[291] SCIENTIFIC MANUAL. 6 



CHAPTER I. 



GENERAL CHEMISTRY. 



Definition of Terms. 



The natural sciences relate to the laws which govern the 

 different departments of nature. The following are of es- 

 pecial interest to the agriculturist : 



BOTANY. The science of plants, embracing an account 

 of their properties, structure, classification, and the laws 

 which govern their growth and development. 



ZOOLOGY. The science of animals, their characteristics 

 and relations to each other. 



ENTOMOLOGY. The science of insects. 



MINERALOGY. The science of minerals. 



GEOLOGY. The study of the earth, its age and forma- 

 tion ; the character of its rocks and the soils derived from 

 them ; and the occurrence of its minerals. 



METEOROLOGY. The science of the atmosphere, and its 

 various phenomena. 



CHEMISTRY. The study of the composition and prop- 

 erties of all material objects, including rocks, minerals, soils, 

 plants and animals everything, visible and invisible, in 

 earth, water and air. 



These will be treated in this work only so far as they 

 relate to agriculture. 



Chemistry teaches that all things in nature, animate and 

 inanimate, solid, liquid and gaseous, are either simple sub- 

 stances, or are formed by the union of two or more simple 

 substances, to each of which the name of element is given. 



Each element is entirely distinct from the others, has its 

 own peculiar properties and characteristics, and cannot be 

 divided into two substances having distinct properties, 

 To illustrate, lead is an element and cannot, by any 

 known means, be divided into any other substances, while 

 red lead is a compound of lead and oxygen By the use 



