364 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



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purest rain water, or any other, obtained outside of this natural 

 organization. This, in regard to milk has been clearly demon- 

 strated. Milk, regarded as the type of a perfect food by every 

 nation, tribe or sect, excepting the " Sintoists" and " Buddhists" 

 of Japan (whose religion prohibits its use, as well as that of but- 

 ter, cheese and flesh), contains the same per cent, of water as the 

 turnip, yet these two articles of aliment, or food, by the classifica- 

 tion of most are assigned antipodal extremes, one being placed at 

 the head, while to the other is given the foot of the nutritious table. 



If the turnip is to be rejected by reason of its large quantity of 

 water, what is to be said of the cabbage, which contains even more 

 than the "watery turnip ?" "Yet," says Dr. Voelcker, "the cab- 

 bage contains much nutritious matter, and is a valuable food for 

 milch cows." Then the cucumber, the indigestibility of which is 

 proverbial, contains more water even than the cabbage. If the in- 

 digestibility of the cucumber and cabbage is due to the excess of 

 water, where in other edibles does the true mean end and the ex- 

 cess begin ? 



" Worcester' s Unabridged " defines food to be "whatever sup- 

 ports the existence or promotes the growth." Water does both. 

 Shipwrecked sailors have kept the lamp of life burning for a great 

 length of time on water alone ; but if supplied with solid food alone 

 their tongues swell, their eyes are pressed out from their sockets, 

 burning inflammation seizes the whole body, and a train of horrid 

 suflcrings burn out the existence Without this indispensible fluid 

 no nourishment can be given or received. Certain classes of food 

 have their appropriate work — as to develop the brain, bone, or 

 -muscle — but water is a universal food, and a vehicle for all food to 

 every part of the body. 



With regard to the water of vegetation, the amount drawn out 

 of the soil by the roots of growing plants, and thrown with power 

 into the stalks, and by the leaves exhaled into the air, is very great. 

 A sunflower evaporates Ij pints of water a day, and a cabbage 

 about the same quantity. A wheat plant exhales 24 grains an hour. 

 It is estimated that for every grain of solid matter added to the 

 plant in its growth, it transpires on an average 213 grains of water, 

 A corn plant, during its period of growth exhales 3G times its 

 weight of water. Every square inch of leaf lifts 3-500 of an ounce 

 every 24 hours, equal to 150 tons of water to one ton of grass, or 

 800 barrels to an acre of grass or grain. The immense quantity of 

 water thus pumped up out of the soil is hardly conceivable. 



