time, some knowledge of its principles and Western Horticultural Review is adapted to practice is essential to a "polite and lib- their wants, and would aid them in the culeral," as well as a useful and practical eduture of their gardens. cation. The first employment devised in heaven, it is the one-when joined to a high religious hope that brings man nearest to his God, and gives him some foretaste of the pure pleasures of THE FUTure. Wisconsin Farmer. JANESVILLE, Wisconsin; Mark Miller, editor; twenty-four pages monthly, fifty cents per annum, in advance. A neat, little farmer's journal, characteristic of the snug and thrifty enterprising Yankees who, pursuing the law of emigration, have passed along their own parallel of latitude to their promised El Dorado. I sincerely hope that Mark Miller is a successful publisher, and that the people of Wisconsin will appreciate the efforts he is making in their behalf, and sustain him accordingly; for, certes, he is a successful EDITOR, not only selecting with judgment, but preparing the most excellent practical, original matter for his readers; and withal, he has the happiest method of presenting to his readers a flattering notice of the Western Horticultural Review, rivaling in this respect even his formidable competitor, the Prairie Farmer, of Chicago. Southern Planter's Almanac. T. AFFLECK, of Mississippi, has again favored me with a copy of his excellent annual, which is well arranged, and admirably adapted to the wants of the Southern planters. His knowledge of fruits, and devotion to the interests of horticulture, have insured attention to this department. This Almanac is also a favorite advertising medium, and the readers are thus brought into contact with many with whom they wish to deal. It is a matter of regret that friend Affleck had not found a corner for apprising his thousands of readers that the An Agricultural Address. OHIO and Switzerland counties, in Indiana, have united in fraternal endeavor to mend each other's manners in matters agricultural, and to vie with other in the products of the soil. In this way they constitute a permanent society in our sister state, and their report will take an important position in the transactions of the state board. The address at the last fair held at Rising Sun, was delivered by B. F. Morris, and contains much good advice and valuable statistics. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. REPORT FOR 1852.- Thanks to Eben Wight, corresponding secretary, for a copy of this bulletin, which contains the reports and awards of last year's committees on gardens, flowers, fruits and vegetables; from which it appears that there is very active competition for the liberal prizes offered. The schedule of prizes for 1853 is also printed in this pamphlet-amount, $2,520. Delaware County Institute of Science. THE Report of the Committee of the Seventh Annual Exhibition, held last September, has made its appearance in a pamphlet of 26 pages. This county of Pennsylvania is much admired by all visitors, and is famous for its fine farms, beautiful herds, snug homesteads overshadowed by stately trees and surrounded by neat gardens and productive orchards, and more than all, peopled by a sturdy, steady and industrious race, equally remarkable for their continued advance and progress. It is true, with their Quaker parentage, they started in advance of some neighboring counties, and as shown in their Transactions, they are determined to keep in the van. 1:43 11.00 1. 17 Calm; light S. and SW. 18 Brisk W. and NW. 19 Calm; light SW. 20 Calm; light SW. 21 Calm; light SW. and S. 22 Calm; light SW. and SE. 24 Brisk NW. 25 Brisk SW.; W. and NW.; high NW. 26 High NW.; brisk W.; light W. Canals 28 Calm; light S. 29 Light S. and SE. 30 Calm; light W.; calm. 31 Calm; light SW.; calm. Clear days in the month, Variable-sun visible, [frozen. .... 11 ........ 31 This month has been remarkable for its mild tem60.00 perature; which apparent mildness is more attrib 49.00 utable to the prevalence of calms and light winds, than to a higher degree than usual of temperature, as the 36.02 record proves. 28.06 The quantity of rain and snow is very small, being REV. E. GREENWALT has furnished the State Journal with the measurement of the rain gauge for 1852, in Columbus, kept for the Smithsonian Institute. The quantity is as follows: January, 1.22 in. | July, March, 3.32 in. 2.74 in. September, 4.22 in. Total for the year 47 inches. This is at least 7 inches more, we believe, than usu ally falls in one year, in this region; and this excess may all be set down to the month of December. CHARCOAL.