, they nili soon be followed bj others in this tlicir meritorious esample, that we may gradually par* tlio way fur tiie drill aystem. II. The introduction of these two iostroments will not only tend to deepen and pulverize the soil, but will multiply exceedingly th« (luaittum of agricultural produce.-— My readers, I am afraid, will be Martled at the facts which I will adduce in attestation of this doc trine; and would call in question the credibility of my testimony, rould I not appeal to unexceptionable evidence. This is by far the most important vi(>w, in which the drill husbandry can be placed^ iiiid 1 regret t lint my limits restrain me from giving it a full and ample discussion ; but 1 sliall recur to it in some after part of my course. SuiTire it, in the mean time, to state, that as all pla its are sustained by their roots, the quantity of food with which thr>yare nourished must be proportioned to their range and extension. Thti further they can diverge, the greater and more luxuriant the gro>Tth; and hence the frequent stirring of the soil by means of the horbc hoe machinery loosens the bed in which they ramble, and lessens thb re^ sislance they would otherwise meet with from the subsidence au4 consolidation of the ground. It is for this reason, that a garden is always more productive than a field ; because, in the first place, the deep digging and breaking of all clods by the spade, and the fre- quent hand*hoeings afterwards, enable the roots there, to stretch to a greater distance ; and indeed the first conception of the horse hoe was borrowed from the obTious and acknowledged benefits of the same operations on culinary vegetables. When this system, there* fore, overstepped the walla of the garden, and begun to work in the field, we might expect, a priori, similar nud toncomitar'? effects; which must be ascribed, not to the eflicacy of duuj>, somjci' s lo the pulverization of the soil. It seemingly outrages all probability to mention the quantity per acre, which can be raised in ^reen crops by means of the machinery which I am now recommend! '>g ; and there- fore, I shall not state it in loose and general terms, but at once bring forward my evidence in an authenticated <=hape. The Androssan Farmer *Society in 1814 offered a silver medal for the best and heaviest crop of turnips in the parish of Dundonald, situated in the West of Scotland, and appointed two judges to in> .M m n I . i Farmer'a Magaziuo, vol, 16, page 157. f vi thi •'Sss*. '< i 160 •pect the different fields coltivated within the bounds. They pr«- ceeded in the execution of their duty and iacoinpliance with the re- ^uibition of the society, by weighing a square fall, or rod as it is here called, taken from the average of the fields at two different parts, and the result of their investigation was as follows. In the Fullarton Farm belonging to His Grace the Duke of Portland, under the management of Mr. Woods, they found that a Scotch acre, — which is a little more than an acre and a (quarter, Xoglish measure — produced in turnips^ tons. cwt. lbs. Of bulbs without the leaves 76 , Of leaves by themselves 14 Total, 90 Forty bushels of turnips are about equal to a ton, and the quantity per acre, therefore^ in bulbs alone rise to the enormous amount of 3040 bushels) besides 14 tons of leaves of highly nutritive quality. Estimating the bulbs at 2s. pr. bushel — their value in this marktt— . an acre will fetch i^304 currency— a sum suflicieut to awaken the utmost agricultural industry. On the glebe of the Rev. James Muir, The bulbs weighed 49 11 17 The leaves 17 5 51 Total, 60 1 6 CU At Stonecastle belonging to William Taylor, Rsq. Tiie bulbs weighed 48 7 16 Theleaves 20 o - Total, 68 7 16 / Thesame proprietor had yellow turnips of which The bulbs weighed 31 fi 80 Theleaves 10 5 80 . Total, 41 11 48 The prize was allotted to the Duke of Portland, and there was nolhint; singular stat«d as to the mode of cultivation. These quan« titles although extraordinary, must not be supposed to be unprece< dented ; for throughout all Scotland and England, crops of similar bulk and weight could be selected in every parish and county.— From these details [ shall but make cue observation — pregnant how^rer with instructive Inference. The furni eurs on suit (tic interval, taken from i mcd up, and easily explai agricultural five pounds G (ure; suppo: (estimate the during the i of our best Uj it does notexi fore, fit for soils, At the h Ions alfogetht generally, will (Mlain the sa tons of turnipi besides a year enables land t( (ionj and also fered to remaii and periodical ni. The i Btlurally lead ! Jiost flattering ! ration between 'ilie invariable i I livators never tt biit interpose b fegetables; or I suited to the pi Ifallov, recurrini cleanness of the (impoverishing, a j«nd regular inter hid afTords everj |ind of subdividi Iff the advantagci 131 The turnip crop, according to the modern system of rotation, tcm eurs on suitable ^oils once in every four or five years ; and during the interval, there are three or four other crops of grain and clover taken from the same ground. Let the quantity of all these be sum- med up, nnd the gross produce will be great beyond conception ; and easily explain to us, how the British farmer, with less prices for his Ggricultural produce than ours receive, can afford to pay from two to gvc pounds of annual rent per acre. Turn now to our mode of cul- ture; suppose the same lands lying under grass for five years, and estimate the weight and value of the hay which can be carried off during the whole icriod. It is more than the average produce of our best uplands to calculate it at two tons per acre, and on many it does not exceed the fourth of that quantity. The hay, there* fore, fit for feeding cattle, which c»uld be gathered from such soils, at the highest computation would not exceed in five years ten Ions altogether — the value of which at the place of growth, speaking generally, will fluctuate between £l5and £20. Whereas in Great IMtain the same ground in one year will raise from sixty to ninety tons of turnips, and in the other four, one hay and two grain crops^ besides a year of pasturage. The drill and turnip husbandry thus enables land to furnish abundance of subsistence for a great popula- tion; and also to maintain a larger stock of cattle,than when it is suf- fered to remain constantly in grasS) without the benefit of regular and periodical tillaget I|[. The introduction of this machinery will necessarily and utturally lead to the modern system of culture, which will open the most flattering and enlivening prospects. The great line of demar- cation between the present and old courses of cropping consists in llie invariable alternation of green and white crops. The best cul- tivators never take from the same field two corn crops in succession, bat interpose between them either beans, carrots, or other greeu Itegetables; or when the soil is a stubborn tenacious clay, and un« suited to the production of turnips, they have recourse to a summer fallo«r, recurring at as distant an interval as is compatible with the cleanness of the land. White crops are experienced to have an impoverishing, and green an enriching effect: and therefore the due and regular interchange of these preserves a sort of perpetual fertility^ hnd affords every other year an opportunity of extirpating all weeds, hnd of subdividing and loosening the soil. This is not the wb«le Itf the advantages reiulting from this system. The consumption of U 1 ■ ■ 1 J "i^^ i.' -i > I :f 1 ♦■?»,■; I'f Iff : ^T"^v», t M.' JC5 green crops by cattle either on the grounil, or wlien carried into (lit baru, creates vast quantities of the richest manure, which is a^.iio employed in replenishing the soil for (be taisiug of wheal and oihcr grain.— VVhen no other inaintainance for live btock, but coarse huy and straw, is provided for winter, it is scarcely possible to do more than keep sheep and catile from starving ; and (he butchei's market from December (ill June must be poorly and ill supplied. The ^e» neral introduction of turnips and clover, \«i(h (he regular inter< ventioD of white cropji, would provide abundant food for v« litter, would enable us to improve our breeds from the generous food thus placed within our reachj and would furnish a pcrmaneut and constant supply throughuut the yeur : while to this may be added, an astonishing increase of bread, more than amply sulhcieiit for the wants of the province. With such hopes and prosprcts I am entitled to claim some little exertion on the part of the A^iicultural Societies, and of patriotic Individuals, for importing and bringing into use the horse-hoe ma< chinery, which would in three years eiuirely change the face of our tiflairs, would more than quadruple the productiveness of our sol!, would beget an universal spirit of bold and fearless enterprise, and usher in that auspicious day, when v»c shall be emancipated from the thraldom of American dependence. I have not done halfjustice to this important subject in these brief and ill assorted observations, but 1 bhall review it afterwards, and place it in its more commaud- ing and imposing attitudes. AGIIICOLA. Halifax, November 18, 1818. TO CORIiKSPON DENTS* I have this week a letter from King's County, with only the ini- tials of the writer's name, fumi-Iii-.'g me with the first volume of thcj proceedings and poblicntions of tic Halifax AcRiCLUTUiiAr Socinv which was founded in 17>:u, laiguislied about three years, and diedl a natural doaih ; because it was placed on no permanent footing byj the Ijpgislaturc. Every establishment, which aims at the improve mcntof a conn ■.), and Hhich promotes not the individual cmolunieiitl of the men who compoje it, speedily falls to piece?, unless it be cherished, privilogrd, and endowed by the government; and Ihil fP.Vct is so infallibly ceifalo from (he known operation of self inlerj est, that all enlightened Stales haTe taken care to provide for sufH «ns(itotfon simual apt to the busi duty is full and draw < patriotism ascendency. firal knowh and when In him the volu corresponder I liave als ofjservqfions i CHpabilities oj comoiuniratio from me in oj) traversing suci into error. 'J Ifealso gives , acquaint me wi polis. This 'ersat Lunenb place highly si district. U'dess my Agricultural Sf liient of a Ccn iLegialature, as t ia^eheen litera |«n only be jotn lissociation of rm po'atingindui ("^"lecock fop, '^"1 to a sense 'otion ; but they "^"faf, Sovemht )thcr e hay more laiket tie ^e* inter* »litier, s food nancut nay be ttVicieiit ne little latrlotic \\oe VM' 1 e of our ■ our soil, I rise, and 1 from the 1 ustice to rva lions, jm maud' OLA- y the ini- roe of the I ,Socirn| and ciiei! aotiiigby ln\olumeiil| lilessitof anil till! IseU inter- for Slid 163 institutions elllicr by an acloquate grant of money ol first, or ^y aa ajinaal apurojiriation. When men contribute their time and labour to the busifu'ss of such societies, they are apt to imagine that their duty is fully flischargcd ; and unless the Legislature interest itself, gild draw on the general purse to meet the contingent cxpensei, patriotism grainion ; for I am not vain enough to imagine, that in traversing such a vast field of enquiry, I may not he betrayed often into error. Truth is only elicited by the collison of sentiment. — lie also gives me reason to hope, that ere long he shall ba able to arquaint me with the formation of an Agricultural Society at Anna- polis. This last week too, I. have heard, that a few leading charac- ters at Lunenburg are bestirring themselves to found one there— a place highly suitablc,^ as being surrounded with a well caltivaled district. Unless my labours shall terminate in the general formation of Agricultural Societies throughout the country and in the establish- ment of a Central Board in Halifax, under the sanction of the Legislature, as the organ of the rest, my writings and anxieties shall iaie been literally thrown away. A judicious and spirited culture tan only be introduced and permanently sustained by the union and issociation of men in societies constituted for the special purpose of itimnlating industry and advancing improvement. Like the crowing of Ihe cock to Peter, I may alarm the Farming classes, may awaken em to a sense of their errors, and set a new train of ideas into otion ; but they themselves must repent and reform. AGRICOLA. Hilifax, November 19, 1811^^ V"'; :'ii' '4i t^i.^ u M ' Ik ' Jl^K« 1 liv IvKi *1 1 '^m' Mi V M 1 '} :W' V .^B '•' 1 ' ( V I| •■:<: . 1C4 LETTER 19. Ou t\\fe KoTTOMV, and t\\e T\»o\\er. THE only effect of ploughs in subdividing the soil, is to cut it lengthways into furrows varying from six ^p ten inches, ac- cording to the pleasure of the workijiiui. They are contri\efl, not so much to produce pulverization, as to reverse the surface, to overwhelm the weeds and the remains of the preexisting crop, aud inru up a fresh mould for the reception of the seed. A Held of strong clay, after it is laid up into regular ridges hy the action ol the share and the mouldboard, is almost as little subdued in its te- nacity as before the operation. It has only been pierced one 'way, and ranged into unbroken and unpulverized strips, placed alongside of each other. The former roots maintain firm possession, theeatth is little stirred or shaken from them, and without the aid of some other implement the work is ineffectual and incomplete. Ilenc: the harrow is of as ancient date as the plough, and of as prime neres- sity. Thw one inverts the glebe, and the other reduces it to powder;! the one buries the weeds, and the other tears out their roots ; thej one brings up the fresh mould, and the other breaks the clods am overcomes their cohesion. According to the diversity of soils, am the particular uses to which the harrow is to be applied, its fori undergoes considerable changes ; and we cannot understand tl> principle of these, without taking the other circumstances iritoac count, and instituting a comparison between the ends and the fitne^l of the mearts. In all stiff soils, which are apt to harden and cake into a solii body, and are besides infested with weeds, the Brake IIarko^ is unquestionably of preeminent utility. From its bulk and weig it will make a deep impression, when an ordinary instrumei merely scratches and floats on the surface. It consists of foi square bulls, each 6j feet in length. The teeth are 17 incbj long, bending forward like a coulter, and five are inserted inj each bull, fixed above with a screw nut, and standing out bel twelve inches free, with a heel to each projecting behind, and rei ■^ing on the under part of the wood, to enable it to resist the ii pediments which it may encounter in its progress. The nut abi is liecessary tu facilitate the taking out of the teeth for sharping making uiaer repairs. The bjrake, when complete, is of a squi fotw, Is y across in it must be loosen anr and their < out the no ofinfinite I them— >an i clous cuitu to become licsioo, the la ted for th t'elight ill a labour of ci the only gr( under a co principles o( hitherto put overgrown v advantage at ken to extlri palliative nai destroy them| and thrown and only op« crops of whel hie, as not ml It should evel sumed by cati ed by one al luitable for tl ', to the yellow glories of the hnrvcst. Their sur- face presents ,? : !;< .jwercd scene, delightful to the b' linlder, b 'canfe irdicative of pleniv. There the blossomed boati 9hod,< its fragrance^ •nd scents the breeze : in one place you descry the cow reclining under the shade, and ruminating at leisure ; in another the horse sweating in harness, and turning the fallow glebe ; here a Icgumio- OU3 crop In (lower is visited and rided of its swtets by ihe neifj;hbonr. ing hives, and by its side is growing barley or oats rustling in the winds ; the clovers refresh the sight by their daik green, and the wheats by their bending and loaded ears : all is bustle and activity ; nature lavishes her riches, atid man seems grat^f"! for the gift. — Such is the picture to which my boyish d.iys were accostonied : nnd my fancy, fired by these early recollections, has crowded into the can- vass all these familiar images, and impressed my language with asorL of poetical inspiration iiu-onsistent, I fear, with the soberness of these letters. What a contrast is the (Jrand Prairie in Ilorton, rich as it is in verdure, but exhibiting a dull and monotonous uniformii) , to such a living and animated landscape. When I saw it, the for* tile and cultivHted marshes of Kngland rushed into the back ground, and rose before me in ail their rich variety. After the lands arcen- closed, chiefly by a wide open ditch, surmounted sometimes, but not always, with a quirk set hedgre, they allot their fields to dilVfrent parts of the rofiition, and proceed in the following order. (1) A naked summer fnlldv, , in which the ground is ploughed five or sis times ; (2) Wheat, chiefly sown in autumn, from September till the work is interrupted by the frost ; (3) Beans, Bometimcs In drills which are horse hoe'd, but often beans and peas growing promiscu- ously in broadcast ; (4) Barley sown with grass seeds — chiefly clo- ser and ryegrass ; (5) Hay, taking from the ground only one cut- ting, and depasturing the after growth ; (6) Pasture, unless wh«re soiling has been introduced ; and (7) Oats : and after these th« same is recommenced. Acceding to this plan two white crops ne- ver succeed each other, but either a fallow, pulse, orgrass invariab^ intervenes. If a farmer rents 70 acres of marsh, he divides them info seven lots cf ten acres each : and each lot in succession comes to bo cropped ronforraably to the above rotation. It niust Qot !;p;, I6T hoMevQr, supposc(% that lie thrown liis whole farm at once iotd falloW) because this would deprive him for one season of every Uind of crop. He only subjects to thii operation one enclosure of ten acres, and cultivates the rest according to the best of hii Judgment, and his command of manure. The second year he sum- mer-fallows another enclosure of 10 acres, the last being now un- der ^^ heat, and thus he proceeds annually, till he brings all hit Ia:id under this system^ and so upholds it till the expiry of his lease. We h^veno furthf;r conncxioo at presentwith this method of crop- ping, than as respect;^ tiie first stage of the process, and the subservi- ency of the BK.VKr. IIakrow during the fallow, in the extirpation of weeds and the pulverization of the soil. Between the ploughings, (his instrumf^nt is attended with vast > ^vantage, if dragged across the furrow;^, both by breaking them into small pieces, and. separating from them all the titngled routs. Every clod will be subdued and 'rumbled into fir.f dust ; »he whole soil will he loosened to the faunJatiun ; stones and other obstacles will be brought to the sur- face, and the future crop will have free access to extend its fibres to (lie utmost limit of their range. 'i'his implement, although principally useful in strong stiff soils, will be found a great auxiliary in much of onr intervals and uplands. These, we all know, are upon the whole of a looser texture than our marshes : nevertheless the Brake Harrow will be of considerable aiail in preparing them for turni|>s, which of all green crops succeed best on light soils. The sacrifice of a year's crop on such is neither called for by necessity, nor sanctioned by the best pjactice of modern agriculturists. It has been confirmed by the experience of half a century, that a noked fallow on free soils may he dispensed with ; and that its place is as eflectually and more proiitabiy suj pliod by potatoes, carrots, turnips, cr other drill crops, which admit of fre- quent hoeings by means of the weeding and double moulded ploughs, and which can be prepared beforehand by the combined action of all sorts of machinery. The Brake, therefore, in consequence of its strength and weight, and its power to reach the bottom of the fur- tow, is an implement of great utility, and may be safely recommend- ed to the fariniog interest. But harrows of a lighter make are no less necessary for other uses, and particularly for covering the seed which is sown broad>cast. — Of these there is such a Tast Tarjety, that it is cstreaidy ditficult to .M i i i ■mm r 4' I": a. '.' •".: i(J! ^q If.:? *^i' 'U' |i' ■ !' 108 make a selection, which will be specially adapted to the ^vants ct our husbandry. There are three kiuds which may be noticed, ai they all possess very considerable merit, and have in England met with a pratty favourable reception. The common djublu harrows may be ranked (irsf, which are composed of two distinct parts, bound together when in operation by connecting chains. These can be used either single or double, aod arc extremely serviceable in ordinary farm work. There is uothiog peculiar io their form or composition, and as they are easily coiu strncted, and not subject to be put out of order, they will alvrayi deserve a place among agricultural utensils. Next to these may be mentiuued the crank or cueck liiNOE maii. ROW. This is exactly of the same make as the last with thie diller* cnce, that in place of being united by a chain, it is connected by a hinge which can iiend duwiiwartl, that the in. 4ment may ply to all inequalities, but not further upward thun to admit the two parts to be on a level. This check on the hinge is supposed to give a decided advantage, by increasing the weight and effectiveness ; aud it certainly acts with greater force in deeply burying the seed, so that the young plants are protected from the vicissitudes oft^e weather. There is a third sort called the cuAi?f and screw harrow, formed altogether of iron, and different in shape from the oihers. This ij composed of two pieces, each of a triangular figure, and when con* joined by the two sides being brought together, it resembles a square, If we suppose a common harrow cut across from corner to corner, and formed into two distinct parts, we shall be able to conceive the shape aod utility of this. Its line of draught corresponds with the line of section, and its two parts are at liberty to bend on the crown of the ridge and break the clods more eifectually, than if it were a whole and unyirkling piece. Again, when it moves in the furrow, I between two ridges, the chain, which lies along its back and crossei the line of section at right angles can be screwed up until its form exactly accords with the bending and declivity of the twoadjacentj ridi^cij : and thus by the lengthening and shortening of it3 chain atl pleasure, it can be accommodated to the irregularities r.i the surface,! and opciatc with much more cfTect. In the present state of curl agriculture the first of these, perhaps, from its siQiplicity is the beu I although at the same time it must be acknowledged, that the other two seem to possess superior claims, were a spirit of enterprize ti fiiiflf onr dci of men have of(iilK;rcnt nii tinj^Ioyed in t (lill'use a taste letter to aim i;natininal)le. il'.c seed that i (i(j,'rce of fiiiei Tfiere are vt f.'ient names, i 10 the uses for ticnce of my pre totally iiiap \'rent models, and while ca|jital can he much more buneficially (inijloyed in actual and positive improventcnt, it would be wrong to oiiiuse a taste for much variety in farming machinery. It will be letter to aim at what is within our reach, than as|>ire to what is tiiatiaiiiahlc. Kither of thcbc kinds will most complotely cover tir seed that is sown broadcast,and reduce the mould to a auflicient liegrce of fineness. Tlicre are various other sorts in England which pass under dif- [f.ient iianies, and are constructed on peculiar principles according 10 the uses for which they are designed. It would be abusing the ait'iice of my readers to enter iuto a detail of these, because they jre totally inapplicalile to our present condition, and of course pos- ii-s 110 immediate and commanding influence. Among these may t)e slit^Uil) noticed the*ttEVOLViNc brake harkow riiich is a machine moveable on wheels, the axle of which is armed tall long sharp teeth in the shape of scythes, that enter the ground a>tne machine moves forward, |)ierce ihe clods, tear out the roots of needs, and are accounted an excellent invention for perfecting the ocess of a summer fallow. A rake, as part of the instrument, lollows behind the teeth, and collects iuto heaps the weed;) and root» lich are extricated from the soil. Another of a very lij^ht make and commonly known by the desig- tioi) of TiiL GRASS suEU iiARRUW may be also mentioned under lliishead. From the smallness, the number and the closeness of its lines it is admirably calculated, not only for covering gia?>s seeds ich is its principal use, but for fiiiibhing in a very perfect manner it were a Bjij pipce of land that is meant to be wrougiit into a fine mould ; furrow, ■[>(! a set of agricultural tools on an arable farm at home would bo d crossei H.k(,„o(| incotn|>lete, without the addition of this one. its form! When we turn from the contemplation of this mu!ti| 'icity of liri- adjacentBji, harrows esteemed essential to the thorough reduction of the , chain atBii^ gnj confine our vievr to the rudeness and paucity of our own, e surfaceA must be sensible of a lemaikuble dissimilarity. The shapeless e of ouc^d awkward instrument which tumbles atnong the stumps in our the best ! t,he otherB'Thig was invented by Mr. Saimicl Morton, Lciili Walk ; aud was aflerward< lerprize tv*"^'^'' hy the Ceutral Board iuto thiti proviucc. W formed This is Ihen con* |a square, corner, ;eive the with the le crown .M 9) ; If 170 ffood lands, and Bcratcbcs rather (lian penefratos the ground, nn/^ the wooden harrow in common use iii our best cuUivatfd di<>iti( ts, consisting of one piece, and constructed without any ^real i-kiit ji, the arrangement of the teeth, are strong indications of our igiioraiKe In all those art^ by which the latent qualities of the oarlh are drawn foith into luxuriant production ; and are incontestible cvidenre* Ihit ^e have taken no more than the first or second step in that long career, which must b^ measured before we approach any thing iik« excellence. There is another use of harrows, distinct from all those I havr> y<2t narrated, which was quite prevalent in the ancient husbandry, and has been sometimes practiced in the modern : — I mean, drajj. ging this iDstrument over the growing corn, after the blade luj sprung up and equalled the furrow». This w>is styled by the Romai;', Sahrition, is no«?ccd both by Virgil and •Columella, ond prescrib. ed by them as one of the maxims of husbandry. This operation was performed, sometimes along the line of the furrows,nnd ato(her« across them ; and rules are laid down for the fitn( sjond cxpedienryj of both modes according to the nature of the crop. Its principa utility with thc:=e writers seems to rest in loosening the soil,(haf tfi next p ocess — which was that of hand-weeding— might be moreeasil executed, and also ia supplying fresh earth to the plants that llie might vegetate with renovated vigour. That both these ends would in some measure, be gained is undeniable ; yet after all, the havoi committed among the tender plants would more than countervaij these a(]vantagcs ; and the practice, since the adoption of fuUoMin and horsehoing, is pretty generally abandoned in the modern sysie of farming. The only approximation to it is the use of the cii.i sriu iiAuiiows, which ore driven over the growing corn to opeutlij surface mould for the clover seeds, which could not be convenientl thrown into the earth at the time of sowing Jihe principal crop. I pass on now to describe the Holler— an implement so decided beneficial that it might to be introduced generally throughout t proviiu-c. It may be constructed of stone, of cast iron, or of hooi and may consist cither of a simple cj Under or of two movini; h'p ratcly on the same axle. To the roller, whether single i r doub a frame and shafts may be attached forthe mere purpose of draugli • Ligneis rastris stalim jarta ftemina obrnantur. I'ost sationem ligiieis ra«i Fari'irndni«, rt ideuttdem luucauduii est ager, ue alteu.iD generis hcrba iuvali(l| uicdicam p«riiuat. three rows . ends. iJii uarrow as iron rings. feet 4 inchc be fitted to i by which th the exigency signal servici ouragricuitu fn the old wooden mat ways undert; Uoller supers masterly style application o dry in the sui Into these th nutriment the passing of th( their hidden s lility — This i preparation o has attained s gentle and ev< and themuisli much more di moisture in es In this pro\ grasses in the From the iote great depth, b nicnsions. T which swells i solid state of ]7i t>r IliN frame may he surmounted by a box to which weights can hn |)lai'e(l to regulate the pressure. In this country I would recom- mend the last material, as cheape&tand most easily obtained. Take {',". body of a tree (i feet long, and of bulky diameter, and round it gs near as possible to a perfect circle. If inlcuded for a double roll* er, cut it across into two, of 3 feet eac h ; but if not, surround it with three rows of fillieH, one in the middle, and the other two at the ends. Line these fillies with two inch plank lengthways, and so uarrow as to ply into a circle, and bind tiicm altogether by thrc» iron rings. The cylinder when complete should be in diameter l\ feet 4 inches. Above and perpendicular to the axle, a box should be fitted to the frame, capable of containing about ten cwt. of stones, by which the pressure may be increased or diminikhed according to the exigency of the case. An Implement of this kind would be of signal service; and it is an incontcstible mark of the very low ebb of our agriculture, that it has not come into use. In the old country it was customary to break all the clods by wooden mallets— an expensive and operose employment— but al- ways undertnkm in preparing land for barley. The use of tho Uoller superseded this drudgery, andexccuted the work in a more masterly style. After the ground is brought to a fine tilth by the application of harrows, many small pieces escape between the teeth, dry in the sun, and acquire tho consistence and hardness of stone.— Into these the roots of young plants can never penetrate, and the nutriment they contain is, so to speak, hermetically sealed. The passing of the Uoller dissolves all these into powder, bursts open their hidden stores, andforces them to contribute to the general fer- tility. — This is not the only benetit attending this instrument in ti^a preparation of barley — a grain which is always sown after the sud has attained some in^uence, and the dry season has set in^ By its gentle and evenly pressure,the surface is smoothed and consolidated, and the moisture necessary for the germination of the seed is with much more dilRculty exhaled. All the crevices are closed, and ti\e tnoisture in escaping is partly retarded by the exterior.surface. In this province it would be of vast benefit to roll the young grasses in the opening of the spring, after the frosts are dissolved. From the intensity of our winters the ground is often frozen to a great depth, by which the earth is loosened and enlarged in its di- mensions. This circunxstancc arises from the property of water, which swells in its volume in the act of passing from the fluid to the solid state of ice. As the soil is fully soaked v^ith this element from J . J^ I .1 ', 172 V- r^v I' H the nutamnni rniii% and Ihc diminished influence of tli;- sun, ||in winter Hnds (he ^rniiiKJ sufTuipnlly inoislmcrl, \o he cniitri^rd in |,, bulk by t'.T freezing of (he wutrr with wliich il is suturntcd, VVh,,; the softening breezes blow, lh<> Ice in the soil dissolve--^ •. -jo Si-m,., it in an ineonipnit and lonsci.ed stnJe. As it suli^idcs, al' < rilsur,. laid bare, nnd ore extremely apt to be killed Iiolli from the wa-iti.f nouiishnient, nud nlsn from the picn i'l; hlatts to which they an' exposed. It Is for this reason, that wintiT vrhciit has in a priat measure tensed ti> he cultivated here, from its liability to be thrown out in spring, nnd tlius subjecting the farmer to serious inconvcui. cnce, and often disiifipointment of a crop, (trasses are not exempt from the sam»; hnziird ; nnd the hopes of the year are thus blasud l)y n ravise which, in ninny rases, will admit of remedy, in all,of njlc viation. 1 tun not ^urr, but sowing the wlioat seed under furrow, nt least four or five iiuhcs deep in Se[)tembcr, in order that it mnv extend i's roots and tnke a fiim hold of the soil before the approaili of winter, nnd rnll il in s|)ring with the box heavily loaded, woi.1,1 obviate the evils of our climate, und enable us to cultivate Ihat grain according to the irn[)rovpd modes of K!;j.l!ind. It ought to be reeollected, that even there about sixty years ago, winter wheat was not of general cultivation, and the heaving of the soil vras accounted a powerful obstacle to its success, in Scotland, too, during the same pciiod, spring wheat almost universally prcvailci!; and her north(.'rn and bleak position wiis thought to be incapable of any change to the belter, and utterly unfriendly to autumnal siiui- nation. The zeal and industry of IJritish farmers, 'ombined witii their fkill, have balllcd all these gloomy [)r('dictio:is, and taught ii>. Bt ou(c to copy the example of our sires, and not to despair in tl.ej race of iniiirovemeut. In case of failure from the remedy of spring rollirtg, we might a!. so have recourse to the Norfolk sjstem, which, a,> far as whoHt i- concerned, may beattemjjted here ; and indeed the practice of rais- ing winter wheat on new lands invites us to the trial. In that county fiom the lightness of their soil, they never sow this grain af- ter tnriiips, but follow a rotation peculiar to themselves. After (hc| turnip crop thty sow barley the second year with clover seeds ; the third they cut hay, and plough down the ley, and sow their wintorl wheat on the matted sod. The roots of the grass bind the soil, andj prevent it from heaving ; which is much akin to the same effect prodi:c- ed l)y thetargied and bound surface of our new and cleared lands,— I I suggest tluse as hints rather to be put to the proof, than as conclu- 173 n, llin \ ill n. V\ 1.. ,; »a-it 1 f hey ah' I Rrrat thrown :onvt'ui. t ox>inpl bluslnl , of allc. irrriw, at \i it nmv (1, wo^l,! ivnte U'.al ought to 1, winter the soil intd, too, iToailti!; apabkof Inal seini- ned witi\' jiiught u^ liur in tl.el Iniight aU wlicat i- |e of rais- in (hat igriiin af' ifter llic| n\i ', tbd lir winter] isoil, anil I prodiX' hands.— I iConclu- vl(>r.s wliith I nm wnrr.mtnl to drinv : Hint 1 rrqurst sonir public N|)iilt«d iiittividuiih (o nilri r>ii Itnth < X|)« limriils — at first on a small M'lilr, lliiit failuic miiy iuvnlvr iin tiioun Ii>> -i. 'I'lic If, lift Kr»«rol otli(>r piii|)(is(s for wilii( li llic roller inny be use- ful. \\ liri) frrulis li.ivt* l>< CI! known (<( iiircsi a rirUi of ^rccii corn, If 5ra!ion of ihrii (-orniug aljroud lias tx-ni writi Iwd ; and (hemai liino liiMvily loiidod has been set in motion, by which they weio crushed, Hiid the crop saved. It has also 1 1 > ii successfully ctnjdoycd in piss- ing over young turnips attacked by the lly, and pressing to death the insects which were rioting on the seed leaves. It is besides an excellent prepaiativc for mowing, by levelling all incritialiiics, and making a smooth suif.ice for the sweep of tlic scythe. IJalilax, Noventlirr jr,, 1818. AG K ICO LA. TO (OP.KKSl'ONnrNTS. This week has been pioductive ofa good deal of new and import- ant intelligence. Theiiiteresf of these letters is daily gaining ground, for even in places to which their ir.fluence was su[)posed not to hafc extend<-d, attention has been awakened, and some picparalory steps taken towards the ("^talilishinent of so(-ie(ies. I allude here to the counlits of Sydney, and Cuinlierland, which ( blamed in my last p.ipcr for lukewarmiiiiss : as 1 find fioin my recent correspondence tliaf both these districts will soon exhibit their attachment and zeal ill the great cause of infernal iinproveniont. I am apprized by Mr* Slc'ijlien Oxiey, Itiver I'hilip, of date the lOili insl. that an Agric'ul* tural Society is in embryo in (hat quarter, as notices arc issued for a meeting of the inliabilants : that limestone has been lately discovered there, specimens of which are to be sent me by first opportunity ; and that he wishes a portion of fuencii spuing iivt to be intrusted to his managemiMit for the benefit of the district. I have another letter from a ^'.entleman in town infoiniiiig me that a friend of hit writes from Sydney. " i have obtained the consent of every person of consequence in thi? (iistrict to theesta!)lishment of an Agricultur, al Society, and we arc to have a meeting for that purpose on the 20tli inst." Jn this letter vas also enclosed tiie long and valuable com- munication from Annapolis, which 1 cannot, consistently with my faith pledged (o correspondents, publish in the mean time ; but shall gladly do so, when the consent of the r.uthor is signified : and indeed .M t .i 171 I should be sorry were the lucubrations of that refpectable nnd in- genious writer to be lost to the public. I know no prospect more exhilirating (o thegencrous ami bciicTo« lent mind than these symptoms of gen('ruso of Assembly, rmd I am MOW confident that this *' consummation so devoutly to be vtit>hed" will be realized in the greater part of them. It is by these socieiies that the country is to be saved, and the Provincial Agriculture ad- vanced : for which reason no means should be left unattempt;d by the leading characters to combine the farmers and freeholders into such associations. Nothing che will invigorate our husbandry, and permanently guarantee its stability ;andjf shall account myself fuUy requited for all my pains and exertions, vthen a Central lioard is instituted under the auspices of ;he Legislature, to preside over tlic future views, and hopes, and fortunes of this growiug colony. O diem pra;clarum, quando te aspiciam ? Quando Agricultura, qua nulla melior ars, nihil digniu$, nihil pra^staotius, nihil hoiuiui bono coDvenicntius, senatusconsulto inslituetur ? *T^J0 part of my course, I fear, has been more uninteresting to (he •^ ^ general reader than my late letters on agricultural mr.chiiirrv ; although to the practical farmer I reckon them important, and not a little instructive. I shall still devote this communication to tlitt same subject, and compress withia its limits the remainder of my descriptions and remarks, that I may hasten, in my next, to tlie fourth section of my plan which treats of Manures. The Fan, or as it is called by the Scotch settlers about Pictou the Fanners, is a machine rather of complicated contrivance, and not eapable of accurate delineation by mere language, unassisted hy plates to address the eye. It consists of four square fans fixed iu a common axle, which is turned round by a handle, and velocity giv* «n to it by means of teeth and pinions working into each other.-^ 'This rotatory niolion create? a strong blast of wind whi»;h rush?? out of ( ing froi 'dequeue ing thro side ; y derable c instrumei count of • vcept ion accidenta is not or>l Imply, th work in n nine cases produce, f niarkef, a fjiiality wh dKrerence « mnnagemen changes of i hie time is f count, (he p pendunce on threshed, thi the unfavout sleeps away ( Would give h the work, an 1'he expense (he old count 'ig mills, it \ offarmstocko such an inst the corn facto cn'y mode is, "ler consumer "> some neigh t'onofourmai t'lat account w 'ef fltitnuiated f I7.i out of tlic back part of the machine ; and the grain and chafT, fall* iiig from a hopper bbove into this stream of air, are separated iucon« srqucuce of tlieir diiToreiit sperlfic gravities : (he corn, quickly fall* ing through the current, U emptied 6ut of a small aperture on one side ; while the chBiT from its lightness is carried along to a consi« titrable distance. Wherever tillage is prosecuted to any extent, thU instrument is of indispensable necessity ; and it is a melancholy ac- count of our hunbandry to learn, that the farmers here, with fevr fxceplions, depend in (he |)roccss of ninnowing on the variable and accidental breezes which blow over ihc ihrcshing floor. This mode is not only defective, but extremely ii. convenient— I do not mean te imply, that with the benefit of a seasonable and gentle wind, the work "in no instance can be well performed ; but I aitrm that in nine cases out of ten, the winnowieg is incomplete; and that if our produce, full of light and (ed by this de- pendunce on causes which we cannot control. After the corn is threshed, the business of the barn may be interrupted for days from the unfavourableness of the wind, and in the mean time the farmer sleeps away existence in Idle expectation. The introduction of fani would give him a much greater command of his time, would facilitate the work, and execute it in a more perfect and masterly nvinner.— • The expense of this machine is by no means considciaolo ; aid in the old country I)cfore tlic late invention and general use of thresh- ing mills, it was accounted of essential utility, and constituted a put of farmstock as much as the plough and the liarrew. in !erd,wiiliout such an instrument the farmer could not dispose of his grain to the corn factor : and the reason we rest satisfied with a more slov- enly mode is, because our grain is seldom carried to market, but ci- ther consumed on the farm by the working cattle, or manufaclorcd in some neighbouring mill for the use of the family. The imprrfoc- tion of our managen.^nt, in this department of rural economy, is on that account well nigh withdrawn from observation ; and v^c are ne- ver etimulated to any great efi'ort by the Ductuations of a dull amd ■■■■i k' 176 brisk demand. Not so In England. Thrre (lie farmer consumes only a small portion of his produce, seldom exceeding a (|u wiiecl, a lioiizontil ihafi jroct cd.'^, ciilers the walls of th^: ij;:n>, end cominunicaies th« nioti.M! io tiie internal m.iehinery. I am much in t!oub(, whether I can t!i-..iiL;e the apparatus in lattguage snlhcicntly precise and dear H VJeiieral Report to convey a distinct idea to a person never having the benefit of ocu- ■ii,,!.y°'r^P*8e 12 , . \- , ... ■'""'*' or r ranee a r lar uiSi;(\tii.u. iv-t tiie general principle of its construction may J"'^ e-aggeratioo,' be easily couctivedt The shc-jf of corn is unliod and spreatl (Ul. io enter tht (luted rollei juiat motion ers is turoet per minute, taken in by oiachine, aoi iog it out of over a sieve, it falls along; ever, on the j iiig gently dc attached to il There it is wi grain fit for 1 1 by the excited side, and with tiie rollers, at course of 6 hoi ing to the old ilay». it is by the that Great Brii tfiem behind at of her progress toowledged pr and her agricu Jias outstript th "0 rival in the 'ural survey of !'''e revolution, ^iiiiigdom can 'taoding the chi p'"glish husbant perfection of m M'iiropean State, 177 i: 111 of ed ac- Hail, isc be- neral inkpot esign- Ixiciicl- idrivon circle )Uiid a U-boat JOlltil lies th^; •iher i Id clear ul tut. (Ot'litOr tlie machine, by the workman appoiiUed to feed it. Two (luted rollers working into each other catch the straw, and by their juiatinotion turn it inward. Behind these a drum armed with beat- ers is turned round with the velocity of from *2300 to 3000 feet per minute, and threbhes the ears from the btraw as fast as it is taken in by the feeding rollers. The straw is thrown out by the Qiachine, and women are busied io tying it into bundles, and carry* jDg it out of the way. The grain in the mean time passes onward over a sieve, which is kept in perpetual agitation, and through which it falls along with the chaiVin a promiscuous heap. It falls not,huw« ever, on the ground, but on a board prepared for the purpose, inclin- ing gently downward, by which it is conveyed to the hopper of a fan attached to the threshing apparatus, nud driven by the same power. There it is winnowed ; and ou the lower floor comes out the clean grain fit for the market, w Idle the chaff is violently tosbcd forward by the excited current of air. Four horses with a driver on the out- iide, and witliiti, two worsen to clear away the straw, a feeder of the rollers, and a gatherer of the grain, have been known in the course of 6 hours to thresh and complete 100 bushels, which accord- ing to the old plan, would have occupied the same persons as many days. It is by the invention of machinery, in every walk of industry, that Great Britain has gotten the start of all other nations, and left them behind at an immeasurable distance, to wonder at the rapidity of her progress without the least hope of overtaking her. Herac* Luowledged preeminence in manufactures rests solely on (his basis ; and her agriculture of late, propelled by the same powerful C5*?$e, has outstript that of France, of Italy, and of Holland, a:id left acr no rival in the cultivation o^ her territorial soil. From the agr^iul^ lural survey of France takej by A. Young at the cornmt uceirit/it of the revolution, it is unquestionable, (hat the productiveo'... if that tliiugdora can stand no comparison with that of liritain^ notwith- itaading the changeable and inferior climate of the latter : niul that English husbandry in the amount of capital employed, and in the perfection of machinery is decidedly superior to that of any other r.aropean State, not excepting the Netherlands which, in the days of •General Report of Scotland, vol. I, page 402. t Vol. a, page 12G. He says *' The corn products of EuRland, compared with I toe of France aie as 28 to 1 V j and I am well persuaded, that such a ratio is |ii'jeiaggeraligu.'' '.:■■? •.■-ll ■1 *.' vl.. ff 178 ^ii*: m% 1 in ^ucen Elizabeth, supplied the salad^i, carrots and turnips cafen ai the royal (able. These roots and esculent herbs, it seems, were no; then withio the compass of Britishngricultural skill, and i.cr Mije ■. ty was under the necessity of sending a special messenger to Flan. ders, when she wished for these delicate productions : and (here is more than one instance on record, when she actually desp^tcliej a coarier for a simple salad. There has been lately iutented by a Mr. James Smith of Donne, a REAPING MACHINE, that has made a great deal of noise in the old country, has been tried before competent judges, and found eliicjent and practically useful. We are not yet prepared for such iuiprovi. ments ; and I only mention them, to rouse (he daring spirit of aitioii and enterprise, to disperse and counteract the gloomy forebodings of some phlegmatic tempers amongst us, and to cheer us in the on. ward coarse of a spiri(cd and animoted enijlation. " We know not what we shall be ;" and as the mother country has advanced her agriculture from the lowest Mtch of degradation, and taken the padi of glory before US) she may be safely set upas an example, and is fairly entitled from her proud elevation to abash despair, and embolden U5 to strive in the same splendid career. Between the Flemish salads of Elizabeth, and the Reaping Machine of Smith, there is seemingly an impassable gulph, which aolhing would have dared to cross, save British energy and perseverance. Let us not then despond of Nova Scotia. Alihough many of her features be rugged and forl)iddiug,H ''^"^'^^''^"s ^>f a there is a mildness and lustre in her eye, which touch the heart, audi ^ ''*'^'"cr with Uivitc to confidence in her maternal care and provision. As lierl "'^"'"■dships o rhildren, we owe her the devotion of our zeal ; and our inleresw'^""^'' be know are interwoven with her fertility. If her soil be pronounced inca. pable of sustaining her people, she loses the firmest hold of our af fections, and we connot contemplate her in any odicr light tha that of a severe stej^^mother, from whose withering inilueiice we an tempted to escape. Our first and most sacred duty is to improvtB Plough to whic her agriculture, to secure her independence of f'^reign supplies, Ma capital imorov unite heart and hand in this great national work, to import ^KilfuHa frame • ar, J ii andelfoctive machinery, to turn the attention of the landed inleresHinchcs ; first len to investigate her internal resources, and to leave nothing unessaywplou^f,_ jj • which may exalt her io a prosperous and flourishing coiulilinn.-Jpiacpj ^^ Af».er these effort*, if she still refuses to sustain us, we may then, buljg q^j.^^- • not till then, think of withdrawing our allegiance, and consigninBj„jjp , her to an ili'Starred dcstioy. lirnri, „» .l .. '^ ' Y '^ '^^ ^^e dista M thus f hop th It now re cliiiiery by ! Culrer, (he iKT of (he Ii hoeing hush; fitinciplev, y/ it- com^dex i niiis( complei ihe growth ol lievoted his m Idt'fnltivatioi anil is now fin itru farming ; (]ues(ionable ii ties of EngliHK ill sorts of cor ol the country lurnips, carrots fiice convfiiiieii into (he culture erally fallen sh til' kept clear of Although we a '•■lis province, o Homing acquain The PATKNT o ar 179 It now remains, (hat 1 close this long account of agricultural nifi« cliiiieiy by slight!) glancing at the description of the Patent Sward Cutler, the Cultivator, and in a succinct and comprehensive man- tier of the Implements more particularly connected with the horse- hccing hushaiidry. This system is distinguished by two leading |iiinriplei, \»hicli preside over its operations and the construction. of ii- com^.lex apparatus — economy in the sowing of the seed, and- the nitist complete pulverization of the soil by repealed hoeings during the ({rowih of the crop. Tull was the fouuder of this system, and devoted his whole life toils illustration and defence. In regard le lht'i'i)ltivation uf green drill crops, it has grown into general favour, and is now firmly established as indispensable to the success of mo- dem farming ; but with lespect to wheat and other grain, it is still questionable in principle, and practiced only partially in {\ few conn- ties of England. In Scotland it has hardly made any progress, aod $11 sorts of corn are sown broadcast according to the ancient usage of the country ; and a diill is not to be seen, except in potatoes, turnips, carrots', cabbages and beans. In fact, it has been foi'j.u at (iice convenient, costly, and unnecessary to introduce horse-hociiig into the culture of while crops; and the increased produce lias gen- erally fallen short of defraying Xha additional expense. Land can be kept clear of weeds, and suiriciciitly puUerized, by the ordinary operations of a judicious course : aud hence it is only burdening farmcfwitha great and unprofitable labour to subject him to all tlie hardships of the liorse-hoeing theory. Its instruments, however, [should be known ; and such selected, as arc of acknowledged utility.. Although we are far from being ready for the adoption of theie into this province, our vie«B will be enlightened and expanded by be- 1 coming aec^uainted wiwi such curious and complicated maciiinery. The pATKNT ;wAKL- cuTTEu is a Substitute for TuU's four coultered [Plough to which I formerly alluded, and is supposed by mauy to be .ppiies,tBa capital improvement, It is drawn by two horses, aud mounted oo lit sKiHula frame ; ar.d its use is to cut old grass land into narrow stripes of 6 ^d iniereslincbes ; first lengthways, and then across, before it is tilled by the lunessajelplouKh. It is composed of six iron cutting wheels, which may be |tKruin""Bplaced nearer or farther from each other at discretion ; and these ore then, liuBso contrived as to act indepeiidontiy of one another, and can be tonsigii'i'Binacled with weights to pierce the toughest sward. They commouly pork at the distance of 6 inches, sink into the ground from 2 to 3, lifid thus <;hop thq wholt surface into small square pieces, vrliicU rniuuuig, eart, and 1 As her 1 Inlerest? 1 ced iiica- 1 if our a( 1 laht tiian| ;e we ar m improv!^ •'i: , • i« .. if" (■){■■ t m m I » 180 •fterirards offer no resistance to the most minute subtliTJbion. J |,r. four coultered Plough only cuts the furrow one wH3,and lays it i„(., stripes ; whereas this instrument penetrates the matted roots, aiirj cuts up the field first in one direction and then another, and effectu. •Ity prepares it for being easily and expeditiously brought into the finest tilth. The cnltifator is, I believe of English origin, and is knonm (o the agricultural world by a variety of names, nhichareall desrrip. tive of the uses or benefits to which it may be applied. It is called a scarificator or scarifier from the resemblance it bears to that chi* Turgical instrument, or from the supposed analogy subsisting betwepiij them ; the one making incisions into the body, the other intothel earth. It is styled an extirpator from the action of its teeth on root weeds, by which they are turned up and brought to the surface. The designation of a scufller has been given it, from rather a bohl slrctchl of the imagination, by conceiving that it carries on a running aiKlj tumnltuous fight agaiust whatever is preventive of fertility : and i!)| more common name of cultivator is expressive of its high importanoa in breaking and pulverising the soil. A moi'iiuation of this impleJ ment has been lately introduced into East fiOthian and has receivci the application of *grubber, which is nearly sjnonymous with thai of extirpator. The shapes and construction of this instrument are almost as muq diversi6ed as its names ; but there is a common bond of concectioij and similarity between them, suggested by the one purpose it s^rTej in husliandry, and that is, the stirring an'l loosening of a light anj lecrnMy filled soil. It is uselebs either tor grass or stubble laiidl ^nd must like the harrow, follow in the rear of the plough. Bj after tiie ground is broken up, and its cohesion in part subverted, n| instrument can vie with it in eff^'ciiveiiess and utility. Towards ill close of a summer ' ;Mow -^r in breaking the crust of land ploughe in autumn, and wlj'cft requires to be disturbed in spring for the™ ception of the seed. ■■: stands preeminent as a masterpiece of machinj TV. Admit, that it is ill raKulated for any soil abounding in natun obstructions, such as stones or roots of trees, yet it would be al| powerfiil upon our rich marshes and fine intervals. The two kinds of more frequent occurrence are.^ one with a squaj and one with a triangular frame, in which the arms of the shares: •GcDcral Report of Scotland, vol. 1, page 222. fixed. 1 and bulh I'lto the g ffot, and ] voried wit chine as t( are attach* and the pu The Duij and is corn] hoxcs to di other instrii a variety of Ifie difTeren low it throi plough with science of iV] recting, imp of any parti would but i day. Even it to such pe " with oleve *' distance fr " three very " too at diOe " der, the ba '' a!)ove thaf, " of these ro " deep." B plicated mac " vein curios " of the systt The drill sowing ofal heans, turnip* hot attached regularity, ar if I am inforr This separate rn- 'All shares! ISl Tixod. Tlic first is .supported by four, the second by three wheels-} and i)c*th ro coiistrucied as to let the teeth penetrate more or less into the ground. These shares are sometimes shaped like a goose foot, and sometimes io the form of a coulter. Their number may be varied with circumstances ; and they are so spread oat in the ma- chine as to cover a width of four feet at a time. When two horses are attached to it, an acre may be rnn over in about three hours ; and the pulverization is most complete. The DiULh PLOUGH is the next, that comes under oar observAtioa and is composed of three parts — the shares to make the drills, the boxes to drop the seed, and iS'i harrows to cover it. There is no other instrument in agriculture which has been constructed in such * variety of ways, and unilrs wiUi more complexity the action of the different Mcchiinic Powers. h would be a vain attempt to fol- low it through all its changes and combinations, from the simple ■plough with its seed box, to Cook's Improved Drill Machine. The science of Mechanics has exhausted its-capacity of invention in cor- recting, improving, and modifying its movements ; and an account of any particular model, which gdined a momentary popularity, would but ill correspond with that which may be the fashion of the day. Even in Tull's time, this ingenious agriculturist had brought it to such perfection, " that with one horse he could draw a drill " with eleven shares, making the rows at three inches and a half •' distance from one another ; and, at the same time, sow in them " three very diflerent sorts of seeds, which did not mix ; and these " too at differert depths. As the barley-roots were 7 inches asun- " der, the barley lay 4 inches deep. A little more than 3 inches '' ahove that, in the same channels, was clover: betwixt every two " of these rows was a row of sainlfoin, covered only half an inch " deep." But so fully convinced was he of the folly of such com- plicated machinery, *' that he demolished all these instruments as a " vain curiosity, inconsistent with the true principles and practices *' of the system. The drill machine.y is now pretty generally discarded in the sowing of all sorts of grjjin, and only retained in the culture of beans, turnips, carrots, sainfoin, and a few other green crops. A box attached to a Plough, for the purpose of delivering the seed with regularity, and in rows, is used in many parts of Great-Britain, and if I am informed right, has found its way here Into King's County. This separate member of the instrument Is of such simple construc- kl «! J69 tion, and of such emiuent importance in (he culfivatlon of (urnips^ that it cannot be too highly commended : a.;d if, in place of cnii. nectlng it with a plough, it were aiTixed to a Ditrrow, made for (he purpose, and known by (he appellation of tiie *duii.l RAiiiunv, we would for some time stand in need of iiu more complicitted ap|)uiiitus. The great advantage of this barrow lies in its power of being accurn* modated, by an alteration in the bi^r of the flijtu or hollow part of the roller, to all descriptions vl seeds ; unJ it is equally useful in sowing beans, peas, turnips, as well as wheat, barley, and oats.-~ This machine along with the weeding and doublc3 moulded Plt)u^h$ should be added to the cutulugue of our Hgricultuial instruments, and would comprehend wl.atever of the hoi se- hoe husbandry is compatible with our prchcnt condition, and conducive to our fut-jrf advancement. ACiUICOLA. Halifax, Dccmiibcr S, 1818. TO con KKSPON DKNTS. I am not able to acknowledge, as I would wi^h, the many comiiia> nications sent me since my last letter. Two of them 1 have given to my publisher, wliich will appear under the Halifax head ; and 1 must only express my gralitnde for the valuable information convoy- ed to me by the rest. For tlio lirst time i am favoured with a phi- losophical disquisition concerning the roou of plants, and cARUoMt Acin, from Guy's River, to which I shall soon attend as I now enter on manures ; and I have a«iother from Tfuro sugsesiioij certain liiut'i about opening new roads to the back settlements under a liotitioL") name. I must take occasion here to state explicitly, tliat for (tie lu> ture I shall only pay attention to cori(;spondenls who give their ri-ul signatures ; and as 1 have been now upvaids of four months before the public, no man need hesitate to address me openly and witlioul tli'iguise. Any of my correspondents may still write me, and if (luy ))lcase interdict (be publication of their letter ; but in general this !:; unnecessary, fur hitherto I have printed nothing in point either of laii^'uago altvays ta suppressli Of the and four y both in re I am anno respond pi their reseai .1 On Mont more than oi His Excel len Sir John Lei among the gii quality, ■^fter man '^ntertainraen ihe health of certain from I a Patriot ; am forth theeste( I'C writer in had excited l\ tfie other, and 'he great gooc that a Centra and that this . li'iguished as t 'obeestablish( he would mos certain he was, '^hoequal/y aj ^ther, and wh 183 laii;^uago tit sentiment, whicit would disgrace any mtn ; and I have always taken iUk liberty, and indeed claim it, of correcting, partiallj suppresbing, and often amending the comm'unications sent me. Of the thirteen letters last week ieccived, I have nine with real, and four with fictitious Bignatures ; and these last are respectabit^ both in regard to intelligence, and the style of composition : bat I am annoyed by their anonymous character, because 1 cannot cor« rrsporiid privately with the writers, to ask explanations, aod direct their researche* for the furtherance of my views. AGKICOLA. •;< ■A plii- llUlONlfc kv eiittr III liiiii'' Ici.itiou', the lu* H'ir ftal before iwillioul if iiu'y \\ this is ilher of Ifciirri/U-' ol srs. J^'""'' •ImuYei'sax'^ of Saint AuvVre^. On Monday this festival wa"? celebrated in Mason's Hall with more than ordinary splendour — the hall was handsomely decorated. Ills Excellency the Right Hoiiorai)le Eaiil of J)Ai.nou>iE, Lord Kerr, Sir John Lewis, the colonels of the army, the Catholic Bishop were among the guests. The dinner wafl excellent j and the wine of choice ({uality. After many appropriate toasts ivcre drunk in the course of the to ren* der it Loth flourishing and prosperous. His Excellency thei gave, " To the health of /igricola, and success to hi:> labours,'* The toast was received with three times three. The Honorable Judge Ilaliburton compliuricnted his ]jo Hship on the rapid slrideslatcly taken through' ut the province, in the advance* oent of agriculture, and esteemed Uic sentiments of his Excellency as another proof of the lively interest he took in the general prosperity and welfare of the country. lie had no doubt, in fact, he was perfectly convinced, that when such an Institution was founded, numerous in>- dividuals were ready tu cume forward and manifest their patriotic zeal in an object so desirable, and that by the commendable exertions of .their ability, the anticipations of his Lordship would be realised aud perfected. 11 Ji i: '■i'- HEM A UK. 1 hare rj:?yacted tills from the newspaper of the day, because it was the first public testimonial of the Governor's approbation of these letters ; and because the Provincial Agricultural Society date: its origin frouj 'he 30th of November 1818. Amhtrst^ Count y of Ctiniherlandj 1 mh Aoiember, 1818 J TO AGllIGOL\. SIR,- Your noble and generous exertions, on behalf of the Agrfcultarel of this Province, have at length aroused many of the inhabitants ofl this county from the apathy and indifference, into which they haiij fallen with regard to the Farming interests of Cumberland. On Saturday last, a number of the most respectable of them metot This letter nouncing fhe ""k in thegre I be secured. '''if-' exultation '^"i animated |'"ff me in the v ['yitis wellent polloued by of '^'oMr. Afo, '"'">h he sjjeai 185 ons IgCB jual ,his lurat ren- ame, up on i?aace* elleiuy •speriiy erfecily lous in*- jtic zeal rtions ol ised aud this |)lacc and formed thciri'clvcs Into a society, to be ilcnominateil Ihr CutnbtiianJ Agricultural ^ocictt/. They a'^L AGUICOLA. Lem met at IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 iii II 2.8 iiill?^ •- 1^ 12.2 lllll I ft LA. 11.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 # V "^ V o^ ^ #.t >> % V '^^ rn? ■'fr^%% •'«(»<^ „ , f'^* •■■ ( ,■ 18b LETTER 21. TTN the earliest and rudest beginnings of society, of w hicli we haye •^ any historical records, mankind seem soon to have been experi- mentally taught, that crops of whatever description had a tendeiicy to extract the riches of the soil, and that the waste must be reiaiied in some way or other. The first and most obvious method was, to abandon the field which was exhausted ; and leave nature io hoisilf in the restoration of fertili ty. The plough always opened afresh and virgin mould : and where land was abundant ccmpared with the population, the defects of this system would not force themselvts Tcry readily on attention. IJut after cities began to be founded, and when man, tired of his wandering and pastoral life^ sought llie enjoyments and repose of a settled abode, it was soon discovered, that recourse must be had to other means than the slow and linyer. ing process of rest, fo sustain and perpetuate the productive powers of the earth. Hence the origin of manures ; and hence too the im- portant station assigned them io ancient books of husbandry. The application of dung was indubitably of the earliest date, and was practised by the Chaldeans, the Persians, the Phecnicians, theCarthit- ginians, (he Greeks, and the Romans ; but at what period thefos^il manures were introduced into husbandry is uncertain, and like other important facts in the history of the arts, is involved in a dubious I obscurity. We are informed on the authority of Pliny,* that marls, were known to the people of Gaul, and of Britain, and even to the Greeks ; that the benefit of this manure lasted for years ; and (hat they were distinguished into a great variety of kinds. Lime, tooj about this period in Gaul c»me into repute ; and from thence wasj slowly diffused over the surrounding countries. Manures have been divided by agriculturists into two classes, boihj of which have distinctive characters, and perform diflferent oiTKes in the economy of vegetation. The first of these comprehends all aiii^ mal, and vegetable decomposing matter, and is principally instroJ mental in feeding the plant, in augmenting its size, and sustaining the vital energy. The second performs a much humbler parf, ml operates more on the soil and decomposing matter, than in ciiredH ♦Pliny Nat. History Lib. 17tU C. C & 7, eontributii respect it i and vegeta: septic and cf each is n in the mind tion, and c: The putresi dishes serv( all the varic lowly shrul the Coras — remains of a 00 the othei sistantsat th tritnent, to fa missed or rel DOt only lin that ail tber compounding In truth, all fertility; and ed by the act ing the texti digested and so distinct pa of language classify these or horse due may be tracet in the infanc lime, and sta to think, thai tion, and ont The putres vegetable kii >»d to them be under the my lightsand jrowtl) and s 187 tontributing (o the support of the vegetable ; although even in this respect it is uot altogeiher useless. The one has been called animal and vegetable, or putrescent manures, the other fossil, and sometimes septic and putrefactive. Whatever the name may be, the province cf each is marked by precise boundaries : and it will beget confusion in the minds of ray readers, unless they fully apprehend the distinc* tion, and carry It along with them in any after train of reasoning.— The putrescent manures, to borrow a familiar image, are the actual dishes served up at the table of the vegetable kingdom. By them ail the various tribes are sustained — the majestic oak as well as the lowly shrub — the poisonous weed as well as the medicinal herb— the corns — the grasses — the esculent roots— all feed on the rotting remains of animal and fegetable bodies : whereas thefossil manures, oD the other hand, are merely the cooks, servants, waiters, and as- sistants at the table. Their business is to prepare and dress the DU~ triment, to bring it forward when called for ; and they may be dis- missed or retained at pleasure. Under the second class are ranked not only lime, marl, and gypsum ; but sand, gravel, and clay ; 8q that all the meliorations, which are ejected on soil by blending and compounding the original earths, are comprised wilhin its limits.—* In truth, all tkose operations are called mauuring>, which influence fertility; and it is thought of no consequence, whether this be attain* ed by the actual supply of the food in the shape of dung, or by alter- ing (he texture and quality of the soil, in order that thi^ food be digested and prepared. It would have been better, bad two things so distinct passed under di0erent appellations : for it seems an abuse of language to speak of manuring with sand, lime, or clay, and to classify these bodies under the same generic term with cow, sheep or horse dung: but, perhaps, the origin of this verbal inaccuracy may be traced to the crude and imperfect conceptions of philosophy in the infancy of husbandry. When nieu first began to cart marl, lime, and stable manure to the same field, they were extremely apt to think, (hat all the substances served the same purpose in vegeta- tion, and on that account gave them a common name. The putrescent manures, fron> the high o0\ce assigned them in the vegetable kingdom, are foremost in importance and in dignity ; and to them I shall tirst direct niy attention. Here, again, I shall be under the necessity of recurring to chemistry, in order to derive my lights and explanations ; for the whole process carried on in the {fowlb and sustentatlon of plants Is nothing else but a mysterious ■ 1 j ■1 1 1 I ' j i ,1 ■■ II: 188 ! "■•: b'' and beneficent application of chemical laws, modifK.d a little by (he powera of life, under the management of the Great Author of nutuio. Such of my readers as have either preserved, or can now have acio.is to my tenth and eleventh letters, will review them attentively, imbibe the rudiments which are there taught, and thus furnished with kno\v< ledge,will come prepared to reap the full benefit of the present inquiry. To the ignorant and unlettered clown ilirse letters must be unprofita- ble and unavailing ; and without some (ilou on his part to master (he science, and drink at the sacred fountain of philosophy, it is to- tally impossible for me to lower the tone of expression, and to famili- arise the illustrations, to the dullness of an unenlightened under. standing. 1 shall appropriate the present communication, to point out and enumerate what are meant by the animal and vegetable manures, and make a few observations descriptive of their general character. All animals, when they die, quickly pass iuto a state of corrup- tion. The elements of which they are composed, being no lunger fixed and retained by the living principle, begin to separate, and has. ten into new con>binations.— This arises from the joint action of heat and air ; and also from the attinities and repulsions which are ever taking place among the minute particles of matter. The body, whe- ther left exposed on the surface, or buried in the ground, will in a short time disappear, and moulder into dust. The bones, although last in the order of dissolution, will exhibit gradual symptoms of decay, and in the end submit to the common wreck of organized ex- islenco. This decomposition, in every stage of its progress, is «c. ccmpllsiied by the constituent principles of the body becoming fluid and sinking dowi'ward — or assuming a gaseous form, and escaping into ihe atmospht^re — the common receptacle of aeriform fluids.— The carcas. , wtiich has lain under the earth for tfn hundred years, wtie^- disturbed in its asylum and dug up, has almost entirely evan- " htcl. ; partial dissolution, and been thrown out as unserviceable for the further nutrition of the system. From this universal decay of organized matter, and its conversion in- lo gases, it would seem that animal and vegetable sub3tances,and ex- crementitious matter are resolvable into each other, and are only diH'erciit states of the same original principles. VVhen we call in the aid of chemical analysis, this coixlusiun, seemingly so violent and irreconcilable with our prejudices, is not strengthened but coa- tirmed, not piobalile but certain, not questionable but undoubted and infallible. The essential principles of tliem all, are hydrogene, carbon and oxygene, in various proportions, either alone, or in some cases conjoined with azot. These four bodies, by theirendlesscom- biiiations with each other, can assume every variety of form, and meet our eye either in the solid, the tluid -or gaseous state. Hydrogene by its union with oxygene forms water ; with azot appears as the volaiile alkali, or ammonia. Caibon, again, combines with hydro- gene into various infiammable bodies, possessing a manifest grada- tion in the density and brightness of their flatne ; and with oxygene ioto caibonic acid. Oxygene itself is the most restless of them all, enters into the compositicn of air, of water, and of earth ; forms the lixed allialis, and most of the acids ; and pcrforn'.s an important part in the functions of the animal economy. Azot is no less active in its compounds ; and with oxygene constitutes the nitric acid, nitrous gas, and nitrous oxid. — This is not all. These compounds again unite either with the simple elements of wMch they are form- ed, or with one another, and thus multiply a unlimited variciy of products, which appear in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. — " Gum* and sugar contain nearly the stime principles,and starch dif- " fcrs from them only in containing a little more carbon. These " three products are convertible into each other. Thus, in the rl- " pcning of grain, the sugar, conveyed into it by the sap vessels, co- " agulates into starch ; while in malting, the converse takes [ilacc, * Sir H. Davy's Lccturr s. ..••''i'lit.^ :l. ■ i i: J \ y 'iil rV JDO *-^ and the starch in grain is converted into sugar." During fcrmeu- tation, a change is effected on the elements of sugar, from which ar- dent spirit results. Fart of the carbon combines with oxygcne. and escapes in the form of carbonic acid ; while the remaining, hydru- gene, and oxygene unite to form alcohol. It is unnecessary to confound my readers with further details ; suffice it to say, that when we anulyxe a vegetable, it consists prin- cipally of hydrogeue, carbon, and oxygene, with a little azot in some species ; when an animal, it contains a greater portion of azut with the other three ingredients. Dung also, in a state of fermen- tation, gives exactly the same results, t jing in reality just animal and vegetable matter, with the additional circumstance of having passed previously through the intestines. It is thus easy to see, how putrescent manures supply nourishment to plaints ; and how plants taken iuto the stomach support animals. The fact i^, the same original elements are only passing into new combinations, and assuming the forms either of vegetable or animal life. It is as easy to discover, how the disorganization uf living substances should con- tribute to fertility, and invigorate the growth of crops— We may then safely draw this general conclusion, that whatever has lived ia air, in earth or sea will form manure,when the system is destroyed by corruption : and that whatever has grown and enjoyed vegetable vitality, either on the surface of the earth or under water, will also furnish the pabulum or food of plants, when it has been resolved in- to its elements by fermentation. The ANIMAL MANUUKs, then, are the fleshy fibres of (he body, tlie membranes, the bones, and blood which constitute the inward part; the hair, wool, and feathers which are the external covering ; and the horns, claws, and hoofs, which tip the extremhies. Thete, it is true, decompose at different periods, and require a different treatment; but they are all resolvable into the same simple elements. The Ush which swim the ocean, the feathered tribes, man--— the lord of the creation, — quadrupeds of all ki()ds,jreptiles and creeping things, and the diminutive and almost invisible grubs which infest the soil,j equally contribute by their dissolution to the fertility of the earth.) The TEGETAULE MANURES are, the roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds— the gums, oils, and essences of all plants, shrubs and trees^;! in short every part of the vegetable, if only brought into fermenta- tion. The most aoxious weed in this respect ts as valuable i^j ♦he fiaest as the str only diflii part of sf( ployed t< necessity in all cast tlie great (lamo, mo lost. KxCftKM substances only, as t lioth, as th second th( between th bourcd der food, and, space, just prey, then than that v been found best barnya fective strei lected and ( These ge cnce of cei ignorant of pains to coi no necessity «11 parts o dncts,--thei lies ; becai are the meai ers of vegeta growth of ai tional being; nent parts, 1 endless and burning of c( ■'I, ' 1*1 mi meu- :h ar« ;. and ydro« itaiU ; prin- izot iu of azut ermcii- aniiiial having to see, nd how is, the )ns, and as easy uld con- We may t lived io royed by egetable will also olved in' ^ody, the ird part; fug 5 i^iJ'' iCiC, it is l-eatinent; The fish rd of the ^ings, and j the soil, |e earth.| iruits,anill lod treeiJ |fermenta-j ilnable i* the fuicst flowpr, the leaves which are to?sed in the autumnal blast, as the stravf which is collected and [(reserved for the barnyard. The only difficulty here ic, to apply the fermenting process to the woody part of steins and roots ; but whenever this is impossible, fire is em* ployed to reduce thorn to their component elements. Hence the necessity of burning, when fermentation would be of no avail ; but in all cases this mu^t be resorted to as the last remedy, for by far the greater portion of ihe vegetable su!)stance is dissipated by the flame, mounts inco the atmosphere as vapour, and is irretrievably lost. ExcttK.MENTiTious MATTER may either be the remains of animal substances only, as thai of the carnivorous tribes— or of Tegetables only, as that of the domestic and workli g cattle — or a mixture of hoth, as that of men, dogs, or cats. The first is the richest, the i>', l)lt'Stllt of ^licy sfcm between Is of bit"- [onvei'io" In ilietwo Ircsent bo- Ibdow Ibe I fr«ent surface of the earth, may be easily Pxplained by geological, snalogies. — iTIie t)ed8 of limestone al)oiiiiding insiiwils, and other organic xiics deposit'^d at l;ieat depths, show that the soil on which we tiead is ut' secondary fuimation ; land dut the globe has undergone revolutions as well as its inhabitants. It h liiotmure wonderful ttiat the pr.at-niosses of a primeval ago should furuish us I'vilL the fuel of our chimniea, than that its shells should now a}>pear in the mar< hie which decorates the mautelpiece. ■Ihl \' :i t':i 'K V , ,1. > ■It. ■ .' u; •mi ;i" ««■ •• V. ,i! y ,r; -! 194 from all our barnyards, from the emptying them in Bprins; till (he frosts set in and arrest the profusion, is a signal inbtance of tlie want of all scientific knowledge in the economy of our rural aiFairs, and tends to prevent that extended culture of white crops which alone can work* our salvation. A grazing country may subsist with a tofal inattention to the collecting and preserving of manure ; but the ap. pearance of the plough will sharpen invention, and set industry in motion to swell and enlarge the quantity. A Flemish husbandman— and this is the general character of the people— upon a small farm can keep four milch cows, as many heifers, with a proportionable number of pigs and poultry, and annually plough and sow fifteen acres under vheat, turnip, barley, or flax, only reserving 6ve acres of hay and pasturage for all these cattle and two horses besides , and this he accomplishes, by the possession of a secret of which we are entirely ignorant— a sedulous and well-directed anxiety abour his dunghil. AGRICOLA. Halifax, December 9, 1818. Dicatiou : an TO CORRESPONDENTS. The length of my letter on Manures, and the importance of the approaching meeting for the establishment of the Central Board, forbid me to extend my note to correspondents. 1 have, since my last, a great variety of communications, some of which I shall soon pub. lish, as (hey contain valuable matter. The first of a series from I *' llusticus" claims a distinguished place ; and I acknowledge him | the more readily, because he has given me his real, and only appears to the public under a borrowed name. I thank him and his friend in town for making me the depositary of the secret, and for the pro fession of their confidence, which will be requited by giving themsl the aid in my power. The lady, who writes from Windsor, is wor thy of my warmest acknowledgments. Amid the hurry of my pre sent engagements, my heart, by a sort ofinvoluntary sympathy, gave ame, and dropt the tear over the grave of the " loved, respected n and I shall enter with hallowed reverence the library of the " prac tical Agricolaof his day" which she so kindly throws open to me- I must express my grntitude to Mr. Toler, for his mark of approba lion in so handsomely bestowing on me his improved map of tli( province; and I would recommend the work to the friends of agri 199 eultuiti.o- To Mr. Owen, I am also under obligation for Ilalc's IIus- baiidry, and I shall endeavour to extract from it what I account useful to the country.— My other numerous correspondents must bt satisfied with my general thanks, and although I cannot iodividuaU ]y mention them, their hints shall not be forgotten. AGIUCOLA. > , I < Annapolis, ^th December, 1818. MR. HOLLAND, Sir, — I am desired to request that jou will publish the enclosed commu* niraiion ; and I feel much pleasure in stating that the letters of Agricola in your paper, have had the effect of creating a spirit of emulation and zeal to improve and promote the Agriculture of this extensive and valuable county, which was strongly exhibited at this meeting. I am sir, yours, Sec. HENRY GOLDSMITH, scc'j. At a meeting of a number of gentlemen and respectable freehold- ers of the Eastern District of this, county, assembled at the Court- House in Annapolis, on the 1st day of December 1818, in the pre- sence of the high sheriff, it was resolved to form an Agricultural Society in the Eastern District of this county, to be called, The Annapolis Agricultural Society, for the promotion of good husbandry, and rural economy. At this meeting the following oflicers were chosen : President, ... - Peleg Wiswall, Esq. Vice-President - • - Thomas Ritchie, Esq. Sec'y & Treasurer, - - - Henry Goldsmith, Esq. Committee for Annapolis Royal, Rev. John Milledge, William Winniett, Esq. Thomas Ritchie, Esq. (J. P.) John Fitz Randolph, Esq. Committee for Annapolis Townships John Whitman, Esq. John Reid, Esq. Pardon Saunders. Committee for Granville. Rev. George Bestj "(ii!'