NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



437 



digenous small berries will be cultivated success- 

 fully and profitably, and if we can get a fruit that 

 is as good as the dark colored ones, and that is 

 stainless, it will be a consideration with those who 

 who regard a handsome set of teeth. 



Yours, J. S. Neediiam. 



Dancers, Aug., 1852. 



AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY. 



BY JOSIAII H0LBU00K. 

 NO. I. —ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION. 



No class in the community have an equal in- 

 terest in geology with faraiers. No science is so 

 interesting to farmers as geology in connection 

 with chemistry- The two sciences can not be 

 separated and justice done to either. While the 

 elements of our globe, especially of soils, require 

 chemical tests to determine their character, these 

 very elements are absolutely essential for experi- 

 ments to determine the fundamental principles of 

 chemistry. Oxygen, the most powerful chemical 

 agent in creation, is also the most abundant ma- 

 terial in rocks and soils. The one as an element, 

 the other as an agent, are alike essential to each 

 other, and both iudispensable, as at the foundation 

 of all agricultural science. 



A knowledge of each is as feasible as it is im- 

 portant — entirely within the comprehension of a 

 child six years old. Each is a science of facts 

 m >re than of abstract reasoning — of facts, too, 

 equally instructive and delightful to every young 

 mind. 



Take an example : — The child has placed before 

 him two glass tumblers — the one containing quartz, 

 the other lime, or sand and chalk. The name of 

 each is of course as readily learned as the name of 

 iron, lead, gold, tree, horse, or any other subject 

 in nature or art. Into each tumbler is poured 

 s niie sulphuric or muriatic acid. In the tumbler 

 of lime the pupil observes an action — in that of 

 quartz no action. He is told that this action is 

 called effervescence. He hence learns to recognize 

 lime and quartz, and the mure certainly from the 

 recollection that the one effervesces with acids and 

 the other does not. 



Here is an example of geology and chemistry, 

 alike useful to the farmer and interesting to the 

 farmer's child, or any child. The same simplicity 

 and direct fundamental instruction run through 

 the whole of both of these exceedingly practical 

 sciences. 



I may hereafter point out a few of the leading 

 principles of these two sciences ; their connection 

 with each other ; their essential importance to all 

 classes, and, most of all, farmers; their exceeding 

 fitness for the early instruction of children, and the 

 entire feasibility of having them among the "first 

 lessons" taught in each of the eighty thousand 

 American schools. 



NO. II.— SIMPLE ELEMENTS. 

 Oxus is the Greek word for acid; ginomai, in 

 Greek, means make; hence the literal meaning of 

 oxygen is acid maker. Combined with sulphor it 

 forms sulphuric acid ; with nitrogen, nitric acid; 

 with carbon, carbonic acid, &e. Respiration, 

 combustion and fermentation are the three prin- 

 cipal operations producing the combinations of 

 oxygen and carbon ; the results, carbonic acid. 



Acids combine readily with metals, earths and 

 alkalies — as iron, lime and potash. By chemists 



these combinations are called salts, drsignated^hy 

 the termination ate. Salphuric acid combining 

 with various bases, produces sulphates ; nitric, ni- 

 trates, carbonic, carbonates. Sulphate of lime is 

 gypsum or plaster of Paris ; sulphate of iron, cop- 

 peras ; of soda, glauber salts ; of magnesia, epsom 

 salts. Carbonates of iron, copper and lead, are 

 ores of those metals. 



About a century ago water was found to be 

 composed of oxygen and hydrogen, and common 

 air of oxygen and nitrogen. About half a century 

 since oxygen was found by Sir Humphrey Davy to 

 be an element of rocks, of course of soils, as it was 

 of the alkalies, potash and soda. The other ele- 

 ments in the earths and alkalies, combined with 

 oxygen, were found by the same great chemist to 

 be metals very peculiar in character. 



It hence appears that oxygen is an element in 

 air, earth and water, existing abundantly in solid, 

 liquid and aerial forms. In the whole it constitutes 

 nearly half our globe. It is, of course, the most 

 abundant element in the material world. It is 

 also the most important agent in producing 

 changes in matter essential to human existence. 

 It is very appropriately called vital air, as neither 

 animal life nor any life can exist without it. It is 

 no less essential to combustion than life. It also 

 acts with great energy upon metals and other solid 

 substances. In this action it produces three very 

 large and important classes of oxides — oxides, 

 acids, and salts. Iron rust is the oxide of iron ; 

 the dross of lead, oxide of lead ; burnt lime, the 

 oxide of calcium ; pure potash, the oxide of pota- 

 sium ; pure soda, the oxide of sodium ; silex or 

 Mint, the oxide of silicum. The combination of 

 one part oxygen and four of nitrogen, constitutes 

 the atmosphere ; three parts oxygen and one ni- 

 trogen form nitric acid — aquafortis. Combined 

 with other substances, it forms numerous acids. 

 Saltpeter is the nitre of potash. The large quan- 

 tity of oxygen it receives from the nitric acid fits 

 it for a material for gunpowder — giving to that 

 powerful agent its principal powers. 



A plate, tumbler and scrap of paper, with a lit- 

 tle water, will enable any teacher or parent to 

 perform an experiment on oxygen equally simple, 

 instructive and interesting. In a deep plate pour 

 some water. On the water place a scrap of thick 

 paper, piece of cork, or other light substance ; on 

 that another piece of paper, or cotton moistened 

 with oil. On lighting the paper or cotton, place 

 over it a large empty tumbler. The combustion 

 continues for a few seconds, and when it is extin- 

 guished the water occupies about one-fifth of the 

 space in the tumbler, showing the necessity of 

 oxygen for combustion, and that it constitutes 

 about one-fifth the air we breathe. What man, 

 woman or child would not like to be familiarly 

 acquainted with an element so abundant — an 

 agent so active as oxygen, especially when such an 

 acquaintance is equally simple, useful and delight- 

 ful ! 



Ito be continued.] 



Moss on Trees. — The American Farmer gives 

 the following as an excellent application to the 

 scraped trunk to prevent the growth of moss, and 

 destroy eggs of insects. One gallon of soft soap, 

 one pound flour of sulphur, and one quart of salt, 

 to be well-stirred together, and put on with a hard 

 brush. 



