THE 



NATURAL LAWS OF HUSBANDRY. 



CHAPTEE I. 



THE PLANT. 



Chemical and cosmic conditious of the life of plants — Conditions for the 

 germination of the seed ; moisture and oxyfjen, their action — Influence of 

 the seed in the formation of the organs of absorption, and the production 

 of varieties ; influence of climate and soil in producing varieties — Im- 

 portance of a knowledge of the developement of roots; radication of 

 difterent plants — Comparison of the process of vegetation in annual, 

 biennial and perennial plants — Growth of the asparagus, as an example 

 of a perennial plant ; storing of reserve food in its undergi'ound organs ; 

 use of this store — Meadow and woody plants — Growth of biennial 

 plants; turnips: Anderson's experiments — Growth of annual plants; 

 summer plants : tobacco ; -w-inter wheat^ its developement like biennial 

 plants ; oats : Arcndt's experiments ; Knopp's experiments with maize in 

 flower — The protoplastem (matter for forming cells) ; conditions for its 

 formation; Boussingault's experiments; organic processes in plants, 

 directed to the formation of the protoplastem — Absoi-ption of food by 

 plants not an osmotic process ; marine-plants ; duck-weed ; land-plants ; 

 Hale's experiments on absorption by the roots and evaporation from tlio 

 leaves — Power of the root to exclude certain substances from absorption 

 not absolute ; Forchhammer, Knopp — Comportment of the roots of land 

 and water plants to solutions of salts ; De Saussure, Schlossberger ; com- 

 portment of land-plants to solutions of salts in the soil — Use of those 

 mineral matters which are constant in different species of plants : iron, 

 magnesia, iodine, and chlorine compounds — Absorption of matters by 

 plants from the surrounding medium ; influence of the consumption of them 

 by the plant ; part played by the roots in their absoi-ption. 



rpO obtain a clear view of the theory and practice of 

 J- Agriculture, we must keep in mind' the most general 

 chemical conditions of the life of plants. 



