12 



NEW ENGLAND FARMJIR. 



Jan. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 MINEKALOGY. 



Mineralogy is intimately connected with geolo- 

 gy, as it teaches the properties, composition and 

 relations of mineral bodies, and the art of distin- 

 guishing and describing them. These two scien- 

 ces, geology and mineralogy, are frequently taught 

 and learned in the same connection, as in many 

 particulars they tend mutually to illustrate and 

 explain each other. In fact, it is believed by some 

 authors, that the earth, or the solid part of it, 

 was originally made one mass of solid rocks or 

 minerals ; that a bed for vegetation was produced 

 by the decomposition of rocks ; that this decom- 

 position was effected by the expansion of water 

 in the pores or fissures of rocks, by heat or con- 

 gelation, by the solvent power of moisture, and by 

 electricity,' which is known to be a powerful agent 

 of decomposition. Be this as it may, and it is 

 not my puipose to entertain the subject at the 

 present time, still it is a well known fact, that the 

 decomposition of rocks tends to the renovation of 

 soil's, as well as their cultivation. But, that the 

 solid or mineral parts of the earth were not all 

 formed at one time, is evident from the fact, that 

 no animal or vegetable remains are found in rocks 

 of primitive formation. 



Of all the memorials of the past history of clir 

 globe, the most interesting are those mjTiads of 

 remains of organized bodies which are found in 

 secondary rocks, and in alluvial formations. — 

 These consist of numberless aquatic plants, zoo- 

 phites, fishes, crocodiles, tortoises, sei'pents, birds, 

 and cetaceous animals, all of a different species 

 from any which now exist. More than thirty dif- 

 ferent species of animals have been found imbed- 

 ded in the secondary strata ; no living examples 

 of which are now to be found in any quarter of 

 the globe. Among the most remarkable of these, 

 are the Mammoth, the Alegatherius, the Masto- 

 don, the Tapir, &c. These were all larger than 

 any living animals. Besides these, there have 

 been found the remains of the elephant, the rhi- 

 noceros, the hippopotamus, the elk, 6cc., of different 

 species from those which now exist, but belonging 

 to the same genera. These fossil remains, wheth- 

 er they be regarded as belonging to the science 

 of geology or mineralogy, are certainly among the 

 most remarkable curiosities and wonders to be 

 found in the cabinets and museums either of the 

 old or new world. 



Minerals have been variously classed by differ- 

 ent authors. They are, perhaps, more commonly 

 comprehended under the five following classes : 

 earths, salts, inflammables, metals and petrifac- 

 tions. Earths are generally applied to such sub- 

 stances as have neither taste nor smell, and are 

 not inflammable. Salts are acids and alkalies, 

 and the compounds formed by acids in union 

 with alkalies, earths, and metallic oxides. Inflam- 

 mables are mineral substances which may be easi- 

 ly ignited or set on fii'e. Metals are heavy, hard, 

 opaque bodies, possessed of a remarkable lustre, 

 insoluble in water, fusible by heat, and maleable 

 in different degrees. Petrifactions are substan- 

 ces which have been turned to stone, and are in- 

 crusted within the cavities of organized bodies, 



There are nine classes of stony minerals, of 

 which iJi other rocks are composed, and which 

 af e therefore termed the ebements of rocks. These 



are quartz, felspar, mica, talc, hornblende, argil- 

 lite, limestone, gypsum and chlorite. These are 

 sometimes found naturally crystalized with more 

 or less regularity. They are also variously com- 

 pounded, and usually classed according to the for- 

 mation to which they respectively belong. Thus, 

 from these elements we have granite and gneiss, 

 both composed of quartz, felspar and mica, in dif- 

 ferent proportions, and according to their differ- 

 ent peculiarities. So it is with regai'd to all oth- 

 er compound rocks. 



Though no common farmer can be expected to 

 arrive at a very perfect knovvdedge of all the min- 

 erals, simple and compound, included under the 

 head of these nine different classes, yet by mak- 

 ing a beginning with some one kind of mineral, 

 granite, for instance, and improving all his leisure 

 moments in collecting different specimens of gran- 

 ite, and of its constituent principles, quartz, fel- 

 spar and mica, and comparing them with the de- 

 scription given in some good text-book, he will 

 soon arrive at a respectable knowledge of his sub- 

 ject. More especially will this be the case, if he 

 has some one, already acquainted with the sub- 

 ject, to accompany him, because the living de- 

 scription of the tongue will be better understood, 

 than any description given in a book. Having 

 thus obtained a competent knowledge of granite, 

 and its component elements, quartz, felspar and 

 mica, he is now prepared to take up and examine, 

 in like manner, some other mineral ; and thus, by 

 improving the odds and ends of his time, "here 

 a little and there a little," he w^ill be able to ar- 

 rive at important results. 



But, in order to prosecute this study to advan- 

 tage, the student should not only have a good 

 text-book, but furnish himself Avith suitable ap- 

 paratus for making his investigations. Thus 

 equipped, he should direct his way into the fields 

 of nature ; and whatever mineral meets his eye, 

 whether it be the pebble on the shore, the rock 

 of the mountain, or the diamond in the valley, he 

 should carefully examine it and investigate its 

 properties ; and, if it be thought worthy of pre- 

 servation, he should carefully deposit it in his 

 cabinet, in its proper place. Should he meet with 

 more than his immediate wants require, he should 

 preserve tiiem for the purpose of exchanging 

 them for those of remote places. But, above all, 

 while he is studying into the properties, the uses, 

 and the relations of minerals, let him remember, 

 that they are the handiwork of the all-wise Crea- 

 tor, to whom he owes unbounded love and vene- 

 ration. John Goldsbury. 



ASPARAGUS BEDS. 



Very many persons who possess gardens and 

 have an abundance of room, deprive themselves 

 of this delicacy because they think there is a 

 great deal of trouble and mystery in raising 

 it. There is scarcely a simpler crop produced in 

 the garden. We have given over and over again 

 the mode of setting out beds, and may refer to 

 it again in our next issue, as it can be done any 

 time before the closing up of the season by frost. 

 Our purpose now is to give a hint as to the way 

 of treating beds in autumn. It is this : When 

 the stalks have turned yellow, mow them off close 

 with a scythe, and burn on each bed its own 

 crop, scattering the ashes evenly over it. Then 



