12 



^emarks^i Dr. CloucV, Essay on Jlgriculture. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. llm,-ff^,J *u ^ -r „ ' 



KEMAEK, ON DR. clood's e.sav o» aor,c„i,- ?'■»*'» ™ lh«t part ^iH havo m'^e dTw „™ 



TURK. It lllst- In rv..r,r.„„f; ^_ :. , uj^H 



It— just in proportion to its greater luxuri- 



mp?n« H '^ ''^- "^^ application of other 

 means, the remainino- part should be rendered 

 equally luxuriant, I hold that the quantity of 

 clew would be similar on the two parts. A 



thp . . . ru- -•—-A ^*'— --^""llmnr"i "•"u"''"' ^?^ '"'P'^ ^''^^th, imbibes 



the extent of his scientific acquirements. But m'' ^ nourishment than it would do in a fee- 

 my admiration of his worth-my approbation , ?' ^angriushing state. This nourishment is 

 of his general views, are the strongest mo- r. "^ ^'T ^'^^ ^^'^ '" a state of aqueous 



I was much pleased with the " E.ssav on 

 Agriculture," in the last Cabinet, bv the late 

 XJr Cloud, of Chester county.* A gentleman 

 no less distinguished for his amiable disposi- 

 tion, than for the strength of his intellect and I 



tives for endeavoring to correct any errors 

 which may have fallen from his pen. Were 

 he yet living, he would be the first to an- 

 prove my conduct. ^ 



In attempting to explain the modus oper- 

 andi of plaster, he seems, in some deo-ree to 

 have fallen into the common error of theor 



soli, tion, and the excess of water separated 

 and thrown oft by exhalation from the leaves. 

 Ihe water, thus exhaled, is the excrementi- 

 tious part of the food of vegetables, and bears 

 a near proportion to the quantity of nourish- 

 ment received. 



If this view be correct, and I think ^&\v will 



ists, and formed conclusions— or at least as- ?f ^^'"" '*' '^ ^o^'o^^s that the greater nuan- 

 sumed certain positions, as true, and then L, ^ "^ '''^'^' °" plastered grass, arises from 

 framed his propositions to suit them. The , general circumstance of its increased 

 strongest mind is liable to be biased by some . ,""''"^^' ^nd not from any specific effect 

 preconceived opinion, and is unconsciously " the plaster. That it is derived immedi- 

 led to the easy adoption of such facts, and j^^'-^ ^'""^ ^^^ vessels of the plant, and con- 

 such only, as appear to sustain it. The ex- • ^^° "P'^'^ '^^ surface by the cool of the 

 planation contains a beautiful series of scien- 1'°, T^"'^"°^^"''a<=ted ^om the atmosphere 

 tihc truths, harmoniously arranged in proper r"^''^^"^^' ^s the hydratic property of un- 

 order, and terminating in the result intended r^^'"^'"';'! sulphuric acid on the leaves is not 

 A result which 13 only an assumed hypothesis [^'1""'^''^"'^' ^° ^^r as appears, has never 

 and not an ascertained fact. I should have • ^" ^"^"'^'^ ^° ^^''""^^ ^'i^ t'^eory of its form 

 been captivated with the theory, if I had not r°" '""^'^ ^^U to the ground, 

 previously read the propositions on which it J^^ ^1?°?'"^ '" question seems to limit the 

 IS founded. Some of these appeared to me r f^^ of plaster t,o this deposition of water 

 untenable, and if so, the explanation cannot "" , ""'^'"^'^ "^^'^'^ P'a"t, without showino! 

 be true. These propositions are three • '" ^"^t way it promotes the growth 1 



1. " That plaster does promote the growth ^^""''^ ascribe more to its agency. To me it 

 and perfection of vegetables." -^^ems probable, that it operates within and 



2. " That it is useless in seasons of a sufTi- "^' *"' '"' "" ' 



ciency of rain." 



3. "Tiiat dew is more apt to be found 

 upon grasses that have been plastered, than 

 otiiers. 



Led by my own exp-rience, and sustained 



not upon the surflice of the plants. Proba- 

 bly, It IS a mere stimulant, or condiment, ta- 

 ken in with tiieir proper food, which, by act- 

 mg first upon the recipient, and afterwards 

 upon the assimilating organs, increases their 

 action, and enables them' to receive and di- 



by the testimony of many farmers, I would iTpf.^ '"^'"^ ^"O"^ ^'^'^n they could without it 

 say that the second proposition should read I , ".''^ conjecture is greatly strengthened hv 

 deficiency, instead of sufficiency, f believe r^^l'^ "l^-o'-valion and experience in animals 

 that It IS only in moist seasons, or, at most ^\" •"fmarking, tims t>eely, on the labors 

 when rain succeeds the sowing of the plas- T ''imeuted dead, it may be proper toob- 



ter before a drought sets in, that it proves r''"^' ^'""^ ^ ''''''- '^'^ ^° ^^e intellitrent minds 

 beneficial. If rain did not succeed the sow- r"^''-^''? '" ^''^ investigation of the pheno- 



mo-, 1 have not seen such benefit durin^r the 

 continuance of the draught. It may be^true 

 however, that where the soil is good, and the 

 season wet, the producing eff'ect of the plas- 

 ter IS not required, and mav hardly be per- 

 ceptible. On a thin, or exhausted soil, I 

 think the effect will be in proportion to the 

 moisture of the season. 



r also object to the third proposition, that 

 It is an assumption without proof It is ad- 



* Farmers' Cabinet, vol. iii, page 329. 



mena of nature, with reference to the im- 

 provement of the condition of man. The at- 

 tempt to explain the chemico-vital operation 

 according to the ascertained laws of the phyl 

 sical sciences, may fail of its ultimate obiect. 

 and yet prove of vast utility, by eliciting new 

 and important truths. Even the most wild 

 and fantastic theory may often lead to the 

 same result. 



1 ^[} '/'.?^ }'^ ^'^'"'^ ^'"^ positions assumed 

 by Dr. Cloud to be as correct as his theory 

 IS beautiful and scientific, I should still doubt 



