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FARMERS' REGISTER 



11 



matters, that we may doubt, whether a perfect 

 separation of the two subjects, would be desirable, 

 even ifit were possible. Indeed, they have never 

 been kept entirely separate, even by those who 

 have adopted the strictest definitions. Understand- 

 ing the term as defined at the commencement of 

 this article, it is the business of the vegetable 

 physiologist to lay open for inspection, the ma- 

 chinery of vegetable life, and to explain the man- 

 ner in which that machinery operates; to deter- 

 mine the structure of the different organs of plants, 

 the functions which they severally perform, the 

 manner in which they perform those llinctions, 

 and all the changes which they undergo, under 

 the influence of climate, seasons, accidents, or the 

 art of man. 



"Plants whether regarded as individuals, or as 

 grouped in the gardeli, the field, and the land- 

 scape, are objects of universal interest. The beau- 

 ty of their forms, the delicacy, harmony, and 

 splendor of their colors, the fragrance which they 

 exhale, the relr-eshing verdure and convenient 

 shade which they afford, as well as their more im- 

 portant uses, in ministering to our sustenance and 

 comfort, connect our interest, and even our exis- 

 tence with theirs." The opinion, "that whoso- 

 ever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of 

 grass, to grow upon a spot where only one grew 

 before, would deserve better of mankind, and 

 would do more essential service to his country, 

 than the whole race of mere politicians put to- 

 gether," is a dictate of the soundest philosophy. 

 Plants being of so much importance to man, an 

 examination of their physiology may certainly lay 

 claim to a share of his attention. 



The business of cultivating useful plants be- 

 longs to the farmer; and I here use the term culti- 

 vating in its widest sense, as meaning, causing 

 them to spring from the earth, watching over and 

 assisting their growth, guarding them against dis- 

 ease and injury of every kind, and so far as such a 

 thing is possible, perfecting them for their intend- 

 ed use. The farmer who would perform well his 

 part, has by no means an easy task. There are 

 but few plants, which in their wild state, are suit- 

 ed to answer a very valuable purpose in the econo- 

 my of life; and there are fewer still, which may 

 not be improved by a judicious system of cultiva- 

 tion; and I may add, none which, afier they have 

 been improved, will not degenerate, under an in- 

 judicious system of cultivation. This improve- 

 ment it is the interest of the farmer to effect; and 

 having once effected, to preserve. There is no 

 plant which is not subject to diseases, arising from 

 the operation of external agencies upon tfie sys- 

 tem of the plant itself From these it is the inter- 

 est of the farmer to protect them. There is no 

 plant, whose growth may not be assisted by the 

 well-directed, and well applied labor of man. 

 The stalk of corn which has sprung from a grain 

 dropped by accident in the uncultivated field, and 

 thus thrown upon its own resources, and left un- 

 befriended to struggle for existence, with the grass 

 and weeds which surround it, cannot compare, 

 with the well cultivated stalk in the luxuriance of 

 its growth, or in the richness and abundance of its 

 fruit. It is evidently the interest of the farmer, to 

 afford this necessary assistance. Plants have to 

 be refined and civilized, (if 1 may be allowed to 

 use such an expression,) in order to fit them for 

 tlie use of refined and civilized man. To the 



farmer, the business of effecting this, belongs; and 

 he can know but little of the difficulty of this task, 

 who supposes that it can be well performed with- 

 out the exercise of sound judgment, and the pos- 

 session of an extensive acquaintance with the na- 

 ture of those things, on which, and with which, 

 he has to operate. Such being the case, we may 

 assert, without fear of contradiction, that the prin- 

 ciples of vegetable physiology, must enter into 

 the very foundation of every correct and intelligi- 

 ble system of agriculture. 



Vegetable physiology has never received from 

 farmers, that degree of attention which it has de- 

 served. It is true, that with many of the facts 

 connected with this subject, farmers have long 

 been familiar; but the general principles, and, in 

 (iict, all that constitutes its claim to a rank among 

 the sciences, have received but little attention. 

 This is, no doubt, to be attributed principally, to 

 the want of some work which would present the 

 subject in an intelligible and concise manner, and 

 divested as far as possible, of technical phraseolo- 

 gy. Those who have hitherto written on this 

 subject, have generally been natutalists, perfect- 

 ly familiar with the extensive latin terminology 

 of systematic botany, and who, forgetting that 

 the majority of those who would be, or who ought 

 to be their readers, were not equally familiar with 

 this language, have introduced so much of it in 

 their works, as to make them, to the common 

 reader, 'sealed books." Besides this, most of the 

 works which have been written on vegetable 

 physiology, have been written professedly as in- 

 troductions to systematic botany, and on this ac- 

 count, an extended explanation of technical terms, 

 as well as much other matter entirely irrelevant 

 to the subject, has been introduced. The object 

 of the present series of essays, is to remove this 

 difficulty (as far as the author may be able), by 

 presenting the principles of the science in popular 

 language; or if in any instance it may seem advi- 

 sable, either for the sake of brevity or exactness, 

 to introduce a technical term, by adding a defini- 

 tion at the time the term is used. 



There is one consideration recommending to the 

 farmer the study of vegetable physiology, which 

 is not true to the same extent, of any other depart- 

 ment of natural science at all cennected with agri- 

 culture. And that is, that no complicated appara- 

 tus, or extensive acquaintance with the mathe- 

 matics, is requisite, to enable a person successful- 

 ly to pursue his investigations on this subject. 

 Whatever we may learn respecting the physiolo- 

 gy of plants, we must learn, by observing (heir 

 operations as carried on around us, or by experi- 

 ments so simple, that any person ofcommon inge- 

 nuity can perform them; and any person of com- 

 mon intelligence can understand them. For pur- 

 suing investigations in chemistry, expensive appa- 

 ratus and materials are necessary; in natural phi- 

 losophy, an extensive acquaintance with the ma- 

 thematics is indispensable; in geology an exami- 

 nation of difi'erent countries, and different parts of 

 those countries, or at least of extensive geological 

 cabinets, such as are accessible to fevv, is essen- 

 tial. But for investigations in vegetabte physiolo- 

 gy, we have the subjects of examination, ?»nd the 

 materials for experimenting, at all times, and eve- 

 rywhere, at hand. All that is necessary to enable 

 a person successfully to prosecute inquiries re- 

 specting this subject, is, an acquaintance with 



