530 



FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURE, VEGETATION, &c. 



ing decomposition. In consequence of tills af- 

 finit}^, a great variety ol" gases are the immediate 

 residt, wiiicli act as stimulants on the tender germ 

 or root oi" j)]ants; so that tlie earths aObrd no real 

 nourishment in tliemselves, but act entirely as 

 exciting agents — tiiey decompose every thing for 

 which they have an affinity. In consequence of 

 this, a number of gases are evolved, and wlien 

 united, form various fluids, such as sap, sugar, 

 water, oil, and mucilage. By this union plants 

 are tbrmed, their growth dependinij upon the fa- 

 cility with which the productiotis of tiie earth are 

 decomposed. The m|)id growth of plants, or 

 their tardiness, must depend upon hasty or slow 

 decomposition, for unless some animal or vege- 

 table putrefaction is taking place constantly upon 

 the earth's surface, plants cannot subsist. This 

 observation is applicable to the animal, as well as 

 the vegetable kingdom, for nothing can exist ex- 

 cept it be from something which had previously 

 perished. Composition and decomposition are 

 continually taking place; and without it, there can 

 be no vegetable or animal matter. 



To be successful in making a crop, many things 

 are to be taken in consideration. First, we must 

 have rich earth, for without it, there can be no 

 luxuriant vegetation. The prosperity of the plant 

 depends upon a variety of causes. We should en- 

 deavor to learn what kind of manure has the 

 greatest affinity for the earth we have in cultiva- 

 tion. The soil should be properly prepared before 

 we attempt the seediiig, for unless this is done, it 

 would be a vain effort to produce an effect without 

 a cause. I beg leave here to drop a hint to Vir- 

 ginia larmers and planters; ihey cultivate too 

 much i)oor land, and labor hard for little profit. If 

 they would manure their lands, and cultivate half 

 the quantify, they would have full barns and fat 

 stock ; as it is, they have empty corn houses 

 and lean kine. It is, however, the disposition of 

 Virginians to hold out appearances; if they can 

 give you the outline of a large field of corn or 

 tobacco, they seem perfectly satisfied, knowing 

 that it will not be filled up. From two acres ot 

 ground, under favorable circumstances, a planter 

 will make 1000 pounds of tobacco: when carried to 

 market it is found defective in quality, and sold 

 at the reduced price of .^5 per cwt., Avhich amounts 

 to .S-50: whereas, if the same labor and manure 

 had been given to one acre of land, 1000 pounds of 

 tobacco of the first quality would be made, and of 

 course it would command the first market jirice, 

 .$10 per cwt., which amounts to ^100: thus it is, 

 that the i^lanter labors hard throughout the year, 

 and yet finds himself poor. 



The next thing to be taken in consideration in 

 making a good crop, is select seed. The seeds of 

 vegetables are a sexual offspring, correspondina 

 with the eggs of animals, and contain like them, 

 not only the rudiments of new organization, but 

 also a quantity of aliment laid up for its early 

 nourishment. (See Darwin's Phytologia). When 

 seed is deposited in the earth, having a due degree 

 of heat and moisture, it soon begins to germinate; 

 the germ has a number of small umbilical or sem- 

 inal vessels, which in a short time imbibe fluids 

 from the earth and atmosphere; they are excited 

 into action by the stimulus of fluids which come 

 in contact with their mouths: the germ at length 

 begins to unfold itself and we observe the trunk, 

 leaves and branches, having a niunber of arteries, 



veins, muscles, tendons, nerves, glands and ab- 

 sorbents. The plant now requires the necessary 

 agents to act upon it in order to ])roduce its evolu- 

 tion. 



The third consideration in making a crop is ju- 

 dicious culture or propter manual labor. The 

 plough hastens decomposition by exposing the va- 

 rious matters in the earth to the action of the sun 

 and air: this causes a greater aflinity to exist be- 

 tween the principles which go to the nourishment 

 of vegetables. It likewise leaves the earth loose 

 and suffers the tender roots to creep along in 

 search of food. When the roots extend any dis- 

 tance from tlie hill or stalk, they should not be 

 broken, for this would retard the gi'owth of the 

 plant, by cutting off' a portion of its nutriment; 

 this is not all, every wounded root produces disease 

 in the plant, and it must require some time before 

 it is capable of healthy action. It not unfrequently 

 happens, that we fail in making a crop, and as- 

 cribe it to drought or wet, when it was owing en- 

 tirely to our own imprudence, that of injudicious 

 culture. 



A due degree of heat is necessary to the well 

 being of all vegetables. The temperature most fa- 

 vorable to vegetation, has not, I believe, been 

 correctly ascertained; but I suspect a temperature 

 varying between 55 and 85 degi^ees of Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer is best. There should be a degree of 

 heat sufficient to keep up vegetable and animal 

 putrefaction, in order that the ])lant may constantly 

 receive a certain portion of aliment. A high 

 temperature decomposes the various matters of 

 the earth too rajndly, and carries them off' in the 

 atmosphere, before the plant can get possession of 

 them; it also robs the earth of a certain portion of 

 moisture necessary to vegetation. 



Plants, like animals, cannot live without wafer; 

 they recjuirs a drink when thirsty; they decompose 

 water, and its comjionents form some of (he rudi- 

 ments of plants ; other gases enter into their 

 composition no doubt: but I am well assured, 

 water must be decomposed before it gets posses- 

 sion of the vegetables; otherwise, plants would be 

 composed principally of that fluid. Water is a 

 compound of oxygen and hydrogen in certain 

 proportions, and it may readily be imagined, that 

 it is by various affinities reduced to its principles, 

 giving organization and fluidity to the vegetable 

 world. Plants receive their nourishment from 

 vvater, through the medium of the earth, which 

 acts as a filter, and carries with it, while in a state 

 of decomposition, certain principles, which are the 

 immediate product of decayed animal and vege- 

 table productions. Insects that are continually 

 dying on the surface and in the earth, support 

 plants; for when we consider that it coniains such 

 a variety of animals, visible and invisible, that 

 every spire of grass, every leaf, and all kinds of 

 matters are loaded with insects throughout the 

 vernal, summer, and autumnal months — that one 

 generation is succeeding another continually — all 

 this I say seems to be a plain proof" that the ve- 

 getable world must be in a great measure sup- 

 ported by them. Such an idea may seem vision- 

 ary, but it cannot be doubted, unless we deny the 

 existence of princi|)les from the earth which go 

 to the nourishment of plants. Atmospheric air, 

 is one of the vegetable sup]iorters. They, like 

 animals, cannot live without it, although the air 

 they feed upon, is somewhat different from that 



