278 VEGETATIVE POWER OF SEA-SAND. 



adopt substitutes for these poisonous drugs ? If " moral 

 suasion " is not quite tart enough for their tastes, we 

 invito them to try apple-suasion, pear-suasion, grape- 

 suasion, and peach-suasion. This would give a little 

 variety, at least, to the sermons, and serve to keep us 

 awake. 



It will be found quite difficult to force people to give 

 up all their luxuries at once, and we may find it more 

 feasible to divert the taste to some luxuries of an inno- 

 cent nature, than to wholly forbid the use of them. 



We know there is a small party that travels on the 

 high pressure principle ;' and they forbid the use of tea 

 and coffee : but with all our tendencies towards tem- 

 perance, we think it impolitic to dispense with these. 



Let us diligently cultivate the best fruits our climate 

 will produce, and we may, in time, forget entirely the 

 use of ardent spirit. — Ed. 



VEGETATIVE POWER OF SEA-SANI>. 



A FEW days since, a quantity of sea-sand was car- 

 ried out of Morecambe bay, about a mile from the 

 Furness shore. It had been, less than an hour pre- 

 viously, covered a considerable depth by the tide, and 

 contained several cockles and other shell-fish. It was 

 immediately placed in pits, or beds, fifteen inches deep, 

 and sown, without manure or admixture of any kind, 

 just in the state it was when taken from the bay, 

 with wheat, barley, peas, mustard, cress, and radish- 

 seed. In five days, the mustard, cress, and radish- 

 seed had sprouted, and begun to vegetate, having 

 thrown out a considerable length of root, while (what 

 is most extraordinary) the shell-fish were even then 

 alive ! Thus have we Avheat, barley, peas, mustard, 

 cress, and radishes, all growing, and cockles and other 

 shell-fish in a living state^ in one and the same bed of 



