310 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5. 



apart would be good distance; but in that case the 

 plants should not be transplanted until they are 

 about an inch in diameter. In either case they 

 will require trimming and topping, and if kept as 

 hedges should be treated as other hedges are. 



ROBERT SINCLAIR, JR. 



From the Salem Landmark. 



PROFESSOR SILLIMAJi's SECOND LECTURE OK 

 C iiOLOGY, ABRIDGED. 



Internal fire or Volcanoes. 



The lecturer said it was a tremendous thought, 

 that the centre of the earth was a vast mass of li- 

 quid boiling flame. But that it was so, was in the 

 highest degree probable. He then glanced at the 

 volcanic regions on the globe, beginning with Ice- 

 land, which is wholly volcanic, Being the hottest 

 and the coldest country in the world. He said it 

 was well ascertained that Sweden was rising out 

 of the water, at the rate of about four feet in a cen- 

 tury;that is, the ocean is gradually receding from the 

 shores of that country, as the water marks plainly 

 indicate. This he supposed to be the expansion 

 of that part of the crust of the earth, produced by 

 the internal heat. 



In England there are no volcanoes, and no evi- 

 dence that there ever was any. But in the city of 

 Bath there are heated waters which are known to 

 have existed in their present state for more than two 

 thousand years. These waters can he heated only 

 by internal fires. 



In France there is a series of extinct volcanoes 

 along the borders of the Rhine. They are also to 

 be found in Spain and in Portugal, in Italy and in 

 the islands of the Mediterranean. A volcanic is- 

 land emerged from this sea about four years ago. 

 There is, therefore, reason to believe it reposes on 

 a bed of fire. There is abundant evidence that 

 volcanoes have been in Palestine; the last probably 

 were those connected with the destruction of So- 

 dom and Gomorrah. They are clearly traced 

 around'the Caspian Sea, and in the centre of Asia. 



In the Azores, the existence of forty volcanoes 

 is discoverable. So likewise they are found in the 

 Madeira, the Canary, and the De Verde Islands, in 

 Madagascar, Bourbon, along the Red Sea, in Su- 

 matra, Java, Kamschalka, and on the north west 

 coast of America. Mexico is a peculiar volcanic 

 region, and so is the whole western side of South 

 America. They have not existed on the eastern 

 side. Sufficient relief has thus far been had on the 

 western coast, but should these safety valves be 

 obstructed for any length of time, very probabhy 

 there would be volcanoes on the eastern coast. 



The Pacific Ocean to a very great extent stands 

 upon a basis of fire. There are on the globe three 

 hundred chimneys, through which the fire can es- 

 cape from its prison in the centre of the earth. 

 Volcanoes are very justly denominated safety- 

 valves, the conservative principles of our globe. 



The invariable precursor of a volcano is an 

 earthquake, generally attended with loud detona- 

 tions. Chasms arc opened in the earth, and some- 

 times cities are swallowed up. Changes in the at- 

 mosphere are also visible. The seasons are irreg- 

 ular; animals utter cries of alarm; dizziness of the 

 head is experienced by men. 



The waters of the Ohio were affected by the 

 earthquake at. Lisbon. In the eruption of a volca- 



no, rocks are dashed against each other, and either 

 ground into powder, or broken into iragments. 

 White smoke first emerges from the crater, then 

 black, rising like the trunk of a tree. 



The most remarkable volcano on the globe is 

 in the island of Hawaii, one of the Sandwich group. 

 This has been visited and scientifically examined 

 and described by the American Missionaries, to 

 whom Mr. Silliman awarded high praise, not 

 only for their christian zeal but for attainments 

 in science and literature. Science as well as Chris- 

 tianity is under obligation to them for their devo- 

 tedness and enterprise. 



The cause of volcanoes is internal fire. That 

 it exists, there is very satisfactory evidence. — 

 There is a gradual increase of heat as we descend 

 into the interior of the earth. At two miles below 

 the surface, water will boil; at ten miles below, rocks 

 become red hot. The frozen [or solid] crust of tho 

 globe is supposed to be about forty miles thick. 

 We cannot be perfectly secure against the effects 

 of this fire. The crust of tin; earth is at any time 

 liable to be broken. Our security and dependence 

 are upon Him who made the world, who gave to 

 matter all its laws, and who controls its wonderful 

 movements. 



The. sun is a body of fire, occasionally exhibit- 

 ing dark spots on its surface. Mr. Silliman sug- 

 gested those spots might be produced by the for- 

 mation of a freezing crust like this which covers 

 our crlobe. If so, the time may come when the 

 sun shall all be frozen over, and there shall be no 

 more light or heat to cheer or warm this solar sys- 

 tem. For the consolation of this audience, he 

 said they would not be here when such an event 

 should happen. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



ACCOUNT OF MARLING LABOltS, EXECUTED 

 UNDER GREAT DISADVANTAGES. 



When any laborious or expensive improvement 

 or process is referred to as worthy of imitation, 

 and as promising profit to those who possess (and 

 neglect) the means' for like operations, it is very 

 common to hear it said in reply, and with an air 

 of triumph, as if the reply was quite conclusive — 



"Oh! Mr. has plenty of money: that's the 



whole secret. Give me the like means, and /could 

 do as great things." So far from this being true, 

 there are very few farmers whose means arc scanty, 

 and whofail altogether to improve their Iands,or their 

 practice, who would not be found as deficient, if 

 their wealth was increased to any extent. No 

 one will deny the great advantage of capital, in fa- 

 cilitating improvements: but still it. maybe assert- 

 ed, that where there is no profitable improvement 

 without surplus funds, there would be none with 

 any amount of them whatever. The common re- 

 mark quoted above, is applied as often as in any 

 other way to marling; though numerous facts, as 

 well as reason, are ready to contradict its truth. 

 There are very few new improvements in agricul- 

 ture that are made early use of by poor farmers — 

 either from the slowness with which information 

 reaches them, or because the eventual profit is not 

 so certain as the expense. But with marling at 

 least en the south side of James River, it has been 

 remarkable that many poor farmers have engaged 

 in it earlier than many of the rich, and (in propor- 



