THE ATMOSPHERE. 237 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE ATMOSPHERE, AND ITS USES TO THE HUSBANDMAN. 



A KNOWLEDGE of the Constituents of the atmosphere, 

 and of the various and important offices which it performs 

 in animal and vegetable economy, is valuable to the far- 

 mer, not only as aiding him in promoting the health of 

 himself and his family, and of his brute animals — and in all 

 his rural and money-making operations — but as offering a 

 source of high intellectual enjoyment. Although the sub- 

 ject may be deemed too abstruse for the generality of far- 

 mers, we consider it fraught with so much useful instruc- 

 tion, that we venture to say it will be read with interest by 

 many of our young friends, and we would fain hope that it 

 may lead some of them into a course of study, in physical 

 science, which will not only benefit them individually, but 

 ultimately become beneficial to the human family. Nei- 

 ther fame nor fortune is hereditary. And let no young 

 man be deterred from aspiring to both, because he is the 

 son of an humble farmer. The brightest geniuses of the 

 age have come from the plough. The Creator has en- 

 dowed us with power to become acquainted with many 

 of the apparent phenomena of Nature, and of rendering 

 them subservient to our wants ; and, in this free country, 

 the humblest individual has ample leisure and means to 

 pursue the investigation, and win the reward. The time 

 and means that are usually devoted, in early life, to frivo- 

 lous, and often deleterious pleasures, would suffice to lay 

 in a stock of useful knowledge, which would become a 

 treasure and a blessing in after-life. But it should never 

 be forgotten, that in all our undertakings, mental, moral, 

 and physical, a determined perseverance is the only ra- 

 tional prelude to success. With these views and hopes, 

 we shall briefly describe the principal constituent parts of 

 the atmosphere, and some of its more important offices, 

 that seem most likely to interest the agriculturist. 



