NEW E N G L A x\ D FARMER, 



jtuite: ». l^4I. 



„on of t'hpT^i^^^^T^do not ce.se with ihdTi^r- lis know,,, however, to possess the power of con- 

 Tt delelpnrt: But the new p,.o.,uc,s nns,n, den.n, ,as.s within iU ^'^^>^:;^[^^:^:^l 

 from this continued assinulatinn, are no longer e,n- carbon.c acd. And ,t .s by v rt, e of *>. P°^^^^ 

 Ployed bv the perfect leaves ,n the.r own increase : that the roots of plants are suppl.ed .n charcoal ex 

 ployeu oy lut, , Immns. w th an atmosphere of carbonn 



they serve for the formation of woody fibre, and are 

 the solid matters of similar composition. Tiie 

 leaves now produce sugar, a,iiylin or starch, and 

 acids, which were previously formed by the roots 

 when lliey were necessary for the development of 

 the stem, buds, leaves and branches of the plant 



actly as in liumus, with an atmosphere of carbonic 

 acid and air, which is renewed as quickly as it is 

 abstracted. 



In charcoal powder, which had been used for 

 this ])urpose by Lul<as for several years, Buchner 

 found a brown substance soluble in alkalies. This 



r< stern buds leaves anu urancnes oj um iiani, .■ < „ 



Tteo;.ansol-„ss,milation.at this period of their substance was evidently due to the secret, on f,om 

 life recei"^ve more nourish.nent from the al.nosphere | the roots of the plants whjch grew hi it. 



llio, i%.v>,. .... „„J A nloi.t ril,.<-oil in n closed vei 



than they employ in their own sustenance, ana 

 when the formation of the woody substance has ad- 

 vanced to a certain extent, the expenditure of the 

 nutriment, the supply of which still remains the 

 same, takes a new direction, and blossoms are pro- 

 duced. Th» functions of tlie leaves of most plants 

 cea,se upon the ripeninir of their fruit, because the 

 products of their action are no longer needed. 

 They now yield to the chemical influence of the 

 oxygen of the air, generally suffer therefrom n 

 change in color, and fall ofi'. 



A°peculiar " transformation" of tlie matters con- 

 tained in all plants takes place in the period be- 

 tween blossoming and the ripening of the fruit; 

 new compounds are p,-oduced, which furnish con- 

 stituents of the blossoms, fruit, and seed. An or- 

 ganic chemical " transformation" is the separation 

 of the elements of one or several combinations, and 

 their reunion into two or several others, which con- 

 tain the same number of elements, either grouped 

 in another manner, or in ditTerent proportions. Of 

 two compounds formed in consequence of s,ich a 

 change, one remains as n component part of the 

 blossom or fruit, while the other is separated by 

 the roots in the form of excrenientilious matter. 

 No process of nutrition can be conceived to subsist 

 in animals or vegetables, without a separation of 

 effete matters. We know, indeed, that an organ- 

 ized body cannot generate substances, but can only 

 chantre the mode of their combination, and that its 

 sustenance and reproduction depend upon the 

 chemic;:! transformation of the matters which are 

 employed as its nutriment, and which contain its 

 own constituent elements ■ 



Whatever we regard asthe cause of these trans- 

 formations, whether the Fital PrincipU, Increase of 

 Tempemture , Ligltl, Gnhanism, or any otlier i,iflu- 

 ence, the act of transforinatioii is a purely chemi- 

 cal process. Combinntion and Decompusitiun can 

 take place only when the eh^ments are disposed to 

 these changes. That which chemists name nffinity 

 indicates only the degree in which they possess 

 this disposition. It will be shown, when consider- 

 inn- the processes of fermentation and putrefaction, 

 that every disturbance of the mutual attraction sub- 

 sisting between the elements of a body, gives rise 

 to transformation. The elements arrange them- 

 selves according to the degrees of their reciprocal 

 attraction into new combinations, which are in 



A plant placed in a closed vessel in which the 

 air, and therefore the carbonic, acid, cannot be re- 

 newed, dies exactly as it would do in the vacuum 

 of an air-pump, or in an atmosphere of nitrogen or 

 carbonic acid, even though its roots be fixed in the 

 richest mould. 



Plants do not, however, attain maturity, under 

 ordinary circumstances, in charcoal powder, when 

 they are moistened with pure distilled water in- 

 stead of rain or river water. Rain water iiuist,^ 

 therefore, contain within it one of the essentials ot 

 vegetable life ; and it will be shown, that this is 

 the presence of n compound containing nitrogen, 

 the exclusion of which entirely deprives humus and 

 charcoal of their influence upon vegetation. 



[From 'Transactions of the Essex Agricultural Society.'] 



AGRICULTURAL SEMINARY, AT 

 ANDOVER. 



V/e have been requested to present the follow- 

 ing noLice of a course of study contemplated in the 

 Teachers' Seminary, at the South Pai-ish in Ando- 

 ver. It so fully harmonizes with the views expres- 

 sed in Dr. Nichols' essay, and is so well calcula- 

 ted to meet what we consider the present wai,ts of 

 the community, that we cheerfully recommend the 

 institution to those, who are desirous of educa. 

 ting their sons to be intelligent and independent 

 farmeis. At a time when the most distinguished 

 men of our country feel it their highest honor, that 

 they arcfarnurs ; and, when all the lenrntd pro- 

 fessions, so called, are over stocked, it becomes us, 

 farmers, to consider what is the best manner of ed- 

 ucating our sons. 