-Charcoal should never be used in a sleeping room, unless in a grate; it is very deleterious, frequently destroying life when not used with great caution. It is very hurtful in a close room. THE following simple and unvarnished | books, and that no effort was spared to im story is strictly true. It is given as a hor- prove his knowledge in both. In summer he cultivated the soil, in winter the mind. ticultural item, to illustrate the progress in early life, of a young Horticulturist, in that branch of industry. The fourth year we "missed him on his accustomed round," and feared that we should see him no more. My wife felt disappointed, and grieved a good deal about it. For three years we were regularly supplied by this boy, from the earliest to the Fourteen years ago last May, on a Satur- latest period of the season, with strawberday at noon, a boy called at my dwelling- ries freshly gathered, of fine quality, and house, to sell strawberries. He was of at moderate prices; then with raspberries slender form, apparently about fourteen in succession. years of age, with a bright and intelligent countenance. The fruit was beautiful and tempting, but I had bought enough at market in the morning for dinner and for tea, and refused to purchase more. He observed that his strawberries had just been picked from the vines, and would keep for Sunday. My wife was much pleased with his gentle and pleasant manners, and decided at once to purchase, and to engage a daily house? Various inquiries were made, but supply from him for the season. Upon in- nothing could be heard of him. She only quiry we learned that with his father and a knew his Christian name; the other, if she young brother, he cultivated vegetables and had ever heard it, had escaped her memory. fruit to sell in the Cincinnati market, on a She recollected to have observed an occasmall place, near Newport, Kentucky; that sional hectic flush upon his cheek, and he had a taste for horticulture and for feared that the fell destroyer, consumption, He was so intelligent and obliging, so gentle and engaging in his manners that she had taken great fancy to him. Besides all this, where could we supply our table with such fine strawberries, brought daily to the had marked him for its own. Poor boy, Chemical Analysis of Soils, said she, we shall never see him again, he THE following remarks in support of scihas run his race, and will soon be forgotten. entific examinations of soils, were furnished Years passed away, and we had ceased to the Ohio Statesman, by a devoted and to speak of him, when one day a young practical geologist, well known in the West man of genteel appearance called at my as DAVID CHRISTY. It is refreshing to find store, and presenting his hand, asked if I a man of science stepping forward in deremembered him. In the hurry and bustle fense of these chemical examinations, which of active business life, one forms so many have been unfortunately attacked by those acquaintances, that it is not easy to recol- who should have proved their ablest lect every name or face at first sight. I defenders, a portion of the agricultural therefore answered that I did not. He replied, that when a boy he used to supply us with strawberries, and then he inquired kindly about my wife and children. He stated that by diligence in his horticultural pursuits, he had saved some money, and was then interested in a small store in a neighboring town. I was delighted to see him, and to hear of his prosperity, and gave him a cordial invitation to my house, but he pleaded want of time and departed. On reaching home in the evening, my wife was much pleased to hear that her young friend the "Strawberry Boy" was living and well, but felt rather slighted by his not calling to see her. Mr. press. On the other hand, the agriculturist can not be too cautious respecting those who voluntarily offer their services in this delicate affair; a cheap analysis is almost. universally a bad one, contributing very little to the advancement of true science, sometimes impeding that advance, and always liable to check the progress of scientific inquiry in consequence of the unsatisfactory results that are likely to follow. Christy's views respecting the geological relations of agricultural chemistry, are almost precisely the same as those I had the pleasure to present last October to the Agricultural Society, at London, Ohio. I am gratified with his concurrence. It should Two years ago, when I saw him again, he also be borne in mind, that he who underwas comparatively rich, worth some fifty takes the office of agricultural chemist, thousand dollars—had married the daughter should also understand the wants and bearof a late distinguished lawyer-had pur-ings of practical agriculture. chased and was then residing in his fine Messrs. Editors :-I have been surprised, mansion, in one of the cities immediately opposite our own. Occupied in business of public trust and responsibility, he lives respected and esteemed by all his neighbors. He is well known to many of our citizens of Cincinnati. With all this prosperity, he has the good sense to remember that he was once the "little Strawberry Boy," and no doubt he feels prouder of being the architect of his own fortune, from that foundation, than if he had inherited ten times as much from his ancestors. B. recently, to find an effort made by one or cal analysis of soils. The objection seems two agricultural papers, to decry the chemito be based, principally, on the fact that great