. IS',' II;,. ■ II,, I.' Ii III,' 'i' : ' ,'. ( i; J,.w >, ■ ft''!' '' -.Ai H:i I' I (■ ■. i I; 196 Thomas Rogart, John Croskill. Committee for Clements. William Jones, Esq. , Isaac Woodbury, John Ditmas, jun. Before the close of Ihc meeting, the Vice.Presldmt very liliorally undertook to provide, at his own expenc -, T(I11EI<^ PLOUGHS of the pattern and description recommended by Aj^ricola, and to place the same at the disposal of the society. . ,,, TO AGRICOLA. SIR,— I have the pleasure of informing you, that a numerous and respec< table meeting of the inhabitants of this settlement was held here on the 20th ult., when an Agricultural Society was formed, of which I had tiie honour to be chosen President. I trust you will not long have any just ground to reproach us with our want of interest in the Agriculttiral prosperity of the province, as there are numbers here vho seem to enter with ardour into the matter, and we will try to mtiyter aamuch skill as will serve to direct that zeal, and turn it to a, good account. I am sir, your servant, and well wisher, THOMAS TROTTER. Dorchester, County of Sydney, Dec. 2d, 1818. KEMAllK. The establishment of these societies must give real pleasure to the friejtds of Nova Scotia. The first is founded in a county, which i$ nexr iu extent to ttiat of Halifpz, is watered by a noble river— skiit« ed wfth interval and marsh lands, and which embraces within its bounds! Uie North Mountain— -on^ of our best upland tracts. I am truly ^lad that Jhe second Capital of the Province has given this fervent display of its zeal in the promotion of our Agricultural inter- ests, and lias relected genllemen of such acknowledged ability to preside over its affairs. There has been a remarkable wisdom shown in the appointment of the subordinate committees, to watch over the prosperity of the respective townships ; and in thus making choice of re to tlie which ill '.-skiit* lithiD iul I ami I'lven this al inter- ibility tol \m shownl over thel ihoice oi 197 ircn belonging (o ench, either tn act sppamtely or ai t joint com* mittec, the inlprrsts of (he whole are most effectually secared. The iiiflueiire of the society, too, by this plan i , propagated and eitended| and acquires, as it were, a *' local habitation and a name*' la erery (pot where these oflice-bearprs reside. The second communication from the fle^. Mr. Trotter annoancet the formation of a society in the county of Sydney, of which he it chosen President. 1 rejoice in this appointment, because, from a Tery respectable source, I learn that he is eminently qualified for tha ofTice, and indeed [ have the means of jud^^ing myself, and I beg of him to accept my gratulations. He seems solicitous to wipe off the reproach I cast on the county, and promises to cherish the growing zeal for its improvement, and to give it a skilful and beneficial direc* tion. I shall thank him to transmii in course the names of (he other •Dicers, and also the designation of the society itself. A PUBLIC MEETING. FiVents are now drawing toward a crisis, and seem big with im- portance. The province from the one end to the other is awakened, a spirit has gone forth to quicken and reanimate, the coanties are vieing with each other iu manifestations of zeal, individuals are offering costly sacrifices on the altar of public utility, private intima- tions aie given me by distinguished characters of the speedy impor- tation of the Drill Machinery, and hope is thus gilding our future prospects with its brightest colouring. I have never witnessed such a general excitation of public feeling— the happy and infallible prog- nostic of our rapid advancement. Men of all ranks and conditions, even females respectable for age and virtue, have caught the prevail- ing ferment, and written me in a tone of interest and ardent expec- tation. To accuse this country in future of a want of public spirit would Id the vilest profanation. We have men among ns io ail parts of the province, whose bosoms glow with the warmest enthu- siasm, and who are ever ready to step forward and advance the com- mon weal. I cannot refrain from bearing this honourable testimo- ny of their zeal, activity, and patriotism. All appearances confirm me, in addition to my private information, that ere long Agricultu- ral Societies will be founded in every proper and eligible situation, and that the Province will be fully and systematically organized. My townsmen andfellowcitizens, Have you any interest in this declared agricultural spirit ? Is the iii I'll .111'. II . ■■ ■ 111 ,■.' ■. ill .11 • ■HiiV, 1 II ii'^ il:^!: I 'll:' ■ = !li • . i ..'l h 'I'l m ^m ■: 1 1^ l„ j' '^: ' i' 1?. if ' ' : I ; tin ■■"'•■^ ^ .. IDS internal improvement of the colony tobriag yoa any advantages, for which a becoming and corresponding feeling on your part should be shown ? Sarely I need not dwell on the incakulable and nuni' berless benefits, which we all will derive from the advancement of onr husbandry. If the farmer, in addition to his present supplies, can raise our bread, he will be to the merchant aud tradesman a more valuable customer, and to (he revenue a larger contributor.-— The specie which has been drained to the States, will circulate among ourselves, swell the sources of our industry, and give fa* cility to mercantile enterprise. Populatioa has always been found to keep pace with the means of subsistence, and so soon as we have a disposable stock of provisions, our numbers will multiply in the exact ratio of the superabundance. Our fisheries, our infant domes- tic manufactures, will all receive a spring and impulse from extend< ed cultivation. Here that foolish contest, which existed so long in England and was agitated with so much heat, between what was called the commcrcjal and the landed interest can have noplace. The British merchant has long discovered, that in depressing the State of property, and in clogging agricultural improvement, hevras warring against himself, and sacrificing those very advantages he was anxious to attain. The two bodies have now entered into the most intimate union, and experimentally found, that manufactures, trade, and national prosperity, always flourish in the truck of the plough. Halifax, being the seat of the government, the capital of the pro* vince, and the centre of its wealth, is clearly designed to be the sta* tion of the Central Board. In all directions around us, agricultural societies have been formed, or are forming. There is a rapid and vigorous circulation at the extremities, andasjiet no pulsation at the heart. This, I know, has not arisen from any indifference to this great national concern ; for the town has been forward and exetn* plary on all public occasions. In the ** Waterloo Subscription" you were generous, I had aimo^it said, unbounded : and in every case of private distress the hand of chaiitable benevolence is ever open. As AcRicoLA, I durst not presume to convene you for the purpose of forming a Society ; and you have waited till the summons has come from the proper quarter. I have to announce, then, that his Excellency the Governor has done me the honour of making me the organ oi his wishes to the public, and that on Tuesday next, m idday, at the Mason's Hall, A ME order lo a Centum that he « late festii idea origi gratulatir manifeste must in a administr hy the un on account utility. I ed to the J least in pai passing off supposed, t for Nature applied to i never have ed our fleld I' is then a ^ j1 and efficient for mentation. These arc forth and es ings on the Water is and decisive 199 A MEETING of the respectable INHABITANTS is called ia order to consider the proper measures to be taken for the formation of a Central Society ; and he has been graciously pleased to signify, that he will take the chair on the occasion. As his Lordship at a late festival first proposed to establish this institution, and as the idea originated with himself for the general good, I cannot helpcon* gratulating the province on the anxiety and zeal which he has ever manifested in promoting its best interests ; and his present conduct must in all time coming endear to the inhabitants the memory of his administration. Acts of public goodness are never forgotten, even by tlie ungrateful. AGRICOLA. 'hi ii."; le pro- le sta» uitural III and I at the to this exem* n" yoa case of sn. As pose of s come Inor has to the [all, LETTER 22. f 11 lO WARDS the conclusion of my last letter, I made two remarks -»*- illustrative of the general character of putrescent manures, which I wish to impress upon the minds of my readers, not so much on account of their philosophical importance, as of their practical utility. I said, that they act on vegetation solely by being subject- ed to the putrefactive process ; and that this process goes on, at least in part, by the elementary principles being set at liberty, and passing off in gases or ascending steams. It must not, however, be supposed, that theirescape is essentially necessary to decomposition ; for Nature has provided means by which they may be arrested and applied to use. Without some contrivance ef this kind, we could never have availed ourselves of the efficacy of manures, nor recruit- ed our flelds after they had been worn out by successive cropping. — It is then a matter of preeminent and commanding interest, and of u j1 and practical application, tc ascertain those means which are efficient for absorbing the gases disentangled in all the stages offer- mentation. These are chiefly two— water and rartii : and I shall briefly set forth and explain this new view of the subject, and exhibit its bear- ings on the point at issue. Water is the great and universal solvent, and exerts a mighty and decisive infliueace on the economy of the vegetable world. ■i '' i 1 ,„ 4'- ill!;...' lllniil ll": 1!' l,u, 1!'; .1^ Sri" 4 I X -n- ' - » 1 ■ W ' IUjI;]' 9Ik s^ 'Mi' m 1^ 1 _ ; K '■ 200 There ts not a more familiar instance of the power of water in dis« solving bodies, than the disappearance of sugar when Immersed in it. Flange a piece of loaf sugar into this fluid, hold tlie glass be- tween the eye and the light, and the following changes are percepti. ble. Small air bubbles pass in quick succession, and fly off at the top ; while the piece gradually diminishes in bulk, and evanishes at last from the sight. The water is then said to hold it in solution, and becomes tinctured with new properties both in its colour and taste. This power, however, of dissolving is placed under certain limitations, and varies according to the nature of the bodies exposed to its action, and to the temperature of the fluid. Thus, to the for< tner solution continue to add sugar till it uo longer melts, but lies at the bottom of the glass without any sensible alteration. The water has, by this time, taken op as much as it is capable of sus> pending, and it is said then to be completely BAxunAtED — such being the term used in the chemical nomenclature : but on the applica- tion of heat the power of the solvent is increased. When a fluid, then, of any kind is saturated with a substance on which it acts uii* der a given temperature, it loses over it all further efficacy, and the body remains at the bottom without suffering any change. I observe again, that water not only dissolves solid bodies, like that above mentioned, but it is susceptible of holding in solution gases or steams, and in this manner hindering their escape. The volatile alkali is one of (he products arising from the decomposition of animal matter, and water absorbs it with great rapidity : so that *100 grains of the fluid will actually hxaiid retain 190 cubic inches of the gas, and a cubic inch of water takes up 475 cubic inches of the gas, according to Sir 11. Davy's experiments. Carbonic acid, which also arises from putrescent substances, is greedily absorbed by water : and the common method, by which this gas is prevented from mingling with the atmosphere, is to bring it in contact with water, by agitating which the absorption is remarkably promoted.-^ It Is needless to multiply examples, because every chemical student knows, that the gases can only be handled for ordinary use, by the instrumentality of some fluid which is charged with them. On this property of water depends principally its influence in sus- taining vegetable life, from the moment the seed germinates to the last stage of maturity and death. — The roots are spread out in the •Henry's Chemistry, chap. 7lh, icction 2d. ill!'; 201 r,nli,an<1 by thnir absorbent vessels collect the sap which is there (lisiributcd. Tliis sup, huhling in solution the gases and solable matter, which arc perpetually forming from the corr\iptioa of the putrescible substance, enters the extremities of the fibres, is carried iheiice to the stem, passes upward to the branches and the leaves, and is there perspired into the atmosphere ; while the elementary priiuiples of fnod, which it held in solution, have been separated by the secretory organs and converted to the support of the plant. IltMice it i:3, thr.tall vetfefablcs languish in the richest mould with- oul the pre.scDce of moisture, to carry on the necessary processes ; ;:ml that the hopes of (he husbandman are cut ofF by thefailareof rain. Till' circulation of the blood is the grand mean, by which the waste rjf tlse animal system is repaired, and by which too its members swell to Uieir just proportions ; so (ho ascent of the sap is an analogous contrivance to nnlarge the bulk of the vegetable, and sustain the iirinciple oi viiality. I rcnwirk lastly, that if we pour water on a heap of stable or cow- iluiig in a slate of fermentation, it flows out at the bottom altered iu its colour, taste and smell. It becomes impregnated with new sub- stances which it has gathered in its passage through the dunghil, and although it be still water, it holds in solution the results of the de- composition ; and if it be deeply black and putrid, it is a certain in- dication of its being entirely saturated. To sutler this, therefore, lo run off without any cure or trouble is most culpable mismanage- ment, and a flagrant violaiion of the soundest maxims of rural eco- nomy. This putrescent stream contains the very essence of the ma- nure, and should either be scrupulously confined within the limits of the dunghil, or conveyed to fresh earth thatit may inpart its nu- tritive qualities. Thus, by the aid of chemistry \^e h<>ve reached II second conclusion of manifest utility in the collection ivid preser- vation of manure, and no less important than (he first which we at- tained in relation to the escape of ascending steams. When these chemical results are extended to the common practices in the province, what a lesson of reproof do they inculcate ! and how strongly do they impress the nectssity of reformation ! '. Wo have fe' l)arnyards constructed on scientific principles, and I shall hardly escape derision iu thus prostituting science to so abject and mean an inquiry. Let such, however, as feel dis-poscd to be merry at my expense, pause in the midst of their triumph, and meditate the value of this agricultural axiom, " Manure is the mother of Corn," A2 I'l •'V f? • ' I »; )<\}[ v. ^*' ii ii^ ■ " !'■ ■ 1 ■ '■• . Ii::;,; • Mm •''i'l" : N>> t I ■7]7'"*^"»?'^'' M' f!^'- li'i. ^ 202 and believe, not on my authority only,tliat the collecting of it lies at the foundation of all good husbandry. So little are our farmers con- linced of this truth, that more than the half of the manure made in the province is absolutely wasted from ignorance and inattention ; and the other half much less productive,1han it would be under more skilful dircc'ion. From many of the dunghih, which have fallen under my own observation, a stream of rich liquor is allowed to flow in copious abundance, and to sink in the earth ; or, as I saw at Oiis. low iu one instance, is conducted by a drain formed for the purpose into a neighbouring brook. When I chalU.nged this useless and unprofitable waste, the good man smiled at my admonitions, and re- mained unmoved hy my reasoning ; and I have little doubt, but to this day, the dunghil stands on the same declivity, discharging its richness into the passing stream. Eautii, too, is a powerful absorber of all the gases which arise from putrefaction. This position is not new in the present stage of our agricultural research, as it will be found illustrated in the twelfth Letter when treating of the purposes which the soil serves in vege- tation. It is unnecessary here to recapitulate the conclusions which arc there abundantly established ; and 1 shall take it for granted, that the earth possesses the property, not only of retaining the pu- trid steams which are fornjcd from the decay of decomposing bodies vithin itself, but aho of attracting the effluvia when floating in the air. The salubrity of the country depends on this latter quality ; as the practice of buryirg the dung under the furrow is founded on the former. Tlie stench proceeding from the dissolution of organis- ed matter never rises through the ground to assail the nostrils ; al- though it is sufficiently offensive from bodies corrupting in air or wa- ter. A strongly dunged field, nftcr being ploughed, sown, and har- rowed, sends forth a htalthful and refreshing smell — a proof that all the putiid vapours, which otlierwise would annoy us, are absorbed and retained for the nutrifiou of the crop. It is on this accounf, that the poorest earth cm be enriched in a very high degree by mere exposure to the gases of uctr; f iclion. Put a layer of common soil along the uip cf a fennentin;,' (),'.^)!^hil from 12 to 18 inches thick, and allow it to rem.jin there whilu the process is carrying on with activity ; and afterwards separate it carefully from the heap, and it will hrive been iinprcRnated with the most fertilizing virtues. Th'? compost-!, which of late have attracted so universal attention, and Occui)ied so large a space in all agricultural publications, originated iu the di^c plication culturist M be going o fix and see his appara the worm, evaporatior iumes the a ed inditfere The essenci in the othe slates, of w Further, formed wit!; circulating I issues from and vapours thickness an purified and blended and lation, todg from every the surface counter iu t ance, and ai waters, by s springs, whi the thirst o is in itself a nant pool, v which we w of all its no surface, and In thecoi to three grai and then pr< of dunghiis. !• Durir ble substan( with the atn 203 J Mr i if iu the discovery of this absorbing power of the earth, and in the am- plication of it to tlie most hciieficial of purposes. A i^kilful agri- culturist would no more ihink of allowing a violent fermentation to be going on in his dungliil unmixed with earth or other mailer, to fix and hecure the gaseous elements ; than the distiller wouM suffer his apparatus to bu set to work without surmounting his still with the worm, to cool and condense the ratified spirit which ascends it\ evaporation. In botli, tiie most precious matter is that which as- sumes the aeriform state ; and to behold it escaping with unconcern- ed indiflTerence, Is a demonstration of the most profound ignorance. The essence of the dung in the one, and of the grain, cane, or grape ID the other, is transforming by the action of heat into one of those states, of which all material bodies are susceptible. Further, the earth not onlv absorbs the putrid gases which are formed within itself ; but it extracts them from the water which is circulating through its pores. Take the black rich liquor which issues from adunghil, and which is saturated with vegetable juices and vapours, pass the same through a quantity of mould of suflicieut thickness and consistence, and from the bottom will run a stream of puriQed and clear water. All the putrescent materials, which were blended and incorporated with the fluid, are separated by the perco- lation, lodged in the earth, and the water sinks downward refined from every gross and foreign admixture. The rains which fall ou the surface of the globe soon become turbid and discoloured, en- counter iu their course substances of unclean and loathsome appear- ance, and are thus rendered nauseating to taste and smell ; yet these waters, by simple straining through the earth, feed the subterraneous springs, which burst at the feet and sides of the mountains to quench the thirst of the animal creation. Their passage through the earth is in itself a process of the most complete purification ; and the stag- nant pool, which swarmed with reptile life, and from the use of which we would have turned with loathing and abhorrence, is bereft of all its noxious taints, so soon as it overflows, meanders on the surface, and descends to the bowels of the earth. In the course of this, and my last letters, we have been conducted to three grand conclusions,which I shall state distinctly and in form; and then proceed to point out their practical utility in the fortnatioa of dunghils. 1. During fermentation the gases, into which animal and vegeta- ble substances resolve themselves, naturally fly upv?ard and mix with the atmosphere. "■■:>l I. ) .1! ,. , I t' "■ I ;■ \' I /I? .: . i': It :: " Hi.,.,, il-.i,... ' dr : kl L'04 2. Tlicsc gases, when they pass threngJi water or rome in lonv tact with it, are absorbed ; and they change its colour, fHsfcaii(J smell- 3. JSarth or soil possesses the power, both of anrsHng the gan.'^ in their ascent ; and also of separating (he Koluble niaKers fir,„ ■water which holds them suspended, by the mere process of fillra. tion. These philosophical deductions will guiilc the farmer in the prr. serving and gathering of his manure with a ccrlaiiity and succesij-- highly conducive to his private interest, and no less so, to the natioiinl vprosperity : and although to many, the pains which I have takt n in establishing them, and the variety ofdei,iil through which 1 have travelled, may seem unnecessary and iiksome, it should be recollect- ed, that my prime ol)ject with the public has been to advance agri- culture to some degree of dignity, to delineate its intimate counec- tioo with science, and thus to allure the wealthy to a walk of indus- try by no means ;ulgar and ignoble ; but a fit occupation to the gen» tleman, an instructive and delightful pursuit to (he scholar, and % healthful and solacing .musc.ncnt to indepcndciit eld age. Jfewould be injudicious to recommend here (he identical plan of construction for a duiighil, which is prevalent in England ; yet, at the same time, a brief description of tliis necessary part of farm build- Jng as conducted at home, would not be altogether useless. The gcnexal^rinciples are the same in all places, and in all countries ; aKhoUgh the manner of applying (hem may be difiercntand accommo- dated to circumstances. The out-houses or offices, attached to every farm of any extent, are generally arranged in a square form, leaving an area in the centre which is surrounded on all sides by a foot-pave- ment. Here a pit is opened, varying from two (o three feet in dcptli, and proportioned to the size of the area ; paved either at boiiom with flag stones, or coated with clay— ^The cow-hause, the pig s(v, the feeding stall, the stable are all so contrived, (hat the urine and vegetable juices, in the separate subdivisions flow inward, and empty themselves into this excavation. It is the common receptacle of nil the dung made by the cattle^ of the refuse of the kitchen, of the sweepings of (he barn-floor, and in shor(5 of all the waste of the farm. First of all, a coating of common mould, by most of the enlight- ened and scientific agriculturists, is spread all along the pavement of the pit, from 9 to 15 inches deep, according to the convenience o; 1L'05 fancy of the opt'rafor. On this the msinure is laid, as it is brought by a wheel -barrow out of the diflcrcnt ofliecs and stalls. When Itr- iiit'iitatioti becontos violent, and this is indiciUed by the heat an.d ttii'Dgth of the vapour, the clcantiini? of ditches and roads, or, in want of these, common earth, are caited often from a considerable dis« taiice, and regularly S[»read over the dunijhil. The gases are thus absorbed and prevented from eseajjiog ; and recourse is had to this remedy, wlicneverthe rapidity of tlie putrefactive process points out lis necessity. According to this plan, there is no waste nor care- lessness in the management of the manure. The mould at bottom iinbibes greedily the saturated liquer which sinks downward ; and tlaf, which is interniingled with the whole mass, fixes and retains the gases — so often described as the elementary principles of the decomposing matter. From esperienuMt is discovered, that the earthy materials which are thus .iJded to the animal and vegetable substances, are iiDjuegnuted with as nutritive virtues as the dung itself; and that they increase the bulk and value of the'manure by their whole amount. Nay, so attentive are some farmers, that thejr empty their dungstead twice or thrice, during summer, cart the con- tents to the field for which they are destined as a dressing, and form there a iicAV compost on the sane principles. A layer from the barn- yard is first spread down in the form of an oblong square or parallel- u^tam ; above this is laid either earth, or the surface sward cut off' bv the spade ; again, anoUier layer of du»»g ; and so on alternately, till it is raised to the hcitjht of 3 or 4 feci. The sides and'the top are then covered over wiih soil'; and in this state arnew fermentation takes place and all the gases are confined within the boundaries of tiie heap. In this manner the skilful occupier of land multiplies his manure, repairs the waste of decomposition, and exerts a philosophic control over the powers of fertility.— Sometimes he turns over the mass, piles it up anew, brings on a third fermentation ; and thus all the seeds of weeds, originally carried into the barn along with the hay or fodder, and from thence mixed up with the dung, are effectu- ally destroyed. This valuable compost, freed from all deleterious matter, and rich in vegetable food, is spread on the soil, instantly ploughed in, and nevtr fails to compensate the labour which has been expended in its collection and pretier^atioa. AGRICOLA, Halifax, Dscember IG, 1815, 1 ill: .. 1 1 1 il'' 1 . It • 1%: , ■:■;: .1 ,: I [1 i. n , IM., il'";" Mil ^:t (Ai I,. 1 u n - '^- 20(J TO CORRESPONDENTS. The interest of these papers is still increasing, if I may judge by the number and variety of communications. The Agri' iiural id. lumns of the Recorder are so much occupied by the dilFercnt details and important events of the week, the insertion of whioh was una- Toidable, that I must defer giving to the public several hints which have been sent me. One sujm'^'.s the possibility of rooting out trees by a machine, and seems confident of snctess. Let him construct and send a model, and even although it may not be ttrectual for tcur- ing out the tree in all its vigour and strength, it may be applied lo the stamps in a very early stage of their decay. Agreslis' proposal shall be prepared for the public eye ; and Mr. Clarke's l«y water basbeen received, and notice shall afierwnids be taken of his Uiter. I have acknowledgments to nmke, to the liev. K. Blackwood, to Messrs. Flieger, Moore, and Clanchaid ; and also lo Messrs. L) iluui & Story for the liberal encouragement they have given to the raising of Barley, by ofiering in a public udvcrtii^ement, to pay in cAsu one dollar per bushel for what is deliu:rid to them, well cleaned in ihe fall of the year. This secure.) to the faimer, a price and maiket, and vfill save to the country four Ihoosund dollars, which these Crentlemen send annually to the States for this article. ACIIICOLA. MR. EXTJIACT I'ROM THE ACADIAN RECORDER- Dated Saturday, Uecimher VJ, 1SI3. On Tuesday last the 15th instant, pursuant to public rtotice, h\i Excellency the Governor and a great number of respectable iuhabi* tants of the town, assembled at Freemason's Hull, to consider of the most proper measures to be taken for the formation of a Centual Agkicultukal Society. His Excellency about half-past 12 o'clock took the chair, and •pened the purpose of the meeting in a very api)ropriate and hand* some speech. A wish iie said, had been expressed that he should preside on this occasion — a wish with which he most readily com* plied, not only as rendering obedience to the call, biit because he considered it his duty to be foremost iu matters connected with tho prosperity of the province. The advantages to be derived from Agri- iw 20; cultural Societies had hern so ably (liscuascd in tlie letters of Agricola tliit litde remained for him to urj{c in their hchalf ; and he should , 1 ly s;»y, (liat the pulilic mind had been impressed with the convic- tion, both of the necessity and propriety of encouraging agriculture. His liordship said, lli:it he felt his acknowledgments were due to the ui, known writer for the impulse he had given to (hegeneral energies of ehc province ; but as it was extremely probable that the gentle- man was that day present, although to himself entirely unknown, he should abstain from expressing his full sentiments of approbation^ ns lie wished neither to (latter nor otVend I'.im. Agricola had suc- ceeded however, in rallying around himself the enterprise, talent and respectability of the country ; and to him we were indebted for that emulation and activity which pervaded all classes in promoting and tiicouiaging agricultural pursuits. His Lordship further remarked, that it was custcmary on such occasions, to explain from the chair tlie objecis of the meeting and the advantages likely to arise from currying them into execution. — The principal olijcct certainly, was to give ctTect as far as their means and influence would enable them to the plans of Agricola, to assist him in his work, to follow up his bucceFs, and to take from his shoulders part of the burden he had sustained for the public good. The advantages of a Central Society would be 10 act in conceit w ith, and give direction to those formed in the diflcrent districts and counties, to increase the common stock of knowledge and to communicate it throughout the province, and thus lend anew vigour to the industry of the fr ■ r., r. His Excelleu- vy concluded by stating his readiness and anxiety at all times to ad- vance the public interest ; and with these remarks he left it to them- selves to adopt such measures as they might deem moet conducive to attain the objects of the meeting. S. G. W. Ahciiibalu, E!*quire, then rose r-nd observed, the present meeting had been called by the sanction of his Ij;)rdshi(>, (or the pur- pose of considering the proper measures to be adopted for (he forma- tion of a Central Board of Aj;riculluie ia (his town ; and he was persuaded it would be considered quite unnecessary by his Lordship, for him to state fully, at this time, how much we, one and all, es- teem the kind condescension of his Lordship in taking the chair on this occasion, and giving his countenance and support to the propos- ed institution. The inhabitants of the province, from their peculiar circumstances, cequired much general information as to agricultural pursuits ; at i,' iv ' :M r „• ^f.. ViW ill I-,..,. !{'"'**■ ki 111" !h is iliij i-f ' v i'j ?:.'! 1; i; :■ 1 m 20S the time of the first setllomont of tlio cnuiitry ngricuUurc hid n.ij attained, even in lirilain, any mf«t dcj^reo of pi'rfcclion, and i!o opportunity has been alFordcd tlicm of witiiessirg the bendicial etfects of modern improvenioiit. In nnluelne; a wilderness country to a state of eiiltiva'tou, liie most val'j;it)lv? hinds wcid taxed for the support of its iiihal)itrtuls by constant and vicious culture, far bojoiul their natural s(rcn);t!i ; and conseijuei.tly became we'ihand exhaust- ed.— In this situation they have fallen into the hands of the prestMit poH«esKors, who yet, in a great deijiee, remain ignorant of the reme- dies to be applied for their renovation. Happily for them, however, if they avail tiiemselves uf il, the necessary infnimation is in the rno,f amjde manner alForded lliein in the writings of AgricoU ; to liini tlu; province is dee|)ly indebted ; he Im^, in the most pleasing and jwi- pressive style, given tliem iniportent iesons from week towtek; and they in return, hate endeavoured tn piove themselves no! unwor- thy of his instructions. It is ukalv tuli:, my Lord, that the. (nha- bitants of this country are now gener^^lly awakened from that stut.: of inaction and inattention to their best interests in which they have so long remained ; and we have every reason to believe that a materi- al change is taking plate in the habits and views of farmers from one end of the country to the other : tliey have not culy been taught to think, but to act ; dill'erent modes of cultivation from tijose former- ly practised are now pursued, and agricultural societies are estab- lished in every county and district in ihe province. But my Lord, the exertions of the country, unaided by the powerful inlk'ence of the capital, and the assif^tance of the Legislature, v?ill be in vain ; they all, with the most anxious expectation, look up to tlie seat of government, as to the ce;ilre of the wealth of the country, for couii" tenance and assistance. The formation, therefore, of a Central Agri- cultural Board in the capital, is of the fir=t iniportarue, — to give permanence to the ether Soeietles—to uphold their spirit, and to guide their exertion'i. The funds of this Board should irent before, and land has been broken up thie )'■. ii ' ■ ..M 1 1^ ', ■H ' , ' f >{'• >. ■1 > w 'n ' ^ 4 t f 218 fall wliich has rested for years. It was not, he obrcrrrd, fnlk and eloqucDCe that should occupy them this day— it was deeds and fiicts. They wanted to obtain those means by which to keep in motion (he growing enterprize of the country — it was money that was necessary to that object — without it they could do nothing — but possessed of funds this Society could exercise a wholesome vigilance und control over the others which had sprung up on all hands ; and this con- trol was a circumstance which formed one of the most essential and important parts of ^heirduty. Lawrence Hartshorne, sen. Esquire, observed to his Lordsliip, that he had in his hands ^£'15 or ^^^0 of the funds of the old agricul. tural society, which he would, with the sincerest pleas'ire, pay over to the treasurer, appointed to the proposed institution. The henorable Judge Ilaliburton remarked, that the society which the honorable Judge Stewart had alluded to, was formed under lar different prospects than what now presented themselves ; this coun> try was then a wilderness and without roads : we have now a hardy ar.d extensive population well acquainted with the soil and climate— the peasants require only instruction. It is remarkable, however, to observe the effect of prejudice upon the minds of some in(]ivi< duals, for after all the conviction the letters of Agricola have nf- forded, there were some who still adhered to the old idea that we cannot rear bread'corn, and that the country is only adapted to pasturage. Let any man look out at these windows and be- hold the ground covered with snow, which generally continues four months, and call this, if he will, a grazing country. The poor cattle, before the opening of spring, are standing lean and starved in their stall?, having eaten up the produce of the summer. Agricnhi has said that where there are no natural obstructions to the plough, the country was fit to raise grain ; and he was satisfied that this pro. Tincc was abundantly capable of supporting its population. As (o the observation of his learned friend, that he hoped the meeting wonld not vanish in smoke, he should say, for his part, that ho hop- ed it would, for he wished to see it end in smoke ; but it was the smoke of the settler's hut and of the compost dunghil. He hoped that from the exertions of this society, this smoke would rise curling abftve the forest from the one end of the province to the other, oud that the emigrant would never be at a loss to find employment, and obtain for his family a decent and comfortable support. The Reverend Dr. Inglis observed, that there was a material dif- 913 fereiice between the Soii'e ■ Hi 'I 'VMfi |.*; ;.» .|l, J; n ,1 '• I nil uK 1^1 "n :■;; !;■ t,iii >| ;t!i 1 ■ ■I'l ( -•'II 1 .Kl * '.. ■i 1.1 ^'i V. mr ^M"' " mm. mAr: iii;i> ffi'i »?"'' ' fe,' *, W'- ■ i'' "'l.'i V , r« I Mm '■■[ ,1' ' B f ' m ' *1 ii t II ' t >i f'i'i R 214 LETTER 23. On iManwYes. '^/*7"HEN' a country advances, in the progress of improvfmen'. " ^ from pasturage to tillage, the various sources of manure are investigated and sought after with an avidi(v commensurate to the- fervent spirit of enteq)rise. The attention, wiii.Ii is paid to this branch of management, indicates with certainty the stale of the art : and wherever we discover little or no exertions made in it, in otilcr to accumulate by artilicial means the aggregate heap beyond the or- dinary supply, no further proof is requisite of the state of debase. ment in which agriculture lies. On the other hand, when a vi^i. lant and persevering industry is ever on the alort; when numerous expedients are tried to enlarge the quantity as w^li as to improve the quality of manures ; when composts — diversified lioth in the in- gredients and proportions— become oi)jects of curiosity and rxj^eri- ment ;— these are the first symptoms of returning life and vigour, and may be hailed as the precursors of more flattering and ausfjiti- ous i^rospects. The ardour of agricultural pursuit in England whs ushered in by these beginnings ; and at the present day, there is no subject of more paramount interest than the augmentation of the dunghil. Every kingdom of nature has been ransacked, to find out substances endowed with the principle of fertility ; science has come in to the assistance of art ; philosophy has stooped from her digni- ty, and joined in the general research ; and the public interest, i;i. Stead of having fldgged with the very ample success which hitherto has attended the inquiry, has only been roused to more spirited and adventurous cildils. The comport mihoens of Lord Mea- dowbaitk, the mixture of soil with decomposable matter, the univer- sal applitation of lime, and the late introduction of burnt clay, are sfjrs in that great race, in which all men, as if stimulated by one common inpnlse, seem to have engaged. Indeed, unless other meatiB are resorted to, in order to replenish the waste of vegetation, tharj the simple contents of the barnyard, Oreat Britain could not sustain the half of her population, nor draw from her own territorial do- mains that exhaust less abundance which provides nm'erials for hrr commerce, and ministers to the necessities, comforts, and luxur- ies of life. This exuberance of supply may all be traced to the im- p^roved and skilful method:", not«>fcuUivatiou, so much as cf muUi- m II 215 plying the elficacy of patrescible manures. There was a period iia her history when, like this Province, she was more '' a grazing than a corn country ;" and when butcher meat bore no sort of relation ia price to wheat and other grain. When we review this part of her history, we are struck with the palpable blunders she once commit* ted, and trace, between them and our own, a striking and ren\ark» able analogy. The manures then in use were the simple excremen- titious matter of the cattle on the farm, unaided by those compound ingredients which have been since introduced, and which may be considered in the light of the raw materials from which the modera stores are manufactured. In truth, without great attention to the artificial increase of this necessary article, our agriculture can never ri^e to asiy importance ; and it would be vain to urge the extended culture of white crops, unless we possess the means of repairing the exhaustion of the soil. — It has been long acted on in Flanders, and iinow u'liicrsally acknowledged in England, that an arable farm may be kept in good heart, and subjected to a continued course of cropping, without any extraneous dung, other than what is made on the premises from the consumption of green crops, straw, and fodder. The cattle which are fed on turnips, the horses employed la labour, the pigs and poultry are perfectly sufficient to supply such a quantity, under the direction of a scientific manager, as will anna- ally restore to the land that richness of which it is deprived ; and at the same time admit the grain to be carried to market, to meet the wants of the community. Every spot, in both countries, can be made to repair its own waste ; and the luxuriance of one is never fm())oyed to correct the poverty of another. Here our rich marshes and intervals are taxed, and as it were, laid under contributionj for the benefit and support of our uplands. In the further prosecution of this subject, I shnll point out some capital errors in the management of manure, which prevail, with few exceptions, throughout the whole province, and which have a most pernicious influence on our agricultural progression: and I shall prescribe the remedies which the case suggests, and which are prac- ticable under existing circumstances. I observe in the first place, that we have almost no pits dug upon a regular plan for the collection and preservation of the dung, which from lime to time is wheeled out of the barn. Sometimes it is spread out on the green sward ; sometimes cast carelessly in a court, or adjoioing yard ; but seldom in au excavation made purposely for ,\ , u*4 |i. IM .1. !■ m ■ :^ ■-! I , :. '.* '11 MM ' ;i i' , m 'i^'^ - ^1 ^n i''- ' 1 < ■H < ft^-!^ 1' - ' 1' iiif 1 ■ H p 1 '•'■• n [1 ■■ II Mm E, ' 1 ' fflfffl K -'^ !■ ' p '■ ■ .'f«' P|; it^M' * !■ ■'^'Hl. jl !; ; p!), : ■ 316 jretainiogthe joices which run from it. These are suiTerccl either t« •tream along the surface, or sink into the earth ; and iu both cases their utility is sacrificed to inattention and ignorance. This is tio more, however, than the half of the evil. The exhalatiuns, uhich arise from the ardent influence of a summer's sun, and from the natuxai activity of fermentation, are permitted to escape freely, aud to carry along with them all the strength and substance of (he putres* cible matter. No means are taken to fix the gases which are gene. rated, and which constitute the elements of vegetable food. Ida not know, if (here be one solitary instance throughout the wide range of the province, of the ap[jlication of soil on the surface of a dung. hil, to prevent (his unpardonable waste anJ dissipation; and I am too confident, (here is none, of lining the bottom with a regular coat or layer, (oimbibe (he nutritive moisture. The dune^, too, is suffer. ed to rot without any attention whatever to the degree of heut ; and I should startle roy readers, were I to tell them that the fermenta. tion should never be urged beyond 100" of Fahrenheit's Thermome- ter. At a much lower heat, carbonic acid, carhuretted hydrogene, and the other gases of that family ascend as elastic fluids, and are diffused and lost in the atmosphere. Thedunghil becomes what in called FiRE-FANGED, and the principles of fertility are expelled by the action of those chemical laws, which regulate and pervade the minute and subtle particles of matter. If the dung be injudiciously treated, the urine discharged by (he cattle is squandered, and indeed altogether lost. This is owing to the construction of (he barns which generally prevail throughout the province, and which cannot be altered without some little cut* lay of capital. Being formed of wood, they are mostly raised and propped on a foundation ; and a Hoor of plank is invariably laid.— The whole urine of the cattle, except what is absorbed by thedun^^ finds its way through (he seams ; and either oozes into the earth, or forms beneath the barn a fetid and noisome pool of standing water. The essential elements of vegetable matter with which it is surcharge ed, assume quickly the gaseous forms ; and either mount up through the floor, or escape by the sides of the building. At all events, their fertilizing qualities are turned to no account, and the loss, from thii single circumstance, is ruinous beyond calculation. It may be ne« cessary, in some measure, to ascertain the amonnt of this mischief, that we may set about correcting an evil of such formidable magui* tude, with a vigorous and resolute energy. I should be afraid t# iiazard my character with the public, by stating it r^uod and utt> qualified language, the value of this rich juice which is literally wasted, aitd thrown away : and, (herefore» I shall proceed with caution, and give a detail of facts — conclusive in their bearings— « and substantiated by the best authority. They are contained in a ^letter from Charles Alexander, near Peebles, in Scotland ; and are addressed to Sir John Sinclairio 1812 for publication. ThisinteU ligeut farmer bad long been impressed with the great importance of the urine of cattle as a manure ; and he set about to discover, by long and well conducted series of experiments, the best method ot collecting and applying it. He began, by digging a pit contiguous to the feeding stall, but distinct altogether from that which was ap- propriated for the reception of the dung. The dimensions of this pit, according to his own account, were 36 feet square, and 4 feet deep, surrounded on all Hides by a wall ; and the solid contents were 192 yards. Having selected the nearest spot where he could find loamy earth, and this he always took from the surface of some field under cultivation, he proceeded to fill it ; and found that, with three men and two horses, he could easily accomplish 28 cubic yards per day : and the whole expense of transporting the earth did not ex- ceed 41. 16s. When the work was complete, he levelled the surface of the heap, in a line with the mouth of the sewer, which conducted the urine from the interior of the building, on purpose that it might be distributed with regularity, and might saturate the whole from top to bottom. The quantity conveyed to it, he estimates at about 800 gallons ^ but as this calculation was founded partly on conjee- ture,for he measured not the liquor, it will be Letter and mure instruc* tive to furnish and proceed on data, that are certain and incontro- vertible. The urine was supplied by 14 cattle, weighing ubuut oi Stone each, and kept there for five months on fodder and turnips. — The contents of the pit produced 288 loads, allowing 2 cubic yards to be taken out in 3 carts ; and he spread 40 of these on each acre, so that this urine in five months, and from fourteen cattle, produced a compost sufficient for the fertilization of seven acres of land. He states further, that he had tried this experiment for ten years, and had indiscriminately used in the same field either the rotted cow- dung, or the saturated earth ; and in all the stages of the crop, he » Farmer'* Magazine, vol. 13, page 78. C2 I ,'■ ' 1 r I i ' ■\ i| n 'A > 4 .. .it t f SJS ^'t- ll. ■ i' Jbad never been able to discover aoy perceptible /'Ccrence. But Yfbtit is still more wonderful, he found that his compost lasted in its effects as many years as his best putrescent manure ; and he therefore boldly avers, that a load of each is of equivalent value.— Conclusions of vast importance are deducible from this statement : and I cannot resist the feeling, of placing them in a strong and ad« vantageous light. They speak a volume of instruction ; and if we are willing to learn, they must lead to a very material alteration in the construction of our barns. It appears, then, that in five months, (;ach cow discharges urine which, vhen absorbed hj loam, furnishes manure of the richest quality, and most durable etTecf;, for half im ai^re of ground. The dung pit, which contained all the excrcmeo* tilioos matter of the 14 cattle, as well as the litter employed iu bed- ding them, and which was kept separate for the purpose of the ex- periment, only furnished during the same period 240 loads, and these, at the same rate, could only manure 6 acres. The aggregate value of the urine therefore, when compared with that of the dung, was in the ratio of 7 to 6 ; so that we are borne out by these premises iuthis extraordinary inference, that the putrescible liquor which in this province, and under the management of our farmers, is wasted and Lanihilated as far as regards any useful purpose, is intrinsically worth more than the dung, as an eificacious and permanent dressing : an.l if we lake into consideration, that this latter manure is not treated with any skill and judgment, it will not seem surprising, that the culture of white crops has never been carried here to any extent, since we have despised and neglected the only means of creating them. These defects call aloud for amendment. No country is entitled to be stiled agricultural, where the fundamental maxims of the sci* ence are so outrageously violated, and where (he prevailing practices set at nought the simplest rules of the art. Grazing draws forth no energies of the mind ; it is compatible with indolence, stupidity, and a gross ignorance of nil principle; the Arab in the desert can tend his uucks and herds, and leave their multiplication to the instinctive appetites of nature ; it is nniy the first step from the savage life, and in place of hunting for the piey ,fhich he devours, man tames and domesticates the lower animals, but leaves their increase, (licir sub- sistence, their diseases, to the unguided agency of natural causes. 'Tis the plough, which awakes his dormant faculties, and stimulates to induitry. Like the Sorercij^n of the creation^ he commands, and is obeyed ; he speaks, and it is done. The weeds, which are Hiena* (ural iiimutes of the soil, disappear at his bidding ; the grasses spring up, and form a carpet for iiis feet ; the corns are subjected to his power, and wave tiieir loaded ears around his dwelling ; the forest fiives up its fruit trees, to load hh table with their luscious products ; and the features of a rugged and forbidding territory are traosmut* ed into the beautiful and sublime, and soften under the influence o( his transforming smile. This province is still in a rude and unsub- dued state ; and its husbandry partakes of its geueral character.—* For this, it is not difficult to account. Emigrants of all trades, of all habits, and of all ranks of society, land on this foreign strand in quest of subsistence. Manufactures are the oifspring of civilization, and of the accumulation of wealth ; and cannot find their way but into an old country, abounding with resources and population. Here we have none, and cannot have them for a century. The unfortunate stranger, driven from the only stay on which his hope rested, seeks afuge from despair by plunging into the forest, and cultivating the soil to answer the cravings of indignant nature. Without skilly without capital, without the benefit of Insiruction, he becomes a self-taught farmer, ready to run into every blunder which ignorance has invented, and to which the vicious culture of the country has lent the sanction of authority. His hut, his barn, his implements of husbandry, his seed, his stock, are all chosen without know* ledge, and continued in use without the least exercise of the un- derstanding. He has no landlord to exact a rent, no government to levy taxes, no rival to animate industry* He soon rises above want; the spontaneous productions of the soil yield him a scanty subsistence ; the luxuries of life are seen only at a dim and indi;!- tinct distance ; and his faculties, thus lulled asleep by surrounding i'ircamstances, f A into a state of torpid lethargy. IJe must be stir- red up, aroused, and forced into action. This is the province oC superior and exalted characters, who, from their elevated rank in society, preside over his destiny. To them a rich reward of grati- tude is due ; and their memory shall descend to posterity, embalm- ed by the blessings of a present generation. We are approaching aa eventful epoch ; the public attention is excited ; we are prepared to, coont over the catalogue of our past errors.; we are panting after linowledge ; and a new age— full of promise and pregnant with im- provement—is arising on our desolate and forlorn prospects. During this state of public feeling, the evils, which I have point- ed out in our treatment of decomposable manures^ cannot long rcmaiu w lit ' ! ' i. !:' uv ■ I, >> ■! . 1 11 . ^Ai 220 ' Wi I! :e i :«' without correction. The remedies are not only simple, hut access!, ble to every farmer of moderate capital ; and (tie wliolc expense of the improvement will becompeusated by the Grst, or at most, (he be. Cond year's saving. l8t. With respect to the formation of a dung pit, I would recom. mend that a place be chosen near the barn, which should be dug ». boat three feet deep,and of a size propoiiioimfe to the stock of cattle usually kept by the farmer, it is not necessary, that it should be built round wi(h a wall, or have a perpendicular descent, as it may slope gently inwards, and deepen gradually towards the centre. After it is thus hollowed out, the texture of the bottom should be examined, and if found firm, iipnpervious, and capable of containing the juices, no further trouble is requisite, and the work is complete : but, if open and porous, it should be coated with clay, and lined with Urge and coarse tlags. Into this pit, earth from some neigh* bouring u&ld, should be first brought, and strewed over the bottom and sloping sides, to the chickness of from 9 to 1*2 inches. Thus a safe depository will be prepared, for the cleanings of the barn, for waste straw and weed?, for the sweepings of the kitchen, for the stems of peas, beans, cabbages, potatoes, and in short, all vegetable tnatier of woody fibre, as well as for the dung of the feeding cattle. After a complete layer of putrescible matter has been spread all over, and when the symptoms of an active fermentation have become visi- ble, the earth,which was thrown out of (he ex< avation, may be slowly Tetnrned,and scattered on the surface of the heap, to catch the ex- halations which arc ascending. Hither, too, the urine should either be conducted by a drain, or carried by buckets ; for h is an unpar- donable waste to lose the beneSt of this rich and invigorating man- ure. The earth which lies at the bottuoi will greedily drink up the urine and the vegetable juices, and thus gain a large accession of nutriment and value. So Boon as the pit is filled up in the manner herein described, it should be emptied of all its contents; and these should be carted to the field where they are meant to be afterwards applied, and there laid down in some convenient corner, to be mixed np and sotted into a profitable compost. The pit — adjoining the barn — nay be again lined with mould, and the former operationsre- peated In procuring and augmenting its contents. According to this plan every farmer, at the first opening of next spring, should cart out his dung, and form it at once into a compo- site pile, which, if skilfully managed, will gather heat, and undergo S21 (he process of fermnilntloii before it will bo needed \a seed time. He should then instantly set about the digging of his pll, and the other alterations on the barn, whi( h are indiftpensable to the success- ful collection and preserration of liis futt«-" manure. During sum* rier, this pit should be emptied twice or t». .re according to circum- stances ; and its fermentable and earthy materials transported to the ground which they are destined to fertilize, and there subjected to a new process. Towards the fall, whi( h by its length and mlldnesa makes amends for the advantages of more favoured regions, all those compost heaps as well as the dung about the barnyard, should be spread on the land, which is meant to be immediately ploughed. In the mean while, an additional stratum of mould should be distribut- ed along the bottom and sides of the pit before the approach ofwin- tcr, and during that rigid season Jho dung may be accumulated with- out any extraordinary rare, as the intensity of the cold is unfavoura- ble to putrefaction, and little loss will be sustained from the dissi- pation of the gaseous matter. Such farmers as may choose to take ihe trr>uble, and have snitable convenience of covered sheds, may pile up beforehand a quantity of dry earth, which may be scattered over the dunghil in the depth of winter, on such places as indicate a strong fermentation. ^d. These remarks, and general reasonings will have prepared my readers for the sentiments I must express regarding the construction of our barn floors. They are the objects of my unqualified condem- nation ns an agriculturist, of my sincere regret as a friend of the country, and of bitter and deep bewailing as the anxious promoter of our future and rapid advancement. Reform here cannot be effect- ed without considerable cost ; and I anticipate an obstinate adher- ence to existing errors, notwithstanding the soundness of the conclu- sions, and the manifest utility of a change. I must, however, cling to the hope of receiving at least a limited and partial obedience : and I request my well wishers, who have animated me in my course, and borne up my spirits in the midst of difficulties, to listen to the call, and set the first yielding example. The increase of valuable manure will be incalculably great j and the solid benefits will vastly outweigh the trouble and expense. 1 see only one plan by w hich this evil may be eifectually obviated ; but as there is a choice in the materials to be employed, such may be selected ns are most accessi- ble in any particular district. Afier tearing up the planks, and building the foundatipo round and round close to the sills, the voi'4 , .U !■ i; ' 1 p ^' < ! ■; ■ ^22 space below (Ii« flooring should then be filled and packed iirm witk •arth. As (here will be a necessity to cut away all the present sleepers or joists, which, besides supporting the planks, bind and unite the two sides of the frame, pieces of square timber may be stretched across the whote breadth and at a lower depth, and be secured to the bottom of the sills, either by a mortise, or by drivint; dowo a round iroa bolt. I3y (liis means the strength of the frame will be preserved UDimpaired ; and the (<|ierati()ns mtty proceed without eadangeriag the structure. The earth should then be tilled in, till it rises to the level of the present floor, and it should be beaten down by a heavy mallet, till it is completely consolidated. A stratum of clay should be next laid over the whole surface, by which the mois. tare may be retained and hindered from escapio;; through the earth. After dividing the interior into its respective compartnients, the arrangements must proceed according to the use for which each part is designed. The stalls for the hoi.^s and cattle claim a distinguish. cd shZktb of attention. The forefeet of the animal should stand nn higher ground than the hind, ar>d there should be in every stall a gradup.t declivity backward, terminating in a gutter, in order to carry ofif all liquid matter. To this gutter an easy descent should be given outward, that all the urine may flow towards the pit on (he outside of the building, which I have described as the great reservoir of this putrescible s're,iiii. The fl >or of each separate stall, as well as the gutter, may )m> laid with plank while the clay is sofi and yielding, and every seuni and interstice may be closed up by the same substance. These planks — thus pressed and imbedded iu the clay — may be nailed and secured ta transverse beams running along the length of the barn, and soadJ4isted as to preserve a sloping direction in the feeding stalls and j,ulter — But in every case where stones ure within the reach of >he farmer, they are decidedly superior in firm- ness, durability, and usefulness ; and paving the floor with them, although perhaps a little moroexpensive in thel^rst instance, will la the end much better answer his expectations. The stalls should be laid with them exactly in the manner, in which Water-Street here has been lately improved ; and the gutter may be formed either of similar materials, or preferably of smooth Aag«stoaes, like thosa forming our foot pavements. The adoption of these improvements inthedisposition of ourbarns will give a mighty impulse to agriculture \ the urine and vegetable juices, which are now lost and dissipated, would multiply ihe pow" f ♦f5 «r« of ferlilify ; and the extended rw'Mtatfon of ♦Rile trit^ frblA Ihe wonderful iiicreaso of putrescent u.mnrr, w Id he p«tled ^ilh a celerity proportioned to the ardent hopes of the co ry. AGRlLt' .A. •■I TO CORKESPONDENTS. I cannot do justice to the many vnlaable communtiiations this (veeii has brought forth. I hive received no less than foar original pnpers, bearing a direct reference to the objects of my inquiry, and abounding wiili curious and convincing processes of argument, which must all be postfioned: and in selecting for publication *' the statts- tiral account oi Cumhcrlund," I was guided not by its superior claims, for two of the essays withheld from the press, have equally intrinsic merit. 1 have to acknowledge letters from all parts of the country, from Onslow, from Truro, from Pictou, from Windsor, from Horton, be:>i(ies three or four in town ; and I beg to assure these several writers that '.heir various suggestions shall not be lost, although it is impossible to tax my publisher with such a load of matter. Hi* therto he h&s introduced into the columns of the Recorder, not only my regular series of letters, but all the other miscellaneous intelli- genre, without pecuniary compensation ; and the public must be satisfied, that he has often sacrificed his immediate interest, to leave room for these agricultural communications. I have also to state, that he has gratuitously conducted my private correspondence; and amid the present tumultuous and indecent search after Agricola, he has repressed all idle curiosity, and shown no disposition to hunt me out of retirement. He neither knows, nor has attempted to know mc,— if I have been fortunate In procuring any friends, and if my labours have been acceptable, I request them to show their gratitude^ in the encotrrdgement of his Paper. I must again caution my readers against all inquiries about myself, which have risen to an unprecedented height since the late public meetings. In every circle my ears f-.r.; stunned with foolish specula- tions, the books sent me have been traced aad watched, my hand- writing has been subjected to every species of torture and examin* ation. I have even been compelled to steal irom the notice of my l^uainlaBct the houri necesiary fot (he hurried composition of . .J4 ■ ; ( , ■ J I.', liieie tetters, and like the old woman in the fable, the public locoi determined to know the mystery of the eg^s, although the cxpcri* inent should tear the hen in pieces. I uni nuw encompasbed with so many snares; buch a number uf people arc eu^ugnd in tiaciog and narking my motluiis, that it will bo imputisiblu much longer to fulAl my public engagements; and 1 shall be obliged either to diiclosc myself and cease writing— or to drop at once all further corrcspou. dence,and retreat into obscurity. No ulal character, although pos. eessed of the most eiitimablc qualities, durst daily present himself to the public eye, and range over such a varied held of discussion, uii> lens he were callous to wrangling, strife, personal abuse, invidious allusion, and endless invective — the sure concomitants of any \W\ug writer in a small community, that atfecti distinction. My Qctitious name is the shield uudor which I repose in sofcty. AGIUCOLA. TO AG1UC0L\. SIR,- In attempting to delineate the topographical shuation of a coun* ty, [the partial repre^^eiitation of any particular district cannut by any means be a true picture of the whole] and a county too varying as much in regard to soil as any other perhaps in the proviuce, I shall endeavour in this communicatiun, to make some brief obseiva* tions on the different divisions — rcgaiding their present slate ofagri* cultural improvement. . . The county of Cumberland, is situated at the northern extremity of the Province, bounded on the norih by the line of New-Bruns- wick; on the west, by the Bay of Fundy, and part of King's Coun^ fy *; on the south, by the district of Colchester, and on the east, by the gieut Gulph of Kuint La\i rente. It may be said to be diviiicJ iuto seven distinct districts, or towniihips, viz : Amherst, Fort Law* rence, Menuda and Iliver lleibert, Rivers Maccan and Nappao, River Philip, Remsheg, and Westihester. Amiii:ii''T, which contains the county town, although ^ery little elevated above the level of the sea, yet from its bleuk and north* we&t aspect, is considerably exposed to the chilling blasts from that quiirter, during the winter months. The farmers here do not pay that due regard or strict cttenlloo to agricultural pursuits} which S95 •he importance of the subject roniiiiinds ; dcpcnrUng cliieily on their huy nnd pasturai;^, which i-nabiu (hem to roar and keep larKC stocks of cattle, »ht!C|», &L'. The m.irshor', although coinplcioly dyked) ind in many pails loleral)iy drained, lie almost in one boundless tract of uneultivatcd soil, coinpriHin;; some hundreds of acrefi, un- tnnrked !)y the furiow of tlie plouf^h ; and ure capable of being im* proved to infinito advantage, 'lliose parts, which have been judici- ously drained,nn(l are become dry, are generally oppropriated loKng- lih hay, a< it is calkd, or to grazing, and are most admirably cal- culated for the reception ot the plough ; and with good management would trcn with bread corn in vast abundance. The uplands, in their primitive stiitc, are nofj perhaps, so rich as in some other parts of the county, but are in general capable of being highly improved, by ft regular nii>de of culture. Uesides the vast he.ips 'of animal dung pre (luced from the barns, which accumulates during the winter to a prodigious site, the immense and endless quantities of marsh mud even ot the very skirts of the uplands, are iiequi'^itions, which few farmers in this province can bitast of; and lime, too, is evidently within their reach : yet stranije to say J know of only one solitary iii'tance, in which that valuable fossil bus beon u^ed as a manure.— I'ossessed of all those local advantages, I wonder nnt at the remark made by your " respectable Onslow correspondent," after his tour thiough [)art of this coun'y, that Cumberland ought " to be the granary of Nova. Scotia." I think the obsiirvation was well appli- ed ; for I know of no county in the province, that holds out greater encourngcment to begin and perfect the most approvcii systems of agriculture. Fort Lawrf.xce — As the same remarks wiil generally i'.pply, the soil and situation being nearly the same is those already noliccd, it would only be a repetition of words to cuter into detail on this towu- fhlp. as its picture has been already delineattd. Suflice it to say, that the uplands are more moist, and a little more inclined to clay, but equally productive and good in quality ; and yet i:i several acres of excellent land, from whioh all naiuial obstructions have been long ago removed. t^3 cradle-hills are still perfectly manifest, e-en in the Very heart of the settlement ; and prodr.ce nothing but a coarse con- taminated herbage. Some may, perhiips, gravely assert that these will never be corn and bread distiids ; but i boldly and fearlessly contend, that under a reguiur, attentive, and judicious course of D2 . ^M 13'' '■ I,' ' C ' 1 V \i]:>, 22G husbandry, they will yield an ample supply for their inhahitants- without subjecting the poorer sort to eat comraoa coarse bread, m ,\ reward for their honest labours. Menuda and River Hebkut.— The former of these is chiefly set. tied by Acadian French, who follow a mode of culture peculiar to themselves ; and their prejudices are so deeply rooted in (hat re'=pect that very little hope can be entertained of their conversion to a new system. Some years ago, these Acadians raised largo quantities of wheat on their marshes, more than suflicienf for their own consump. lion ; but from some cause, of which I am unacquainted, they have now totally abandoned the practice. The uplands are fine rich loam. and remarkably productive. Uivta Uebeiit, including Oarronsfield and Franklin Manor— comprises large bodies of marsh, SDme partially diked, others still exposed to the ravagrs of the tides. The uplands chielly consist of a strong rich loam. Some of the farmers here, are remarked forrais. ing abundant quantities of potatoes, and plentiful crops "of wheut on the uplands, more perhaps from the richness of the soil, than from any particular mode of culture. RiVEiis Maccan and Nappan. — In addition to large bodies of marsh, of a good quality and well secured, these settlements coiif prehend a considerable portion of rich interval ; arid there is no part of this county, that can boast of more practical farmers, or manifests a better system of husbandry. They consist, principally of farmers from Old England, and their descendants ; they not only raise a full competency for domestic consumption, but supply many of the dis- tant districts, annually, with seed wheat, &c. The uplands in- cline to rich loam, and are remarkably fertile. UiVEii Philip.— This may be properly styled an infant settlement, not having been inhabited more than thirty two years. Considerable progress was made during the first part of that time, in clearing; and improving the land ; but of late, many of the farmers have great- ly relaxed from their former exertions, and are pursuing other ohjed?, with a view, as they allege, of present advantage; but which,! assure them, will be ultimately much less profitable, than a dne regard to the cultivation and improvement of their farms. This district con- tains large portions of rich interval, well adapted to the drill and turnip husbandry ; together with valuable uplands of easy culture, which are rarely managed to the best advantage. The season?, too, are much earlier than in many other parts of the county, aud the soil and situation are peculiarly gifted by nature for the culture of Ill, Hi il t'fly ieU ;uliar to '■ respect, to a new itiiies of 'onsump. hey have ich loam. Manor— hers still nsist of a 1 for rais- wheit on than from bodies of its coin- no part taiiifests farmers iso a full the dis' anils iri- ttioment, siderable olearin;"' ivc great" ;r o!\je>'t?, 1,1 assure regard to trict con- drill and ciilfure, ion'^. too, aud the •ulture of £27 bread corn ; yet strange to say, some of our farmers do not raise an adequate supply for Iheir own households. Remsheg.— This is an extensive district ; but Its progress in agri- cultural improvements has hitherto, been very slow, as Mali as inju- dicious. Very few of M'hat may be called practical farmers are to be found amongst them, and they have as yet but manifested a rude jpecimen of that great branch of national industry. The marshes here are pretty extensive, are unreclaimed, are of a light spungy nature, and cannot hold a comparison with those in the other parts of the county. The intervals, considering the extent of the town- sliip, are rather circumscribed, yet in general are of a good quality. The uplands are a little moist, and inclined to clay rather than loam ; but are well adapted for wheat culture. Yet it is painful to remark, that many acres of this valuable land remain unsubdued, even at the very threshold of the settlement ; those people, too, pursue other objects, like those above noticed, in direct contradiction to their agricultural interests. West Chester.— -This division comprizes part of thosehigh lands, coirnKonly called, or known by the name of Cobequid Mountaius ; and is much higher elevated above the level of the sea than any part of the county, yet it is well inhabited. Notwithstanding the height, in most seasons all white as well as green crops arc brought to per- fection, and produce far beyond what could be expected from the appearance of the soil. The inhabitants, are chiefly, what are term- ed Refugees, and settled here between thirty and forty years ago ', and they have manifested evident marks of perseverance and indus- try, on this unlucky and sterile spot. Cumberland is evidently destined by Nature to become a great bread county ; for independently of all the local advantages already noticed, there are others not less valuable. It is intersected with nu« merous bays, rivers, and creeks, which produce ample supplies of various and valuable manure ; aud besides, limestone is obtainable atMaccan and Nappan, in the vicinity of Amherst, and at River Phi- lip; and DO doubt, will be discovered in many other places, wbert the earth is released from her ancient and umbrageous tenants. No- thing is wanting, but the persevering hand of industry, aud the adop- tion of a more approved and better system of agriculture ; and then, and not till then, will the yellow harvest wave luxuriantly through- out our plains. I am sir, with due regard, yours most truly, STEPHEN OXLEY. River Philip, December 16, 1818. ^ ■ ■ , i I ^ .-| •M. .4ii, 228 REMAliKS. This letter may be called a brief statislioal account of Cumherl^nt) and mast be highly interesting to the whole province. It is written to do away the impression of any natural incapabiliiy either iu ihe Eoil, or climate for the production of wliile crops; and I rejoice that the opinion, whiih I broached in a rory cnily stage of my course, seems to be daily gaining strength and coutiiiiiatiou. Su indignant are roy correspondents at some late attempts to revive this old explo- ded doctrine, that in ihrce of my letters this week, allusions are made to the subject ; and 1 have even an assurance from the secretarv of one of the county societies, that at tlieir first meeting, a solemn ap- peal will be entered against it in the name of 'he whole body, and that a public instrument will be sent me to signify their united ecu* viclion ; " that Nova Scotia, so Iv^ug degiadedand abused, is abuu- *' daraly capable of perfecting all sorts cf bread corn." If white and green crops come to perfecMon in the Cobequid Alouutains, the Tallies and plains mus*^, under proper matiagemcnt, and barring the usual chancesinciuental to all countries, yield a forward and certain harvest, i again asi-ert, and I fear no contradiction, " that there " IS no county within our territoiia! boundary, where wheat, rye, *' barley, uqd oats will cot in nineieen seasons out of twenty, ripea *^ and perfect their seeds ;" and 1 feel obliged to Mr. Osley, the vice president of the Cumberland Society— for coming thus boldly forward, and giving his sentitnents and name to the public. In truth, all the c;xertions which have been lately made, all the associations which have been formed, the unexampled spirit and liberality of the capital in ihi3 ^'reat muse, arc ihevuiuaud idle dreams of enthusiasm, if nature has doomed the country (o pasturagc,and cursed it with ste- rility. The Povincial Society, now in operation, and which era« braces whatever is distinguished ior rank, talent, and respectability, will soon put this question to the test of experiment; and if their patriotism be baiked by a corresponding zeal in the legislature, this province will a^:^ume a proud and iudepcndent attitude, and plant her g'.ory on ihc pedestal of the plough There is public virtue in the ytry trial ; and every good mao will bewail as a calamity the ^Tiiscariiage of their plans. AGRICOLA. 229 LETTER 24. Ou 2Maii\ii*es. THERE has been no point perhaps in agricultural science more koeuly coutestcf), than the exact degree of fermentation to which dung should be exposed, before it be spread on the soil.— Seme Hrguc, that it should be allov^ed to rot till its original texture be broken down and destroyed ; olhei-.s, (hat the process should be carried a considerable length, but checked about the middle of its course ; while a third class allege, that tne least incipient state of putrefaction is at the expense of (ho vegetable gases, aud should as much as possible be prevented, till the uianure be deposited in the earth. Amidst such a contrariety of warring and discordant opinions, aid these too supported by naturalises distinguished fo'r the extent and importance of their discuvcries, some portion of doubt must ad- here to whatever determination we ndopt. Sir 11. Davy* — a name of preeminent celebrity — contends that the smallest degree of fer- mentation is accompanied with setting at liberty the elementary prin- ciples, which will naturally escape, unless their disengagement be clT.^cted in the bosom of the soil — in which case they will be imbib- ed and kept in reserve for the purposes of vegetation. He thinks, therefore, that straw, in place of being put '.u the dung yard, should he ploughed down in a fresh state, and that to facilitate its mixture with the earth, it would be advisable to chop it small wiui a machine. The conductor of the Farmer's Magazine, although inspired with a due respect for the conclusions of that celebrated cheinist, openly opposes this vicdcnt innovation on the common practice of the farmer, and asserts, from a long experience, that unless a certain de^jree of putrefaction conges on in the farm yard, while the putrescible sub- stances are recently voided and possessed of natural heat, no subse- quent fermentation will take place in cold and clayey soils, lie has known dung and litter, which had been turned down freth in the furrow, appear next spring without any visible change. Of course, it must have lain dormant without contributing to the growth of the plants. He slates, in support of his own views, an experiment tint was tried at the suggestion of a speculative writer : " Dry wheat straw was regularly laid in the hollows of drills ; and potatoe sets planted above the straw, lioth were then covered with earth : but ' Agricultural Cheuiislry, Lecture f», page 281, Jwj Sf} '1 ■1- 1 :'■■.'. if } ■ .1- ,■ \. \ ( \> ■> !; 230 very few of the potatoes erer came above ground, and tlie«e only t..- vrards the end of autamn. When the field was afterwarfls ploughed, the straw seemed to have undergone no rhaiigc ; nor did it convey any sensible benefit to future crops. Had iho same straw been pre- viouHly subjected to only a i )derate fermentation in the dun^ yird, there can be no douht but its effects would have been very dilFerent." *' Truth, sayh the common ad;i£:e, lies between ;" and in all extreme cases it is safest to steer a middle course. It is necessary, however, to remark that the pushing of the putre- factive process to the last stage, and suffering the dung to ferment till it falls down into black earth, is the most culpable and gross vi. elation of all just agricultural principles, a..d is now condemneJ in England with merited reprobation. Long before animal and vege- table substances come to this advanced state of putridity, the nutrj. tive exhalations are gone, and have mingled with the great and !ni. perishable elements of the universe. All that remains is the bhuk carbonaceous matter, which is scarce a sixth part of the original h\i|)i and value. 1 have myself seen, in more than one part of the pro- Tince, many barns surrounded with this decayed earth — the residue of much profitable mauurc — which was permitted there to go to waste, partly from carek'ssuess, sometimes from ignorance, butgeuerally from a supine and immovable indifference about rural affairs. Socli are the blessed effects of our boasted grazing system ; and of vilify- ing and contemning the plough. This controversy has lost much of its importance since the inven- tion and use of composts. Fermentation — that great destroyer cf all organic conformation — is not to be feared by the farmer, if it be conducted and carried on in the presence of earth, which fixes and secures the gases as fast as they are liberated. Even the degree of the process is o matter of less consequence ; because, if the elemen- tary principle^ ate in keeping, and reserved for future usefulness, it is immaterial, whether this has happened by a new absorption, or by still holding their original and unchanged form. In the com- posite hill the whole animal or vegetable structure may bedissolve;!, aud leave behind no trace of existence, without the least waste of the principles of fertility ; because the ingredients superadded to the dung have become surcharged with them, or to speak philosophical- ly, fully saturnled. We may go further and state, that complete decomposition i,s defiirable in this case, which is so much to be avoid- ed ill the faiuj-^aid 'y because putrescent inatter can only becomi?. SSI only ti.- ouglicd; I convey een pro. ng ywrd, iTerent. ' extreme Tegctahic food by its resolution into primary part?, and if this kd eflected by any preparatory step, the young crop receives the full; and instaataueous benefit. The compost manure is carried to the held ready to give out its richness on the very first cull, and to sup- ply the nascent radicle with a copious share of nourishment. 1 believe I have more than once stated 'hat the diversified tribes of the vegetable kingdom are sustained by the circulation of the sap taken up by the absorbent mouths of the fibres. This sap, which is extracted from the soil, holds in solution cither the primary or itcondary principles of bodies. Whatever, then, is soluble in water, or can be rendered so by the action of chemical laws, combines with the sap and enters into all the interior reiesses of the vegetable tructure. lioth solid, fluid, and gaseous bodies are susceptible of solubility, and of course contribute to the increase and sustentation oi plants. Mucilage and sugar «hichare solid, jelly which is fluid, and amiiiunia, hydiogene and carbonic acid which are gaseous, are all soluble in water, and are besides tlie extracts of vegetable mat- ter ; and these by the sap may be drawn in as nourishment, and either transformed by the secretory organs iuto new compounds, or are still farther anal) zed. The sap tlien is the stream of vital life, and the more it is saturated with nutritive particles, the more lux- Diiant and vigorous the growth. But it can only be satuiated by the dissolution of animal and vegetabh bodies, and therefore the more perfect the decomposition, provided the constituent principles ha?e not escaped, the richer the manure. Hence a compost hill may remain for years before it is applied and be turned over several limes to bring on successive fermentations, not only without injury hut with manifest advantage ; while the simple dung of animah treated in the same manner would become entirely useless and iu- fificient. The putrefactive process may be carried on ip, the presence of pure earth only, or of t^arth intermingled with fibrous root^, or liistl^, in the presence of peat, which is an assemblage of Inert vegetable mat- ter ; and compost dunghils may be formed accordi.it; to this three- told method. 