"Arrangements have been made to introduce 

 scientific agriculture as a regular branch of study ; 

 one of the teacheis has been engaged, during the 

 past winter, in investigating agricul.ural chemistry, 

 with a view to give instruction on the subject, and 

 to prepare a text book for the use of the students. 

 Instruction will be given on the subject the coming 

 term, which conimences March 25th, in connection 

 with the lectures and experiments in chemistry. 

 The plan of adding scientific agriculture to the 

 branches already pursued, originated from the be- 

 ief that scientific agriculture must be made a reg 



attraction into new comn.nations, wnicn are ,...; ular branch of study in our literary in.stitutions he- 

 capable of further change, under the same condi- fore we can make farmers scientihc men, and |.ro- 

 copauic ui .u.v B „„„„, ;„,nrnuRment in our svstem of 



tions. 



Plants thrive in powdered charcoal, and may be 

 brought to blossom and bear (ruit if exposed to the 

 influence of the rain and the atmosphere ; the char- 

 coal may be previouslv heated to redness. Char- 

 coal is the most " indifl'ei'ent" and most unchange- 

 able substance known ; it may be kept for centu- 

 ries without change, and is therefore not subject 

 to decomposition. The only substances which it 



duce a permanent improvement in our system of 

 rural economy. It is our object to afford facilities 

 to our young ,iien for obtaining a thorough English 

 education, especially to obtain a knowledge of the 

 various branches of natural science, that they may 

 be able to understand and apply the great princi- 

 ples of scientific agriculture which lay at the foun- 

 dation of ail successful practice. We propose to 

 teach them botany and physiology, minerology. 



witness the operations of tillage under the direction 

 of a teacher. No labor will be re^iiiVerf, but the 

 opportunity will be given for those who feel dis- 

 posed, and a fair remuneration paid. The instruc- 

 tion in scientific agriculture will be connected with 

 the process of analyzing soils. Fully believing 

 that this plan will be of the highest practical ad- 

 vantage to the farming community, and the only one 

 which will ultimately elevate the employment, and 

 raise up a generation of scientific farmers, we con- 

 fidently present it to the community for their co- 

 operation and patronage." 

 Jan., 1841. 



From ilie British Farmer's Magazine. 



COWS AS BEASTS OF DRAUGHT. 



It seems somewhat odd, that while we have com- 

 pelled the horse, the ox, the mule, the ass, and even 

 the dog, to work as beasts of draught, the cow 

 should have been generally overlooked. Whether 

 the experiment may have been tested, and found to 

 fail, I know not ; but certain it is, that instances 

 are very rare in this country, where the cow may 

 be seen toiling as the horse. Extraordinary, how. 

 ever, as it may be, a few years ago, a cow was to 

 bo seen on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool 

 Canal, pulling a boat along with comparative ease, 

 and a proportionate degree of gravity; thus fur- 

 nishing the boatman with both labor and milk. 



The Flemings, too, are beginning to make use 

 of the cow as a beast of draught, and that animal is 

 made to cart, plough, and drill, for perhaps five or 

 six hours per day. And it will be readily granted, 

 I presume, that plenty of work of a suitable nature 

 for the cow to execute, may mostly be found on any 



farm. 



I know our farmers are slow to adopt any pac- 

 tice which is strange to them, hence the tardy pro- 

 gress of agriculture ; others, again, will condemn , 

 untried whatever is recommended to them ; which 

 perhaps will be the case with the subject in ques- 

 tion. Such, however, must not be heeded, for if 

 they are so wilfully obtuse as to stand in their own 

 lighl, the blaine must lie in themselves. There i.'< 

 nothing particularly startling in a case of this so:t. 

 If a cow can be made to work a few bouts a day, 

 without lessening the quantity of her milk, why 

 r^hould not her labor be acceptable ? But of course 

 it is the small farmer who is most likely to profit by| 

 it. or the laborer who may have his acre or two oii 

 land, a cow or two, but no horse ; and, as a malteij 

 of course, for such only is the hint intended. 



In laying this subject before your readers, I an- 

 ticipate the return of information which must be 

 valuable; I have seen in your Magazine, at varioue 

 times, papers on the disease of stock, evidently the 

 productions of able veterinarians, and it is likelj 

 that those individuals could well ascertain the pro 

 priety or impropriety of so using the cow. I earnest 

 ly hope tJiat some of those gentlemen will take U| 

 the question, and give a definitive opinion on thi 

 matter at the outset; and if the cow can really bi 

 ,uade more useful than she now is, I hope the prac 

 tice will be introduced. These are the times fo 

 economy on the farm and elsewhere too, and a mai 

 is not to be blamed for using proper means to lea 

 sen his outlay ; hoping, therefore, that the subjec 

 will meet the attention of reasonable men, "wh. 



to decomposition. i no only suosiances wnicu ji iein;o mcui ".^ j r-j- ■ '^■'' 



can Yield to plants are some salts, which it con- geology, and chemistry, with its application to ag 

 tains, amongst which is silicate of potash. It | riculture, and to afford them the opportunity to 



look before they leap," and who will not hesitate t 

 express their opinions decidedly on it, 



I remain. Sir, yours, &c., InqniBER 



Farnsworth, Lancashire, March 23, 1840. 



