FARMERS' REGISTER— ORCHARDS IN ALTERNATE ROWS. 



757 



due arrangement of its parts? May not mineral 

 matter po8sef;s mind in tlic lowest decree, and or- 

 ganized matter possess it in the liii>;hcst degree? 

 These are questions I would respccllullj' ask, il' I 

 could meet with a jjhhilosoper who could answer 

 tliem. Minerals are formed spontaneously by vir- 

 tue of their alfioities: animals and vegetables re- 

 quire seed or eggs, so organized as to possess vi- 

 tality and irritability. But may not mineral pro- 

 ductions have properties in common with vegeta- 

 ble and animal? It is well known that minerals 

 are capable of assuming and retaining certain 

 forms, which forms they will observe in sj)ite of 

 the powers of repulsion. The nitrate of pntash, 

 (salt petre,) crystalizes in jiristnatic octuhedrous; 

 and by virtue- of certain characteristic qualities of 

 this and other salts, which they originally possess- 

 ed, they invariably assume the same forms and ap- 

 pearance. The arrangement, disposition, and 

 order observable in the mineral kingdom, nuist be 

 as much admired, as that which forms the admi- 

 rable and exquisite texture of the organic world; 

 for they are both the result of certain attractions 

 and motions, which the constituent parts take in 

 their Ibrmation. Naturalists speak in very ex- 

 travagant terms of the polish and refinement of or- 

 ganic matter; but let them examine minutely the 

 mineral kingdom, and they will find as much order, 

 design, just arrangement, delicate workmanship, 

 regular figure, beauty, variegated color, and in 

 every respect, sublimity and grandeur, rivalling in 

 a very eminent degree, the vegetable and animal 

 world. Let us then, appreciate the value of mat- 

 ter, and say the mineral, vegetable and animal 

 kingdoms all possess mind; that the whole ball ta- 

 ken collectively, is a spiritual mass or portion of 

 divinity, which is to undergo certain forms and 

 then return from whence it came. "All the choii- 

 of heaven and lijrniture of the earth, all which 

 compose the mighty frame of the world, hath not 

 any "substance without a mind." If this be the 

 ease, mind, like matter, is capable of division; itcan 

 be divided and sub-divided into a number of parts, 

 which may exist in a variety of matter, giving it 

 intelligence; and must possess solidity, extension, 

 figure, and continually going the round of circula- 

 tion, as is the case with matter, and governed by 

 the general laws of gravity and attraction. When 

 disengaged fi-om one portion of matter, it may get 

 possession of another, and thus produce percep- 

 tion in other matter prepared to receive it. 



It is well known that mind and matter exist, and 

 that they act and react upon each other: and from 

 this reciprocal action and reaction, arise all ideas and 

 sensations. It is also known, that when an injury 

 is done to the brain, the mind sufl'ers; and if the 

 injury be very great, the mind deserts its habita- 

 tion never to return. What becomes of it? Does 

 it take its flight to another world; or does it go in 

 search of matter prepared to receive it, and get a 

 new habitation? Mind is matter disengaged from 

 the brain, and of course, material. But here a ve- 

 ry important question arises: can any thing like 

 materiality exist, when God is immaterial? He 

 has been pleased to call matter into existence, 

 and is it reasonable to suppose any thing he has 

 created can perish? We speak of the aflairs of 

 this world in a temporal point of view, but the 

 wise disposer of the universe, views thenri in a 

 spiritual point of view: and has created every 

 thing lor wise purposes. It i.s the duty of man. 



therefore, to set the highest value on the works of 

 Deity; for the nuneral, vegetable and animal king- 

 doms, have high claints to immateriality. Indeed, 

 matter, strictly speaking, can be nothing but an 

 immaterial essence or spiritual mass of God's cre- 

 ation. He governs it; he exists in it, and he is 

 every Avhere ! ! It a sinijle blade of grass was this 

 moment annihilated, there would probably be a link 

 in the universal chain destroyed, which would not 

 only produce confusion in this earth, but woukl con- 

 vulse all the ijlaiictary worlds ! Nay, if the 

 smallest grain of sand was removed from existence, 

 it might aflect the jjfojectile force of the earth, 

 and not only bring it in collision with tlie sun, but 

 derange the whole starry heavens and all the sys- 

 tems and worlds that lie retired beyond our limits 

 and comprehension. 



GALEN. 



[ The writer of the foregoing piece, shows in it more 

 power of imagination than adherence to strict rea- 

 soning. Nevertheless, his facts are interesting, and 

 his deductions and arguments may amuse those whom 

 they cannot convince.] 



For tlio Farmers' Rcgstcr. 



ORCHARDS IN ALTERNATE ROWS, OR QUIN- 

 CUNX ORDER. 



Xenophon thus describes the gallant plantation 

 of Cyrus at Sardis, as rendered by Cicero: "Ar- 

 bores pari intervallo sitas, rectos ordines et onmia 

 per puchre in Quincuncum directa" — that is, rows 

 and orders so handsomely disposed or five trees 

 so set together, that a regular ansrularity, and 

 thorough prospect, was lefl on every side, owing 

 this name to the "Quintuple number of trees,'" as 

 thus figured, viz: 



"That the same was used in later plantations, 

 is plainly confirmed from the commanding pen of 

 Varro. Quintilian, and handsome description of 

 Virgil, in his second Georgic. See the garden of 

 Cyrus, &c., by Sir Thomas Brown, of Norwich, 

 M. D." 



From Silliman's Joiimal 1824. 

 WOOL MORE ABUNDANT IN COLD CLIMATES. 



"From their elevation and latitude, the grazing 

 lands situated in the northern part of New Eng- 

 land, are best adapted for sheep. The great con- 

 sum])tion of fodder incident to long winters, so ob- 

 jectionable to the raising of cattle, ia more than 

 compensated to the merino sheep proprietor, by an 



