118 



GENESEE FARMER, 



Mat. 



diamond 500 feet in thickness.* — While an im- 

 mense quantity of carbonic acid is discharged 

 into the atmosphere from volcanoes and internal 

 heat, acting like fire on limestone in a burning 

 kiln, by which 100 lbs. of rock lose about 44 lbs. 

 of gas ; yet old ocean keeps up nature's great 

 balance, by absorbing an equal quantity of car 

 bonic acid gas to combine with earthy minerals 

 below. On the circumscribed islands and conti- 

 nents of our little world, vitality can operate only 

 to a very limited extent. Nevertheless, there is 

 room to feed and clothe such a mass of moral, 

 rational, human beings as we love to contemplate. 

 All can be virtuous, wise, and happy. Tillage 

 and science (that of the bible being chief among 

 the latter) will one day have worked out a har- 

 mony in the social, political, and religious world, 

 as perfect as that taught us in astronomy, geolo- 

 gy, chemistry, and physiology. As the two hun- 

 dred and fifty millions of souls now in Europe 

 acquire intellectual and moral light, under the 

 glorious banner of " Liberty, Equality, and Fra- 

 ternity," human butchery, kingcraft, and all oth- 

 er craft which robs the many to enrich the few, 

 will cease to vex mankind. Universal education 

 and universal peace will lead to scientific agri- 

 culture, universal plenty and happiness. 



We have wandered from our text. Let us re- 

 turn then, and witness at the death of all plants 

 gftid animals, the speedy decomposition of their 

 bodies, and the matter diffused through the atmos- 

 phere very much as is a cord of wood burnt in a 

 stove. Not only do carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, 

 and h.ydrogen, when disorganized, rise into air, 

 but sulphur and phosphorus, as in tlie gases from 

 a bad egg, rise likewise. Water has a strong 

 affinity for all the gases which fly off into the air 

 from manure heaps and all decaying vegetable 

 and animal substances. Hence, by a wise pro- 

 vision in nature, rains, dews and snows bring 

 back to the earth the constituents of plants, and 

 the water that enters their roots, ascends to their 

 leaves and is evaporated, supplies these living 

 beings with their appropriate aliment. Carbonic 

 acid and other gases enter the pores of leaves di- 

 rectly ; and as the atmosphere is ever in motion 

 it constantly brings fresh food to these organs. 

 It is important to understand the fact that, although 

 the light and heat of the sun and other forces 

 will decompose water, carbonic acid and ammo- 

 nia, ready to combine their elements, viz : car- 

 bon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, into woody 

 fibre, starch, oil, sugar, gum, and all nitrogenous 

 compounds, yet no such combination can take 

 place unless the soil yields all the lime and other 

 minerals which form the ash of the plant. Al- 

 though the starch in wheat, beans, corn, and 

 potatoes, is nothing but simple carbon and the 

 elements of water, yet without potash or other 

 alkali, not a particle of starch can be organized. 



The formation of vegetable tissues and their 

 * Diamond is pure crystalized carbon. 



seeds and fruit we will study at another time, — 

 Although the amount of incombustible earthy 

 substances consumed by plants is small, still this 

 part of the mineral kingdom is the true basis of 

 the vegetable kingdom, as the latter is of that of 

 animals. 



" All are parts of one stupendous whole, 

 Whose body nature is, and God the soul." 



Augusta, Ga., April, 1848. 



Hints for May. 



The great battle for life is now fairly begun. 

 See the armed legions of strong men take the 

 field, with the determined visage of victory, arm- 

 ed with the shining imple.me^ts of warfare. — 

 The light troops have scoured the plain — the 

 proud war-horse in full harness, and the ponder- 

 ous ox are at their posts — the glorious sun ha& 

 scaled the walls of old Winter and thrown wide 

 the portals of lovely, blooming May — the grass^ 

 the flower, asid the leaf, spring up like our own 

 bounding hopes — the merry bird, the joyous 

 child and the whooping boy, are in the fields — 

 the busy insect and the creeping worm, are en- 

 gaged in the same conflict — doing" battle for life, 

 Man ! do thy share in the coming onset; for the 

 sake of thy loved hearth of little ones — for thy 

 garners and thy stores — for the aged, the unfor- 

 tunate and the needy. — The word is, Onward! 

 do, or die ! 



One half of the farmer's success in this battle 

 for life and subsistence, consists in system — al- 

 ways to know over night what the work is for 

 the morrow, and to have every preparation ready 

 and at hand, and to always do that first that most 

 requires doing. A man's head that does this 

 part of the battle, is like a great General — his 

 head is worth more than his hands. Always 

 note down in your mind all the little jobs that 

 want doing, when convenient ; there are broken 

 days and odd hours, always enough to perform 

 them. 



Remember that all animal and vegetable mat- 

 ter n;iakes manure — nothing that will rot and 

 decrwnpose, but what produces the food of plants ; 

 therefore save everything for that purpose that 

 can not be eaten. We do not act with that true 

 philosophy in saving every thing that plants can 

 eat, as we do in relation to our animals. Why ? 

 Because we do not understand, or properly ap- 

 preciate the physiology of the vegetable econo- 

 my; and yet it is the first step — the incipient 

 stage of the final result. None of us do it — no, 

 nor half do it — nor ever will, till our population 

 equals China, where four rods of ground support 

 a human being. 



It is a great mistake to draw out barn-yard 

 manure too early — before it is half converted. 

 Leave the yard litter under the catde till they go 

 to pasture, or at least till the very moment you 

 intend plowing it in. When the litter is well 



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