1st. The simplest of all composts is a mixtur? of barii yard dutiij, and surface mould taken from a field under rc^uhir culture. The proportions between the ingredients are fixed by no defcrminato laws, and consequently great liberty is allowable to the the operator. I have kuown some instances, where two carts of dung were used a I ^h i '^:!' ■ J • V -f ■ '*! •».'•<*., ..j; 11; 232 for one of earth ; others, where they were bleucleJ in equal qunnli' tics ; and it is not infrequent to compound two of earth with one of dung. In fact, such is the uncertainty iu the romposition, that aU most every farmer adopts a mode peculiar to himself, and with equal success. No man need therefore follow implicitly the rules which are laid down in this department of rural economy, but may vary and multiply his experiments, according to the suggestions of fancy or the dictates of convenience. If we slightly glance at the prLiici. pie, we shall see the cause of ihis seemingly endless variety in the combination of the ingredients. The only use of intermixing the soil with the dung is to imbibe the gaseous elements of vegetable life, and hinder their dissipation. If there he much soil, these ele* mcnts will be diffused through it with less density and compression; if little, it will be more abundantly saturated, and enriched with tho nutritive vapours. Thus, an ounce of --'jgur may be dissolved equal. ly in a pint or in a gallon of water ; and the muriatic acid may be so much diluted as scarcely to exhibit its characteristic properties ; and in the same way, the products of decomposition may either be concentrated into a small portion of earth or scattered over a large body. The only error, into which the farmer can run, is to supply such an inconsiderable quantity as will be incapable of imbibing the elastic and volatile particles, and tints by his own mismanagement, occasion a waste of the vegetable aliment. One cart load of soil to two of stable dung isthe least proportion which he should everat* tempt to combine, and perhaps if the two were mixed equally, he would be compensated for the additional labour and expense. The whole art of composting, is to arrange the materials in titer" nate layers, — to shake up the litter and dung with a hay fork that it may lie loosely, — to cover the top and the sides with earth, — and to give it a sloping direction that it may cast off excessive moisture, Jfs height should never exceed four feet, or four and a half ; and its breadth should be such, that a man on either side, may be enabled to fling the ingredients into the centre without trampling on the heap : for compression in all cases retards the putrefactive process. If the niiiss, after being compounded, is long in generating heat ; wrinc, salt or even fresh water poured on the top slowly, thi^t it may ooze downward, will bring it on with rapidity. On the other hniid, should the process advance with too great violence, which .i m grass, and produced, every season, a luxuriant crop of coarse "hay. In the end of the summer 1814, when the crop was ready •Farmer's Magazine, vol. 1«, p. 87. £3 USk E .1 *< for catting) he employed a person to pare the wliole, vihich was ^* easily done, as the ground was then dry. After paring, he col- ** lected the surface together, and having previously provided a quao. '' tity of stable dung, he mixed them in alternate layers, about <' four or five carts of parings for each of dung. He allowed them '' to remain till the ensuing spring, when he turned the whole, and *^ found that the vegetable substance in the turf ivas mostly decayed <* and changed into fine dung ; and the small quantity of earth had ** almost disappeared. He turned it a second time before June and " applied it to his turnips and found that it added much to their *' luxuriance." 3d. The most valuable of all composts are those formed of peat, a substance which exists in Great Britain to an amazing extent, hut which can only be found here in detached and iuconsidt^rahle patch* cc. Wherever met with, it possesiies the same proper lies, and ap. pears under the same forms. It is a mass of vegetable matter bccu> mulated by the annual decay of successive crops, which only grow in a humid situation and at a low temperature. In whatever place water stagnates, there the mossy tribes strike root, shed their seeds, decay, and spring up with the returning warmth of the year, h proportion as the congeries of peaty matter rises above the moisture, and attains a dryer elevation, new plants of the same family start into exiscence,and carry on the formation of the morass. The whole heap is invested with a peculiarity, which seems to set at defiauce the general law of destruction imposed on the vegetable world. The plants of this class die during winter, shrink into less bulk, fall down, and are compressed by the succeeding superincumbent strata, but, unlike other vegetables, they refuse to yield to putrefaction.'— Covered with water, which from their action acquires certain chemi* cal qualities, they will lie for ages unchanged ; and should any other susbtance happen, either from accident or from design, to be plunged amongst them, they will transfer to it their own antiseptic virtue. Fermentation and corruption are barred all access to these heaps of insoluble materials ; and they were long considered a> nuisances incumbering the earth, and tainting the air, fill meant in the progress of philosophy were contrived to subdue their stubborB nature, and convert them into vegetable nourishment. To sach ao extent have they grown in the old country, that many of them arc found thirty feet deep, and covering thousands of acres in a body.— They abound in various parts of EogUad) aud throughout the whol» i $35 of Scotland and Ireland ; and the principal use, to which they have, till lately, been applied, was to furnish fuel to the inhabilaats. At (op, they are light and porous, inclining to a dark colour, but their hue deepens as you descend till it settles in the blackness of co»l.— Atbcttom, are generally found firs and oaks — the sturdy tcDants of the prime" ' forests — and which were felled, not as In this province by the hand of industry and cul(i?ation, but by the axes of the Ro- man Legions, to make way for the progress of their arms. The an* cient Britons, addicted to the rode liberty of a savage life, resisted viitb the most obstinate pertinacity the inroads of these civilized con- querors, waged with them eternal war, and though often overcome, were never subdued ; as their wilds and fastnesses interposed a friendly shelter. It was at this period, that the forests of Britain were cut down, that they might do longer serve as retreats to the natives, and that the country might be brought to submit vnore readi- ly to the Roman yoke. Amidst the trees thus laid prostrate, bat Qot removed, the waters stagnated ; and gave a begioniug to those extensive mosses which infest the surface of the soil. The sabse- (jueot violences which took place, daring the invasion of the Daues iDcl Saxons, added to the original calamity, by extending the des- truction of the forests ; and thus millions of acres were buried below the reach of the plough. In this province, and in this enlightened tge of the world, we cannot be exposed to the same foreign or do- mestic commotions ; neither will we transmit to our descendants a country loaded with such useless unputrescibte matter : yet we ought well to mark the origin and cause of the evil, and if possible, arrest it Id its progress. Already, deep foundations are laid for the increase of morasses, which may be an annoyance to future ages ; nnlesB ve take the means of preventing their growth, and of knowing tke purposes to which they may be usefully applied. This will be the subject-matter of my next letter. AGRICOLA. • -.■ ,M Halifax, December S9, 1818. TO CORRESPONDENTS. I have two letters this week from different qaarters of the pro- vince, wishing me to call the attention of the legislature to the va&( benefit of surv^ing the interior of the counties and townships. Ifr* 1 1 w- ™ ^ i^-': ' I ; Iv 1." ,•'1 :i; I ..'*' A Jvi'.. 230 Millar of Truro assures ne, that there aF« fine tracts of land unno< ticed aod unknown in his part of the country ; and that a hundredth part of the good soil is not yet cleared, and under tho plough. He recommeDds the ascertaining of these situations, and opening access to them through the forest by the formation of new roads, which would both advance the public utility, and hold out cncoura^tiiueut to oew settlers. I am informed by another writer, to whom [ was formerly indebt< ed for a poetical effusion, that he has lately come from the district of Teviotdale, and was employed there in making iron ploughs and harrows ; that bis master gained the premium, three several times, at the Kelso Agricultnral Exhibition, for his improvements in weed* ing and double moulded drill ploughs ; that from his practical ex^e* rience he considers himself competent to make ai> good instruments here as in Kelso or Galashiels ; and lastly, that he shall send mea model of the latest improved iron plough in the south of Scotland. So snnn as this model is received, it shall be convoyed to the Pro* vincial Society for inspection and approval. I have also received the second communication from *' Rusticus," on Scotch aKriculiurc ; but I am sorry there is no room for itsinscr> tion this week in the Recorder. AGRICOLA. LETTER 25. FEAT, in different countries in Europe, and more particularly ia Great Britain, has been applied to three important purposes, with all of which it is our business to be acquainted, for the regula- tion of our own practice, and the advancement of our agriculture. — True ; the local circumstances with which we are surrounded, aui the peculiarities belonging to a new and unsettled country, prohibit a full and indiscriminate imitation : yet the modes of more mature and perfect societies may offer lessons of a most instructive and io* terestiug tendency. By following their footsteps, we may hope, by slow and sure gradations, to reach their perfection ; and by mark- ing and shunning the errors in which they were entangled, we may at least escape tbe retributory visitation of their calamities. 937 I. Peat has been much used as an article of fuel. After pariog the surface, the luwer stratum presents a close interwoven body of fibrous texture, varying from a dark brown to a jetty black, which is cut easily with the spade, and ia suiiccptible of receiving any form. It is customary to divide it into parts resembling in size and shape the cnmnion building bricks ; and to spread these, during summery on t>ic ground that they may harden and dry. before winter, they are removed to the nei/i^libourhood of the dwelling, and piled up, citker under shade, or in the open nir, as suits the convenience of the farmer. In the present condition of this province, it would be mos» injudicious to recommend this a(iplication of peat earth ; and It would be better, to uilow our swamps to accumulate, than todt- tniiiish their bulk and retard their growth, at the cxpeniie of all fu> ture invasion on the forest. Jt is clearly our duly to eocourage the consumption of timber ; and nothing produces a more certain and perceptible impression than the unceasing waste of domestic fires. II. The attention of several agriculturists in Britain has been strongly directed to the cultivation of peat as a soil. Extensive tracts have been drained at a vast expense, by cutting ditches in all directions to carry otf the superfluous moisture ; horses of slender make have been shoed with pattens, by which to tread on the sur* face in the necessary operations of improvement ; and manure, mix- ed and compounded with great art, has been carted thither to pro« vide a suitable bed for the seeds. In some cases, wealthy proprie- tors have gone so far as to remove the whole body of the peat from the soil on which it lay incumbent, that they might reach the bottom, atrd prepare it for the plough. Blair Drummond Moss, in Stirling- shire, is an example of this sort of extraordinary enterprise,which was planned by the celebrated Lord Karnes, and is still carrying into ex* ecation by the heir of his virtues and his fortune. The waters of the Teith are diverted from their ordinary channel, and by means of a wheel, singular in its construction, but unnecessary to be des- cribed, are raised to a certain h^'ight, and are conveyed by pipes to the moss which lies at a considerabledistance. This constant stream, supplied from the river, flows through a central ditch dug for the parpose, with a regular but gentle motion. Branches are cut from It on all hands, and the waters are thus conducted to the most dis- tant extremities of the moss. These branches again converge, and terminate in a general current, which empties itself into the Forth — to adjoining river coouecled with the Frith of the same name.-* uM '• , •■:■■• II I i- ■','. > ._!- i k 238 The workmen cut the petUrarth into 1111111 piecen, and cut them Into these running water* by whicl> thry are carried, first into the rifer, and afterwards to the scs. This proct^ss, Kceniingly so lahori. 008 and expensive, has been perseTcrel in with so much well direiicd energy, that at present several hundred acics are disinterred, brought to the genial inluences of day, and are waving every year with a golden harvest. After the peut is thus floated away, new difliculties are to be encountered, before the original soil can be sutijected to coltare. The ancient trees of the forest, which have lain fora(;pa imbedded under this useless mass, arc found incumbering the ground, and lying prostrate by the side of their stumi , which still stand erect, and exhibit marks of the axe. Tlierouu ''these cleave to ll,e soil, and like fangs, hold it with a firmness supi lor to theii native and original force : for peat commutiicates to all timber a strength and durability, which consolidate its tcxuie, and render it in some measure imperishable. — lu this country it would be madness to re> claim our swamps, cither by cultivating their surface, or attempting to remove them. Our agricultural capital can be vested uith infin- itely more advantage in undertakings less precarious, and doubtless more profitable ; and it uhuuld be sacredly kept for the clearing of new lands, or the amelioration of the old. All that lies within the compass of our ability and prudence, is to check the further growth of thes) aquatic plants that go to the formation of peat, by opening a passage for the superabundant moisture la all practicable cases ; and thus arresting in their progress these nuisances, which are a se> rious grievance in British agriculture, and which if not obviated by timely precautions, will embarrasiS and annoy our distant posterity. A moral and enlightened people should be as careful la transmitting their 'erritory improved and uninjured to the succeeding race as in handing down the frame of their civil polity unbroken, or the full and undiminished possession of their rights and franchises. lo both cases, we owe a duty to our children, which is equally sacred and imperative : for the first entails subsistence and plenty; the last, in* dependence and liberty — gifts of similar importance in themselves, and alike necessary for the well-being of society. III. Peat has been most extensively employed as a manure; and in this light it possesses dis^tinguished claims to our attention. Thero has certainly been no discovery in modern husbandry so aseful in itself, and so directly conducive to the augmentation and culture of graiuj as the art of exposing peat-earth to the effects of fermentatioa. By i It thcin into the k lahorj. direcUMl brought r with a fliculiies jecJed to I for ages ground, ill stand ,Te to (he )ii native strength t in some ess to re- ttempling ,i(h inQn« doubtless earing of ithin the r growth r opening le cases ; are a se* ciated by osterity. smitting ace as in the full Id both icred and last, in* loselTes, ■are ; and |i. There Useful in ilture of ;DtatioB> 539 By It, nu inert and unprofitable substance Is changed into a most ne* live and etlicienl manure ; oiid aniniul and te^ctuble 8ub:i(aiices, dujr* iu^ the veiy procckt of their own dccumpnsitioii, can be enlisted to gulidue the noxious quHlities, and (u dissolve the organic texture of nriity inaKer. Titib uody, in its natural slutc, contains a considera* blcqaitiitily of tannin, which is a powerful astringent, and resists all n|'|)ruachcs to putrefaction : and it is also im^iicgnated with acldfly uiifiiendly to vcgtitation, and which must be expelled by bringing on a degree of heat rreulrd by richer and more fermentable substances* Various schemes have t)f(-u suggested by dilVerent writers, and Ihebe brought lo the lest of experiment by scientific farmersj in order to deprife peat-earth of its untise|;tic qualities, and bring it to a state of putridity. In this field of inquiry have laboured in succes* sion, ]jord Meadow bunk, William Alton, and Uoctdr Rennie of Kilsyth, each of whom huve adde;l someihing lo (he previous know- ledge, and by their joint etforts (hey hate contributed to place thii kubject in a very clear and beneticial* light. Dr. Rennie, who is the latest of these writers, has discovered, that peiit may be divested of its antiseptic and insoluble qualities, by mere immersion in a run- ning stream. Tke constant How of water carries oil' the tannin, and obnoxious acids, and leaves the earth ready to pass into a state of decomposition, lie has even found, that if a collected heap of this matter be watered copiously for ten days, once every day, its hurtful qualities will be discharged by the mere iiltratioa ; and if it be afterwards trimmed up into a compact body, and allowed to dry, will generate a gentle heat, which is perfectly sufficient, although not discoverable by the hand. The Doctor further states, that it may be putrifiedby being exposed to a current of steam ; and aU * Ihave not read the works of these authors for many yeais, neither do I know whether they can be funnit in tin- I'lovinct; l)nt mv rtinJeis ninst nut lose confide.iice in mv direction!* on tins acrouiif, lncaii>'C, altlion|;li I afkno« . ledge theiie lettem to bedrnwn cLutly tiom the rftollfctions of mt-niory, ai>d to tiecompo.>^ed wcekty, Hud often hastily, wiili the hclji ol about halt a dozen borrowed books— whic-li cneunistance should in some meaMiie palliate tht^ir dc- lectH,— yet in the prescription!* I am ai>out to dtliver ret^ardmn; coiupoiit diing- hiis, I am sati.fied thalmy knowledge is eoiT«M:t. /\giicnlturp, at one period of ujy lite, euj;rossed all ni) thiiHglil:^ ; it was not only slndi»d as a scnuc«, but eiiuaged in asa tavoniitepursuil ; I assisio.J in its rustic labours, and became conversant with itsmiuniest details, 'I'iie duclnnes of A;,Micoia arc not there- tore, so Hinch the I'rnUs ot ais reading as of his experience. . >U i ^■:-i Althongli this remaik was stririly into at the tinip, yet mow, when engaged ia the rennblieatiou of these Liittcrs in 1821, I am in posjtssion of several ajciU Wtltural books. ' * 240 i ':l ■■ .r n? ii;i ,i 1. 11 Ji h 'I il Hi '!'!i I .|i:. though this cannot, for the purposes of husbandry, be reduced to practice, it is a curious and interesting fact. I once had occasion to try the effects of a running stream on peat* earth, and it succeeded beyond my exj)ectalions. There was a field which I was anxious to improve, and for which I had not a suf. ficient command of stable dung. It lay by the side of a river, across ivhich was thrown a mill-dam — used, as most of my readers know, to stem the water, and raise it to a higher level, that it might be conducted by a lead or sunk ditch, to the wheel. In this ditch I caused a temporary dam to be erected, and threw into the water a* bout twenty tons of-earth taken from a contiguous bog. This water, which drove the mill, filtrated through the mass for upwards of ten days ; and I then ordered it io be taken out and spread in the sun. AVhen it was in a moist slate, between wet and dry — a circumstaoce which should never be neglected in bringing on fermentation in this inert substance— it was piled up into an oblong square form, about 3 feet high, and allowed there to gather heat. A slight fermentation came on, and when turned over three weeks afterwards, its organic texture was considerably decayed. I mixed with it about 4 tons of horse dung in alternate strata, and I had in a month !22 tons of as rich and valuable manure as the most enthusiastic agriculturist coald have desired. The only use of the dung, besides its own richness, was to accelerate the process. It would be unjust to deprive Lord Meadowbank of the well earn- ed honour of having been the first who investigated and ascertained on scientific principles, the immense value of this species of manure. That learned Judge, perceiving that peat was entirely composed of vegetable substances endowed with an antiseptic virtue, or " a capa- city of resisting putrefaction,*' instituted a philosophical inquiry in* to the nature of this singular quality, and the manner in which it might be overcome. From his extensive chemical knowledge, and his diligent and painful researched'', he found, that this antiseptic power owed its origin to the acid', and the astringent principle of tan : and as these were reduced, in succulent and fresh vegetables, by the hot fermentation Jo which they were exposed in the full ca- reer of putrefaction, he wisely concluded, that the same cause would produce in peat the same effects. After varying his experiments in the course of six years, he published the results in a pamphlet, which he distributed gratis, and thus acquired to himself an immortal name ill (he records of Scotch Agriculture. The compost middens of S41 tiordl MeadoMrbaiik ^\\\ be known and recollected by the lateii posterity, when the decisions which he passed on the Bench, of vhich he was the prop and ornament, shall have worn away by tbo corrosive touch of oblivion. The peat to be used, according to hit lordship's directions, may be taken, either from the top or bottom of the bog ; but the turfy parts ought to be laid aside, as most unsuita* ble for the operaiion. After being «browu out of the pit, it should lie for some wetkij till drained of its moisture, and then transporte4 to the field where the Compost midden Is to be formed* The propor- tion of the ingredients should be one ton of dung to three of moss | but although these were the prober quandiies with the materials which his lordship employed, it has tieeir found from experieuce, that other proportions may be safely and judiciously adopted. In faci> the mixture should depend on the nature, both of trie dung and peat which are to be compounded. Horse-dung produces a more violent fermentation than that of cows, and will therefore safllice tode* compose a larger (|usti.tity ; aud its power in this respect, will also be regulated by its own stage of potrefacliou : for, if fresh, the heat will be more rapid and much stronger, than if old aud rotten. The nature of the peat, too, must also be token into account in asaorting the ingredteHts. Sooie i^ a pure vegeiable body free of extraneous matter, from its being formed on an ulevaied situation ; other, again, contains a mixture of eaitti, Mhich renders it brittle, inadhesive, and putrescible; because it has originated in a patch of low land, or in the corner of some meadow, liable to be occasionally overilownfroia the high grounds. When it accumulates in such hollows, its tex- ture Is broken by the primitive earths suspended in the turhid wn* ters, with which it is flooded ; and in place of exhibiting a maued and organic structure, it resembles the consistence of paste, and is moie a fluid than a solid body. Such peaty mutter may at once ba carted to the arable field, and used as a manure without any pre* paration ; and if thrown into a compost m;dden, six loads of it v»ill be easily fermented with one of dung. But peat is not generally of this character ; aad roles of compost* Ing must be laid down as applicable to this subhtance, coiuiii.>nly found of a tough and indestructible contexture. As boon as it is duu from the pit, it should be spread out to dry, but I'Oi vu harden Inihe sun ; for if, by exposure to droughi, it cha:im?* umc a firm, a4heiiTe lump tit tor fuety it is almubt luiposbibie, by aay kuow» Fa r'i'-! cU ! 1, a45> il ''. ' nh tneaas, to iuduce afterwards the putrefactive process. When it h therefore, about half dry, it should be carried to the midden, and first of all laid regularly along the bottom six inches deep, to constituto the first stratum. This should be succeeded by ten inches ef duni^, then six of moss, four of dung, and so on, till the latter is exhausted. Above the whole, » layer of moss should be spread to raise the mid- deo to the height of four feet, and all the materials, from the very beginning, should be piled op in the loosest state, to encourage an iocipient fermentation ; which comes on, sooner or later, according to the state of the weather, and that of the component parts. It U at this time, that tlie principal skill and care of the operator are call- ed for, to mark and ascertain the progress of the compost ; for so soon as it approaches to blood heat, it ought to be watered and turn- ed over with a new mixture of moss, to prevent the dissipation of the useful gases. After the temperature has subsided, the wiiole mass should be broken down, commencing at the one cud, chop- ping with the spade all the bulky materials, and n>i\iiig them in th<; most perfect manner. A new hill exactly resembling the last, should be formed on the same principles, adding either moss or d"ng us the State of the fermentation indicates ; and after a second ii'n- •, been generated, which in a few days will become apparent, the 1 ..>•. -lould be sufTt- red to cool, and it will be instantly ready to apply to the ground ; but the longer it remains in the midden, the decomposition will be more perfectly ciFected, and the elementary principles of ve- getation more freely disengaged. In summer, the whole prcpam. tion may be finished in eight or teu weeks, but in winter, no injury will be sustained by keeping the materials in compost till the o|g of the spring. Three tons of moss to one of dung would in this country, 1 fear, form an unfermentable compound, from the supera- bundance of cow-excrement, which is of a cooling nature, and less liable to violent heat ; and ou that account, 1 would depart a li'tle from the ordinary rule, and recommend two loads of dung to hve of moss ; which 1 do with some diflidence, as [ am not in possession of afny experiment of ihe kind that has been tried rn this province, tf- though it is clearly deduriolc from thepiinciples laid down. It can* not, however, be a dii!icult task to discover the just proportions of the ingttdientii ; as the process itself will soon teach an attentive observer, and lead him infallibly to the proper mixture. He has, oo the one haj'd, to guard ngninst excessive heat, which can always be checked by adding peat ; and on the other, to bring on and incite 243 fermontation, which can be accomplished by enlarging (he quantity of dung. A slight experience will very soon instruct our farmers in the due medium ; and us 1 liave been at pains to set forth the govern- if.g principles of the art, the plainest dictates of the understanding uill be a sulhcient guide in all cases of composting. It vi'iW not, I believe, be unacceptable to my readers to insert hera an extract from the small treatise of the learned Judge, which was nriiited and distributed very extensively for behoof of the Scottish pcM^antry ; aud 1 do this the rather, because the sabject, on account of its novelty and repugnance to common ideas, may be received with some distrust, unless conveyed in the very words of the author. " Let the peat-moss, of which compost is to be formed, be thrown out of the pit for some weeks or months, in order to lose its redun* dai)t Dfiuisture. By this means, it is rendered the lighter to carry, and less compact and weighty, when made up with fresh dung, for fermentation ; and accordingly, less dung is required for the par- pose, than if the preparation is made with peat taken recently from Ihepit. The peat taken from near the surface, or at a considerable depth, answers equally well. Aud the more compact the peat, and the fitter to prove good fuel, so much the more promising it is to be prepared for manure. " Take the peat-moss to a dry spot, convenient for constructing adunghil, to serve the field to be manured. Lay the carteat ; then Ifoar or five of dung; and then cover it over with peat at the end hherc it was begun, at the two sides, and above. The compost should not be raised above four feet and a h^lf high', otherwise it is |ipt to press too heavily on the under parts, and check the fermenta- lioii: unless the peat, when dry, be very pulTy and light, and then a iiuch greater height is desirable. Neither should it be mucR lower, [otherwise it will prove wanting in the compactness, and S(.on also, [iJthp, weather is very dry, \o the moisture required for the ingrcdi* ! " ' 71 ^ \ 1 I I 1 m 9 tf^'* i pf 1 |{v ■ ^ " r Hj m m t»' . ll 'r.'. '^'- >"«.. "I lie!. eott of which it consists, to act rhemically on each other. When Rhwn fur (hem. They must take care not to tread on the compost, or render it too compact ; and of consequence, in proportion as (he peat is wet it ihould be made up in lumps, and not much n-ashed or broken. ^^ (n mild weather, seven cart>loadsof lonimon farm>yard dune tolerably fresh made, is suRicieut for twenty -one cart*loads of peau moss ; but in cold weathei, a larger proportion of dun^ is desirable* at leaat it is prudent to omit putting any peat between the two up. per layers of dung, and rather thickeu the outer coaling with peat. It is also proper in winter, if ground with a dry boiloui can be con* veniently employed for the purpose, to increase greatly the breadth of the dunghil, which, in (hat case, may be done without any limit by adding, ail round the dunghil, circles, consisting of layers of dung and peat of seven feet in breadth. And if the mass of the dunghil is thus enlarged, there is little occasion to exceed (ho proportion of dung recommended for making up to prepare in the milder gea<)on ; esftecially if a covering of coarse vegetables of any sort, such as waste hay or straw, rushes, broom, or furze, or brush* urood of evergreens, is thrown over the dunghil. In fact, a cover- ing of this sort is scarce less useful in summer to prevent the escape of moisture, than in winter to exclude cold. *' To every twenty>eight cart»loads of the compost, when made up, it is of use to throw on above it a cart-load of ashes, either made from coal, peat, or wood ; or if these cannot be had, half thequan* tity of slacked lime may be used, the more finely powdered the bet* ter. But these additions are nowise essential to the general succcSi of (he compost, provided a sufficiency of time i» allowed to the pre* paratioD to Compensate for the want of them. ^* The dung to be used should either have been recently made, cr Icept fresh by compression ; as by the treading of cattle or swine, or by carts passing over it. And if there is little or no litter in it, a smaller quantity will serve, provided any spongy vegetable matter is added at making up the compost, as fresh weeds, (he rubbish of a sta< k-yard, potat0e*shaw8, sawings of timber, &c. Aad as some sorts of du* g, even when fre^h, are much more advanced io decom* I position than oihers, it h material to attend to this ; for a much less proportioQ of such dung, especially if abouudiog io aDimal mattt^l 245 4$ is less ndvnnccd, will serve for (be copopost, provided care iiUkeii toke«p the mabs suflricieutly open, either by a mixture of the above uieiitioiied substances, or, if these arc wanting, by adding the peat piece^nieal, that is, first mixing it up in the usual proportion of three to one of dung, and then, after a time, adding ao equal qoao* tity, inore or les'^, of peat. The dung of this character, of greatest quaii'ity, is 8hanible>dung, with which, under the above precautions, six times the quantity of peat, or more, may be prepared. The same holds as to pigeon>dung, and other fuwj.dung ; and to a certala extent, also, as to that which is collected from towns, and made by jinimals that feed on grains, refuse of distilleries, &c. '^ The cumpost, after it is made up, gets Into a general heat soon* cr or later, according to the weather, and the condition of the dung f^ ill summer, in ten days or sooner; in winter, not perhaps for many weeks, if the cold is severe. It always, however, has been found to come on at last ; and in summer, it sometimes rises so high as to tie mischievous, by consuming the materials, (fire-fanging). lo that season, a stick bhould be kept in it in different parts, to pull out and fed now and then ; for if it approaches to blood'heat, it should sithcr be watered, or turned over ; and on such an occasion, advan* tage may be taken to mix it with a little fresh peat*. The heat 8ub> sides, after a time, and with great variety, according to the weather, the dung, and the perfection of the making up of the compost; which then may be allowed to remain untouched, until withia three or four weeks of using, when it should be turned over, upside down, aud outside in, and all lumps broken : then it comes into a second heat, but soon cools, and is fit to be taken out for use. In thii state the whole, except bits of the old decayed wood, appears at black free mass, and spreads like garden-mould. Use it weight for weight, as farmyard dung ; and it will be found, in a course of cropping, fully to stand the comparison/' Hitherto I have treated the subject, as if excrementitions matter alone possessed the power of effecting and accelerating the putrefac- tion of moss ; aud it was this view, which lord Meadowbank chiefly impressed ac first on the publicatteotion ; but many other substances, he afterwards discovered, are endowed with this same capacity.— • ! ■9 lU III June 1796, a rompost viras formed only 2} prat tb I dung : it heated in Joljr beyond the nieaHuie of a liiermometer graJiiated at 1 lO". Part was allowed to stand, part tuiiied over with a hitit mure inoii.'*. Tlirte we(vk» after, (ISth Aa* gust), (he heat of the former had descauded to 64°i while ttet of Ibe latter hiA fptup to above ll«^\ 246^ re*', i ' '- Tr*-" '! ', iv '.■•. I I i'iir f!f :!',!: ■1! i li: I|Im Here my general theory of putrescent manures receives a collaterai and happ^ confirmation ; for it is now found, from a thousand ie« peated trials, that all animal and vegetable substances, which are capable of being converted by decomposition into the food of plants, are also capable of operating on peat-earth, of dissolving the charm of its incorruptibility, of expelling its poisonous and aniibepiic quaU ilies, and of traiisniutini; it into a mosit eliicierit manure. Hence, putrid water, the jujces of the duiighil, the expressions of tiie cheese- press, (he washings of tnilk vessels, soap suds, the oils and juices of green flax, urine of all descriptions, succulent vegetublet uni weeds, dead animal bodies, refuse of fish, night-soil, sea-weed, are all in- vested with the property of generating heat, and assisting the fer- mentation of peat : and composts mry be formed with all these dif- ferent ingredients. The carcase of a dead horse, which is often suf- fered to pollute the air by its noxious effluvia, has been happily employed in decomposing 20 tons of peat-earth, and transforming it into the most enriching manure. This wonderful discovery has exalted the swamps and fens into some degree of agricultural impor* tauce ; and promises a new era in the multiplication and production of white crops. The fertilizing virtue of dung is increased quad- ruple by blending it with this inert matter, and Lord Meadowbaiik, after & long and watchful experience, declares, that the powers and duration of this species of compost, in every diversity of soil, have given returns nowise inferior to the best barnyard dung applied in the same quantity ; and states expressly, that it is equal, if not pre- ferable, in its effects for the first three years ; and decidedly superior afterwards. There are several other views of this subject highly interesting to the farming class, upon which 1 dare not at present enter, as my letters on putrescent manures have already swollen much beyond my original limits : and 1 must leave the additional matter to some future day, when 1 may retrace this path of inquiry. I shall deduce one or two practical observations. I. In a country like this, wheie there are no large towns, except the capital whence the farmer can draw manure, our swamps and bogs offer an inexhaustible supply of this useful and indispensable article. Compost middens form an object of prime importance ; and wherever they have been adopted as part of far.*n-management, tbev liave been followed by results of a most flattering and profitable na* lpre« They have tended to multiply the productions of the eart^i 2i7 lo elevate (he hopes of the husbandman, and lo give a new impuYstf (u Ills usefol labours. Here they would not only be productive of all these effects : but tlicy would arrest the progress of our morasses, by subjecting them lo a waste gradual and constant ; and they would introduce our farmers to an acquaintance with more success* ful modes of augmenting manure, so essential to the ckteuded culti- TatioQ of white crops. II. According to (he practices which have obtained in this pro- vince, we have not above one ton of manure applied to our fields fof- ion which, from the same stock of caflle, are produced in England : and of course, we are not able to cultivate here, with the same means, "^ one acre in ten, wl>*fh nre there under the plough. To such as I: given due attention .o the previous details, this conclusion, which looks so violent and extravagant, can be established by (he most ample evidence : and is quite irrefra^^ablc, >%iihout llenyiug the jireinisbs which iia^c been built both on facts and philosophy. First of all, the one lialf of our putrescible matier is lost entirely by the waste of the urine ; and the other half — the dung — is grossly mis- managed either by the escape of the rich nutritive juices from the (lunghil, or by suffering the putrefactive process to be earned to an pxtrcme length. This is not all : that dung, if composted with peat, would in most cases be augmented fourfold ; and the quality and duration of the mixture are superior, at all events equal to the priucipal original compound. Four tons of manure, then, may be produced from one of dung, and four tons also may be formed frool the nrine discharged by the cattle in the same given time. In a course of experiments by Jjmes Arbulhnot, I'etcrhead, he found *' that 300 cart-loads of moss could be decomposed by drenching it " with 440 gallons of cattle uiine. The foundation of the dunghil '< was laid one foot deep with moss, and l^OgnlloiiS of (he liqucr "thrown upon it. The fermentation ramu on instantaneously, at- " tended with a hissing noise ; the other two layers were then put "on, the one after the other, sprinkled each with the urine, and (he *' same effect was produced. Eight days after, the midden was tuta- " ed, and to all appearance *super-alkalized.'* ii would seem (hen, that both urine and dung, discharged in any given (irne, are of e* quivalent value ; that each of them, if separately applie.l to peat, or moss as it is expressed by Scotch wi iters, would prejiarea quadrnpis' !>;■». t.^i *rsiincr'« MdgaziDe, vol. IQ^ p. 428. £48 •i- unoant of rich and valuable mnnure; and conseqaentty, as the on# here in lost from the construcdon of our barn^, a load of dung is all we have for eight of compost «»hich could be produced from the combined efficacy of urine and excrementitious matter. If we take, further, into account the putrftfactlte qualities of sea* weed, of dead bodies, either horses, cows, or sheep, of common weeds, •nd of many other sobHtances ; I say, if we take into account the power of these in decomposing peat-earth, my general statement will not appear exaggerated, that in this province we have not above one load in ten, which might be procured to replenish the exhausted en* ergies of vegetation. But taking it fur granted, that, with a view to strengthen my argument, I have mngnified the amount of our loss t and that we could only increase our manures six times above the present quantity, thisi concession calls loudly for reform, and es> plains, to the satisfaction of every comnton understanding, themyj* tery of our agricultural poverty. We fling away contemptuously the blessings of Nature and of Providence, and instead of blamin;; dur own ignorance and neglect, we curse the climate and the soil, sit down contented with our present dependent situation, and des* pair of elevating that country on whiih we tread, and which imparts tp us the pleasures of existence, to its proper rank in the scale of national importance. Halifax, January 7, ISltf. AGRICOLA. 11' ■ mm k TO CORRESPONDENTS. I am favoured this week with several letters, although (hey have fallen short of my usual quantity. 1 have one from Mr. William White, county of Cumberland, containing the history of ^ome seed- wheat, which was subjected to a peculinr process from accident and neglect, and which circumstances proved efftfctual in preventing smut. I shall endeavour to publish it ; as the fact Is curious aiid may turn out useful. Ch»nci', both in art and science, has often hit upon the n)o>t important discoveries. 1 have received also the letter of the llcvd. Mr Waddt'lIjContalo* ing his specimens of etymological ingenuity ; and 1 tiiaitk nim for bis kind wishes as to the ultimate success of my plao«. The respective letters f-f I'M ward Mortimer, and Li v?rence Harts* lioruejEsquire.'^jare in my pc^session, to which I shall atteud : and I 24d have got one this night so original, laconic and sententious, from Mr. Oeoifje Gillmore of Ilorton, that i cannot refrain from publish- ing it iu his own words. Halifax, Jcmtary 7th. 1819, «T0 AGIirCOL\, " As faith without woiks is dead, so praiie without food is dead ilso. Do me the honour to accept this turkey at my hands, aad with it receive the warmest wishes of «* GEORGE GILLMORE." I accept thifi, because the first, with thanks ; but I request my friends to seud me in future uo presents, but such as help to advaace my labours. AGRICOLA. i i I LETTER 26. vU Ou iZManuves. lOTTHEN I treated on soil, my readers will remember, that I "^ enumerated and described four earths— and, olav, 'ime, and magiiebia, — as forming its constituent parts. The blendii g of these in vaiious proportions gives rise to all the diversities of light and heavy, of open and close, of fertile and barren, which cover th^. face of our globe, and exercise the ingenuity, patience, and eiiterfnize of the husbandman. In some cases. Nature lays on the sdrfacc only one of the ingredients ; in others, two ; and occasional!), in the exuberance of her bounty, she unites the whole four into a rich and productive coinpound. The more perfect the combination of these primary elements, the more fruitful is the soil ; because each of them, from the very nature of (lieir original constitution, is adapted to an- swer some purpose in the economy of vegetation. Ciay,for instance, gives firmness and consistence, and is well calculated for letaining humidity ; sand, on the contrary, is of a free and porous formation, and admits the roots to range without confinement in quest of their appropriate nourishment. Lime in its caustic state acts as a flecom- posing agent on animal and vegetable matter, aod seems to bring it G2 250 m\ Into a state, In w. h it becomes more rapidly capable of sustalnhf the horbaceous triben b 'K»h soon absorbs carbonic acid from ihe itmosphere, or combine. th it at it is erolfed by putrefaction, iu Btility, io this after sta^e, must be resolved, partly into its union with other earthy ingredients as a requisite towards their proper texture, and partly into its subserviency in the formation of the vegetable fibre. Hence chalks, calcareous marls, and powdered limestone ewe their efficacy to their being essential component parts in a fertile soil,and to the minute portion of their matter in plants, which is detected in the ashes after incineration. Magnesia was long supposed to operate in the same manner it lime, till an outcry was raised against it, and some plausible facts adduced in confirmation of its noxious and poisonous qualities.^ These facts have been explained away by ascribing the mischief, not to the presence but to the superabundance of magnesia : and its ad* Tocatcs have contended, that lime is equally pernicious when applied In excess. The question, therefore, at this moment hangs in even balance; and further experiments must be instituted before it can be satisfactorily solved. Were we to indulge conjecture on the known benignity of Nature, we would infer, a priori, that no origi. ual earth so frequently blended with the soil, could be physically invested with a property destrictive of vegetable life) and at variance with that plan of organized existence, for which the material fabric of creation seems to be reared. From this succinct view it must be evident, that the chief fossil manures are no other than some of these primary earths employed by art to supply the deficiencies of nature, and to subdue the stub* born, inert, and intractable properties of certain soils. They may either be applied, as we 6nd them on the surface or in the bowels of the earth ; or they may be made to undergo certain preparatory processes, which experience has discovered to increase their agency and effect ; and in both of these ways, recourse is had to them for the necessities of agriculture. Sand, I believe, has always been spread in its native state, whenever compounded with soil ; for as far as I recollect in my reading either of ancient or modern writ* ers, no preparation has been resorted to for the purpose of heighten* iiig or perpetuating its loosening powers. Lime, on the other hand, which 1 use synonymously with calcareous matter, has been applied as a manure in its original and native state, as well as after it hul 231 been flubjectcd to calcination : and clay, which in the more ear f/ cftorts of agricultural industry was bleuded simply with light soils, has lately been exfiosed to a strong beat iu kilus, and found to uu- ittertbemost beneticial ends. In the further prosecution of this subject, I shall make some ob- serfations illustrative of the geueral character of fossil manure^:, which will lear^ to a judicious and salutary application, and will lerve to regulate aud enlighten our ideas concerning them. That they are distinct from the putrescent is beyond all controiersy ; and liy contrasting the two, and pointing out the effects peculiar to each, jny readers will be forewarned against error, and will b« prepared to estimate with judgment and precision the tendenry of those rules, which 1 am going to prescribe. It would be a great help to thv right understanding of the present discubsion, if my 13th, 14th, and 15th letters were carefully revised ; because they constitute the basis of that superstructure which is to be raised in this, and some fol- lowing communications. The whole of this theory of vegetation, which I have been at pains to delineate, is not merely consistent with itself, but derives, from a'll its parts, new accessions of light aud il- lustration. There is no jariing amongst its members; no contending elements of opposition ; no difficulties to reconcile ; no laws of mat- ter to thwart or confound; but a harmony and correspoudeuce reign throughout, which are the characteristics of every science built cot on wild and vague hypothesis but on facts, ezperiaents, and observations. Under the guidance of philosophy, agriculture has within th3 last twenty years, made more rapid advances than during the two preceding centuries, and has attained a stability, confiistence, and clearness, which have set aside the disjoined and variable max- ims of our forefathers, and made us regard the directions of the an- cients with a feeling of proud superiority. The writings of Cato and Columella, and the Georgics of Virgil, are vastly inferior, in practi- cal and speculative knowledge, to the reports, memoirs and trans- actions of the present societies in \ixeai Britain ; and the labours of Fi'zherbert, of Evelyn, of Mortimer, of Tull, or of Home, weigh light in the scale of literary merit, and betray extremely crude and imperfect notions of the art. The facts, vihich they collected and handed down to posterity, are still serviceable in directing our in- quiries ; hut their theories and principles resemble a chaos where all is jumbled in the utmost disorder. This method of mixing the primary earths with cacb ether was .U *>52 ,J iff" i| 1 m Wp : » 9 ' "' jHr ip -' ■fC^ '-—♦—. -. ■ » not unknovrn to antiquity ; and it is rorious to obst-rvc, how saTaco nations, nhobe p.i^iiiiu- whs pluiidcr, uud ullo^c bu. ine.ss wuh hut could alii^ht up)ii dihcovpiifs nliiih from their importaiui.- 1^1,1 ▼aliie s(>«»m ihf h-piiinnio i^lfs|)riiig of mo»c I'olihhcd tiiui?s. *l'lii,y tells iiS, ill his Nituriil lii hol!'i'.v plants, jsurh as canes, reeds, wheat, oats, and various grasses, it is i x. , c;iiir^iv strong ; and viewed through a microscope, it a, ; *:ar.^ like u glassy i.n-woik. ile lirst observed, that the e|ii' dt;rni:s .jf itte ratiai) strui k tire vtith steel, and that two pieces of it, ■whe:. rut)l>t>d ttj;eiher, eiuilted spaiks. This ltd to the discovery, thai ih- ..piueituisuf ,>lar.t.s i. chi?ll) conij)C'^ed of silictous earth, or fii:.! ; tu )• 1)8 i'ii k- «Li' cca^ii g fieleuds the tender plants from the puiictci.' ofiribotts, fial rej ves the same purpose to them as shells to •U'lo- j; niutti -die s novii!:iis. i|ni ft>i lili.ss'iiinni af»ium cnJpnte*, fniacunqn* teria ii.lia ti-. s pedts tliossa,ci ijeilali cias>biiudiue iujtcta, isiclitjceut. Wjnv.i Lit). 17, caj). 6. «5:j VlUh MUr, taiut- ;iinJ )0 ilili.llMt. urn with a feet from li of ililltif. ml Itiat liii compound L'rO|iS, and Sit 11)0 ^iac> tUeir hus. itied up \h« mould was •ure are frc iliciie S(atu9, buiiit tinie, the giouiid* !n«'ch;inical |Sir 11. Davy which seciu conclusion, rk is cover, calle'i the of decay ; and various miero.icope, hat tlie e|/i* pieces of it, discovery, us earlh, or nts from the as shells to liceut. i'linj.i puny of the Inset t (rili?s. This clearly demonstrates, that llfiog vtXi'tuhli's ure cndowc'l with an eiiertjy, hy which ihey can imbibe ki niucii ,and others of the shell tribe, iiin tnke in ms much calcareous eurlh UH is re(|ui!>itc for fubrliatiiig thiit testaceous hubiutioii iu Miiuh I hey ait; eikveloi>t'd for dcfencu or ornament ; or as man ran, towards the con.^lilutioii and formation of his bones which piinci* pally consist of the phospiiaie of time. Hu( it would he folly to con- tend, b>'cause Hint in jilantv, and lime in animals, are found, in small ijuaiititics, to serve some special purposeM inliu-ir organization, that ihf'se earths cnnitituti' their fond. W»' know from ex|)erience, that (In: human budy is suslainud by nnimitl and vegetable substances, inil that plants live on putrescent manuies ; and although therefore, t minute and incoii^iderabl portion of the e piimary earths is dc- icr'cd on a chemical analysis of their siiucture, the genc'ral conclu- ^ion regarding their aliment is b) no ir>caiis overturned. Neither h a wholesome and nutritive meaU which is an excellent sutislitute for Hour ; and although not so palatable at first, vsill come by a liitle use, to be relished in an equal degree. — Oats in Nova Scotia never fail as a general crop ; and with their assistance, should any calamity befal our wheat, w»; could contrive to struggle through the year. Oatmeal and hhelled barley will be the first Ip'iding stcjis to iiidependence,and will pave the way for that increase of capital in the hands of (he agricultural classes, which is essential to a spirited and anient activity. Poverty depresses the mind, paralyzes eneigy, and withers the o[)cning buds of national euterprize. AGllKX)LA. MOMiH Amherst^ J anuari/ 7, IS 19. TO AGillCOLA, Annexed, you will jierceivethe names of the geutlemfn who com- |)Ose the " Cumberland Agricultural Society i" and also the sums, Hhich they have respectively subscribed in furtherance of the objects which the society bus in view. There were about seventy persons at the meeting ; sixty of whom bccanc members, and many oihers who were pievcuted from attending by accidental and necessary causes, have signified their intention of joiuing at the next meeling. As it may suit anoi-ymous writers to re^). ^scut our Society, to bt 112 H ,.. t>^ l'^ J hi. MmposccI of the lower order of the inhabitants of the County of CumberlanJ : you will probably think proper to give the list of i^ members, and their subscriptions to your printer for publication : it will be seen by it that the '^ Cumberland Agricultural Socieiy " comprises a large portion of the Ma/i^istracy, and of the respectabil. ity of this county. You have also annexed, a copy of a letter, ad* dressed to one of the members of our committee by Mr. John Mc. Farlane, a man, rcNiJing at Fox Harbour in this county, whosa character entitles his statement to be readily believed. You will no doubt consider the information therein contained interesting ; not •nly because it is a proof from actual experiment, of the beneficial tflfects whi(h will flow, from the general introduction of the drill system into the province ; but hIso, because it shews, that farmers will not neglect communicating to the public the results of their ex- perience when proper channels are opened for that purpose. These channels arc the agricultural societies of each district, the heoelits arising from the institution of which you have so ably and so elegant* ly described. Dr. Purdy the secretary of our county, not having received any communication from the secretary of the Provincial So. ciety, authorizing him to correspond ; and the proceedings of the latter, not being yet extensive enough to be put in the shape of a for* mal report ; 1 have taken the liberty of informing you of our pro. gress. The society closed its mectiivg with reiterated thanks to Agricola. I am much j^ratified, by your requesting my correspon- dence, and I shall take ;iii early opportunity of sending you a few remaiks on the state of agriculture in this county. I am sir, your very humble servant, J. S. MORSE. A list of sixty subscribers acrotrpanies this letter ; and the gro?* sam of doaatioiis and subbcrif>ti >ns amounts to ^H 11 7 8 currency. TO AGRICOLA, Dorchester^ January 6thy 1819. It may seem strangr i-"( I Imve never sent you either the designa- tion of our society, > co r.i lution ; but the one is not yet deter- mined, and the of! r i$ nrt ( f npleted. — I am of opinion it will com. prtbend the whole v.;ty ^ 'hin its boundaries^ aud should tbatbs 259 ihecase, It will be designated " The Sydney Agricultural Society," add its constitution will be so framed (at least so lar as we are able to (io it) as to make its iiiHuence to be fel(, aud its benefits to extend over all its dejjartments. — We have already commenced a correS|joa" deoce on the subject with Manchester and St. Mary's ; and as Col. Cutler is engaged in the correspondence with Manchester, 1 have Qodoubt as to its favourable result. We mean also to open a cor* reiipondence with Pomquet, Tracadie, and the Giui of Canso.— -In (he mean time I have been endeavouring to obtain ao intimate ac- quaintance with every point to which it m^y be proper to direct our ttiention ; such as, the quantity of cleared land, distinguishing what has been under the plough, from what is yet under the stumps ; the number of acres thut were sowed last year, and the dilTerenl sorts of graiu that were put into them ; the quantity of each sort of grain that is exported f I om the county, and the quantity that has been ground at the mills ; the amount of live-stock, distinguishing tbs kinds, sexe to importation ; which will not only prevent the caph from htinij carried out of the county, butenrourouc thefarmers to jirrsovpro in their exertioog, till they shall bo able to carry part of tluir produce to other markets. Resolved, Tiiat the only effectual means for obtaining this impor- tant end, will be the introdoction, and general use, of an imptovei! system of husbandry, such as is now successfully practiced id Kng. land and Scotland. Resolved, That the purest method of introdncing such a system into general use throughout this county, will be the establishing an ngricaltural society, to be called *' The Liinenlmrvr Farmer Sociely.^'' Resolved, That such of the persons present in this meeting, as are inclined to become members of such society, do immediately give iii their names, and then choose a few persons as a committee to draw up rules for the government of the society, to be reported to a gene- ral meeting, to be held jii the same place, upon tlie 20(h day of Jan- nary next ; and when such rules are agreed upon, the members shall elect such office-bearers as may be judged expedieat for managing the affairs of the society. Resolved, That these resolutions shall be made as public as pos« elble throughout the county, and that an invitation shall be held out to those land proprietors and farmers, who have not attended this meeting, to come forward at the next general meeting, and give their support to this most important public measure. FRANCIS RUDOLF, chairman. REMARKS. Mr. Morse's communication with the list of subscribers, can only inspire one predominant feeling — a feeling, to which I dare not give utterrnce, least I lose all moderation. The late paper thrown into the columns of the YreQ Press, and signed a Farmer, is symp- tomatic of bad humour, and is the (irst indication publicly given, that there are men amongst as, who view the progress of the present ge- neral rising in favour of agriculture, with sentiments of enmity; and who will lay hold of every trifling circumstance to undervalue and embarrass such as are most active. What although the meeting 261 h(i(| not been numerously attended ! What although ihe sheriff had not been present ! What allhou({h even some irregnlar steps had heen taken ! Should not every true friend to the interests of that county overlooli. such petty matters ; and as (he society is formed, and now supported by magisterial atui iesp«ct»«ble name*, bury in the grve of a generous patriotism his individual wrongs and mortiGca- lions. Our present happy prospects will come to nought, if this criticising and captious spirit be so ficcly iudiiiged— unworthy of (rue nobleness of soul, and plainly evincing a maftked hostility. No pu'.lic measure, in a small community, can be conducted to give uni- vevial satisfaction, or even conducted without many faults. The friends and approvers of it cover these with thcJiwantle of charity ; its open or diss^uiiiid upposers anxiously point them out, and expose tiiem to the world. I am pleased that i\Ir. Trotter is ''ndeavPHrliig to extend the limit* of the association to the whole of Syduf^y ; and I shall wait with some solicitude the event of his Jaud;*hle eil'ort'i. The resolutions fron» Lunenburg did not reach me till the 14tk inst. and I fear that their insertion is too late for the purpose in- tended ; but the publishing of them is not lost, as they give another proof of the spirit of the country in behalf of our first, our best, and our dearest interests. Mr. Iludolf will please communicate early the result of the next meeting. ACRICOLA. Halifax, January ir., 181<». . ^k LETTER 27. On iManwYes, IN the year 1806, I was one afternoon leaning over the grave of Burns, and reading the plai'i inscription on his tomb-stone erected in the church-yard of Dumfries. This town was the con- cluding scene of the Scottish Bard ; and here terminated his follies Lod his crimes, the last breathings of his muse and of hia life. t was indulging in one of those moods, in 'which pain and pleasure are so equally blended, that the mind is thrown into a sort of delight* ful melancholy : for while I retraced many gay and lively recollec- tions, I was forced by present objects to check the rising eoiotious. tOf i':- 4^ and embitter tbem with grief. His eochftotiug and splendul verses were contrasted, in the eye of fancy, uith the dnrk shades of his character ; (h« strength and manly independence of his intellect wit!) the silly and inconstant waverings of his moral perceptions ; the bright and promising morning of his life with the ominous and black cloud, which settled on the evening of his days. I was rivetted to the spot ; tears filled my eya ; my whole soul was absorbed in con- templation ; it was a moment of rich enjoyntent. A slow and falter^ ing step struck my ear,and turning round 1 discovered an emaciiited, but venerable fi«;ure approaching, in the last decrepitude of old ag;e, *' Stranger, said he, you a>'e paying the tribute of resject to the memory of our poet ; aciu I must beg pardon for this abrupt intru. «ion."— There -'S such an air of good nature in the old man, heightened by the sense of his helplessness, that I addressed him frankly in reply, and showed no reluctance to engage in conversa- tion. — He sketched to me, with all the loquacity characferistic of his years, the habits, the faults, the drunken broils ef the man, while at the same time he appeared an ardent admirer of the faith- ful colouring,the playful wit, the winning sprightliness of the writer, ^^Come, said he, along with me to the hillock where Burns alternately brutified his senses, or exalted them by the varied inspir- ations of his lyre." I accompHiii(;d him, and we ascended together the mound of earth, on the top of which is the seat — once the favour- ite haunt of this immortal and extraordinary geni : ; and alike re* markable for witnessing his (its of intoxication, and in favoured in- tervals, bis etfusions of poetic rapture. It is still shown to the curious, lies within the precincts of the town, and commands a fine prospect of the surrounding country. We seated ourselves on the grassy turf ; and grown familiar by an interchange of sentiment, we conversed on the most intimate fooling.— From Burns we soon pass- ed to other topics, possessing novelty or interest. ** The country, said I, in every direction around, and wherever I have travelled, ii^ mostly arable, and highly cultivated. The red aod white wheats prevHil univereally, and are sown seemingly by the far- scrs in equal quantities." *' Yes ; replied the old man, there is a wonderful change inthi* district, since 1 was of your ago ; for 1 can recollect the time, whca there were neitlinr inctosnrcs tior wheat in all this country. '^Isit po«sioli', 1 answered, that all these improvements are of %o recent a dale, at; to bs vkiihiu the reach of your remembraDce. I eJ'.v-.; .' iOa les of \m leci witli oiis ; the md hlaik ivetted to ;d i(\ con* nd falter* Mnai'iated, ' old age. lect to tin •upt intru- old man, rcssed him I conversa* cferistic of the man, r the faith* the writer. lere Burns ried iiispir* d together thefavour- d alike le* voured in* wn to the ands a fine Ives on the timentjvre soon pass* I wherever I the red and by the far* mge in tbi« [time, whcB lents are of ibrance' I siiould like, if yau would relate to me (he ancient state efthe csan* try the condition of the tenants, and the progress of ajjriculture." That 1 bhall do with all my heart, rejoined my acquaintance, hif eyes brightening as he spoke ; for like myself he teemed fond of the subj'^ct. I was born, continued he, in 1719 in Lochmaben, and am now 87 jears of age. The oldest thing I recollect, is the great riot which toolt pliiCe, throughout the whole of this shire, in 1724, In conse- fliieiice of the landed proprietors beginning to enclose their estates on purpose to stock them with black cattle. The sinall tenants were tarn- fA out, to moke way fur thiii improvement : and the ground was feDC* eilby a sui'k ditch and wall, called then park-dikes. Great distress was felt in the conntry on account of this alteration ; and the tenan- try rose in a mob, and with pitchforks, spades, and mattocks pro* ceeded to level all these enclosure, from the one end of the country tothe other. My fathrr was unfortunately concerned in that dis* lurbance ; and after it was quelled by the help of two troops of dra- goons brought from Gdinburgb, he was banished to the American plantations for his crime. I lived afterwards, and was brought up with my uncle in Nithdale, about 20 miles hence, who rented there a small farm of 100 acres, and I assisted him in working it. The general produce of oil this country was grey oats ; although the gen* tleinen in their croft or best lands raised also a little bear or bigg, and some white oats ; yet the soil was by all men believed incapa- ble of producing \;heat ; and accordingly it was never tried. Our common food consisted of these grey oats parched, or burned out of the car and ground in a hollow stone by the hand ; of milk ; of *kail ; of groats ; with never more than one ewe killed at Martinmas for the family. The houses were generally built of mud, and cover- ed with thatch ; and the cloathing was of plaiuing — a coarse twill- ed siulF manufactured at home, from the black and white wool mix- ed together. Iliits and shoes were only worn by the gentry ; and even they often appeared at church with a coat of their wives' mak- inij. Potatoes were not introduced till 1725, and at first were cul- tivated with much care, and in small patches. They were carried to (he great towns on horses' backs, and retailed at an high price bjr pounds and ounces. It was about the year 173.'>, when they came into common use, and before that period, there was often great scar- *A !ii»erie» of greens ustd in Scotland for broth and called Colewort, a « ■»f: Hi! city of fooJ, ■ometimes burdeiiiif; oii famiiio in this fine couftfr/, which was then aciouiited in('U|)at)lc of riil.->ii)g bread for its scanty population. Duiofries at prckcnt contains mure iiihabiiitiit;«; ;uul intersect the whole landscape. A few shcp|) mid black catiU; |ii Iw'd the scanty herbage , and they were prevented from eating the i;rovringcori , eiiherhya herd-boy who tended them, or by a temporary fence erected every year. The common people very often collected iu:ltle» in the field, of which they made a kind of coarse iews have not been altered for the last 20 years of my life. Seven- ty years ago, in 1738, (here was no lime used for building in D"'"' fries, except a little made of cockle shells, burnt at ColTcnd. and •I'urzc. f-.y. : ; ■■ ! ^(?:.v couftlrjr, tit kiauty XWU ttldll c jirodui;* usliaiuir), otlicr side lys, which lies of rt'al prevented , of bridges natioti, and re us cover* ugle veptigfi t the whole ty herbage ; either hy a reeled tvcry iu the field, ith oatmeal, ixury. The le in the ex- 1 ill lodeed ; iulroduclion home reason, it conueiion |e success on Ik u[io\\ it as L, and I call* lutinent. |kI my present life. Seven- Iditig ill l^"'"' IColvcud, and »r.iu>,'ui on horses' backs a t ' ; i of twenty two miles. All the liouses wereeiihercom|)C)sed of mud^walls, strengthened by upright l,(.>ts nnd these b«>ui)d and connected together by wattled IwIks ; or till > were built of stone lald| uot in niortarj but in clay or moist loam. The whole town was a collection of dirty^ mean, and frail hovfl", never t:tz ':(ling one story ; because the materials had uot <;liriik>'h or rirmness to bear more. These buildings were so perish- ahic, and stood in need of such constatjt propping) that people ne« tir thought of expending time, labour, and money on (he comforts ifa habitation, which wastufall into ruins during thecourseof their lifetime. Old Frovost iielTs liuuse, which was founded in 1740| is the only one now remaining of the ancient town i and although the under story was built with clay, the two upper were laid in lime which i:^ the cause of its long standing. IJilweon the years 1750 and 1760, the old mud*walls gave plac* to those of stonelaid in mortar ; and from that period, there hasbeea a visible tind rapid improvement. Houses acquired permanence, de- scended from father to son, and the labours of one generation were eiijuyed by the next. To lime, then, we owe these stately edifices^ with all the comforts and convcnicncies they confer ; and it hence contributed, in a remarkable degree, to the refinemeut and polish of pritate life. If to this fossil, continued the old man, we arc indebted for the Mability of our towns, we are under greater obligations for its un- precedented effects on the powers of the earth. Wheat and clover would not thrive in the county of Dumfries, or in the Stewartry of Kirlicudbright, till lime was plentifully incorporated with the soil : and after its introduction, the farmers became rich, lai\d advanced in value, the produce was multiplied tenfold, population increased, and these counties quickly rose to their present unexampled pros- perity. In my younger days, it cost much toil ts raise on my uncle's farm 2 or '2| bolls of grey oats per acre, and after taking one or two crops, the ground lay for four or five years in natural grass, which was coarse and unpalatable to the cattle. The rent — only 2s. Gd. per acre — we found great dilTicuIty in scraping together, and we fell on a thousand shifts to accomplish it. Now; the same farm is rent- ed at £3 10 per acre, is kept under constant cropping, rears ex- cellent wheat, is wholly drained and enclosed, supports a genteel fa- I nily in all the comforts of life, and oue year's rent of it is doubl* I 2 .., . >"A r U'.-.,. ] 'It 1 1 ^ the sum, which coald have pvirihahed it allogether 65 years b/^o.-^ it is time, thai has wuriisf' u n.cilorated lt>e boil, that has endoiv ed it with productive puwer > iid hnt supports all the plenty and proipcrity you ha«e been admiring, aR )ou travelled through the (li** trict.-~— He paused ; 1 luik' d in his fare, and a kIow of animatiftn had overspread the paleness o( age. Ilis right hnnd was extended io an impressive pnstuic, and his left rested on his stnfT. The penril of Titian could not have done him half justice. I rose and boMed ; wc came down together, and I retired to m) npnrtmcnt in the inn, to note down the particulars of (his interesting conversation. In thii province wc have fortunately an immense abundance of lime ; although hitherto it has been much iief^h'cted, and scarrely applied to use. The benefits of mixing it with the soil seem not to have struck our farmers with the forte, which the importance of the eubjeit merits : and the few trials which have been made, have been conducted with so little skill, and fallen so much short of expecta- tion, that the value of this incslimHlde fossil hns not been suiTirienlly prized. The cheapness of land, the decided preference in favour of the grazing system, the easy and independent circuni«taiic'e3 within the reach of moderate industry, the natural productiveness of a new country, have all operated in repressing the elastic spring of vigorous and spirited exertion. The toil and expense of burning and cartiog lime to the extent of 150 bushels to an English acre. Mould have been viewed like an Herculean effort by men, who had encountered the hardships of cutting down the forest, to procure subsistence.— There was, moreover, in the early settlement of the country, less ne- cessity for the application of this beneficial manure. The exuber- ance of vegetable matter incorporated with the soil, and whioli had accumulated for past ages by the annual decay of leaves and plants, yielded liberal returns under the most careless cultivation. The marshes and intervals, and, at times, the deep loamy uplands were put under (he most rit(orous and unsparing system of exaction, and crop after crop succeeded each other, till the original richness of the soil was drained. When it refused to pay back the seed and labour, it was abandoned to natural herbage, and allowed to regain iti strength by the healing process of nature. Weeds and gra^'Ses sprung up indiscriminately, and contended on equal terms for the mastery of the soil : and there are at present vast trart<:, which the occupiers are afraid to break up, because the weeds would instantly Start into life, and choke vrhatever graia would be intrusted te the 2G7 earth. New lands, in such circumstanrfs, have been Bought after t« furiii< now huppily ripe for a change. The agricultural cbtises are begiunin^ to utudy their profeiiiiion with keen- ness and ei'.'!iusla>'m. INew und more liberal ideas are gaining the ascendant ; a xpirit of enterprise hau gone forth ; the noble, the wealthy, the wiiie arc striving with each other to raise our pro^>ii-a(e iiid fallen o^riculture (o some sort of eminence ; and u (ow years of jucli promise will niter the complexion of our uffitirs. Itij inconceivable what etfect lime has on the productiveness of (b« earth. Fhilosophers have invcst'iga cd its nature and properties, to find out the secret spell by whiih it wuckn ; and while sonic havs attributed the eifect to its povter of decomposing putrescible matter) or to its affinity forcaibonic acid, others huvea'-cribcd it lo^he chuuga iflVcted on the constitution of the soil. All, however, are agreed} that no land, after its fi t and natural richness has been exhausted by cropping, can continue fertile wi'hout a mixture of this fossil. Iti use was the first thn g which revived English agriculture after it bad long languished in the most abject state ; and the first thing t00| which raised Scotland to opulence and iudepeodence. Lime, as a manure, has found its way into France and Germany ; and it is blended with the soil along the shoies of the Baltic. In southern latitudes this mineral manure is more generally applied, either incor« parated wild clay in the shapeof marl, or combined with the sulphur- ic acid in that of gypsum. This whole province seems to rest on calcareous formations ; and liiDRstone and plaster rock< protrude every where on the surface.—- Nature has thus secured its perpetual fertility, by di8pen<;ing in such exhaustless profusion (he fossil manures. The only difference be- tween these two substances is in their chemical combination, for the base of both is the same : limestone being a carbonate, and plaster, a sulphate of lime. The last of these is regularly exported to the United States as an indispensable dressing ; and is there found to lovigorate and quicken the principle of legetatioD. Here it is ne- glected, except as an article of commerce ; and it is generally repot- ed to he totally useless on our lands. Of all this ( am not only doubtful, but incredulous ! ani I with that some experiments were iustituted to set the question at rest : for without the testimony of stubborn and well-attested facts, no man can believe that tbc sub- stance which Icrtilices in Maryland and New-York, and now in 4 I i1- MassBchasetts, will be inoperative in Nova-Scotia. I am nwan that climate exercises over the vegetable kingdom a mighty uud Im- perious dominion ; and that the eflfects of gypsum here may he kss ttrikiiig, and perhaps less profitable ; but that it is altogether iiiefli. cientis so incompatible with the known principles of order and uiii. formity, which prevail throughout the laws of matter, that every one has a right to suspend hisjudgnient, till the foundation of this opiu* ion be given to the public. But waiving this questionable point in the mean time, there can be no doubt of the utility of lime. In all Northern climates it hat produced wonderful benefits ; has been tried here lately with sue cess ; and is scattered with sufficient liberality to justify its general introduction. I recommend it warmly to the friends of agriculture, and 1 hope this recommendation will not be lost. It is beginniufr to attract pretty general attention, has been searched for with care in several parts of (he province, and preparations are now making for a fair and full experiment in spring, From my own observation, and from the notices of my correspondents, I find tliat it is met with inmost of the townships and districts, not in detached rocks, but ▼cry often in wide^spreading and extensive masses ; and where it has not yet been discovered, as in the county of Annapolis, this, 1 trust, has been rather owing to the want of diligence in the search than to the unkindly parsimony of nature. The society in operation there would do well to direct their first efi'orts, and bestow their first pre. miums in this line of inquiry. It is singular, that throughout all that vast county neither limestone, gypsum, chalk, nor marl hare been detected ; although these substances abound in similar situa- tions, and in fact are strewed around with the most careless prodir gality. Limestone has been found in the eastern division of the province, in the middle and northern districts, and also in those of the west. lu Sydney it is met with as a common article, and is frequently scat- tered on the soil. It abounds in Pictou-!»iland, although the quali* ty be very inferior and stained with a dark admixture— on the East and West Rivers flowing into the haebour — and also along the sea. shore. In Stewiai k it exists abundantly, although till of late, the farmers in that settlement were ignf^rant of the fact, and vere in the practice of bringing from a distance what was needed for the purposes of building. In JVlusquodoboit, the one side of the river is ao un- ",'ii Fr ■* I.* am nwarc, tiroken chain of lime rock of lUr i:. est and purest quality, and is bo arcessible in itself and so close to the forest, that it can be buroed for a small expense, not exceeding four pence per bushel. From (his point traversing the province northward, we encounter it again ill the rivers of Colchester, and in the North Mountain at Onslow e it meets us at the River Philip, at Amtierst, at Napan and Maccan in Cumberland ; and no doubt in sovernl other places, which I can- not particularize. It is found along the \t hole course of the Shuben* aradie, and towards its mouth, the eastern bank is one solid mass of lime. Across the river about half a mile below Fort Ellis, it iTieets our eye in Douglas, and extends aloni; the left bank in detached blocks to the sea ; and travelling southward, we discover it consti- tuting the bed of the Nine Mile River; and from thence running back through Hants ('ounty till it terminate in Windsor in great abundance and vast variety. These, although numerous, are far from being the only places where this fossil is to be procured. It is plen- tiful at Gay's and St. Andrew's Rivers, at the Black Rock, and tx- i>ls in considerable quantities interspersed through the soil in all that quarter. It is in ample profusion at Chester, and is wrought and burned there to much advantage. Along the western shore, it iifound in many creeks and harbours, and the kilns here are mostly supplied from (hat division of the province. [Jme is found of extremely difTerent qualities ; and in proportion (s science comes to enlighten our practice, we will turn our attention (0 the character of the rock from which this fossil is taken. Pure limestone consists of nine parts of carbonic acid, and eleven of cal- nreous earth : and of course, in llie process of burning — which is fmployed solely to expel the acid by the action of red heat, it will lose f)-'20ths of its specific weight as drawn from the kiln. Shells (if first quality will require more than their own weight of water to slake them ; and every one bushel, when reduced to powder, will measure three. — When the line is intermixed with sand, flint, or clay, its loss in calcination wil! be less, the shells will yield a smaller proportion of powder, and what is still more curious, will require a less quantity of water. As there are great inequalities in the mix- ture of these foreign ingredients, so the product in ponder and the quantity of water used in sliking, may be employed as certain measures of the value of the limestone. — The colour, to a certain cx- teatalso, asceitains the purity ; but this cannot be relied en infalli- "lyp as there may be a portion of magnesia in ombinatiyn, whigh, :y<>4 .m U 270 •n account of its equal whiteR<'ss, cannot be discriminatfd by the eye. It is plain, that when our different rocks come to be wronght, these tests will be of infinite advantage, and point out to the farmer and mason, those whirh will yield the most calcareous emth—the substaoce which both of them are in quest of, for the purposes of their respective arts. To the farmer it is an object, to cart the lime, when fresh from tiie kiln. By exposure to the atmosphere, this earth attracts carbonic acid, and retarns to its original weight, usually in the proportion of a twentieth part each of the first five or six days ; but if spread out to the air, rccoveis it much more rapidly. While it is light of car- riage, it should be transported to the soil with which it is intended to be mixed, instantly slaked, and titen scattered und harrowed on the surface. Delay here is of perniiious tendency if ineit vegetable matter is to be acted un ; as the ( austicity of the lime or its power of decomposing animal and vegetable matter, is most active in its simple State, before its affinity has been exerted on the carbor:ic acid of ihe atmosphere: but if the application h meant to improve the earthy textare of the Suil, or to supply calcareous matter to the vegetable organization, there is no necessity for such haste, as this fossil, con. bidered as a carbonate, is of infinite value to the farmer, and more over is supposed by some Inquirers to be f>eculiarly useful in this lat- ter case. Directions* are even given against using it in the foimer paHicalarly in soils rich in putrescent manure, because it lessen!) the solubility of those compound products that go directly to th>^ nutri* mtBt of the plant. AG III CO LA, Halifax, January 17, 1610. TO COrtKESPONUENTS. I am not eo puiictual, I doubt, in acknowledging my correspoii* clenis,as the importance of their information, and their anxiety for the success of my efforts, deserve. In looking over ray file of letters, I perceive one from Horton — written with great rare, and touching a subject of some interest Mr. Hunt complains bitterly of the dif- ference of price between tools fabricated in England and Nova Scotia, Davy's Asricultuial Cbemistrv, page 320,321. S7f tefl by the J wrooglit, the farmer eiirth — the puri>oses of :sh from tlit ;ls carbonic Ojjortiou of f {.pread out light cf car- t is intendeJ harrowed on Brt vegetable r its jjower of ! ill its simjile c acid of the ve the earthy the vegetable is foshil, con- and to strengthen his argament, iiiatitutes a coeapartson in figures $ and be proposes that a shop, under the dircctioo of each agricultural body, should be erected for muking and mending implements of hus- bandry, and supplying these to new settlers at more moderate rates, thiiu ihose at which they can be now obtained. 