THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 



found to be composed of sulpher, oxygen, and lime, as 

 its most essential properties ; these being the first prin- 

 ciples, or most powerful exciters, or promoters of ve- 

 getation, give to this substance the first rank in the 

 system of rural economy. 



All the experiments which have been made with 

 this first of manures, unless upon a cold, dead, wet 

 soil, have gone fully to prove, that Gypsum is not only 

 the best, but the cheapest manure, and most to be 

 depended upon, for general use, of all the manures. 



Oxygen is the great vivifying principle in the animal 

 world, and is therefore styled, by way of distinction, 

 vital air. This vital air composes 28 parts of a hun- 

 dred of atmospheric air, and thus gives life, not only 

 to the animal, but to the vegetable world. Abstract, 

 or remove these 28 parts of vital air from the atmos- 

 phere, and neither animals, nor vegetables can live 

 an instant ; they both die. Animals inhale the vital, 

 or oxygen air into the lungs, this commixes with the 

 blood, and gives that florid, or vermilion hue to the 

 blood in the lungs, and thus passes into circulation, 

 giving vigour, life, and energy to the whole system, 

 and again passes off through the secretions of the 

 body, aqd commixes with common air. It is a well 

 known fact that the foliage of plants and trees, pro- 

 duces in constant succession, and emits into circula- 

 tion, this vital, or oxygen air, and of course it must 

 follow, that by the inhaling vessels, both of the 

 roots, trunk, branches, and foliage, this oxygen, or 

 vital air is admitted into circulation, and iDecomes 

 the essential, or vital principle of vegetation. 



Whatever renders the earth loose, so as to admit a 

 free circulation of air to the roots of plants, will best 

 promote the great system of the economy of nature, 

 and thus render it active and vigorous, by the free 

 circulation of vital or oxygen air; the same as in 

 the animal world. Whatever causes the greatest de- 

 gree of fermentation, when buried in the earth, best 

 promotes this economy of nature, by rendering the 