differences in the chemical composition of soils exist in different neighborhoods, that as the chemical analysis of the soil of and even on the same farms or fields; and, one spot can not be a true index to that of others, which differ from it, therefore all chemical analysis is valueless. The statement as here made, in relation to the difference in the qualities of soils, is true; but, instead of the inference drawn being true or philosophical, it is the very CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. reverse; as it is this difference in the qualities of soils that makes analysis so indispensable to the agriculturist, in regions where lands are becoming exhausted, or have been worn out. What now, are the facts? One part of a field, farm or neighborhood, differs from other parts, because its soils have been derived from a different source; the one from the decomposition of rocks, in place, another from drifted materials brought from a distance, and a third from alluvial deposits in the valleys of streams and rivers. One of these soils produces good crops of particular kinds of grain, while another of them fails to do so; but when the crop is changed to some other product, the results are reversed. What does common sense, aside from philosophy, teach in relation to such cases? Why, that the causes of these results lie in the differences which exist in the chemical properties of the soils, and in the difference in the elements required by different species of vegetables, during their growth. What then, is the remedy? Certainly not to go on eternally experimenting like a quack in medicine, but to apply the tests of chemical science at once, to each class of soils, and determine wherein they need to be aided by artificial means. But it is objected that a farmer can not afford to pay the cost of the analysis of a half dozen kinds of soils. Well, let us see wherein true economy lies in such cases as this. Suppose a farmer wishes to fertilize his less productive or worn out soils, and buys the famed guano at $40 per ton; will he not act unwisely in strewing it upon lands that have already enough of lime and the phosphates, and only need plenty of properly prepared stable manure, or its equivalents, to supply the needful ammonia and other elements necessary to render lands abundantly productive? And how is he to ascertain this but by analysis? He can experiment, it is true, and may or may not come to just conclusions as to the wants of his soils. But his experiments with guano, at the price stated, may prove rather more expensive than if he had paid for a half dozen of analyses, and at once ascertained the true remedies for the sterility of his lands. A word, however, as to the nature of the soils of our western states. There is a per 291 fect system of regularity in our soils, notwithstanding their seeming diversity to the eye of the common observer. The principles of our system of soils are well understood by the geologist. Take for example the sandstones and shales which lie below the coal formation, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and are several hundred feet in thickness. The materials of this formation have been derived from the North-east. According to the well known laws which govern the transportation of sedementary matter in water, this formation will be expected to assume more and more of a calcareous form, as it extends to the South-west. Investigations has sustained the correctness of this theory. The beds of sandstone and shale in the hills around Granville and Newark, in Ohio, including well known fossil shells, become in Indiana and Illinois, limestone and shale, or marlite, with the same species of fossils. Soils derived from the decomposition of the rocks of this formation, will, of course, be found to grow richer in lime the farther west it is examined. The soils derived from other formations, have also their differences in different localities; but the geologist can distinguish them as easily from each other as the miller can his fine flour from the shorts or bran. It is only by analysis, however, that the chemical properties of any soil can be determined; and when this is done, in a neighborhood, all the soil of the same class that has been tested, may be expected to approximate its properties. A geologist, only, should select the portions to be tested, as he alone can judge of how far the different classes of soils have become intermingled in any particular spot. Should any one be desirous of informing himself on the subject of soils, and their liability of becoming exhausted of elements essential to vegetable and animal growth, they may look into the Tables of Analysis, in the little work on the "Chemistry of Agriculture," which you recently noticed. Take, as an example, phosphoric acid, which in combination with lime, is the essential element in the formation of bone. In the analysis of twelve specimens of soils and subsoils, given in that work, the phosphoric acid, in no instance, reaches a half per cent.; and even when found combined with lime, |