1 ha»e a communication, also, from Mr. Dawson, in reply to the notice I g«ve the public regarding the preservation of turnips during fainter, ile has adopted here, he says, the Scotch practice, and Giidg it compleiely sucoessful. On rising ground, he dug a pit 2^ feet deep, and filled it with roots nearly to the surface. He then spread over thein a quantity of straw, and above it, a course of turf with the green side downward. The earth thrown out was then strewe>d over the whole to the thickness of ten or twelve inches ; and the work completed by cutting a drain all round, at the distance of three feet, tD carry off the surface water. In the month of March last, he took them up in excellent order, having neither been rotted nor affected with frost* In exposed situations he recommends a greater thickness tfearth, and by digging the pit a little deeper a sufficient quantity could be provided for the purpose. He has said nothing on a point connected with this subject, which tome farmers dwell upon — that turnips will beat^ if more than 40 bushels are buried in one place. I request his attention to (his ques- tion : and call on my correspondents for further experiments and in- formation. I am apprised from Cornwdliig, that a society-^rlMinct from that atHorton— hasbeen instituted •■• d has proceeded to the appointment of annual officers, and of a cCiUiitle?. As my information is not otFicial, nor direct from the jT'-iident or secretary, I shall withhold the names till I hear throa?h (he regu?fir channel. The gentlemen ap]mintcH, however, I k'lot' perHonally j, and I congratulate the dis- trict on the chclce. AGUICQLA. wi y correspcn* r anxiety fof file of letters, and touchipj ;rly of the dif- d Nova Scotia, iT LE IT 1511 ^8. HE endeavours which hnve been made by the British farmerSj more especially within the last thirty years, to give tba fields '.> 'Ml.. t ■ t Mi;.; b^ ^i-') '^!' ^ onder their management a ttjui. .,, coating of lime, have been itn. exampled in (he former history of (he co;in(ry. So generally hag this species of ^UeHsing been adopted, notwithstanding the vast expen* ditiire of capital required, that few soils have been neglected in ihr; prevailing ardour for improvement. This fossil, in many cases, hag 'been transported to an immense distance by sePj and afterwards hj Haud carriage into the interior of the country. ft has been deemed SO efir .'ivf^and essential, that tlie cultivator has spared no ex|)euse to regul' 'c;and command the fertility which it was supposed to con- fer ; and with a commendable zeal and assiduity he has strewed it on the upland and the valley, on the cultured field as well as on the meadow, on dry and light etjuaily as on moist and heavy soils. h has been tried in nil situations, under every conceivable change of circumstaBces, in all seasons of the year, and with at> infinite diver- »ity of proportions. — The territorial domains of the empire can >vith justice be said, to be now complete!) incorporated with this mineral substance- Iliils, v hich from their elevation and steepuess were incapable of regular tillage, and were manifestly designed fur pasturage, have been limed on the surface, to strengthen and sweet* en the heibage : and moors, which were covered with heath, Hud according to appearance doomed to eternal sterility, have been re- claimed from their natural wildness by its liberal application. In the hand of the agriculturist, it has been found to be the grand agent, by which the "wilderness and the solitary piece could be made to rejoice," and by which the inert, poisonous,and infertile pro* perties of certain soils could be mastered and overcome. To itselVici. encv in a great measure, may Ix^ ascribed the admitted trans- ccndtnce of British agriculture, and the increase of those national resourc'is,which enabled the country to feed her growin*< popuiffion, and to struggle for twenty years against the French republic in ll;jt memorable and brilliant -vvarfxre, during which every scheme was exhausted by the enemy, to cut off her usual imports of corn, and throw her back upon the products of her agricultural industry. The operation of the lierlin and Milaii decrees, and the unjasiiliahle de» claration of war on the part of (he I'nited States elTected, towardj the close of the contest, what would have been ruinous to Great Britain at the commoncemeut. — Bonaparte actually succeeded iu j shutting the continental and American ports; ; and while lie vainly | fancied, that he could starve his antagonist into submission, he seems | to have forgotten, that the plough was making, all ilie while, uiiparo 273 >■ jilelcil proijress and was providing a sufficiency for internal consump- tion. Thus, the meditated downfal of the empire laid the founda- tion of its grandeur ; and rich in wealth, in manufactures and in foii, it arhie?ed and dictated a peace by which its power was coiiso- liJaled, its glory secured, and the tranquillity of Europe esta'jiished. If iime has exerted so extensive and beneficial an influence on the cultivation of the liiitish territory, it is high time for us in this pro- vince to investigate its nature, and make trial of its effects. Although we are threatened by no foreign enemy, and rest fearless under the wing of (he parent and protecting state, evils of another nature, and of most formidable aspect call for the exercise of that energy t)y which alone we can be saved. It is not possible, that wo can go on to purchase our bread from our neighbours ; and unless some new and unexpected source of prosperity open, ^e must eithor raise or want it. Of this all men seem now to be sensible ; and there is not only an active but a generous and patriotic spirit at work, to make the most of our resources, in various quarters, our farmers are busted inquarrying and haling lime, and more of that fovsil will be incor- porated with the soil in the approaching spring, than has taken place since the discovery and occupation of tho country. The la- bour is great ; but the reward is glorious. The melioration of the earth by the admixture of lime is not, like dung, an evanescent but a stable and permanent improvement, which will descend to our off- spring. After ages will look back to our efforts, and mention them with honour. Those patriots, who now step forward from the throng of vulgar minds, and take a decisive and conspicuouii part in the present agricultural revolution — those, who are unfettered by the orejudices of education a.ir' early habit, and unmoved by the op[)0- jition of ignorance, shall be enrolled in the illustrious-, records of fu- turity, f.s the benefactors of the colony and the fatheij of iis improve- ment. The more arduous the task assigned to the present goncra- tion,the more splendid does it become. We have not only to extir- pate and subdue the forest, but to found the beginning^ of those I towns and cities with which the face of the country, at no distant I day, will be animated and adorned ; and also to blend with the na- tural soil the primitive earths essential to fertility. Thus, by the present excitement of public enterprise we are not merely to benefit ourselves, but our children. Every bushel of lime compounded with [Itie earth is a blessiug to oations unborn : and in regarding our ex- K 2 > ^i tn ertions ia this light, the labours of (he husbandman Wecome allied t» public virtue, and are eacircled with the wreath of immortality. Xbe iahabitaDts of Europe who thicken upon its soil, and when compar- ed to us, are as twenty to one on the same numerical surface, oivt- their public roads and bridges, their navigable canals, their villaije, and towns, their fruitful, cultivated and cleared country, to the pro. genitors who begat them and whose clFurts, pursued through succej. five ages, conferred on the earth its superior productiveness and up. on the climate its comparative mildness and benignity. The popu* lation which swarm in uld countries, are sustained not exclusively by their own toil, but by the sweat which trickled down the btowuf their forefathers : and we have many ditficulties to contend Mitl),aad many hardships to encounter, from which our progeny wiil be ex< emptcd. In the further illustration of this subject, 1 shall throw out a few hints, first, on the best mode of burning, and secondly, ufappl^in^j lime; and conclude with a description of its cil'ecu uu the ^>ruu:MJ of vegetation. I an) iiware, that the didactic form which these letters ofi^u as- sume, renders them less popular and pleasing ; and that these techui< cal divisions interrupt that How of language which is so captivaiiii|; to a liberal and refined taste ; but as my aim, both in the contrivance and execution of this woik, has been, not tu give a specimen ofela< borate and elegant com|)u:>i(ion, but lu lay do^n a few pluiii rulcitu ordinary readers, I have in all cases Sbcriticcd grace to utility auc embellishment to instruction. I have seldom gone out of my waj to snatch a rhetorical beauty, or to adorn my style with studied oj glittering ornaments. Notwithstanding all the critics have laic! iaid, these *k'tters never set up any high pretensions ; for in fact they are rapid and imperfect sketches drawn at the intervals of Ifij su"-?, and often finished amidst uther avocations. Never, except i| oau instance, have any of tliciu been twice written over ; and 1 ai often obliged to stop in the fervour and heat of composing, to correc "T!a!» declaralioii liboin 'iw liDii.cd maiiiu'i- in wlii li the^e ietteiswerenial up for the press, wa< vxiuned at liie nine Oy liie viohnce of ti»e (Sispiites \vlii(j were rained on III itie imOl.r; priiiU, I lie Myl»; in j)i;rtioiilai, wastiieobn' on whicli the two jiarncs (SjifiU liieir mutual animosity — the out, in poiiitiii^oi its t'aiiltt ; tilt oth - , in lieapiiiij; on it nnnifriled i-oiiimciidutioiis. 1 tuld ll fact of itn rapid and w nviv Cii.npo.suion, lo insuiK-. mv tVundsaiid eiifiuicswi a htiU* inoiv nioderrttioii. In dp^' aiint,' now as an autlior and wiilt ilif 'j""! of more leisni-i- and reSicction, I cannot claim, though I bhuUnccdit, tbc>a>| «iea>uie ot' 'adulgcucc. cine It idenlica has beer is placed CLAMPS, The stoD ti up i( COAK is laid rour and top. part, pen povrerfu is surroui lowed for 's spread "> pfepar cording ( with the torn, and 'odturfi :ome allied t« orlaliiy. The when compar- A surface, oivt; , their village^ ry, to the pro- hrough bucccj* iveiiesB and up. f. The popu* uot exclusively iwii ihu biuw u( jtiteiid \Mlh,aDd ^ciiy will be ex< throw oulafevf j (ily, uf appljinij lb oa Ihc I'ruuM 1 letters ofiiuas. ihat those techui'l is so captivaiiiiJ n the contrivances specimen of eU^ few plain rules la tce to utility and i out of Hiy waj e with studied oj critics have la'C] ons ; for '" ^"1 ! intervals oMeij Never, except Ij over ; ai>^ ^ ''^^ , posing, to correiJ ula., ^Aa»theobl>| e out, in pi>ii)tm;»l ■datioMs. 1 tolil II misaudemmit'sNvij ■and Willi (lif"'" 275 them for the press. They have neyer had the benefit of a calm and deliberate ivisal, but h.ive been given to the world on ihe spar of ihe occasion. If this candid acknowledgment of the faults and do- feds which must necessarily adhere to them, will pacify their ene- mies, and make their friends less warm and intemperate in their de- fence, the present war abo it trifles may be ended ; and the public attention, instead of being distracted by personal reproaches and un- becoming defamation, may agtia return to the ad vancement of our ggricultural interests. The burning of lime :n the old country is principally conducte!*. 27G threatens to barst oat, the place is strengthened and ropairrd by<:u^. cessive layers of sod. and U II(! This practice has been lately introduct-d into York^;li gaining ground upon (hat of regular kilns. Thegmit quantity of clay, which may thus be burnt along with (he limcs(oiif, lias proved highly beneficial ; and is imagined by Kcinc fully equal in i(s fructi. fying efiec(s to (he calcareous earth. In Sliropshire (he same Ideas •re ob(aining, and in 1810 I recollect seeing 8evoi.il parcels sulijictid to this species of calcinadon, on the road between Newport rn\ Bridgenorth. On inquiry, 1 learnt that this mode had only betii adopted recently, and was found to succeed beyond f'X|;pc(atioii — The method of burning lime in this province is liable to no partiin. lar objection, as with care the heat may be transmitted to every part, and effec().Mlly exjiel (he carbonic acid : only it is by no means ne- cessary, (hat tlie temporary kilns should be excava(ed in the face of i hill, or other rising ground. It is equal, if not better, to burn it on a level spot, and form the sides with turfs cut from the surface ; because these, during the act of calcination, are themselves thorough* ly heated and fall down into a powdery fertile manure. There are only a few directions to be attended to in (he structure of these kilns ; and a very considerable liberty may be taken by the operator without any material inconvenience. After the spot is jelected and the materials at hand, the surface should be pared all j round, to obtain a suflicient quantity of sods. Tiiese should be cou> strncted into a circular wall from 12 to 15 feet in diameter, 30 inchesl high, and varying from IS to !20 inches thick. Close to the ground, small apertures about a foot square should be left in the wall to serve as air holes, by which a current may be m')de to pass through thel whole pile, un purpose to sustain and regulate the degree of heat I These holes slioulJ be four in number, and placed, two and two,! directly opposite to each other ; and of course, facing the four gieatj points of (he compass. The stones and fuel shvTuld then be built within the circular wall, and arranged in alternate layers ; takiog care that the drier and more combustible matter be placed near iha air holes, that the kiln may easily be set on fiie. A channel of com^ tnunication should be kept open between each aperture and tha centre of the kiln, for the admission of air ; and the materials so disj posed, that these openings be not suddenly closed by the falling in and condensation of (he mass in the first stages of burning. IM lowest stratum should contain the greatest quantity of wood j aud al 'Ml ter, to burn it 277 the spice Is fill«'d up, the stones may come to bear a greater and iTicatPi pioportion to the fuel. When the miiterials equal the top of the wall, they should then gradually be HUTowed, and diminish* cil upward to a point. Enrth should ncXt be thrown, and with the back of the spade beaten down till all the lime-stouc is covered round and round ; with the exception of a small vent for the smoke at the apex of the kiln. The fiic sliould be applied at the aperture into which the wind blows, and the other three may be closed by tempo* rary sods ; and after the kiln i-, lighted, the heat can be regulated by opening and shutting them at pleasure. If the operation be pro- perly conducted, and it requires uo ^reat nicety or skill of manage- ment, the whole mass will be thoroughly calcined, including the rnrthy covering as well as the walln, and constitute a profitable and beneficial manure. Limestone, during the process of burniiii,', loses nearly, as before stilted, one half of its specilic weight — Mhich circumstance comes to be of considerable importance in ca;;e of distant carriage, and should never be overlooked by the scientific agriculturist. If fuel be obtainable, the calcination .should be accomplished in the neigh- bourhood of the rock, and the shells only transported to t!te farm vfhere they are to be o|)plied. This saves one half of the expence of carriage ; as a to!i of limestone put into the kiln diminishes to eleven cwls. when drawn from it. The shells should be removed immediately, for such is their alRuity to carbonic acid, that they begin to attract it greedily from the atmosphere, and in a short time, will be nearly as heavy as at first. Ntiiher should they be slaked, till they are carried to the field for which they are destined ; as the eleven cwts. when reduced to powder, will increase to about twenty three, and from the absorption of the water, will become heavier by the whole of its weight. These calculations are founded on the data furnished by pure lime, but if there be a mixture of sand or clay in the native rock, this conclusion will be proportionably affected. These general views clearly point out the plan of procedure, which our farmers should pursue. If they determine to burn the limestone on their own lands, the winternionths, while sleds can be in motion, should be devoted to the collection of the materials that no impedi- ment may retard the work in spring. The kiln should then be con- stiucted, and made ready for kindling ; but the spark ought not to he applied, till the plough has performed its office, and the soil be dry and mellow for the reception of the calcined fossil, Cf such \: .u 278 tTail is this prompHtadc arnl dispahh, thaf when (he farm* n ;« Great liiitain send to Iho public \Torks for lime, »h. y always pn fcr i»hat has been recently burnt , and many of ihcm insist, on pui|)()se to avoid the possihility of itnposilion, that it be fresh drawn in fh.ir presence. Wiliioutany rr^ird to its chemical ctFt'cts, fresh lime, on being slaked, fwlls info t.tv fine powder— which renders it susccn. tible of the most intimiite irwxtiiro with (lie soil, and ronsrf|ijrntly of accomplisliinga mori' thorougli and imnudiate change in its eartjiy constitution. In my next I shall ro!. :i| n' <^B i i ■fW TO (()rklsi>()ndf:nth. This week has produced only seven letters, but the length ami importance of these atone, in vome measure, for llie smnllness of their number. I cannot help expressing the satisfaction I have felt, in perusing the friendly rornmunication sent me by T. Roach, Vh[. Cumberland. When I had orcasir)n formerly to animadvert on his particular views regarding our climate, I believe, that I rnther ex- pressed myself too strongly, from the natural ardour to estal)li^h the opposite doctri/ie. On relledion, it occurred to me, that respect dictated a private a( knowledgment, and I accordingly dispatihnl him a letter, (he general purport of which was, that nothing wr' further from my intention than to slight bis judgment, or hurt liis feelings. I.havr received his answer, whirnan, K>q. Vii e-l'resident. Henry V. liuskirk. lOsq. Vice-President. Robert Kii\ard, iM. U. Corresponding Secretary. Caleb H. ti'ind, Eh % Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 m \ iV A \ WfiTT f n i) > 280 TO AGRICOLA, SIR,— Few individuala whose exertions are directed to the public vfcU fare, invariably meet with universal gratitude. Those, who are un- acquainted with the nature of the improvements that are intended, are too apt to be jealous of them as innovations, which an iliibernl mind views as a reflection upon its own vigour; or if we allow a more enlarged constructiou, considers them, at best, as doubtful spe< culations. But the balance of public sentiment, I trust, will great- ly preponderate in your favour, with grateful feelings for your disin- terested exertions to awaken the slumbering energies of our agricul. tarists. The zeal which you have excited, is spreading with increasing ra" pidity ; and, if supported by the persevering exertions of the spirited associations which are reviving and forming throughout the province, must terminate in our agricultural advuncemeiit. While we acknowledge our obligations to the system you have adopted, and your unshaken perseverance, we are not unmindful of the warm concurrence of his excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, and anticipate the happiest consequences from such exalted patronage; and while in compliance with your wishes, we " give honour to the plough," I hope on our memories will be inscribed Tribuimus honorem Agricolm auctori incognito qui aratrum honoraxit. Permit me, sir, to express the thanks of this society for wh»atyou have already done, and its sincere v»ishe.s, that you may continue to prosecute your laudabU undertakings ) and moreover, tiiat it may participate in whatever at^ricultural information the Central Society receives, with which as well as the other agricultural institutions throughout the province, our society will be happy to open a cor- responded ce. In the mean time, in behalf of the Union Agricultural Society o( King's County, I have the honour to remain, yours most obedienti) . ROBli:ilT BAYARD, IM. D. Corresponding Secretary. (Uy order of the Society.) ilortoQ, JaQuary iiib, 1S19. 231 HortoriyJanuari/ I3thj 1819. TO AGllICOLA. e public vttU , who are un* are intended, h an illibersl ,f we allow a doubtful spe. stj will great- 'or your disin- jf our Bgricul. i increasing ra" 5 of the spiritetl at the province, ystem you have ot unmindful of Dalhousie, and Ited patronage; e honour to the ;ty for what you Imay continue to |vcr, that it may Central Society lural institutions »v to open a cor- lltural Society of lostobedientl), .RD, M. D. ling Secretary. SIR. V/e are instructed by the King's County Agricultural Society to inform you, that they observe with j)leasure the exertions you are making to promote a spirit of agriculture throij?[hout the province, 8i;dthey coniider the letters you weekly publish in the Recorder, rali'ulated to throw much ii^ht on so useful, interesting, and bene- ficial a sul^ject, as w^U as Jo In'ux^ into practice the exercise of in- dustry, fru/^alily, and economy, which must be the c«Fen(ial means of contributing lo the welfare and interest of the community. That the soil of Nova Scoiiii will, in must places, yield a gratp/ul return to the labours of the industrious farmer — many, who have arrived to a degree of opulence throoph attention to this business alone, can testify, (uul tlmt (oo uiih a .'light .share of experience and the use of industry. Our crfjps areas abuudant as iit many parts of Europe, and Wf cannot but tJiii'lc, that if liio labouring class of people, who live by faiming, were to confine tiiemselves to that simi)licity of food which is practised in many parts of the mother country, and to make amnre frequent use of the potaloe os a substitute for bread, and to be furnished with mills proper for manufacturing oats into meal, it might su|.'er»ede the necessity of importing so many barrels of Ame- riciiii flour which we oiherwi.se have occasion for— However sus* fcptible of farther improvement the pjesent state of husbandry throughout the province is, we have jai^t reasons to express our gra« litude to Divine Providence that has so liberally crowned the la- boars of the farmer in this township for many years pasf, a.^d for hid increasing {)rospcrity in agriculture. We are enabled to furnish Halifax market with considerable (juantitics of stall-fed beef, pork, I mutton, hay, &c, ; our crops of potatoes, if we consider them with jfCijard to quantity and quality, are but rarely excelled ; nr\d as for bread corn, we generally raise as much as supplies our own wants, and are enabled occasionally to part with some to the neij^hbouring townships. These prospects, flattering as they are, ini^^iit Btill be increased, but the extreme scarcity of specie, and exorbitant price of llabour, are insupemole obstacles to the farmer io practisitig husbandry m aa extended and enterprising scale. la was considered, that tb» L2 f 282 ; * ■ V "*• s;r \l I ; '''J m late influx of emigrants might have remedied these incoriTcniencres ] but there are but few iastaitces of any who have become permanent residents among us, with views of earning a livelihood by cultivating the soil of Nova Scotia. It is well known, that this class of people came almost universally among us in very indigent circumstances : and every liberal encouragement wasHtForded them by the inhabitants here to better their situation, as they were employed as labourers,although unacquainted with the mode of farming pursued in this country. Ma< ny of them by these advantages, have in the course of two years, been enabled to accumulate 501. and upwards— who came among us pen* nyless ; but they always prove careful to transport, both the money they have earned and themselves, to tbeirbeloved country the United States of America. This, among other causes, has sensibly conlri- bnted to the present scarcity of spec'e, of which many have too Just grounds of complaint. We anticipate, with much pleasure, the ad. vantages that must result from your patriotic and laudable exertions; and the numerous and respectable societies already formed through. out the province, as well as the zeal and promptness shewn by each to second your useful endeavours will, we hope, be attended with the happiest effects. The time is not far distant, when we shall not , have to depend on a neighbou'^ing country for bread, bat be enabled to reap from our own soil an ample supply for our wants. This society has been organized for 30 years and upwards, and was a branch of a society formed in Halifax at the same period un* der the patronage of his excellency governor Parr ; and we are extremely grateful that his excellency Lord Dalhousie, and many of his Majesty*s Council, have patronized and formed a Central So* cicty at Halifax, the result of which will no doobt be of great public good. Our stated times of assembling have been very regularly at« tended since that period ; and the chief objects we had in view, were] to extend the improveme»it of agricultural knowledge, and the ei« ercise of industry tind rural econo '. Your letters published in the I Recorder, attracted the attentir. many of our members at an early period, but we deferred making any communication to yoa until our annual meeting, at which time we chose the following gentlemenJ as officers for our society for the present year : James N. Crane, Esq. President. Simon Filch, jim. Esq. Vice-President. Elisha Woodworth, P]8q. Sec'y. and TreasureF. James Hamilton, Esq. Steward. 283 lonTcniencrei ; tme permanent by cultivating class of people instances : and ihabitauts here urers,although country. Ma- two years, beea ! among us pen* both the money ntry ihe United sensibly conlri- ny have too just jleasure, the ad- (labia exertions; formed through- iS shewn by each be attended with hen we shall not 1, but be enabled ants. id upwards, and same period un- Irr ; and we are ousie, and many led a Central So- be of great public jvery regularly at- had in view,vere| dge, and the ex- published in the ! imbers at an early [ a to you until our I wing gentlemen, Elisha Dewolf, Esq. Daniel Lixkli irl, Ksq Sherman Dcnisou, E^q Jonathan Crane, Esq. Samuel Bishop, Eq. Mr. Charles Brown, ,, Siuiford Palmer, „ Duvid Borden, 3, James Hamilton. Dlrectora. Committee. TO AGRICOLA, SIR,— Dorchester y Januart/ 20/ A, 18 1&, IsureF. Though your patriotic labours have been attended with as much luccess as the must sanguine mind could well have expected, they have not passed without opposition ; and, 1 believe, it would be oa the whole an advantage, that an opposition should be maintained foe some time, as it may serve to keep the public attention alive, and to fix it more closely on the true interest of the province. Yet, I think, it is to ba much regretted, if any of the friends and patrons of im'> provement should relax in their efforts, and give occasion for itsene- Diies to triumph. What has been ptolished in the Free Press lately, tends to throw discredit on the country, and shows that there is a feeling of hostility somewhere ; and particularly the insertion of the letter from Cumberland of the 5th instant, tended to bring every society throughout the pruvince under suspicion. The society, of which I have the honour to be president, is yet in its infancy, and the present committee is only an interim one ; and for that, and other reasons, I have hitherto forborne to give you the history of our proceedings. I cannot, however, delay it longer, although I consider it as still premature, least a false construction also should j be put on my silence. The meeting on the 20th November when the society was esiab- llished, was (according to the nearest calculation that I could make) attended by about fifty of the most respectable inhabitants of the |district ; and the office bearers of the society are as follows : Patron — His Excelieocy the Earl of Dalhousie, HoDorary and Permanent President. '\k t ■ f^ p *»;■/ ^i 'I ; till '1 I 1 1r, i'l :i!; 2S4 The Honorable Judge Stewart, Ordinary PrcHdent, ilevereniJ Tlioinas Trotter, Presideuf. Vice Pre'Idknts. The Reverend Colin Grant, John Cunningham, Fsq. Alex. McDonald, K q M. D. D.ivid iVh'Qiiecn, Ivij. Robert N. Henry, Esq. TiiKAsuiiER and Secretauy, Mr. John Munro. Mr.MDEUS OF THE CoMMITTEr., JiuTies llendricken, Esq. John McDonald, Esq. Mr. RoiuMt C:uui)i)ell, ,, Joseph Symoiids, Geoitjc Jiish, Simeon Jusji, Nalhanirl Pushle, John M(Kiiinon, Arch. Ml Arthur, David lialliiHtine, AVilliam Thomson, James Millar. The list of members at present in my possession, amounts exactly to fifty. The designation of the society cannot be finally deterinined nor it3 constitution completed, till its proba!)le extent is nearly as- certained. It is likely to extend over the whole county. Colonel Cutler has voluntarily ofifered to exeit himself, for the purposeof connecting M inciiester vi^ith it ; and a cpriespondence has been opened on (lie Srnlject with Si. Mury's, which promises to be success- ful. If i: sii.'rild txieiid over the whole county, it will [)e called the Sydney A.piciiltural Society, aiid committees will be establiah. j cd in every district to comliiiie ail the parts into a whole. I am with the best wishes for your succesp, your most obedient, THOMAS TROTTER. 5) 35 >> 5> 55 35 cn f ■■ .,, ;■•■ .. -I .. M m KEMARKS. After the very clear and distinct communications of Dr. Bayard, I have little to express except my tlianks for the very flattering maa-j ner in which he mentions my efforts. I am truly happy to see men of educatiou and talent, thrODgiog la from other professions, to am S85 deut. nounts exactly to ally determined ent is nearly as. ouiity. Colonel j the purpose of iiuence has been i^es to be success. it will lie fiillt^i will be establ'bh' hole. most obedient, S TllOTTER. Wl of Dr. BayardI try ttattering maa-l happy to see menl Liofessions, to aniJ nate ihe a):;ricul*urnl energy of the country. These are happy pr«- bjges : and the spirit now cxciltd will not evaporate in fume, unless it is npresird by discouragement. When the intelligence of a whole pci^ple embiiiks in a common cause, it always discovers the surest aiid^most direct rond to success : and I am now satisfied, if the Icgis- juture do their part of which I enlertaiii no doubt, that the growing pio'peiit) of this colony will be souI'mI on a firm and durable basis. I am much obliged to the King's County Society for writing me at ilieir aiinual mectiiig ; and I rejoice to >ee such active and useful members in llio list of thoir olfice bearc^rs. The spirit, which now Oj ^rates willi svich vigour in that coiiiity, must usher in brighter ipcts, than it has witnessed these last tljirty years; but it is re- pros( inirknbie, that I should never have heard of a society that has pre- Jerved its exii-fence for such a period, and kept up stated "meetings.— In the remaik:i su!)jiined to my 14th letter I considered the Ilant^ Siuiefy as the only remnant of that agricultural spirit which was ex- cited under the administration of governor Parr, and which was con- temporaneous with a similar movemi-'ut in Britain that gave rise to the Highland Society of Edinburgh, and to the l3oard of Agriculture ill London ; but it seems another sparli has been struck off from that fire which blazed here for a moment, and was too suddenly ex- tinguished. The interest of such associations can only be kept alive by cattle shous, ploughing matches, publications or premiums ; and when these aids and excitements are withdrawn from the poverty of funds, the institutions thems'lves are apt to dwindle into little bet- ter than a name, and to exhibit no fruits of superintendance. We have now ten agricultural societies in operation, and if other two were formed, the country may be considered as fully organized. It is singular, that no letter has ever been sent me from the western part of the province ; and I have not a single correspondent, either inShelburne or Queett's Counties. Agriculture there is not languish- ing but literally dead ; and it seems to have .neither friend, patron, nor supporter. Cape Fourchu, or Tusket, is clearly a station for a society ; and some patriotic leader should bestir himself in favour of that county. Liverpool, I am aware, is not a place very well fitted for attention to rural affairs ; but the late attempt to found Ne\r Caledonia is a proof of a decided movement in its favour, and the first men should unite and foim an association. The Reverend Mr. Trotter's letter js very Batisfactory, as to the •|vi..r r:f' I' ,«'■ ii^iiEMll ^:Mm V'l !V» profresi making In Sydney ; and i am glad that a gentleman of such public soirit is so honourably exerting himself. I beg of him to ac> cept my best thanks. * Upon the third letter of *Rus(icnf» I have but one remark to mr\ke; that the farmers in this province should redv* the history of Scotch Agriculture with deep attention. True ; it describes another state of society and other difhcultics, thai those to be met with here ; but it should lead them, first, to be grateful (o the British government for the superior advantages they enjoy in the occupancy of land ; and to improve diligently the means they possess of raising ouragri* culrure speedily and certainly to a very promising condition. They have none of the obstacles to contend with, which beset the S« otch peasantry ; and thiy havea richer soil and more favourable climate. It teaches, that there is no permanent source of wealth in any coon* try equal to that dependent on the soil ; and that poverty is alwayg the companion of wretched and slovenly cultivation. It is my firm coovictien from every new view I take of this subject, that with very moderate exertions, the province can raise ample supplies of grain for its own consumption ; and I hope to see the day, whea these predictions of mine, hazarded at first in the face of much op* position, and against the current of public sentiment,will be fulfilled. That is the object of my warmettt wishes, and has been the end of al! ■ly labours. AGRICOLA. LETTER 29. On M.aiw\Yes. -■ h -".111 mm w li'lhiliii "HpN my last letter, 1 pointed out various modes which have been '**- adopted in the calcination of lime ; zwd I now proceed, accord* ing to the plan proposed, to show briefiy in what manner it should be applied, and to illustrate at greater length its supposed effects ou Tegetation. • A seres of letters under this siRnature made their apprarance at this period, descriptive of the ancient state of Scotcli husbandry, and of th« causes vyhicli Iiad conducted it to Us present unexampled prosperity. They were auxiliary to the plans of Agricola by instituting! a sort of analogy between that kingdom and this province. Though highly useful at the tiuie, it would interfere with the object of this publicatiou to give them a place here. mm \ leman of sucH of him to ac« narklom^ke•, tory of Scotch I another stale ith here ; but h government ncy of land ; lising our agii. idition. They eset the Smich arable climate, th in any coun- averty is always . It IB my firm )ject, that with nple supplies oi I the day, vhea ace of much op* will be fnlfiUed. en the end of all VGRICOL-\. which have beea proceed, accord- nanner it should iposed effects on Jvanceatthispenoil. Tlh« causes wbicu I tiey were auxiliary Leen that kingdom Uuld interfere vfit* S87 In a young country like this, where the farmers have mostly be«a drawn from the mechanic trades, without the benefit of previous ia> itruction in the principles or the necessary skill in the manual opera- tions of husbandry, it is natural to expert, that many blunders in tho first instance will be committed in the mauagpment of this manure* Already several abortive attempts have been made at burning it; and the operators have only obtained a few shells from the kiln, which ought to have produced them two or three hundred bushels. This disappointment originated in the unartful arrangement and distribu- tion of the materials ; but every error of this kind, instead of repress* iog ardour, should stimulate tu fresh elForts and more persevering diligence. A few failures must not discourage enterprise, nor damp the hopes of ultimate triumph. Perfection is only attainable in any of the arts or sciences by vigour, caution, and that unsubdued mag- nanimity which mocks opposing obstacles, tind deems the mistake! of the first imperfect es>«ays as beacons to warn against danger, aad to beget greater circumspection. It would be folly to look for other than numerous and egregious faults in the first treatment of lime. Admitting that a strict obedience to the rales delivered ia these letters might save from error, it should be recollected, that they are read only by a few and even by these in a desultory and VDConnected manner. Btfore we can be tolerably perfect in the burning and application of this fossil, agricultural knowledge which is just beginning to dawn must have attained to some degree of stea> diness and splendour* Eminent and scientific cultivators mast start np in all, or most of the districts and settlements ; they mast par- sue the study with avidity and enthusiasm ; they mast think, rea- son, dispute, and write on its different departments ; they must r .'» gage in laborious processes of investigation ; and thus, from a thou- sand experiments and a thousand sources, truth will be unveiled and placed on a sure foundation. I must, therefore, forewarn my readers against being too sanguine as to the issue of their first trials. That the most valuable consequences will, in the end, crown their labours is beyond all controversy certain and infallible from the ex- ample of Great Britain : but time, experience and some lucky cir- sumstances may be all necessary to extend to us the same benefits. With respect to the application of lime I observe, that it should be laid on the surface, and not ploughed under the farrow. Thii peculiarity forms between it and dung a marked line of separation) and serves to establish clearly, that these two belong to different dasies of manore. Putrescent matter may ba buried by the plough^ •i'Vi-,.; H ill, ^lii.) SS8 and yet Us flrtues will be sensibly felt in llio deep terdure and vi. gourof thesuc(-eedin(); crop. So soon us fermentation <«mineiiccs,t|i8 gaseous vapours which nre disen;;aged, rise upward from their Kpeci. fiu levity, pass throu^h the interstices of the soil, and if not caught in their ascent, escuoe at the surface and mingle with the atmosphere. Lime, on the other hand, has a tendency to sink downwards. I'Votn the absorption of carbonic acid it becomes (he heaviest of the ele« mentary earths ; and if once deposited at the depth of six or seveo inches, its usefulness runs some hazard of being for ever lost, llenre it has been found expedient to strew it on the top after the operations of the plough have been completed, and do no more than blend it with the soil by means of the harrow. On all slifi' and intraitable lands which must undergo summer fallow to break their cohesion and render them |)ermeable to the diverging roots, the usual practice is, to apply lime after they are brought to the most perfect state of pulverization. During summer they arc i'lou^jhcd lirbt in onedi{ec« tion, then in another, and vexed witl! pjiijotual harrowing ; and af. ler they have received the last finishing and are prepared for the re- ceptlon of the seed, lime, newly burnt and slaked, is scattered o?cr the field with regularity and in a measured proportion. The secii is committed to the earth — the harrows are employed to cover it and at the same time to mix and incorporate with the mould the minute particles of the powder. So necessary is this matter account- ed, that experiments have been set on foot to ascertaitj the compara' tive advantnges of shallow and deep applications on various and opposite soils ; and the uniform result has provtd that the balance of profit always it\cHnes to tlie fortner. AVm. Dawson — a distil*' guished agriculturist in Roxburghshire and who with justice may be stiled the father of Scotch husljandry — was led to ob- serve the etlects of lime according to dillVrent modes of trcatiicnt on his *farms of Frogdcn and Grnbijit. lie was abundantly satifietl, that to improve hilly coufitry, which was ton steep or too elevafcl to admit of regular tillage and which could be appropriated to no- thing so advantageously as to pasture, tlie saf^\st course lay in sum* met ftillowing i(, though at great expense, aitd then liming the sur- face. In the spring he sowed bome fields with oats and grass seeds and harrowed them thoroughly, thit the lime might be well mixed with which they had previously been ovcispread. iiy ihus preserv- ♦Farmers Magaaiue, vol. 13, p. 73. 289 ure and vl- ninencrs,llie i Ihe'ir specU f not caught almospliere. ards. I'l'im it of the ele- f six or seven r lost, llcnre he operations than blend it ntl intiattible their cohesion usual practice erfect state of btin oneditec' wing ; and af- red for there- } scattered over on. The seed lyed to cover it he mould the matter account- 5i the compara- on Tarious and i-.it the balance on— a disliu- o with .iusiicc ^^as led to ob- des of trcatn-ent ndantlysatified, or too elevated vopriated to no- „se lay «'» s""*' ,1 li.nitg the sur- 8„d glass seeds ht be well mixed ,By thus prcserv- B1"Sl Ot a ..iiif. \ai th'' 'filiMrcous « arth on (he surface) he procured the first year a I luxuriant ci«iii crp;i, nud foand aftMr'.viitdH that thn finer ,seroitd and lofty iiitu* li It \i he* wor«; temiiirfd on any purticuUr enclosure to uir- ii «.c;i of whcai, at all ii?i' grii the VLT'iirt, liKoriiUico a.'id qulny <>! ihe future jja^.tuie ; jiidif twK e that «j«;uitiiy be aptdied, the liti.. titb will ri.se in projior- JL' ihc niobt pruhtjhte )i. i -'.LLd I an io vi.ic.d, that thij is (•> 1 ode ol i.p|dv 1114? QtncK-r.iME in this provinct^ for some time to come, I because its particle;, lo g before the ploo^^h can he introduced, will bave iiicorpoiated uii!) the soil, and mo alieicd and meliorated itg l«fiire, as not only «o insyre nbuiidn'.ue of sweet graxs, hut, after t!)e roots are cxtir[.atud, excellent cropi also, vrhcu it is first broken |ip. JJine should not oy^\y he laid on the surface, hut intimately miied hith the soil. It is on ti.is account, that a dnitble preparati'Mi |shoul(I take place before its ad!r.,x;ure — it should i;aflf ho .-IrKiicd jandhroncht into » uovfdery state ; and the land ihoold l)e wtll ji.l- ;d. The two bodies will he then susce(>tit)!(' of a cbise i.ud jtpiiie union among their resjjectivc par'iclo?, and vi i!.' exert on etwii pther a reciprocal inlljence and aetivijj. Hence the necessity of IraiiiiiK? land before it is limed, that it may he brought into a iin l- lowan i fiiible coiidi'idii. Dry and favourable we-tther should a< u ichosen for this work, and the surface should be pK.viously dresw «i,and every clod broken, either by the harrow, or the piessi-re of ^e roller. After the lime is strewed and the seed sown, no furMior |i«r&tioa whate?er should be performed; except what will iauu0a< a M2 ■■' 1 .'1.1. '■,/.■ i '" M •Irtie lod ImMediatt ontact of all llie parti— so «ii(»ntljlly noce^M. IV 1ft fulfil tlic hopei of tli_' fainjLT. These ttkiio pledged fftcts coiincctPd will lime, nnd (lie rulei ^Lii It are prescribed, muet derive tl.oir origin from ll« nK-chanicRl or rlioMioal qualities : and I hjiould d: ptrt enHrdy from lliP|>riiui((lri tiiat liATS regelated a!1 (ho paiit discussiiJiH, were 1 nut, in iliis lan', io ronibiitc (heory wit!) | racdce, and adenipl to bliov», in what nan. Iter (he uboio direction:* crc RUjipos'-d to n|»i'iiitr, and lOiumHiid sue* rcf.8. The jjreat f;uil( in nnny tre.li e< on husbandry, lies in ba. Tiisl.ing all scienlilic illustiutijn, nuJ if the quesiion. U i;n|.osei on (lie iuia^in.ition by the hymmwiry and disposition of tbo parts, it nnitcs realtertd facts itito order and tncihod, it helps th? tncniory to hold tha greit end imjjortant truths, and ejijoy.s i|,e i:inie s»rt of superiority us docs a \yall proportioned and regular fabric, ov< r thij satne materials thrown down at random and dispers. rd about the foundation. The eificacy of liiitc has been attributed ti dillercnt causes, and much curious investigation bus been institolcd to ex[>lore tlie secret source of its virtues; and yet, nolwithstinding the joint labours of practical and sci.;ntiQo nien,tiier(} is grtut room to doubt, whether or not they have reached tlie bottom of theraiNl ter, and seen into the hidden vvorku^sof nature. I do not presuiiiij to lat myself iu O|i,in'i!lon to the ^; real names who have written OB this subject: and therefore, in place of questioning their resulls,! 1 shall select what secius (he n\ojt racioual and philosophical ac- count of itg /jxlraordlnary effcctf. Quick and mild lime are characttri/.ed by unlike chemical proper- ties, and operate in dilVereDt \n\yH. The diUinction between tbemj cannot be lost sight of without involving every thing in inextricsbli confusion, and renderiiig the whole .lubjcct dark, iiiconiister.t and complicated. The s ientiSc farmer should cot fail to make himsclt acqnaicied vritk both, that he may eaploy either as txi^oDcl^s arisoj ^^t rn ,nJ not betray his li;n-,irnn(e by n-iy li^jiicViclous or drtrimenfal ip. Rlicatini'. The (loctiiiicii cettroniin^ rahnrccua o«itli are ffw tod ^^rl•^l^il'^ly liaiil •, nui ii ay uH rcmcml)9ro.l without any citranrilU ■try itrort. 1 ^hail !j;o over tlie more bpcrtant, b;;l wi'.Ii fixtiuint kreviiy. Pure llrre, an It romrs i.cvn Aie. Uilii, miiy t? con,!i?ered rj a m«« Ullit^'oxi'J, ntui is ihc only kno'.vn iou,bisa''^r. cltha u«i7ly i:<.loi:ri. This ^ub'tanc-?, thus .laccin-tly described, I? troiidcrfull/ pr^ro tt rc-li iiiti* iirtw cun»pcuF'dH. VVht'jj crtj^cffd lo tho at:nc«|.hf;.», It at- ttaiitsthe aquC'ius va^joar wifhf^rert avif'i*^'. »ui^i cruDibici in*n u f.rt fowilcr. The siinio tliai!.9[o (ii\'^'^ imi».»:c en slckU:,^ it ; mi*! In J ct!i iihtaiui's, 17 p.ivts OiH'at'.'i- unite with it, ai'.i' oou»crJ it .lo ,*l;.l ii Icrmed, in the lar-'^n^;? o' J:o chciv.lstj p. ifvi :* '. ii; . ,' Ii no. i i iWn itfiie of coiT-'jinatiar. xvit'i wattr, it i? gei'c^-.uliy aMniiid ti^'-'utf. Thi iiieiU, as Ihpy arc Tu!;;'.ir!y callci', a's firjt iiliikc 1, ur.C wl:er. ii.e^ irerediiced to powt'.cr, af. s;)read c i tho sjifdce. The adiiilien of the water is uot thought c'.thcr to clin-.ioi"li or to auf.r.M.nt i's ousllo quaiitics ; bet only to subvert C.i cAxeA^^n tifi.s pai\6 ai a p.'ciiitii« nary towards a*niOifi intin;iit2criion will; tin (.oil. But quick iijK', olll.cr in its sin j.ld sii'j, or uTtcr I'l fornnfiuci into a hydrate, attiBcti v, ith j^roat forco ca:'jar,ic a^id ^jas, whicJi consists of oiia pro|joriion of charcoal 11. J, uud »v. o oi o}iy,iczo Ju. Cliarcoal and oxj[jf.'no n^;aln i.ra kr.oflo to bo ch'tf »;L.i:ei. (.••>'./ priociples of ai' jyitablo .Mii .ir-.irnl jirodrirtiiMi:-, aad tfl Lo pit lent more or lass ' all the r.i.T.ij^cmcfc'.e cf i,j^u-MZzi r.jttcr. liTinlty therefore, excrt.jd on ihc:j r'.'!:-.t";rij«e, \» lo be actt-d oi?, iiinj hjt Ifron the kiln is clearly thu ui^ent to be LJiipioynd ; bicuu»e iu com- jbioiDg with the carbon and ox}geiio it niii occasiou t ijeconipobition lif the vegetable structare, 'tud cuu\eit it more speedily inio uliment. ISiict in Brilain spoa moon and heaths, vihhlk are in tiitact •( ';':!• ir I «': V? 'fe ■N I ' -41 ■1 • a 292 belnij rpcla'imed, qwltk lime is iovarinhlv nrefi rrpd ; f;ir the c>'!MiMii ;t ,x\y. ;, sclul>le vcgp.able m»«'ire ; be<-»i\se it cornbir'S ^^ii'n «!■<• 9 .;.ih;,' inntferr, and forms coor.aondi having less aLtin i!'.'.i lui »*:»;<;i i,,,., the fjure veyftable subita.icc. Si-nlliir i . w jh >Hi-f«'i.>r ri> i.k |.,.,(j wlien i( a((< 0(1 f'end ;»!iinial bcdic-s. It Toms a ki.d i»i in-.,: i,io soatt Nvilh fhcir oily p'Ttv, and (hen {Tr? ilv-»liy i'i»i try powtrr of aihi rci-., nod dostiovj the eftiv&i'v of aidcnal ntacuK.- eiiaer oy >'nitina; vmh ce.tJMr oi ih-ir eleinents or giving ihe.n I'fw forinv of cc !.i)i;^\i:i(i:;. A., 1 l.i;:iv,it is injurious, he ^n\%, w ',\-i\ rrdxcd w'.iU vy coinmoa dung, »!ctaii.;('rii!y ft^ars— the '^fl< 'ring f che.i)it.il crfatioii— tlie r> iil-h fTiDcr i' iii>«(l) i'l tli^ Iwhit o! ,i"- piyinj; q'«i» k lime t«> ail sorts of m iis. He hriti.'s if in r.it I'lri.ak'^d itatef'ODi the pubtif wcilvs «heie it i^ olcined, \nvs if on \\\e li'-i i •where ir is to he used, and )?fier it is uijisolved either by Hatj^r or by rain, he spreads it in the ^■^J•i►;e of powder upon h" ^ weU-v rr Uf.dit fallows which are mostly rjtt. i' pLtrrrvio- .t tu;uui:e. Ti^f re [t r.ijiio- Iv passes into a mild stPte fror< it^ clie'p.icnl ailini'y to enrho.; and ei3 cene : end olihouch this ;;i?r» is sliil conimon; on whii h aecoiint it may faiily be n-o !t;i('d thut the mischief is not of very fenrfu! magnitude. Indec.' cauKtic lime eannot renisin any length of time in the gronnd withoct passin;; into a carbonrste and becoming mild. The usual process of putiefaotion will supply i< vrith oarb;»nir aeid, without hafing recourse to any extraordinary decotnpo'.ition brought on t<>r (his special purpose. It is well known that when any kind of K-i.-ptabie or animal matter i:$ accessible to rnoikturc and air, and at a moderate ten'perature, elastic fluids will ♦AjricHknial Chemistry, pag« 320. fiy'i 295 \ fire v:t->-;1 i.ti'r, ill iioii) eh(Mg,s'r «■■',. :•' nr,:;i, .,;.;, ; li'iii ;^ .n:> n Idi ^ui^i' 'i,,,!, (1 4»i iii-1.: liic -. I k'v I \i I li [''i r\(i 'ill! sa;uo r., aiul (Jciliovi cc.f«ii' 01 'Iv.ir A.I 1 la;'^, it non filing, »■ d the f'S^^^iiig I the I'Hiiit c! .t;>' "n ?.u vU'*AV^ii it oil ilie li'-ij hy water or by woU-v- if iif.'lit ri.rrc ;t r.t(,\u- to crvrlio.: and f (lie 1 r;ii:lice. ^: still COI1P.1 on; e in'uch'uif is- rot itot lenisit'. any a carbonate and n will sup-,)!) i« y extraordinary It is well known is accr.sbibie to lastic fluids will I'C (r^fMi^ajeri : and \'^heii thrsr arc ex i mined, tliey J»re rrso!rp(l 'mm (dpasfious oxi(1e of c;ubon, hvdro-caMioiMte, or furt)0(iii' a( id ; 80 fiia' itie natural action of the lOil on the putre'*«'ent ;niit;er dfiMjsi'c d inii, is sotlioit'nt for '1»p r.Mivension of (juick into mild lime. Id Iriii!), alfiiou^h hot lime in » j^owdory stale hastens the dis(iifi;aniK- atloD of dead substances, i!s ellicucy iect must be t(i>nbl< iit 31(1 slii>r'-livO(i : ami unle,-;- it weii; u.^eful to vei;eta>ioii iis a «;ar- bnintc — tlio Slate to which it tends by i*s own nlliuities— ii could nrt ltrt»i' ^o UuiK and so justly pieserved Ua -itaiion in the scale of the iiiiiitral ntannres. This i" now becoming well understood b) all [.r.uiit'Rl men, and it is far fiorn btiiig uncommoti to spread the shells on liie green swiird in auluimt, and leave them to the vicis itudes of wi;t'r, lobe dissolved by th«^ yiiotvsuiid niiis. Thf aj)(tlication of lime i>< itiatler neither of n)}^ ciiitivii- tion, it is. I believe, very immaterial in what ntode it Is applied. Ai i hydrate it is susceptible of the uiost jninule Jivi.-/.on, and on that account it is generally spieid in the state of powder. Ikii at all events it must be acktiow ledged, tliit the j)rineipal usefulness o.'tal- caieous earth results from its at tion as a carbonate ; for in thii form ofconibiintion it i» found in all the chalks, G.;irls, as well as fre^h and salt Avater f;!iells, which would be entirely uffl,- ss as drossinj; to land, if quick lime alone had efllcacy. [iesidvis, the long dutitiin^ uf this manure can only be explained by rcT^rriig hi virtues toils mild state ; for although spread hot, its aitractinn r.f cirbooi;, rc- 1 is so strong, that it will be united to it in a 'cry ehorf litre ; t: H i. j permpnenee therefore m«?t be attribe to thi'; ! i^^t form of iri';'\ • ition. And t.) snfn \i\) all, and add torce to the atgiunoi t. .tM::v! (juick lin.r, in t'te sha;'e nf j!i-,v\fi(>r, is destructive of v--^^ t.nioo, |"f applied tf. |jlunf5. they timt vrlliw, aial wear nl! the ■-y.'T!, 'tJtMt "fa sickly and tiebiuia^ed exijlee.i'e : eree gmss it t!f nssy hit v.om-' pUlely killed by *vtrcorinit it with a stiluticn of li'iti\ 'D*vy'» Agricultural ChfaJistiy^ji. 317. fOt '>■>■ •>'-.- m' ^ After these explartltory obssrvalion^, our aKeoh'o* la tti« rewotii* ing part of this l^tJcr shall be directed to the |iroper(ie» either chem- ical or mechajiical of this fnnsil rrgar^led as a carbonate ; md w* I'lall Rttcnipt to shew in what Diaiiiier these are conducive to tht purposes of regeta»ion. I. As an orlgii'al and prl.iJtive earth, Hrr.e becomes an essentia) iDgredieiit ia all healthful soile. It is as rain to pry into the reusoa of this necesF.i;y, as it would b« to inquire into that of siliceous or •rgillacenus ejrth. All the component parts answer certuin purpo. les in the economy of TCye^tatio!' ; jiand i)reok8 the cohehiou ; ciiiy retains the moi.-tore ; and lime ast»ists atmospiit^ric al)jorption, ar.d is the recijii.-'at of the supcriburi'iant carbonic acid. Ca^h of tlicci is clothtid with an imporiant fnr ctijo- ; and uU, by a iiappy uiiior, lustain that frcslinsHa of beauty, and that lii-h and bouitiiful profu. tiotj, which the; Divine Inlelii^'en re has j ouied upon liis works— to cheer, preserve, a.rJ fe^-d the various orders, that are linko*! to- gether ia tha regv.lar and unbroken chain of organized and living existence. Ai be has ror.stilj'od ?.Ian the sovereign of the crcatior, and dctigncd him to orasi.Ie over it by the prs-eminence of hU faculticfj hfi I','»T Tiot i.^v'iria'j'.y compounded the ori[jinal earttis in the [oTti ii'iun Ci *bi £yi''a"p ; ba<. presented Ihem successively eithor in a slirplc or In ,1 f ,f;i!i5)y comhircd state, 'hat scope mii^ht b« given to th(! fitil eriorclr.e ef orr active powers. Had cither sand, or elay, c r Kme li\ rnfr/iselvrs been f:^rtilo, or even capable of bringiiig vegeiabic3 ^o traiuilt}, v;e would ii;!Te beon doomed to less labour ; bat 2t each tf (i.^oi, r»hrii alorip, is anprofhictive, and as the bieat!- iiij; of dicm ail f:)rni:. thv- r:oi* perfect i our brow." II. Li:r.e has beon expeiitoced highly ujcful in pulveriziix^ stiff andclv))ey laiid'^. Thia fossil, on bfiiMj slacked and mixed uith fitnd, fcxcrts a very oppu:;if siliceous or ;ertuin purpo. hehion ; ch'.y )sorption, anil Each of iii(;c» iiappy uiiior, luuliful profu- I his works- are liiiltcJ to' icii and living )f the crcatior, lincMce of his [final earths in jessivf'ly eitbor oric nii^ht b« ither eand, or (i of bring;;',!} less labour ; as the blent)- of exe/-lion ii oly bii eaructl • ulverizis'g stiff d mixed nith tales a itroi:g as adhesive ai th the sod, its d show no ten- liberal nse of ly clays in thi m\ their pore* e &bres of tkt 295 trop. In fact, cinjs anJ intractable loami wocld kave bcsn in a Bfcat measure unfruitful, and i-ould never, notwitiistandins; all tha ft improvements in nr.achiuery aud the more skilful P'odes of culture, kave h€tu reduced under tli* convertible husbandry without th« loosening efficacy of calcareous earth. The marshes of Great-lJri- taiii, in which cloy predominates much more than in ours, owe their smperior fecundity to ths pulverizing (.(iectsof this mineral ; aud they ire capable of recsiving a much greater pro[)ortioo of it than li^ht and sandy uplandn. No investraeat of capital pays wit!) a more liberal return than the purcliaiting of time to cjmbrou'j soiia ; and tli« of this is palj.ajle aitd of sittisfactory elucidation. Their 3 & nason ronso- •rand fault lie. iu their cuhticnce, nnortions given by Kirwa;i of nafiv*^ oarbonatft of linie ; nliich lit snupose* to b' those a!»o ottl'.f' iirtific';il carljotiau- afiy Tlienaul 5 {.31 iiml l*'..'.<» ;— hy arc't 6li.l and 43.9— auJ by Btrsebui ^6.4 r«4 A'iM, Vhiitiapbioal Uagatiae, vel. xi. pat;* 117. i ■I ■ i i 'JOS ¥ bInitioB, iM osefulne«5 iri arjriruHurc wouIJ be n icii rsmuiled • but f(»rfu-..ately ii tan adii)it of another, and beside.? tlv. \S |>a,(j already menlloned can ai>8oib an additional quantity uf -irbotiic acid, and form, what is called in the chemical nointincliiiuro a MVPEii'OARBONATK. ThIs posscstes two rctuaiLibie and distinct properties. In the first j)lflce, it is highly soluble in wa'er which accounts for the adndssion cf linie into the structure of plants • and in the second place, this excess of carbonic acid adheres V( ry loosely to its base and is liberuted without any extraordinary (ie- gree of heat. All this can be rendered plain by a very siiiijjh ♦ex,ieriment. If carbonic acid be added to lime-water an in- stantaneous unioa takes place, and the resulting compound is pre. cipitated ; but if more acid be pnured into the mixture, thcca.. bonate again is redis»olved. On leaving this exposed to theair, ths excess of carbonic arid escape-*, the mixture again assumes a miiky appearance, and a whitish prejipitale is formed, which is the neutral carbonate. As this acid Is a most Important ar(i( le of vegetible food and us it is copiously evolved in the putrefactive process, the caloareouij earth fixes and prevents it froia escaping, forms with it c fit pci-.:ii> bunate, and readily imparts it, In union wiih water, towai^ds tbe nourishment of the crops. It is supposed to do more : it unites »vi;!i the carbonic acid Hoa'ing in the air, and when there is a scarcity ol alimon( in tbe soil, it seizes and secures this food in the atniospLere ; and afterwards disnenses it according to the calls and iieces?!tic6 of vegetation. IJorice thff propriety of laying lime on (he surface.— In this posi|io!i, if 'a ready to eonibine with the carbonic aoid which is generaf^d by tie fermentation of putrescent matter lying at lower depths and whi;'h naturally ascends ; and also it can attract tli« same gas fiom ilie ciriutnambicut liuid with which our globe isMii- ves'ed. In tliis tw!>*"old manner, it contributes to supply the sfatice3 runs to .'•traw, fails in the prodsKMion of a full and heavy ear, bends l)v itsoAU iveighi. and sinks prostrate under deluging rains. [am II )f in possession of sulTu-ient daJa to specify exact 1/ the (juaotity \»liich should be applied to all kinds of soils : neither do I k\i(UT, if (he fact he any where correctly ascertained. On all of otr i der- val" and upland;, IjO bushels of shells j.-er acre may wi'h tafety r:d cniif'dfnce be spread ; hut more would be hazardous la !ii:,' pre- iciii stiite of our kiiov» Icd^f. As an cxulicraiit duse of lime is pernicions , so any quan titii it be >■. nu ii It oegiiis qjicliiy icli t Liii.e IK an iiigiooici.l iii tlic orga.uz.iiuu oi plauts, and nius serve some imporiant end isi the cxeroiie .-1 ciieir functions. It is rilorded l)y their ashes usually In a combined slate wi(k carbofiir; aeld, and forms part of the matter iusoluble in water which reniainj after incineration. This property of bein^; found in the vegefable fibre is not peculiar to lime ; for it belongs to the other three com- pooout elements of soil : only tlie calcareoui ai'd siruiousc.irU.s are more f.eijeently met with than magnesia, ai.d it :u:!;in nore ci nitrcnly (haaclay. Plmits appear to possess an a'.'- ('inniodtau-i, p',u et in this instiince, and to take up such enrth? us prinoip;: I'.j ex:'.' •:■ i.s bed th»t supports them, but always in suial! portions u:ui mm Lh.ia the fiftieth part of their wei^^ht. Sand and clay blended in a greater or let-s proportion cor.:;i:t'te Ufar the most part of that sopeifiiial covering with whicii oit globe is invested ; and of course tlie geiurnlify oi soils is mndc up of them. They are the chief materials found on the surface in (;very eountry, and in every climate, and an artinciul mixture of theiii, lhyu>;h in many cases highly conducive lo fcjiillfy, is seldom called ior; because nature has done ihe work nilLuul uny aii»Utan«e from 1^ i ¥' '^'\ 1 '\;: m If W i 'I-., ■ 1 I* Vf ml ■ i il:: ;;■( 11' •■ ■/'(, ii «?v. ■! ' ■ g '1 ; is' . ■ :* . i: l; ; ' •- . ■ i '■Ik 99$ mm. But she has disfribuJed lime with more froijallty, and riqj. soils ire deficient in this respect till ameliorattd hy art. Accorcliiijj. ly, we discoTcr at the very opening of ancient history and in t!,e infancy of tillage, a solicitude on the part of the earliest cultivator* —the Greeks, the Magarcnses, the Ubii, the Romans — to supply this fossil that the ground might yield its fruits in perfection and abandancc. As agriculture has advanced during the last two thou- sand years, lime has been growing in reputation, and has sow Lccoint- essential in every modern system of farming. From experience it ii known that many of the crops ruUivated for human subsistence vrill not reach their full vigour and luxuriance till calcareous carib, in some or other of its combinations, is scaKerod on the soil ; and wheat, In particulur, requires the presence of the carbonate to atlain its Iiighest productiveness. It would be an unprofitable and uoavail. ing Inboir to pry perhaps into the mysteries of vegetation, in order (n explore the cause of this phenomenon ; for these processes are al. most always conducted in the dark, and by their effects only do we become accjuainted with their existence. Yet it is fiOtorious, that new lands in northern latitudes are adverse to this grain, till they are incorporated with lime. Whether this repugnance to produre wheat originates in a defect of texture which is corrected by tlut mineral manure, or whether lime be essentially necessary for thi proper organixation of the stem and seed, are questions which can* not be easily solved in the present state of science. We must wait till more light is thrown on those secrets of th« vegetable economy) and in the meantime rest satisfied with the knowledge of the fac(> that lime is indispensable in the production of superior wheat crops. Without it, it most be confessed, that this grain will grow,and in very favourable situations grow vigorously ; yet it cannot be denied, that since the plentiful use of Utne has beea adopted,* lands in Esrope will produce wheat which otherwise were incapable of bearing it. The rye lands of Herefordshire, which were reported by Dr. Jieale in the year 1G36, as incapable of producing wheat, have beoal so much fertilised, by the subsequent fiutroductioa of this fo>$il n^anare, as to be successfully applied to the growth of that and every other grain. This and similar effects may be referable in partt* 'Marshall'* Review of the County Reports t« the Board of Agriculture- Vol. 2, 247. t Dn4icun)b'( Hcrefardihire page iT\ alt« paga 197, ttmiw (he bead " Mui^l ■g." S39 lh« aub.teniency of Uiis «ar(Ii in the more ptrfect fofmatlon of the fpgetable structure; forweknoT that birds, if confined in acageand denied all access to lime, will lay eggs with soft 8hclls~a most sur- prisi.ig inslaiu e of defect where the reproduction of the species is toDcerr.ed. So whent may labour under some such analogous iinpar- fettion, unless the carbonate comes within the range of its roots. V. Lime adds to the absorbent capacity of the soil. This chem- ical property is of great acconnt iti the production of crops, and iu- tiinately connectiMl with fertility. The nature of it even by the un- learned is not dilFicult to be understood, and is susceptible of an easy «[»liination. Every ene, the least versant with the simplest rudi- ments of knowledge, has henrd (hat the atmosphere holds a certain quantity of aqueous vapour in an invisible and elastic form. The con* slant evaporation going on at the surface of land anl water is the source of supply : and as this must be greatest in dry and hot wea- ther, the air is so constituted as to enter into combination with dif- ferent portions of it, according to the degrees of temperature. Whea the inetcury is at 40^ Fahrcaheit, the air holds abaut a fiftieth of its own volume of moisture, and al 100^, about a fourteenth ; so that the proportion of atmospheric vapour increases with the heat. The Gnal cause of this beautiful and beneficent contrivance needs n» (ommeot, as it is the ministration ofdivine goodness under the guid- ance of intelligence, to ful^l the greater wants nf the vegetable cre- ation. There are three ways in which water or its elements existing ia the atmosphere are made conducive to the growth of plants. From the electrical changes occurring in the upper regions of the air, u< xygene and hydrogene are caused to combine io the formation of wa- ter, which descends according to the season, in the shape either of mow er of rain. By these means the surface of the earth is refresh- ed and saturated with sap, to carry on the vegetable processes. Froiu the alteration of temperature, again, the air holds suspended a gieat- iir or less portion of aqueous vapour, A decrease of heat inva- riably leads to a dcp'isition of water ; and hence the dews in sum- mer, from the comparative coldness of the nights. And lastly, plants themselves and the soil on which they subsist, possess this power of absorbing this watery vapour by the mere energy of cohe- iirsatlractioo. The leafes unque^liouably are esjcwed with o ca» h U- %t ■;tr 300 piAcity cf this kiti;l, nn'l tlif con; utiif.f Mnrt': of '!»p c.^il < .j,,. ;( likrwiar in (liir:rent (h'^rtrs. \''gr';iljlc iD.tiKi ^^»•l!l• i«» \, ,i , ,, ahaorlx'nt than (tnioial : iuu! limn mu ii iinirc H.-m snnj, 'i(r>,„|. caicou'5 Iiillsiu l.)i;rl)} shin.' am! NoitU N\;ilr, ctiiibit ii ■ tnkii'^ ( n,. Irast to those ofs.'iiiilstoiir — thf ver(!uic of tiu oik; ! I'liiij d(:. p .j,.:! beautiful, tlie grass on (he otlu-r l(H.k;ii; brown urui p'lnl.ed : i,iiplioil vvitlia roj^ular and j'lst .share of humidity. As this property belongs emiiiemly to limCjand can be rio^^t cllVt;' lually exercised in contact wiili air, it suggests tlie reason why C:m manure siiould not be ploughed down hut lye near itie surfai-''. in that silaafion it can best txcrt its absorbent power in beh lif of '.c crop, and more readily drink in iliose !i(i'iid stoics ttbi( h an^ ii.>'iv. ed in the very coniiri'l.«'(l : !Mi'i ich they Ci>|i)y ch, from tSiM!. i» inoisluie urc oil otrboiuiU' of whiclt ii'O of so '> (!u; ;'i|>tiuti of ilic I and j'>st sliiuo S; me are cfiuailvj ler of fre-h *aierj U these forms of I ration is to be (X- arl, con?lsiingof| covered at Wind- ; and doubili';3J esearch has ijuiii- tiic'l » littlf thr movfniftits of our fuimcrs. Ciialh, no fur as I knoir, )as out been o . "ted on here in its unlive niatc ; sea sand has not vet ixv'O brought into use ; uiid shells aie still throw n iisideus w oi th- less. The corbonalf of lime, ihkUt whalever inndiiii-atiuii i( ;«|)[)i'iir», >,hi)uld bo \\et\(\ in hikjher esliinatjoii ; ntid ouj^lit to l)(; incurjtoritted Mith our buils us iiii tsbUkiliul (>ritici^>ls of ihcir piodudiveiiesft. HJifax, I'cljiuar) 3, 1319. ACllICOLA. TO ( ()l{KL>l'OM)rNTS. My litters lliis vu'vk lave hern lujin'.imis and valu.iblc : and I ii.r.st llnidv niy weilvrisheis lur fhrir iricrrii. ing aiixict)' to ^ive me in- f.iimaiiun. 'ilicie ii im [Mil of wy \i\ l;''\c duty, v»l;ich 1 di^cliaiije with wore painful foclinjji, ll'an tlsu (i.-iito I nm forced to make r.DOiig my t:i>r.ununic:itii'ii<, of ijios- to iw; loiirkcd out f«)r (lie j)ross. Ill this selection, I am less xelduin j;ui(ied by their mtijnsic nieiits, Laii by (lu'ir iiuinediuto rerirence to the pul-jeirt-mattor »iiiili I wish (o brin/j liefoio ilie publii- attentiott. I have inppreised well wriltrn jiiTCs, sonietliutf b M'au>.(' ilicy foiulied uii discussions forti;;;) to llie pniiit in liand ; und at ominous ( ompUi. Ion. T vro parties tbfro seem inflnincd with the most tioltMit anj. •lositj ; and both hnTC nppealed to me with niutukl criminalioiis,^ As far ts my cxperipuce has hitherlo ^one, ai;ricuifure has oIwrm operated in soothing tiio piissions of n).iitlviitd, nu'l in ailaving h> fierc« strifes which are engendered by tlio tuibulcnce of politics. Tiu «arth, like an indulgent mother, equnlly fosters her children ; vln in impartial in the distribution of her gifts ; the abundance of mii! RTtao ]]B» no connexion with the poverty of imother, for she dis|;erissj to all according to their exertions ; aod on these accounts, tlifr# flllRuld be neilhur jealousy nor ri«aUhi,> in Agricullunl puriuit^. LEi'TEIl 50. On Mauvwes. IT IME, wliich has been the suhject of attention in Iht: las; Ullcr, -*-* holds the most important and conspicuous place atnoog ['■■t •arths. It 16 osed not only extensively in agriculture, but is nt-xci- sarj in many of thosa arts and manufactures which »erve to the ex* Ktence of society, and in some of them wiiich minister to its elcganie and ornamf nt. In msciciue it is employed as an antacid and astiiii- |snt ; and in practical t;h«>Tnistry it is susceptible of numerous a\u plications, dependent on its peculiar agencies on the neutral siilii and the animal and vegetable products. The tanner, (he soapboiler, the bleacher hare successively to call in the aid of its aflinities ; for next to the aikaliei, it has the most diversified and multiplied rela^ fions.. its abundance nnd dii'fusion bear some correspondence to tilts its great value ; and it exists in the stratification of our giohi fometimes as the priocipal, and •*^) as oalcdreoua sniiditonc, as gyptum and if ,!iilk. it >!^ containt-i) in mo^t wateis which flow rither on the 8ur« f,ic(! or in the bowels of the earth, as well as in those of ths ocean. |f insinuates itself into vrgctabia itrucluic<), find formi the basis of (he shells and bones of animals. Ill these numerous artangcments it h prrsontrd to us andora great lariuty of forms, and in a 8tat<; of combinatioa wiih the difTerent min<- etalariJs. Wiih serycral of thc:)phorito lie^ in extcD' >ive strata in Sjtuin, thovgh as a manure, it Ih derived rather froBi llieaiiimal (ban the mineral kingdom. T'lli saline body goes pria* (ipaily to the compositicn of bones, which, both ground and barat) ire now greatly appUiid in England as a dressing to land. Gypsum is composed of 55 parts of lime and 75 of salpharic aci(f, and this latter is the gas usually sold bjr the drGg|;ists in a liquid form as the oil of fitriol. If this and quick*lime bo added together in due proportions, a violent heat results ; and on igniting the mix- tore, the salt is formed. lu nature gypsnm is found in two states ; 11 a combination of lime and of sulphuric acid free from wa«er,"hen it is called anhydrous seleoite ; and again au common plaislor,vvl)ich contains in addition to the acid a considerable quantity of water; ami ilstompoBition may be thus expressed — Of Sulphuric acid one proportion 76 Lime, one do 5b Water, two do of 17 each 34 In this province Gypsum is found in both these states ; more rare. 1y in the first, but in the last it exists in unbounded profusion, and («ims quite inexha^sdbU. Siaee tbiseUIeaieiit af the duuntry, lb« \h'i' sot . n\ ■umberle^n rarpor« »lii;»()"«l lo Ihf lJnifo«l Sln^ex Invr tnnde aoKnrf of imiirosNioii on t.'ie rock*! ; niwi (lioUr{h tin? Itude \u>ro rHriud or. for thousamis of jeuis to coiiir, iio fnirs Ciiii Iv « iitcitniiicil cf ff,,.,. tyiii^ (his Ta<>tmiiie of tniucrul wealth. All lIuMrrev'kH und iiiUt^ ivhi( h iiiilortt (lie Hhorcs of tho Hi) of Fundy, prt'siT* *.u( h inii.p, of (his fosNil, gciicralt)' in perpendicular cliU'^, ns (o b('^<>t the idon that ihe suiiply is undlcsN and unlimiifd. Imlcod it tippciuA to h- the pretlomifiHiif s(r;iturii of (Ii,; country, and hus bteii iin olj'-ctot co:iimerfe forn.iiiiy vcnrs past. It must nppear fin^ular tliiil an niticlo, which h.>s Lpcii u':\[ ao long (o our neighbours nn a fossil m;inuri>, sliuuld h ivo Ihi-h tntiicly nef()cM'tfd niiioof^ oursolvon : und (hut no vvc has iiistitui,.,! a set of txporIniPi>t9 to asct'itain its « llccts on »|if soil vf Nova Sroiji, A notion j»eiini:illy prevail?, (hat here it would be iiu'H'H'lual in n n. s« (|iieii('e of (he lower (cmpcrnture of our summers (-crnpniid vfiik (iiOKe of the SiMjthern Stales, hut an opinion, like this, of sn vii^uc and unphilo.'^ophic a character ouj;h( to carry wilii it no decree o^ «eli;ht ; for it suppoiies, (hut the uiudo of itii operation L by al!ra> t- ing moistuie frotv the atiiir>s;)heie, and thus furaishi:ig sap to the plants in an arid soil and sultry ctinui'ie. Ijut llii.i is iiiaticr «f|)urc hypothesis. Cypsum, when comliincd with water, holils itsoliimly that it can only he deprived of it by a beat at bast equal to die boiling point — a fact, (hat is daily proved by (he plaisterrr in pre. patii;^ it fur cas(s and the other purposes of his art. 1\e puts it into . n pot, applies lire to it in order to drive oil" the 31 parts of water, \*hith in their e-'Oawe pioduee (!»3 appearance of ebullition. Com. mou pyjisotrij'^o soon as their expulsion is etrec(fd, beromes analo- gous (o the iiiiliydrous selodite, and suffers no charge in the fl( ruil;.i proportioiit of the lime niul acid. The dry powder is a pure sulpliciiii| of li.ne, and (he power it has of comLiuiti^ with water is perc'0|i'il)lH ih .Ii^ rapid selling of (he jasie f:it^l),Inu•<< be ill calculated (o .^upply plants with trioisler"! and therefore its action as a manure cannot philosophically be tmcdil (0 this source. IJ irii,^ht have been apprehended, too, that the verjrj small quantify wed on buid, not exceeding from two to six liushel per acre, would have been destructive tw such a conjecture, und led men to seek for its fertilizing principle in some other property. AnJ this attempt has been made, and its influence rcfentd to a soppo5«l son H«er of 'l''f'Wl»0"'iC TrgrUblc and ■iiiniat matter. Sir *H.Davy liial 9iiuie fX|ieriiiieiits oti thii subjoct by mixing mincud veal aud Mji.nit'H (lui'g with |)laUter, but (he rcxdii « in buth cases cTiuced ll„t KypHuni inr.*(fa»«e (nl«, both among faroiers and theoretical men. In some counties i( F/i|{lHrid it hns entirely fjiiN.-d ; whereas in Kent it has been of ril advantage, nnd very favourable accounts of it wre returned to llelloardof Agriculture', purticularly by Mr. +Siii;t!i of Tunstall bo tta'C!", " l^at from tliree to six liushuh »)f l!iis saline compound of lime spread ovyr an acre of dllTureut spe ics cf lierhai;', had much moru than tinubled (he produce, iiid Icf' the soil in condition to yield a superior crop thp following year." In Sw i«z(>rland, niny a>id North Amerira its (ilects are visi; 1<> and universally ii'0!;nizoil J in licland and S(*otland it is li;tlo, I lud almost said lerujcd ; and hi ll'ngland its usefulness is a s'lhjia't < f controversy. H 111 (o our embarrassment, clover, sainfoin, ond most of (he arti- ialgrassc!) farnish it on analysis ; while it i.s vcnrcely detected ia tley, wheat, pease and turnips — a proof (hut it is restricted in its ration to particular ciops. — And further it is so generally diflused, itlti) found more or less in almost ev«ry soij, in spring and river Icr, ami much of it in stable duog. From tliesio multiplied, discordant aod variocs facts it is hard to icitauy thing like a principle of order, by whicli to reconcile and tiaoDize them : and (hough we shoald hnppily alight on soroo- ling of this description, it cannot be re!'ci\ed with a full and on- iiering assent, but must be merely ragardcd as a mode of expiiiii>- ihediiTiculties till time and a more enlarged cvperience shall rll'tr ortect and philosophical solution. The details of this inve£tiga- leem to centre in two c»ncl unions ; first, that a very small por- phically t'etraCM»|jj gypsum is all that is required to be cliicient, and that this iuo, that Ihoveiyr |two to six i'^^^^mfricultnral Chemistry, page 831. )iijecture, und '''•s,Mral Report tf iaotlRHd, Tol. 5, page 7<3. Lr property. A"* ^2 ricU to a 5upp"^" ►1. re rHiio'd or. tini'd <'f en>|i« Wh and iitUtt, it such nin'ffli b»'^'!t the i(!»!i appears to h* II an ol'j"Ctut li;»9 bPlMI H"lt ouM h;»vt' Ixeii (' has !n«ii*»i"'-(l of Nova Sco^ii, 'fl'H'lual ill ci 11- compaud wiik (his, of so viipe i it no dc^;rte ot oil ia by atiia t- ishing sap to the U tniltcr of iiuie holllS it M> tlllnly ast c (11! ill to ili8 plaistevcr in pre- He pii*'' ii i"^" parts of water, ulUtion. Com. be -oines analo- (re ill the c(fini;j lis a pure sulpbu iter is perccji'iliU very great harJ- pans with wa'f and solidifi'^s dwl nts with Uium on two of liis e^ta' without the least henetit, and waa thence inducer^ to have the la examined by chemical tests. This substance wns found in bolhi soils io such plerity as to reader all farther appli'iation of itncci less; and therefore the failura of bis expiiiimcuts was easily a obviously traced to thi» circumstance. Should this ex; Ifination of these facts turn out correct, v-ecmi count for tl»e wonderful etTicacy of plaster In thellni'ed States, i vast range of country is almost devoid of this fossil ; and tlie.cfo; «lressk:;tf f'f it to Indiui corn, atid clover supplies those plaiils « what is iuui:ipeukal)le to their organization : while in Nova-Seo PD the other hand, wliere it is most abundant, it must be ofliinil r I ."iration, because most soils contain it ia considerable quautities Pjut in several counties of this province, particularly to the Wi ward, xxo trace of gypsum has been hitherto detected ; and Auoifljt i^ lis is very parsimoniously supplied, if at all, with any of thecalcBearih j ous strata. In that quarter the sulihale of lime, according tolljy (1,^ principles of reasoning which w« have atisumed, ou^ht to hatelocal! g lie ne»v 5 Agricultural Chemistry, psgc 'iU ■ '" "^•' \d app! iiey a lis iK-'Ueyt ibpliaf ■', '' ih: f-ent) ifith fh anJ arc 'J\»«I ij; oil ('u ^> ion »f ill' imi)oila;>i f'lu.ie acUuc. li ■\e c guide us ii\ this ^v :ountry •>\\un'. jlasj .ses whi^'h a.e ii,: irprrgnaiod wiihii, i^s; and will leiiii e laises Indian a,ti urn hasbi^en alrta ,;n which it isfoihe two of liis ebt'd' icet'. to have tlielsi as found in bi-thi )[)li';ation ofitncd iicuts was easily a onc3of all nnin.als ; mid r.llhou;,^!! thcje hard su!>8lanccs have been (Mg regarded os of iitilc or no use to the farmer, the science of i^riculture has made the discovery, that when j^round info powder cl applied at the rate of from sixty to a liundrcd bushels per acre, licy answer an excellent pmpo'^c, and confer a richv.fss for ten or mUe years. The bor.es are sometimes burnt before they arebr*keti o»D, but the better meibod is to scd fhein to the mill ii an on- !il;iiied state ; because the powder will then not only confnin Uie pliafe of lime, but the other animal prodncts with which it i:i 'TilMited. In '-he West Hiding *Rpport of YnrUsliire it is mention- , ''ihat bone-dust is used to great extent ujon all ijje fields for twenty miles round She Hicld. Bones of all ki!M!s are gathered ffilh the greatest indnstiy, and are ovan import.-ii fioni distant iilaies. They ars brokea tlirough a mill mtulo f>ir tha'i piiijio f, icularly to the "•and are sometimes laid on th'j ground without nay mixture ; hut >tected ; and AiiniBit is supposed most advan'ageous to naix thi^m up wiih ri( !i ith auy of ihecalcBearih into a compost, and when fermentation has taken pluce to lime, according toBlay them on the grourid :"' The jiiice at ihemill h 18d per bnshpl; ed gu"ht to haveBi' call greater than can bo supplied. In other parts of Kngiaad ^JiMie'v spetles of manure is in equally «;reat ror|jert ; anc! of lata i.r; nei^hJjouihood of i'ldinburgh — the capital of Scotland — the ut correct, wecaii lellni'ed States. 1 o.sil ; and the.clcri llies those piaats * hile in Nnva-Sco it must be ofW iidcrable quantities, ,a... TagDliii. I' «■ % 508 boucs of htrsti and other animals whi'''y this extraordixiary dtnianflj But although t}»e phosphate of limcbetitus derived from ve^efabinj and animal substance?, it mast be strictly regarded as of fossil orijr I Gypsnro, common salt, the carbouiite of linne and of niagncBia arca|i| minerals, and yet they introduce themselves into the com[^o^i(inn^f| organized bodies, and are conveyed with stable dung to fertilize ti,, earth. None of the neutral salts are the peculiar products of vc^eJ able life, like mucilage, sugar or gluten, and although detected int.lJ remains of living structures, they must be held in the light of minerJ al manures, nnd placeinations of the volatile and fixed alkalies with the corrpspnutiiiin- acids indicnfed by the names. !!