45G 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



oxides of metals in chemical combination. Felspar 

 is also very extensively united with quartz in the 

 formation of rocks, not by chemical combination, 

 but mechanical mixture. The felspar and the 

 quartz can be separated by the hammer. Not so 

 with the oxygen and silicum, forming silex. Chem- 

 ical agency alone can separate chemical combina- 

 tions. Such combinations in rocks, soils and other 

 mineral bodies are exceedingly numerous, compli- 

 cated and delicate. The most common stone that 

 meets the eye in any part of the world is composed 

 of two oxides. The oxygen and the metals are 

 each united by common affinity, and then the two 

 oxides are again combined by the same agency to 

 form a " common stone " evidently worthy of 

 more respect than it commonly receives. 



An Experiment. — Pour upon a little pearlash in 

 a tumbler some strong vinegar. An effervescence 

 will follow, producing carbonic acid. A burning 

 cxndle immersed will be extinguished, showing 

 that carbonic acid is fatal to combustion. It is 

 equally so to life. 



No. IV.— ELEMENTS OF SOILS. 

 Felspar is composed of four oxides — silex, alum- 

 ina or clay, iron, and potash ; silex predominates. 

 Of quartz, in all its varieties, it is almost the en- 

 tire element ; of felspar, it is the principal ; alum- 

 inous or clay soils contain frequently twice as 

 much silex or alumina ; the quantity of iron and 

 potash in felspar is small, not often over two or 

 three per cent. 



It appears then that sand is composed of two 

 oxides or chemical combinations again combined 

 by the same agency. Felspar or clay is composed 

 of four oxides, also combined by chemical affinity, 

 to form a compound still more complex than quartz 

 or sand. The quartz and felspar are combined by a 

 mechanical mixture to form recks and soils. 



It hence follows, that in these two elements of 

 soils, quartz and felspar, or sand and clay, are not 

 less than six combinations of ultimate principles, 

 or oxygen and metals, all by chemical affinity, and 

 twj -combinations at least of those compounds 

 forming those two elements. These six chemical 

 compounds, again compounded by chemical agen- 

 cy, are the 1 united by mechanical mixtures to form 

 rocks and soils. 



Quartz and felspar are not only the essential 

 elements of soils, but also among the most impor- 

 tant in it -li ils rh the arts of civilization. The 

 principal material of glass is quartz ; that of por- 

 celain, felspar. The presence of potash, soda, or 

 some alk dine substance acting as a flux, is indis- 

 pensable in the manufacturing of each of these im- 

 portant articles of domestic economy. 



After performing the important agency of pro- 

 ducing vegetation — of course furnishing our wheat, 

 our corn, our beef, and our pork — quartz of a 

 nor his character constitutes the French burr, for 

 ch tnging grains into flour. Pulverized quartz, 

 cc:nented by iron into sondstone, forms our grind- 

 stones, for sharpening the axes and chisels of the 

 mechanic and the knives and scissors of the house- 

 keeper. For some animals it is essential to the 

 pr i -ess of degestion ; fowls cannot live without it. 

 Every thing animate, and inanimate ; every 

 product of nature and of art ; every human being 

 in every position and condition of life — the sturdy 

 farmer, the busy mechanic, the industrious house- 

 keeper, the delicate refined lady, the polished gen- 



tleman, the enlightened teacher, the wise states- 

 man, and the noisy politician ; in a word, every 

 thing which has physical existence, bears visible 

 testimony to the necessity of this important ele- 

 ment of mountains, rocks, and soils — of quartz, 

 sand — " a common stone." 



Experiment. — Shake a tumbler, containing a 

 little newly-slaked lime and some water ; let the 

 tumbler stand till the lime settles and the water 

 becomes clear; pour the water into another tum- 

 bler and blow into it air from the lung through a 

 quill or pipe-stem ; the clear water becomes turbid 

 with white flakes or sediment, by the carbonic 

 acid from the lungs uniting with the lime in the 

 water, forming the carbonate of lime. 



PRUNING, 



Few of the duties of the farm are so badly per- 

 formed as that of pruning — Hbad in the manner in 

 which it is done, and in the season of the year usu- 

 ally selected for the operation. Trees are living, 

 sentient things, and must be treated as such. — 

 Their young bark is as vulnerable to hob-nail boots 

 as the back of the hand, and as easily mutilated 

 by a dull saw or knife. No skilful surgeon would 

 amputate a limb with dull instruments, or leave 

 the bleeding wound exposed to the air ; but many 

 farmers who have pruned for forty years, and 

 think they "know a thing or two" about it, do 

 both. They have seen the tree put on its green 

 livery in spring, blossom, perfect its fruit and in- 

 crease in stature, and when it had performed its 

 labors for the season, throw off the foliage which 

 it no longer needed, and spread its broad limbs re- 

 sistless to the winter winds. Thus they have seen 

 it live and breathe, and grow, and yet never seem 

 to have appreciated it as a living friend, inviting 

 them to its shade, regaling them with its fruits 

 and almost speaking in accents of affection ! 



Away with the axe, the coarse saw and all dull 

 tools about your trees, and in their places use those 

 of the best make, and with edge as keen as Damas- 

 cus blade. 



Every wound that is made should be covered ; 

 if the tree is vigorous, and^the place small, it will 

 probably grow over, but covering greatly aids the 

 effort of the tree in perfecting its outer garment. 

 Paint, clay, gum-shellac and waxed cloth are used 

 for this purpose ; the shellac and cloth arecertain- 

 ly excellent. The shellac is dissolved in alcohol 

 and applied with a brush ; the cloth is spread with 

 grafting wax made rather soft and applied with a 

 brush while warm. A strip of this tied round a 

 wound, or a patch stuck on over it, will greatly 

 facilitate the healing process. 



Ninety orchards out of every hundred are mu- 

 tilated and injured in being trimmed. Limbs that 

 ought to be cut off are preserved, and those that 

 ought to be retained are taken away. Some are 

 sawed partly off, are allowed to drop, tearing away 

 the wood and bark from the under side and leav- 

 ing a ragged and ghastly wound, that never heals, 



