298 



NEW EXGLAND FARMER. 



July 



the atmosphere, which are constantly acting upon 

 the rocks both chemically and mechanically. The 

 rains cause torrents which, as they rush down the 

 mountains and hill-sides, produce a constant attri- 

 tion, by rubbing their surfaces together and grind- 

 ing them one upon another. The sands thus ground 

 off from the surfaces of the rocks serve to increase 

 the soil of the valleys and plains, and are in a con- 

 dition in which they are readily acted upon by the 

 roots of plants and by the liquids that come in con- 

 tact with them and produce new chemical combi- 

 nations. There is a new layer of soil produced 

 every year by this attrition of the rocks, sufficient 

 to supply all losses occasioned by the growth of 

 vegetation. 



We would next direct our attention to the ac- 

 tion of the mosses and other cryptogamous plants, 

 always greatly abundant upon the surfaces of 

 rocks, and which serve the purpose of dissolving 

 the substance of the rocks by certain acids which 

 they secrete, and thus converting them into soil. 

 These acids are undoubtedly absorbed fi-om the at- 

 mosphere by a process that serves also to purify 

 this element from noxious gases. The acquisitions 

 which the soil makes from these sources, are not in- 

 considerable, as may be apparent, when we examine 

 the different rocks that compose our stone walls. 

 These are always covered with lichens, which are 

 every winter rubbed off by the action of ice and 

 snow, and every summer renewed by the force of 

 their own vegetative powers. 



To return to the first advantage named, as de- 

 rived from the existence of rocks — namely, the ine- 

 qualities of the earth's surface — let us consider a lit- 

 tle more in detail the delights as well as the ad- 

 vantages that spring from these arrangements. The 

 principal charm of landscape arises from the differ- 

 ent forms of the surface of the earth, occasioned by 

 these inequalities. On a vast plain there is a mo- 

 notony which is tiresome and almost saddening. 

 An uneven surface presents us with constant 

 changes of prospect, different forms of ground, dis- 

 tant views, and little sequestered valleys. In this 

 world, we are exposed to so many inevitable evils, 

 that Providence has kindly provided a thousand 

 sources of delight in the outward forms of the 

 landscape, as well as in the infinite variety of beau- 

 ty, abounding in the various productions of the 

 earth. It would be as unreasonable to suppose 

 that beauty is formed by the Creator without a 

 purpose, as to suppose that any cause is established 

 without reference to its effect. The beauty of 

 the earth's surface springs chiefly from variety ; 

 raid this variety is produced by those inequalities 

 which are caused by the existence of rocks. 



Many people have supposed that the pleasure we 

 derive from the beauties of nature is the result of 

 education. This cannot be true in all respects, 

 We must consider that one thing is to be able to 



point out the causes of these emotions which are 

 awakened by the different scenes in nature, and an- 

 other is to feel the emotions they excite. The first 

 is undoubtedly the result of education, because ed- 

 ucation alone teaches us to analyze our feelings, 

 and to explain their causes. But to say that we 

 must be educated in a certain manner, in order to 

 feel pleasure or pain, cheerfulness or sadness, a 

 sense of security or of exposure from the different 

 scenes of nature, is as far from the truth as it 

 would be to say that the squirrel that hops from 

 tree to tree, feels no more pleasure in sunstine than 

 in rain. 



Before we leave the subject of rocks, we will al- 

 lude to their value, in the meteorological point of 

 view. The Abbe St. Pierre calls rocks "the hy- 

 draulic architecture of nature," alluding to the at- 

 traction of the rocky summits of hills and moun- 

 tains for the vapors of the atmosphere. In the 

 Island of Bourbon, situated in the Indian Ocean, 

 under the twenty-first degree of south latitude, the 

 summits of the mountains are arranged like the 

 pins of a skittle ground, and have such an at- 

 traction for the moisture of the atmosphere as to 

 be enveloped in a continual fog. which descends 

 like rain on the top of the mountain, and gives 

 rise to the numerous brooks and rivulets that wa- 

 ter the island. St. Pierre thinks "it would be pos- 

 i-ible to imitate this architecture of nature, and to 

 form by means of the attraction of such rocks, 

 fountains of water in the most parched situations." 

 Trees on the tops of hills and mountains have the 

 same hydraulic attractions, and in a still greater de- 

 gree. We will quote one other remark from tha 

 author above named. He says, "the Pharaohs 

 who built the pyramids of Egypt, would not have 

 drawn upon themselves the curses of their subjects, 

 as Pliny assures us they did, for their enormous 

 and useless labors, had they raised r.mid the sands 

 of upper Egypt an electrical pyramid, to liave 

 formed there an artificial fountain. The Arab, 

 who should resort thither at this day to quench 

 his thirst, would still pronounce benedictions on 

 names, which'if we may believe this great natural 

 historian, had already sunk into oblivion, and 

 ceased to be mentioned in his time." 



In warm climates the mountains which are cov- 

 ered with snow, are the refrigerators of the torrid 

 heats that would otherwise render them uninhabit- 

 able. The clouds which are constantly gathering 

 about their summits discharge rain and snow, which 

 supply the innumerable streams that bring coolness 

 as well as irrigation to the plains and valleys be- 

 low. The great sandy deserts of Africa are found 

 at a large distance from mountains which would 

 have supplied them with moisture, checked the fer- 

 vency of their heats, and caused the growth of for- 

 ests. South America, which is almost entirely gir- 

 dled by mountains, has no sandy deserts; and the 