• found that in al! cases, when the quantify o'' sn't ri^aalled one thirtieth part of the wpl^lit of water, the effects wro injurious, but least so, in the instances of caibonaie.Bulpbale and mui iate of ammo- nia. But when it equalled ons thiee hundredth part of the solution, then the different siilts operated en (he grass and corn, some of them without any apjarent benefit, end •thers with an increase of luxuriance. To this mode of explanatiou all the disputes, perhaps, eonceroing the influence of magnesia are referable. When sparingly ap)}li«d) it ii us«ful id iacJif)l:ig the texture ef th« soil, or iacojitrU 'I I' i! \i : : fc.ft m h \- S19 kuling t» the •rgani/ation of Mie {)|.uif<: ;— whra in suprrshuiid incr it becoTnesmischieTous like the otliT fossil miinnrci. But tlidt tlitt rioxi'jtjs (|'jalitit"s ascribed (o mrignov.iin rarih without any regard •♦> oi!, is of very (lucslion- able aiifborityjor rutlitr ui> worthy of iu !icr,I'< nf. t sie«l I'y ili*» roin'tjnn priwtii'es of "fiverfil English <"nuM!ties. In Driby^iiirr she in^ j{ue.i':i'i limr^tone is f,o plentiful (hut the irub'ic ronls ^ic f!'>f}iir;ill v i.lfndcf} with it, aficr it in broken into ^maU [iei:^'^, r :«•( iii ;•. ihurt tiin.j art! bruisi.'d into an impnlpoble powcb'r I'y ibc i onttnut prr;s':urc and fiiclion of carriage." ; and in ihnt fitnt »nic pnrfiTlly dis'Kdie^*! io every shower th;it fall; The thii k v> r\{^r riMiiji!'*; (lom these roads, nbout. ♦Ple.ilcy, is carrfoHy «.oli('Ct{;(l into pits for (In; purj^ose of cau'ii':^ Iherti to deposit fho SfMlinu^nt. <.vl'.!ili nii'-M obviously ho a I'ompon', | cf calcareous and :-i^j"if»-i in mat'ti Thi'ti bv fhr farinrrs, io th< nv imjrediiite i!ti^;hbc!.iri)«od, i,; rarfed (IT as a valniblo iojiet'ieat in their ctxr.post''— a pnictlcs wliich w )u!d be iustanily chcckr.l, if this fossil were of S'lrh «!c^(ructive opcialion. The pnrft ningne^iim e^.'"h, tinconblpf^d vith any acid, is f what analogous to qui' klirne by acting in i's cawstic state a^ n : r.i- son ♦'» vep'etario.j ; but when it becounes ^riUl, ani! pa'ses iiao a i-^r, bor.atp, it ii beyond all do^bf be''.efu'ir)l ^o soil? ; and numerous >^\- p«^)5;r:tMi'.«, nr«««rn*(Mi bv diir^'rent iiuiividoais ar>d at dilVercnt tini»«, have mad'; ihi^ out ••<■ h a fMJ.v^ss of evidence vrhii h cannct be mis- laken, Th<; carbcna'" of mnijoesia any be thrown on mas3 0r corM till they are completely •'vhitfiiei!, without the sin.il!est injury ; and heavy crops may t!»> rnlic 1 on lands which contain it in considerable |»roportion. ,-~' Other coHipoond'5 '>f m-'vii* "in nith ihe conmci acids havobrea favourably siy 'ii;j si'icntifu; p^ii-ultuiist. r In- iji ihesti salts is foiu,*! in ti^o waters of the oc-':*a!i, and iRr.-ieiy in i!'c wilier: 1 Sjuiii!;^ u K ismi, f;ofTi '^hich pla<'« if Iris deri-ed its naiiie in contxeioe and jnodi.'.nf. The sVrord cf ;ho~e is t'mt sid)stancc >> hif .'., lit xt to cotKiiKM s;i!t, iK contained most abnn binllv in ■^fi- »T ','.cf, cinu ha<; a ^ery Tiriusf.)us 'as'e. Both thcso saliue b-'d^*'* in» ilijffi.. ,ted with extreme }t;nsiin')ny throu,;hi)ut the minora! kin^dmn, bod i,.'.n Mily l)e jirocured, in a srparate slate, by Ttry ex^j-inilv* • \T ii ol'i^ll',s Hrvie-.v, vol. 1, p. US. i:in csrUi. 1118 juei"':!'! If!S':«rC R!lll i^(\ *H» every se of C.iUlMf:' :rncrii, in tl~i« ui»to a i'"'' r,uinerou« >^'t- ilTerent lini>«, ct be 10'''- ;ani iiijuiy asK h CO nsidciaVi'ie -ids havo b* ea Tt« prartii'iil occuj)ier of land ; and in frt.;f, ihev never have been plcycd as manure?, exoojit when fhr y haxe been conveyed to tits fiii Kuiliu ihe aj)uiicauoii eiihei of salt wa'er or of sea weed AGllICOLA. LETT EH 31 Ou ^i\v^iVAi"t,vS. >? the Drrcrres'; of i: •■I'i.-'i, llse minr'nil m-Miute^', we- now sp-« )roa :h a i;ew ai:o c (oiisive cheuiittii iclutur.'--, . al)!e life. The iixed uik li '( ri,-f!('i ofhifhiis, iliHt Jiiive the most eX'< !■; ;. xficiac ;i ,M)\vc;iiui ir,iiui'i;ce on vrgt't- Ni-ui.-h a-.td H (la, ate no abiiodaiit in the organs of plants, ili::t fio:u ; it(;'v:r! the,-) are chit fly furnished for th(^ purposes of eoiimercj : in(i c<)...bi.b''>:? is the prooeis by v\hich (bey are both obtaiaed. lO HluiiU fact t.lfO III [*') U'.U ]■ o mv? tery to the iiilialiitar.tsi of tlii-i [>!0.iii(e, who are in ih^ dully puuiifc of sc^parating this alkali fiom their wood ashes by lixiviation, and of adding to the ley some fatty matter in order to form a soap for i\o- meslic use. — Soda, in like manner, is procured by the liurningof marine flants, and appears under the form of kelp and barilla. Th« vegetable kinijdom in both case'^ is the source whenee these alka- lies are derived, and some *ii'q(Mrert fron thi^, ^avo been deceived into the belief that they art' (he pr.i.iurts f;f si;? vc.st timbe.'- and sea- weed, a very «onsiderahle quantity of potash can be gathered from the one, and of * In Mm ray s C:hpmi-tr.v, vol. 2. par;e 6r.3, a tbnith alkuli is said to have hoet •^wiy di>.coveii>.l tii a iiiiiipral, n,.!i!ecl peUlili, taken Ironi tlic mine of Uro it *wed»n. Itfia^ agioat*-! re.*eniblHi)ce ti) M-.la than to polaM), and Uko thtm h4N a metallic Imse. NeitiiPi it.^ pro;)(^!tie3 iicr its salt? havft been fully invpstL- ^atrd ; but Iteiause found iu the inincial kiiio,!oni it ba* bven calk d Lithina.- >o pxporimrnts Lave been roa'-V to ascf 1 titin its action and relations in a2ri««l- 1«riil vbeoiistry. ' |: icrs, or ot Bin. ,1 of chem- lat both of i wUh the lich geolo- oustitutiug the nann!S licioQS and le and mag- licre it miisJ to the birth 9a\t, vih-di fused txUn- not therefors sral manures. imonia,or Iht )nie service in p3 hag always constitution! •able from tht griculturistp. ays.-lischarg- ,eat lo favour such waste- matter in tht o be most Ibi- he most dcct- in all pia»t« IlieB enter very Ite there an es- i.weed, a very [he one, and of iM(\ to have lipet lie mine of Ut'> '• lb, and like them l(>pn fnlly investi- lc&ll( d Lithiiia.— lalion* in ag""^' $13 ,«jH^r()(B the other ; aud this de;noi)stratsi that ths*e bodies preex« httd in the item:! and leaves before the action of th« fire. It is per- ha^i iui|'03«il)le to sny for what exact funrtions they are designed, but if we iulvcrt to (heir cLemical qualities, aoaie scaltertd rays of light may be collected on this head. They are themjclves not only highly soluble in water,— but they ffjvc solubility to bodies which have not ik.ls property. The manu- fidure of soap, itolh hard and soft, utFords of this the very best iilus- tiiitioi. The vegetable uiU and the animal fats are all incapable of teiiig rriixed v»ith water, aud (hoy cither swim on tho top, or lie at the bottom in an unaltered state. But when there is added potash trtoda, they become miscible in a very high degree. The greasy natter which issues from the huaian skin, and adheres to the vest- neiits with which it is concealed and protet ted, could not be expel- leJ or washed out, without the assistance of »>oap coDtainiug the likaii, that unites to the fat and gives it solubility. A fine instance of this power ii manifested in the manufacture nf |1ass. Flint, orsilicious sand, is among the most intractable of bo- dies lobe brought to a iuid state by the application of heat : yet lis soon as allcali, either the vegetable or mineral, is blended with the land, the mass becomes fusible in the furnace, and can be blown and Boalded into that endless multitude of forms, which as glass or (hr}Stal, constitute the chief ornaments of eur table. It is now well nigh correctly ascertained, that both the vegetable liod animal manures afford nutriment, not by being resolved into Itheir ultimate elements of oxygene, hydrogeue, carbon and azote, Ibut by furnishing their peculiar products in their ternary combina- Itions. Whatever part of these is soluble, or in other words, can be Inixed with water, pass at ance into the tubes with the ascending liap, and is solidified into the organs. In this way may be disposed [if, Diucilage, sugar, albumen, jelly, tannin and extract ; but gum klastic, wax, resin, the Gxed oils and the carbonaceous part of woody Ibrc most undergo some change, or be assisted by soiae new chemical pnity, before they can be mitcibie io water and hnd admiisioo into be plant. The knows attraction of the alkalies for oil poiots them ^ututke •bvioai means of giving solubility to thi» single vegetablp F 2 '■■1 i,A i J Iff I . / |: 3Ii )#rmeij)l«j mid of pnving (lie wny for lt» B3C«iisii'H in flic li'.ct ; ) .< oil IhuoUier pcvducti tuumei'ttted, iinij niiicii aie insoluble in vtm.-,, 1 helieve tlie ulkalies Iiiiva no eoit of aclioJi lulu saturated solu. tiotis of soda and polai>!i I ctrojit pici'cs uf m jx, lesiii and cauulcliouc. uitd also [iowddcd cliaiccul, 5gidins uf cai'h ; atid Hfiei (luir i,)i. inersion for tluce dajs, lliej were wci^hbtl and fouud uureduceilln %'jftntity. Aiiolhcr i>ni(e of ^icat impoilnnce sccins to fce perfoirntd b) the alkalits ; aad tliat i^^, tlj« vaiyiug .iiid niixiiig of ilio colour, wliiih ulvfisify and adorn llu; iiiijnile poducticiit of the tarth. \V nou(.r cunleuipliites liiAtgay and gloiious lobc nliioh ii|vcsts auiir.atLiJ nt. ture, cauiiolbut admire (lie eiidle'is variety of linti Mith wbicli it jj I'lu'quertd. 'i'iic original colours run into each ollior with so fiiuch deliciicy of bhade, oraic Sct i>i> iiiio uuch pluasiiig at;d bur|.ii.Jii^co;i. I Irakis, tl;it the cys wanders orer them m ithoui disgust or luu, ly. The alkalies and the acids are the means to jut isito motion all ihiij gorgeous ninchiHcry : and so simple is the coiitrivance, (hat it cin bi easily cxeir/[)!if!ed by tirt. Indeed, changiiig vegetable blues imo grc«a h cnc of the tests, by which the alkalies are known : aatl {].t\ acids u|;itiii are distii!|ruihlied by tinging them niih red. No L.\pe< rlmeut, iu liie whole circle of chemistry, is so beautiful and sirikingl as this, nor moie wiihiu ihu reach of the ordiuary student. Ta'ueaj leaf of the coiimon red cabbage, and pour over it a quantity ufbuil' iiig water. When it couIb, draw off the infusion whicl' willliavel acijulicd a deep blue or purple, liitoa "wiiiOjiUkS full of this liiiiuri drop the snvilleit piece ofpctash oi soda ; and iiislaatunecas^lytiiil Mue will he charged into groci'. Tiicn pour Inte it a litlioof aiiyolj tlieinliiKial tciii'.,, Mich as the muriatic, the nitric or the sulphuiicJ »(!(] the frceu \>ili icJuio ti;iii to ihe Hue, aiidon adding laoreHcidJ will pasR in!o a r^d coiner. XLa; rcj colour ca'> ht a^aii^ s-..bv4r;e(| by (he aclvliti' II <;f ulliili, khd b.-OB^ht LacJl to a green ; aad thij thanps f.uui rtd io grcc;;, and Ivoiv. grr:cuto red, cau be cflacted alj tcruutciy t>y any cno of the acidi aud aiJ^alic:;, a* ii the will cf ilij c»pci*i'(r. Oiii'jr vcg>-table iniusioub are ecjaajly under the inflaeiicj cf these two claM^es of bodies. Tl^e yellow of tarrneric,fcr iaiiain jasics by the cticiiiou ef alka'i Into a dark brown j aiu) the infysioj cf lea heccmC'S paL-r by t!ie a[ip!ication of an acid : — so that it woiilj appear, that tLi» iiiHiuiely var'ud hu8» of plauty,ftbi;ubs and (rcouj ■■'■"ill, lubU; \\\ w:iti'i, saturalt'd su'.u- lid iftuiitchouc. Hfiei Uk'u uM' ,d uarcduceil in erfoiincd b) tW colour, wlikh irth. ini\i:d from «h« mixturs anel stituraiioii of aci<] nrnl allullne matter, ^)( iho predominauce of the one or tlio o'her. In spring nml sumniev Iho alkalies prevnil, mid <-i.rend an uui\ersal green over (Ik- face of nature ; in autanui the aciils gain an ascendant, aiul mvkc th;^!.- pow- er manifest by th« turnirioflh* leaf into brown, ydlo.v, oliko autS I'ntish h uftdin thii pr»Tinr« aia manure to a very great cxfcxit ; as it is aprln('ij)ai injjredient in tijc wood ashes of ihne trees whieb roust he fut down and c»nFunieal, to tlcar awny the foroit. In ill parts of tiie country the fuel consists much vnin-i of 'vood^ than of pifcoal ; nnd on that nrtount, a very •onsidera!)lo tjuai.lity citbe vegetable alkali must lie thrown !nt<> the du'ighil wiih the ineepiiigs r-f the hearth, and thence carried t* the fit^lds. We ara tlius in a situation to estisiale the tUtcts 04 this uaBure, and to dnv our coniilu.Mont with tl«:' £jre:uest ferUinly, \Vood»ashes by i.lour new settlors are relied upon as giving «'• abimJunt Qrst crop; jiidtliis is one cause v/hy oar wilderness laiids are taken uf and (apied rAuch fasier than the state of our population justifies. The CFop of wheat, after ihe timber is felled and burr.ed, is gcn^rally »o {ood as to reimburse the wholo outjoy for clcuring aiid fencing ; aud liful and siruiiigMjjjj wl;olo ir.a.'iure employed is the rarboGare.ius, alkdliuo and student. lauuMjiiiiji; niatterthai composes the wood ashrs. The grain is sown on a quaiitity ofij'jil'Htli2l)lacke;ied fiur.'ace, ai;d harrowsd in without other preparation \^hi(b »«U lii^eBsnioug the ifun-ips. These, althouf^h unualiy from three to four feet full of thii li'l'^'iHio height, aro coverii-d a-ni conce£;lcd by the rjrowing corn : and this rislau'.ttneoai^lytaiBiappens even on ■jroutd vf no great original fertility. Jv) great is it a ratio of any oBiiet[j'ot,t of tha alkaliie aud carboaaccous xitte: that rct.i aim after - or tlie siil,-^''J'i^'B'iciricratiiVr>. • adviiug ia'>i'c*^"'B The pov/eT of potiih to accelorR^e »e^^e*aiio5» nny la i!>fened jbtt again su.bv»nc(Broti, \\^ Hbuiiuanca in all parts of pl^sts that grow 0:1 \-..i\K h. h Ciocn ; au-^ tliiB-i;:t:;i;ic(^ in th[;ij' Itgt(>j, b;s.nchea ar:d silm;-?, and exists lu ilr^vv, tau be cll'ivte'i *Wjaim, wi>^;js tud iv.ccjI.'U htibs, «;.; '.vt'i as in shrubi and tiot.*. — L» ii the «iU ofiliKipeiinicii..} have been tven coitducted by Kirv. a;i, A'ctnqueliu, londer lUii '"^'"'■"■"'^ •^'^*i"S to dliicoverths relative quantities of alkali wliich tT>ay rierlc 'cr jajlaiireBefirnished by dilTeicnt ve^e'alle prcducions : ai'd tii'jir results I . jjpd tiie icfvisioBfem to point to the foPowing conrluiion — that herbs yield a iior* . ^jj^t it woulfcious supply than shrubs, and shrubs roore than trees, in 10,000 1 bs and trcosaW'*'3^li< o*k afferded 15j aud the beech 12 ;— whilD the vine ^ar» W iioncr sis auii:iali-'J 11a. \y\i.\\ Vrhich it ij ,(;» with so niuch ,d burj.iiiiiii' ^'>i''i" disgtst or wiii ly- to motion all iliit iKC, thut it iT.ii b« ,(;table blues imo known : at»'' tl« h red. No aije. i i If w !■■ \iA' $ 1 .f 1/. ■ ■ It ■. .!t 516 $5, Aid fern r;2 : but vslches produced 275, hcnns 500. nr<| wr..m. wood ? 30. TJu'ir analyfles were fX'ended to !>evor«l ollur pi iu(, and thuNC infnnubly streiiglheiicd (he ^ciirrnl infcrftuce. N.iy, fur* thcr, it wns fouiul lliil leaves all'uided a ^iciiter pio^urtiou ilun the brHiirhcH, and the branches more tkuo the steuu — . 'ntl ralher sin. guiar, unless we should supjjosc, aj* alkaliut- Biiit«t*r is the thii( canse of that univrrsal green which u fproad over livitij^ nature, Hut it i.^ distrihuled with a view to tbifi oU'ijct. The leaver uie geueralii of a brighterand livelier hue than the (v»igs utid branches (hat Ujiliol,! them, and the truitii, which braves every Htonrt, and atanils ai| winter?, is ranch paler, and not itifiequesitly spoutd with grey and brown. While potash is thus generally dllTuscd thi(»ii>;liout plants, shrubi and trees, soda— the other fixed alkali — is no lir,H abundant io ma. j riue vegetable productions. The combustion of forest timbtir fur- nishes us with the first, the burning of scawetsd with (h-j In ' — a,.i| in both cases the application :;f nre \i the mean, by wh*c>N thechc- niist or manufacturer is supplied '^ith these two invaluaMe ;iu, it kecms strange tbit ro'^h ihould be known under the name of the tkoetabls, and sodu ai i;»r| that of the Mi.vKKAn alkali — tfiese being the general and popuUrj epithets by which they are distinguished. To account f-.ir this, wJ Iiave only to rtfloct that, although potash CAidis both in the prinfiar; and secondary strata, there arc oocontaon p/ocesses of art by whi' it is procurable from the^e sources, and the incineration cf Te,^etJ ables is the invariable aiethod of obtaining it fur thd purposes ol commerce — whereas on the contrary, although soda is contained ii all marine plants, and is offered under (he form of kelp and itatiliil it h ir.at trith as a mineral in scvcr.il quarters of the worlil. ij Egypt, on the plains of the Delta, it i» found in large quaatititit, asa exported undur the name of natron. It occurs iike^'Vi.se native IdiIiJ *Easi Indies, and in the islands of Sicily and Tenerifte. It JsaDm; ant in China, Persia, and in the environs of Smyrna and Triuoiil so that soda for the uses of life, can actually be derived from iij mioeral kingdom. Viewed however as a ir.inure, it ean odIjI caiployed by the farmer in the shape of seaweed ; and iodecd boi potash and soda are by far tao espeosive, after they are septrttd t ■ » ii tmt»m ■ii: ' 1 * ParkM ck««i«al ciiayt val 3. I6T. Hi ■Ml V 00., nt' bestowed some aitetuion, tin y may It ('():ibiderctJ,ljoth when pure and in cotnhir.utiou wUh carhoiiic acid, 1, fi.ssii manures. Iliit t!iou<(ii we should thus stop shnrt in the fu;ther illustration ofihe alkalies thcmsoUe^, we oanioi, wi'luiut doing big'.il iijusticii t'> ihi; subject, wiie strutiure ; but they uevei have I>een thought of b»<*l iirportance as to be applied in an insulated aud separate form to thf I * MH!m'« l')ic<4ar,aTy, nvder tfce aiiie<« " EaTth.** I Il4 . Id « '«»' .•518 ■janurinn of grournl. The phllo90|,l»'c njjrlcuHuMit |i.is mv^h) plHiilH Hilli i4i('i«-ouH snlulioiiii of ilictu, ill order to itinrii thi'ir < il'iits ha8 tio'eii ciovti wh.ucvcr bo ruw re>MisU bit; i!i liio cuurs,ai!(l ihij Htl'itrilcJ stmc ri;h( iej;ur(liii;{ the action of tlioiC boilii'ii in tlii) l.-o. gro8ctiii (UictitJ in tlti» tiihl of refe:irch is more curious ih.in ufelu!, nnd rnlcoUii'd to d :i/.I» in,| smusu the imiginniioii w itii ilic cxtnit nnd iiiiriraiv of tliv liiv»i , f matter as niliig on the orr,ai'« of Uf>, far nionj than to cid;;,!;»;M • ml (liit'Ct liiu Lru cr in iiiii itii'i^uidb of cDltivh^inn. iVctrrtiti 'i> i the di-covc'iics wlncii Ijivi; beoa mnili; sir mgly ^ic^l ihiU substmusf Mhich art" tlii^ most opjiosito to endi otiii'r in th.ir.iolir ai>d i li" l - •iiltr thi! or^ai)l/r<| ktuctufti \» a ^rtvitci or l^^^s df^ico ; htmI k. it thfi fossil manures vm.Sr'uc n iriuh wider r,ir ci»'.)f bixlics thad uiAm^ \m; iiri- iijjt to im;';^iiie. l:\ tliis pinvinca vthrrf the scicoicj c;!'. baldly be said to t uve trik^ui root, oiid whnr tlifldiusicn of h'hour kasiiot proceed (Mi ^o iat ;o to fcli'urd tlie u>cni'.;i ,'];t!i (ui all tiio alliiline kjiIlm, Mi'.ich !iavt» l.«i n Horuuntcrl !•) p«£«ies3 llie (|'ialiiics of ft rtilizaiii n. J\ i d iiioieufcr, tliy di.sirulain'; whiih prav.uls amojijst die i)est infoimrd, tluow^ u sha.lj of dou.'.t and obst'iJiily uporj tlie riitlts wiiitli I.^vij beoit <-0'MLd for our i,- •I'ptanco, and jci.i!i'is lis iciitduljusabojl tho uotlriTiCs d^IiverKl dn this iiead, bo"kover f; wriuiis (ij'*y may st'rtn, or W!.!i sitpjjotied. O.i these acr^unlc, I sliul! id;tl.tit i.i)'>' potf.sh, hehide-- one or two olher s.ilts more s;ni. i'-i«;ly I'tsriiijut.nl in n-'^urc. Of lii'i^ ihp carbuii-tc, sulphiUc iiiiJ uUratc onl), i\re sa;)iio';cd In att fav )'jr«»bl/ en vegetation ; aiultle iiist with mor« tineriey and efiVct tl;rn ♦bf o;ht\- two. I'uit-ii! su powerful is the afiinity oi the vfr^c;(al>le Hni>4i fur carOom; .'uid lixfd air, th;»t it is oft«oest found in tl)is sMte of c'otnbii:a(iou, »iiJ| 80 tiistu, both before aiid after it is separated fioui the wood umi Tvhcute it is coijinio«!y derived. Tha successful results thend'ore, I which we have her« pHpf^rienred from the burniiig uf our forests and frnui scattiriig li.e bitrcU coaly re':iJne as manuro 00 the surfuci",! avast be rcferi«d to the action of the potash regarded as a carlroinU r£th«f than as a purs aiid iiim|]le alkali ; aUiic;ug!} at lU« sacae tkt u, ^ < their (iV-^its, rs'? pf !iii in. ices,:H!u iLi'i •(> ill tlie ^ro* J ill till!* hvM ,f l!n l.iwi " f I to cuI;;,''.»iM uit »ubHliim«i!, tr ami lU" c >, ic ; »'>'! •i'lt lic» tluii iUhiU IS! on of h'hour ;i-;urc for (.'uUt. ! 10 cxf*tule Ht I II h-iin| results theui'i'ti^ti of ourfcrcsthR:>i| oo the surface,! jd asacarlionat«f at lUt 6am« tJ**| n 31» il musl l)tf grnntfd, that It ^jrx\^ moiof DTtilu.illjr, In ILc ciustie itatc, fll it» ilistlncliur |}ro|iiitii>s of hiliilii.j; iriji.'lahli! colouis, uiidgiiin^ toluMIi'y to oils. ISolh ill pol and pparl ash, it is m(i!i!|y uidtcJ to (ixtd itir ; uiid liPiire tlic u«f' of (luidJimc, ti>altriul and iiculraliat thni n«id RtH, In (lie ordiiituj' pro(•o»^(!s of the manufuctr/r) . 'J lie .sulidiute of polB'h, accoidiiig to tlic slatitnf nts (,f Dr. Hcne, \$ henofw'lHl DS a nmnuio. 'I'Ids salt mny ho formed liv ii dirort coni- binilion of tlie kul|ihu(if aiid and tbf nlKnll ; hut ii is if fi'o little tiluc in Ihe Bits to justify sin II nn a|i|ilic'uJioii lud t .ii-u-nptioii o^ tlii'fe sidistatKis, and («i mil;!)' of much lo.-.s in Bpiiiiilluif. If if i» Id be uiipd nt nil hy the fanner, it niiisl lio olifjiii'i'd on nm li rVmaiJcr Icrms ; and accordingly it Ims bocn diitovrnil in iu laitd niixcd with peat Rdhc", niid in (Ids v,uy intiodi:r<>d int«) (I i miI. l''ioai the TCiy nature of its cointiluont |>art<«, ;;iul tlicir iilitni.laii t m well in ilif ninoial iis Ib tl'.e Tt gotatile kiipi'c ms, (liii »aliiii' Iiody cannot If e same v. aight of jsulphur dix- {('Ivcd in water, are said to foim a liquor for tfeopirsr feed whea<, *Iii(!i prcvcs an iiifalliljlc prcvciillTC of s.mut : hut h!'. crti, nlfur-il rcr-truniB of this kind must Lc rccei\td wtib tautit n, lu.u will h* fdund, if a< all, oidy tiiicient in piriirclar Cius. I'icklli'g wi:l> briro or uiine, and dusting wUli quitklicae are attested by asurer^nd nuch I on{;cr cxpf iieLi.;e, M hen we pass from thete sails, of which potash is (he basis, to Ihcfc com ided cf sod; ppu!!Ceo CI sofu an d th( le mincrsl acil ■, we tread on eqaal- lly insecure footing, and are bc^et with like diflicuUics. The sul- '•iaisiuiib's fil^'ia^atii of AgiicnUMrr page 78, 1 :sso ¥ phate vf soda, or Glauber salt, has been recommence'? hy sonte si^. culative writers as bestowing on s»nie plants hitjher powers of action and growth : and an inference has been maintained, tiuit it inust,iQ MM« shape or other, stimulate the vegetable, because it opcirates on the animal system. Hut reasonings of tiiis kind are too vnpue tv furnish the groundwork of any Axed conclnsion. Although the two classes of organized beings are framed tc approach each other in some points of rcsemblauce, in others thf»y are forever separsited by impassable barriers. We cannot stand firm on positions which ar« only fortified by distant analogies, and these often littie more than the baseless fabrics of an active imagination. To add to our mi), fortune, this and similar salts are too valuable for other purpones ta be made the subjects of an extensive series of exjierinjenls in husband- ry ; and therefore some shade of perplexity and hefii'ation most alwHys hang about the opinions we adopt respecting them. For a long time to come, this assuredly will be the debateable ground tf agriculture, into which the prudent farmer may occasionally look for amusement, bat from which he will borrow but seldom his rultj of practice. His business it cannot be, to apply to the druggist for substances wliicli, although of undeniable use in the matekia mkdic^, must be of dubious efficacy in his particular tlepartment. Ti»e set. •ntific inquirer may occupy himself in tracing theeitects of ueutrosa- line compounds on the stalks of niiot growing in his closet ; buttho real farmer must deal in grosser and bulkier materials, and deptiiJ for the goodness of his crops on hi« composts and dung-carl. Common s;ilf, whicli ai;cording to njost systems of chemistry is n «nuriat(; of soda, but acccrding to the hypothesis of Sir II. Davy is a combination of the new metal sodium and of chlorine, may be, rank- «d among the mo.st iinp(jiiant and pltiitiful of the saline manuiesjl apd yet tli<' opininns of mankind with regard to its elhcncy are f.ir from beiiijjj Ht one. [,ik' iill t'le other bodies b»;longing to thishdad gf clajsiticiitioii, i» in poiiii't'ly detrimental when existing in excess; and this fait vias n.)t lii'hicn from the ant icots. In the Jewish story if i'.i rela«i>ti inp-oarl. f chetristry ii » Sirll. r)uvyi?!v „c, nmy be, raiav salinri iu»nuiesi ts dV»('t»<7 a'*-'^'" tills prolines it ia also kno^vn, that the breaking id of the tide cTb int diked marahts, onless the kreaoh be speedily repaired, ig of pernl- lious aiftfct : and when a piece of this kind of land is first snrround^ fi with a chain of embankments, to shut out the sea, it requires at Igast three years before its native prineiples of fertility are in their usual vigor. The predominance •( the salt is the popular cause ascribrd for this temporary barrenness ; and there are not wanting instances in the memoirs of English husbandry ,to prove that here w« JiaTC in all likelihood hit on the truth. la the report of '^Cheshir* drawn up for the Baard of Agriculture, tlie writer has meritoriously tied his attention on the supposed effects arising from salt, befuusc It is more abundant in this than io all the other counties of Euglnnd; lod has registered some circumstances bearing on the ^'i^r^e coi clo- lioD that is derivable from our experience. He ha« soJecled two facts which would seem to establish, that (his subslar.i'c. thongh up- plied in moderate quantity, is intariably attended at (!>».! wilh the iltstruction of vegetable life ; but after the greater part of it has been dissolved by the rains and has sunk into the soil, the remainder imparts a new energy to the roots of those grassci: wluc.h it had pre- liously well nigh killed. Time and the operation of the common tlements of air and water thus change its character, end modify its ilTects. After draining, lie says, some sour rushy land in October, refuse salt was spread on one part at the rate of ei^ht, and on ano- tlier of sixteen bishels per acre. In a short time, ail vegetation van- ished, and next April not a blade of grass was visible. But towards the end of May a rich verdure sprang up after the eight bushels, and Id July a still richer after the sixteen : and to this day, though ten •rtvrelve years have inlerTened, a superior luxuriance is the effect. h^aia he nientioDS, that a small quantity of fool salt was laid on xistin^ in excess;Ha court pavement, to destroy the vegetation. Not a blade was to be the Jcwi'^h story ■lecQ (|]g grgt y^^r ; but io the second, the grasses started up more iMcniiiK ii.iiuenceHvigorousty than ever. If Shf'chem, beatH Though this barrenness groWi out of an nnuuc impregnation of the ik^best rx;)res^ivn|,oi|^ ;^ follows not, that salt Is deleterious ia minuter quantities. — l„.lons to the u... ^ .m] d I'liny exp ressln ed with salt. l«| •Mariliall's Review, vtl. 2, page 2T, &c. Q 9 .?! ,i ■■ y.i Iq accordance with this view of the matter, refuse salt by (bs Che. nhire farmers is esteemed an excellent manun-, either for |jasiur« or fallows ; but it should, they affirm, be first raised and incorporafed vith earth, root?, weeds, and other substances. Hefore 1768 Mie government stlowed the lefuse of the manufactories to be used for agricultural purposes ; and the occupiers of land were in the prac< tice of paying an officer to attend, while it was spread on the field or laid in compost. At that period a duty of four pence a bashel was i;np03ed on it as a manure, nevertheless the demand continued with little ahatament ; and tliis ijerves to demonstrate bet> tcr than the finest reasoning, what sense was entertained of its iin. portaace. In 17S7, in consequence of the extent ai'd number of ihe frauds committed on the revenue under the operation of the a(;ri«ul« turul duty, the act was repealed ; and refuse salt was placed on the snme footing as the merchantable. This blow was keenly felt at ti:e lime by the county, and since has been a frequent subject of mui« muting and ren.onslrani^e. Thc^e complaints attracted the notice of the Legislature last year ; and a *commiUee of the House of Cera. mons was hppointed to inquire into the laws relative to the duties, and to take examinations respecting its efficacy as a manure. It can now be obtained for agricultural uses at about £6 per ton. In Aiton's report of the county of Ayr there is brought forward! a collateral confirmation of the utiliiy of salt on land. fSea water is taken and evaporated, till ihe salt contained in it can be ir.erely kept ID solution. With this strong brine o2 busheis of lioie sIipIIi ate slaked and mixed to the cansibleuce of soajjc.'s wasle. Tliiil quantity is either spread singly on an acre, or made into a compost! with forty cart loads of peat earth ; and this last meihod is account. ed the preferable of (he two. This new species of manure hasitoodj the test of comp:irison with other kinds, and in no instance has fal'. en short of the most ardent exoectations. It has been found (lecu.] liarly favourable lo the growth of wheat and beans ; and all corii crops, as well as the grasses which succeed, have beeo benefitted bvitj But the testimonies in favour of this saline body are not yeteiJ ljaust<;d. In Cornwall the refuse salt of the fisheries is anxioubl * Farmer's Magaahie, vol. ItJ, page 4ia. t Geucral Report uf Scotlami, vol. Si, pag« 75, ^i I 523 by tb? Che or pasture or incorporated fore 176H He to be used for re in the prac ;id on the field four pei.ce a ss the demand emoi«»lratebel« lined of its iin. tl number «>f ilie ^ of the 'Ai,rm\- as placed on the iteenlyfeUatil:e : subject of muv L-ted the noiicc o( House of Cora. ive to the duties, manure. Ilcan per ton. brought forward .nd. + Sea water \i it can be ir.ereW leis of lime sWUi j5.'a wasie. Tltii de into a compost levhod is account. manure hasitnod] instance has fall- beeu found veca. s . and all con [eabcneuttedbyit, ly are not yet ex- iheiies is anv-^" " lotkcJ after by the neighbouring farmer<;. and has never failed t* nfMiUce the most wonderful elfects. TIi ; m«y be partially traced tothe oil and entrails of the fish incorporated with it, whi<:h all'ord auiinal matter for decomposition ; but only partially, — for it is be. yond til doubt, from the nature and abundance of the evidence, that they are referable iu part to th« action of the salt. At the brine pits of Droitwich, Worcestershire, whero jian salt is manufacturetl, the refuse was there also sought after by the farmers, \^ho preferred it to all other manures though charged with the»gri- culiural duty : so that it is clear, from so many concurring suffrages in its behalf, that it has acted beneficially in these places. There may be more difficulty in developing its mode of operation. That it is tlTensire to grubs and other vermin which prey oti the crop?, has, I believe, been fully proved ; but it is more probable thut its principal usefulnes* h dependent on ita forming a component part of the organization, as do lime, plaister,and the alkalies. It is a iubstance very generally dift'uEed throughout nature, exists in most: toils, and is a frequent accompaniment of the artinal and vegotablu manures. In the us^ai processes of vegetation it must therefoie bu prsseat, and it is only required by plants in very minute portions. Notwithstanding the scruples still entertained about the efficacy ofccmmon salt, none of the other combinations of the alkalies and mineral acids can be so safely clakeed among the fossil manures. — This arises probakly from the vast plenty of this substance, and the opportuniiies thus afforded of subjecting it loexperiment. Were our provincial farmers once latisfied of its valoe, the general lowness of the price here places it v»ithin their reach ; as a hogshead containiag eight bushels, which are sufficient for an acre, can be purchased at the proper season of imporfafirn at shout 10s. or 12s. currency. — Several of them have tried It and report favourably of the i>jsue ; so that our agriculture contributes its mite to stren^ltitdo the general coDclusioii. We have now gone over the greatoi part of the neutrosaline bodies [that are thought to accelerate and promote vegetation ; and al« though much further diecussion might be indulged in the same strain, he skall now hasten to the close of this letter by makirg one or two Iwinarks. . t ...:-. lirsl, it appears that the most of those salts are iotroduced iaio the i.H ■t.t ft-: fit-': :h: if ■ I ' f -■'■ ii':' :*l ! •fa ' U' 294 ■«il and insianate themseWes into the stracture of plante, widiout any direct applicatioa of the huibandmau. This is obviuuslT «iit «ase with the alkalies, which ars the bases of (bis whole tiaii of sul). ttanccs. In what manner such an immense quantity of potash, aii is now appropriated to the fogetable creation and isdilTusied i)bi« or lei9 amang all (he genera that belong to it, could kavebeeo sspHiaUid and collected at first by ths roots from the mass of mineral mutter that goei to the formation of soil, is a problem nut easy of demua- stration. It is much less difficult to explain the way iu which um. rine bodies could have been furnished with the soda (hat tbey yiei(l on burning. The fluid, with which they are constantly surrounded and in which they grow, holds it in solution ; and (hough we havi no proof that they have the power of extracting soda from common salt, yet there arc artificial processes by which (his can bo accom< plished, and the presumption arises that it cau be eliected aho bj the exercise of (he vital organs. After (he alkalies themselves tiars found admission into the vegetable kingdom, the compounds forn.ed of them and the more commoa aci^s ure easily accounted for ; aud the presence therefore of salts in the soil or in the orgauizatlon it j matter of no great mystery. The very approach of these simple bo«j dies towards each other must ead in the action of chemical atruiiijes; and the laws of dead matter are fully powerful to cause the cll'cct;.] ivitbout having recourse to the principle of vitality. According to the mode in which farming is now conduetediij every civilized part of the world, there can be no want of the fiseii vegetable alkali for the growth of crops. Stable«dung which is cooiH posed of corn, roots and fodder which have passed through the digesJ tive process, and of straw that has been used for litter, mLstcoDtaiaj the quantity of potash wiiich preexisted in the roots, stems and leaves that have been broken down, f«r the support and comforj of the working animals. The application of bcaweed, likewise, asj manure, and the universal consumption of salt for all culinary purl po8e» and for the prtiservation of meat, must have distributed soJ very generally over the surface ef every cultivated country ; ddB (gp^^, thus «o ample store of alkaline matter Is provided for the orgauiil (ion, g a(ion of the successive crops w hich may be raised, to furnish tbi requir^ food of future generations. The neutral salts, too, will be formel (ical aj accerdiog to the necessary calls of vegetation ; and as rich hutnA ^aye bc9o Jfttherto ^^atliered without the ■ecMsit^ of any iitt^ i( ilkij tried aod ii( •ne t ludcT (he W£ ili ho 9^5 ohiiouslji ill* e class of suli- of pota&li, a ff(]t*ed iioi« or ibeeosepHiatcd mineral matier >a4y of demon- y iu which ma- Ihat tbey yield itly surrounded though we havt la from comnaoa 3 can b« accom« eftected also by themselves have >mpouud« foriued jouted for ; and le orgauizalion it I f these siiniile bo* hamical atTiuiiiesij cause the clti.'ct!j • low condoetedii want of the ised ung which is coin-| through the digesJ itter, mustcontaiaj B roots, sterna anf pport acd comfoil ?eed, likewise, as ,r all culinary im| ve distributed so> aiad country •,«ii ed for the orsauiij ed, to furnish tl too, will be formf and as rich hariesj Bsity of toy H «;»pli(-ation of the alkalies or (heir coiupouiuls, vrc have jnst rtaioa (u iufur that the fertility of the earth will be sustained without reiortirig to dcw or dilFcreut means. On these grounda the itirosti* jritions into which we have entered must be regarded as objects of philosoiihic curiosity, rathrr than of practical use, and the chief aJvantage to be drawn from them, is the iusigiil they all'ord to the secret cotiiieetion existing between iitaiilniate and organized beings.. Further, it ia extremely rational to su|)pose that ail saline bodies will be deleterious, ivhen in the rii^ing sap they are dissolved in larger qnajiti(y than h needed for the perfect formation of tho fibroaa texture. This seems to be an uuiversul law, alike ap^Ucable ta the putrescent and inioeral rrianriies. Jf decomposablo matter, whether TO'etable or animal, he admiiiistered to (he soil iu excess, the cunt imps will push beyond tht- point of healthy expauHiou, run int* itraw, and shew a tendency to lodge. The superabundance of liintf and magnesia is equitlly pernicious ; and we have shewa abore tiiat lalt, on its first application in any considerable quantity, has t]\in^fif order of imp\iUiis. They inny be considared as the inci- pient forms ofexistfMire, by which the elcmentf* of the inntoriul world beRin to be frlaboiated Hud prcparod for sensation and perception : midrin «hem vre behold the da^vijiujis of Ihut future life, whUh is oa the increase Hiwong the irrational tribes ns il>yy arise ai)o?ft each ctlurin a more perfect and complex ort;ani/,i;tion, till it bli»zo forth iiitlie splendour of human iote'.lia;enoo. i hcu; i- h slow and regu- UrprogresJon throughout the whole chain ; and although the two litremes ar« widely apart, the iutarmedi:ite linLs in apposition are closely connected, and not distiojjiiisliable by any leinaikahle dis- ijiiity. The gen(sral resemblance between plants and animals is so mach matter of observation as to have cotnm mded (he attention and prompted the imjuiiy of philosophers ; and the whole sexual system ul Linnaeus ik built on i\:% supposition that plants h^fve distinctive organs of generation, and may be cl.^ssilicd by enumerating these parts of their structure. It i:j now admitted on all bandi, that the (WO kingdums poshess certain characters in common^ which are indi* calive of life, and wi'.hout which it cannot be supported. The^ (haracteris are iuhcritcd by all organixed beiags, aro inscparabl* from their nature, and follow them througtiall (heir gradations.— Without descendiug to any laboured or rudncd parlicuiais, it may beobserved, 'ha: both vegetables and anioials have an organic anil mcular sy!"t<'ni, htted for thft perforijiance of fucctions essential to ibeir health and vigour ; that they have a prdjjreus, maturity and ilecaj ; that they propagate their kinds by the same i»y»(erious im- pulse; and that the individuals of both kiugdotas enlarge (heir hulk, indare laaiittaiucd through ail the periodic of their growth by tha lODdunipuou of food. When we search with a i'CienliGc curiosity more deeply into any jtf these points, ai;d coaipare all the circooistauces which maybe apposed in any degree related to each other, tiie resemblance come* Qt vir'ith a new force and beauty : and we are constrained to allow, oa to reicai^B''"'" ''^^ f"^"®''* *"** btrength of the evidence, that tbruughoat tht 1 th outib the aoi'B'^'^'fi circle of organized being, ib mauifjBled a surprising unity o£ . t althousW**'!?'''* The food of all animal r, for example, enteri by a mouth, Itescible nia- nine Ciiiin'i'ist, its of ineasuti' aucoi.A. e here inkcru d '(papers. The IS for ordinary begnn to d;»wi\ y in conndxioa and foi thft e ^uisit^ons which I essential to (he ♦ o be aftervurds give of ilanurfs >f these letU'ii'j I to be suppi'u;;'. ; 110 bene lit to \U ill not be nnia- hslon, and nt en- sort of U:t<)*- i(Ung ; »i"u f''''" It can be correctly tus of this oiitu'c lacticc, by ^'"if^ I 4r< \h- SfB m t-' ptises through an alimontary tube, is sDbjectad t« a variety of chac* ges, gives out its nutritious partirles, and is ultiinutel)' ejt;>ellt;d,«» The fond ^f plant;*, ia like manner, is (aiitin iu by liie al>joibt;iit roots, mingles wiiii the sti|i, rises tlwougli lub(^» cunstructeil fur tlis purpose to the remotest cxtrctnitie!), undeigoes chaiigeti in liie store* tory orgnns, and Is transpired, the cxcrementilious part'? at Ifi ( through the leaves. The clenjenls of food too, in both king lo.:.!, • re remarkably similar. It is on (his account, that vegi-tab!t;« sns* lain animal life; and that dead carcases possess a ferlilizing vinue. The preparation even of th« Hliinent discloses fresh proofs of an in. timale and near analogy. When the food is received into the ito* mnch, its fibrous texture Is dissolved by the octiou of (he gasfrii juice. In this state it passes into the digestive casal, viinds throjVn all its curvatures, and the chylous matter, after being spparateil, is poured into the current of circulating blood. Before entering,' tiie Btoma«h, the food undergoes certain processes of a preparatrry nntare. Besides mastication by the teeth, and mixture vtitli ili« taliva, its texture is softened and sometimes dissolved by the aipli. oation of fire. Hence the culinary arts of^oasttng anc* boiling, uf stewing and steaming, which are all contrivances for the ultimalt and more easy rcductioa of the food into its elementary princijjlei. An analogous plan is pursued by nature aud perfected bj art, fori the preparation of vegetable nutriment. The putrescent matler lodged in the soil is instantly acted upon by chemical laws, and hasteas into a state of fermentation. The natrient principles thus set at liberty enter into unioa with (he sap, aad mount threogkl the alimentary tnbe of the vegetable.— The action of Are too hiil been found of iiifioite service, and has been resorted to as a prellmi. uary step, to assist the powers of decomposition. It is to thi», thitj the eHlcacy of purif-.g and burning mu^t be ascribed. The stron{l Jjeatapplied to (he suiface dissolves the nutriment of the future cropJ and enables the roots to al)sosb it more easily. The forest iscuW down, and coosunied to ashes for tlie same purpose. It is by firfj that lime is rendered useful : and clay, latterly, has been subjected to the same process of calcination, and been extolled as an artiTeani powerful manure. To the illustration of this last subject I shall de vote the present letter ; and wind up the whole theory of raanuretj whether of animal, vegctabla or mineral erigiiip with some conclaH ing observations. " ^ ." '/'.i,<-^ i"t' fc.t i'l"*** #-M- 390 Ibe practictsf barningclay ioco ashes was rtvired In ^reatBrU [«in ubout laven years ago, and made to much noise at (he time as to attract the notice, not of farmarsonly, but of all classes io gene- r,I, its efTeots oo the first trials were so extraordinary^ as to girt rise to the most unfounded and immoderate hopes : and all men held tbe discovery, as the (seginoing of a new era in sgricultaral improTe- sent. The publications of the day were Lua and warm in its praise; ind the process, in its most minute parts, was detailed with an ex* actoess commeasurate to its supposed benefit and falne. Wlicn tht mind of the public, however, had descended from the aerittl height to which it had, iu the first transport of joy, been exalted, and when Inqoiry was set on foot to investigate the natur^^ and effects of burnt ilgy, it turned out, that this new practice as it was calleJ, bad iiisted in England at a remote period ; and that some uKl men then liviogrecolkcted it as an ordinary Operation in theii youth. The isties had bern spread as a top-dressing with remarkable eftVct, and kid been used for ail kinds of white and green crops. In a volume printed in London, in the year 1782, and named The Country Gen- tlemen's Companion, it is stated, that the Earl of Halifitx was the iovinter of this useful improvement, and that it was much practised Id Sussex. In the same work, are the engravings of two kilua for boroing clay, the one adopted in England, and the other in Sc«t" iiod ; and although all accounts agreed, that it bad answered better t principles ^^us HiIj^q ^^ij^^ l^inoe or Dang for lands redaced to poverty by repeated mnunt threQgiH|,opping, it foil into disuse, notwithstanding this acknowledged on of ^^i^^ ^°° '^"■txcellence, because accounted to* expensive. So entirely bad the d to as a prQ>>°^''HbDrDing of clay been abandoned during that long interval, that, when It is to thi»,tliit«,,^ijj introduced into general notice in 1815, the practical farmers ed. J he s r *H»eniinent for enterprize and science — deemed it an invention, and of the future ftWiccepted all the details with an enthusiastic ardour inspired by their novelty and importance! It woald appear, however, that even at that early period, some Inprovemeots bad been made in barning it, and that the expense as ctnsiderabiy reduced ; because it is again mentioned in the ertfordshire Husbandman — another ancient book of agriculture — a cheap dressing, admirably adapted to all sorti of land and ntiitions, and particularly fitted to be laid about the roots of oiDg and o\i frait treti, by which to enlarge^ noltiplj; anA R 2 icty of cliat* y eJi.;>eUei],— ho al):ioil)i;iit lUCtCtl for tha 8 id tiie SLcrc- parts at leu ', jih kit^g.lor.s, Kegc^ta'jii^s sns* ■lilixiug viiiue. )r()ofs of an in. ;U into the ilo» 1 of the ga«trii , winds thro.'i'rt ing scparaleil, is ore enleiini; tie of a preparatory lixture with lli« i^ed by the a; pli- g and boiling, o! ; for the uUimali >»tary priitcii^e!. cted by art, for )Utrescent matUr roical laws, and The forest i» CO ic. It is by fi«, has been subjcctd ed as an artive m subject I »ha»>'^ heory of manoret, ith some conclai ■|' .4! ,;.5 El V MP 4 ' ) 350 accftflrate their pro(lac(fl. — The »cry proifss of lii;niiioN HpriNing to note, how the mind of nmn vrheu ruu^( J to accomplish any object, fulh at all Jnmrs and in nI! (laces up»»v|y on the same plu'is. it then cobt about a half jUMuiy a s'wgln bu»lip| • and forty of thrm sown on an acre by thiJ hand, and h«rrow»;(| in with barloy anil grass SLed;;, weic declared to bv highly tcrviceubif. Althou;;h the practice, during the whole inferfenlnj; period, htd been reiir.; lishcd in Iv>gland, and almost forgotten in Scotland, i^ wa« preserved in Iretuud, not anivcrsally, but in sevtial countiis The -e it hiu! nbtaincd so firm a footing, and been felt so hijjhiy honr. ficirtl, that the ashes t^ero preferred to lime, of v^ hich theie is ai] ti. Imustlesfi abniidanoe in (hit kii'm!oin. Thoy wt re spread on land prepared for wjjeitt, atiil c(»rii of every dcscripllon, as well as f„i llax and potatoes : aiii! al! the crops were luxtuiant beyond (.rciii. bility, eveu although growing on sflfT infertile soils. J\Ir. A. Cray, who had occasion to go repeatedly to Ireland, and to transact hui- ness there with the tenants on Mr. Murray's Estate, was siru'kl with this sinjculurity in their hu^b;uidry ; ard his aticntif,>- w«| strongly arrested by the roetliod tliey adopted of burning the clay just as it was dug out of th'? irroand, and x»itliout preparaiioo ofanyl kort— Ou his return to CalioAay he btthought himself of iiitroduc. ing among his own countrymen a practice, vfhich promised to bel attended with such invaiunbie results; and in Ibl^ he set aboutl erecting a iiiin after the model of those be hid «'pen and admired. Atl first, he experienced some diihcully in fiiiding clay, but he at leiigihj alighted upon a veia of tenacious subsoil, paiily till arid partly clay :| and although it did not altciether meet his satisfaction as to q'laliJ ty, he commenced operations, and persevered in burning it fortlmjl years wiih the greatest success. He ap()lied the ashes to the proJ duetion of turnips ; and these, uudjr the iufluence of this r.ew speJ cies of nmnurp, exceeded all the same crops in his own neighboarJ hood. Sudi was their luxuriance, that he even saw none superioj to his own, in any part of Engiand ; although he had twice IratelJ led to London iu that year. Having been thus convinced of thfl eiBcacy of clay ashes for turnips, he conceived himself calFedupoi no longer to confine his knowledge within the limits of a sordid selfishaeBS ; and accordingly, io January, 1S15, h« commuuicalel mvi:;f 3rA ition drxrrih. nl\y .nW'pietl ; rlien rou%< tl lo iic'p.s MPHvly on sti I. Mr. A. ('rui^, I to transact hu;i- IstftJe, was slrtnk his attentif,'- wa? burning iheclay,! preparaiJon of any toself of iutroduc' h promised to bs liiTi he set aboull and admired. At , but he at lengih III and partly clay :] iaction as to q't&li urning it farllmJ hiMlioveij tiu\ «u(€,!3S to Mr. K. R.)y(l, who both inserted tlit letter in c Cou'ily Nt'W!i|i3prr, and trausmiUei a copy of it lo th« urit'iry of the Wilton Agricultural Society, lii the following May, all thfi dor.ujiuuts, regarding the wonderful (;lV»:ct8 of ihosj* ashes, appeared in the *Quarterly Numbiir of th(5 l-'ariiitr's Miii;a- line, and l)y tlii-- i cms weie difl'used tiirou^hoat the whole United Kingdom. The sci).sa(ioi) at ficbtfelt was so sudden and uiiexpu>t(ed, thit it propai;atpd through all the ng'icultural classes with tnw rapidity and quickness of eleetii(ity ; and the burning of clay, with ill (he enlivening prospects it opened, was the theme of universal coiitersatior, lod swallow ed up every other interest. In the course ([that year, it wuii commenced in naany parts of Scotland, and (ouid its way into England. Di-tiiiguishcd farmers subjected the ashes to a course of experiment ; preai' ihem on all sorts of crops; ipplied them to light and heavy soiU ; u\h\ manured the same (ield, pjttiy with them, nnd partly with stable dung, by which to estimate lad remark their comparative < lit'.'Cis. The re.sult of the whole was luourBblc ; and aUhough, iu some instances, it failed fron the me- ilianical inaptitude of the soil, burtunl clay took its station among tliefossil manures, and received the suuctiou and support of many icientific cultivators. The fame of this new discovery suddenly passed from England to merica, and in the year IblJJ, Mr. Mcrriot, near Hudson, who ad received the account from an En;jlish Quak»'r, began to prove ilsutility. The mode of preparing this manure was descrihed in ike New Jersey Journal ; various farmers tried it in different Sutes Ithe Union ; and this new improvoment was naturalized and es- blished on this side of the Atlantic. Although this niannre be substituted for lime, and even preferred it ID Ireland, where it seems to have heen long iu use ; it appears ashes to the pro-Bjtto have the same qualities, nor lo act in the same way hs that ce of this i.ew 5pe«n|,^jjjjjjjg fossil. Jo many important particulars, the twodiiicr is own neighboarMideiy^ g^j Q„|y ag,e • in their proda.tivo effi^cts. It is not nec<:J^- saw none superioBry, for instance, to apply clay immediaic-ly to the soil, as it comes e had twice tra«l«om the kilo ; for it may lie for months exposed to every variety of is convinced of ll>Beather,without sustaining the least injuiry. Its chemical properties imself calTed upoBidergo do change, like those of lime, from the action of the sur- liravtsof R3ordia^ I ha commuuical'V^ |) ■ ^toB that Magaziae, I have borrowed the most of thexe fact!*. f ■1 .J 335 £?W « H' 1'^ ,'■. ' % rtnodlog elementi : aud aftnr being prrpnrnl, nt tac con?eiMritoc »' tbo farmer and at any season ef the y«ar, it miiy he !>afely stored «, for futare use. Tiie qaintitj per acre,whi( h has beun hithoitn fou,„{ efiectaal, li aboat^O cubical yards, or from 40 t« SOcart-loadi ; im| these vary, on an avernge, from 4 [d. to 6(1. each, in piice. 1, ,, forms, therefore, the cliffa|icst of all manures, which hui yet (|i>^ tried ; and if half of the eulogies bestowed on it be ju^t, it hidi fair tt I become a very valuable aad geoeral article in every iinproved nysiknil of farming. Pare clay it on all bands allowed to be th( btM substance, («] undergo the action of the fire ; but if of diflficult accjaisition, anil firm, stifT, adhesive subsoil, composed partly of fiaiid and chy, tril|| answer the purpose of the operator. A Mr. WallacVf wl.o rents i farm only one mile and a half from Kirk';udbri(;ht, aud coohl ob^ tain only a stiil subnoil, set to work in May 1hl4, and before tb^ sowing of bis turnips, had burned as many ashes as manured acres. So rapturous is he in their praise, and withal so conriuce^ of their superior eflicacy, that he axtols them above all measare and declares, that iie would not be at the trouble of carting dunJ for his farm from the town, although it were given him in a presend Thia gentleman applied 45 loads to the acre, and in the following year, proseantad his operations with such vigour, as to hare i acres of turnips from ashes. The excellence of his green crop wJ luch, that he obtained the second prize from the Agricultural Soci^ ty in thestewartry; and he announces with an air of confident cxolj ation, that this discovery will extend the drill system far beyond tl[ hopes of the most sanguine speculator. Indeed clay ashes apokeo of with a kind of glowing enthusiasm ; and all auticipaj from their adoption the happiest results. It is folly however, expe«,i, that they will turn out a complete substitute for putrescel manure ; as they can only act, like other fossil matter, eitherf altering and amending the contexture of the soil, or in slightlycoj tributing to the vegetable organisation. They cannot afTordtot feeding fibres gum, sugar, mucilage and analogous pruductioj nor even the elementary bodies of which these are composed; which reason *clay burning, in the end, may be expected to tij * I observe that General Reatson, late Governor of St. Helena, baaapiiul before the British public with an entirely oew lystem of Ag;ricuiture, tounr on the «ffectH of burning clay or soil. This writer discards the use of dnRgj lime, and effects to raise an endless snccetsioa of crops by burning the itirl «f Kis fields by maaas of ttnbble «r other «»«)bastible aaattsr, aud by atoiH roiij ii« %| ati on tursi ralH •0 rl beof JODl syj •lit murh leis ffficacioiiB thnn thrsn rrpnrts woatd l«>id ui (• iniicU |,aic. AiiiiitHi and «< getable suti^tanccs as coiiiiuctcd with the priii- ci|)l«i^ of ferlilizHtiuit, have Hloud the trial of more ihaii twenty c«ii« (urii'i ; and wr must he cxtrtmcly witry in (>x|itninf( them from (hat useful utatioii \thich they have au long ai>ti su justly hlled. Tierc haveufveral niotles hci-n fHlltii uj»on, by which to bum this mntiurr, and asmi^jht l)e fore.ofen, with vaiious succeis. SikIh, pared from tho surface, ha»e been exposed s»ime time and dried in iho son, (0 renJer then) more combuslilde. A luytT of tliise has hot-t spread on the ground, and strewed over with qiiiik-limc drawn immediatc- ]y from th« kiln ; another layer of dry turf has been applied, ar.,1 that agnin intermixed with an addidonul quanti'y of lime ; und the H ,cr3 ; An and Bc are luo lines of pipes built on the ground and mart' hollow for the adiiiissioii of air. In each of the four spaces marked oo the plan, r, f, g, h, a firo i( lighted with wood and dry turf; iind so soon as it bojjjins to burn, more fuel is lliro\f u in, till the bottom of th« kiln is in llaine*. Tiic •lay should then be laid on in sninll quantities at first, and rej)ea(cd as often as necessary ; and thisniU'^t be re^^ubited by the force of the lieat. Ti)e air pipes, at Iha commencement of the cperation, are of icfinitc service, because by (hem a current of air is constantly rushing ID and hlowitiij on the (ire kindle 1 at thi;ir junction ; but It in not lon^, (ill they are ledu" ed to ashcy. As the internal spaie lilii op with eluy, the outer wall must be rnired in height, nlways takiiii; care to have it at least 15 inches higher than (he burning heafi, that the wind may not act on its surface. Sii' nlii lue {\n -r at any tint threaten to break through th«> wnll.tlu- i.rtach nmst ^:e instanily icpaired ; and if that he impractii ahle, anotlier sod wall opposite te itj must be constructed from the very foundation. By this means tl:e kiln may be extended to any bounds ; and after the original walls are all barned throi^h, tlie fire may still be confined by the «recticu of uew ones. This however is not advisable, as when th« dlimcDsioni are much increased, the wo:kmen, ia the act of feeding W' 1 - ' ^ SS'> I. The <]\' feet loug by to the hei);i)t, be coastrui t- ijjace betwetu ik cau easily rnci to hpd. A [jerson, tiierefore must be in waiting, both day and ni/.h', to repair iiio breaches ; and to feed regularly >vlth duy. At the coinmence- :iieut, the spits thrown upon tlie fire sho. Id he «;mall, and tlried in tiie sun a i\ay or two beforehand ; but afirr the kiln has ^HtherCil force, the clay may be applied quite wet ? . it is dujj fro-.n tl .it, ind in as large pieces as the spade c.iD lift. \o wood, tiuf, • .'if tombustibies are necessary after the oi)o:aiioii is ?< t a go" j- rl the nitiisitudes of the weather have no perceptible cfL'ct. Th ere is one error, into which every incsporienced 0( • <- >r '■vnn. And which ought to be guarded against with s'udious r.i ; uring ihc whole process, and while tho lire is burniitg with th st in- tensity, no flame is ever visible, and iiut stldom any siv.i .'. ihi'.g which is apt to deceive strangers ; and should 'hry, fro: ^n; M.-nc^ «ra wish to stir the latent embers, lay 0| en the kiln t the tides or top, they incur the (Certain danger of extinf^uii ,ng Jt alto- gether. The exclusion of the external air, except i, >ne tirn nu jtance to light the combustible n;atter, is indifipaasable to ti;p «w^ff5« ef the whole plan : and the cliectua! way to stop the burui).,:, »•';»:• nufficient quantity is prepared, is by fiicilitatiig Lh^i'-i!"^ ' t ii* heat and flame. The prosperous issue of burnt c'ny, in mnny d^'^t•i^^.s <■.' -^ »!(? Montry, has been so unparalleled, that it is wcrth w^ifl" "• \. i .t \ trial of it in this. In a kila IGO loads ran be eas '. nan . i : land the whole expense will not exceed ten dollars, j; : ;' •• \\ --ii allowance for labour ; and in many of our settlement!! . L-ie %%,' \i ischeap, will not even rise to that sum. I should cp. . that l>t lAiinnpolis, where calcareous earth in none of its oidin rms hai Ibeen discovered, a series of experiments miiiht be iii«ti! . h ad- luntage ; and if the ashes be endowed with that extra > « asy ferti' jlity which has been ascribed to them, the fact will cc •• b*.f«>i» thi Ipublic through the medium of the society now tstablir I iUer-^, I h'W Ihli th« more wa tbeattentioa af tUt geutleoaca i i\ q^uirter, t'll lim .i«,.' t-: R«- I i' 'i lr1 336 bttause (key have abundance of tho adhesive subsoil, whit h is wtII fitted for the operation ; and if tite ashes hare been used elsewhere in preference to lime, this new manure may shed on that coaaty the Mini benign and extensive influence, which the other will effect iu the rest of the province. After having written so mnch oh the general doctrine of manure!i it is high time to draw towards a conclusion ; and yet, notwithstaod. ing the length of the inquiry, there are some points on which our attention has not been settled. The ashes of pitcoal, which are (a be procured abundantly in Halifax or in Piotou from the prefereocs given by the inhabitants to this species of fuel, have long been recog* ■ized as eminently useful. For turnips they serve an excellent pur* pose, by encouraging a qnick growth and hastening the tender plautt beyond the ravages of the fly-*-an insect as well kuown here, though not so destructive, as in England. There is some difRcnlty in re. ferring this description of dressing to its proper place In the system of classification ; for though it is extracted from (he bowels of tht tarth, and constitutes one of tiie secondary formations in the mineral kingdom, it is pretty generally believed by our later naturalists to bt '^ vegetable origin. The whole of Dr. Rennie's reasoning in his filth essay on the alliance between peat and coal is framed to estab* lisb, that the ^swamps and peat bugs of a primeval, age have been •verwhelmed and buried under the snccessive striata that now lis above them, and that (hey have, in this new situation, been convsrted into that black and brittle substance which we now use as fuel. Should vie accept without farther investigation this account of their de8cent,the ashes which they yield on burning must be classed amongst the decomposable manures. J^Jeither has any thing been advanced on the expediency of plough* ing in green crops to enrich the soil. This is a practice which f)revailij to soBie extent in England, and was quite common in the Romaa husbandry. Since however the introduction of (he alternate rota< tion, and the means it affords to every occupier of land for the maio. tcn..nce of a suitable stock of cattle, there is hardly any necessity f(k.' such a wasteful expenditure of the fruits of the earth ; becauii the crop can be consumed in the raising and fatting of meat, aud in this way will nearly yield the same quantity of putrescible maoure. That turning the crop under farrow has proved elTicacions in mao; 'JRtnaia oa peat mosi, page 374. :i^i: 537 ihjch is v>-f\\ sed elsewhert lat couaty the 11 effect iu the le of manure?, notwithstaocl* on which our , which are pla(c the phenomeoa of fructificatijn, «f re* S 2 ■?ir I n,^^ M?I >! -iff ^(1 'SSS 0<.J guUr growtli and clrcay, and of H^pendmice on Mie gr^H i»fl*prs <*f nature, os the sun, raio, dews aad tti* seasons. Tlie clianjjes whiih ©ccur are not the result of mechanics! and chemical laws alone, hut these are modified and controlled by some higher and superior prin. ciple, which escapes from tlia retort of t lie experimenter and cannot be recalled by the ntmost offorti of his art. This principle is veget* able life, which regulates and presides over all the products elabora. ted in the process of growthi Hut with the single exception of thii living principle, there is nothing found in plants which c»ni)otea<:ily be traced to the order of minerals. Oxygene, hydrogene, carljon and azote — the four great elements of the vegetable compounds- can obviously be drawn fr«m this source, as they exist abondanlly in earth, water or air. The common acids, the alkalies, or the ;alts formed of (hem — sulphur and phosphorus— sand, clay, lime, ma;;. resia— ^iron and mangaoess^ aro substances which can be extracted from the primary rr s«ci iid«fV formation jf this globe, ondmustj therefore be re^uu'^ed as nieatbers of the mineral families. In short the material parts of herbs, shrubs and trees are neither more nor] less than aggregations and arrangements of the forma of nuttcr,w!iirii were defid and inert till they were appropriated to this loftier uso.j and animated by the quickening impulse •( vitality. Aocordlngty, when the living principle is exfiRguithed either by violence donot«| the orgnnizalion, by the approach of winter, or by natural dcc8r,l the fi!)rou« texture and atl the products contained id ft yield onl ultimate analysis sabstaoccs of mineral origin. The same rcmarkj may be extenued to the class of animals, as they also on being de- composed produce the dead elementary forms of matter. Again I observe, that plants have the power of assimilating til theujhcl'cf! Ibes-e elementary forms, nrul clothing them with thesttril buttis of life. The orgauixable inaUer which now is incor};orafcill so plentifully %ith the surface of our giobe, and which originatediJ the decay and dissolution of the past races of vegetables and aniniaijJ must at o:ic period have existed in a free state, confouDded and loij amor;; tlo other materials of the universe. During past ajes it haj been coi.stautly aci uiuulating, and is the only remnant of forme generatjong. Unless plants had the power of elaborating fromthj elements of things those peculiar products which go to the compos! lion of tkelr fWB parts, they could not presarva their existcnoc in rw.... 3S§ jiii(urol itiity where Ihey arc debarred ail acc«ss to artificial naaur#« Out wt do not need to reason hypotlieticaliy on this subject, as thru ikir capacity ii matter of obaervation, and occasionally happens under oar siglit. We can all recollect some instances whero tha lurface mould has bean raniuved, and the subsoil left exposed to the kiinosphere ; ur we may have seen deep excaTations made in tht iid kibly have been mixed with Tegctable or animal remains. At first^ i\;e grasses refuse to legetate tu bituations, which aTc uecossarily do- void af all putrescent nutrimeut ; but Iha lichens readily take up their abode in them, and gather their subsistence from air and water. These perish 03 the surface aiid form (Ls first thin layer of decom- posable natter. A new race succeeds and thrives more vijjorously on (he rails of the old ; till at leugth home of the grasses find a bed for their maintenance and growth. The vegetable mould now muU tiplies apace and becomes prepared for the reception of iarger plants ; till at last traes strike roof, shtd iheir annual Laves asd thai thick- 10 and enrich the soil. During all these changes no jiutresccot oaa- lure has been artificially supplied ; for we hav« suppcsed humaa in- dustry not to interfere with the results, but to leave the succes • ore d this increase is b ouiit- able on no other principle th.in the power of plants to organize :cd a}>propria(e to themselves those simple forms of matter, which ire dillused throughout the miueral kingdom. The present barn manure at the command of the farmers of this vast continent bears HO comparison to the insignificant quantity, which was found at the first discovery of the country ; and as the forests are cot down and t!,e agricultural interest predominates, this surest .source of fertility will swell and multiply in proj)ortion. The carbon, hydrogene, oxy- geoe and azote, which are so bountifully distributed throughout the material world, are perpetually arrested and formed into new com- binations by the exercise of those organs that belong to plants. Further, the increased prodnctiveness ascribed to the plooghingj in of greeo crops could havt* no meaning, but on the supposition of (greater increase of veg«lahle matter, than was drawn froaa the soil ; for it would be downriglit folly to use them as manure, if they onljr restored the exact quantity of alimentary food which they had ex- tracted by r>iean3 of the rof.ts. iiut if ihoy have been borrowing Mrbon and azote from the atmosphere and oxygeneand hydrogene [from water, and can solidify these into the system, there is an accu- fflolation and increase of oigauizahlo mutter, which on fair grounds |iai justify the theory of this ojcration. Again, 1 observe that although manures have been divided int* Iwo classes, the mineral and putrescible, they both nourish the crops •y yielding to them the same substances in different slates of •om- inititn. The compoucDt parts of vegetable) as well ag of auiaat I ^ ^t Ti ft Ik I,. «;»*'■■■ bodies, as kas been shewn, derifo their whicii ths seeds of all giain haveattained Imm the cate and skill of the farmer and hence the beauty, ilavour and perfection of those fruits whirh are sour, small and unsightly ou their native tree. It is the |ir«fi sence or abbeuce of these organizuble matters, which constitute i rich or a pour soil ; and the luxuriance of t:ie crop In in thse^iai: xatio of the alimentary priocipler, thuc are placed wiihia the rungJ •f the roots. Bat putrescent manures net only furnish those aliiBeutary priscj pies, such as gluten, mucilage, starch and sugar, but they atTordali fo8»U bodies which, as far as we know, exist ia plants as in Datorl eiactly in tke k»m« state of uhemical anion. I alludp to the earthj 3iJ tJ*eali:»lies, tlif oxides anil tlir saStK, Wiiich, in greater or siualltit* (jaantities, aro neot^ssiry for forming (lie coiii[i!et« organization, and iire therefore blended in the vyetem. Ths cxcrvmnntitious matters of fII animQls obout a farm, and of course the liaiighil which consists of these and of straw u.sed as litter, contain those minoral substances, probably in the minuto fortions which the wants •t vcgetdrtion re- quire : and henco the reason, why a direct application hy the farmer cfrarthy or alkaline salts is either nsolcss or delctfr'.ors. • When lliene saline compounds ore administered to a soil ioi.fj urf!«r tillngr, iiis more than probable, that it already obotiiids with (hrni from tliQ putrescent manures formerly nscd, nud llint it would he injuriously oicrloadcd with any fidditional quantity. Hiit on such eiibjrcls it ig our duty to speak with extreme diHidence, because much obscurity [ still hangs on the functions of the vegetaltle economy ; and perhaps ihc precipe way, in which the Divinity coiulucts this part of his uni- Tprsal scheme ef providence, will forever be hidtlen from our senses. The imperfection of our powers in truci-i^ the various workings of the vital principle, from the fir«;t borstiup of the germ to the maturity cf the seed, is abundantly manifest : and were they not objects of diiily occurrence, all the phenomena of growth would impress us with Kntiments of admiration and a'stonis-liment. We know little morfl than a few isolated facts, on which with all the Cv fideocc of infa ni- hility we build theories, aad then defend them with unpardonsbli; stobbornaesi. Although we know not the exact quantities of the alkalies, oxides lud salts which plants assimilate to themselves, and oo tiiat aecounl. (lonot apply them with skill and in exact proportion, some philose- »• a'dBl'''^'* '""*^' endeavoured, after much study and investii^aiion, toeuu- ^^ ^ .. y ,!,.Hiiierafe the substances themselves, whkh they detoeted unn.Ilerei^ to whicU trig ' ' «Itlier in the sap or organization. Among the?e stsed foreajost the two fixed alkalies, and the four earths that eoostitote soil. T!!t •Illy metallic oxides found, and these in very minute traces, areth ^^^a jBfiron and manganese ; bul the saline bodies are extremely numer. mi. We have io plants the carbonate, sulphate and ohosuhate of lime; common salt and the phosphate of potash ; and variou* olber* lompounds of the nitric, phosphoric, sulphuric, and muriatic acid .r ilh the alkalies and earths. InSaussure's Kesearches en VtgetatioBf. ibles are constructed of the mineral bodies which lie detected ia the ishes of differeot vegetables ; and they are here subjolued, because tliemselvti curious, audi illustrativf ef tke dtfctrroe •( tke f«s«jl I tbf Rt'illBltl ar'.cd oil and submit to ihti ti ihc mass of lOvievL-r, tlieit without beiny starch, s^igat, albumen uu'l icture by htU\i latore, a stimu. ave been frevf hich go at oute hey chtvish t!.K ly be st>U.*i iin the «ilal cncrify, The in^ft'difiiis r CO the liivi of ay inimitable !))■ of vejictable S' '^ b any syiitlieiic.l great difteie'.ii-e te of nature, ami it has to c«l'"^' Iter, and eUtboiaie ted by iT»an, the ,^. applied in the size Vill of thefarmef those fruitB whifli It is the I'fJJ ^hiih constitute I „op \^ i'» t. 12 . . *' Wood of ditto, Sept. Hark of ditto . . Leavt;i of hazel, {c \ May I . . . . ■ Ditto, washed in col< 'Leaves of ditto, J line I Ditto, Sept. 20 . jWood of ditto, May JHarkcf ditto . . jEutiie wood of mull: gia) Noveniber . Alburnum of ditto Bark of ditto . . Tonical layers of i jEiitire wood of hovf i lielulut) November Aihuinuin of ditto I Bark of ditto . . iWood uf horse cbesi"" I focualanum) May I jLtavesof ditto, May iLeaves of ditto, Jul' IDiito.Sept. 27. . .~ flowers of ditto, Mu Fruit of ditto, Oct. .' Plants of peas {pt flower ....■"" Plauls of peas {i>i~ llower, ripe . . I'Unis of vetchas, (t tloweriiia;, May 2~ Ditto in tlower, Jii Oitto ripe, July 23 Ditto, seeds sepaidl 5eeds of ditto . . Ditto in flower, la: water .... /. «• w •i- ^ •0 ^ F^ •mJ " * -^ >> i^, \r. .-* ^ .3 6C !t 14 ■A •9 7Z t»7,."i 01 10,7.) II I..-) C7 ! ( 5,15 22,5 ;;5,2.5 i2,7r> II 1 25 (it) i 1 1 ..i II 110,7.'. 10 I II, 7;. 22, .5 ' (i2 i7,l(> 41,.i i.ii; ti9 72,15 G2 20 2» 22 1 23 21,1 22,3 24 irt 15 Ij 17 24 l(i,5 k; :J2,,, J2 24 — ll.'^d 12,5 1 0,2.5 Vi 0,25, ,1 1.5 1 ... 1.5 1,5 0.25 0,5 1 2:{ , . I t ^ • 7.0 i o,75 I 0,25 C,25 0,'J5 0,26 0,5 0,12 0,5 0,25 0,12 0,25 3,26 5.77 5,4 11 1,G :5,12 'J,5 17,25 17 3,05, i O.SSI ' I 2.25 i 14,75 15,03 31,52 22, f^ 24,5 21,13 lU,i 19,S« 17,5 ';. ' . k i ' ■•:: if * CoiislUiiont'^ of 100 pai Is of Ui« A»liiD, NAMKS OF PLANTS. A * ka • i" ^ '/' !« S s C a< . . -S". X w « * «5 t" £ tJ V -3 3 tX (« o O c-2 C 5 a. — U (. _C :j ••fi >> cn 2 4^ - <*. — <*. I« '% ^ "2 c M O U U < 5S lUnvrs of lUe tak ('/'((.reus ro/^urt May 10 Diltn,!S(i)t.'i7, Wundol a yoiiii;; uak, M^iy 10. Haik of (iiitu Euiire wood of oak Alliaruiimit ditiu Birkot ditto rotticallay( IS pf ditto .... Eitract ut wuod uf diUu . . . ^ollfiom wood of ditto , . . . £kti»L't from ditto Leaves or tlie jtoplar {pojutlus nyia May 20 Dilio.'Sept. 12 Wooilof ditto, Sept. 12 ... . Kark of ditto Leaveii of lia/el, {ci>rijiun tnallanu May 1 Ditto, wa.shtd in cold watrr . . Leaves ofditio, J line 22 . . . . DittOi Sejit. 20 Wood of ditto, May 1 .... Kark of ditto tutiie wood of iimlberry (tnonis ni- gia) Novemher Albumiim of ditto Bark of ditto Cortical layers of ilitto . . . Entire wood of liuriibeani {curpinu> litiulut) November .Mburniiin of ditto Bark of ditto Wood of horse cbesnnt {cencidus hyp fomlamm) Rlay 10 . . . . Leavesofdillo,lMa> 10 . . . . Leaves of ditto, July 23 . . . Ditto, Sept. 27 Flowersof ditto, May 10 . . . Friiit of ditto, Oct. h Plants of pea« {pituiu s(i», Mav 2J .... Ditto ill llower,"jiine 23 ... Ditto ripe, July 23 .... . Ditlo, sei-ds separated .... Seeds of ditto Dido in fiower, laised in distilled water 13 21 23 11 28 31 4 4 88 IG 2 70 6 8! 131 3o 7i 8! 8( 71 34 9.-; 81 15( ll'l Gf 115 33 74-, G.->2 506 2G G3a 557 17 17 id 7 •t rt tm J>>,(j 32 7 7 Jl 2i (iO .10 20 20 S.2 i2,7 11 21,5 li.',5 21 20 7 10 ( 34(;;22 390il8 340 4,5 21 lb,25 2 b,.-) 4... 4,5 24 3 3,75 10,5 13 7 10.7. 5.3 i.i j IU,.J 14 12 35 5,5 2,25 27,2.S 8,5 10,5 23 30 1.5 — 9,5 782 50 052,2 I 030.13,5 873I5O 017 82 19,8 34,35 SO.-y 55,5 870 '>5,6 50 4'2 0U,2h 39| — 60,1 O.U 3 J 2,25 (13 25 32 11 GO 05 10 !) (i 27 00 22 11,1 i'.t 31) 8 51 50 21 15 IS ■26 15 ;■)» 12 17,25 3 14,5 0.12 0,25 't 7,5 0,5 32 I o 11 5 3,3 1 2,5 4 11,3 22 0,25 0,25 0,12 1 15,25 0,12 0,12 1 1, - «''^ 2,3 22 ill 11 14,5 3,:, 13,5 4,12 17,75 4 5,7.') 30 27,92, — 30 t — 1 ■' 1,5 1,75 1,7,5 0,G1 1 2..,21 1,75 25,5 1 ,i2,58 1,7. 22.75 2,25 20,ti5 2 ■.'3,5 2 il,., 1 22,75 11 8,.5 1,25 15,75 1.3 18 1.5 21.5 1,5 23,2 I 1 1,.". ^t.7 2 1/2.2 1.:. 21,5 1 2 17 1 0.12 :H,2 1,7,. 20 0,25: -20.3^' 0,25 21,5 I 1,1.; 23,13! 1 21,38; 2,25 1 0,12 0,25 1 o .1 -'6,G3 v:9 30.38 24,65 17,25 0.5 |2t,50; 0,5 ;i4,3S' 0,5 iji; I I 1 12,9 I 0,5 I 'J ,3 e,5 19,1 NAMES OF rrxNis .So /(/'/"A'" t'UlKUili, L)«;I((IU tljtv Nlay I Ditto, jiist in (lower, July 15. Ditto, .«.n< d< ripe, Sept. 20. . l-'laiits of tiiiiisul 'JirlinnlUu% vh), a muntli beluie How Jun<> 23 Ditto in llowiT, July 2.5. . . Ditto, bcdiiiig ri|>e hpcil^ 20 Wheat {liilicum salicum), in er Ditti, seeds ripn. . . . Ditto, a nioiiili before tlowerii) Diitu, in lluAfr, June 14. . Ditto, siM>d< ripe. . . . .Straw of wiii-at SreiLs of dlKu liiaii. . # riants of niaizp z^'i »»«i/i\ a 1 hctbre Howeiint', Jiuu; 23, Ditto, HI lli)\vir, Jii.v 23. . Ditto, seed* rij.f Stalks of ditto Spikes of ditto Seetls of dit.to Chafi' of bailey {hindium fltiie) Seeds of ditto Ditto Oais Leaves of rhinlodenilion fcnug raised on Jiua, a limestone tain, June iO • Leaves of rhododendron ferrug raised on Breven, a gi mountain, June 27. . . Branches of ditto, June 20. . Spikes of dittOj^Jnne 27. . Leaves of fir {pinm ubies ), rai Jura, June 20 Ditto, rai.sp.doii Ureven, Jon* Jirauches of pine, Juno 20. . Wborlleberry, (»«cci»u««t myi r;ii«d on Jura, Aug. 29. Ditto, raised on Breven. , Couatilii'itts of if'S jnit* ot' the Allies. NAMES OF I'LVMS. ^ R w s U it 7: — b •* 0, - b c 3 *■ c: - ^^ e k ™ S w •" O 6i — "o ;r ■*■ '■•• 4-* 'ite y. •* w c ^ !? fl ^ SoOiiluiiit fuij(uits, upline n-Jk\eiliit!, hlHV I Ditto, JM-.I ill Uowcr, July I j. . . Ditto, .sp lipp, Sept. :»(). ... I [■•laiits of ftimsiil [lirlinnlUu% idihh j t/f), A muiilli hfluie tlowerii);',' Ju'ii(>:i:t 1 Ditto in (lower, July 2.3 j Ditto, bcjiiii^ ii|>e hrcil^, Nvpt UO \ V^tieut {tiUicum salicum), in IIjm-i er Diifi, seeils ripn I >inu,a nionili belaie tlowering, Diilu, in lloMor, June 1 1. . . . Ditto, siM't)< rijit; Straw of wlicat Sreti.s of di((o 1 limn. . I I'laiits of niai/p :.i »»«i/<\ a uionlli licforo HovM-rinc, June :ii;5, . . Ditto, it) ilovvtr, Jii^y 23, . , . Ditto, MCfdii ripe Stallis of ditto Spikes of ditto Seetis of dit.to, Cliafi' of bailey {hindeum vul fC"'") Seeds of ditto Ditto Oais Leaves ot rhmloilenuron fcrrusineum, raised on Jura, a limestone tuouu tain, June iO • . . Leaves of rhododendron ferrugineum, laired on Breven, a gianitic luountain, Jnne 27 BrancliRsof ditto, June 20. . . . Spikes of ditfOj^Jnnc 27. . . . Leaves of fir {innus ubies ;, raised on Jura, June 20 Ditto, raised on Ureven, June 27. Jirauches of pine, Jun(?20. . . . Whortleberry, (laccinium mijrliUus), rui^d on Jtira, Aug. ii). . . Ditto, raiseJ on Breven. , . If. 02 6U 7V fit i;. 12'^ »l '1(1 SJ m 1(1 1. ife 30 23 8 8 2'J 29 13 'JG 877 7.)T (»7,."5 (i.i (il X i4 10,7.-, It b ts - I ■fl >/: «% I I.:. I,-. 17,-.-, «i7 ! a ( r>,15 22,-. j;'..25 12,75 II lid (JO 1 1 1 ..i II !1(»,7'> l(» III ,7:i 22,5 ' (i2 17,10 4 l.o -I •»,!«; li'j 72,15 G2 20 29 2a L 23 21,1 22,5 24 IG I j lr> 17 2t t)i,5 ■'>,7j iO ;'.2,, 22 24 — 11, .j(. l:!,.5 1 0,1*;) 0,25 0.25 0,2 S 0,2.-. 1 0,2-. 0,2.-, 1 I2,.5 U IG,7o to 11,5 12,27 12 18 122 13,25 in,75 30 2'J 43,5 20 12 |22 1.0 1,.'» ■ •■I 1,5 ■ii ..» 12,5 20 1 01,5 0.5 0,5 7,5 18 1 57 35,3 21 00 0,75 2 0,5 1 2,5 19 0,5 ji 0,75 7) 1,5 0,12 0,!2 0,5 0,, I l«,25' 21 i.s,r5l 10,07 i.VN 17,7.V I2,i.'.-.: 0,-r, ii,5 1 0,5 (21,5 1 0,75 I I 0,25 0,25 o,y5 0,25 0,5 0,12 5 0,1^5 0,12 0,25 3,2-) 23 7^ H,0 5 7,25 ir 3,05t i O.SSj 2,25) '■i.» 14,75 15,C3 5,77 -^l^iZ' 5. J 11 1,0 5,5 3.12 0,5 22, th 24,5 21.13 lU,b 19,3« 17,5 m n r I 'fH 3i: uhii .V.il ,ore is slill a furllier contlusion to be deduced from tlie vicwS; h have been presented relative to the two classes of manures. it i? this — that aiihough both (he putrtsccnt aitd fiic mineral 0, in a 'greater or le'^s degree, towards ihe vegetable orga !i(!ii, yet the latter serve other |>ur[)ose9 thnn merely yieliiing a ,u;nly of nutritiental matter. In strict {iropriety ot'si.eech ptrhw^is, \ii\:\\ct ibe earths, the oxides, nor I'he suits ought to l>e conindered jsihefood of plants : because though they, aid tlweir compounds, [ll^^titufe likevrise parts of the human frame, and eiuer the !.'oniHch |iiong with other alimentary substances, yet il:ry Inivc never been ■;ed, in the structure, of any dead or liviiii; liinpua^;c, among the \\::,.:ki of snbslslcnco C) ur race are sunported i)) animals, vegetn \U>. cr products from these ; and whalever wt ;;eor other of tlfin ; nevertheless we kiMj-i. • f(Hi(!, belongs it sevcial chemi- i.00i 1 substances of fossil orijjinal are empIo}«!i in iho c^nifg of meat, tery and in Uicdicine. IJut tliis wiu'ri n|>|>;it d to [ lan!s ma/ llnegarded ratler as a veibal than a retl diMi i. iioii ; f, which goes to the c, liij.ositioii of an o<-- liied being. [>ut ^'ranting this concession in lis follest Intiinde, wc must not ■li};'in Iton e tiiat the farmer, in hii application of fo<.^il malter, is us much diiii; a store of alimeut for Iiis cro.is , as whin carrying to his ilJs (he ( ontenls of his dungliil. In this latter ea e, he \^ li erally reiariiig the banquet for 1 iC feeding fibres ; in iiie oti,>'i, his pr.x- Iceis guided by totally opposite views. When cl.iy is larielc.'i y. or^and on clny, (he object is, i.ot to furIli^h (h- n,;all (n.iinti- Joftiipse cattlis which ascend into the plants, but to coriivt il.c ^hmicd texture of (he soil with respect to moisture. \Vi.e:i :. - lin lime, marl or magne.ia are employed, it i> «Ii>ne v. i'h a view to hlralise and destroy pernicious salt?, to iiure.ise the hhsorhcut p»fr of the surface, or to subdivide ami bfc-h down wlntr-vcr \> I'll, stiff or tenacious. The putrescent m unire-, liieii'<'oi;', am ktly and properly the food of vetjetation as suj .^lyin", cMmt the pry or quaternary products whi ,,i : aix! though no r.l.ciu'ual . u!;stati ■ •• hatobi-'Cci lifiei] si be referrefl mere tu hIum caLse?, su(ii i»u Deini; otfonsiw to j-rabs unci insett.s nl.oring the irc thani* jI tPx« jre cf the 5C(I ai'd its iclatioii (o alBio'phtricab.-oriniu. or rr: vleririt; it less or mere retentive of water. ^Ve are now ready to sum up tf e whole theory of manures in fe'r -roids. It is abnnilaiill)' clear, that the two clahotSj it.i!) wljji tiicy h:ive been usvially distinguished, cowc from the mineral kiiii; dr ;i as tii£;ir uritna^y souice ;— that plants liave tl'e pnwer of sriziir ii'.i hw.fi foMiis of niat'tr, aixi a^sioiilatio/; them into their cwn jul 6tai;cc ;— thit animals are fed aiu! 'sustained by the proximate pruidj plC3 of this assimilation ; — mid that plaiiis and animals af'.tr 6;\!,r.H ,,,, , ' ■ lot h (curse f ::inot .-scend in tne sap, mut therelvJ.e ai fhtpiv; rul inoi it i' ti'fobi^ul, bow they are rendered subocniesit fo the J;:ov^i •?, "i'Ki') '.nay, for anv thing we Lnoif, be oil'-'oI .eiJ in boice j'citi or huii!)'.' iren iriium- as !>reparatory to (heii adniittai^ee iufo iiie ganiz ilion, or ftuy may be deoouriosed into their ultimate ficix V/heri \v{- £U!ve} the philesoj-hy of our first a^ric'uiturai wiiii P'ltj vee how grosol) the) were in error tontei'iing (t;e food ofp!ai » ;(i N-ihit strc'D^e n^.'ertious th^y advaiiCeii about the ferti! zii.^ Tut 1..C (f ^iu.iil.e bodies, a mclauch.'ly gloom overshado-fs ihen; n Hi we rtiotiru the iDstability of human knowledge. Tbe pBCi fi '^re discovery may be as rapid us that of the past, ami llie ag': iv:\j liui'.v. b;ck at ;he elutidalions and theories i.{ the [nesj ^liih vht same fee'a»g of iuieilcctual huujilialioii. ^, AGRICOL.W^O''? v*hi UJifax, l'"cbitiai7 11?, IblD. ■"iriii) cfj, r nuueral kinj »rv»cr of sriziiij 1 th«Mv (ivrn oub roximatf! pui.til ir.aV.' after 0';?l| ntore vijjorouO J Ui'Mefort, iq e fobsil urc loii arjicS(-3 tliau Ihj frotn the prc«cj itureo on brcno jf il.e cu:)gu.iij om beiiig rirM s wiiivb occw| uhle ill ^•^'■•f'l ■he g.ovii "fii n boiEi: I'fitl cfl J.a4;ce iii'J ^''<^' ultimate clcvJ ricullaral will 317 TO rOUUFM-()NJ)FNT«. S-i [ nm now to iliscontinne my Ir-ttn!; fill aitor ihz prnropatioa iflbc general assembly, it miy sf^em rrq.iisit'^, tli;it I fliould aJ.lmss ny corrfj-poiKlents in general, rather tlria tln-se in p ntiou'm aUo lijfa written me duriiii; the last werk. 1 uiu.t Ibi;) cxpr v-j r y warmest thanks for tlic unproicdeiWed suppmi I have zctcivui, 'ii c: la:<'J!r!Ccl the tharact*.- ot Agrlcola. At firs', thi' cvrn-nuiiiv-t ciis i,nt ir\c were Avt and mcHgnr o»" tacts ; bat as I maut i th y >• e . I ■ fill) nuui ber a iiu ni value. Without an a««'>ninicii nieTsurc of c:'-:m A n.jt liiude on tlie part of the public tofuriii:^!: iafor:ndtion i.dt(' iotcrwoTen such pi:ict!