214 The Work of Faith and Hope. [April, 



conducting the process slowly, if hastened it will most surely be 

 overdone. All plants derive their nitrogen more or less from the 

 soil, and the nitrogen here is always combined with other ele- 

 ments. This important substance forms one of the elements of 

 crenic and apocrenic acids. In the presence of strong bases, such 

 as lime, magnesia, &c., these combine and form salts in part. 

 These, as well as the free acids which may be absorbed by plants, 

 are slowly decomposed and the elements both of carbonic acid 

 and ammonia are assimilated, and they thus supply carbon, nitro- 

 gen and water. Showers of rain carry down to the soil also am- 

 monia to the roots of plants. Clay and porous bodies also absorb 

 it, but clay sometimes seems to be too compact to perform this 

 office, and hence burning has been resorted to, by which its po- 

 rosity is increased, and its combined matters rendered more solu- 

 ble.* . 



We have only to remark, in conclusion, that all soils which 

 are intended to produce the cereals must contain the organic mat- 

 ter we have described in this article, and however well weeds and 

 innutricious matter may be found growing upon soils destitute of 

 them, we may assure the farmer that maize and wheat will not 

 reach maturity and produce grain unless they exist in the soil. 



THE WORK OF FAITH AND HOPE. 



Every body knows that the mind exercises a controlling influ- 

 ence upon the body, and yet in some cases there are many per- 

 sons where this influence is most clearly manifested, who are 

 very slow to acknowledge that certain efl^ects are really due to, 

 and only produced by this influence. The truth itself is of great 

 practical importance, and may be applied either for good or bad. 



* The theory in regard to the importance of anftaonia was long ago taught 

 by the late Professor Eaton ; and it was a part of his regular course in his 

 lectures on practical chemistry to illustrate the absorption of ammonia by 

 carbon and other porous bodies, and make a direct application of these facts 

 to illustrate the mode by which ammonia was obtained from the atmosphere 

 by the rootlets of plants. 



