1846.] Operation of Septon on Plants and Animals. 323 



contain inoredients of the same nature and quality with those 

 which the plants so manured, are found by analysis to consist of. 

 By proceeding in this manner, there can be rarely a mistake 

 made in the application of manure. It is observable in the order 

 of creation, that certain vegetable bodies approach more than 

 others towards animal nature. The presence of septon (azote) 

 is the circumstance in the composition of organized being, which 

 particularly denotes animality, or the approximation to it. Sep- 

 tic manures, being of animal derivation, ought therefore, if they 

 entered into the constitution of plants, to make such as are 

 nourished by them, take on somewhat of an animal nature. Let 

 us now examine how this principle accords with facts. A fa- 

 miliar example may be taken from wheat. Wheat is most bene- 

 fitted by manures that contain septon. Street manure, door dirt, 

 and well mixed barn yard compost, all of which abound with sep- 

 ten, are among the best manures for that vegetable. And the 

 efficacy of wood ashes in making ground capable of producing 

 great crops of that grain, is probably owing, if modern conjec- 

 ture is true, to the septon (azote) composing a part of the alkali 

 it contains. Some of the swamp manures will also produce 

 good harvests of wheat; but others of them, though they cause 

 a sufficient growth of straw, fail to fill the seed in the ear. The 

 straw is large and heavy enough, but the grain is scanty and 

 light. The reason appears to be this: Where the swamp ma- 

 nures happen to be charged with the septic matters, derived 

 from animals, or from vegetable substances that approach toward 

 animal nature, they will produce plentiful crops of wheat; but 

 w^hen they consist merely of decayed plants, they are incapable 

 of elaborating the grain in ihe head. The cause of this can 

 easily be investigated by attending to the analysis of wheat. Mr. 

 Parmentier, (Le Farsait Boulanger, &c. page 26,) assures us of 

 the presence of septon in the miicotis parts of meal; and he 

 affirms, that the glutinousYtoriion affiards products quite similar to 

 animal substances. (Ibid. p. 24.) If, then, the land upon which 

 wheat grows, contains a scanty quantity of seption, the seed will 

 be poor and light in proportion to the deficiency of that article 

 of food in the soil. Yet, in this very ground, the roots of turnips 

 and radishes may thrive exceedingly; and so may other plants 

 that do not employ septon as an article of their diet. 



The same views of the subject inform us why funguses grow 

 up on dunghills and in pasture grounds when the excrementitious 

 discharges of animals are dropped. That they are nourished by 

 septon, appears from their analysis; which proves them to con- 

 tain it. 



Although these considerations might appear conclusive as to 

 this point, the evidence does not rest here. Facts of a very strik- 