<-al do'«!il3 into the.-e leHcis : aucl ii 'i i»s5'?'='5 any merit of beinp ipplicble to the pi»"ifcnt jlate c? '"'.e p r )" dill p, t!ie gro'ifer "slr-re j'ist'.y bo!rr,;9 to the pr»«roiih of o ' ;'giK;ul' iar(',wh() hiv« contUrnanrf cl aiid beir i<»n'!eo ':i j' upwards «f '250 letter*, from ail part-. - c' X U 1 Ml Oici ^Bioa M t'lli.: Ti iCiiO coi;'a(ri m luch vr,! .»ii I'C (. .11 ;irJ "A. -nu il: I. r.(it hcen able ti) prldU-n fi tw^th port, I n;v. rnQcUred their flivet ified vi*'»«- ;: itl ♦i-mi'' pI |r3 cd (lierT), whenevf' the s-.bj ■ t Rdt:;*'ti- 1. "i- 'h - U; 'i! u'i'' tlHVg I, vol >» :tntK. .i4' I I. ccintiositton. I cal! s'ill 0(1 iho.e fiier;U on: iri;' V "P If 5:j r\.' Of .0- .•V, o«a T''i.ii •■:cu' ;';,.ort4i'r tr'i'itiiMn ; ar"! n'hmjph litri.-'e i...ij uii a (>'iich many of tham isidced .laJi-tly pri^ii; n) 1 proiii i; o tMract b^iiheno, vf liatevt r nnj.y bo d-ndnci;^ tu i:'"*. crt.) lubi tc :<>»■> "ml to our future prosperi'y. Vo n.y Uter corfo-po'iceiits J hi«»c trfo o^o- llogicj 10 rankc, which are esj.eoially b.fittin ■ at thi' iiii;*;. Tht first i:ure from \%titii. o' limo, be»* r in any iustanre cf iaclination. 1 have not born abl« to over- Itilfe the throng of business tihich poured upon mf», p. il r.y we. kly |ipj;eif mce has uol o.'OUj.-ied, bit realiv eni;ros^(•c^ aU n-v it;eii(iMii. 11-. I l;e food "fr'-ij the fertil zluJ r?hado-*s ikenl 2se letter', of \vhich so much hat been lafrSy sr a i do: |sg:eatdt'al of idle criticism bus been waste*!, are Ui*; work, of 'iy than incst icadeis wouic' imagine. li a ai> M,l;)«t (0 tiir-M i ha.l jtoprepirc find icrrect the <;oji!ini!nioa'ipn3 sent iff, i'"ri »h»'"h I ^( * seed for the press ; to compose rcriiarks lUnstrKiivc of »iie vitcTs I ^33 anxious toestablish ; and at»cn<' to oth'-r r.iisC'eKnneoiis »nat»eri, j -all of wiuch filled up my v«oaijt j;ouis, eiid of:,;ii n;i;;roaohc(l oa A ''' 5HC0LB'^°"*^ which should h»ve been rmployeii io other j.urposes. My piltito cnirs'pondcnro was always dcfnrreu! to il;e la-^t, and often-' euje. Ti.e pec past, aiul (hei iu:i ^i t^'t pit' "K i. 8f lip ' i*.' ^•P I,'. < 348 times unatoidablj neglected. Tlie leisure I noiv c«jii|pi),i U.;,. ,, , be j)ar«ly defolcd to pay up tluit long aiieai of tlcll ] owc (o n , ; v worthy corresfjondetits. I ha»e to apologue, in the second (iacp, foi iiut cntcrli'ir, cond .,„ to re,>ert(ed solicilaiion, iiit* the present literary ivar, wiiuh ii iairy. ing on wiih such spiiif, and with such bii;nul surovs (o boUt pirlii? My friends are very much divided in tlicir opinion «n lliis ) oiiit ;-. most of 'hem a()prove of my ntiutrjlity , iind s'.renueusly odvisa nip ft, Steer clear of all dispute-. ; others agiin trrat thin coruluLt a* ir, praol) , a'ld aii^r me toatiu.k my adve isaiies. lliiheito trty fileiuf I has bct'O in OD'.Miienco to tlif first clnss ; my declar.ttion now is if,j eoiupiianoe vvi.h i)it' si'r<>Md. This, however, is tha only answer | shill gi»o to the ma;>y writers, who are bwssin;^ ihemsolve:? in i,i. j vei4;hii!»; ajjaii'st my c.un;)o-,itioii, my motives and public r.or.Hart ; and I shall never attain c*to glanre Ht them, till I have finished the) first (firt of the Synopi>i:s. Were 1 to turn a;iiU^ ff(;ni my solijtitl Itnd eiiulpate myself from every li.tle ini] utation, the srritiblers dfl the d«j^ would give me enough of employment, and I could not niovj one step without perpetual aunoyance. To avoid this 1 appean: at first under au anoH)mous character ; and for the same reasoi), have entrusted my secret to none, save those who carry on mv toi resj)ondence with the f)riii(er,and who, notwiihstuuding all the sagaJ cions surmises a^oatj have kept it iuTiolate. I have n(>thing to say about (he qualities of my sfyh>, which Heats to the mercy of the critics. If I am in'elli^ible, I aim not at ti)(en»her (so oblif.ingly :i,«ertcfJ by you in th« Ili-aiilor of the lG;h J.uiuary,) a nicetirg tiiuli |>late, liut owjji^ to ihc ini leniency of the vreather, was poat- ^oveA until the 30(h January, on wriich day the M-jgistrates, IligU !«!ieril}', and a iiuaibor of res^^cctablo luuvlhoidors aiA farmers met iu iho ('fJurt.IIou''e. The commiftee appointee! on the 2S h Deceiiibcr consisting of tke Ui'V. Roger Aiikin, Francis lludolf, J.-hn Creighloti and John Heck* man, K-<(iuirt'B, haviiig suhn.iiifl to the iDct'iiii.; a set of llu'.ej for (he re^uUrmv^M nance rftlio i UX KMilJRG FAKMEll SOCIK- TV, t'^^-y were unaniini»usly a(l.)iMc!l ; uiul the fcllovt irg gwiUlcmeiii elected Oliicc-liearers : — President — Revd. llo^er Aitkin. Vice-l^reMident — Francis Uuiolf, Fi-rj. Secretary — Henry Wollenhiuip!, lv(|. Treasurei — Ktl ward Jiini;;s, F; j. COMMITTFt:. J ihn Cteigiilo:i, Fmj. (J. P.) John N. Oxner, E-q, Henry Kaulback, K^q. (High Shciifl',) John Hecktnan, Fsq. Mr. Jiicob Boehncr, Ji.hnC. Uudolf, Esq. (J. P.) Philip Piudolf, Esq. William Uudolf, ivKj. Mathew Frnst, F.. q. Mr. Gasper Frntit., Mr. (Jeor^.- Oxner, Mr. Philip Arnherg. It is inteudccl io have the Poults printed for the use of the members. TheSoeiety will use all the means in its povrcr to give this cooiitj the bensfit nf your patriotic endeavours : but their labours will lutTc to cDcouQlec grwat aud peculiar ei&culties. 1r tk« n«aB tius^ ■•■r' m I' s; P/ ^li If 111 ■'i\ P' th*y linre directed me (o rc(;iicst that y»u 'vill rrceii-e (hfir (Is »•,].- aud licst wishes ; and trust jou will live to f.njfiy the filensn.jr j, n .,., tion of jiaving been tlie niMininf roudrrio^ \ovi-Scoiia iii.!t"VD(l- eol of any fortigti jowei for a ^'''i'p!) <>f j;i;tiii c ot.ier j'^ruiilturitl jirodofo. I bare the honor to rcr.uin, your mn-t ohft-li.-'Mi -eriMif, SerrrJ;j;y IjV.iOitbu g F.ir .. So. ;.;m . j; TO ArrRICOI.A US'lUll. hboit. Jc.*biiia>y 2, IS 19, a Il- ls vtith i;asi!it J a. < uo '.tI'c'/p '!■ •UTS r,! lanOHi V ']',» funl'.er vrtir i;<'i''"''*' ;, ry-iirt; .<■ ♦•, It l(5th itihabtunls oil this ilivi r w r hfjj on M-iifi > Ji.c l-,i i.^funt, *>^ about twenty-four ..u-,ntiic : 'jP'lt-'.I \:tU pt, llijC. (Iv h: some not h.iv m,^ .ino .i(*;ir We } 1 ;; v^ •:- Luhs, k< O iirS/'(' !•' a *. i .1;^ the ;!|>irlt of 9giicu!tt'r5 throu_^hout the jiri!\;ire ir>'i!i h.r •..>•. :i. r, i I .);iri ;ii ' ly u > like innc'tulty. Tiie vlir.- j'c aiui =;oii of Nit pfct inferior to lluvr rf Driiain, jdiI v > re t!i; J.-uar roit of ;.iiii. USC( ^ 00 Id !; r tMIUaM (uaMy p yrou(i'.;'tvt pfirjocJ IS I'.ox ur. wh'sn the fjrmt j-i.t »»e j:>,'' t; :ftjr .1 i"U. i' ill' i;*- iir.'ri'V I plans of hu^bandry, uniied wii^ I»»s .^wa ituj istry, will assu banish want fiom our ^ahitaiitms ; nrd our miiicJ vt i<; ill l'i» jenerai cause will be crowaeH with opu'tMu r; ai'ar:s ?fi frnKitd, m« ',h:ill then i p: i' a correspt'i'. erit'e vf ith the Cei»fi,il Bmrd. I am tjr. w itli prea! titeem, j oar£ sia'.-erclj" JAMr.S BFNVi: UJl r ill ml;' ijj r. ll.-r. i\«!cp 0(1- ru iilturd! ^C^•'T, So. ■.;t\. !, ISIO. '..Ill n( 'hi •.:'•. -.v, 'vo i/5 •, ? • i:'.v. 1 a 1 :> C .\.- 'V- .•; t ^ ;-' (!.->■ ..-.'-.:;• it ct" '..liiuo e :!«'••' '•"'' uv ii: .T.v 1 11 assuit. >';■ ;■;■.;; i<; in l't» iitaiii »'>>' ' '■ I rorrespf'ti Ri:MAiUvS, These two IcitsTT?, (he otu; from JiUi;eob-.ir„- i!, t tlri o!l)i;r Iiom iMus(iJ'"i!u'bi il, nicfit C(/iive_v picislng an J strotij; ii:i,iicssioa^ lo every rtu^i^^r. riit > --hov* ih..t the excited Ui^iiculturiil Sjiirit Is ciorting ell iii ihe foil «>i<iiiun of (i.e |>ru\i-ire ; ami tiiiit all mea iiij-atr beutUts from the esuibliihmeiit of sncrtics. 1 um truly jjiud, that Ji'Jti 'nl.or^ has ^iven thii f^echiMti -.» ot ihe inU'n -:t felt lht.re iu ;h"s;tuer;il prosiJfiii') ; oi;d tiiat couiit>. fiom bsii ^ loiii; il» an igt( Hi I fit' [)ar.vui toft iijsf>!i;itli V, i>i well 4 I ulalcJ lo .'ue tu j)wti.ii.ul Iv.ssiuis ill thi:i art v.liicli liis ;i.t the fru. dalioii of nr .1 (ii)'ihl iiidopeiineucc, wcaiiti, a:i( III) 'hit liuluslriom seiMcment is a iji'.kUI f>> nl! oilicis ; h,' a caiciul vMltivaUon of the loi',, and !)}' atleiidtiig to ti.r nr Hiic:s of the garJc:", U hdsi Htna:)bed . J gfcawLT I'oiBriKiiui ot rash, than any (iiL»'i • t-x ifnj)le uf what citi W achi.'vccl ia I;, .le rej! i piiio.K c, m- OlllT Cf'tl'.M V 1(1 i-. a Ni>*a-Siotia b', tt.e , lou^^ii auo uic s.'>iiui: The esablisbment at J.!aiqu''(l;iboit, foinuI*(l by fir;»ers for tl.'.i purpose cf iu)i>i(;vitig »firi' iu:t' Intlic distiijt of II ilifax, ii a sub- je;tof g;".trful conlciiip 'I he Provin, itti St>cii.'ty 1 iiiivo ii!« ways regarded, ub tlie orf;aD mid i^jand spring (>f i! the olli'^rs dis- tributed through tljo couiuiy, nuhtr (Lbii as pojS( jslu^ any locj? attaiiinients and iiiteie^tH. The cipitnl is s;urromidcd by a roiiry waste, which [/recludes the operatious cf the fa^rmar ; and mcst always force li tu depend t-u a (distant supply, 'l'aennenibor'4, tli«re. fore, of the borie'v here catmot be »ttvr(d in nuy cfhcr lii^lit, tlian icir !i> ''viduiil but lii' MMiquedoboic 89 thf (jUAtiDiAvs and piioMortus, luti of «1 (h< general in •r/'CTi'Gj..'iit ; f..ii i "• liiai ac. Association is iu ifrality the lii' ., by Mhicb 'bt I'ltti i i« 'obc cftn- r.cotcd uilh the gnat rhaici of our agricukurjl hdv.ui. i;n;(^;it. These two lotJcr:! niso evince, thr.t i!jc ircapabllii v f t; u . C.I a,;^t- int3 t:oil to ripen mil perfect th^ bread corns and to produce aba Ilu- ior. t'or c ■ H Hnce for our coiisunipUor. is be-iiiuKng t(> tie n.-g.i:,'c(] avei v V/li asan idle aiid vain Uij-o; y. Ti c ',v.« I!) Ii of J i-'urir v lll^l nnd formed (Kcm- s(}!vp«! info a so( icty h\ (lie nnmc of (he VAK.MOU I'll A(5UI( l.'L. TIJIIAL SCX^IMTY. At y-»nM- time tliey rlw^e a Picsidout, Vuc. I'residoiit, Seircl.irj , Trcasurcrj and C^ininiltrr, and adopted ccrtuin Jlulos for its ^overnnicnf, They unanimously pissrd n to'c of thnnkfi to the l^i'.^vinria! Ci^n* Jval Sucic'y in ililifa.v for (heir patiiotiL; cxcriiijns, nnd to tlir T'olilc ViKKidont for his li!;f'Kil p-.if roni'^o of tl,i' heft interfsts of the ()io-" vince. SAMLKI. S. rOOLE, President. 4 Lgrieola lo Correspoiideiifs. 9t\ncf Ihe lienisIafiTrc; lias met for the di^pafeh of public b'isine5«, i liave been addressed by my fiionds, bo'h in nnd out of the Ffou^p. on tho great and monienlous; (ripsticn which will bt immcdintoly ngitntrd, niid which will fix the fato of our lai'^bandry. There arj many points in tlirrjc letters, on m liich it »70uld be bij^jhly ind;'cent to clViT an Ojdnior, aed with vvhich \ must decline all sort of inter* 5'eieiue. It wo'j'd ill heconeaa rjnouytnnus writer, even alihnut;!i iie bnf been l.ifh;'rlo rertivt'd with a.i uncommon degree of favour, • o Miibark hi- cl;:in'.c(er in (Ik^ alCuifmenl <'f any mea«ure^ which tlic »ori*titc.!ir':viI ^i ;'rd::n' of tl;e ;)r^vi:iii .! purse would not, of th»ir '.■"Tt: a'cor.:, (.iriv i. to • TVc!. I wcij!.! ;i!.usc thepuldic confidence, ■. 1 ;• e tc r.ry other iMi'-pnsc, than the correc'ion \\ ;tr to MiM t; ftf iho'O fr.nr- \\ v\ •i iii eur ,):Jr!;uiiiirp, and (he introduction «f(l!el)C?f iuid M "t .»; :irov,'d :n')des ef il'.ience whidi tlicy may retain in their own hand? over tlifi publi;: nets of tli'" P.-cvIncIal Society, and many other points •f n ;:nihr nature ; I si:all prerjire a prcfouad silence, satisfied, Bijuj^ ;r 1 3r)3 iliitttmy ai'iy ba tfonxijued with perft;i't suf.iJy to the wisdom aod discretion of (htt legislature. At all «vent«, it is not my proviuca loititcrmerlJle with these delioHte discussions ; and I beg my corres- uoiulents (o dcceptof tliivasiit once my dcterminatiod and excuse. Tlmre is, however, one view of this subjtjcl to which my attention has been more strongly called ; and on which there seems to prevail I wi'le and rather hostile contraritety of opinion. Soma contend, that the Provincial Society alone is entitled to pecuniary provision ; that on it the liherality of government should be lavished ; and that the whole grant should be voted in aid of its funds : while others liolently oppose this measure and argue, thut Ihcj would neglect ibe interests of their c<>.istitueiits, and would be culpably wanting ill (heir duty, were they not to insist upon a subdivibion of (he le- ji>laiiTe Grant, and a specific appropriation of it to each and every (ounty society. f think the whole of this dispute has originito-l \v. rii'-rmccption ; jQ{] that, after the nature and constitution of the Pi '.)viiicial Society ueunfolded and underuood, the two parties will easily coi-le-c*", as each may accomplish their object in perfect uniDn ami concord.-— The former thinli, that the institution here, fouiuK.Hrt theiapiial jad possessing the means of importing seeds, live st.ick, ii:ij)lctnent3 icd books, should have the mauagemKOt of ttie fuiid^, and receive Ibe exclusive countenance of the IcgiNlature *, while the latter arc »f opinion, that, if a sum is to be voted by the representatives of the people, it ought to be shared among the county sf>cietic9, that the jgricalture of each may be alike benefited. Ko step could b« taken more destructive of our future prospects, nnd nii»ie injurious !o the cause which is meant to be supported, than Ihis subdivision cf ihe Grant: and there is no case cennected with our tvr\\ ioteiest', on which I hold a more positive and firm conviction. In tLis i aat htrcngtheiied not only by reasoning and reOeciioi;, but by th? e?::ti.i- pie of that parent state, which it is our honour, us well aii duly to imliate. In that country have been deeply studied ti;e piiHci[)li'fi of political economy, the influence of public iastlMitions, and (he I Dost successful modes of distfibutip.7 rewards of excitement and litnulatiou. Bat independently of copying from so bright a model, lihere want not arguments of commanding prfpunderancf, by which lcnt. Such is the only rational and jast light in which tha I'rovincial Society can be placed. It has oo diitinct eepaiate iiiicrJ ests from these of the commuuily : it is a body politic erected foj a iipecial and defined purpose: for this, its fundv arc to be icpj sacred and inviolate ; the diirerent branches of thu governtnciit aid declared members kx oiFicirs : they have a right to s«oy its counj sels, and guide its movemcuts : and io sum up Ihe whole, it is rrai no other tirin the organ of the legibUlive wi^dora tad power actioj for the ndvaucemeot of the provincial agriculture. Itistohethj child of their creation, and it shot Id be the object of their care. I observe further, that (he pecuidary grant voted to the Proviocij p.l Society does not [)ass from the legislatare to another body thi may expf ud it at pleaware ; but, in truth, continues under the dircc tii'U and control of the legislature. For the sake of itlustiatiod let us assi'Tie, that £\0Q0 are set apart for supporting the declfirej •pirit of the country ; and that this amount is voted to the socle' In what manner, 1 a k, could this sum be disposed of, con^istentlj irith tkd prlQclpl«ii of lb« consiitulion which (he ie^iiUturc m 3Jj Jccree uiftuint; (he 80( loty t rorjiorato ( xlstence : — Solely and f x< jujuely »o tfiLTish h us bun dry, ntid rural economy. The mem* ^cri of His Mfij(>hty'f Cooticil, and of Ihu House of Ahhcmbly (v:a3e the nbj^'cts to be encouraged, the prcnjiuras t« li'g'vro, *hc live stock, impleuieiit.^, and seeds to b« imj)orted ; and t>', ii.' iiill>ienre of th«ir situations and talents ihey in reality preitid* ,er ilie uppropriallcn of the whole fund*. There ran be here oo aiicirg iind opjjositlon of interests between the pri?;ii'\ to which il»c pt'iiinsula is divided. They have come forward |r ! s ib>C''iLe() 'liOi/iielres members of that institution, nottopio- |rio!e Ihtii' imaicciia'c intertists hut the common inleresls df lite pro* :;. Til'' bciiefits, whiwlj they are to reap, must llow from the jierity of ihs. farmin}; cla- and litey contiihulc tiieir mite frjin no o'hcr motive llian the impulse of a fienerous patriotism. Iruc if t|)e province succeeds in rnising its own bread, the town increase in wraith and ia ccmmerce, hut this is distant and liemcte ; and bt" ides, can only talie place fiom the. right and proper Idiiedioii, in the meantime, of the Hgricultuial fun(b. There is not, erefoie, n,,,, Tince ; and in it should cenlie lh« an ounl of nil ffuccTrsful and u, laccessful experiments, of nil imiuoioinentn, hikI. in shrtrt, cf nil agricultural infornialion. To xive it a beconiii'g digoiiy in thii elf tated staiion, ii must have power. It nuisl bff anconntcd the.\ouri:e| through which all Mio gifts of the U-gi>-lature mo to flnw~.^ii i|„i revinirls of nu'rit oi tlu' exciUMrents to onlt^r^ii*'", Dis<>nh»> |)y | su<iic)' thii j^ovrruioK sup( lintcndjiKo, ;,,|,| you rob it of ull iullucDio. It may confiime lh<' lit ad ; but it itil neither hiive hands (c n/f, nor feel to w;»ik. 'i he county loiietirj I r.tijo)iiig llieir grant iinntediMl»My from the ^oteinnient and po^sisi,. Ing it of their own rii^ht, will di--reg«id its iij:inrtioii>J ; or foiiowi them with a lulievriirm and v'ludint oi»edieii(.e. Ttiere will henfi. ther unity nor arrangement in thedirei tiou of the national irduslu ;| but ench aocicly, acting independently and fiom narrow anddi tractcd views, will in most eases forfeit the generul to the louiiii interests. Two thfO'SBtid pounds no bestowed will be vastly Ir elTicacions than half the aniount, plated at the disposal of the t'lnj vincial Society, Tliis is not all : the associations which have sprung up in all poi of the country, have their origin in local and individual iiiterc^t^ TliR farmers have subjected themselves to rules, in order to rcai instruction in tluir tailing, and to cultivate the earth with tioii skill and suceeHB. These societies are composed generally ofili Lest and worthifvt members of the distiii ts where they arefooiide^ and in whom may safely he repo'^ed the utmost conSdence. Butu it be ima(;inrd for a momerit. that these men have the same Ciil.!. and comprehensive x\cv\^ — thi"in me extent of political wisdoir—i the same skilful direction of conduct, as must reside in the collc:uj body of the lejilatnre, and the many cu'ighteDed official charrtfte who constitute the Provincial Society ? If there be talent in Nc'j Scotia, if dignity of thinking, if patrietic devotion of the hearl,j political sagacity, they will be found in this institution. Dosiii the three branches of the legislature, it embraces the beach of juc n Hut •f tlie u are afiu fions of I 357 ,le (t^Ti^M, tliR |irnr(It!uriera of law aix] ^^)M^, the iiii)(|)t*iuic*iilg«;u> tliri.cii DDcl Miiilihy nirrcliaiiln «>f Il.ilirBx : m (DUi'l) better a))1c in (lirrct tlio piuvini.iat agriculture uiut |iu<(l« ii to haf py rctults, providtd the Geiieibl AsjiDibly refrain frora (i'( ilJiig (Jowu tho peeajiinry (irant into fracfionnl sums, niu\ he* (jhH'liiiig then) jlltc legacies fo the other poriciici wet which t!"« |t|ii^l.aure CHiw xercise no eontioni, and which cannot be hrooKht (« iMi after reckoning and Nccoual ? It woiiUl bo a y;rofiii{.tl vvaitu nt the public money, aod would coiifoinid nM the cakalationM of piiitience. Not a dfiuht rests on my itiind al(»ut t*if* propriety of the tT,.^uure, which 1 am now recomin<>kMliiiir. J'h" Central Hoard, in order t« «('(U[)y a cointnanJit'p situation, '^tist 1)2 regarded ai the v^rirullu* r«l ofgaii of (he le^iiiu'ive biiitii lies ; tliey raust decree its ronstitu* liot). as well us rnle its proreeditijjs ; and tltey must leligiouiily pre- «r?o the dejCLiietice of all the couitly 8oci(;ties on the cxpres<»}o» of its will atid plt;u?ud is piopelkd to all [arts, with a ?iew lo \iarni, sustain^ aiid ii>vij;iiiu((' ilu; system ; utid back it is again car- fied to repair the wn>-^ii;e arc rnjdc to depend oti each other, and to utiiie in prodming a con'^ibfenf, ; erfcef, aii(f harmonious whole. Hut ill this eonrliislen, eeemincly foiM'.ded on the clearest views ef the UM.U fsi.vriil'^ ufl on a trbiii of irrefragalde argument, w« are a!jmid;;r;lly ','oi im; o'!f by the practices of the most refined oa- tioiii of Isuropr;. ft would be vain to quote hero the policy adopted h) I'lfljbia, by the (Jonnaiuc States, or by France, all which ngre« 538 .f r >M ao ia tliH kailing i)oir.t~of fosteiinij and prolccling one powetful so. eietyj by which to (^Ue life, nioliou and f rieijjy lo all iLe rt'sl ; but 1 shall cuiifme my illutidatioiis to Crrcal-liiicuiii, and shuw h'jr r! ut acting in (he thiee kingiion'.s oi whicii itit cini ire n cuiiiiiOit."J. Jo each uf these there is a grand national iiisiitutiuu uulIlt Mit^ i.u. mediate patronage of guvcrnincut, by which the agricul:ur-)i luicreit is maintained and diiocled ; namely, (hu Boaid uf A^iicalture in London ; the Highland Socicly in Ldiuuuigli ; utwi iiiu A^ncuiij. ral Society of Dublin. The last of these was first instituted in point of (inio, to prevc.it the frequent recurrence of siarciiy in Iieljiiid, as the proambit* hjU forth) from the simple but invaluable science of agriculture b> tog entirely nvi^locted aud ni:!)Und(Mytc>o(^ It v«aj ii>cor(;or i;(d under the denominalien of the '• Dul/liu Society" in 1741' ; and has contributed largely lo the prosperity of that country. On its foundation, a royal donation if £^(0 a-year was conferred l-y Ceorge II. ; whiih sum, added to the nonual parliamentary i^raiit of J?600() aficrwards ijiv-n, and the subscription of its mcnthets coii- jtitute a fund, that enables it to exert the most beneiicial iiillu-jccj over the whole island, and to keep alive the spirit of impro\('merU in the other societies. So powerful and useful has this corjioraie fcody becoirc,ihat they at present maintain a ,)r* patriotic effjr' 5 0. one niJi' — Sir John Sinclair — who lias dtvolcd ih life to thegoni of nianlkind, aid the eiicccrp^cnicnt of husl try. It was coiisli- luted by royal charter it) 1793, am! its ra! ge of action wm Iocs ei;il 359 crcrths ivltoU of Great I'litaia. At iii firit in(,iltutioa, althougb ji: some mefisurc obtained by the lafl'erani-a and pasjitive a('(]iucsi'CkK'e of the minister, a "juai of JJSOOO annually wa« voU'd by parliarr.cut for its huppoil, besides se»erai valuable privileges and powers conJer- red liy the tharier.—It is unnecesiary to pur&uc the history of these iiiititutions at greater length, or to point out the rarioas sources; of revenue which augment aod consoliJutr their utility ; as the mighty doniiiiion, whiih they now exercise ovar the nttional induslry and improvement, i^ a demonstrative proof not only o^ (he wisdom which contrived their be^jinniugs, but of the ample fund-; wi-h which they are invented. Tiiesc three gre:it establishments extend tlieii protec- tion and cniourayeinent to the dilLrcnt districts, shines, or pati-ihes of the United Kini^dom ; t'/.rect the tide of enter)>ri-,e ; publish frot« time to time their pri.:c-c .^3;i and tran'^actions : hold out premi- nms ; correspond with t!u- ^n)w;r:i:nciit on important natioiial ob- jects ; and are the m!iin ^prii.g^ of that cxcillent s}:j'oih of hubbao- (Iry, which has increased (be i.iii'piuL'SS atui cdnt'i.oud the stability cfthe country. To none of the rout'tj assofialiims rortncil of prhCtival farmers, hi* there ever been any parliiunontary aid iid ii.ni.stere;!, and indeed there has been no applicati hi ^or such nid ; l)0:anse the goiesnnitMit bds !9unicienlly disoharged its p.»(f:rnii duty, in fouuJiDg and endow- ini? those institutiocs which were (o protect and invigorate the whole. Upwards of ^C 1 5,000 slerlin*; are annually expcndrd by these cor- [toratc bodies ; and the gieater part is the imir.sdiate gi^'t of pailia- Bicttt. Tfae advantages derived fiotn this liberal patronage have been tccognizcd by all political partio-i ; and no inconv.jnioDce has beea ftit, during the experience of more than half a rentuiy, in withhold- ing legislative support from all the leaser as'-ot'iifious, which natu- tally lake shelter under the wiog of tbo i^rec *n d up . > ting parmfs. 11 Ai.llU OLA. Malifrix, F«lriiary 23, 1819. TO AGRICOLA, SIR— On the loth of Vobrunry last, a meeting of a nujcbfir cf the prin- npul frcekolders \va.i held here, whsn a saclety Wias formsd, called ¥^ SGO u i > i i th«NOEL AGRICULTURAL SOCUUi-, ,.i.a ih- foi (jwci oflicers were chosen, viz : — Mr. Archibnh! Kerr, Prcsidi ii(, Mr. Juhti J. Archibaltl, Vice l'r«siueut, Mr. Jacob O'Brieo, Treasurer, Mr. Timothy O'lirien, Corresponding SecietrtTy. William O'Brien, Esq. Hecording Secretary. John Faulkner, J. J. Archibald, Timothy 0*l5rien,S Commit tee. William Wallace,( Robert O'liiieo, This society, as well as the part of the country wherr it is Csiah. lithed, is yet in its infancy ; but ilie iaiiii lii general is good ar.il fapable of great improvement. We liolong to the County of Hants, and are remote from tht quarter in which the Hants Agricultural Sori-^'y exis*"?, ko tln( »e ean look for iitdt; udvatiiA^u fiom it, more than from any other in tbe province. Wo dope however, that from our ow.i, some benefit will arise; anti we bav« lu'ij'l (u av{ein[)t every thin^ in our piwei fifj the advancement of »gricul'.wr? :unoi)g us. I rred not iidd llial it j is to your generous cKeitions stione in slining np -i »i.>irit of enter" priiie among agiiciilturiit^, I'lui we are indebted for what begins t«| appear amongst us. Ho^'ing that the zeal wirth you have excited, may prove net losij beneficial than it hrss iiiiherto bten ardent, and th;it it may contiuu»j to promote the agricultural adv.i.uoiiiei.t .»f (he pryvitice, I am ycur obeiHent serviut, — in belialf of the society, yr.el,2d M.-'r^h. IHIf). TLMOi'HY O'MIULX, Corrtbpondia^ Sccretsrrl TO AGRICOr.'v. SIU- 1 WAS bred in this country, and am well pleased te see itiiaj provement — I must conf*??* that I had very little hopes of much goo foming oat of your letters at ft rst, aufil although I read tbeoa lilcl I I- SGI jj iipli^hboursj { rallti woudtrtMi than was instructed ; but I aia ';jw beginning \o (hink, tiiut wc sluli be bent'tiiu-.l in good cariicgt. Ill our settk'men;, we Lave always ( ome good years excepted) had „ucli diflicnlty in rai^ijj^ •ar own bread : and when oar wheat ,ro|)S failed, the |»urchasiiig ol' Hour was a great evil, and a heavy dfiiiion an. Wiihiu these two years I ha.l to reducs my stock of tattle to buy bread for my family, wMch not ouly has hart me, bat jilour ueighbeuthood. The ir.lce did us serious injury ; and 1 am isry inir.trubtful of them this season. The snow has so long covered th; ground, that 1 fear thty viill coiric out like locasts on us in the rpriiig and summer, and dest-oy ihe fruits of the car.h. I wish yoc, or scmeof yourcorre.spouderji.swould turiiyourattcaiion to these veiiwia, liiu cojitriTesoniG i piiy \'. ih^'ir usual visits, jnd eat up the gra.<3 and 4:orn by the roots. I '.:• .ijld like to hear vhat you have to say upon them, with any rcmediei you may think of, liat the piineipal thing I wisli j iiid on making a second Iiial, I disliked them muchhjs ihui. at frit ; (ind it then struck mo, that 1 should have tuys( If a few bu^h- ilsof ii.y oats converted Into such meal. I cuiried thii resoUtiou into efTtct before other eight days, and had it homfj to uiy lumily.-— prom thenovelty of the thing, the children bct-au to cat it in bread, li-ut after the secoiid trial, neither entreaties nor thicali: < ould induce ll-ein to t«uch it. Through persuasion, howavcr, my wife always |»s«d it wb«n at table j I myself became fuuu of it ; and ihou^kl h U 3 >? I if ■ n m '. '1 ;;1 SOS mare nourishing (lian our ftciir Irraf!. Wo were; in thi* s(ai,^ <, nearly* month, wheo one day n liifighbu.ir called ;it the housi, aiill the conTcrsation turning on oatinttl, he preferred if, he said, ,;,a(;j in jiorridi^c, and taken with milk. We tried it that evening ii ij,,i new v/ay for the children ; they seemed lb relish i(, andcvct sini( ha\e continued fond of it — By degrees they bigan again to tusteiit* cakes ; and at this t;«<^e oatmeal is now our stall' of life, and i^ comi log ?ery fast into use throtpghout the whole diktriot of OotchtsiprJ Although your writings had done no furUier good to this counlti than bringing us to an acquaintance with this very useful ai>d cconnj mical method of employing oit oatSj your time would have beei well spent : for any farmer may r.-iake I.nnfclf independent in poitil of bread with half tlie trouble, "iud less than half the riak, by ijf ing his attention to the culture of oats. IMump well filled grain this kind is, I think, as two to one when compared with Mheat; ani as the latter is worth on an average ten shillings, godd ontg u now worth five in real value : and besides, they aiut,8ir, asoal formerly only brought frnra 39 to 3s. 6d per bushel, (he nddiiioiJ ▼alue given them, by coiiTerting them into whalesonte meal, is be ascribed to your labours : and could wc snccee(' in getting til proper mills erected, (which I hope to see gtneial iu a very fts years) we would get on very fast in improvemi nt. I never boiieid till now, that this province could rais<; its own breud ; !iut 1 am ooj vinced (hat nothing is more ensy, ai)d f, fur one, shall this ycur si^ double the quantity of oats which \'veie ever before raised nu farm. The potatoe oats are preferab'e lor moaling, and 1 woui raconimend to all such as n.ea:: to cultirate this grain, to obtjiiiJ they Ban, such seed. Four bi-.shels of these ivill produce I c*t. meal ; whereas five or five and a half are ueceis-iry of our lOiDnij onts. AMshing you all successi I am, your very humble servant. .T. AUCinCALDj Colchester, March II. 3()3 ilftit'' fn lOtIM a.il birul, i;iai'.e tiling it ii.ii kI C'VcI siiuf I to taste tHi and U ('.om4 ihis countii i\ at.i'. ecounl Lild lidVD beej dent in poiii| i^U, by ;dr ftllfd grain Lh wheat ; anj good oats ar iure cr»|), u(( nd of laud,s.u| iiut,9ir, asoaj (lie odJilioi.^ REMAKKS. Ihe aJ vantages to bedeiived from tlic eitablishntnt ofagricalta- itil sucietics seem novr to be fully appreciated; and during tjia i^urse of the season, I tru&t that every settlement in the (iroviace, of Lcdcrate extent and importance, will combine its mure respectubit tnehol'lers into yuch assuciatious. Not to :ncntton tite facilities tbirh will be thus given to the supcrinteudauceand operation of r|ie Provincial Boaid, the unity of plan no less than the quitkricsii of tommoBicBtiou, thtse men will improve and perfect each ocher in jlbir oniiuary calling ; and the acoidontal diiicoverios of any ont Itember will become the joint stock of ^he wholo body. It was with liosoiill degreo of satibfaction, tluit I oppiied the fir^t of these letters Ijunouiicipg the formation of the Nofcl Sucitty ; and my pleasore was Ichioct'd ty the circumstance, tiiat the «vent was quite unexpeciadj llifiiig been apprized of it by no previous corrrspoodence. I'he liri uro bus been the spontaneous diik'gostion of their own mind^j, l|[t^ [<')ii ai;y foreign impulse; and on ihiii account, it is ihu mure |j(:c>tirig uf praise. The second letter treats on a very important branch of ouv internal Ijiprovemcnt, and which in (kc |)sesent stale of the province is eu- iiii'd to a large share of attei'tion. Cou»ini;ed as i ara of the ii.pruc- \ in gctiii-.gt rHbbility of raisioi; enouL^h of wheat for our con^uiDption, iili our ill a vrry leH / p» o r ? I never brlic boibandry is considerably ativuuced i'l machinery, sUiil and cnpiial ; Mtssetm to present the boon of early independence, and to antici- ;!e and realize oer hopes nuch soonor than the natuial course of logs. Certain prejudice^, I know, exist against the general tntro- action of this grain ; arn* th';^ tastes of people in their diiily food, ir;ned hy long ii.ibit, arealtereJ with mach dillicuity. Alan, how- iwr, with hU hib prepobsessions and miules of living, is the I'hild of ii- li:.linn ; anil has in himself an accommodating power to (lie ciicuui- inces with which he is surrounded. — The liussian coniob to reiioh i:tiBin oil • the Svrede and Laplander, thei.' brown bread mixed up illi bark ; and the Scotch nation, from lime immemorial, have llCnUj'^'^^^'B'Ofl^" a predilection for catmeal. As this province hae taken its me from Scotland, and as it has been mostly peopled by that hardy, iticnt and entcrptizing race, why should they not here be partial 'he manners of their forefather?, and practically stylo this their } !iut I am fo U this yp;trs' f raised nn :i ;, and 1 Willi ,tn, to obtjin,] Iroduco I c* of our lOiiiKV jjewant. •I A' *l t: ihrJL.., !)'j;«^ I ':';; :')' 3(54 aew l)abl(ation— THK t.anji fir cakes : 'J'lir Aflirniui-;, lit fouuij; , . their coloaics nlodg llic pliorc? of the Ilelleipoiit atid Bk^j l».)rus >, well as in Asia Minor, im[)Oseil on the ndvxnf uiers as ;i s.HriMl duty to Ihc s(t(e, that lliey should tronsport to (hi* new sotHprncnti I'n lawj", the instilolion?, llie innxinn of Miir and jjpjct', \ho. minnpn.,-';- dress, the Isvirg, as well a» 'ho godn of their counlry. As flipy hv] j been educated Creeks, luch too Ilicy should live ;ind die. ratriot. | ism was their ruling passion ; and althougfi they tr.«iii)>f<;rrod their i interests and attachmenty to a foreign soil, ihey were hound by cvcrvj tie human and divine not io forget the place which gave theni iiir'h. Ndtionril feeling's oui;ht to dc'erinlne ?tcoti hmcn to the Cdltiireoj tliifl grain, aod to tlie intrrihu lion of oainual into their faniilit.sa| a staph; and pSKcntial article of food. I''i(j!fti,Tl>mcii too, paiticulirlv Trom tho n»rlliL-rn couiiMf', \Terc accustomed .'i' firmic ti> this ^ori meal : atid it^ uso is aluiost universal in Ireland. 1 ypcthon no qiJ Stacle to a very general rcn'omption of oafs ; and to a ('f>n''(q';i'l Baliuual saving, whi«h would have a nii»^iity iuRuciice on t!ie aau mulation of wpillh. It needs only a hririiniing ; and if so re ofoal dislinsuished characters, in tho upper w!;lks of lilo aiiil who are oj Scotish origin, were to set ti o p?ian»ple of tModocing oaten cuk ■• fable, the practice would fiprcart. «d io the a^'|ji(>uchiug spripg. Jiaolutiomt cftlic ('o/mniitee. At a nipoflui? of the coiinniM^o, held on tlie -7'h F.^')ru«rv. agreeably to tneir deirrmiiiftlion in the Ihf t m.ff^ttng, for ti.r .• ... ^ uf cousidcrin^ !iad dci:idii)g oa seeds, &c. needful f.T iii> .• . .. (Icmeiit, it wos ResoUcd, That on considerolion of the little k. o«'p'l:'p <,'! %< ;, culture possessed by the memliers of this sueii.-iy, ir ^»Ml 'oe . .-, i. \ cut to dfpciid entirely upon the avhico of the I' --f. in i,i| .>-..;,„- ty, for su''h seeds as they may deem most ft: for so young a si tile- iiient. Resolved, Th it a reward of five pounds shall he paid out of i!i« funds of the society, lo any person or person*, wLu muy iind a bot ul Nuoi. \N'heii a general scutiinoiit pertadcg a wholj j eopU, it brcnks out usually in the capital and the wore poauloua coantieff and by dtgroe is propngiitcd to th-j remotest extio.iiilies. *-uc'tt has been the hiittoiy and progress of (b9 propent A^iii'ullural spirit. •-« Tliesc Hssociittiens viero first formdd thraUithnut a'.i thi^ cnimlifs and districts; and latterly wc have had the Mu^qiudolioii, Not!, and Sherliiooke Snclelicf:. Some have cxpreiscd a fear, that those cstab- lishmcntB, however osefal iu sprening knowledgo ami emulation, may be muKijdicd (uo much ; and that their incronsc should l)e dig* coora^od in all those places, which arc within a njoderato distance of tho Comity Societies. Tlietc is no danger to be Ui)prelieiu](d ffoiii this cause, so Ions; as there is not more tlian one in every settle- ment, consisting of from fifty to an hundred families : and the farmers in the^e situations will dciivc much bencft from staled quarterly mtelings, where their common interests arc discussed, and whc>e they can learn from each otiier whatever dii.roverios or improve- ments may hare been lately introduced. There are yet many placci throughout the province where sorh sooieties may be erected with advantage ; and I do expect to tee them in a short time more widely extended. Manchester, St. Mary's, Stewiack, llawdon, Economy, and Parrsborough are, among others, convenient and highly eli^ibl* stations; and I solicit the men of iitfliionce to adopt the uecossary ileps, by which to be.stow on their r.eiglibourhood tho iiicrilcuUble benefits of agricultural instruction, and of connection wiili the I'ro- vinrial Board. I am happy io observe, that my eliVrts to fix :!)? aKft.'ion of farm- ers on lime as a beneficial manure, have not bctii (hio>*ii away ; and tliat every where there is a general s^eurch after ii, iind a ju-t npi-.r* vi- ition of its vnlue. It is easily detected by means oi the muriatic ioifl ; and I would urge ev< ry society to procore a qiaatify of this from the druggisto here, and which shon'.d be kept I'y the secretary, ashy far the most certain and ii>fal!ibic test of liii.esioiie. A pi'it- bottle can be filled with it for 'is. Cd. and it will hold enough for making thirty or forty experiin«nt«. Hy pouring tiic liquid on thw stone, or dropping a Kmall bit of the stone into as much of thfliquid tsa wlue glass wiUcoataio; lime wilt h* deisuted by a rapid aud m V f * S^f* ■ ^5S »ioIfut clt.rves(CBC«, or (to «()Rak witliout tli. i . .;ij,;,; (,f chemU tr|) by the cscuiie of »ii-butjblci cuittiin,' a v«r) pu.,j,ciit »ii),.ll. AGfllCOLA. lUlifux, April 9tli, LSLO. . t' nil IIAIJKAX, AlIUL 14(li, l.-^ia. Al/OUl (;.is priiod r was rolicifot) on a!l hands t» fli.scliis and tlje whh t •f Mis Kxctl'.ortcy — The Karl of Dilhousic — I yielded, and thrc^^ nside 'he u\sibl, of A^-iicoIa. Out this step cost me much thmiglit, and v!';*t abj ss of humiiiiiioni ,nci i'.'oas 'Mie American flj,i< waved Iriumphattt in the port of IIalit>.A,ar,4i hi dispensing to us, by way of indulgence on the part of thil ^over nent, those ^ery products whii.ii our own soil could nbuiulaiii!; I'uruisb; bad its productirei'.ess been excited and d:awa upoQi))! iiii/!;ht f<'l'«(Utl| •flen 1(1 ^'Iiisionl Duri. Ihe '■Arti secret, 'litlmatt bailed nl Goy .; (.f die m 1(1 It wn'» nr|;uc'i •rronipliilietl, utheJ '«''<" ^^^' iC(:('e(! to kVi'ni? Ceuirtl Um'I'I lion*, tliat viie poocs, tlwit the I ton, w*9 aiixi- isf, iinJ Oiat thft • iiioasur-s if I Tuy aii'i h';i! 1 and the wi^Ji'i Ided, and thrC'V e much ihougbt. sel«;Uers of min»{ jocupation of i^yI e gross opinicnjj tics and r«*iOJrL2i| iverially spok^nl V native counlryJ vcd under kI'*--^'" d iti the extrt'".; dt'Sj)iseJ. ^^ ^'1 y\ng every facultj aiv.ong the i;.c.'.,ilcl S3 of hunului'-'"! ,f ilalif.ns,aua ^J ,t of lh.a go'C'l could ttbuiulani!^ draw a upoul)yi i,;orou.s iudj^tiy. The proud and iadepciidciit 5piril uf a Critoa tiuritdl tioi((ly within iitc ; ami i vdwcJ tlio tiurreudcr of try n.Mtit time lo (ho good of (lu: country 1 ha\c adopted. AT. or some liiilc di-IiL>tfra(ioii 1 luirl uty pl.iii, not to write a sybtcni of iigricul« luii', but to Lorithai as wcli c ^ibtiiit; criois,as to ti^ht the ^l<>w cl pa> 'ri(Ui:iin ; and the S) iu>|ii.i.>., no li-^s than iti csK.cution ami Lc^elop* rr.dil so far »s tin y imvtj yci pnu'ctdcd, bv.iv cviiicot m:iik'i ut this liredoniinuii fetlini;. Iljt ;i regular attack on the prejudirea and liibits of the people ♦ xpoifd u writer to much rLT.ciitniCn(. For that rM-.on 1 icsolvL'd on acting hi hii.d the eurtiiin, iuid shutliiij; myself from the giz*} of ih.o pnUIii!. 1 did not put .von my printer In pos- it. ^. on of ^hc^^:ll(.t ; ai.d i!0 bn.ull dilliculfy l!\> co;itri>ing a iii)('«! of conimtiriiiai'oi wil'j him by which 1 hhoul : void detcrfion. iiiat 1 tlVt'Cted by ihu iateivention of a third pnit ')r. Williuin IMrie — nho paiscd betwixt us under ull th." sa.ic.tii>i»s of the niost iiiwolabic sj'crr. y, :Viy first purpose of rctnaiuii'g '"urever concealed was ill no insta!if«> fhahcr;, till his L trd^hip tho (jovernor, in the tncetinj.;, I).!(cin')or 1 'ith, 18 IS, called to org-uiize the Cei^tial Society, nar.itd mc ns Secretary. It wa< the only cirruiristunre in that day's nrturrenoe wliirh disconceiled mc for a monicul : for I heard all tiiu • n. oniums pas'^cd iti flie course of tlio discus'^iini widi tlie most im- ;noToai)lc indilTeronce. But a'ly toleralilt? j idj^e of human nature n.!i;iii. have djsctncied the ui'known Aijficota in »oi' it»voluatary hai and Gush of bis fountenaiUT at this anpoiiitment. But tlie ef- fect was as traiisilory as sudden ; and It almost insta'.-lij' siib-^ide.1 into unrull!sd composure. This event i;ave ri'^o to a new traiu of ic'cas ; and I began to hesitate whctlier this mystery ;n t!io writer nj^,ht not prove treacheiy to the fBuse. I inedi»aled de-plv Bod f.Tqucr.tly the poliry of laying aside my per^•l:nated character., and •fien lesulved and re-resolved without cci: ;rg to a satiifuctcry con- d'jslon. During this state of doubt on my part, 'A;? p«!>!lc «'uiio=.Wy nas »>a the stretch, and a tljo-jstnd jchcmcs uer.^ ic-ior'od •■^, ♦<» Ohd out the: serrf^t, Nofv^ithsfantli'ig all my care, lit'lL' cii.'tm ifances {ri-tiS;)ii- «d whicli pciufed to ::ie some share of the suspiciei'. ; au;l tu) nwi'i iiittmate and li!i!n Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ '^^ "% ■^ O^ -u^ %\^'^^ ^^ <»t >> ^ 'ii" lit- ht-~ < i^^mi S70 to the oompoiiag of theie weeUlj Icttcri. Still ihe n)ntti>r was iu ., •tate of dabiety, aod nothiog posidfe or wry certain had bccu ditf cofered Co aet it at rest. But tbt basy and (be inquisitive had assut. •d themaeWea about this lime) by means of seieral iogeoious coniri. TanceS) that all others, on whom snypicioii had fallen, vrcre not coii> ccrned in the writings. A clergyman, who by inauy was long re> garded as the author, and who was nccounicd fully equal to the uu. dertaking froro his close attention to i urul aHairs, went out of town for a few days. A letter was iiisidioasly dispatched (o me rrquirior an Immediate reply. Without knowing the stratagem, I answered it the same afternoon on which it was received, nnJ thns guve infal. lible proof that the geuMemau iu question was not (he obJL'ci oi li.eiv Fearrh. By such means conjecture was draun within nHuofferi limits ; and at this date there was a pretij general evprct uioii tliatj I would turn oi^ to be the writer, who had so long worked ihe se- cret springs of the agricultural movements. When a whole people feel interested in making a di=n;overy, itiii almost impossible to elude them. By comparing notes witiieachl other and collecting their scattered hints, they are iu a cuniiiuorU*] deduce inferences of great probability, or at all c'vcots tu avoid aDyj ssrioos mistakes in their reasoning. Almost all the leading tneuolj the province either possessed my handwriting themselves, or had seen It io the various private communlcatious which I was sendiug b}l ^ery post to my numerous correspondents : and although tho clia<^ ractcrs were intentionally reversed and lay reclining iron) iof^ t« right, still there was a resemblance in their furm and silage < ^ wt.i: they were guessed to have come from my pen. My ordinary bauil writing was compared with this counterfeit one, and ihc tru'.Ii, feur* too often shone from beneath the di»guiie. All these considerations had their weight in determining meld step forward io my own persctij and assume the duties of the olficd which had been assigned me. A fo v days, therefore, bciorfl iha meeting of the Provincial Society, which was now call d by vUeCoj "wernor — the Eail of Dilhoosie — in conformity to tho act of incoiiioj fation that had just received the sancllrn ofihe -ovoocneut, f wtolj liis Lordship and subscribed my real linme. An iedieot to iuterwenve the letters wiih all those events, thai are in any degree illastrative of this hnp< pvckange,or which (ended to its accomplishnaeDt. For ihis reuson I ha«c gi«en the dotails, pnblished at the time, of what occurred in this {rst meeting at whir> the On*ra! Board entered on the exercise of iti fu' f^tionf?, aud took the managemeot devolved ou it by au act of liglc^islatare. JOHN YOUNG^. k 1 II Ag.iBi'isiErii^'^mAii s®eaaTX ,■;('• Iteimlntng wcl [ties of the olfio Ifore, bcior«ih' laU'dbv vUeCj io act of incoiiifl' Lmipeiit, I wron Iter view irmed* t wtis r.uiUy t X^lOO, whih was set off fnr incidental chari;,es. lie would i:ot at present di-sce;ul farther into particulars, as Mr. Young would cxplaiu at gicaurj length thecbjects to be accomplished. Mk. Young, Secretary of the Society, next rose and went nionjj into detail regarding the specific appropriaiion of these sums. Hi began by reniaikiiig, that (he great object ot this establihl)ment Wiuj to excite a spirit of industry and eaterjiri/f;, as well as to diiect tha particular modes of culture ; that it had been found a poweiful slij niuh's to exertion in other countries, to hold out agricultural preii.ij urns; that, in couf.xmity with that acknowledged principle, thj sum ot JI'dLO was set aside to provide these prizes, which were to J distributed i n ' nil the local societies now formed ; and that tl^^| Board had in . w six great objects — which were suitable to diciiij fant state of our husbandry. 1. To introduce summer-fallow as a preparation for wheat. 'Ji' old cultivated lands "were, many of thera, overgrown with vrct?>j and (his syst')!;atioii, 'ut !; as low as '^H to 30 lbs. after the first or second 80»i:'K. I')' tjsniiig the attorifion of far^ners to this grain, it was iiiici! Mti (o l'.i.fi) uj) the Mei;^:i', < liu'iictor and (ii:ali(y of tl»c oats, I'oi tt!:icli oiu soil aii(i Cii'iia'e nero [jciLliarly fiUed. Hendes, it WIS ;iLki;f)'vio'.luC(l on all Imiul., thn tj-.r pnseiit state of our hus- bii'i'J)) A!ts iosiiITu i(;iit to provido eiioii- li of j^f.ijsi'^tence in w li':at for DIM rnjjulatio'i ; l»ui oatn latiK- in as a ii'^"ri.l suhsMtute, I'.txl by ex- Ifiiuirg iher.i ii» u'l the st it!<\iienl«, tiiis province wo -hi sooner reach indr jcnilfuc wiih rcspct i. lo i)it -i J-ciro. I'l. 1. wus i..."a:U to oncouirige th-^ n c of iif-,!c. 11:- fr-!* Innpy i'i s'aiific;, that -ilready ^ome ell'' rfs ^TC!''i ni .dt) in il;is wulL of iii- iiu;;ry. ni)u vi.at I'oiisideraljle t-it'a;t!ities of r(.ck ivc/i.! (.'le.'Hrcd for Ci.MU!i^ ditrii'-iij Use la^.t wi'<-^:r. J'.t^ on j-ivt d tlicit 'litis fiow tnur.- i.ij would adva'.ce our a^'-.i^MMi^r.- :r;>ro ;.. ; U'.iy jI.-m; loiiid be easi- ly iiiiag'.r.cd ; and iiial ii. v,,is ili:? 'tbii-rt tf ti'e Sov it (y to corr.r prc- r.iiiinis on iho-e tnt;.T;)iiii!ij; h:..!- ii.':;i!-. whu t'-^.v ii.o it.ud in \h\i irf)-)rovcr.iciJt. 1 v. Drill gro(Mi cfons '.\e:o . ';~c wiwii.i '.\ic con ti);ii[)lation vi the Cjard — itui enioutageai-nl (•;" il.t' ;u w^sa hi);hly proper object, beoau.-rt liicy noccssariiy int:<'duocd uuac perfect niacliinery, besides preparing the land for after cro^jpiiu;. 'i'urnips this year would be cultivated to a rr.jter es.lc;;it t:j:Mi at iuiy fyniter period; and alth'.uj;li there tni;;ht be tlpprehcll^ill!■s c nfer'.-iined about prcstiviet; thein dur- ing winter eiVt'ciually frem tii(^ ficst, y( t when the ir.itids of men were strongly turned to tliir; si:I j-^icr, lie had r.o doubt but a pbuj would be fallen upon, .snitaMe to our ;Iii.ia;e, to atco!n|.iisi» this end. Mangel w urtzel wa:j a r.t w root \\i.ich wouM be cullivaled f< r the first time in Nova-Scotiu ; ar.d bi:eds wese provided i>y the Cen- tral Board far distribution. V. The next ol'jei-t to be promoted hy prizes, was tite <'«Mi!nfi; of the forest. The Society !-, iucreased the pasturi!ge of the farcier. Lastly. To beget a spirit of cu!ula.fi(»u arnon!; our yourij^ u.cn, ii, M ^ m II kA m 374 [i ' i lit, Wis propoicd to iiolJ out certaiD premiams for pToa^hiDg matches. It was impossible to iatroduce the drill machinery, till we had train* •d expert flonghraen, ^ho could lay down the {arrow slice in Ftraij{i«t lines ; ami gnch competitions would hav<} a wondertui ; QVc^ in stirring up the most generous and powerful pRSsiuns in oar iia>ure to the perfeclioD of this art. It lay at the basis of all good lius* bandry. Such were the general objects meant to be encouraged : and (he som of ^500 was fo be divided, according to a scale afterwards to be agreed upon, among all the societies in the piovincc. As an indocemtnt to the establishment of others in diflerent parts where they u^igbt be useful, ^100 were kept in reserve, to be parcel- led out amon^ such new associations as might immediately coi sti- tute themseltes, aurl come under (he protection of the Board. — This mna was to be >li$(ributed among them in premiums, and on the same ica?e as might be adopted fur the existing societies. Another f^rand ubject with the Provincial Hoard was to lnt^ro?» the life stock, the machinery, and the grain by new importatiotis. For these ends the sum of £540 was set apart. It would be un- necessary to f^eiai! all the specific seeds which might meet the ap« probation cf the Uoard : but, among others, potato oats from Eng. land bore a conspicuous place, as well as Poland and Swedish wheats, and rye grass seeds to be mixed with our clovers. These we might import either from Britain, the States or the Canadas; and the Directors wonid afterwards determine according to the best information they could i:olIect. But it was in their immediate view to import Canadian stallioiii which unite strength with action in order to improve our stock of agiicultural horses ; and also £(ailions of that middle breed, which arc knoi-^n in England, to be a mixture of the strong draught horse Mith the active and spirited hnnter.— Dairy cows too from Ayrshire, which have rttuined a peculiar character of distinction from the long »itd persevering efforts to improve them, might be advantageoosly Wrought liere, and would yield a mnch greater quantity of milk than we h;ive been accustomed to receive from our present race. Swim uii^lit be added to tiic list of importations, and perhaps if the appro- pnnfcd sum did not fall ^hort, some rams of a choice breed. The Sjcrctiry went on to observe, (hat it would be in vain toen- cnui8j:e tl'O culture of oats with a view to be converted into mesl, n. !tj s liilils of that description were built in the different settlemeuts; 8<:d on pirpo^e to forward this grand object, it was iiteade^ teder inian staUioni [e oar stock o( breed, whiih Idraugbt horae from Ayrshire, from the long Idvantageously y of milk thaa race. Swine ^8 if the appio' 1 breed, in fain to en- led into meal, nt settlemeuts; Iteadcd te d«i 576 riac the sum of i^lCO to b« divided into eight bounties otJ^IO each, lod to be girea to such persont at engaged in these ereclioiis. The iiiteof the mill, for which a premiam is to be assigned, must be ap- prored of by the coonty society, or by the minor local ■•ociety in the immediate neighbourhood ; and the application for the money muRt be forwarded to the ProTincial Board, to receive their confitmatioa lod assent. It was Bot necesiary for him to say ai./ thing regarding the cattU ihows, which are so particularly described by Mr. ArcblbalJ, us the (dvantages attending them were maniCest. Co the whole, he con< :laded with expressing a hope that these appropriations would bt ;eaeraliy acceptable ; bat the uuciety was prepared to hear any al- eratioos which might be suggested. His Excellency then asked if any gentlemen— members of the lociefy— wished to propose any improvement of the distiibutiou of be money which had jast been stated. Tbn Attoun£y Gi^nckal remarked that some incojvcniencc wou!;} rise from the distribution of the money among the miuor societies^ od that it -would be better to place them under the diiuctioii of the canty associations ; as it would create much trouble to the I'ruvia- iai Society to hold correspondence with tlem. The Secretary here explained, and stated that it nTiiglit be prudent stake that trouble in the mean time, in oider to cbcourc^eaod ia^ tract them. His Excellency next observed, that as there n| prarcd no objecticci othe scale of appropriatilon as detailed by Mr. Yuuii^, he tuok it »r granted th•^t it wns approved. To prevent all uiisundi^rstanding. le wished that it might be agnin gone over ; and the committee iu I lie management of the business would adhere to i'^as far a$ circum- Uiiccs would allow. SCALE OF APPROPRLiTIOK. For enconragiug the 14 societies £s(yxi For „ any newly formed societies 100 For importing live stock, seeds and machinery.. .ilO For erecting the first eight oatmllls 160 For two great cattle shows 100 Far c*Btingtnt expaasei...* • 100 jfl500 H 1- ii , •I'^iiJ. i; * t ■" f, il^'i^lc >i v^. ■ ■ i Mr. li.vw'OH tlif* trenjiiiror of llic S u icty sai(!, that of ilio privritc dooHtioiis auii f-ul)s( lii.iions about X'i'-jU **<-''i-' collected, aiul (liat there was little douhl, !)ut llx^ lemaintler \»ou!il ho paid upon ap|)i;. cation to the «uli!irri!jcr«. 'liie whole aiiiounitd to X'^l^G fis. Hd, and the anounl subscriptions niiijlit he about jCj^*-' whith for last year were liului'cd in thii nhovo sum. The honoiable Judge IIalijuui: roN bcci^ed leave to sog;2:osf, thnf this was the proper tiini? to I'vli i^pon the puliHc spint aiul patriot. ism of the people in support of ih) ei'tiblishncnf, as lie lr,n:ifd ;liai several respectable inh'ibitasus -.fCie inclined to subsoiibi^, and lie- tome members of the S >oIf iy. His I'xccHency ngain rose aiid pxi)rcsi(:d Ih-' ij'tat pMciisure liel!;;;] psrsonally felt in introducing to liw. Sociuly ?.Ir. Jiiitj Yolmij;, nLo by his writir.gs had cxeited the zeal th.tl led to it". c-tr^Jiiishuu-nt — The office of Sccretarj', his f'x( ellenoy Had tlie satisrafliou to slat , had been accepted by Agrlcola, who had so cb'y .ihown hiisiscl? u;^ pable of conducting the busiir?i in a v,?,y hciiorai)L' u. hin.belf, a i: he doubted not, boneiiciai to ihe province. t ^ . .. Mr. Young rose in reply : , \ . , . My Lord, — The honor yen hn^e this d;Vy done me, rails f . t'lj •warmest cxpres.sions of my gratitude ; and I wojM exp/ess ti'"r were uotmy mind Qlled wlilionc pieat ood overpawerir.^ iseniaiit;, 1 cannot arrogate to myself the nvpiit of our past aQiricnltiirpl tlfiris I was supported by your L'^rdship's ro:jii!enajue, and liy a' :?coaroi publJcwho contributed hr;ely in fiirrusKiog ihe matcials fi which these letteri of mine were compiled. 1 can hardly ioo jironnd me in this rc^i ei-table as;,:;mbly withont rero>rnizing li, faces of those numerous fri'';)i:?s who lent tlieir assistance to m wrifings. These, ia fact -iwe little to me hut ii:duntry a;nl per sevetaticc — When I t-hari-- iherofore with yonr Excellency who cid c.iconr,. ii ■ ii HALIFAX, APRIL «lth, 1819. The committcf! of uiatiagciuent, consisting of The honorable Jud^e llalliburion, The Iionorablc T. N. JetlVry, B K (>\)\e. art'felt acUno^i S. (t. W. Artliibuhl.V Inquires, H. IL Cogswell, ) jist tliis day in Ihe Proviore Bull-Jing, by the orJers and under the direction of his ExcelloMcy tijo Eirl of Dalhousie, for thcpurpo-e of liiakiitjy preliminary arraiijierrteutf, \vi(h a ?ifcw pul)lii.ly to aiuinunce the distribution of the Jj^oOO set apart to provide piizcs for the eu- i'our«m;Hient of husfuiiulry. Tho'e were two principles wliich rcyu- lared the division, — the exlent and importnoce of (he couuties — and Ihe number of societies already es'aLlibhcd in each. To Annapolis uid Cumberland Heverally, ths siiin of £bO was at^sifjned ; liecuuse liiese two sections of the province confain the ;sreatest oompriraiive surfnce, and have only gi?<^n rise to one assotiaiiou : and for a liUe icisou, X!i5 were apjiroprlated to th3 af;ricoiltaral society in Sydney. Pictoii, Colchester, Ualif. x, Hiintnau] Lufienburg were rei;ardiHl by the ooR-.nultcc us prt.ferring equal cliin^s to nttetuion ; ai.'d, of con- sequence, the siiaj cf .;f'-JO was de£t:n;m, nnd pursue them with theuii- tooquerable obstinacy of a -'tiled and unshaken purpose. Diflicoltlei we have iu abundnncc to encounter ; errors we will most certainly (ommit ; oppo-iitinn will follow our every slep, and bark in the train of improvement ; but tLc elevated mind, firm of resolve and unmov. id by surrounding cirt-umstanrcs, must tix its eye on ultimate suci-est), lod labour to attain it, in despite of the thousand obstacles which croDS and retard its proj^ross. Such most be the determination of tixt igriruttural body, in unlt^ring on the approaching farm*work. Every loiitiiy must be zealous in iiifusing the pro|jer spirit into its members ; lad iu taking tare, that the grand objects of the Central Board bo Leitber defealiid bv indulcnce, uor vilified by the false colourings of m'srcpreitentatioii. It will be a biui ou the public spiiit, as well at liBitlancholy iitdcx of the low state of agriculture in the dilt'erent coiinliPH, U'ilc(-s every prize he actually conlended for and won.— - Thi: nanus of all (he successful candidates will naturally and iu due (orm be inroliid in one honournble catalogue, and tiausmitled to (uibre Pi^es ; unless our children shall want that generous feel- ji'^, that win lead tlie:.! to look hack on our present eHurts with rti|)ectfu. gratitude. The perishable niaterinls of humble and pri- tate life may be thus snatched from the wreck of time; and some lobcure individual, buried in the wilds uf our forests and unknowa Itofamc, may escape that oblivion which otherwise awaits him. it was the unai/imous opinion of the committee, that the sums al« llotted to each society could not be more judiciously nor usefully lipplied, than in importing or manufacturing here thediill machinery Id all its branches : and they, therefore, determined to oQer a com* Iplete set as part of the prizes to be coiiforrcd on succesful merit, in lili those societies whose share of the general sum amounts to ^40 pod upwards: atd wheie the proportion was less, to bestow in tha teao time only, the more needful instruments of that kind. This destination of the money, it was conceived, wouhl be highly Acceptable to all the associations now established, and further,would lend in a direct manner, to pave the way for that improved system, ^hich it is the anxious wish of the Central Board to patronize and btroduce. They agreed also to distribute medals for the promotion (particular purposes; and in the younger and ruder settlements ta lire seeds as agricultural premiums. It was also anticipated, and btly too, that the six great objects to be encouraged nuxt' especially ! hit ',''■ ■■' r ;l i 1 I if ■ i i . 1/ , I; ■ 1' Br:,. I'. 5 - 4 "' ^ . Al i i -ym 1' .'J f- ^^jj* ■ ■■■ f' 1 580 lliis ?ea.'Ot», nil^lil not bo cciunlly roinpniible with ilic local titcinu glances of the diticriMit tocieties ; aitil for tliiit rcasjun u repit;. •cnUtint) hy any oftiiem is open to the Board, stutiti^ the grouit!« of their inability to ront«'n»l lor opctific priniiutna, and piopcjiv •omcthing v\io in their room. Anii.ipolls, for inst jiu:e, catMiol (oin- pctcwith rf^ard lo linu', as Ihat fossil hits not }vt bct-n (rrncovfif J in the C(tunfy ; but the sncicty there may rorirspond with tiit'Stxrc. taiy hero, and guvgest in what mantier and for \*hat purposcgj tho priZ'^!* §o opproprii«tfr«i rnay be destii.i'd ; and it is requested, that all 8U''h objections bo adiluced immediately, that the new appoiislimmtj lie (lifii'i'ely arrai.ged ilufiig the course of next rrionfh. Wiihthcsi cxj)lanution8 llie cominiilee liercby ofl'or under (he head of SUMMER FALLOW, For tho first prifc, a double drill plough, combining in one iostru- incnt the moveable mould-b(iard3 and weeding apparatus : for thi' second, a double mould board plough only, wiihuutlhe weeding ap. pendagc. No farmer can compete for eiiher of these prizes, unless lie place i under fallow at least five acres iind brenk up the land, fur the first lime, on or liefore the month of June. Besides, there must be other two plougbings during the summer and fall, and thret; turns of the harrows in the interval of these operations. If winter- wheat be suvfii, the candidate may imnieiliately after put in his claim : but if he pre- fer spring-wheat, the land must be stirred a fourth time previous loj the rercption of the seed. The prizes will be tit.signed lo whocvii cultivates in this way, (he greatest number of aciej. J OR OATS There aro also two prizrs to be pi»cn ; and no competition can ci.vl on this point cither, for less than 5 acres. It is necessary to a\\ the attention of (he soci(?tics to this matter, and warn tbem agaiiistl error; for although tiiey were to return two of their memhers as elnimlng the premiums held out — the one, we shall suppose, for foud nrres. the othir for three and a half, both would be rejected : m the prizes cannot be won otherwise than by extcndiog the cuUiire il i!ie cii:ove quantity. The first will be a common chain plough, made ou the best codj ttruetion, ai;d will be delivered to the person who produces the heaj ::8i local titctiiu soil a repie. ; l!ie groui.J, ml pi{)pO;,it ;^ ', catinut loiii. L!«u (liscovfrc J with llu'Stcrc jiUipOSOS, 111,. Jt'stc'd, Hint all f np|)oii!lim!iilj 1. Wiihlhcat ad of in one iostru* iratuH : for the Ihe weedii\g8i). unless lie place ul, for the fubt e must be other ret luriib «f the wheat beso«ii,| : but if lie pic lime previous toj Mied to uhocvei letitioa can rx.d ecessary to callj iru iLem agaiiisJ heir meDibersai suppose, for fouS e rejected : fofl ngthe culture II ou the best ccnj )roducfiS thobcM »>it biisliel of oat», wlii' li slall be doemed a filr samplt represent* iiig (lie uter.if^e \>eiglit v.( (he croji. The seeoiid jiri/e will l)e a drill barrovr with approprinto r.'ller*, Rt;tl will b • n'Mpurd to him who lows the jjieatest iiunibcr of aires within the bounds of eaih &oi.ir-h kli ds. The (\iA \\\'vio sIkiII bcioiu; t.i the farnwr who rai»ie« the ijr-atest wpii'.ht of bulbs rod tops upon an acre : and this criu be easily deter- mined by (wo jtda:.'*H eomniisdoticd by the soeiety to Mvoin-ed to the groui'd, iind there select two or three fqiinn; rods in fepatate parts of tltf fii'ld, wliich they shall eon«ider ns :i fair average ; Jii:d weigh llie cMitenfs of ih;i«e, as a ccmiooH standard by wliicli to ctiiriic tLe rest. Nut less than 7(J loos upon a sifu^ie acre eould pain j.uch apriziMo !'ir,i>laiid ; an. I the returns from the diiFtTent eouuiiis will enable us to institute a coinpirisoii between our husbandry, and that cf tl:e mother country. For this, a drill weediiig plough i,h:»ll be given. The second priz.3 will be a double mould-boa^rd p'i".'gh, and will leeonfened ci tlic per^.011 who cultivate* the greaicbt nuiuber of acres cceordiry to the drill fys'em. FOil LOIK '"tvo priafs are also appropriated ; and will ecnsi^t of the most > jiToved liarrowt!. The j'jdges iiere will estimate the bushels as they come from the kiln, in an unslacktid state ; and no competition is atliiiissible under two hundred such bushels. The prizes will be given to such as apply to land during either this spring, the sum- mer or ensuing fall, the greatest quantity in the county. It is ex- pected, that enterprising farmer^, where lime is attainable, will strain at burning a thousand btishels which will bo barely adequate for ten acres of summer-f.dlow ; and to this purpose, or to newly dcartd lands, the lime ihould be chiefly oppropiiaied. ':\ n i - V,!'"''!' li'. 1 ^'" h • \K 3Si FOR FELLING THE rOIlEST. The commitfce were satisfied, that thoy could not, from the prcscHt funds, set aside such prizes as might be competent rewards for this exertion of iudustrj— -so closely coiiijs. perity of the province : but, in order fo give. U their utmost coun- tenance, it was proposed to 8tril loats, a proportion of which shall likewise be delivered to the bocic- m : and all of these are now uuder the care of the sscrctarj , aud I i ll-t^-^=| l/fcPM ;l:ilK-,|i| fS ' -i:. ^ a i s "■l •'.■-.', I'- IS.', In ( .;vi 384 are ready to be farwart'ed by the first conveyances which occur.— Add to this, that a consit'ciub'.o sup;)iy of potato oats, as «»eli a« of field tornip seed, ig daily cxpecletl from Scoiliud ; and these on their arrival will be distributed aho throughout tlie province. It may be proper, or.ce for all, to state for th^; inforaintiou of the pub- lie, that the Protincial Socipty, considering itself as aetin;; for lif.. hoof of the agricultural interest, concluded that this great end would be more effectually accomplislied by f,elli»g out without profit th,; seeds that might be imported, and thus pre!)(ir?liig inviolate its fjiuij created by the generous bounty of the subscriber", than by dissipat. log them at once in a gratuitous and indiscriminate divisioo, and thus depriving itself of the power of future usefahi(!ss. Its fund^ ^illat all times be consecrated to the promotion of our ngrioulturp, but they must be husbanded with economy, that much may be achieved by moderate means. JOHN YOUNG, Secretarj April 23d, 1819. 1 ,•■■'1 liawdon, /ipril 17 Ih, 1819. SIR- Being informed that yon are appointed Secretary to the Cen.l tral Society in Halifax, I bpg leave io acquaint yoo, that in con. sequence of a notice circulated by tlie Rev. Wm. Twining, llcotor| of this place, a number of respectable farmers of this and the adjoin. ing townshi;39 of Newi>ortand Douglag met here on Tuesday i:stJ and forme'1 an Agricultural Society. Our distance from Windsorl makes it inconvenient to at'end the meetings of the Hints Sacioiv and this is one reason of our acting inJependeally and for our J selves. I am directed to communicate to the Secretary of the Centralj Board our resolutions, and herewith enclose them in coiiipliiiici with the desire ff the society. I solicit the countenance and supj port of the Central Board) and the coriejipondence of its St-creteri iu our behalf. I might mention that Mr. Tv»ining has for some years contemj plated an agricultural society here ; but the letters of Agricola pre! pared us for this event. Our advantages iu Rawdoo are iu man; rcl l?e{ m S85 .pficts iiiffrlor to surroanding townships. We have neither marsh- land, interval nor uavig^iioii ; but we have good tracts of upland^ and perliaps few settlements iii the province are more capable of liliage. Limestone does not abound : only lu one place has it yet been found, and that on the western extremity. Of late considerable nertions have 'jeen made to better our condition, and one persooj ^,\t. jkiijamin Carey, has upwards of 30 acres of land, partly ia winter grain, and partly ready to be sown this spring ; and 1 have nuself oO acres cut liiis winter. Permit me, Sir, to otfer you the thanks of the community of which Iiim a member, for your patriotic exertions to arouse us from the le- ihargy in which we were sunk ; and I hope you will yet see your endeavours crowned with the wished for success. 1 remain, sir, in behalf of the society, very respectfriiy yours^ GEORGE GAULD, Secretarj. Mr. John Young, Halifax. At a meeting held at Rawdon, county of Hants, on the 13th day ef April 1819, for the purpose of considering the proposal of the Kev. William Twining, for fornilng Rawdon and the adjoining townships of Newport and Douglas into an Agricultural Society— James Moxon, Esq. in the chair, — The following resolutions were I coved and agreed to. Resolved, — That the persons present shall form an Agricultural [Society, the object of which will be to improve the mode of agricoU ture in the above mentioned townships, by every means in their [power. Resolved, — That the officers of the society shall be a president^ Ithree vice-presidents, a treasurer, and secretary ; and that a com- pittee of persons from each township, shall manage the busioess of |ttie society, who shall be elected annually. Resolved — That William Smith, Esquire, be President. William Wier, nenr. 1 Samuel Meek, of Rawdon and > be Vice-Presideota. Richard Smith of '^ouglas. ^ That James Moxoii) Esq. be Tteaiiurcr, and George G. Gauld, Secretary. Rssohed, — That the Society shall meet quarleily at such places Y 2 ^'i*: I ;i ■ I • ,1 I' k I '■■I; 1 , v?l. t'- St ^ 51! I -: as may be laast 6«Dfeni«nt for (he members after Utc fust meeting which shall be ia Rawdon, od the third Tuesday of June next. Resolved,— That theaaoual subscription shall beteu shillings-^to 1)0 paid half yearly ^ the Grst paynieut to bo made at the next neetiog. Resolved, — That the secretary communicate to the secretary oftha Central Society ia Halifax, the proceedings of this meeting, and soli. cit their support and patronage. Resolved, — That a copy of the resolutions be immediately sent by the secretary to sach persons in these settlements as may circulate the same as widely as possible. JAMES MOXON, chairman. ;■;; ■?; % I' if . : h ) ! ,v i, ''1 V 1 J( 'V -i , 1 'i .■■ i i ■ ■ ;' 1' i'S '■'-ruTsK :• •' ''^a & ' Vk iS.'j . 1 i,'. II ' i , '''^&- mi' ' lJtI'' i't , REMARKS. I have long expected the formation of a socfety at Rawdon, and I regret, that it was not constituted before the distribution of theseeds, It will be impossible for the Proviacial Board to give the new socie« ties for this season the same privileges as the old: because on account of the rapid advance of (he spring, a priaciple of division vras neces* sary to be adopted, and that coald only comprehend such associa* tions as were already in action.— To have left seeds in reserve for societies, that might never have been erected, would have been im- politic, because it might have been fruitless ; and hence all such ex- pectations on their part must, for this year, be abandoned. It \i I •ome consolation to reflect that ^100 are set aside to purchase prizes for the encouragement of future minor societies, which will be equally { shared among them to the extent of £iO each, unless more than fin Start into existence ; in which case the amount will be parcelled among them by an equitable scale of division. In the mean time | the Rawdon Society will torn its attention to the agricultaral prcmi* umi, and set about with spirit and alacrity to contend for(heDi,| according to the capability and means of the members. All the seeds destined for the 14 societies, are now ready tobtj delivered : and the secretary is availing himself of suitable opportu- nities to dispatch them ; bat as some of these are in remote situatisoj^ I it is rsqaestid that they als« h» aotive ia sanding for them, that ns m gttlmate dliippotatment mt.y take plaet. Tlioie btUngiig to PJe* tou, Colchester, Kiag's end Uoion KiDg'i Comity Societies are ship- ped. The seeds for Sydney and Hants will be forwarded to*day ^ the first by a fesnel of Mr. Catler*i to Manchester, the second by a prif ate team. For the other eight soeioiies no opportanity has offer- id ; aud it is hoped, that persons having aa interest in the forward* ing ef these seeds, will take the trouble of calling for them. JOHN YOUNG, Secretary, nalifaz, April 20tb, 1819. ^awdon, andl oD of the seeds. the new socie* use on account sion vmsneces* such associa* in reserve for have been iot* ,ce all such ex* idoned. It \i purchase prizes will be equally more than fivt I be parcelled the mean time |cultural preml* tend for then, s. [Ow ready to be' litableopportii'l ote sttuati«D)|1 them, that ni! TO CORRESPONDENTS, I shall next week commence my sej-ies of letters which have beea io long iuterropted ; and I beg of my friends again to renew their Talaable and useful correspondence, whence I derived so much light ID the former part of my course. The fifth Section of the Synopsis falls to be illustrated, which treats of the natural hindrancea in thft leil that are preventive of tillage, and which mast be removed by human labour to make way for the plough. AGRICOLA'. lalifax, April 30. X.ETTER 32. in t\\« ^atwcetl 0\)iitic\ictioxis in t\ie Soil. 'AN, from the physical circumstances with which he is encom'^ passed, is obviously designed for the exercise more of his ac« I tire than of bis intellectual powers. The rude materials on which he is to operate, are strewed around with a bountiful profusion ', but lliejr are neither fashioned t« his a8e« nor any wile fitted for minister- |iag to bis pleasure. The purposes (o which they can be applied^ Bist be found out by the blnndeting chances of invention ; and th» nsnner, in whicli they are to be wrought op as the untrntnenti «$ ic ..;|.H 15!. ' " ,'5 i i;; !■ I p, .,-^ '», ■ -■ -■ ! -fi -' ■■»,»■-, . . ,' \ \ .;.. .' ., il ■1 ,.■•■' ' ■ ! ■ ''■ . '' V '■'] iv ' .,!■ ; i' "'"' fc-;K;; / ■^. * - ♦ ,' ' Wkr4 . .■ ii' \ ■ \ mjM ' . * ■: J; 1^^^^ '^ 968 lazary and eojoymenf, is the fruit of palicot and incessant iudustiy rxerted through a series of ages. The nnkcd and trcmblii)g siuuge surveys tbe rugged and unpolished featar^s of nature with a fltupi,! amazement ; and foresees not, that in the progress of improve.neut his more intelligent oiTHpring arc destined to subdue the unprofitable luxuriance of the forest, to drain the noisome and unhealthy fen, to level the inequalities of the surface, and to collect and pile the stoiieB vrhich infest and cumber the ground, into durable and sheltering fences. It would not even he accounted a philoi^ophical paradox to mnin* tain, notwithstanding its repugnance to some modern theo/ies, that cur intellectual capacities are subordinate to our active, and derive their principal use and dignity from the lights they alFord in the dU rectioo of human conduct, and in the advancement of those vulgar ai well as polite arts that serve to the necessities and adornment of life lu accordance to this general doctrine, the merit of all pure specu. lation is tried by tbe standard of utility ; and it is on all hands al« lowed to be a mere perversion of intellect to dive into researches that have no practical tendency. Every new system of science sets out, not only with defending the soundness of its views and the legitim;)cy of its reasoning, but with displaying studiously its happier appliia* tioo to the bur/iness of the world. Without these pretensions, it could not be admitted to an audience, far less to the hencfitof acare* ful and laborious investigation ; and consequently its framers or patrons comply with the general sense of mankind, and point out the I close connection it holds with those active pursuits that lead to glory, | independence or wealth. The advantages of husbandry need no studied or high-wrought I panegyric ; and this art, iu the first as in tbe more advanced stogei| of society, preserves an acknowledged preeminence, and is universal* ly admitted to be at once the most healthy, the most delightful, and I the most piofitable employment of human labour. Here our actiTe powers find full scope for exertion, and must oceds call in tlia ai(l of the understanding to guide and direct them. There arc obstacles to be surmounted by perseverance, as well as ends to be effected by jupeiior skill ; and the union of activity and intellect is no wherej more apparent than in the cultivation of the earth. Tdc bread which we eat mast, at all times and gndler all circua* SS9 ant iudutiti-y tbliog Siuuge irith a stui»i;l iipprove.neiit unprofitable ilthy fell, to tic the stones nd sheltering idox to main* theo/ies, that Sy and derive ford ill the di- those vulgar ai rnment of life ill pure specu. Q all hands ai> researches that :,ience sets out, 3 the legitimacy ppier apprka- pretensions, it encfit of a care- its f tamers ot id point out the | t lead to glory, I high-wrought! idvanccd stogei | nd is universal- delightful, and I Here our attlve call in the aid r« arc obstacles be effected bjfl ect is no where aer all circua- iiiaiues, " be cnrned by the sweat of the brow." This holds true in the rich and cultured plains of the old, as in the desolate and thcer* h'ss wilds of the new world ; although in the latter the means of suhsifltencc, not\vilhs*tandiiijj-ull natural dillicultlo'^, are moie easily obtained, aiid a more liberal recompeus*! is bestowed on labour. A few years of toil secure for a new setlltr las'ing indcpcndoncc ; and (lie discomforts attendant on tb« clearing of the forcsr, and the pri- vations insepurnbly allied to such a stite, arc more than overpaid ia (he returns of the first or al most the second crop, in the iniwcascd taluo of the land, and in the conscioijiiess of heiiig tl;c lunJ of tho (oil. The obstructions to the improvement of land divide themselves into two great classes :— Those wiiich defend on the institutions and political laws of tho country ; and those which arise from tho impediments presented by nature. — The first hav\3 bou perniciously operative throughout the whole of Earope iu fettering or at U;a8t retarding the progress of agricultural tntjiioration ; and tracts have continued for generations in a wasie aiid unpi'.xitictive condition, either from the arbitrary and oppressive inlluence of the kingly or aristocratic authority, or fro'n trie rights of servitude acquired by certain orders in the nonage of society, and before ihe principles of political economy were either studied or understood. Eijglandj (luring the last century, has been busied in extricating her agricul- ture from the thraldom in which it was entangled ; and even yet mufh is to be accomplished before Ihe chains of its degradation and bondiige can be finally struck oiT. Obstacles of this nature are slowly and with much difluulty remored ; because they are inter- woven into the very frame of the government, and are fortified by all the prejudices of a remote anticjuity. The privileged order.i in the state, whose rank and consequence co-exist vtiic!s, and entails upoi ■"jew of considerable magnitude, a real scarcity of stones is felt (or be necessary purposes of building and feucing ; and ilie sctiler in ^^fgfjehjj^hese situations meets with no obstacles, other tii-in the lofty au.l pt once, wheijhjBged trees which have held, in all the stages of their groNvth atui (^ua y Befliie, ■■disttrVed p«ssesst«a 9f the S9i\. 1 i has best impulse of ieiy to uet> htened and we laboof ircumstancs lar laws, in n be stylpd )uducive to ire the ori« venue in tht DUt gifted by ; Great -Bit- , defrays tha are protected by inhefiiing iright and im* y to cloio) thi ind retainers; vine and inde* ,e vitals of ia* re attached to distinction of ive of brother- easantry, who of beggary. il obstructioos .!:!■ 'i !'■ '-li"'-!.;: ■' 'W^^' !!■ tl 1 ' :;| '! SI' il Mr i: mM U: ( ( ( ■I i i r • I ' \:' 'i 'J'lie cx|irnsc of cutting down and rcmuving thcJo varies a little in didorent di^trulB of llir pioviine ; aiwl this arise-*, not ooly from the flute of labour, but iihoaiul priiicipiUy from 111*; Dalnrc uimI iniigiii, ludeof tilt; titiibcr. Of all our lands which require (he use nf ilio axe, tlir intervals skirtiiit; tiif rivers, aic at onto llie nicst easily clear- ed. Our deep loamy plitiiis, of whii li there is a vast extent, purlieu. larly in the eastern interior of the proviiiee, ;iro next in order ; hik] upon themgrow the niaje^lii; hcech, the sintrly maple, tlie wlnle juu! II r» yellow pine, inleniiixcd with the ash and the hemlo^s ©f the soil. On poorer lands you encounter the intertwined tliiiket, •vershadowed by the limber poplar, the white and giey birih, aii;| the slender and worthless spruce and fir trees. Ab far as the tutting down of the forest is concerned, (he labour seems to be in the in. terse ratio of the value and intrini^ic excellence oft lie soil. Tlip ex- pense of clearing cold, strong, stitK (days where the dwarlisli lir scarcely vegetates, or the roiky barren where (he roots creep aloi jj 'the surface and dip into the clefts in quest of veceliible mould, iil infinitely greater than what suilices for the wooded interval or tlie loamy upland.where flourishes the hard timber of generous and lux. nriant growth. It is snpeiflaous lo df..M"»'iid to particulars regarding the variouj it«ms of expense which are i.jcurred in the separate operatioiia ofl cutting, rolling, burning, and of ultimately inclosing and sowing (h« new liiud, !is the-e au> fair.iliar to every settler, and fluctuate accord- ing to circr.:ns(.ir.c'^3 between £4 18 and JPQ 15 per English acic, The lowest cnl.ulilion furnished by any of my correspondents, is the liirst of these sums, and tlie liighest is £6 14; and these are transmitted froin (he opposite extremities of the province, and may iieme be considered as the limits between which the trotli rani^es, Tiiis outlay falls short of the sum frequently expend* t(i by the liritish tenant on an improving lease ; and no faroifit of capital would hesitdte a moment to embark in an undertaking !•» little hazardous. Tlie stumps, it Is true, still lemaia to perplex tht .1 province, iiiiii S93 future operations ; and additional labour is requisite to tear tlicse up t)y the rootc. 'J'tiis cannot be ai:com|>libhcd but ufcer the laphc of st'vtrttl yiars, and till time haa consumed into rottenness the ligno- ojs libie^ which cleave ko firmly to the ground as to forbid all at« tempts at iinniediale eradication. The periods of decay peculiar to ilie roots of diiVerent trees extend from hix to iiftcen years ; and those of a few Sijccies, buiti as the lieavy black birch and hemlock, biavc all the ulternatioiii ii.td vii:issitudes of the reasons for twenty. Geo* rrjily 8p('ukii)g hoMcvcr, land may be partially diiieQCunibcrcd at tke end of the 6i!it seven years ; and although some of the more 1,'iirnble stumps cRiinut then be uprooted, so many can be removed as lo admit the plough for a second grain crop. Two jiair of oxen with ao iion chain are usually employed to tear them out ; and (lie ex- pense of this second clearing may be estitnated at about forty shil- liuj{s. The half of this sum more, expended at diliWeut intervals iluriug the succeeding years, will entirely lelicte the soil and pre* pare it for being buljected to a regular course of culture. Thus, (he moderate outlay of ten pounds per acre, applied with judgment and economy, will amply suffice for reclaiinlug the wilderness, from the 6rst stroke of the hatchel till its final and coin^^lctestibjugHtion under the plough. — This is the one side of the account ; we shall dow turn to the otiier. There are only two ways in which now lands are generally man- tiged. The first is to employ the fall and winter in felling the trees, aod afterwards cutting them into moderate lengths that they may be more conveniently handled. In the ensuing spring fiie is applied which, as the summer fervours have not yet exhaled from the branches, twigs, and leaves their vegetable moisture, burns them impeifectly, and penetrates bat a little way into the soil. The trunk uud arms, which are never fully consumed iu this first process, are afterwards rolled and collected together into heaps, and again ^ct on tire to teduce them to ashes. If these di£fereut operations cau be hastened o»er by Jane, either turnips are sown or potatoes planted, to obtain a crop daring the same season. Iu several parts of the piovince this mode of condacting matters has prevailed, but chiefly among those liodigent emigrants who with diiHcuity have outlived the preceding Uiuter, and are compelled by dire necessity to provide the iuiratjJi' |au means of subsisteoce. Z 2 I Sii IS' ' I: . ,' i ,:iP.::i^ = '*^.V:| > iiilllVlV I f, ; '1 • lijt iliiit id cuiibidored us both i\u injudicious uiid uii|)rutii>iblc r|,i|, of nmitRgcmciit ; and i» Hutdoin retioricd (o by (lie uld scultrv Hho are in circuln^tancct to chi-y thii dittaU!