605 



FARMERS' REGISTER— IMPROVEMENT BY MARLING. 



globe. If such an experiment could be fairly 

 made, there would be, in all probability, a similar 

 atinospiiere formed, and a like combination of op- 

 posite qualities to what we now observe in tlie 

 earth — each, according;- to its gravity, would in- 

 cline towards the centre of attraction. Carbon, ni- 

 trogen, and oxygen, together with many other vo- 

 latile matters, would rise, combine and form the 

 atmosphere: tliose v.'hich oppose a greater resis- 

 tance to the action of heat, by the si!p3rior force of 

 their affinities, woiild gradually .become united 

 with diiferent principles, according as they might 

 chanL-e to fall together, and arrest each other's 

 progress towards the centre. The aliinilies be- 

 tween the elements of some oftheless heavy prin- 

 ciples of theiiuid mass, being exercised with more 

 activity than thoscof the more denser matters, the 

 ibrmer uniting first, must bear obstacle to the 

 progress of the latter tov.'ar;ls the centre ; and by 

 this means, be retained near the surface — such as 

 the ponderous stones and various minerals which 

 are liiund on tlie surface of the globe. For some 

 wise purpose, a considerable portion of our earth 

 v.as to assume certain forms, viz: a large part of 

 the globe was to be animated, and to receive loco- 

 motive powers, such as the astonishing variety in 

 the vegelal>le and animal kingdoms — for their 

 analyses sufficiently show, tliat they are difl'used 

 over the v,hole suriiicc of the earth ; and it must 

 be on account of an original stanip, given by God 

 himself, tb.at the vcgetalile and animal world are 

 united and moulded as it were, in the various 

 shapes and grades presented to our view. Tlie 

 earth contains principles alternately mingled, de- 

 tached, and consolidated; composition and decom- 

 ])Osition agitate it continually, fijr its surface seems 

 to be in continued vibration. This seems ne- 

 cessary to the fidfilment c f the great end in view, 

 viz: the preservation of the different species to a 

 certain pei'iod. 



If the human race could have resisted all the 

 causes which tend to induce death, theii" demands 

 would have been rapitlly increased ; and as man 

 bears universal sway upon the earth, the vegeta- 

 ble and animal world would have been employed 

 for his support, and by this means becon)e extinct, 

 and leave no other animated beings upon the globe 

 except the human family, v.ho under these cir- 

 cumstances, would be compelled, like the fish of 

 the sea, to devour each other. Had this been the 

 case, there would have been a very inconsideralde 

 renmantof the eart'i left ; and that a simple nodule 

 or sphere of attraction, wlii. h in the present stateof 

 things might serve to keep t be general mass suitably 

 compacted. If all organic matter, both animal 

 and vegetable, since the formation of our earlh, 

 could be brought together, it would form a mass 

 that would fill creation; for it is the opinion of 

 Spallanzani and others, that a single herring, if 

 suffered to spawn and multiply unmolested, and 

 undiminished for twenty years, would show a pro- 

 geny larger in bulk than theglobe itself Philoso- 

 phers and geologists have examined the earth, its fur 

 niture, magnitude, f()rm,tonstruction and astonish- 

 ing magnificence, the various phenomena and kind 

 ofbeings which inha!)il it. Tlse various mountains, 

 hills, rocks, vallies, rivers and seas — what a field 

 they must liave had for speculation ! Tliey have 

 also explanied (he exquisite workmanship of or- 

 ganized matter, and the laws by which it is gov- 

 erned. The earth is the third planet in the solar 



system, and revolves round the sun, as a centre of 

 her motion from east to west, in 365 days, 6 hours 

 and 9 minutes. Her distance from the sun is said 

 to be 95 millions of miles, and moves at the rate of 

 68 thousand miles every hour, in her orbit. Inde- 

 pendent of this annual motion round the sun, she 

 turns on her axis ; that is, she turns over once in 

 24 hours, which seems to produce motion in all the 

 heavenly bodies from east to west. In conse- 

 quence of the earth's motion on her axis, and 

 round the sun, her inhabitants enjoy a succession 

 of day and night, and also the different seasons of 

 tlie year. The earth moves one degree in her or- 

 bit every day, a sign every month, and finishes 

 h.cr])eriod round the sun, in SG5 days, 6 hours and 

 9 minutes, which is called her year. The four 

 seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, are 

 produced by the inclination of the earth's axis to 

 the axis of the ecliptic, which makes an angle of 

 23° 28'. The diameter of the earth, in round num- 

 bers, is said tobe8,000 miles, and altliough globu- 

 lar, her form is not exactly round, but an oblate 

 spheroidal, flattened at the poles, and ])rojected to- 

 wards the equator, so that a line drawn through 

 the east and west points is longer than one dra'<^n 

 through the north and south points. 



GALEX. 



PROGRESS OF I31PROVEMEST BY MARLIAG. 



To the Edifir of the f'armers' Register. 



Agriculture, like other systems, is subject to 

 occasional revolutions. Daily experience unfolds 

 to us some new agricultural resource; and while 

 some systems of agricultural improvement, ush- 

 ered into notice by the most extravagant encomi- 

 ums, have j)assed into a speedy and well merited 

 o!)livion, otliers have been discovered, tliat shall 

 stand the test of time, and benefit millions yet un- 

 born. A bountii"uI Providence has abundantly 

 supplied the tidewater district of Virginia with 

 calrareous earths, possessing invaluable proper- 

 ties, which were for a long time overlooked, or 

 considered as possessing feeble claims upon our 

 attention. But by analyses and industry liieir va- 

 lualde properties have been discovered, and their 

 beneficial qualities made evident. But a iew years 

 ago, I left James river, the place of my nativity 

 an'.l of my earliest afiections, in a \ery dejilo- 

 rable condition. The deteriorated condition of 

 the neighboring farms, the poverty stricken fields, 

 naturally not fertile, but rendered poorer by a 

 wretched system of cultivation, all bespoke a 

 miserable condition of things that cried aloud 

 lor improvement. The product from cultivation 

 would barely compensate tlie most industrious 

 farmer. This was calculated to depress and over- 

 rate the energies of the people; and many a prac- 

 tical liirmer found his income inadequate to his an- 

 nual espenscs. This depressed condition of things, 

 induced many a noble hearted Virginian to forsake 

 tlie graves of his fathers, and seek an asylum in 

 some more genial clim'e, where the fertile earth 

 would repay the labor of cultivation. But a great 

 and surprising improvement lias been accomjjlish- 

 ed in a few years by the renovating eficcts of cal- 

 careous manures, (wherever they have been used.) 

 The S|)irit of industiy and improvement have 

 S[)rung again into life, and the physical energies of 

 the people seem to be endued with a new impulse. 

 The altered face of the country in my native dis- 

 trict is remarkable: where the " hen's-nest grass" 



