FARMERS' REGISTER— CHANGES OF THE EARTH. 



645 



How destructive of the hopes of the rising gene- 

 ration! I leave this subject to the elucidation of 

 some abler pen. It is one intimately connected 

 with "the ini[)rovement of the practice, and sup- 

 port of the interests of agriculture," and claims a 

 full share of the reflection and labor of yoursell' 

 and able correspondents. 



The whole of the country tlom the James to the 

 Potomac River has been, troni an early period, un- 

 der an exhausting system of cultivaition and graz- 

 ing. But i'ew farms have had the benefit of ame- 

 lioration, or even of a judicious rotation of crops. 

 And, it would astonish a lanr.er from Europe to 

 know this, and see the croi)s which they still yield, 

 with careless and impertect cultivation! Under 

 all circumstances, the products of the highlands 

 are more surprising than those of the bottoms, 

 which are so often improved by deposites Irom the 

 former. 



The highland of the whole region north of 

 James River, and below the granite ledge of 

 rocks, taken together, would present to one, raised 

 above, and viewing it, in perspective, a great j^lain 

 gradually inclined to the ocean, unbroken by 

 mountains or hills. Yet, it is cut up, in every 

 form, direction and fashion, by depressed valleys or 

 bottoms — deep, precipitous ravines — and by long 

 and wide and still deeper gashes, through which 

 the rivers and principal streams wind their devious 

 courses into one another, and then mingle with 

 the waters of the noblest bay on earth. A view 

 of this region might present, to the geologist, ma- 

 terials for his proibundest reflections, and sustain 

 or refute theories that have puzzled and divided 

 the thoughts of wise men. 



Apj)earances tell us that the principal rivers 

 and streams, once covered the beautiful and fertile 

 bottoms through which they now glide. Tiieir 

 deeply sunken beds are defended, in many places, 

 by high banks which exhibit various strata of 

 earth and sand of every variety of color. These 

 high banks are, generally, ojiposite to marshes 

 which gradually rise into level cultivated flats, 

 extending to tlie foot of the main highland-plain 

 of the country. I have but seldom seen, on the 

 flats of these rivers, that the lands were much 

 lower at the foot of the hills than the level of the 

 high banks near the stream. This I know to be, 

 very generally, the case with the flats on the great 

 western streams. But may we not suppose, that 

 in the length of time, since the clearing of the 

 adjacent lands, these depressions, if they ever ex- 

 isted, have been filled up by Avashings fi-om the 

 hills? Such will hereafter, no doubt, be the result 

 in the west. But the river hills there, are so light 

 in texture, or contain so much decomposed vege- 

 table and adhesive matter, that it will take as long 

 to make them run off with the rains, as it did with 

 us. 



These remarks apply, in a great degree, to the 

 smaller streams. On them we see similar geolo- 

 gical and topographical appearances. They are, 

 however, subject to overspread their banks, and 

 sometimes niost disastrouslj', from heavy and 

 continued rains. These inundations sweep off 

 the soil from one place and deposite it in another; 

 but they are gradually decreasing in extent. This 

 is obviously owing to three causes: 1st, the clear- 

 ing and cultivation of the country — 2nd, the sink- 

 ing of the beds of the streams by constant, and 

 often violent attrition — 3rd, the diminution in the 



waters of every stream in eastern Virginia by the 

 disappearance of so many springs, and the in- 

 creasing aridity of the whole country. The dis- 

 appearance of springs, the failure of wells, and 

 the drying up of wet spots, both on high and low 

 land, united with the fact, that, if the average 

 quantum of rain be not much diminished, tlie hu- 

 midity of the atmosphere is perceptibly less, are 

 facts that have attracted the attention of every ob- 

 serving man who has reached his fiftieth year. 

 The causes of all these changes in our climate, 

 and of some other appearances which I shall pre- 

 sently notice, deserve investigation; and might be 

 usefully explained by men of ripe learning, who 

 can discard the plausible seductions of abstractions 

 and theory, and give common sense and observa- 

 tion a i?hare in their s])eculations. 



Whether or not the deep cuts and depressions 

 we see in this whole region have been caused 

 mainly by the washings of the rains and the con- 

 stant abrasion of the streams is an interesting 

 (juestion. -The moment we enter upon its consi- 

 deration vv^e are beset by difficulties, and occular 

 proofs that the earth never could have heen for7ned 

 with all its 25resent irregularities ofsurface:foritcan 

 hardly be supposed that the Great First Cause 

 created the shells, the bones, the sea mud, and 

 diversified strata we find, and that he then distri- 

 buted them 30 capriciously. 



Was the land primarily covered with waterl 

 This seems to be conveyed by the JMosaic account 

 of the creation — but whether the earth existed as 

 a solid body, or was held in solution, as chemical 

 acids hold the hardest metallic substances, and 

 was then precipitated, or crystallized, is matter of 

 curious speculation. 



With many, it is a favorite theory, that the 

 whole earth was, originally, rocks of different 

 sorts; and that the clay and soil have been formed 

 by the decomposition of these rocks, and of vege- 

 table matter. This theory, however, seems to be 

 disproved by the fact, that on the second day, the 

 earth was commanded to bring forth grass, fruit, 

 &c. Still, it is obvious, that a decomposing pro- 

 cess is constantly going on in many of the rocks 

 on, and near the earth's surface. Whoeverdoubts 

 this will be convinced by examining the soil on a 

 hill-side that is interspersed with granite or sand 

 stone. The mouldering condition of the edges 

 and surface of these rocks, the coarse rock-sand 

 near the rocks, and its gradual increase of fine- 

 ness as you get farther ofi' until it becomes ex- 

 tremely fine and light in te:!tture, and of color 

 characteristic of the rock — are circumstances 

 which carry conviction to the mind at once — and 

 will dispefthe vulgar notion that all "stones and 

 rocks grow like potatoes." 



Then, according to the Mosaic account, the 

 earth must have been, primarily, covered wnth 

 water, (if not held in solution,) and afier a plac; 

 of retreat had been prepared, its rapid retirement 

 may have fretted off and carried away the softer 

 parts of the ground, in such a manner as to form 

 the cuts and gashes and depressions which we see, 

 and which puzzle our understandings to account 

 for. But, we have proof positive, that this theory 

 is not alone sufficient. Whence come the im- 

 mense deposites of fossil shells, and marine ap- 

 pearances to be found in the bottoms of the 

 streams and swamps, remote fi-om salt water; in 

 the ravines on the precipitous hill-sides, and by 