>i of inaro matured tk|.t ii. euce. These defer tliu burning of the fclUd (imhcr till after mij. summer, when (lie solar licxts hafu inndu (.rfj)nraiioii f«)r (lie rirt.l which in that case performM its olliic with a more thorough cirt'ct,— I The whole season is occupied in the dillcrcnt proces.se:), and tiiwurdii the fall, winter wheat or rye, mixed with ^raas scuds, is sov^u ; ^^^^A the first crop, in nineteen cases out of twenty, repays the full ex|it;ii. ditare of improvement. The capital of (he farmer is restored to imn I as he can safely calculate on t«n or twclrc bushels of giain ; q|.| though many often reap a mnch larger quantity. The restorition o^ his capital furnishes hiio with the means of further improvement and aa handred pounds — sacredly appropriated to this purpose mn not diverted from it by any \tild und niibchievous project of cumirerJ cial speculation — would woil; miraculously, niul in the hands of ai| Industrious man, lay the foundation of an arriple and indcpciidci: fortune In land. Although the first year's crop fall ^liort of the enJ tire nnd full repriJuction of the outlay, it is ackiiowUdied in evcrJ quarter of the province and almost without a dissenting voice, tinj the hay of the second year will certainly replace it ; and iliat tlurj is no instance, under liie conduct of a prudent and skilful impruTej where he need* to draw, for the purpose of making up the deticiencj on the third crop. Its value w hutever that may be, as vroll as all ihl *" ^"'^ ^ future products of the land, becomes net profit, and goes to the aifl '"^ ""^f* cumolalioii of stock. — Oa the sixth or seventh year, when the teifl so clrcm clerer stumps are ready to be eradicated,the liiding expon.^e orpullini want ca them out is reimbursed fourfold by the grain ; so that (he futoB insirumf outgoings of every description never afterwards alTcct the favourabB pujjij,. j,, balance of the profit and loss account. - < ■ n,,. (.q^^ What causes then are in existence to operate our agri:ultD(« "« siran depression ; and whence thedifiiculty felt in producing a sulTicieucB ^'"ipleai of bread corn ? These questions may be easily solved by maikiiil ahle im and recounting the history of (he emigrant population, by wliM Po^nt-'s i tiiis colony has from time to time been settled.— Men, driven (roB^»"ii!ies. home by the pressure of want and not infrequently allured by (■ 'iiere is glitter of false and interested repvtrts, disembark on this foreiflculation. •trand, tbtir imaginations teeming th« meanvrhile with wild andifl wdi^h is .!;-*.■ n ;<)j p,9r«ifahle ^hions. Concc'img thnt lands hrrc bear lomt rclidou infftliiPto llie lnrlo ti, I • TT^E ''^"^ %. ■' ',' ■! "' ' ,'»' P >*■ W'' -f'' ^i ' r ?i '/' y'i \\" It If,-: ..^1 396 «es Ineurredhy every ordinnry tenant in hi? summer-fallow and su',. sequent liming. It is n fixed maxim at home, that no man c;iii en* gage in a lease without the possession of a circnlating capital treble the amount of the rent ; and should lie be so indiscreet as to enfor on it with scantier means, he is sure of hcing emharassed ; and from hir incapacity of working the land to advantage, ten to one hut he h ejected by some ruinous process of law. On (he contrary, here nur farming operations are often co menced in poverty, and conducled throDghout under its paralizing innueiioc. f should like to heholj a masj of moderate wealth and skill, acquainted with the habits of the country, a judge of soil and situation, em!)arkii!g in an extensire St liense of improvement. The cutting down of twenty acres annual. iy would make a deep and pcrceptiLde incision on the forest, and in the endurance of a common lease in Greal-Dritain, would creates property opon which might be reared the most lasting independence. The sum of two hundred pounds is able to meet all the contingen- cies of this undertaking: and I am satisfied that no investment of money in fisherie*, in commerce or in West-India shipping, would yield an equal profit to the individual, or be half so beneficial to the public. Indeed were the nature of ihis province better known in Britain, the overabundant agricultural capital, which is struggling there un- der difficulties and severe exactions, and which could find here a profitable and safe investment, might he expected to flow this way in a very strong current. To elevate our husbandry to the most enviable pitch, we need little else save capital and skill. For the want of the fir'^t, our best lands are in a state of neglect ; and of the second, the worst modes of management have prevailed to a perrii' clous extent. Of this there are no more convincing proofs, than the! present condition and marketable value of our marshes. These tra''tsarc equal, if i»ot superior in fertility, to the celebrated Scottli CArses of Gowrie, Falkirk and Stirling ; and to the water-forniedj lands in Engliind, which border on the many rivers emptying them- sphcs into the Iluroher, and op which the tide has flown for pasll a^es, def»osi(ing along (heir banks that rich allavion which isthej basis of (lie soil. We have a great many thousand acres ef this (le< srriplion in Windsor, Newport, Falm»uth, Horton,Cornwallis,An. tmpoliSjLoadonderry.CoIcbester and Farrsborough; and at the he«J| Tanes to (he ploug exuber liausti not be none hr the B» carriec Tho correnc in parti (to to (hf5e th of the annual skilful! pairs. pronoui in Brita * ,f" 697 f f dicRay of Fundy, *erenty thousand acres in one body ; all ivhich h;ive been originally gained from the sea, and are preserved from it now by legular lines of embankment. The manner of cultivating !lie marshes of Nova-Scotia, taken all in all, may be saftly pronounred tlie finest Jsinds in North Amerira, anJ equal lo thebcii in Britain. ■J.- ': \m$. I > i :i,t.i.:fei; ih' i-l'''!. ::!| f» pi: Wii '''. ' : .:.^.- h<. ^■1 k-i ' ' ■ r • r}- - 'J T ■ .•,''-■ i K'y. '1 '' ^h ;■' ■ m^ ■ ■ Yi' ' 208 "VVhcii we rise from thrsR f being tilled, as low as JJl^iO to X^200— sums not greater for the foe-simple, than would be given for such farms as annual rent in Scotland. Fifty acres of ara- ble land, with no great accommodnticn of beildir>gs are let in ail parts of the mother country, at from J^'3 to ^4 yeai^y per acre : while here this amount is only required for the full acqui- sition of the proj erty ; and yet boyeis are so few compared wiih the sellers, tliat real estate is rapidly on (he decline. This arises from (he fiuility with which grants con be obtained ; and from the rage of our population to make a new settlement it) tlie forest, rather than to cultivate an old one. The emigrants that arrive here, too, are from the dregs of society, and have scarcely a shilling left when the exjjcnse of their passagois paid., 13 ut were a better c!a«s of farmers to resort to this country, I possessed of moderate ctipittil, of steady habits and of ordinary skill in their profe««ion, they could not fail at once to enjoy competeufo, i and to render tlienit'Clvo.s and (heir children in a sh'irf time indepcn- ilent. Our ^:rnat pubii;' reads liuouirhout the whole of tlic proviiiCfcl pre in excellent (onctition, praclicable for waggon, cart or carrinf and only inferior to thoseof Britain in (he durability of tt»e maleriiiljl of which tiicy are formed ; while the prices of our produce arc ful'yl »■^ bi^^h i\i Hi hor^!'^ Ji'ef on an average throughout the year, com- mands f, 1. per pound of 16 ounces; and veal, mutton, pork arcinl proportion. V/lieat is at 8s. tiiul 9^. per Winchester bushel ; barlej] at 4.-i. nnd -J-fiii. : and o.-Ks from '2?Cd. to .'Js. Eggs may be qnotci :it is. ner doarn ; h-itter at lOci. to 13d. per pound accordinglo (be 5:ca-;f;n ; and poultry fully as dear as in the market towns ^ \\ i;h respect to oor climate (here are (he same inducements 1^ Vt's* cMuital in the country, Abof.t Christmas the winter usviallTl Aill most c of my When sketch( Dcssan my fut laboan ■• ■ : ■! 1 inr^ucements ».>t« iti witli a heavy fall of snow ; aiul so steady is the frost, that (he ground remains covered to the cud of March to the dejWii of from one to two feet. During the whole winter the roids are 90 smooth and glassy, that ponderous loadj can be transported on sleds trhich run oo the unow, with ii muih less expense of uniinul labour than at any other period of (he yeur ; and this is (he season whicii the farmer luys hold of to provide hie feel and fencing, to repair to distant maikets, and luittriy to haul his limestone. The spring opens in April, and during (iiat month oats and wheat are commit* ted to the earth : in iMay Indi.in corn and potatoes are plmted, and this latter root will yield a fnll crop aUh;>u;>h postponed to the twentieih of June : barley and buckwheat are sown in the end of May oreaily in June : and turnips are usually drilled not sooner than the sixteenth, nor later tluii the twenty eix'h.of July. Our reaping begins in August and is finished in September ; October is occupied in lifting the potatoes ; and November in securing the tur- nips. During the whole autumn, from the beginning of September to that of December, we are blessed with a delightful tract of wea- ther-— the sky serene and unclouded— the roads dry — and the plou^li may be in perpetual motion. Such is a true portraiture of this province, where agrico!»nre is in its infancy ; where lands are amazin/^ly cheap, althouj^h the soil be fertile and the climate inviting ; and where the farming classes, ta- iling all circumstances into account, may live in more ease and com- fort than in most other portions of the British enijiire. Ilalifp.x, May 8, IS 19. AGRICOLA. TO rO»RESPOM)EMS. Allhoogh much pressing mutter lies beside me for publication, 1 must complain that there is a great fulling olf, since the intenaission of my course, in the nuniber and value of cay communications.-— When I am about to recommence my letters, and pursue the system sketched in the Synopsis, I must again draw liberally on (he good- ness and information cf my friends : and I now solicit, in behalf of Biy future, that unsonglit patronage which distinguished my pa-l laboars. ii; -r • I.- I' l> ' ^ III 10 •! 1 400 I caoDot resist this opporfonKy of making my public acknoviUdg. meiits for the aid and indulgence I received as an anonvmous writer ■ and DOW, when the secret in disclosed, I shall stand moie tiian ever in need of generous support ; wore especially as I am about to at- tempt what is without precedent in the literature of England,— to ad- dress a community weekly as a known character— to praise and blame— to instruct, to exhort, often to command. 'i'hat there let- ters may be consisteut and of a piece, they will be continued under the signature of Agricola : but correspondents, who wish to throw light on the subject-matter may address uie as secretary. I 0Hem;i< ny obligations to Dr. Wm. Petrie during my concealment, for deliv- ering and conveying all my letters, and for frequently giving me im- portant help in the execution of my plan. JOHN YOUNG, Secrela rv. SIR-- Slewiack, April SOlhy 1819. it A ,11 '1 1 '• Ml. '■'1 n i Agreeably to your rceomoiendation, a meeting of the freeholder?" and farmers was yesterday held in this place ; and although tli« notice was short and the lime l)usy, yet a respectable attendance wasj given. The report of the transactions of the Provincial Agricul tural Society at their last meeting was read as an introduction tol the business of the day. Tliis being done, it was unanimously a. greed upon and resolved — That an Agricultural Society should hej instituted and formed in this place, upon similar principles and with similar objects in view. Onite bearers and a committee of management were elected : niiiel icsolutioiisaud rules were adopted uud subscribed by twer.ty membeisl The pfijce bearers for the present year are, Samuel Tupper, E-sq. President, Abraham Newcorab, Esq. Vice President, Reverend Hu^h Craliam, Secretary, Mr. Rubeit Gammei, Treasurer. COMMITTEE. Francis Greilman, William Ratberford, Ever iovf riej patrons tablishr re elected : niiiej t we r.ty members lident. 401 Hoberl Whiddcn, I'jliuiiim Tupi^er, James Fulton, Ilugl) ])uii]h|>, Roliprt Lofijan, George [lulherford. As (he list of monibers is ns yet iocompiele, I do not think it north tvtiile to tra\)smit it. Thu subscription paper is in circulation; and from the spirit displayed at tlie meeting and the general good jense of the peop!?, I iiave not a doubt but that our members will come up to and prohal)ly exceed your expectation. The Society have njjreed to take the Acadian Recorder to circu- late among them for the sake of its agricultural intelligence ; the treasurer has also proposed to take one for himself and neighbours; and when the inhibitants of Middle St«wiack join us, we will have occasion for more. We are to correspond with other societies, and in particclar with the Central Board in Halifax. Your goodness will make allowances for the imperfections of oor proceedings und this commanicatioii. Meanwhile, I remain yoar sincere friend and humhle servant, HUGH GRAHAM, Secretary of the Stewiack Agricultural Society. Ur. Young, Secretary of the Provincial 1 Society, Halifax. j REMARKS. Every fresh instance of that excited and ardent spirit, which has BOW nearly pervaded the whole province, must be pleasing to th« patrons of our agriculture. Stewiack is highly eligible for the es- tablishment of a society ; as it contains a great extent of cleared in- terval well calculated for the new husbandry, and tomprebenda Uithin its boundary not less than two hundred families. This as- sociation will be justly entitled to a sliare of the reserved hundred Ipoonds : and I solicit the farmers, who may unite themselves to the [society and .subscribe its rales, to turn their atloutioa to the six A 3 ■I V i;1i;,!i!U, 40$ 13 ' li, If It graud objects, for whioh the ftcmiums arc ofttrod by tlic C(Mitra] lioard ; namely, summer fallow — Iho culture of oa»s — and ofiurniiis — lime which is obtainable at no great dl-??nncc froin the river thit flows through the settletneut— the tleflriujj of new lands— md ploughing matches. It may be necessary to remark for the Information of (he pro. irince, that tlie committee have ordered two hundred copies, con- taining the nature and ohjeet of the prizes, the rules of coni[ntitiou and all other particulars, to be printed with a ^ie w to distril)utinn ; &od these have been forwarded clong with the seeds to diU'eruit quarters. A fen' are si ill on hand, and the new assr i-iations may bu furnished with these, in o.der to paste them up in public places for the information of the memljers. I have also to announce, that the articles and rules diiwn up for the government of the Lunenburg Farmer Society, (I believe bw the Reverend Roger Aiikin) met so entirely my approbation, that 1 caused someexlraimpresf^ions to be struck off,atid have bestowed thrtri on the difterent societies as models to copy after. They are uiupics- tiooably the best which have fallen under my notice ; and I recnm- inend tliem a*? 'he ground-work upon which all others should be con* structed. The discipline in them is severe yet necessary, and uill operate with powerful efTjcacy in changing the inveterate hubits ivhich our slovenly system lias induced. This week has been productive of two eva.Us proper to be known —the arrival of the agricultural machinery from GreuuBritain |.y the Skeeu ; and the oponidg of a correspondence with the AgricuL tural Society in Quebec. These instruments are j)laced under tht care of the secretary, for the inspection of all mechanics throughout the province, and are accessible to the members of county and miner societies, 'i'hey consist of ploughs and hariows of different descrip. tlous, of a turnip machine for sowing two rows at a time, of a drill barrow with apjiropjiate cylinders, of a large double field roller, aud of a. reTolving bioK-charrow. The correspocdeace with the Agricultural Society in Quebec wai commenced by ordering through the m.-^i'.;m of its secretary two stallions of (he true Canadian breed, to bo shipped for Halifax in June or early iu July, JOHN YOUNG, Secretary. II a I if ax j May 7« 0\ tlie C(Mitra] 111(1 of turnips the river {\\?.t r lands— »iid I of the pro- copies, con- if fonn't'titiou ) (listri!)u(inn ; Is to dillVfiiit ations may bu )iic plates for ies iliiwn up , (I believe iy obaliop, that I bestowed thrni hey urc uiaiucs- ', and I recoQi. should be co»« ssary, end will iveterate hubits or to be known reut-Britainlty th the AgricuU aced under lU uics throughout ufity and miner tt'erent dcsctip. time, of a drill field roller, aud f ill Quebec was s secretary two] d for Halifax in I :G, Secretary. i03 LEITER 34. On U\tt •s*a\u\r'a\ O^jsltueiious in t\\fc !f>ui\. rTTlilK inequalities with which the face of the earth is diver^ified, -^ are snoie of them ornatiieiital and useful; and others of an opposite and hurtful character. The innumerable ascents and dedivitie!-, the elevations and levels, and the variety of exposures to all parts of the heavens may be styled the genuine and ch.irac- terisiic features of a country, and form its principal charm and attraciicn. These irrcgula«ities of surface relieve the sameness cC prospect; and v*hile they give to a particular region in soMe de- gree the advantages of a diircrence of climate, they jpread over it that shadeand coloi3ring so essential to the beautiful and picturejque. The principal figures, as it were, rise into life before the eye ; pfsn to animate the crowded and busy laidscnpo ; and surprise and de- light, as well by their unexpected and fantastic forms, as by thpend- less variation of their tints. The hills become associated in the ima- gination with those memorable events of which they were the (hoa- tre ; and the sight of them gives rise to a train of ideas which carry us back to other times, ai.d are allied to melancholy or pleasure. — These sensations of whaiever kind awakea the attention of the be- holder, work upon his feelings, and endear to him a country, which recalls such lively and qnii keuing recollections. The modern Italian deiives a satisfaction from surveying the Alps-- those gigantic bar- riers of his northern frontier— because from them once descended the *Cimbri and Teutones, wuo, after comraittit>g drcadfiil havoc, were vanquished by +Marius : and because too they were crossed by ;|:Hannibal in that celebrated war which terminated in the ruin of Carthage. But without recurring to ancient history for illu?.trations, it is ma- nifest that diversity of surface takes a stronger hold of the mind, and stirs np more powerfully the alFeclions than a dead and unvaried level. The Netherlands, embracing all that flat country which bor- l^ * Osar, book 2(1, r1iapter2yih. "^ Livy, vol. 4lh, epitome CSih. ; Livy, V'tl. 2d, boi'k 2Ist, cliapte i Silik, ,.•?•'■ ■''I ■"'■■ ill '•4i I' : 111 'm m m ^■^ It, I Hi f "ft I *',' S§r i H"'' ■Hf. 404 ders on the mouths of the Rhine, allhough superior in soil m d pro. cluctiveness to any similar extent of Kuropp, are neither i"terrsti„j, nor loTcIy : and a traveller on Jheir pn()lic loadt. is soon saied liy »he constant repetition of flood j" and the everchcin^ing coin* jdexion of rural nature h:is supplied her witli itiat store of iinai;es whicli she has tastefully entwined into (he tro» r i'lerr^tinpr sated by ihe ultTS round sees nniMnf; r the Datili leir lounfry: Miv\i II amid prosj'Pcts, iiy8 bieii the (iiis;in^ ('o(n» re of imai;es if her verjse. iante u'ltform idrd from I lie oiioiis whiv:h re. In Nuva ll character of If agricultural 4():> in ;,0Tf«ruT ; «iid if we fallow ihc dii !a<«!S of reason and the dori-iions ff (iouitd PXi»'rieiu'e, (his inference iiHVrs Itself as inconliovertiJiIe : >et men have nriscn who, in compliaiue with theories whiih lelgii- (d for a time, have atfempti .1 to alferarul distuib the forn* 1 fikjiiro (,f nature ; and in place of drnwinc; foith her simple be.iu'ie-, hav« (liiked her out iu false and nu^retricious or iium?iit.^ At (<:;t tiiiie, a preposterous taste prevailed in liii^land of icducing ovi'iy tlii e to the line and the h'vel. Tli»; oriiutnciifHl j^roiifids aroutid tin' ^f a?s o( the nol)illty were tortured out of thtir j,ist ami natural proj^oriions, liills were cast down and vallies fillei! op, vvalUs were laid out in di- ii'Ct lines and turned at liglii angles ; aiul the g.inlc h.'iiuiiig-. anJ swells of the landscape weie dislurl.od and sttai.',hti'iie artldciil mo( ineon- iWI tl tl ie t.isiuoa truities were united wi'.hont any re:vii(l to exptM! (f the aj^e wa? whiiiisical ane fo.ms of (lie <-uMstiiiition, a like taste for unnatural and forcod i mix lliolinients oljtain.Mi in l.i'y. *l'he sums which, in the earlier wgrs o*" f iie couinioMv. cahh, «ore con^ jccrated to public edifices an;! the ten; Ics of the Ki( -d^, wtio divert- eil to profane uses in adornin" private villas and iiiiildint,'s. LMoun- tains were levelled and >eaH hemmed in, to j^'atify a love of ■-how and the cravings of a vicious luxury. But all ple;isiires, vThich com- mit outrafi;c on the wciks of nature, whether they ari (^ in England lorin lraly,aie transient nv.d f eiisbi'ble : and t'ic good seii^e of 1 mankind speedily corrects luch error?, auJ lestore.i a i«;H;h for sim- ple and unadulterated decorations. While some have thus striven to rtduce (he i.ufj'jaliMei of iho landscape, others, with a no less corrupt pas.sion fur ii(!velt3, huve run into the ooposite extreme, and represented arlitiiial r leuiticns us Ireal improvemenls, because allording a larger suiface for leajinj^ the Ifruits of the earth. In June 181'J, the cciebrated Jx-eph li'inia.ter, IhIio has deservedly ai'fiuijed fame for his bencvalc ;t t X(.'rM()!'s in lanother departniCDf, re.id a lectori; in the prc-eiuii ot i!' • Ho> tl IDuhes of Kent and Sii«st:x asd other di -tiniruislioil ( '■in;:. '< i ..i.n i)f* * Horaeo, book 2d, o'l*- litli. T Salliisl in Catiliiiiv T.t iid. " Nam qsri! fa nif nionii!, 'i' w i!.«' ii -, ',''i I'iiioie, iH'niini eieditjil;* iunl, a pr.vatLs n-aij liuibut ii.i)ii.ifcrj i.-i.tii'-ii, Hiaun |«')ii«tiala eii*i." 1- hi li M ■,:«! iUl!,!^ lit 1!' •■ iff" .''\t P li'i -1 ; [ i ..i ■ 1 . i ',■> . , it ' .!-fl » • 40G ■ppllration of geomrlry to agricultuir. ♦'The chjcct r-f Ihc tcndier was to devise uuins, which rrigljt 'Mnrgcly contribute to cmjdoy *' the poor, to alleviate the miseiy of tho ninnufRCtarer) and rub- *' m«!iit the (juaiitom of food." The iiiinie of Lnncaster, the mi^lity promise held out in the adveriisement, the enlightened age in vkhkii the lerturo was delivered, were circunisfanccs ihut excited curiosity and drew a full, and even noble and illustrious auditory. Ttr ground-work of his airy pchome was builf on the observation, tli&t the sujierfKial contents of a mountain much exceed those of (he area on which it stands; ard as it can be cultivated and clothed will) Tordure to the summit, an extei.sion of superficies ndn^ht easily 1)0 cref ted by huinr»n lalmur. '' In rcdacini; this plan to pracdrr, '• the farm'ir may cho'C an elevation of three feet in fifteen, wliich "will give him ot\e fifth gain;" for a rilue conlaining fifteen fopr, elevated thie« in the middle above the !'.vel, may easily siiuij on a breadth of twelve feet. AVhen land has b:^cn formed on this or tny similar regular method, " the elevation inay be kept up and lii< creased by pU>ai;hing." Tlio stones which are often " clearn] " away at a great expense, may be biuied oti tlie spot, and than tp;id " further to accomplish the same end." That no doubt may remain ■ s to the justn»ss of the theory on which this project is founded, Mr. Lancaster endeavours to cstabii '■ the point "of increased vegelatiui), *' in regard to potatoes, pens, and beans : as ten potatoes artually " grew on an deration of two feet, on h base of ei^ht, while only *' eight such sets grew on the base Itself." Upon data such ns tb?se, which must be taken for grniited for they can never be proved in opposition to fact, Mi-. Lapcaster his rearcdas visionary a fabric asfver rose before a distempered i.-xanin. aticn ; nmi the just conclusion of his plan would be, to form ihe plains of llnglaud into hills of decent size, that employme:it might be given to the poor, and additional subsistence raised for thtir fupport. He seeijis to have forgotten the natural perpendicularity r nil rpiretablcs, bv which they shoot npwards at right angles to the horizDo : and of conseijuence caji imbibe no more of the atnifs pheric infinenfes, when growirg on the sides than on the area of a mnuntain: and he lias also overlooked the ol)vious danger of buryiig ill the course of the operation, tite vegetable mould which lies on + Fa' tiici V. ?>kagazinp, vol. 1 1, page 220. V^ (f ilic tcitlier jte tu cni|)loy eri and Bug* r, the mighty age iti wli'uli cited turiosity jditory. Tlr icrvation, lliat DSC of the aies i clothed with s nii^ht easily an to practirc, fiflpen, wiiicli ilauiint; fifteen! ly cftsily staiiJi -med on this or| ii'\)t up Rud ill* >ffen "tlca-Hlj , and thus tpud ubt may remain is founded, Mr. ased vc^etatiui!, (atocs artiially ;ht, while only or prnnted for Lai'oaslcr his] rnpered i:r auin- le, to form the I loymeiit mightj aired for thilrl Derpendicularityj right angles tol re of the atnios. the area of al nger of buryiigj 1 which lies cal lilt; !iurfH(«, rtiid whi'h, from long exposure und culliratiou, iff 8 be en iaipiegnuttul vtitli ft•rtili/.in^ tiiier^y. 1( mjy'bc laid down, on the otii: hand, as ii i;-*nerHl maxini which tkill admit of (t\y exiieptioiis, and these only in particular cirruin- jtamcH, that tho n^itural slructurj of hoilowi and elevations which diversify the eilorior of our f;lube, must not bj Intermeddled wiih by art; because, whil'>; they constitute the principal trails of beauty, tbey also modify tliiimtt^, and ii\uitij)ly it-8 productions. On tiio other, it may be asserted, that the artifi oiul imitation of these ineciuul- jiies is quite absurd and ridici lous, h a vtabte of human labour, and only sets the puny en'-)rts of mortals in contrast with the niiyhty acts of omnipotence. Ttie rule to "follow nature" may be per- verted in the craay bruin of a wild projector ; but, i/ taken in its just acceptation, it is as appli'.able in bt3.iutifyiug and culiivatitig the earth, as in yielding to il:e beut of genius ; and a violation of it in either case is invariably accompanied with disappoinlmeat and marlifKation. Whatever muy be tiie aspect of any particular spot alihnukjh turr.ed to the rudest quarter of tha heavens, whatever its Jiclioation of surface, no attempt should be rnudu to alter but only toii(;prove it. A north, or north east exposure raiy be protected from the blast by a clump of trees, a regular shrubbery, or a lofty wall ; and the brow of a hill may be S'ifteued down into an easy declivity ; but the first should not be reversed, nor the last essayed j to be levelled. The beauty of the universe Is like that of the human figure. It consists of waving lines, of gentle prominences, of parts blended into harmonions symmetry.-— 1 1 argues perversion of taste to interfere with the projiortions or forms of llie livinij structure.—- Tliey may beinve-^lid, adorned, i)npr( ved ; tut every violence of- fered leads to debility, distortion, diacuse or tieaih. Tiie cramping |«f the feet of the fair sex in Chiim, and the forming of artificial hills iinl vttllies originate in the same corrupted ta-ite, and are equally |(i4 M 4 4 ,i ^'-M ■! I. 'i m^' ' ■ 1'^ 1 |!|:' pi ;'. ' 1*. r'»'- |i ■ r 4 i |r J 40S enclopurc^, which to apponnMCo moit Imve licon far ypnrs utnlcr tl r |)louj{h, whrre lhe<<»! teiti^fs e-f original rudcnoPS obtruJrd on t|ic view, and won' the oik (|uivo(':il marks of slovenly cutlivution, Some even go so fur as to defend tliont, nnd preAeud to iiifrr from ixpori. ence that they are on the whole hcncficiil; at hII events, that it i) not worth while to l)e8tow the time nnd I'tliour r(>(|uisito to proJure an even surface ; aod that Urn it Hcco[nplish'>d of itnelf, hy impor- ceptible gradations in n course nf years. In o^fposilion to hII thi^ | contend, that these irregularities nro poiilivoly hurtful ; and that if wc wish to distiiiguiiih ourselves by a nipid tidvanci; in improv.-nient, Mie must provide the instruirtunts and full upon the uicans, by vihuh they are to be removed. To a stranj^er, who has never seen the first appcuranoe of ritarej wilderness land, it is not easy to convey a clistiiR't ideti of vrhet ii mcantby cradlk hills— nor to account for the way in whii:h the li*i of matter,actinK on the surface, have raibed and formed them. What. ever may be the nature of the ground, whether (hampainn or uircn* tainous,theHe hillocks varying in height from ten to thiny inclic^,ai:i| in diameter from two to hix feet, are ko thirkly scattered that whpro one ends, another begins. The whole sujface is studded with tlieri, •nd resembles a lake blown upon by eonOicting winds ; and wcrf it not for the diversity of their slopch tvnd uiincnsions, they wojid 8ceni more the work of art tjmn of nature. in the centre of each stands the trunk of a tree, which niituially forces on the mind th« conviction that their origin is someliow or other connected witlithii circum-tance. — A very blight attention will probably enable us (o explain the working of the causes which have produced them. Kvery tree of the forest has spiung from a seed, not buried hut thrown cnreles'"ly on the snifnco ciduv by the toi>bing of the wind?, or thrse iimumcriibie otlif r nu'aiis which the Author of Life has a- dopted foi the disefujlnatioii of the vegetable tribes. There it ger. iiiinates and pushes its radi'lrv into the ground. At first these creci) on the top and di,) down as ihey elongate ; so that the fangs issuing from the steins ate soaiatimes visJIile to the eye without rcmoviig any covering. Tiu; ruin as it falls, after saturating the earth, tuoau. ders ahing the suriace in such chaniielb as it can tind, and as prcseiit tlie lf3«>i nilstrui lion. But lire trunks svnd roots < urt trur.L*, tr.tl of tour«e (o give ibe eurth around them a proaiiu«u^ IJjt this is n..t ihc popular lilslory of Ihcir origin. There is toa- ihtM more rt>nsoiiHiit »o the retdvLiI opinious of the settlers who hhve piis'^fi Mieir Uvfs in the province, and traversed its forests ia rvery riirciiuii. And it is this : (hat all IrecK, ut a certain period of their I ,( , hcMi'- to deiliiic, nnd aic more easily overturned by thf (iolenf miles of winter. When ihty fall, the lootsmore immediate- \y around the stem at iti inNeriitin inio the fjiound, are first tora asunder and then elcvatrd, lifiioj: wi'h them n considerable quantity of ('tilth. Such objects are met vvith every wheie in our woods th» body of ihe trie iyiug proslraie, and (he rools about the stem kland« inc npright nnd holdinfj n great imm of soil. J^m ilje actiuu of ibt .•ieuK'ols, say they, must in tiaie diisolie the fibioub strutluie ; aod ihe earth will crumble down and form the hilloiks in question. I'luit ciUDLE- HILLS haie been fornitd iu this manner can be readily ad.'iiiltrd ; but ii i.s inconceivable, that the tiees of the ti«rebt vihich «(iver tlu< whole of (his country and of North AntCMCa, should have been blown down in f>uc' I- n 1 j-' P s If b'^ ■ ■ (i '■'J ' , * 1^^ ■ ' 1 410 touch it not. The hi^jhest (ops only are p'jh'erizcd, and the holIjMi derive uo bencfii from (he operation. In fact, wl)cn we (race iluj influeuoe of these cradle hills, from (he first entraiue of (he &haic tiU the gathering in of (he harvest, thtir effects are cnifonnly periiiLJou , Biiti strike us in new varieties of light. To the mower and to (i.i' reaper they are equally an iiicuinbranre, aud serve to einbarrass uud perplex thein in all their movements. It would be an abuse of ilhs- tratioo to dwell longer on these topics ; and (heir exisieuce there- fore ill so much of our cleared upland, demonstrates the ai^j^'ct siate ofhusbandry. II. But the pernicious consequences resulting fiom them to (he crops are not of less maguitude than to t!te rural operations. J-'rooi the sowing in spring till the full maturity in autumn, they area drawback on the success of the farmer. It is not pos^bie, for i;i. stance, to scatter the seed with the same correctuese, as if (he sur. face were brought to a level. The hcllovrs will always receive mors than their due share : and this first error propagates the mlFchicf through the after stages of growth. The de*s and rains which h\\ to refresh the earth, will tend by their os^n gravity to the chan- nels between the hills ; and while the roots there are drenched with excessive moisture, those on the higher and licighbouiing spots will be parched by unuatuial drought. To add to the evil if any (hiug further is necessary on this head, (ha rihing grain, when it shootj into ear, cannot he exposed equally to the kindly and genial influen- ces of air and li^ht ; and consc quenlly cannct advance with the same I regular progression. In short all (he inconveniences attending high ridges, which have been reprobated in Engli-h agiiculture and(o| which an end has now nearly been put, extend to our cradle hills: and the ar&ramenls ag*.inst the cue are a])plicab!e to the other witkj the SHine degree of force. It it fruitless for us to expect the same returns from our soil an are given in well cultivated countries, till we take the like pains la all the pre'imioary processes. We must level the surface — plough wi(h reguhrity— expose the crop fully and without distinction (o the solar ray—incorporate wilh the mould a full proportion ofral- cartous eanh — i' tioduce a svstera of rotation — provide fitting aiiJl •sseutial implements— and then we may confidently hope for thel full requital of our laboun. The luws of the material world are oil nd the lioUowi !n we trace tlnj of the bhaic till mly perniciou", wcr and lo tt.c i embarrass uiid I abuse of ilhs* Exisieiice there- the ai'j'ct state (Mil them to thf ^rations. Iiooi mil, they area (303^ibie, for ia. ;«, as if the sur- avs receive mora lies the n.lFchicf rains which fall 'ity la theclian- re dreniliod with luiing spots will evil if any thing when it shootj id genial iiiQuen- CO with the same IS atteading i)i(;li iculture nnd to our cradle hills:! the other vitk| from our soil a! the like pains ia surface — plough ut distinction to iioportion ofcal- ro\ide fiUiug aiiJ itly hope for 'l^' erial world are of ill iii)[)iiriial opention, and act withont any regard to those petty dis- tinctions by whii:h men distribuie tlioir favours. Our scantier orops compared with those in EogUnd, after taking the dilTercnce ofcli- p"ae into accounf, (und ours is indubitably superior)ire to be solely au-riited to itar unskiiful and imperfect style of culture. Iff. The evils arising from the cradle-hills are the more to be re- jretted, heca-j?e the remedy is neither laborious nor expensive. — Alfhoui^ih 310 ii'.dications cf these piime»al hillocks are now to be fatcJ in tlio cultured plains of Europe, and although the plough haslon/]; befo-e the present age obliterated these ancient memorials of the forest, there are iiiequalitics of a difTercat kind vrhich rcqaijc in he. levelled by the application of machinery : and accordingly a plo'jgh for that pur|n)se of a peculiar construction has been intro- duced into Eo«;hind. *It cunsisls of a sole of about tliree feet broad a;i(l about the same length, with the front turned up a little and shod wi'ti iron plates. 'I'o the sides of this are attached two hiindles, h/ whicli the plough, or as it is sometimes railed, the levollinjj box, isliL'Id up and rrgulated. As the front is lined with iron 'hat it miy >tand the friction and fatigue of penetratir.g the ground, the oiher three sides are fitted with short uprights, to which boauls are [fastened — that the earth forced into it in the line of traction might be prevented from falling either backwards, or laterally. A chain is so adjusted to thismachine as to balance the draught ; and neither to press it forcibly info the ground, nor yet give it a ditiinclinaliou toen'er it. Such an implement would scoop up the cradle-hills af- ter they were loosened by the cosimon plough und the harrows — and transport them to wherever the earth was wanted to fill up the li'jFilies. A more simple contrivance has sometimes been adopted, that bight be applied with the most beneficial effect. — To the tail of tlie harrow, a rake has been attached by means of two ejcs working in a circular bar projectinj^ above the hindmost row of tines. To Itlie rake are fixad two handles, to enable the operator to lift it oc- Itasionally from the ground, and disencun^ber it from the couch- *T!ie Rpv. IMr. Btackvooil informs mo, that he is in ro--rsll, antt ftrMliirtlly l.'VfIs ilio craille lulls. 'i\v I erson pas^^iiig (lay's Kivf r, niav i',):;ict (lio ir>triiiiitnl ; and Ih*! IJtvil. fi;tlrman ^»iil Ij • happy in giNiP^ the full Uetails hotli of its i.'un>;tnirfu)U M f^J^clivenc^s. I J I % a :| :i, \?l ' ' ^^' "1^ I lis* 'I M i^ 1/ ' u< w. fl> IK; W 1 ft 4IS grtLit and weeds which it has collected. Id place of the teeth of such ft rake let us sappose a piece of cast metal subslituted, seven inilieii deep, and the breadth of the harrow, and strengthened behind hy ttBjs reaching to the handles. It is manifest, that as fast as (he harroiF broke and pulverized the cradle>hills, this close rake coming vp woald push the earth before it into the hollows, and thus smooth the whole surface. Should it meet with any resist tnre too powerful io be orercome, the workman by lightening bis pressure, would suf. fer it to slip over ; and by again renewing that pressure, would ope- rate on every hillock in succession during the whole length of hi; course. A torn or two of such an instrument on a fallow bet'^tcea the respective ploughings, when the mould is broken and friable, would do away with those unseemly inequalities niiich disgrace onr agriculture, encumber all the work of the field, prevent (ur cleared lands from drinking in equally the dews and froiiheniog show. ers, and thus abstract materially from the quantity, fuiluoss and per. fection of our crops. It may be assumed as an undeniable positioo, that an even and smooth surface is more easily wrought and much more productive ; and that no other emitienres should exist, save the formed ridges to carry cfi' the superfluous water that woald Otherwise deluge the roots. AGRICOLA. Halifax, May 12, 1819. I|:V IM If' est liiver, May ^Ih^ 18J9. MR. YOUNG, Secretary to the Provincial Agricultural Society. SIIl- The honorary prizes assigned by our Farming Society for the far. therance of ploaghing matches, were contended for on a field belong- iog to me, on the 28th of April. As the youth belonging tothij] place cannot be expected yet to equal (he ploughmen from Britain, the candidates were divided into two classes ; the first consisting of such as had learned (he art before they came to this province, audi the second of su<'h as were natives. The judges— J. 'hn Oliver, John BoDDimaD, and Donald Fra«er-- (djudged the prizes as follows : — fi AGIIICOLA. Doneld Fraset- 41:; First Cliisg. First prize—to James Roberison from Scotlaud, servant to Kdward Moitiiiipr, lisq. His team was a pair of oxen, Iiarnesbed like horsts, and directed by reins. Second do. — »o William Canifibell from Scofland, servant fo Jiraes JVIarshal!, E-q. West River. Third do. — to Thomas Ikit, from Eiijjland, servant to E. .Mortimer. Both of these latter [>loHpl,r'i with horses. St'cond Class. first prize — to Robert Slewnrt, jun. son to Mr. R Stewart, Wcsi River. Second do.— to Air. W. Clark, farnic!-, West Ri'e.r. Third do. — to David Ross, my eldest son. The day was pleasant and t!»e nuniorous spectiifors were higMy atified vvitii (ho work, and jiarlicularly vvirli tlie ;'[.;iroxirn:itioo of r own youtli tothote who came from nrifniii. I remain, sir, j ours, DUNCAN ROSS. «> gra ou SIK- TiurOy Maj/ 9. I have to inform you that in our society tliree ploiiijhing matches have lately taken place, one in each township, and thehc w"re ap- [.'oinled by the committee. The compel itors were to be young men 'inder thirty years ofage, aud natives of the ptovincc. The first was iii Truro the 23d ultimo, and attended by a great number of people. .Six [)loughsdraM^u by horses were engaged, and theperformani'e »f\s fully equal to any tliing that might be eXjjeitcJ. Tiie highest prixe was allotted to Alexander, son of James Archibald, about ninr.tcca years of age ; the second to John Gcvuay, twenty one years old ; and the third to James Talbot. The next was in Onslow the week followiof?, and was nuineroubiy sttended, and the work well performed. 'I'hc- highest |>ri2R was ob- tained b) Mr. David Crow; the second by Juiiu Bibiiop ; and tho third by Riihard Carter. I have not )et heard how they succeeded at Uondoiuiorry. At (lie others 1 was present, and am happy to say, that a spirit of emulatiuit md good humour prevailed in ail descriptions of persona usbeuibh-d ; i'. :i;j 'li I ..Jt ■1;:. II * ■1. 414 and the norsUy tff the .'•pcMncle aJdcil to Us acknowledged usefi,! BfJ", was H source of satisfnciion. 1 am, sir, most respentfii'ly, your very obedient servant, E. VV. HLA. CHARD, Secretary. To Che Sfccretary of the Proviucia! Agricultural Society. 10 Ht pv , -.-1 ', : I M l-'-' , .''( m^' :' ? \.l-\<-A': i; ' :' ^'jlf . ■ i m -1'' i:l iii" 4 \ ', REMARKS. flnrghing Matches havelieen conskleied as among the first syino- tonis of improving agriculture ; ai:d they have appeared i;j every country ^Meli wished to do hoiioor, and to excite notice to tliis iiii- portaut art. Vv'e only hear of them, however, when farmers ar« about the middle stage of improvoraciit ; for as correct ploughing is the prime aad most e:isenrade : yet they should recollect, that at these matches some of t!ie m(*st g«?neroiis and noble pa'^sions of our nature are cil* Ifd into f lay ; thut {\\o. tfl'et ts of them are of a permanent nature, ar.d will opeiate on liie ootnj»o!itors when no eye sees them. 'V\\>i vim. »|'-M-he(i and emtilous yduih will practise in his own Held, wiil there tiatn hi:. !;orit\-, will iitraighien and deepen his furrow, will stjdy \h'^ ch.ir;u\('r of the operation, will mark his own defects, and iIhh r!Mv h }>C! '*?'.■ ti(Mi r.opiii principle ofaml)ltion. The victor, on tiie rihr-i hnnrl, will sJpfuaat further excellence, because he kno*s ttiit V\^ ^kii! viill be ,)ui to R Fscond proof on some future day of trial. w dgcd useful- nt. Socrotarj-. he first symp- ;ared i;» every ice to this ir.i. 11 farmers am •t j-,loughin^ is degree of pro- bold aoy rank t-Britain thosp fi in the ardour lence has brcn istry to faiiii* nd in a cerfam alHO an abjvr.t I k uDfrieiuiiy to lof our iuteriKil |ons ngiiinsit all lajjiug a (aj^te crifire to tr.erc thP!=e iiiaUhes natcre are cil- icnt nature, ar.d lem. The vrm. licld, will there row, will stjdy lefei-ts, ai.d llt'is |e vi. tor, on the he knows thit day of trial. 4(5 With heartfelt fdeasurc have I given these (wo letters to the {jij!)« lie, tlieoiiefiom IMctou, the other from Truro, a* marking auew eia, H!id synirtomatic of a new feeling. I am h^'.ppy also to announce, that iIk; Cuaibeiland Society is making i»repardtiou for three matches in .'itU'eroiit parts of the county — at Amherst, at River Philip) aud Rpnoshc^.— Theii<} are fivourable speciaieas of enterprize, in the cr.stern part of the province : but what hus become of (iie westerD ? S.mie display of zeal on the part of the l&tter is iietesiary, v»L?rc it only to convince us (hat they fynipathize in the declared spirit of the country. I have looked with impatience toWindsoi, to Iloiton, toCortiwairi£,to Anu3j)oii.-,nnd to LuiiCi.Lur^j ; nnd 1 wislj not tolooit in vain. There is vast room for iiiipro^ecieni in all thet^e couni.iei as respects the skilful use of the plough, and much benefit wiil result from assembling their young men in a tield of compeLiiion. There is one puinful ciVcumstance in the matches, this day rccord- f(3— the exclusion of British ploughmeQ from couter.din;? \Ti'.h our (iwn. It ih a public acknowledgment of inferiority ; and I tall on the sons of Acadia to wijie away the staai. They may at the proseot moment be behind the others in bkill, bnt perseverance conquers all (iui)(',s ; und a diligent and strict attention during the snir.mer to the Horkine; of their (allowa vvill fit them for cnteriug tlie lists cu equal ground. This liumiiiatirig distinction mu&t be bli)tted fraui the an- nals of our agriculture ; and our young men must not rcitcontented, till (hey can strive, and that successfully, with the ploughmeo of eiiy country. Halifax, M'«v 1'2. JOHN YOUNG, Secretary »afi9m.»w^. LF.rTEll 35. TT Is a prevailing opinion among naturalists, that the mould whicli covers the exterior of our globe, and which is the seat and basie of vegetation, lias derivt-d its origin from the decomposition either of [the primary cr secondary recks. Upou insiituting a chemical e\- hiiBiualli>u iuto p^irtlcular soils, (bey uH'cct ts iind then compouudud M 'i:ii ilM;'. !-3' ',i :i!l| il L-*' ^f,; I? ' ■ ; ' 416 of Ihr jnmo criginaJ elements, nnd that too In the exact proportioni Hi are the strata on wjiioh they lie iiirunibrnt : and this circum- staiioe not only sticnp(hf man, «>r even the age of history JH too short to mark the successive sit'ps of lliis process, the reason- injj OB that account is not to he esteemed the less conclusive, nortl,r> iafercnie more liable to dispute. It may be necessary for the satisfaction of ttiy readers to jjive u Speciii en of the mamier in wiiicli the sulijeet is treated: and forthiit end, I shall single out the madfTti lectures of a philosoi.her, thu;i whom none has leacl.ed a toflier pinnacle of fame. Sir li. Diw. from his foriuna'e and amazii'f; discovejies in analyz,ini» bodies re- gardod before his time as Miuple and elementary. and fiom his hapi.y application of science to the arts, stands iu the very foremost rank : and his sentiments, iu his own liiie of research, de»erve to be lisleii. ed to with attention and received with ihe utmost deference. It is easy, he says, to expl itn the process by which the *disiiite- gration of rocks is accN'implished as preparatory t* the formation '<. Feldsj;.ar and njica are both of them mixei! bodies; ai. Hge of history eis, i\\o. leasoti* clubivc, nortl.f^ M(lei3 to j^ive a n\ : iind for thtt hiU?s(),'iier, than Sir U. Divv. ling bodies re- I from bis h-ipsij f ftiiemost raii',( : urve to be listeii- eferenie. !ch the *disintc- th(> forraation nslituent substances however are not alike prone to 8u!)ii)it to the actions of ihe.e solvents ; and accordingly^ ihey fill to piece's fit (liilertMit pcriiuis of time, and obey laws which set with more or less force in p:irticular circumstances. The fcld* jjiiir, which is the ccinonf of the rock, first yields and forms clay ; the mica next i^ivcs wny and mixes with the other in the shape oi iid } and the quurtz which remains longer undecomposed, appears jvetiincs as gravel of d'H'cront decrees of Grmiiess.andsoraetiraea as I sa 30 atones of all fhapcs asid sizes. The disintegration of these granitic rocks becoo'.es by this .neans the b.i^e of a crumbled and friable soil, which owes its formation to the eftlcR(y of tliose powerful agents — •.viitcr and air— which are distributed everywhere tor the wisest iiid most betieticia! ends. So so;)u aj the first layer of earth is but iriiperfectly broken do*n, lichens, mosses and other plants of tho 5a;ne class, which are constanily (loatii>ij in the atmosphere, lake root and f.row ; their death and decay give a heglaning to drg'xniza- le grasses and free and I P^S^ 1S9. blo matter, aiul tniich the ([ualily of ihe soil. Tl more perfect plants iiu(;ceed, absorb nourishment from the tree an( Uiiformed elements of nature, perish in their turn, and blend their remains with tlie caitii which upheld them. The rocks all the «!ii!e continue to be acted on^ are further decomposed, and are ri;hi:r incrusted or mixed with a larger (.ortiun of putiescible mat- Inr, till at last arise the trees — the lords of the vegetable world— and tike firm and undispu'.ed possession. Kvery autumn they strewr Iheir leaves, iind add a thin layer of decayed initter to the soil. This double prncebs of dec(>m!)osition below and of growth hbove, has ad- yauced with a regular and uninterrupted proi^ressiou since tho begiir- iiiiig oT time : and the exterior of our globe has thus becouie what we now behold it. This in;»enious theory gives a satisfactory and luminous solutioa |of the dlHerences of vegetable mould, which are met with in every Iflountry and region. If it be true, that the soil has arisen from the roiky strata, it is but natural to expect a very conridetable, tay sadless variety. — There are no less than cii^ht prirnary, and twelve htcoudary rocks, to ijay nothiug of the numberless ways ia wbith U 3 ■J' :!■ 1- ,1' •iii;.i. li,' ■ 'r - m B f-:\ ri! I » i^: ■ i, •1; . ; 1,' ll--> 1 ■tsi y^-:'. r %. I K ll'!' r \t Kii • .'- 41^ tlioy nr« compountlccl tof^rlhpr, which have hrrn notfd by e;''"'o{'M(«, These are not dispuscd in level and unbroken stthyr}, Quaitz. Mica, Basalt, Gyp'^um, and many others with U!ie uncouth naniei >vhich the German language has ictrodjceJ into this science, are neither more nor less than the simple and ori^,iiial earths, formerly described in these letterb as the ingredients rf soil, in new and com- plex slates of arrangement wilh acids, alkalies and raotals. These various rocks, when cxpo3cd to nir, light and wafer, dis-i solve not all with the same facility. Some are speeciily reduoc;i,| while others seem to resist the change vvitli the most iiiflexibie ob- stinacy. This further principle of their cohesion accounts for thf I present api.earance of the earth. Vv'herever the strata on tlie turfacej •were composed of soft and yielding materials, there now exi^tsa deep iind loamy soil ; where of hnJ and impenetrable substaare-^ja] (hin and hungry one scarcely concealing the original rock ; «;;> where of mixed miti'-r, partly hard and partly soft, the soil is noirl •and oV tfucted with Ptoses. According to this view, these were iut fisp cillu r till! Iiouion. gs tlirm all to icrvcr to mark iiwnrke be the ■iilipr by lime. 1 ; jet in con. g\e of llieir iic becomes vibiblo iistrucled of all nd by mciuis r,( itilicatioii i ai.ti J ai>ii (oans the jclis can be sal'l lhestrurtuicai.il early as mucliiu ;d forms i;f cxU. mineral alkalie , (rncrsity of ad- eot principles cf r,)byr),Q'Jaitz, uiicoulb namei 1 this science, aie earths, formerly in new and com- metals. and water, iVis- Leedily rcd.ice;i, lost inflexible ob- accounts for tlif ita on the bUiface [here no* esi'^ts* ible substance^,! iginal rock ; a-l It, the soil is no^t ?iew, these weie 419 »iiher tMnl'rdilcd in the rorval granite, wiiicli hides its hesil among the clouds, may be so much elevated as still to bare its uw covered brow within the circle of perpetual congelation. Without stopping to inquire into the soundness of this hypothci:,! or to weigh the nipoy aigurnents which may be supposcd,at first sight.l to invalidate or r«tufirm its conclusions, I shall go on to remark, that of all the natural obstructions in the soil, which oppose the exccu. tico of rural labour, and which must be removed by human exertion, Toiks are the .noit troublesome and expensive. Happily for tliiij province, it is, for the most part, tree from this incumbrance. AfU'J clearing away the forest and rooting out the stumps, the plougli nieets with no favihcr Interruption, and can proceed without daiigerj h) turning over the farrow for the reception of the seed. In truthij iio rcmiiii's of strata would, icliDe^H woulij 1 nritprialsjUiifl [instituted sin- ;8C(i into a hoi. •olfli»es9 ill tlie in llic other — ■ ■mnfl, and the ! rock : in the Iternite furowlh 2 ageucifis vari- soil whit li WH ble locU wouiii I hci.in to brciil; > we DOW linil ,i d of a due m'x- glit disiatcgraio thus at ooce af. er the organizi- sand may luvr use ui'propitious ii hi nnuh brol.on Mown f^iid hu')dui'd \ly tf the prod ice of the dniry, but of (he vegetables whie.h are wanted fjr liie tuble. In tl'.e same [»oint of view the letting of the common in long leas- s by our msgi-^trates is a nieasore ((f enllghlened poiiey ; and nltlioitgh a partial disadvantage may be sustained by certain iiuiiTiduals uho suOered their cows to graze there during summer, the public niUSt he gainers by the traiiKaeiioit. These smtill patehes of land in the, vitinity of a large town aU'ord amusement and exercise to the citi/.eni ; and when so njodeiate in rent pnd so nun crons us to conic v, itlnu the reach of the uun^hanic and lahouiing cl«sst*s, they jjive an inno- cent and useful employment to those leisure hours which every man possesses, afier the more serious aiid loil-ome bujincss of the day it. over. Commons now arc discovered to bo the most unproductiu; kinds of land : and are univer-nlly reprobated by uU who can forn. a just estimate on the subjoci;. It is the interest of no man to spend capital in their amelioradou ; ai d lliC witlieied and scanty herbage wlii( h clothes their furface, is the spontaneous effort of vtgetati tmaided by manure or industry. 'J'hc aspect of ours, compared with the smiling verdure of the neighbouring fielils, is a confirmation of Oil 1* >l ■ 1: • ^m '■-I :'l III,: |i. I|i: |ir ■i t; li 1 !'• H' ' ■:;=;::;r:H, "'i."i:A 1 1 123 ttbai'cvcr has or can 1)9 .oniti <>gaiiist thnn. I'lie sntall part wtiirk wns hist ycur ciulced ittui cul(iva():ii \i^ g ikIlmis, } i(*tiJctl iiioiu lalnf; \a proilucr, riiiI m ii^ nu^rc heiD'liciiil in !»(i|>))l) iii^ ttio vegctubK: intt.K. c(, (liaii ull (hat rcniiiicJ in i'^ ori)>iiiQl stale <>( ru(lfiic;«» ; anil ilip obviuus adf.infa^c of thi.i lir^t tiial shoulJ, one nin)* think, incourai^r and eitenil the Iciting of th« whole, as far as is coasiaiciit with tain rcKervaiiotiH fur i)ublic u4"!<. cur- Th csame (liin of worl;iiii{ mid improviii;» slouy soils hii notl)(fr» ailop(ed in nil |)liiit's ; and perhnps ilni>;fit throw Ij^jht on our prac with cie, tice to become ncciuaiiund with what has l)»»in done elscwh rcs;)cct to the maiuior of reuioviiig these ciimbroui ubslruclious, nn J • f using them iu the erection of pcrninr.ent fences. Tliere is • o pint «f the old country, where fhis nfylc of improvement has been i >« penernl than ia ♦Aberdeenshire ; nod none where, from the inwo. duclioii of nianufucturec, the i.icrense of populuion and the inllit cf wealth, it hid becoint; more urgent \\\m\ de^iralde. In the jrir 1701 tiiere were little nwdf llnii 5U0 acres within three niiirs nf Abcrdeeti, wliich were either arable or could be cnliivat(Hl wiili \ut plough ; anil the town was cnciicled by a barien zone of tuu:,hiiii broken ground, covered with heath and iai^d rnasses uf granite, ->< Alilk and garden vegetables were in great deuiand ; aiui j^.as;; laml, both for hay niid soiling, rose to c rtnt fuel of four sod tiie pou k!-, afterwards (n twelve urd in some cases to fourteen pounds |)er Scou h acre. At this lime, ;ui jicci.lcntal but fortunate event took pluOj which created \domanil for the stones lyinsf on Jhc suiface. Tioi streets of London roqnirrd to be extended and pnvi>d, !U)d Aberdjon granite was picferred as t!»e niost di'i.jble material. Hence a nicr. chant, who had [)urcliased barren land for a villa, nnd set about reclai.'»ing it more for amusement than the expectation of gain, found that, by the sale of the stone.*, he was repaid half of his expense, oven oltl.ou^h he laid out forty or fif'.y pounds and in some case? one hundred pounds in (he trenching, manuring, and improving a single acre. The exertions of (his spirited iadivir, George Skeiitf Raitli's nepoit of Abcrdecjuhin 4 '21 i |)3rt wh'uji iiioiu mhtf! !!»« ; Ulld (llf iiit wiih ccf hn^ not licen ot lOU.Il Kl 1 of graiiili'.-' ui ginss Inii'l, (Is i)er Scouft |il took pi H\:, uif.ico. i'iiu nd Aberiicen lleiUH (I tiuT. 11(1 set ali'iul f gain, louud his t'x;)eiiS2, n some Cinr^ improving a |l awoke tlie I three then- es describctl knowledge of liiU art from s'jcij exfenslvo piartl'T, ■ml they curled it Into tlie interior disiUids nf lh(> ccunty ; ro lliat nr^t Io^k than (wonly ihou- iHfui HCM-s ill nil, formr^rlj' ns(>lu4H for ngricullurnl purpoMPi, hnv* I'cen adiKd to the niable land df Abi'rd(.'i'njhlr<». ♦Thrir mode of pfO('«»fdin)< is thii. A trrnch Qb( i'.t fourteen Inclicj derj', three fict wide and of uliatoTer length nny be thooi^hl iieccstnry, is fust thrown out nml laid on tlie buren sarfaee — tho stones being care- fully I'ii'kcd out and placed atiile, till ihey can be eonveiiientlj tur- ti( (1 4 it'. 'I'lie bottom of the treiuh is tlie;) shovelled out elilier in a idain or sloping love!, llCC0ldin^ to the direction of the ground.— 'I'lic labourer firocccds to mark eff other three feel In breadth, to take oir with his spaJrt the first fpit, generally about eight inches (liip, and to liiy it with the PurTicc iuvcrtt.d, in the la-l trench. lie thru stcjtx into <.\c hollow, and throws uj) the loo- and even travel- led south ward into lleruickshire. It is preferable to our mode of lii:kiiig the giouud with a mattock on the peniut-ula of JIuiilax, nnii 'SreiiBral Repoit c;!' ii«(»:Ianil, vol. 2J. j.a^e o&7. ;;t % I,! I!. I: m- i , I 4^Ji *§;' reoiotlngthe surface stores; because tunny of these lying at the <]o[>ik of a few inche?, escape observaUon, and iifferwards interruiit orein* barrap a raiig« fg^ )gh set on edge and firmly bound together, by driving in with a ham- mer thin pieces between them. The coping, by this means, is so firmly impacted, that it is impoiisible, without a considerable exer- tion of force, to displaoe any of the-e wedged stones ; and they are ihuo secure from being overturned by the stra) ing and careless foot of the trespasser. They hang on each other like an arch, and press not on any weak or ill built part wvih their foil weight. The adop- tion of this plan on tiie peninsula, although at first a little more ex- pensive, would ill tiie end be a saving ; and our walls would continue good and effectual for a much longer period, and would be less apt to fall into breaches. Durinij the course of the buildioi,', all the Stones might be selected and laid aside whiUi are fitted from their »Iiape and length for the purpose : and tiie wall when completed would have a finished, duraLil', and compac!: appearance. AGRICOLA. # ';! ■ *■,''■ 1 i M;l 1 1; '<'■'.' \ V ■ ■ 1 1 H ■ i!'i; I- I Halifax, May 20, 1819. TO COKKESPONDENTii. This vfcck I have several letters,but they fall short of the number to whi'.'h r, have bcca long accustomed. My old acf]:uaiutauc« secnv C :5 II;, A 4S6 IT," ' to (hink, that the whole harden of keeping up the interest of my weekly essays has been devoUed upon the secretaries of the different societies ; and that they now may remain inactive and idle spfctatorj of the drama, and allow me to perform my part, and to figuie on tiie stage without assistance. It should be recollected, that the comi -,ir. nicatiOD with the several associations is rather oiTicial than literary ; and that I am seldom written to but on business, 'i'he varied ami important intelligence, partly practical and partly scienliOc, which before poured in from all quarters of the province, has ceased to (low with the same full and constant tenor : and my letters, no Ioniser sup. plied from these tributary streams, must necessarily contain a lesi body of information. I am not equal to the iisk without public support ; and therefore 1 claim as of right all local and particular details, illustrative of the subject I am handling at the time. Upon the obstructions in the soil preventive of tillage, I have not receiTciJ one w*rd of intelligence, except so far as regards the cutting dowa of the forest ; and on that account, I cannot conGrm and justify tiiy reasoning by reference to facts. I flatter myself, that after this public call I shall again be honoured and assisted by a general cor. respondeocg. AGillCOLA. <.' Hi P ' '.( '7^ ,5 t : r^^ - "4 • *i1 .. • ''4 •< ■ - / - - •^ " "{. 1,; 'W' m. i' 1> it Dlgb^, Ma?/ nil, 1S19. TO AGRICOLA, SIR,- I take the liberty cf inclosing you an account of the oslablishmont of an Agricultural Society iu this place, so far back as the 10:h January last, which ought to have been communicated to you befs/rd this period. The principal reason of this delay was, that a gentleman, wli« bad been chosen to an office, was not in the county at that lime ; and it wns deemed necessary to wait his return, or answer to the letter sent him on his appointment. I had also written the different committees, by order of the sotii- ly, for information on the two follow i:;,j subjects, viz : 1. Does your district produce suiUcient bread corn for its ovri 4S7 •T of the sot ie- a for its ovri tonsumptlon ? If not, what proportion doei the deficiency bear ta ■n average of three years ? And what are the causes thereof? II. What is your mode of cultiratlon, with any oiher iDforinatioQ •u the subject of agriculture you may think proper to communicate ? And whet are the prevailing soils in your uplands, &f. ? J have been lookii!g anxiously for answers from the dillerent com- mittees for some time past ; but as yet have received none, with the exception of a letter from the vice-president, and one from Ah.Wm. Johnst'^n ao intelligent farmer residing in this township. After aiknovledging in polite terms, the receipt of my letter, the vice- president sBys— *' I have just time to write a few wonis. (He was setting oif on a journey.) ludoed I see with pleasure the spirit of the country in following up the views of A^ijrlcola ; and I ari\ "-in- ccrely disposed to promote that spirit ainongst the Fiench people, and will give any iBformation in my power for the purpose." JMr. Johnston s;iys— " The soil in general on this peninsula is a good loan), with a mixture of gravel in some parts ; in others, of large .''aie;; which obstruct the plough. Oar method of tillage generally ■' e ;^reen, then one white crop, when we sow grass-seed both on . ^ ad old land, which holds in grass tolerably good from five to seven years ; vrhen again it becomes necessary to break it up for a green crop. It appears from the best information I can procure, that not more than one third of the corn consumed on the peninsula is raised upon it, which I conceive is unquestionably owing to bad management ; as I have, for twenty years last past, sold bread corn from my farm to double the amount of whatever I have bought for the support of f> large family in other articles. At present, I um Rtuch interrupted in raising white crops on old land, from its being almost overgrown with the weed we call the nettle ; and wish for iu- formation how to extirpate it." " Our method of preserving turnips is in heaps of aboat thirty bushels each, covered thinly with fir bushes or twigs; over that a- bout four inches of earth ; and they may betaken out for use at any time ID the winler->I have delivered five hundred bushels in April kept in this way, without the loss of a turnip.'* Mr. Johnston further informed me, that he bad derived much use- fil ioformatioa from your publicatioof, of which be would avail i!'. .', mm li •-■; .. liil 1 v.- t 1l 4S8 1' «;■■ J»; Maself. I wish yoo would inform him through the medinm oftiti society, how to get rid of this noxious weed he complains of. Agricola will observe, from what I have here stated, that I am not yet enabled to reply to his circaiar of October last, which woulj have given me murb pleasore. I regret this communication had not been made at an earlier period, a» we are thereby precluded from reaping the same advan» tagcs this season as the other societies. It ii not yet forty y«ars since tliis township, the lower district of Clements and the township of Clare, were in a wilderness state vrith very little exception. The settlers had many and severe ditTjculties to encounter which they have happily surmounted, and are now be- ginning to taste the fruits of their labour ; our state of cultivation is of course much behind the eastern part of the county which compre- jiends the oldest settlements in the province. Seed grain of all klndi is much wanted here ; thoso we have are mostly run out — oats in particular, which do not weigh in general more than 28 lbs. per bushel, and some not so much. There are two causes which produce this effect — lateness in sowing, and poor seed. I have been credibly informed, that oats grown here on new land, from seed brought from the south of Scotland about thirty years ago, weighed fifty pounds per bushel ; I have seen some that weighed 40 lbs. from whence it appears that neither soil nor climate are in fault. Our breed of cat* lie and sheep are also in want of improvement. Many of OUT farmers, particularly in Clare, lavgh ai the idea of being taught, so much are they wedded to old habits ; however, I trust the<>e will be convinced ere long, by the example and advice of their worthy pastor, that they have yet something to learn. — When brought to (his point, I am satis&ed it will highly promote their trus interests. I am witl) much respect, your most obedient servant, WILLIAM MUIR, Secretary. mi 'if -n \ SfwI'WH^ ^fi., t' I' A meeting of the inhabitants of the western district of the county ef Annapolis, was held at the Sessions House in the town of Digby, fn Saturday the 16th Janoary, when a society eBtilled tke Digbjf 4iiU ) ^^'licultural Society wai established, and the follow iog officers elect- ed, »iz : — Reverend Roger Vcits, Fresidcnt, Hcjerend Juhn M. Segogiie, Vice President, Mr. William Muir, Secretary, ^ J^Ir. David Rutherford, Treasurer. COMMlTlliES. Elknnah Morton. E'q. Mr. John F. Hughes, Mr. James Uicd, John Morehouse, Esq. Mr. V*'tii. Johnsion, Mr. Wm. Sanders, Mr. Ezia Ilammoud, Cereno U. Jones, Esq.] l,"a()t. Johu Cos'^man, Mr. Ambrose llaij^ht, Charles McCarthy, Esq. Samuel Campbell Town of Digby and its vicinity. Digby Neck or Peninsula. St. Mark's Bay and Sibsal>oii. 'jEsq.J ,E?q ( r,. Lt. Col.Saml.Dousett,^: Capt. S-iuiuel Vvhite, j ■ ToMfuship of Clare. 2apt. Edward Dunn, T 3apt. lienrv Oaks, > Lower District of Clements. Sir. John Tuli«, J The meeting was numerous and respectable. WILLfAM MUIR, Secretary. Pliiby, 7th May, 1810, REMARKS. This letter from Digby, annouucing the establishment of an agri- cnltural society as far back as the 16th Jmuary last, and of which DO previous intelligence had been conveyed, affected me with a good deal of surprize; and I have no doubt, will so affect the pi'blic.— This concealment bas been unfortunate in a double light ; inasmuch as it has unnecessarily delayed the opening of a correspondeoce with tke Previocial Board ; and has sbtit oat its owu members from pa.r« iiii III if w Is ^1- !i* i--> ! ;■■;) V. -1. .7,1 .•.? ■ ■ . .i'i. .' ■ .'-- i •■'! X -■ -■ I 1 . :1 ' '! '. ■ II }. /I. . 5 ; ■ % K ¥m :.'r ir s'i' ticipatiiig in the full benefits of the legislfltlTe f^rant. A ihare (#« of th« po(at«oat seeds.^ which weighed from 42 to 43 ibs. per bushel and which have been distributed among the societies knowD toexint, Slight have restored, io some measure, the qaatity of that asefal grain in the western districts of Anunpelis. In every other poiot of view the communication Is satisfactory; and atones for its late appearance by the richness and variety of iti information. The general style of colture there is the same which prevails universally throughout the province : — a green crop of po- tatoes or now and then of tornips,followcd by a \vhiteone; and both •oncluded by a long interval of grass and pasture. This system ac. counts for the deficiency of corn in reference to the coi)SDm(jtioB ; and for the predominauce of weeds iu old land. Every field fi( for cultivation, is not appropriated more than once in every 8 or 9 yearj for raising grain, of which too part is oats that are never grouod into meal for domestic use, and arc moreover so much degenerated as to be totally unworthy of reproduction. From these vurious views it may be justly estimated, that not above one in every Ivfelvc arable acres is destirjcd yearly for bread torn ; and that the districts oon. tentedly submit to purchase their bread from the Statef, rather than •xert themselves to enliven and invigorate their own hushaiulry.— Perhaps too, they believe that oar climate and soil are hostile «n(l xiopropitious ; and that nature, not ignorance, Iiuk curtted us wiili poverty. At all events it is plain, that the French population in par* ticular are too wise to be taught ; and that they have carried the system of agriculture to such an exalted and enviable pitch, that they would laugh to scorn any ofticious instructor who should pre. «ume to question their management, or dare to prescribe rules of improvement. From such a hopeful generation much may be ex« pected ; more especially as they have carried the matter so faraU ready, as to raise a third of their own bread, and advance the weight of oats to 28 lbs. per bushel. These facts ought to sound in tlieir •ars like the thunders of a wrathful Providence, and are infallible indications that they have violated the laws of God and Nature.- Tn thebleak and barren peninsula of Halifax oatsthis last season wen T-med weighing 44 Ibs. ; and if the present spirit which animates our farmers, falls not asleep, all the wretched and miserable trash of light oat« shall ba swept from the proviace : and potato, Angus »n 4S1 A tharc t«t lbs. per bushel, inoWD to exitt) of that useful is satisfactory ; id f ariety of in the same which een crop of po« le one ; and both This S)8tem ac. le coiisom|jtioB ; very field fi( for lery 8 or 9 yeiui ever groutKl into legcneraied as to vurious vic'As it »ry twelve arRbU the districts con- atef, rather than xn hushaiuhy.— I nre hosiile ^nd s cursed us willi ovulation in par« have tarried the able pitch, that who should pre. jrescribe rules c( much may be ex- matter so far aU ?ance the weight to soond in tbcir nd are infallibk d and Nature.- is last season wen t which animates iserable trash ol otato, Aoguj »n3 {Triesland sabstilnted in their room. Next to wheat, oats bold a lecoud rank in (he scale of bread corn ; and they will be found th» t,(;!it and surest friend of Nova Scotia iu her present circumstances ; unless we arc disposed to contemn the blessing, and perpetuate our own degradation. Mr. Johnston, who in that neigltbourbood is accounted a most (kilful and industrious farmer, asks of Agricola information with reijard to the best mode of extirpating the nettle, with which his old lands are oTcrron. As the evil of which he complains, is not confined to his farm, but spreads over a large portion of oar arable land ; I shall give him a public in place uf a private answer. It i* told of Demost'iene--' ho carried ancient eloquence to its utmost height, and sen lined such uniival. ' ^^cellence as to have eclipsed not only his own contemporaries but all succeeding imita- tors, that being oixe day asked, what was the chief^lory and merit of an orator ? he replied, action ; what was the second ? action ; what was the third I action ; and so invariable was his answer en every repetition of the question, that no doubt seemed to remain on his mind, but that this qualification comprehended and embraced all others ! ! In the same temper I am disposed to auwer the interro- gatories of Mr. Johnston and the Secretary ; What is the most elTec- taalplan of clearing land overgrown with weeds of every description ? summer-fallow : what the most necessary preparation for raising bread corn ? summer-fallow : what the best means of improving our agriculture, and curing the various distempers under which it la- bours ? summer-fallow. In fact this operation of summer-fallow iis imperiously called for in all the old arable ioclosures, whatever may be the nature of their soil, or whatever (he course of maitagement onder which they have been hitherto treated. These have been •ilher so much impoveri^^hed or are so much infested with wpefl«, that they are laid down to grass from n(3cessity j and their owners are fearful to open them anew, least their hopes (-f a crop be defcit- •d by the multitude, strength and rapid growth of {hc«e f.)rmii!ab!e •nemies. Hence man, who is constituted the soverelf^n of the soil, is forced to abandon his own possessiuns and leave the:ji for the maintainance of the lower and dsmcstic animals ; and for himself and the supply of his own wants, he must hew down ilie forest, and there seek that wheat which his ikill cannot pro(Uu;c from the fiel(h, that have been cleared by his own or the iudustry of his forefathers. TU iatrsduction «f scaiiasr* fallow will aou'.y a rcmcily to that ■ • !! •'• ,.. I: i,L m: i«: ■ /. f/..'. ^ u .1 432 multiplied disorders. It will afford the n'-jans of perfecting our yoMtli ill the art of ploughing ; it is the best preparative for winter unci spring wheat ; and by it alone ciin our weeds, of endless names aoj characterH, be effectually eradicated. AilUlCOLA. Halifax, May 21, 1 SI 9. LETTER 36. On l\\e Xatv\Te?v\ Ol^stvueAloiis \i\ t\\c S)oi\. %\ A FTEFl the forest has been cut down and extirpated, the ine- ■^^^qualities levelled, and the stones and roeks removed, there occurs in many situations another obstacle of no ordinary difficulty, which must be surmounted by human labour and skill, befoio the farmer can renp the full and anticipated fruits of his induiitry Springs issue from the face of the hills, and in descending towards the vallies spread over a great r>p.'>(e ; and thus they both sour the temper and spoil the fertility of the soil. The waters collect in the hollows, and cover entirely the ori>^inal earth ; aquatic plants, which in a great measure arc useless to man and the animals he has domesticated for his use and ptciisure, take place of natural and artificial grasses; pestilential exhalations arise; creeping things of I strange and hideous aspect, of impure and poisonous nature, quicken into life ; and in process of lime, a morass, such as is found in every uneuUivntcd country, is regularly formed. Hence a new class of obstructions demand our attention, which are no less preventive of | rural nperati()i)<^ und of the p'luugh, than the more formidable hind< ranees of fore»t tress, stones and rocks. Wetuess in any soil is de. f;truc»ive of healthy and vigorous vegetation ; and no pains tDken(>| remove it can be considered as ill bestowed : when successful, they are repaid with an adequate and liberal recompense. Before, however, suggesiiiig any remedy, it may be proper to fracs I the source of the evil ; to mark some Si»erialities in the stratification of our globe ; and cast some light on those hidden and internal re* sertoirs lodged in the bowels of the earth, and from whence oiigi- nates much of that mischief which it is the busiuess of the cnterprif' ing and skilful agriculturist to prevcut. 4SS .i^UlCOLA. The internal ^itructurc of the earth is not a heap of materials jura* bled and tiirovTu iuossly together, but aa arrangcinent oi a cerlaia oriicr, Riid accordiug to definite laws. The presiding principle in ''this region which ib buried from the 8i(;ht of nian, and wliere hia uuwcr can only l)e partially acknowledged, may be describei as a regular difitiibution of parts. Surcesbive lasers 'ean on each other riUitr in solid or less compact masses ; and these lie at every pusbi- bie angle of iuclinHUou, from the perpentlicular basaltic coluam to the liurizuntal 8and.stoae>rock. Some bot'h of the primary aud se« coiidary formations are broken into fissuies, through which descends to u lower level whatever fluid may be circulating through the inter* ilices of the earth : and others are so compact as to exclude all en- trance of moisture. This observalioa applies with equal justness to the looser as to the more solid strata. Many of those are of a iioroas nature through which the rains aud dews, that drop from the clouds, quickly percolate aud sink downwards : while others are impervious lod resist all admissioo of water. Thus; sand, gravel, and loam suffer moisture to pass through them easily ; but clay and cer* tatn earths which have a proportion of adhesive matter in their com- position, are of so close and retentive a texture as to be totally im* penetrable. It is this diversity . the structure of strata, from which springs take their rise ; and a knowledge of the former combined with a minute and careful attention to their order, must precede every rational system of draining. Quarries, mines, caverns, wells which pierce into the interior of the earth, are the chief means bjr which this information can be obtained ; aud an accurate inspection of these wonderfully helps to advance the views of the scientific im- prover. In defect of such aid, an examination of the beds on the sides of the adjacent monntains will throw considerable light on the internal disposition of the vallies ; and although the structure io two places be seldom so unvaried and uniform as to justify confident aod bold conclusions ; yet a remarkable coincidence often prevails and leads, in many cases, to certainty and truth. From these general explanations, it is easy to see whence springs and wetness originate. The showers which fall from the heavens sink into the ground, till they meet with an obstructing layer capa- ble sf retaining them. If it be a bed of clay, they run along its sur- face, fill and occupy all the hollows, and form subterraneous reser- voirs: if an impervious rock without any chinks through which they un descend farther, there they collect and accumulate ; aud as wa- D 3 ..,>. .,1 KlHi :'' I'. i 1 'r# fi- - m 1 ' Vv M ^ H '*ll ' i ■ \ I- / T - ' ?• 1 f ^*' / ; ■■' .:* * . r' '.'• 'V," J * N S^ If' !';:■ rj « ■ 1' l\ , m *>i i}' ter io every possible sUnatioo prcserv. i 'evel, they scire h fitr en outlet Id the upper edge of the stratu. rhicb contuins ilKin . Should this outlet prove a gap of mn:lerai(l whcitce it ii).>ue8. Hut if there be no such breath In the rock ur bed, the leservoinontiuuci to swell and rise till it ovt^rflows the whole lower ed^e : and in pLac of a perennial spring whirh gladiieus the sight and refreshes the ani. mal creation, we have a piece of wet ^pon^y ground, which destroys the tender and kindly gra$se<), and is unfavourable (o all ^rovMh, "Wherever such npiearanccs strike therye on any declivity, it is aiiio. dubitable sikii, tliat the places throui^h whi( h the water is oozing -^ are the termination either of an im()ervi<>u9 rock or of an argillacioui bed, whirh has stretched from the interior of the mountain to this visible outlet. No doubt ran rest on this conclusion, although drawn in the dark ; for it is as incoQlroveriible nnd certain as p ma* theinaiical theorem. Water io the interior of the earth must besub* '~ject to the same laws, as on the surface. The principle of gravita* tion would carry it downward:! at right angles to the horizon through all the intervening strata, were it not diverted from this perpendicu. lar course by the interposition of some onbrokei and tenacious sur* face, which gives a ditTerent direction. Whatever that surface may be, it will meander nlong it and follow the lowest level, till it eo* counters some opposing obstacle when It will form a pool or re'-fr. voir ; the volume of which will accumalale to the top of the ob- struction, and begin again to flow. They are the impervious bcdj which stretch parallel to the horizon, or nearly so,that bring out the internal waters to the sides of the declivities, and there form either springs or occasion weloess. v. These views, which illustrate the descent and disposal of sobter. raneous water in hills and other eminences, fail when we atfemi^l (o ftpply them to valiies and levels ; and a new set of principles colu into action, to regulate the conduct of the agriculturist. These a!i« must be exi)lalned and studied, before he can venture on any extend- ed plan of draining with the least ho.te of success. If he procoed li» this first and fu"dainental ste ) in improvement without a compeft itj knowledge of first p/inciples, he is sure to blunder, and most liktlj ■will lay out his capital without accan plishiog tlie object. Sciu:'''f ll 436 ^ ^ I aiU} (liat most in«n nc»<«r diram of t'liUsliog science in file Sfrtlce of atjrlcuUurc, i:fen in her iin))ofljnt nnd Bublline operiUions — uucfi iiH Jlie creative proct«se9 of geriiiiiintioti, tlio shooting of the car, tli« evolving of liie llovrrr, and the final production of the (ced-<-far le'^ri ill her mrnn and i^^noble labours : and iliey would deem |>hilo> io|>hy fitlten hik! dpRroded to the lovvest pitch of nbf)se)ment, should she condescend In toil >viih the workman in culling open and covet'* til drnittM, or in conductii'^ thorn itltilfully; and yet true it i«, (hnt Uiiless she rtand by and direct thi.> mutiuii drudgery, it \Tili be often fiuilU'-i(is, (ind may in one |)"Int nfvicw b(^ cynsideic d as a con- triviiint! <'f n. I lire to get rid of svpi'flm.u* hunddity ; yet as far as diainiiig is cuuerned, it on^ht nui to he taken into accouut, uor iii lilt* sioalle.si degree t~niiiig|Q snd are lo .in its Tastness, and again perform the circuit of (;va< poratioo and descent. These internal reseivoir<) the srieiMific drainer laboars to reach, in order to tap them ; because from thence proceed chiefly the cfili he is solicitous to ohtiate. For the sake of illustration, let us suppose a vnllcy encircled iiv hiili except in one quarter, where exintsan outlet hy which to di.^chari^e the brook collected in its centre. Let uh further suppone, that a close tenacious bed of clay at a givrn dnpth, stretches across the Tallcy, and up the mountains from t>umniit to summit ; and that above \\ recliues a stratum of gravel, through which water can diffii<;e itself •with the utmost facility. Over this loose gravel another ctt ofclny is spread, which rises not as in the fornjer case, to the tops of the hills, but brc'iks cfi' inidwiy in the ascent. AI>ove the whole resti the vefijetable mould, •which has been forDied by the wa'^hinjs: of the rains, and the accumulation of putrescent matter from thedeca)of plants. Tliis description whicii 1 have driiwn, is not borrowed from the fancy ; b it i. a f^iitiitul picture of existing situations in every extensive region. The sufface of this '?np; tinucd swamp,»here the mossy trihes vegetate atid multiply vigorous- ly. By clearing and doepeoiiig the chaiuiel of the brook, the water y>'\\\ be partly drawn off; and by various dr;)in!> cut in alt directionii something like a remedy maybe eflbcted. Still the grand source of the evil has not been approached ; for an immense body of waterhas gathered between the two coats of day, and from the pressure be. bind is perpetually endeavourini; to break through the upper stratum. This naturally will be soft and miry, and through it a suflicient quantity will ooze, notwifhstandiog its impermeable oature» to keep the surfare in a humid and unproductive state. No sort of drains, though executed with the greatest care, and conducted with the ut- most skill along the bog, can lay it e£fectually dry for the purpose? of culture. Money may be expended without limit ; the plan of leading and combining the drains may be varied without end ; and all will be unpro&table and hepcless labour. The reservoir below the first stratum of clay must be dislodged, before the smiling vcr* 4^79 of the neadow %^\x rectn^peate tbe toil and outlay of the ir»' but lIiR great 1 nefer ribe to ey travel and hey ariive at circuit of (!»»• thr sclemific because from ohtiate. For ;jrclrd by hilli I to (ii»<:linr((e se, tliat a close OSS the valh'y, thnt al)OT(' \i ,n di(Tti<;o itself b(!r coat of cluy the t<»|*s of the •he whole resti wa'^hing of Ihr im the decaj o^ borrowed from ations in every cy, in the lirt nearly a con- tiply vigorous* o»»k, the water 1 nil directions rand source of liy of waferhas [ic pressure be upper stratum. it a suflicient ature, to keep |sort of drains, d with theul- r the purposes ; the plan of ut end ; and leservoir below e smiling Tcr* [lay of the ia* prn»er. And this can only be achievrj by TAPt'iNdi. An auger of peculiar foim and constrociion muHt (tierce the clay in severHl pit* itrs, and make way for a co(iious and naeessnry discharge. Fioni each hole the water will sho()t up as in ii jet d'ean, nnd rise to an cle» falion exBctly propnrliinrd to the supcrinrumhent pressure. Thit prore'-s of tappinic is (he i{r»ii(i ni« »»et rid ojt the wet, whicli eitlKjr burst out or ran on the surfu'.u. Tiioy h. ; am comeplion of those neeiet ami suliterrH" eoas storcH of wnter. • ich |;iy pei»t up in the bowels of tie enrtli, and endcavoufcd ir> foicft thcmsfdves upward by the pressure front behind. T' >» iinprii9einent was left to modern times; and (lie naire of IiliUie .^'on who, b) a lufky (haiice, nade the discovery in 17G1, i;i fanWIiar to the ear of every ngrieulturieit. The lu.nnurs which he won, vere looij dispntei by Dr. Junes Anderson who has bcnefitttd the world by riiany nsc- fdl nod Initeniocs publications on rural nflnirs ; hutc I'ninon cnnjienl seems now to place flieiTi wi'hont any further hesitation on the broW of the former, on the s;rmind of priority of discovery. The fullow. JPK r)arrative copied from the second volume of the General iieporl of Scotland, page 4G4, brieiiy sketches the history of tbe fart, and tPiids also to i>et (he matter forever at resi :;'.-.'ween the (wo rivals. "In thejcar l76.'i, Mr. KiLington was Soft by bis father in t*he possession of a farm called Priircethorpe, in the pirifh cf Strettnn opon Dunsraore, and county of Warwick. The soil of Ihij farrei was so poor, and in many places so extremoly wet, that it was the cause of rotting sereral hundred of his sheep, which fir^t in- uuied him to try, if pos'^il.Sc, to drain it. This he b.-pan to de* In 1704 (consequently ten years prior to Dr. AndersooV^ publica- tions,) in a field of wet clay soil, rendernu ahno't a bwaw.p, or shaking bog, by the springs which issued from an adjoinj.ig Isr.k of jjravel tod saLd^ and oTciSn^ed th-.' ymfdce of Hia j^»oi.iii<» ' ■'.^m . '•i .1 u, (!■ i!fi' i II 1 '■i :i ' f f l«,v li. : Vi'-: ' i if ^^' i'r ^H 4J8 •■ .1 bflow, — To drain this field, he cut a (reiich about four or tiTeffet deep, a little helow the upper side of ihe bog, where the welne«s bcgno to moke its apjieafance ; and after proreeding wiih it in tliji direction, and at this dc|;th, he fiiiiiid it did not reach the principal bodj/ of subjacent water from which the rvil arose. On perceiving this, he was at n loss how to proopcd, when one of his servants rame io this field with an Iron crow or l»ar, for the purpose of making boles, to fix sheephurjlles, in an adj fining part of (he farm. Hiwi ;g a SQSpicion that his drain vm^ not deep onougli, and desirous (o know what strata lay under i', he to k the iron bar, and having forced it down about four feet bolow tiie bottom of the tren( h, on pulling it out, to his astonishment, a grent quantity of wsiter hui^i up through the hole he had thu? mndo, aiul ratt aUx g the drain.-- This led him io the kl»o^ lod^'e, thit wetness may oftoo be produced by water confined fur'.hor bolt-w the surface of the ground \.\\n\\V. was possible for tlic usual depth of drains to reach, and that n» auger would be a useful instr»tni\')t to apj^Iy i!> such cases. Tliv.^ chance was the pareiU of this disroTPr), as she often is of otlicr useful arts \ and fortunate it is for ^ociet) , wh^Mi such accidents liip. jjeu io those, who have seiiFe and jiKij:nient to nvail thcms"'vps nf hints thus fortuitously given. In this nunrcr he soon accomiilisluii the draining of his whole f.i'-n', and rendered it so perfectly tUv and sound, (hat none of his flo* k « li ever after allVctcd with di.-cr'o, *' By the success of ibis experfinunt, Mr. I^Ikinijton's fame pm drainer, was qui(kly arid v; ir'c'y exlcndtd ; ai>d ndor havti-g suic;,'. fully drcinrd several f;:rr.;? in l;is ! r:.,'hhooihcod, he was at last vdy genernlly employed for ihat purpo'O in various parlsof the kingdntn, ir'rom his loii^j praciice nnd ex|jericiue, he hecami; so sncccssfu! n I the works tic urulettor.k, and so ^^.i'.tul in iudi;irig of thcinferr.l strata of ilif earth, and l.ne nature of springt, thut v»i:h rt maik.Mol precision h"? could ascertbin whereto tind water, and trace the coni.^e ef springi: ?hat mode no apptarance on the surface of the gTOUii(..-| During his |,>ractice of .nore thun thirty yc'i^, he drained in variouii par's of Ktigland particuirfily in the uiidUnd counties, many tl.ou- pni.d Rcrci of land, which, from being originally of little or no vulut, foon Icea-iie as fertile as any in the kirgdont, by produdng 'htl iiiott v'I:nb!e Itiiui,-' of grain, and feeding the best aud heullii 'j . ^r fonr or five ffet ere the welne«s ( with it in tliii ch the luincipa! On perccivinij is servants rame rpose of making e farm. Ilnvi'.g and dosirous (o bar, and liaving )f tlie trench, on ty of water tiui^' lot g the drain — tften be jjroduit-u ie ground llui' i'. cb, and that m •h cases. T!i'.i% often is of otKr jch accidents li>i>. i\nil thcms"'vps of ooii accompli silud so perfecMy iVv ctoeen resorted to in several counties both of * Knj^lard and Scotland, and all wiili fijudl success. In the Agricultural Report of Roxburghshire thiJ following account is given of draining ground in a Ipnd-locked situ- ation, from will nic theie was no praciicahte outlet but by boring dowuviatd, nitd reailiirg a lovter stratum of a permeable nature, it may be necessary to premi>e, that " from one to six feet below the surface of the waste land«, that tnight be made aratile in this county, is found a large seam of black slaty or inet;illic substauct;, generally from twenty to tvTeniy-five feet isi thickness ; and below this again, a mass of whinstone rock ; both lying iu a tolerably regular straight line. The thickness of ihc whi>tslone rock is uiikiiosvn, as 1 liave not heard it wns ever bored into. The black slaty substance is so closely cenriPutc'd, tl-at it is impenctiable to water orany other liquid; while, on the contrary, the whinstor.e abounds wiih t;aps, and will receive and swallow U|) any quantity of wafer poured into its hosoin. in the end of 'October I ploughed up twenty acres of liiis waste land, and with a good deal of troui)lu and exjiense gathered it into ri('gei pretty hi;;li in the following niid^auiriiner, in order to tome down ta the slaty metuliit; subhtance. I sion found (hat llie water stagnalcu ill the hoiloh ot lh(,- ridf<<'t. ; these being at least fuur feei htmv, su y level 1 coujrl oi)iain. To remedy this iiicouvcnieiue, 1 jmh a pair ;if hoie-rods, which 1 put down the. -latysubrlance to the wht .st. i e io.\: nt sundry places, keeping tlic t.ip of the holes covered v>i(ii a bash!.t •f loose stones. Tnis plan succeeded to !:iy utm(!st i x .ci tatian^ ; < ■ m i I ■ ' IMl "■ Hi "AgricHltmal Hepovt ofHerircrdthire. m 4iO «nd next spring I had the pleasure to find my land was id a coudition to sow as eaily almost as any other part of my farm." This practice of buring is now geoeraliy adopted throughout the whole of England ; and its cilivjacy has been couiirmed by the ex. fteri^nce of half a ceutury. indeed there is uo other method, by which stagnant water in low situation) can be disposed of : and be. fore its invention, the noisome morass was accounted unimprovable and there existed not the faintest hope of convertiug it into a useful meadow. Apian, somewhat analogous to this in principle bit different in execution, has long prevailed in some parts of ^Germany, and which evinces that the human mind when contending with diil'icu). ties, naturally falls on the same resources and endeavours to sutxjuc them by accommodating like means to ends. In place of boring a number of small holes with an auger or rod, to reach the porous stratum, the German Agriculturist sinks a pit of large diameter in the lowest ground adjoining the morass intended to he diained ; luid this he fills with broad stone«, set on edge, so as to leave interstices fof carrying down the water. Towards the mouth he lays the stones in a flat position ; and then covers the whole up with coarse gravel intermixed with sand. The main trenches cut through the bog, all terminate in this point, which absorbs the superfluous moisture, pro- vided care has been taken in its construction. The important subject of draining is far from being exhausted by those cursory remarks, and at present I shall not extend them; because another opportunity will occur, for giving it a more leisure- ly »nd mature survey. AGRICOLA. iialifax, .May'28, 1819. \h w 31 ■ 'It Government House, Halifax, Ma?/ 2Sth, 18 19. SIR,- i have it in comniHiid from his Excellency the Karl of Dalbousie,t« * D.. NugtiDt'« TiitvtiUin Ciaraiany 17(iS, lid a condition 441 i:on)inonicate to you the eDCtoaed extract of a letter from Mr. At* elieson, Culunial Ageut. 1 have the houor to be, sir, your most obedient humble servant* G. COUPEll. John Younq, Esquire, Secretary of tho Proviocial Agricultural Society. Extract of a letter from N. Atcheson^ Esquire^ to the EjiRk of DaMHOuaiE, dated— "LONDON, 7tU APRIL, 1819. <• I have takLMi the liberty to address io youiLordship a complete Kcries of the transiacttoiiii of the Society for the Encouragement of Art!i,&c. at thcAdelphl, Luitdon, coiibiating of upwards of 30 vols, which [ beg your Lord:ihi|) will condescend to present in my name to the Agricultural Society lately established uader yourLordship's auspices at Halifax, as a tukeu of the warm interest I feel in every measure which is likely to promote the welfare and prosperity of the province." I have the honor to be^ &c. &c. NAT. ATCHESON. Trne Extract— G. CowrEU. lGRICOLA. of Dalhousie,t« REMARKS. The v.tloable donation of Mr. Alchesoo io the rrovinciai Society, through the medium of its noble president— the right boi). the Earl ofDalbousie, announced in the preceding note:* will be highly ac- ceptable not only to the menbers, but to the community at large. The work is of great value ; and from the variety, accuracy and rx- tent of its details, it will answer the purposes of reference in most of the arts and rciences. This net of kindly interest in our prosperity demonstrates that our late cilorts have met with approbation ; and that, in the opinion of the giver, a knowledge of the transaction:) of a distinguished society for the encouragement of (he arts, will illu- minate our path and serve to accelerate our progress. Without doubt, the formation of an agricultural library is ladispeiiiiablu to the sue- ^■f^P'19 1 ::i"! HhhP^ * •• r. •■ HkI3'- i^ 1"; : i| .. Wmm « ■ II ■ B tK^^ * -.'W-, '-i i i'' D^Sht'I;'! ^m* Hwf^'-'^ U ; ij ; IPli 'J ft;,'f ' I III- ^ 1 ie if' ' ' *■ Wv'- ' ' ^' ■» i m- 1 '■ 1^- If !^ m: ^f'. ''l ". w ■% 442 cefs of our vrholc plans; and to this Hubjcct I wou-td have nwnW eailler tuiued Iho attention of my rcailuis, had 1 not lieeii tonfouiui- cd by the open and anMushlng avowiil of sentiments unfrif ndly (o books ill the House of As«enil)ly. Some ai'prar to have thou/..', (hat agiiiuWurc required nothing save llie brawny arm aiid the sv-n. thy brow ; and (hat any npijiiialion of the funds to procuie thi>':e wrifingb which hnve luid the b.iHs, and diietted tlie jaaciiceof t.iis artjwouhi lift a tain and unjirofitublc waste of the j bblic nioi^ey. In opposition to tliose mistaken arid t. arrow conccptionn I held, that without the benefit of extensive rending and the study of physicul science, no mm can prefer the iea?t juctensions to the eharucter of an agriculturist. Indeed, 1 know no other pursuit of human life, which is so closely allied lo all those ennobling and delightful re- searches tliat exalt our nat'ire, and expand (he intcllecfiirofession!i ; chairs are founded in ilic ilifierent universiiies* for teaching It ; iia j;"blications are the f.kvor. ite cooipanions of all clasucs ; gen!. igy, chemistry, the laws nf ve^tl- able and animal life, ph) bi()l«gy, the veterinary art are merely h^vr- maids and assistants ; Hi.d its illustration:! and details must be hot* lowed from the ^vholo circle ofihe scieuccs. Can this varied infiirm- ation be tiiithercd vtirhout rcMdin^' and wi'hout books ? Can we know what is poing forniird ihroHv;hout Europe in tl is grand :itid uni?er.sal pursuit which embraces the interests of the human r«c.\ v/i<'hout connuliiaj* the proceedings of ihe dillbrestt societies establish- ed ill the several kint-donis ? f hope thai k.his cosily gift— thj fjr.'t to our ioi'aiit li!»rjry — will waken in our ninJs better ictniu^s ; and tejeh u", that b> theperujal ofsu<;h woiks joiuc'd io a dilifjent pui- suit of pb)birnl knovf ledge, we can alone e.x;,pct to bi-come enlij;!'.. t.^ned and scientilic farners. An ignorant boor may ti'hx ui* the {f.'ound ; but it is only a wise n.asi v>!io can culiitvik it. The thoughts sent me on the drill husbiuidry \ull be perused \vi;h interest ; and althoujih fhey are neither i^ew nor original their i.ii- |.or«anoe induces nu* ti»|;,ive ''{hetn a j)laee ia my C3ircsjiun'UMu c— I have already taken ui many opv.nrtuniiies to reconiinend the iiilio. duciion of this sysxui, that it 'v, ihe less ueeessaiy lo ddate on tl.o *ln ibv pveM-nt v<.lin'i«! I have oniittrd this coniniiuicaiion a;:rff ab'y la 11.7 gvuerat {'htnot tlirowingoiit orciy thii.g ufuuiy Mcuuil.iry tuumrnt 413 I'ld have noncU eeu tniifouiKj- 1 unfrifnuiy (o 1 huve tliout".. ', I artti the sv. .ii- jirocure thi>':e lcluded it« ilio IS are (lie fuvor. p laws «if vo»;t(. >e merely lm'<:« ils jtiust be boi* 8 varied itucrm' iks ? Can we tl'ii grand atid I lie human rflcp, ;ii''.ies esUibH'ili- y gift— .111 J IJr.'t er i"ut:liaf;s ; and a dilif;(Mjt pni- ay Ti'HN L'l* tl;c II H it. lie periisGil vvith riginal their i.ii- iircsj'iiirUMU c— mreiid iho iulio. lo (iiliitf on tl.o ion a^iff ab'y tuny iiKiiiirtit. present occasion ; yet T cannot l»«'l|>cvpr?ie, furbootli, ihcro wc\e or piojior articles of nwi- cM •('! > Ml th (• to unty Tht epiu'i l>^iJJ'>^t• of gnuj^ thfHe |»n/t:s was th to furiii.ih s«lUi:i"nl i.idiu-emont to Wie 'irrnorto 'aorii ,itc or pro-.uie i!^( in ; Hod nn ill-(in>oil romidlniiri' M-iih ♦liis wi.Ji would have do- ftatcd all tho aniici[ia«i<>ns of the linard, set a seal on our aurijul- tural tlCi;radatJoii, and (;»eu raibt'J an » lici;tual Lit licr against the futuie advancement of (hat [lariiculur county. JOHN Y01;N(J, Secretary. LnrrEii 37. (hi \\^^ Xi\t\AY'iV Wislvwclioxia In \\\^ ^oii. f ir'ME ca[)acity of cuUiraliniT aTid improving tiie earth is «ithf>ut 1 que^.tio^ the most spleiuiid prerojfa'.ive of titat sovereignty o^er creation, wiai which tnaa h iniostfd. I3y the cootimied and uiiceas- injr cfloris of iiis power he ccnvoits tho wilderness into fruitful holds, the unhealthy fens into verdant meads, and the «(ditudo and diemi- iiCHs of the desert into the hum and bustle of lb'' populous city. The wild brafits of tlie forest disappear at his appreaih, and shun the dwelling \* hich lie icears for bhi'lter and protection. The tyranny wiiich they exercised over the weaker avimals, is broken by thein- tcrriosition of hij autliority ; and he extends his powerful aid to such creatures as can mid to his ei.joyment, lighten his laI)ours or share iu Id'5 pleasures, 'lliis exalted dotiu;,ion over nature seems to be (he exrluhive and peculiar privile.','e of the human race, and marks more (lian any thing else tlieir hi^h and elevated place io the order of being. The most ancient nionuinents of history, the most marvellous tales of trav»'l!ers, the records of the most distant nation»,and even the wildest legends of ron.auce ascribe to man (he [)recedence over all other ani- mals, mid set him at the head of ililj lower world. ThcMe '.entiinpnt^ cciifaiu the la;:guiig equally of sacred and prorautf vTri»e;» ; of eariy B 444 ¥'^ SI ' and of later times. I^vid in that beaotiful hymn, which brcat!;?} at oDce the spirit of devotion and the ardour of poclry, gives his \c%. iimeny to this troth : '' Man thon bast mnde a little lower than (lir> an^^els ; thou hast crowned hioi with glory end honour ; thou m:w]'jt him to have dominion over the works of thy hand ; thou hii«t put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, yea and the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the Qsh of the sea." When we traverse the surface of our globe, when we cuter into Mie Doandaries of ancient empires and behold their fragments of fallen and perished grandeur, we attribute whatever meets the eye or fixes our admiration, and this at first sight and without any proce-ss of reason, ing, to the exertions of human power. It was mnn that built (he magnificent city of Palmyra, whose present ruins cast on the dc«crt a faint gleam of its departed glory ; that piled in the plains of Grand Cairo those huge and permanent structures which have defied the ra- vages of time and descended from an unknown antiquity ; and that reared and consecrated those temples of various form and workman. ship, which are scattered over the East and have survived the gods and the religion, whose name aud rites they were meant to celebraie. If to human agency all these stupendous works are to be ascribed, so also to the same cause are owint; the embellishment and culture of the earth itself. None of the irrational tribes possess the gift of fore* thought, of well-directed labour, or of applying apt means to the completion of important ends. They are guided by ^present feelinc;ii and by present objects : or as the philosophic Sallust expresses if, + ** natura ventri obcdienlia finxit/' nature has rendered them oba- dient to the appetites. When propelled by hunger, they seek for food, or when languishing under heat, they retire to the cooliut; shade. Those particular di>plays of skill which belong to sorr.rt classes, more especially in making provision for winter aad the pre- ^j^ II ♦Inter hominem etbclinamhoc maximp interest ; qnod haec tantnm, quantum srnsii movctur, ad id sohim, quod adest, qnudqne praesens e8t,se accommodat, paiilliilnm admoilnin sentiens praeteritnm aut tutiirnm : liomo aittem, qnoninin >ationi8 est partireps, per qtiam con^eqnentia cernit, cansas re»nm videt, ea- rnmqne priicgreosn* et qnasi anteceRsiours non ignorat, HimilitHdiopH comparat, ct rel)ii» praexPhtibno (tdjnu(;it atqne annoctit tiitnraii, facile totiiis vitae cur- 9om videt, ad eamqne drgendaro preparat res nece^sarias. Ci-Gtrt De Ofidia— LVter />!»>«% 4 Salcstii C'Atilina, ch. l^ f ~ Lifter Vrhmi'i. 41j s(>f».iti(Mj of tlu ir you.i^*, have been reft'rrr(} (o in'tlnct rather than to fcnson, IIS in every olher respect, Ihey manifert a dallness anil sliipi- iliiy wliich are the true charact^ristits of (lie brole. Man alone of oil aniniftls can lay a plan of fondocf, ran apply his iiigrnuity atul labour to useful purpose^, ran bend tho laws of nntter to his will, can cultivate thccnrih and lay up jitorcs for old ngc. Thu aspect of ihe country which hu inhabits, is transformed by the irrcbistible in* ilucMice of \m persevenncc ; its fertility is called forJh by the multl- piicntion of his kind ; and he securer and perpetuates his empire by jtic introduction of all tho«:e liberal ^nd necesnry art', wbich spive to ornament or utility. In short, the improvements of land, and th« consequent changes they iirluce in society belong to tnan as hi.s pecu- liar prc'ince, in con'- .distinction to all olher animals : and the priu- cipal manifestation of his power conKists in subduinc; those natural ot).. the glow and aeimation of portic fervour. Our 'i h'Mi.MMt touc!i'-;> IVk theme with his ujual pjveetnes* : !£> I I' illl f I' i ■•'rf -^fmrngm t '* I ii6 1; i^- -a.-.^ h ^^p ,'i- .j'j ' i ^ :.U :« Oil know we bc.l hi« linpi'iin «»; 'tfi>i»t The. bappiest In ! vvlij (ai- I'iniii piiljni; la^;^•, Diiiiku the pnrc pU isiiT' •< of fhi' >»i'(' /i/tt. .Sure prac« in his ; a 'iii»Pi:'* 1 To disacpf'intmrnt, ami fallicio'is !ii)i> • •, Klch m confem ; in Nii(iii«'% liaunty iii!i, ill lii'iliK and i'niils ; wliiUrvor f'let iis th<' fj'iii)^, >Vli«n ht-avon «lo*rendhiii fhoiTfis ; or b<'ndM ihc l».»'iy\i, M'ht'n.SiiiMmprr«?!liki)»,anil wln'n in.tiinni Ijcuim. H«'ie too (Jwpjl siiiii'l.' tnith ; plain innoccncf ; ITiimllit'il iieantv ; «<)iiinl iifliiolcn youth, Valient of lalxnr, witli a little plrusiil , Hf-rjlili rv«'r blmtiniiip ; ii'ianihaioiis toil ; Calm coult'inplrt'.ioi), an I poetic tauv Uu'/ it Is unncocsFJiry to br»rr'iw from jiodiy her fineaiul cndipnt. int; allusions in order to set fortli the praisrs of a rural life, nrul ch- gage men, from a regnrd (• pleasure, iioalth and tianiiuil enjoy tiieiit, in the pursuit of ngricalture ; bucauiie in Hiis f)roviiicr, frooi its wild and uncultivated state, muci) of the descii|)(i«ii is iiia[>pli('a!j!< : vtt there want not reasons niM;uli,ir to oursolvL's, and i;i''a'-i"''(Js v hicii in a certain sc'ise mny be sliJed our o^vn, lo furnish n»'>tlv.;s for cni. barking in thi.s line of industry. A set'l'T, sur.k i:« li-ilimMi'-n ^rj devoid of nil fhe pr<'vious trnining n struggle for subsi.HtenfC ; at. J fHin r.t with mrre neccssarif , Ih- i, rot in a condition to a'fjuire a ri'li>h for convenience, fur les;'< fori- fiiietnent. Aruoiwl ];is cot'ai^e he cannot spread an air of nefltncs ; for his who'n altentinii h kept on the stretch i© answer the callb iil nature, which nvj<;t be first f.ati>^firl»'asufr> of the iina^'inatiop < ^o be s-.fv!y iitdi.i!g«^(', R very tiling conae(tc'i with him- -hi:; dv^clii'i^- his barn — his foiires — tlio irregular sli«i:« of hi.s field? — his j/tuIkk of ctl'ure— bp>«pcak that poverty uhich i;i!i' tiifies alike hi^ feeiings nrd hi:, conduct. — \\ hatcrer were ^he^ituil. tionofsiith a nia!.', it jviust t>e iheerkss and unconifortabU; : ar.d this Slices fr'^i. thf r.'eai'.riess of his ciiciinii'aoces, not froro the nalKt!. .1 bis ca)!iii({. for nature 417 Rut (lin improver, who pofse^iits tliy menris of luitrrpriy*^, is in a 'urdiflVrerit coii'lilioM ; unJ to Iiim pliins of amrlioralioti may l.e- t»inurcit sources of satisfaciioii. Abt^trocfcd from vili ideas of i,n>li«, •l.ero is an inward (•nni()laocniy iu iliese pi.aciful |)ur-4uit«y whi'"li s^.ttada a calm over the miud and tends to hush ih<; rudor p.is- jious. I'lie strifes of ainbiiiim, thu toiitieuts of livaliy, a/;tl the con- tentions of tjitin follow not tiie track of the ptough ; these clvtell ia )|)i> trovtdcj (i<),iiii(l lli(! hu.^y stcncs of activi^ lif«t. Kaitliernu* in); roveiof'nl, which he has devised and cxocuted. Tne house he han t him";e!f as hrnrin^ exefci'«ed, to a eeruin exl.^.it, Uie i,ttfibotes of a crtator. Thcv.! local attiichnicnts, founded ir '.hdc- reptiohs of Iht; heart, aithnugh incx;dlcable to rei'.son, are the inctci. sources of sonsibklity ; and rej»ay in pleasure thetoili an! i:i'»our8of huib.indrv. Agrieultural pmsuits, as tar aa the iiidividuil . .'gaged ill ilieia is tottieuutl, f.xtii n fnciidly iafiuencc «:i hin r -it •• 'nuint, ti:i>i juiility :i;u! Iii.tllij, l)f\ide3 Cfji.i.ing up niuiiy Sjjri; /i niia- (0!.! ariil unauoyeu eij >ymeut in 1 '^'jro,) they arc the axafioa of l\\<^ iiphleeian and t!u: rM'reat of -hi^ pliilcjopher. Trie ■ crchint or (!iai"ifnotu»t I" whoie niird has been l)r<'l«en uorto by the «..ives of i)!i',iiu''is, r<'jj;ards *iiem ns the ^olJ(e and eiitjloyineut of iiiv my'o.cr yfar-» and aecoiiuts hinncif I'a.'pV) when he c'\!i e-jiapo )> n ;rie jinoke of the ei'y, to inli'le ilie fiesii uir cf the coun'ry. Here, lui thi' CMiirary, ull niir fceliOiib are in ui..is ij;;iunst farming ; it?, labour)* are eonsiderr-d toiliue.ie urid ir regarded and unkooivi iill'I.J ls ;is |;!ciiiej; •tuclics are tiis ui.l n siin.i.ej. > :, iioin Ul ; viiiiibted, are not laierl n'f,"r(ii'ij^ to theii \»(Mih. i he ornatjteutal jilea^u;*- frriutnd — li.e -Jiiul/beiy — the lav. r— l:t t;:hi;eti.I villa-— I.'.- saljslr. «- ar, J niiify (m av.v tiiti fan.ily-oeat, are as }e( itri!)*" v, it^ont i'li.,^.': capit-tlists cluK»£e raihei to saui ».ir iiva) a > U'.l:' e.'.i-teiKc m ilte r'e- Irepolis-, than bnsy tJu'mselves in Iho^e .icligbtfu) i)ie!ii!;.:ihi'. h hetter the heart, while ihcy einbcliibh riie country. II. 1 remark that the cul.'ivHtion of iand ha^ a inijibty eftVolon (! ? progress of society. The increase of human Joo'l !• aiii (o the nu)I- tif'lication of the .s^>ec)es ; and every i(Ttp.{'Ve: iect in o,fi.'jlUre, ;)y 'I, p ii m^ ''W< Il I 44S which the cartli is rcnJcrcJ more prolific, paves the way for a new race of bcingj. It hast ^c:!u computed, that the pO|jtiUtiuii uf any stale, wheie (he means of s^.b6i^teuccare withio the reach uf uttlinaiy iiidustf), hIII dou'ule itself in twenty )ears ; u.id i( is maiittaincf! that when the progress of society does not keep ^acH with that ratio it must be impeded by tite agency either of positive or prcvpntitf; cherks. It is ob\iou8, without any reasoning!, (hat scarcity of food must operate against the inoltiplicufion of mankind ; aod that t country which is iacapablc of supporting its inhal)itiints,ti)n6t nur(;, Dtorc klowiy io the augmentation of its numbers. N'>t to meutio'- the diicouiagcments which must exist ogainst early roHrriagcs, and the hazardous professions in wliich youog men embaik in procuio employment, there are many powerful temptations to abandon such a roantry, and seek in more favoured rcf,ions that plenty whicli is tlieie denied. Tbedeficicocy of our agricultural produce con)parcd with our iaternai consumption, must have retarded, since the first settlement of (he colony, the increase of (ur population ; and al- though, on the whole, we have f)een advancing, jetonr progress has been p.uch less rapid than it would have been under more favot>it»«(;inpla(eil us it all' (its Six iety, that out;ht not lo be ©vcrloi led : !Mid uhich is, iitdepeiult in e with regard to (lie maiu* teuaiue uf our txi^tiiig population. 'J'his has been the grand ob^ jcct, at which (rreut Jiiiiaiu has h«en aiming iu the whole structurs of her corn-lawi. Dy re^iulating the importation of grain and by shuttitig her pons entirely when prices fell to a given limif, it wai not lier purjiosc, »s the ignorant and disallected foolislily represont* «(!, t J oppress ihe pour and uphold at thi'ir expense ihc landed ia- tcjcst ; but the (ic^ig;i of this policy was, iocideulally to afford en- t'ouragciiK tjt and pioiec'.ion to agriculture, and really to enable the u.itional territory to support (he Dational poptlution. Thus otdy fould the iudepcjjdence of the country be accomplished ; th%8 coulvi (1st uog;iiviitati(jt to meuiio>' y fDHrriagcs, and ibaik to protuie to abandon such plenty wliicli h oduce compared (]f bince the first uldtioo ; and al- our proj;re:>s has ntore fa«oi>i tutne the imposing attitude of attnck or resistance. In this province^ wc htive bueu i>o lung inured to k'ao on others for bread, that we could not tolerate any system of corn>law!i~any tax however niorlerate on irn|iort(;d produce ; and the most distant approach to bui'h a mousurc would create niuruiuring and discontent. The manly and noble sentiments of Biitons, in conse(iuence of our long al)j<'Ct prostration at the feet of the States, have been extinguished ia our bosoms ; hc have no ardiot sit^hing after independence ; bat like Esau " for a mess of pottage we have sold our birth*right.'* That country which feeds nut itself, is doomed to poverty and de* gradation ; and like a satellite, must move io the traiu And obey the impulse of its primary and presiding planet. III. The improvement of laud may be viewed also in reference to its influence on national wealth. The great sources of public pros* perity are land and labour j and although various theories on this subject have divided the opinions of menin diflerentages and uationsj yet the moment they descend to facts and illustrations, they arc oblig- td to acknowledge that the industry of a country and the extent (Md condition of its territory, are the two grand fountains which give dut a revenue to the great body of the people. The earth has b«ca assigned to the human race as the place of their hahiiaiion ; and their first duty is to draw forth its richness and the productive povt« ( iS of vegetation. In one sense, it is the origin of all wealth public and private. I{r surface is clothed with a natural and constant ver- dure by which are fed the animals tamed for our use, or slain for our table ; and by culture it yields corn and roots — the principal articles of human food^and nlso those multiplied prodticts, which are the raw materials of manufactures and commeroe. Its bowels furnish the precious and useful metals ; its mountains, minerals of various kinds and stones of costly value ; its woods, the limber which en- ters into the construction no less of the ostentatious palace than of the lowly hut ; and its seas, that store of fishes which constitute a };rateful supply to the wants and tastes of many nations. But it is allowed on all hands, that the principal nource of opulence lies iu tbo cultivation of its soil. The energy of the vegetable principle works there a sort of creation, which regularly replaces the wgst«of \.i'< Kijlnl r pii ;■ 1. ISflv;''! iri-l yn B'Ki '',''» : 1 • ;^, '. 1 . K 'i^ k- ' 1"'* I-. m , •„ *<; ■tr i i^ m ilM 450 »heiiinutl «onsamp(io«, am] kecpi op the slock, of Ihi? nitiond Wealth uiiimpnirccl. Tlie rale ofiiicreaff! ni;' eloiii rifiig with (ho skill and capilnl employed { and llicsupror < , of n>nn comes iu hen; to regulate, assist, and in gome inrngurc, to ♦crijlft nature. Ian! under a judicions coorsc! of lill«|;e necinj to |)r»Hsess thi pt^culiar pro. perly, whith points it out as tbo prime original of national wealth— that, besides restoring the ferd and supporting the labouiors employ- ed in its cuitifntion, it furniilies a surplus which may he paid ovorio the landlord in shape of rent, or to tlir government in (hat of tixfs. Itisthissarplus,which reproduccsand augments (he national slock,— •ad entidea land, by way of eminence, to be slilcd the parent of prosperity. If the soil could merely replace in autumn the seed 80WD in spring, and as much more as was barely eudiciciit (o pay tbc wear and (car of implements and the expense of the Iiibourcr<;, it ji manifest, that although it might be the means of private sabsislonce, from it no streaoi could issue to swell the public resources. But in erery well-cultivated region, it all'ords a surplus more or leSR, vrhirli gives it a dibtinclion beyond manufactures, and was the priiKJpal circumstance that led to the celebrated theory of the Economists, who at one time comprehended almost all the philosophers of Frnnro and many of Europe. Qucsnai, who was (he founder of thiii ingent< OOB and simple but unsubstantial systcm,maintained that land «vas the sole origin of public wealth ; inasmach as it created a fund over and ebove the seed and labour, to be disposed of either to a proprietor t^t to thegovernmentt Mnnufacturea and arts were represented as linr. rea and unproductive ; because although they added an increased worth to rude produce and enhanced its price in the market, (hoy contributed notliing in reality to the national wealth. A mnnufjc- turer, said the advocates of this theory, may work a pound of cotton into a piece of muslin wiiich may bring a hundred times the cost of the raw material ; yet during the time of his Icbour, he requires t9 be supported from the agricultural stock of (he community ; and when his consunaption is estimated end compared with the additional Tniue of the article, it will be well if the national wealth has not sulTered defulcation, in place of being increased. The manufactur- ing classes do nothing more than lix and realize ia some rale3bli> remmodity the value of their own consumption ; the amount of bread wtiiih they eat, is transferred lo the products of their industry ; hut tiny poFscss not, like land, any creative power, by which t» aug* 4M ll5K nationi'. comes iu heit; laturc. Lan'l ■ p«>culiar pro- onal wealth— juicrB employ* !)«• paid over to 1 (hat of t-\\ps, tional slock,-— d the patc.it of utumii the seed clciit lo pay the i labourers, it ii n(e sabsisloiice, lurces. P'Ul in e or less, whicli as the pritiiipal the Economist?, :)pher8 of Frnnro r of this ingeni- hat laod'vasthe a fund over and ) a proprietor f»r resented as liar- ed un increasol he market, ihcjr A innnufjc* pound of cotton times the cost of r, he requires ta ommunity ; a»^ th the additional \ wealth has not The manufactur- ■ some f.alesblp amount of bread ir industry ; but which 19 aog^ meat and uiuliiply (he nntional stoi K. The sole •Ijoct of the tarl- ous uie< hunic 8118 is tu furnibh employment fur (he supediuousnum- hem of a State, and put them under (he necessity of producing at niach as (hey consume ; hut this jg (he extent of their utility. Tha lurplas aijricultural prudnre, in place of being devoured by useless drones or idle retainers, is by (his con(rivance convor(ed Into the ele- gant pr.)ductior.s of the arts— into articles of Iron, steel, or brass— of fl IX, silk, or cotton. The superiority of land, lay (hey, above manufaclures dtprnds on the principle of vegeta(ioD. Here an ener- gy, which ociasiouB no waste and needs no repair, is perpetually at woik (o fashion into use (he various articles of (he soil, and deliver (hem over, pel feet and complete, to the husbandman at harvest : wh«reus in manufactures an expen:H}al)la to the lim4- l»i4l«Ra««0Mut dfrvnt. M *' W m W J fi^' >' 463 except those of some particolar rivers; and manufactDrcs^ ii plaro of beiog able to maintain themselves generally, are propped by mono- poly, cxciusiTO rights, or other legislative protection. It is lamj alone, which throaghoat Europe supplies the fortunes of indivlduuN, ftnd the lavish expenditure of governments. But no argument pUcrs in a more illustrio*^! point of view this fundamejital troth, than the public estimates for (he present jcar submitlcd to the Committee of Finance by Lord Castlereagh on iha 12lh of February last. His Lordship states, that the income of the country for the year ending January 5, 1819, that is, the amount of revenue collected by taxation, rises to the sur.i of ^,54. 063, 000, tvhich exceeds last year by au increase of X*^, 146,000. VVnencc, I ask, is this enormous amount of income derived ? It has usually been answered, that the manufactures and foreijf.n trsde of Great Bri- tain are the mainsprings of ibis unequalled opulence, and the grand pillars of her stability. In (he same accounts is given the value of her wholeexports for (helast year,andthi8only comes tojP33,3'25,000, being above three millions more than that of the preccdiuK year, ftnd above £'160,000 more than the yesr 1815 in which the exports exceeded those of any former year by X" 10 000,000. The boasted trade of Britain, then, which has without, doubt surpassed that of liny nation on record, is not the cause of her vast wealth ; for (lie government alone draws annually from (he people more than the vhole value of her expert trade. Ou these few data much important reasoning might be built ; but there is one conclusion of preeminent interest to be drawn, and which is supplementary to my main argument. It is the agriculture of Great Britain more than her manufactures and commerce, whicli has swelhd her resources, magnified her power, and supplied the ex- penditure of her foreign operations. China is a great, rich and pow erful empire by tiie mere fnrie of agiiculture ; for all foreign traile is intentionally dtscourat^ed. The preponderance of France, and the weighty grandeur of Germany rest on the basis of the plough : the AmeritfiD Slates have risen in importance by the same means : and iVovu S otia is poor, because from a false and pernicious estimate of her soli and climate, she has hitherto neglected her true, her bcit, her only Interests. [If* Hali/ax, June S, 1819. AGRICOLA. SJ:'( 453 TO C0RRK8P0N0ESTS. I am happy, (hat the cati mnde on my old frisnds, has not been unavailing. S<:veral letters have rcnched me this week of great in- terest ; and the ioformntion conveyed will appear in its proper place. A monthly ngricuitornl report for Cuttiberland has been received, nod ivili be printed next Saturday. AUIIICOLA. LETTER 38. On the XatuTal 0\»sti!\\eAVous \u \\\fe ^oU. ■jTN my preceding paper I finished the ronsiderntinji of the three first -^ great views connecterl with the improvement of land ; and I contemplated the tiubject, as it alFt'ctod the individual— as it alTected society— and as it served to produic ard augment the national wealth. The last head, which was to treat of the em|)loymeut of capital in this walk of industry, 1 reserved as the groundwork of my present letter ; and 1 did this, that 1 might have ru»m for thib im- portant discasslon, and expatiate at greater icngib and with morn freedom in this ample field of politicbl economy. The annual produce of the land and labour of every country na- turally divides itself into two parts ;->-lhat which replaces the stock of individuals, and thus keeps up and sustains the nutional ci^pital ; and that which constitutes private revenue and is destined for con- sumption. The first of these can be increased hy parsimony, or di- minished by extravagance and profusion ; and in proportion as th(» members of a community suffer themselves to be governed by thesr opposite principles, the national wealth is cither in an advancing o! declining state. Capital, in whatever sbnpe it is held or how(ver vested, should always be set apart for the maiutenaiicc of prodnciive labour, and be employed to produce a revenue to the owners, li i< the fund consecrated to provide subsistence ; and althoHgli there he a few prodigals, the bulk of mankind will guard it with a Hcrupuloua and constant vigilance. So eager after it is the pursuit, that its in^ «»ea?e seems to form the business of life ; Jvnd aeu £.re siilcd fortua 11 : 4j4 M J ¥ if I h(c or unfortunate, prudent or Imprudcaf, accatcVmg to their sufccti ill the rate of accuniulution. It is distiuguished froot income or (he $u:n destined for immediate uso, tiy this striking peculiarity, that it shu'jld be held sacred aud ioviolale, and never be appropiuied to the support of unproductive haiidij. lie is the spendthrift wlio perverts it in this manner. Ilo seises as it were, the revenues of some pious establiijhmcnt, applies them to profane purposes, aud pays the wages of idleness with what his progenitors had devoted tu the mainlensnce of industry. The capital of every man forms a coustitueot part of that which belongs to the whols nation ; or in other words, the national stock is merely the aggregate of those capitals held by individuuls.— Whether these be lent on interest or retained by the origioal possess. ors, they seem capable of being employed only infour*vTays : first, in procuring the rude produce required for the annual consumption of the society ; secondly, in preparing and manufacturing thnt pro- duce into articles of necessity and convenience ; thirdly, in retail- ing out to the consumer, according to his wants, smuU portions ei- ther cf the rude produce of land or ef the manufactured cominof!!- tics of art ; and lastly in transporting the^e various producticinn, when in excess, to other ploces w here they m;iy be in request. In the first way, arc employed the cipituls of all those who undertake the working and improving of lands, minOH, or fisheries ; In the se- cond, those of manufacturers and artists ; and in the two last, these «f retailers and M holesalc merchants. It is impossible to cunceivi: any employment of capital, which will not be comprehendeil an(ie: «ne or other of t!iese clashes. In every state, where tlie piii.clples of human O'lture nreulUnved to expand tliomstlv<;j without cither eucourui^cment or constraia!, h natural order will take place in the dcvtlopmeat of capital. Men will cot beuke themtielvcs indiQ'erently to either of thcbe four modes of employing their time and attention ; but will evince a predilec- tion in obctiieiu'e tv» t'le dictu(e:i of interest and necessity. The mt'St pressing wants of the state Wi,jl require to be first satisfied ; and tn thgbe the common stock of labour and capital will be principally ilirectcd. Agriculture will tiius lalurally absorb the greatest pur- *:iniith'8 \Ve:Uih of Naiicns.Book 2d, C!i;'.p, 5, l!ieir sufcett rom income or ig lieculitirity, be u|)[iropiutcd pendthrift who the revenues of purpobcs, and had devoted tu of that which ualiunal stuck individuals.— trigioal possess- r*ways : first, lal consumption turiiig that pro- irdly, in ret«il- lall portions ei- fureu coniiiiof'.i- m producticins, u rcqucbt. la v,ho undcrtiike ries ; in the so- two litst, this: e to conceive rehendail under lire s^Tu allowed or conBtraia), h capital. Men iche four modes ince a prcdilec ;ity. The m( >st tiilied ; and tn be principnlly le greatest por« 455 tiun of atteattoa, iti order to appeass the eravingg of hnnger — the most clamoroos, unceasing, and urgent demand of nntnre. Every thing will bencglcrted as of minor impurtancc, till this primary ob* ject be secured. The trades and arts which are subservient to if^ y(\\\ nriscat the same time ; bnt a\\ those monafnctares which aflect «lee;ance, and refinwrncnt and tasteful decoration arc of much later aiovith. The mason, the carpenter, and the smith make their ap- pearance long before tlie engraver, the dyer, or the painter : and in truth, the abstraction of the national capital to any of these politer arts, till the means of subsistence are in plenty, is impolitic and pre* judicial. Food takes precedence of all the other wants of nature: and the whole genius of the society should be betit this way, till there be, if not a surplus, at least a sufliciency. This is obviously pointed out as the natural course of things ; and when the principles, by which men are connected together in the social compact, are illowed to operate without restraint, ihe industry of the country, will pre-exist before that of the town. When we bring along with us these general views, »nd open the page of history, we find them nbundantly eorroborattsd in every re- gion of the globe, unless where tlie legi:>lalor has unadvL^cdly inter- fered, to derange this natural order. In ancient Kgypt, the arts of agriculture wer;; carried to the utino&t pitch of perfection ; the whole couniry was iniersected by nrtificini canals for conduciing th^ waters of the Nile ; the fields were cultira'cJ like a garden ; ni;'l in thisswil the maoufacture!!, which should fo»'< / hut not precede the ploogh, took root and prospered vigor ocsiy. The ?amc progress of mrioty may be retninked in the earlier Asiatic empires founded in Nineveh and Hribylon. Tlif" arts, whiirii imbellij-h I ''» nt\u iiiiiiis'er to luxury, were nursed on the Inmks v\ ihe JOuplirotfs nrid theTigri?, nfccr they were cultivated and hiijhiy in proved ; and the Hrst ac- counts of these mighty rivers conrurin reprejetilini; nr cxf rsordinnry perseverance in forraiu;{ conduit* and In riiisiiijj water hy wh 'elf, t(* tlie end that this rich and populous re,;ion miijht b' fer'ilif/'d. — Zoroaster even contrivpd to make the culture of Irmd tiio liisi cf relipious virtues. In the Zcndavesta we have a wiseand bcneficifiM innxini, which atones f©v many an absurdity. '• He, vtM s uv, {\,r. [iround with care and diligence, attains to more religious mrrit, ifuu by the repetition of ten thoin'^and prayers." In the spriric; of c^rrv rcir, n festival wassolcmvized, with a virv» t3j.i;'.aic the prinr.i;iv« J'!!, m : I. Pi .,,j. 43(i equality and the first and most imporlanl labours p( mankiotl. — O.i tliut day, the husbaiidme:i were adniilted, wUhuat disliiKMioii, totne table of the Kin^s of Persia seated in the niidbt of tlu'ti Satraps ; while the Monarch addressed them in this iiuij^uage. " From jour labour?", vpe receive our bubbistence — from our vigilance, you derive jour tranquility ; and since we are mutually necessary to cdch other, let us live like brothers in concord and love. You are the most valuahle of roy subjects ; and I am disponed to honour you." ^Vhen the S^ianiards, on the first discovery of America, entered the kingdoms of Mexico and Peru, th*^y found them considerably advanc- ed beyond the savage state, and inhabited by a pensile in that middle stage of society which occupies the place hetvreen ^{^ricolture and ■manufactures. The fiist had made a moderate progress, and (iir- Dished support to the splendours of ro} alty, and to a train of civil and military officers ; the last were in their infancy, and their most perfect productions were decidedly iuft'rior to the ludeit specimciu of European sit. But it is superfluous to run over cither ancient or modern history in confirmation of this doctrine, as it must be apparent on the slight, est reflection, that the necessaries of life will always take place of its coDvenieucies ; and that mankind will secure tiie one, before they exert themselves or indeed discover a relish for the other. The na. tural progress of opulence in every free state, where the laws and institutions neither accelerate nor obstruct the development of in- duFtrj, seems to be; first, the introduction of agriculture, and the rise of the more essential mechanic trades which confine their atteo- tion to th'^ local wants of the community ; next, the crccticn and ic' rrease of town?, swarming \'hh artificers, manufacturers and retail- ers ; and last of all, foreign trade which exchanges the home super- fluitif.s both of nature and of art, for those of distant nations. Con- frvniably to thi? order, the capital of every community will beat- traded primarily to its soil, then to the vulgar arts which supi^ljf tlu- necessaries of life, next to the retail and internal traflic of ili» country, and finally to those extensive aud elegant manufactures which arise in the last stage of opulence, and which aim at gratify* ii)g the rich or answering the demands of foreign markets. Further, it may be obser.ed that vrhen ihiogs proceed in this ni- tural tenor} the accumulation of national wealth is more certain audi rapid than under any possible Inversion of it ; and that those lcgis« lalive proTisions, which have been enacted vi'dh a liew to acctkf 4J7 ate Ihc p'lhilo [)ro<|ioii*)' hy c!iaer Us siibvrsinn, ni(riculiuro was ,!i<;coiir;ip?Hl l)> (h.i( r.ystrm of f.oliry, which tlio i)iirb<'irous invaders (f iMics^s'Wy iiittdflmcd. T'li; r.ipinc onti violence wliiih Ihey cx- proi"(l ngainst the antioiit inh;ibiich wn^ deserted, on their appiaach, by the (imiJ and enervated irhcbitnnts in order to escape the coming vengeance. They usarped to themselves as of ri/^ht the lands vvhich they thus Acquired by their swords ; and which were left without a proprietor. To render their possesf;ions pernaancnt and hereditary, and to SUS" tain their dignity and influence as the j;reat oiVicers of the crow;":, they fortified themselves behind a variety of le^al entrenchments, which were either planned with great art, or owed (heir existence and success to a singular coincidence of circumstance=. By the law of prinioiteniture tliese vast estates, which were acquired during this rci^n of terror and outrage, descended entire and unbroken to the (Idest of the fami!]' : and by the invention of entailE they were hin- dered from bein/; alienated, and made to pass through a continued line of ''uccession to the remotest posterity. Agriculture languish- eci u ,Ci the f^hacklcs which the Feudai System imposed upon it : aud the prot;;ress of society in Europe, durini; the middle ages, bore evident symptoms of this thraldom and dei)re3sion. J'he industry of mankind, precluded from the cultivation of the soil or engaged io It under manifold embarrassments, sought srope for its activity iu trade or manufactures. Towns were erected and endowed by the sovereign, with certain rights and immunities as couuicrpoises to the exorbitant and overgrown authority of the barons : and in (hem we first recognise the beginnings of those arts, which have since been ex- alted to so great a height, and iiave rendered Kuiopc the most distin- guished commercial quarter of the world. The wealth amassed In G i 11 t Hi I ■ I ) • I i (I ]if if::: ? h' !■■<; I' ,1 •iff ■ I • i m ij 4j8 liiese free and imn<*rinl town*, or boroughs as tliej wcri* somelin^jj called, iijwcd out upon the surrounding country iu lia{)()ier JirtK,, • and thus huHbimdry was nniaiatod hy those very nianufaclures, of which i» the ordinary march of human afl'airs it ought (o be thp. pj,. rent. Tiie industry of the town, to borrow the lanj^uii-tc of J)r. Smith, gave birth to the industry of (he country : and this invor^iKi of the natural progress of ouulrDce was the princ ipal cause of ihe long and contiaucd iubif^nificance of the European kingdoms, and of their slow and sickly growth during fifteen tentuii(^3. Compare ■wilh them the rapid advance of the North American coloniis, of which the wealth is founded in runil affiir'.— Through the greater part of Europe, the number of iniiabitanfs were not {•'rppoied to double in less than five hundred years j whereas in the Uniltd States, the like increase took place in twenty, or at most in twenty five.— Of late since the introduction of the new machinery into aj^ricullure, and the an^azing efl'oits to improve and poifoct thi'^ art, the progresj of population has been quickened ; a;>d during the last century, iho inhabitants of the 'hOerent Eurrpcaii kingdoms are supposed to Ian nearly increased cwcfold. NV'hen ihe capical of a people is destined alnjvist excliisivcly to the muI(ipli:aiion tf hun^nn food, the ease of living and 'lie faclliiy with vrLich a family may be maiiUainetl, in« vite to early inarriagef:, and aho prevent those fatal discuses which oritjinale in a ponnrious diet, and which carry olf the young byi prennture nortality. When tha national capital, on tL« other hand, is princi.. ally directed to manufactcres, and when there is i deficiency of .'•;;ri('iutural produce iu reference to the consamptioi!, the great boc'y «'f the pc*nple are pent up in towns, ofien in unheal. thy situations, are dependent on foreign supplies whicJ[\ from their very uncertainty are often at an extravagant price j and th;is fniin the d'^jult- 1 of their condition and the precariousness of tiieit snbBii"ence, they feel iPO burden and constraints of poverly — at all titnei '■: .friendly to propagation. But besides those particular causes which exalted the raercantilel at the expense of the agricultural system in Fiurope, there are otheri by which the r.atural order of things may be disturbed. A g'^e*it| and powerful state, embarked io foreign trade and in schemes of cnuquest and aggrandizement, may found distant colonies for siJOfifii; purposes in her general system of policy. It will then be her inter- id haj)()ier liau . • manufactures, of ght to be titf! ;i!i. languc'te of J)r. lud this inver.;i<.ri ipal cause of liie I kiitgdoins, and luiicts. Compare ricau colonies, o( rough the greater ! not prpnoted to the UniU d States, iij twenty five— y into agriculture, i^ art, the progress cliist century, the e suppo icJ lo huvi . people is desducd n food, the eased be luaiDtained, in* I'al discuses which fiVthe young by a lal, on tb« othtt d when there hi the coHSampfioi!, s, often in unhesl- s «»hicJi from tiieii ce ; and t'ansfioni arioasnebs of tneir of poveriy — at all Ued tlie raercantile , there are othef»| starbf:d. ^ A g-^e^l and in schemfsof .-olonies for spofifi*!! , then be her intei- ems to ha fv^. been the ruling motive of action ; arid 'his firpt d.^Mination of the proTince to carry on th^ lidtprit-s has most probably impressed a bias on our fcr-linc;?, and glTcn a par- ticubir turn tn rur industry. At the period of co!>niz'>«ion this w.is amea'^ure of ci.lari^cd poli.-y. The Now Kni^i.-ind St itr.s were in close union with the rnol her country ; and coidd supply tJu'^e colder regions with every necessary of li'e. Nova Seolia w.s the member Of a great I'^npire, nnd In the imii'.?di;ne r,i7ly!ibcurl-.ood r.f color.icj, «hich ai:knowIed;;ed the saiac ■•ilL'.;ianrc r.n.i wore ^juidcd by the jame counsels. — lijtween them there coaUl bo no rivalsltip tint jia- loujy, as they sprang from the tnme ste-n, and were pr< tecttd by tie same laws. Now, liowcvcr, the case is altored ; and wo should bcswsiyed by ditl'erent maxims. Tht; revolu'ionaiy war has severed tfie P\*ow England States from the parent C( untry, and of course, changed and modilied all their foreign viewn and i.onnec'ioiis. 'i'rt us they stand in a new relation ; and the conimercial intercourse is conducted on the footing of separate and distinct interest;. The traffic they carry on with Nova Scotia, is not a mutual and bcneficirtl sxchange of commodities, — it is not a liberal system of rcciproca- |tion,— but is much akin to the dealings of a shrewd nnd opVilfiit t trader with a poor and dependent customer.' — ^The balance of profit leans too strongly on ihe Ofii side. Under these circumstances It is ourliusinrss to puiiitancw Ihedi- irenion of the caticao! gapital, ltd to strain every ucive iu order t* I |1 i* ; m i^' mm 'T 4 GO attain liidojiendcnce in brecid-ccrn. Siace mc Jiavc hepn clriren from the cbvl )us r.iiil diiecl road of opulfiice, in conseij'jfnce of (iw k,,. dcDcy in.prcsi^cd on our measures by tlio desi|;in and views of the parent country in our (ir-t lolonization, and since our iclneive >i(ua. tion has been rcvprs'?d by the tide of liumnn events, we ou|{ht wiiii. out delay to rctrarc our steps nt.d to puThue (he ciictalcs of a m a and more appropriate policy. Wilhout abandoning the fiahcricj v] ^hich we hut: attaiued some crnincr.ce, or tLe wor'cini^ of gypsiiin :ii which a part of our pp,;ulation have acquired bkill and vested tapiim ; let us turn ourselves with dclcrminetl minds to th(; labours of jiu- bandry, let us do justice to our climate which is beneficent in ihe cstrcmc, arcJ dc'spair not of ncconiplishii>g onr utmost wishes b) i proper display of energy. The prime sources of vfcalili are laiil, mines, and fisheries ; and nature, in the exubeianic of her bouut}, has thrown them all at oui feel. Ofihese land urq-iestlonably holds the preeminence, and is entitled to chief uttcntion. Our great err hitherto has been, to exaltir e; mines and fisheries above Und, or in- ther in oncourar;Ii.g ai.d pron.otiiig the former to the exclusion of tlv latter. Let us rcverss thlr. general system of conduct, let us rtcur to the natural ptincipUfof luitir.nal opaU'iiCe,let us mark and iinitaie the rise and progress of other States ; and our prosperity will move forward witii ucceierated motion. By building the political faDric on the foundatiou of the plough, it will rise firm, proportioned and solid, will stand the »uder.l sl.ocks and endure for a^^es. Like t!ie house in the parable founded on a rock, the rains will descend, and the winds beat against it in rair. By rai.'^in'!; from our own soil a SUiTiciency of corn for our Internal consumption, a beiteficial inlld. »• labour can never fail lo its prop«;r level in a country that draws its supplies from Utalp. jicirts, because food ti'kue, to ray nothing of the precariouijiiL-ioi pc/.isional relief and the endless fluctuation of price, must be rt|i«' laily higher by thefjil amounl cf ai;ency, frei;^htj insurance audi succession cf protUs. Ttiis additional cost falls on tlu; watritf labour ; and thus cotnos-, in the enri, to aftect the maikel pri',cl| every cominodi-ry. Kvtn the expec.se of catcliinj^ fi.sh and v^ck horti tliiven from 'jcnce of th«- icn* and viows of I lie I, we ouiihl witih liclaU'ii of u IK ,^ 11 g the fial.t rii;> in liit^of gypsiiiiiKi lid vested cai'iiui ; c UtbuurM of l>uv s beiK'fueni ill lU tniost wishes b) i ' vreallh aie Iniu', Miv. of licr l)ouiii), q'.iest'.onahly liclds I. Our great mr above l:iid niv.A ifmiinaU' in tl v r: tu «>f the speculator. It would t'.w* li.i. ,ip^»Iiiat!;>ii of the p.oviiitiil fipi tal to embark it in {.riHliu^ works and loitcliincry, wliicli pnpiiiR di'ii's : and we must wiil fctr hiilf a ctiiiury \ even ih e coarser lonimo before we can prudently or mt.it s^flllly eu'viijo In llie'ii. h] Hi.jf,u'. 1 tarc>5 of no deseriplioii can thri-c in a :.oii tl; it is uup'od'ic'i^t! it» bread'Coni. This is the lirsi ami nu -it issontial (f m iMii<'ac»ure i and is the fountain of all lli.- n'-f. J' i^ tlio li>Aesi step i-i tlu> ladder of nationu! pro'perily ; but dm ii vtr .nnst ilirijv* our weij»h<, before we ctny ancri'd safely to ihe up, < r und rror-' rlevafeil. In consequeiite of our lanientaldc, and itn^ uiiix';!^ i!I j i i knuwlt'di^ed en;i: .It 111 <)i'r-.:|v(.s rf the infcriorily in agriculture, wp canius known and manifest a'lvaiit,i4ji of ill',) c>:,!r.r' I roil !OI!e MrC );av« nbuiidiincp, bat w- rlan- not v»<,rlv ii ; sr.l' for liu- flbhoriel turronnds us on ail f-ides ''(" wt ( ;• (Mil' I I.) lii t xtlac^ I! I on tht n(c«n ; our tiat»\( fi rs i..U'.t ho !-i".!l lionn- tu ic;«'iV( (hei,'los> fashion, and bocHiie the 1;! aitiic of I'tMiiuli: ixMuly ; ihc coals of oir niincri. iil.'hougli among the i)ulki<>si of luiicli •, iiai.-r niuititaiiioc'a • :, fill!/ eqiial to those t»i* price, on areourit of the hiu;!i tate of u i. ported from Britain. liut it i i uc(!dlcss to e.iter inio ^m !i . looir <>iiuti)er:i(ion, us'we canarrive at the same inference by a ;hoi'er load. TaU.; uny m value, it will be found 05 it comrj from tho hind .if th. fully 60 percent, higher than tli.^ s«ine article in IJritalo. Iixpire iutu the ctuse of tiiii), ai.d you will le'^rn (bat it ori.,Miiates iiithe n.u:'. cauP.iM :>uI)Us* (^n iiudi. rale wi^e.-*, and he must draw from his employer efK*.ei;li lo answc^r hi-. wu'S. deartiCsS of iivin.-. A tr.idt^ Th IS iame Cause nlloi Is the expeo-e of biwidii.t, a,:i! ef io!ji>eili rate of rcets : it ne(e-,::arily incrcuse.s lii. pr.lit.-- ol liie iui;>"i'i'rai>(i the re! ail er, aod thus ciiluuices ^)|■lli^t» goods— he, ;^i;i j.c et oui clothing ; aud in f.ut iiisiuunlcs itself into e»;jy aiii.te ot oei ijiiiy or couvemeute .( w hy Ii I'.vji i; ueai 111 a couiU-.y {m.-nuJ i£h ii h fi' ■Ji /eriile soil oiui warmed by n geitial sun ; ("txCAUte (lie riational ca- pital has not biiliorto bcco directed to ai^ricultuir, and this art indis. pcnsable to prosfprity has htdi niiserahly nrfrlcotcd. We hnvc duz plaster to fertilize (he territory of our iielj^hbo'iri ; wo have rurid C^h (o obtain rum and *aear ; and we hate [^.uted with uur rvcry dollar, to ^t ire off brijpary and starvation. The cultivation of lain! is the only stable i»! d pcnnaucnt emplcy D'ont of capital : all else is peri^lmblc and liable to tlu; viciwsiiudei rf fortune. Where are thogalli. ; wliich foui(h. (iSnlatiiis ? NV!»ere the mcichandize of Tyre ? VV'liore the iTMtly perfumes of Arabiu ? V'hcre the riches and pride of CirthMg^' ? Worn by the rorrosioti itf time, or consumed hy the hand of the dc Iroyer. The states of Asia Minor, the Ilepubiics of Greece, tl.i; |»rovincP8 of the llornii:i Empire, the Roman l^inpire itself have left no relics of their weilth, their magnificence and unriv.nlled prosperity, save (he foil whirh iluy cultivat.'d and improved. 1 bhall not exiCjU from this general de- vastation the exinting ruins of a few cities which are entirely us-^liv^s to the present generation, and which serve only as tneinorials lo teach us, ijow f;idii>g and transient is all human glory. Tlie (apiia!, however, laid out on the soil i* beyonii the rciicli of fo» tunn, and benefits alike the present and future ago. When all other cilorts of •jar industry in this province have yielded to time — our ships — our Toorlen biifdiegj — the frail ppparatus of nur fisheries — and the roducts of our mines ; — he land, reclaimed from t!ie forest, will vtnain as tlie only unchangeable monument of our existence ; ard te capital there espeodcd will have a dura'.iun coeval with that of {• country. It will rnilure es the only permanent riches ; and to Sim lip all, it is the Alpha and the 0;nrga of uatioual grandeur and waltb. AGRICOLA. Halifax, Tune 11, IS 19. i;i>' in3):iiiz% jnent richt'S ; and to A. AnJIa, i(8 sttto ai repiT«onteil in Tiemli 8«!o;(rB|.liy, pappr)*. AcitUyiuf; principles, tlieii unnil.ir, names, auJ more obvious propcilioi, 7i. Aconta's theory ot" climate, 4i. AdverlisL-nicnl for J«tUio rnH's HukIm- iry, MS. for a public meriiiig ■ <• inb^biUnts of Halifax, 11)9. iii^tna, tUo difl'arent rlimatos on its sidn * AgricMltnialSoci.tie.s. .Se« Societies. Ayricuitiire, the necetsity of scienc to diicct it, 18. " it.N dignity and importaiii.'e, 12G. ' — an object of pniaiiil to tliiKnglihh nobility and rctiied niercliants,l4* the liist object of attention in Ilic proj;u'3» of ioaety, Hi. Alexander Charles, bis method of saving nrinc, 217. Alkalies fixed, give solubility to oiU, 313. change and nitidify vegetable colours, 314. Alternate husbandry, the advantages of, 1GI,1G2. Aniinonin, its Halts useful to vegetation, 312. Ajialogy betwien plants and aniiMalsi, 71, 327, 328. Analysis of suiLs useful to the farmer, 1 11. method of conducting it, 112. Animal heat affects the temperature of climate, 66. the causes of, explained, 78. Annapolis agricultural society, its establishment and ollkci:), 19^. Ardcuue, the destrnotion of the ancient forest of, 51. Atcbeson Nat. Esq. his donation of the transaclions of the .Society of Arts, Lo«« don, to the Provincial Agricultural Society, 111. Atmosphere, composition of the, 7'6. its balance and purity preserved by the mutual action of rsgelaLIes and auinulK, 1)3. Ashes, coal, eminently useful for turnips, 33G. Ajisford, the predominant quality of its i-oil, 116. Ayrshire cattle, puLhu money j;'^*" 1.0 ^1^ IB^ i.i 1.8 1.25 i 1.4 1.6 ^ <^ /^ °y^ /' /# cm oV ."^> > // ■^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREE' WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^ V V '^ '^ m: INDEX. I !^"atson (irncrrl, liis n?\v %\T.tem of farming ohjected to, 332, S'-iS, Ulack sea, frozen in tlip lime of Ovid, 'jl. Board of /\j,Miriiltinc the n( ccssity of one in Nova Scotia, 22. ' tlie Oiipiii of tilt! Urnish,2'.J, 21. >—— the extent of tlie parli.mieiitary grant to it, 359. tlx! extent of thn provincial grant given on tha establishment of ours, 371. Bones, their nse ps a manure, 307. Books, gri'at srarcity of agriniitnral, in Nova Scotia, 30. Boring, oniplo)cd to got rid of surface moisture, 43S>. Brake harrow, desciiption of it, IGl, 165. ,~ ■ ■ tlio advantwges of introducing and using it here, 167. Burning of lime, conducted hy mrnns of public kilns in Britain, "i'H, nietliod of, in Wales, 275. in the connt".«'sofYork and Salop, 276. simple method of conducting it here proposed, 270. •■• C. / Caloric, its effect on bodies, 7S ; on the sap of plants, 74. Canadian stallions, public money given for importing tbem, 371. Carbonic »cid, composition of, 78. decomposed by the action of plants, 94, Capital, the various modes of employing it, 451. Cattle sliowS: when fust estaUiislied and the premiums offered, 371. Cereal gramina, can accommodate themsolves to climate, CO. Chemistiy, Its subst rviencc tfl agiicultuiu, 72. China, agriculture encouraged in It, 29. its population the cause of great agricultural efforts, 12'i. — — foreign trade discouraged there, 452. ,^ . Clay, its physical properties, 106. ., , employed ar a manure, 134. * v ,; ;j . , Clay-burning, its history and progress, 329 to 336. Clearing of land, estimate of its expense, 392. ' ' the period necessary to con>plete it, 39$. Climate, the causes which afiect it, 46. those which impiove and mitigate it,55, r»6. the natuie of that ot Nova Scotia described, 157, 309. Coai, supposed to be of vegetable origin, 336. Colche^ti I agriculhiial saciety, its formation and officers, 124. ("oinbusiible bodies, ihennniber and nature of, 76. Commons, hurttul to the progress of agriculture, 421. ought 1o be .appropriated, 422. Cdminitlee of manajtenient, the five first appointed as, 213. Coiupaiition of the reUtlve value of dung and urine, 218. beuvftn the active and intellectual powers, 388. Composts, their importance, 214, 215. . thtir usefulness in regard to feriQenlatioi), 230. various kinds of, 231 to 235, — uiellioil of making them, 232. «i j*t f,1i. 4.-B. f..^;,,. iNUKX. ;i3, ent of ours, 371. !, 167. m, !27.>, 270. 174. e(1,a7«. 8. ■■■H ^ 2*i. 09. 124. i.oiii lews, iliK olij> ( I (jtiliLia in (ii(4t Biil.tin, t IS. Climes, lOiidince, li.e ot)j<-i i9,t;«n.litioii, itin) ciiii-i of lli.it willi '\giicola, 35 to Si?, Corn.ai.oii.Jciits, Mr. l'l« ifilici, >;) ; K. T'o! tlm(.r uiiJ H. II. Cot"j\*ell, F.sqn,, \.r\d. 1)1 (J.,i 111. ai, lion, r, N. Jerttry, bl ; Kdil ut' Dailioiiisie, bi; Mr. Jiilit) L.IWS01I, 94 ; .S. ti. W, Artliiliald, r.sri. liii; Ste- [.ht-n ().s.lt»y, Es'|, 173 ; J. S. Moibe, I'.mi Ibj, i.'ib ; Mr. Tgler and Ml. Owcii, 191 ; ileiuy GoUlsuiiili, i;si|. 11)5; Rev. T.Trot. tt-r, IIKJ, 2:,'J; Mi. ClaiKf, Mi. i\luua>, .Mr. li. S. Bluuchaid, IlLvd. K. hIarUwcod, JOi: xMi. Miller, iJli : Mr. Wui. WUite, Revd. Mr, V.'aJJdl, I,. Hart-^lioriii , !■ vj. Mr. George Gillmore; 243,211); Fr.iiu^ IJ;:ii<.l(". 1 sii. 2tit) ; Mr. Ifiiiilt-r and Mi.Oawr* ion, 270, '271 ; Uioiriis ivoncb, E:-q. Mr, Ihxav. Logno, Dr, Hay« ■ah], 27 li, '21 'J; l{( v(l. H. Giaham, Col. Ciam , 318 ; Mr. H. Wol- leiihaiipt, Mr. !it-iivic, U50 ; Mr. T. O'liiiien, 300 ; Mr. J. Ar- cIuImM, iK.^i Win. l<0Hs, t-q. Biid Mr. J. limit, 36,5, 36'j ; Mr. G.G,Gsiild,3dj ; Revd.I^uiicau Kos)i,4i:ii Majoi G.Cowp«r;l441. number of willi Agricola, 3 17. Cradle hillf, acrount cl their ori;^iu, 401-i, 40!)- tlif inconveiiieuce of ilieiu in rulfivatiug la-id, 410, 411. Cullivation, itseU'ects on cUiiiiite, 6G,60. Cultivator, de.scriptlen of llie insti unirnt, 160. Cuiulierlaud, dcspiiptioii of, 2'i 1 to 227, fstahlishnieutof itsajjriciiltuial society, 18.5. the amount of subscriptions and donations to 'lie society, 258. 3). l)alliousie,Earl of, instrumental in prosnoting the afjricuUure of the province, j,4. the plans he adopted fur tl:at purpose, i4. date of his fust letter to Agricchi, ti2, his public proposal to establish the Central Hoard, 18j. Davisoii, \Villiaiu,his observations ou the effects of lime, iJHb. i)if.nite proportion of bodies may be represented by nuiubers,84 83. does not hold in the vegetable products, 86. IJeiuostheues, bis answer about the chief merit of an orator, 431. Uihcovery of Agricola, circumstances attendin;^ it, lUii) 270. Digby Agricultural Society, the date of its forn;atiou, 42G- its list of oScers, 422. Draining, the principles of it, 431— known to the Konian.", 137. nietliod of sinking pits in Germany for this purpu3c,140. Diill DiMchinery, unknown in Nova Scotia, 32, \:i'J. • imported here, for the use of the United States, 15G. ' prices of the weeding and double moulded pluu;jl)8, 157. its advantages, 158 to 1G2 — first emjiloyed at Willowpark, 11, Uiill syjittio), its imporcance to Nova Scotia and the gi«»t ext«Dt of grouul litled for if, UJ— iVuiBded by TuH, 179. U 3 '. * if' '■ ' i If ■' 4i Jill . ',1 Ih I ? ,s t t 1 1 i ,? 1 1 * i INDEX;. Drill Rvntcw, preti. uins offoreil fdr its IctriKUirAion Uerc, :;;j, Dn'jlio .Society, w,fe4vy, dtr i-f...^.iii« ■ticfwii: ■ .if 4.sti-{:(rif jr-iJ •'•l:duui/t.ry-i%wvvng«f »,t(««iua«i, Ti. Uo. *jk*,fcKi .xC'tf-tit 5eirme2'.'.ail'fcui, 229. E. &.itL«, U. iiii i*-p;;f;'H>3s. of Ui-'S ^vGVx-.l tit AV-isiial. nlti V'-gei.-i'ila Si-^-i «a lae 4»»8- Emi2';uiit'!'-, ^Jsc-'? i^ifP.' aiice o/fen^'^;a«<5"J• tlm t«nt-V'r«»f^ifevif jw<»Wiiy ('> impro'^f 34^»d,39». Oil "lecoucp'jeijgjvea*; by a rwuRisjg st»«*in,':((4)> — utiiacaiiilieO'U. F*llow, samwiT, 'nsV-MOWK la (Si-e yro'viwcr, il. its imjvoitaficft taagricKlttirr, \$\. FanUjdescdjif ion «f tm?«i. i7j— >iu»ijr ijse a»K! ai!va«{sgee U;., 1'5, Fan««r, frf« is f<»mfn«!iicafin;', rii> i?r.|HavcOTfln?s — tUf c».«s« af ihit, 29. \{i^ inr<".ioril> in p)!rtof rawk m Nova-Srotia, 9. Vam^s, Jlifir jtt im ii! r.i« [ti qviuc?, '3f)S, K, vJMOH-i, tjescnijed, v&O. I'fitili'v ci' soil partlj- d«paif!eiU an the Jnst proportion of »%? fXvMiS, ^S'J, riRherieji In a low state aflftc tJw late war, IJ, l-"kM'ii>!i Hus(>iiTikeJ by atit'atioii lomaimres, l!)i. Foot! of p!ai!t9, v;swo«f i{j»'oiios of il.tii). the gucat dittiiTilty in ascertaitiing whvit it is, 87, lix jirincipal iigretUfluts of Ouit food niKntioucil, '63. iIk' j)rabai>le truth on this subject, 00. Jetiiro Ttj!i'» ilieovy of the, 138. FoiP'ts, pieiiiinmv offered for cntting it tlown, 373. ihf trres penilis, to tlifrfrcnt s^^oili--, ,\^%. Fossil n'.anutes,ot'f('.cul aiitiijni(j', i6G. vvtfat tlipj imiiule, 250. \\ifx\ MioiJe of oporatioti, 252— the duration of tJ>«»ir etfect^, 2l(-3. the ihuijjcr of apj lying tlicm too pleiilifuHy, 255, Frerdi, thefi.n farmers of dikes and unbuiikmciits hcre^UO. '-I.. bio iifj «fl tae aviia- isns «-/f)fe ii€! r;ne in Nov. Sctia I4fl l,eimiijatio.7, tl.f absorptiorj oJ ox3««ie necessary to it, M3. ' ' Gli<«s, niiK/f! of fi;an(»f;iri!)riji;^ it, NJ3, O.ar.i.e. iJ.s.-on.pom ... p.-uts,.,..! mo..k« of tli,i„trg,a(ion lU, Craiitsof land, fersofc'jtaiiuv!!; ihfiri, 3'JS, ' Cnvf of I? inn, «, 2<)I. (vitfre, stale of a?iicii}li(rp ill ijjsf,, Ort-eii fjops, bfsif c»iltivHif>, inpil as niiinHiH,;{;jr,. illu.stiativf of t!,e a»iii.ih.mg power of plants, :5.i|. ' Gvubber, df.scnj.jiou of it, IftO, Ifel, GypMim,anarJitlc of cxpoii, 207. ivur oi gj)erBiion,>.0J,>01— explanation olilseflects,3a6 H.iliCax, n.'u-i) d;vi!!f(i iiito lot^i, r,(». siiirciimdcil witii rorkj- Miut:i, !■.'!. the dale of its first ntMin.d.Mai .soCiH v, [(,i>. Jliints .society, uheii foujidrd, 12/,. Kiist Hants socsetv, uj iuimuiio,; >.- d oiScfTs :iS--, iiar..ho.no, Law.r.. e. E ., ,.. ,,„,,„„ ,, ,,, ,.;„..^, j,^^^^, ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ Hie toji.KT ai,'noti;t>.i;il so/-iely, 212. Hurrow,its nse and i,upo:,aiice, lOl-severa. kuid/dc.e.ib.d, ,6S to U«. H.rve.t, .ffeccd bv the eltvatioH above the level of the sta, 47. — n 111 I' of fit if, 3',)'j. /fay, it., former rxt;,K.Mdinaiy price in the province, 13. Jleicyiiiinfonsr, ii.s ejitfM t, 41, liie ariiindl.H liiiu ii»habil*>(J it, 54. Hif'ilaiia society of . Scotland, i tbeextent of it* funds, 358 ts origin and object*, 28. I. Jmportaiion of larm produce, if>; nVects. (iS, Improveuienf f, agricnlturnl, iniport-nt in four ligbti, 41.5 liidian corn couich to perfec liitiitialilits of ibt; surfaee form the f titjo ill this clinKiic, C7. tbe honrce of' patriotic sf n>at eat 4>d f. ■'■'■l-t h, i! King'i county a?ririil'iir,il society, rtisl mentioned, 8JU. list of its officeis, 232, 28;i, Knig!)t,T. A. bis cxj)eiiinL'ntsoD vegetation, U3. L. Lanraifer, Josrpli, Iiis tcheine for eiiu'lojinj the poor, lOli. Lravfs, their liahits uiul use in lln» vegeliiLl*^ fcciioniy, liO. L«gislalive grants foienronraging agricultniT, how »)iey shouM be inveslc ! ;'::j Ilif'iimonnt of llic (iisl lo tiie Provincial Society, 371. tliP jilan of itHdisliilmtion, 377 to3Ht, " the amount oi llic three succeeding, l."», Leltei?, private, nuinhrr rcciived by Agiicola, 3 J7. Levelling i)loHKh,fk;scri|>tion and umc of it, ill. Library its importar-'e to agrienltn;al iuiprovcR'.cnt, 412. Lime, its component iiarts.S-, -its physical pioptrlio!«, lOi. toomucb of if huririil, 12:5, 2n(i, 207. its effect on r>Minfripsliire,2()5. abundant in N«v?i Scotia, 2«7 to 209— rules for applying it, 2S7 to iSa. — — its chemical properCies, 291, 292 -us< fiil a'* a carbonate, iiO:'.. itsagricullnial iH\ ct(!,2Ul,a9.j, beginning to be sought atler and appreciated here, iGC, 307. — — premiums for its application, :t7;>. Linnajup, his sexual sjhitin, 327. Loam, di'fiJiitic/n ot'thet«in), no -piTdoniiiiant in Nova Scotia, 117. Luoaiiburg fanner soeietj, list of its liist officers, di'J. M. Machinery, agricultural, its ufpH, 1 11 to 1 IS. the arrival of implements to the Provincial Society, 402, MaRnesia, its supposed htirlfnl effects on vegt-tation, l(i'.>. • the scarcest of the four rarilis forming soils, 1:^9. its pernicious i ffects ascribed to its excess, 250, 309. Manures, th»^ir gr<^at antiquity, 186. 'the classification of tiie putrescent, 191, 192. loss of them occasioned here by ignorance, 2 17. all of mineral origin, 337 — the distinclioii into ibssil and pulresc«iit uti inconsistent with their common origin, 341. Marshes, tbe cause of ib.ir superior fertility, 119. ■— their iDe\hins'tibi!ity denied, 131. bad fnisbandry practiced on them here, 1C5, 327. mode of their culture in England, IGO. price of them here per acre, 397. Marie, foiiml in Nova Scotia, 13:i, 300. Mcadowbanks, Lord, his compost middens, 2 l), 241. — the proportion of the niattriab, 2 it. Metals, their number and names, 78. Mines dcsi:ribtd,l49. i 'i loul'l be iiiveslc ! ;■ Moors, llifir ppouliar sir liliiy, loj. Mud, iimisli, cmnloycd as a inaniire, 129, Musqiioduboitsocit »y, Ilic date ol ils-siiihll^Iimpiit, 3j!». N. Nfftle*, liow to r?.tii|'atr, 131. N.iitn.l »ali,silieii- supposed impoikuirr to vt Rotation by the earlier «iiti..»«,3ir» giTatiniccitaiiity aboni their oporaiu.i. on vt j^*-lable lift-, 31S. ;,-<.«• ral conclusions rf/^aidin;,' ilinn, ?,-l\\ to 3jj. New land., difiVrt-nl imthodh ofinanaj^ing, :;;;3, «C4. Nile, its ii.iiiKlalions the canst- of t'cilibty, lis. artificial canals cut lor its waterj', 455, Noi'i society, its (orination and oHucrs, .SGo. > orfolk, Ibc cause of its great improveinnu, l;)l i(. .ysfm of hmba.ulry, ITii Nova iScoli 1, nature of it^ cliuiafe, 1 .07. litile known in Great Hritaiii, r.'JG. vast extent of is mai.shes,3;)7. (). Oatt^ioal, rt'coinmendtd as conducive to our inilij,cndrnrc, ?:-,7. flianijeot j'nblic opinion rct'ardiut' it, :iiJ2 -ilt "-.tr i; '■,'•! ■. •',■* Oatniills, the uuiDln-r (rected licie in thice yeat-i, M. pieiuiuius oHered fur ilie liuildinjr of dif li,.,t ^h.l:. T'Z. Oats, preminnis oHVred for iJieir grow tli, :,7?,. propriety of iniportiiit; seed froiu Eiiglaid, JT 1. ■ tlieir weieht at l)ii;hy,,128. Obstiuctiou!! to tl.e iiiiprovenr.'nt «f land, their classi:iiv,t„.'i, ;,i!) a twofold *!ivisiou of tlicm, 351. Occupancy o? land, tlie prin.^ipl.?*, and order in v.Irrii ii I,; .■;iiii,i(M'\! l>Ji, I'X-iis vegetable origin and Ltiuwth,*;:?!. used a; iw], 2•^. :-,,'> il . not rul;ivafcd as p soil here, t-SS. ■ used as a in.iimrc, 239-method of irtiinf^ it, 2«;I. its accumulation a pioof of the asiinnlatini^ j-.u-v.:.- -ji'pliMt*. ■;;.!. Perpendicularity of jdanis, 97. Persia, address «f its kinjrs to hiishnmi Pbiladeiidiia society, it» establi^hnifnt ( men, .irni. of a uiai!ii:;'.ctoi • 'i' if 'MUt^i Phosphate of li 3'iotoa, West I pattern farm, 31. nie, where found ; riiffereiii rtii'i (•! xari'Mj^r. of it, :'• >,S. liver agriculturii .sOClOtv Pi ant i\< oiJ' ■r>i, !21, i, a peculiarity bcioru'iiii,' tosoveial spe-irs, !;5. t.ieu power of assiniiiatiTiij inert mutt' the substances found in iliem.;513 ■i :v;9. i'loui^hing matches, the fiist in Nova-.S •aussur(',s taules, 314, I'vitia, laS. o» preminrns offered for, 37 1. o!)jvctioii& to She advaatagfi of, 414. !i' h u ' 5 \$ I t ll Is PI<)m;,'I»<, tiie Dulthand Voiksliivf, ;;-^~Giedan, UG >-Roi»aii, 137. tJ'soii; :t)n i>l ihoii iiariyJK), 1 i7. -- tin; KiJll»;'i!i;im, 1 \h -\\v\ Ai jvltjil.iiie, l"),l. -ihiil pi(>i)|,'li< iK'scnbol, \'i\, ^'upiiUtioo, aiauuttt orjii Njia Scii.a, 19— llic caHscs which afl'cct if^ 11^. Potato** niaudu'd v.itli chf'..:ii'iil qcitliuet, Hi:t -ii»i'«t -itH di^niiy :\<\i u s«', ;'..) (hf I .jjn r itini'ititn ofsniinort to t[ic Inwx] socJcUts, 155(5. , ilie o:»jt'i!- ii ill )t pitt'oiirijjeJ, '.;V2 Ixi r;*l. liie ajiiOiiiit oi 3ii!)S( tiiitioiu iiiui '.loiiijtions »o, 37G. I'lovisiorij ricnii t itt unVimr ■ to the detnatitl, ;;0 -llifir piire l.cic, "'.>3. I'uii'. I'.iclioii m.iiUiatfs «i)iui»'fj >(>.— :^t:i* at libeily tiiti cltiiitiilRiy jiiiiicijl^-.t i- a pioot ()t I'lviiie VviscJom and fjooiinrss, Itl. ■ iht do;;ivf Ij uhii ;i it ;4»wp!iJ hi raiiicJ a auhjfict of ciu'.ruvcr*;;, 'ii"!. — t,,)t liauijeions in i-oniMOsts, i!:}i>, i*i!ttr?co;u man UK.", Ilnii oiVin-, l.-icj— llieir pf)n8litueiil jjiiiicii>K's, \6*J. — ;^i in'Jiil coinh^iioua abimt llit^ir nalme, JOO. tliuir .jcciiuiiiimioii a;ii iijcie.ise tVom the dead farms «f matttTj 3 1!_ Q. j,-ir.rsrii',th'j hmnJciof liic theory of ihe UcoQouiist?, 'IjO. j,iii!r.-> oC his ihoory, t^l. (tiiiick liiDc Uj plicable lo iirw lands, 289. ri. K.iiiK, liiii source -jf springs lui'J wctuc-ss, iZZ. «wv> nil lUoiJii of oititl'aigiuj; Ihem from laiu^, 435. Reaping marhinu. hit. Matith's, 178. Kei'iii' , !>!■. his v..!ion.> n.«Mhods tif decouij>osing peat,23C», !iii< Oj>ii>i(Mi I'loocre, 121. itPMrhiiioiiS oj the Prwviiu *al A^rictiitural Society, 20f>, 210. ,5 iiie huidhoKlers a; iJ farmers of Lnneuburg. 'J>:), 26). Ketmi!^ mr.J;; by the socielics, the txtraordiiiary produce nr.ntiojifil ia iL&.i), 10. K( veii«.»> ofGicat Jiritain, 45i!, iloa.'i.'jin t'.xcel.'ccJ eor.ditiou ht're, ;M!S. l{<:r';:<, '.I'^it tlivision iiilo ) riiiury «iul si'rone:i, 173. IJ;)r!.'*, thru ^t; iU'i iuc, CO. tilt: .ipaci y of «oll< etiiig food from the soil, 90. ^ }i;^ CI rat dppih lo «hidj they j'eneli ale, 140. li',)i .lioJi ot rroi-'t, iiukMovvn in Nova-Scotia, 12, ^^. cf !*)!•! tif h ir.arshes, lOfi. Ctit; 11^. Ito it, 15. ks uf malUi-j 31!. i*' M nv.nli""* il ia LMJF.X. JNlr* of C'lripctiiirn far ilw fii*t aijrioaUtMal pri/pt, 5f.i,i&$. itu«ticiislii» Ictt'Tfi (ksLMAiiii,' <'riiffi, 107, ha|» iiolJs m '•ol.iroii ^aiimr, Ixdirf,, 2.'>1. i'fotclj hiisl)aiii1i\ n.wi ji.tiiifd into N-.va ' i otia, l:.. Sea, its power of ic-iff !'>; aiid initii^a;iiig rnl I, 43, t!>. Sea waK'i' «s<'d ii: : I-.tkii!;; Liui(! »• inaiiiin-, 3 JJ. i3.?cfc'taiy, (Sin?, of Ihi; I'toviiiri.il Sooif (y, :>A I, .■^lecd.^, the kiuty, liSJ, Shdljiooko Aoriety, its estahlisliiiiPiit and firyt oncers 3(o. Si»)cUii', Sir John, liii sitVortM to to\iiid the T.oard of .-iyriri)lliup,23.^4. Iiis statir.tiihl acGoiijii of Sroilaii'l, 'i'J. >o»|», movii'of manufactiuiiifr it, SIS. icda, p«u<:;nTd from nMii'io ;!a.ii.«, 31 J, Hi chomi^al ijiialitjc:'., 3*.:^. fo«Hd sjative in niJiiiy glares, r>!(J. .'"..)« i;itli\l:OH, 90, i)T. dcconjj'ostis -rjj'uul and v-f:* l-Jdc s-i'i t:\;(rrj. loo. it^ c«))acity of atmosplieric, Hl»<(trp(i(iii, l(ii5. .■'cscrjjjtion of a good asid Iciula soil, lOJ, tiiG formation of soil';, !}(}, ii*. oiipKcify flfabhotbing mitnlivd t::»'-.r'-:, £0:,'. mf't' .^d of inipiffvinji 'stony soiis in Aherdppii«Iiire^ 422. ((. do. in ll)e pi'Hiol, tlje want of flicni a i^rmt evil, 'ii, (Urir advajilriges, 2.j to ':7. foHiidrd ill diffivnit conntvirs, 2?, M>e rmn)hfTof {ii€n jin'.T f'xi^t'nf^i'.nd f"'!'!'-'?;'^ in N'nva Scoii^t, IC, ^ — , ijje hi-tory, origin or cli'ifprs— of i'h' \'a>[i ii".|<*r,l ;> 1, 1„'r»--of ',\>it Uiv^r Y'ioton, 121 — »)f Hants, IJ-O— of OiiiviHM'jud, IHi— of Anniipn- li!=, 19.)— of tlip Pi'..viist;ial, :il.5 -of (.nunibm;!:, 'iC'), 31!)-«if i King's Couiity Uiiioa, 27i) -of liijif;'-. ( onn'.v. i!H - ot SyiJii"", l^S;) — of iM«S(]Hodol)oit, ;i-,(» — o{ 'iijviuoiitii,".'!:' -of >•'.)(!, Z'AO-- cf.yii*?rbrooke, GCi— yf 2ast liu;it:?,'iS5 — of 'H<: vjar'^, iO-'l -if fjprings, the ca.Jts of tlnir origin, 4S1. .^:a!i?tifal av^coitnts, Uioir ooji cis ao-1 inin.irl.-.no". ;l:'. y^bwUck aocif:y, iti citabiishnicul au* fjistolTsceu', ■4Ci;,'10i. !:■ *■ ^'i^" i: It ^ ^ '" fltoiips, Kipal HJ1. .Siratii, tb«> tlixiHiuiiof, 111. SMatiricalioii,apiinri(ile iiCniiipr in it, 13 I. Sftavv, jcarciiy of, 10. Sydney Hociety, tlie snjipoi"il cxte.il of it» jmis«liclio*i,*Jjy. . list of Its oflicnrs, '2H I. T. Tap|»iii^, dinVrcut claims iiii'J to il* di.'ciivciy, 137. Taste, false in laying out f;roini«hle into tlit* d. .\<\ f^rnis of i5iutli'r,.'i4», IJ. Union King's County agrlcidtuial socii'iy, it«i (.•sti!)li!t!iment and oflii-cr", a?!! Uplands, df tinition of the hwrn, I II. nature of those occuniiift in the province, 116. Urino, lost in Nova Scoiia, "iltj. Charles Altxaudcr'sir.ethod of i>ic<"i vjng, 217, 2H. W. Water, its oomv<'?i'iop 77. taken \\\> by tlio roots and absoihed by the leaves, 101, of^ieat influmcf! in v:j»etaiion, 11)9.200,299- Weediii^' ]>l«Mij;li (h'-.oril»i.d, 151, Wei. !s, tlii.ii piu'ilaniir.aucc in ;ua!)!e lands, 12. tlieir ililt. loiit natur(.s, lU, 112. "\\ luar, wii t^:r, reconoDifudtd, 17J. liinir.}; necessary to the pt r'ection of, l.'J8. Wheel idougiis iiusnitab'.e to Nova Scotia, 152. WihU! cioi's Uiinlhere. for tiie drill sjjteui, IT'J. \\ ntier, hovi iu<.u.umodioua (o iariiiing iteie, GH. V. Yaunoulh societVj date of its formation, 352. Z. Zenda vesta, a v/itc maxim in lli^^ -ioii. ■■■fd I , ;iui. lie ilivernity of sotlt, |o 2.1 i :l(>r,34». lit and oiTii-ev, a?* 1.