1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 191 



stable combinations, better fitted to produce geine. In all cases of 

 putrefaction in the open air, oxygen is absorbed, and an equal bulk of 

 carbonic acid given out, while, at the same time, the oxygen and hy- 

 drogen of the plant escape as water. The result is, that in the sub- 

 stance left, carbon exists in a greater portion, than in an equal weight 

 of fresh vegetables. In all cases of putrefaction, new products are 

 formed ; these again resolve into others; and this action goes on till we 

 have no longer any organic products ; we have only binary or inor- 

 ganic substances left. All our researches into the philosophy of the 

 changes in fermentation, terminate in these binary products, that is, 

 in compounds, consisting of only two elements. During all these 

 various chancres, a variety of substances must, of course, be formed. 

 As the elements of living, so the elements of dead plants, are contin- 

 ually changing into new forms. Nature is admirably simple, and never 

 so learned as our books. We ought not to dignify with a new name, 

 every new product of putrefaction, which we may fortunately arrest. 

 However various these products may be, whether products or educts 

 of putrefaction, or of our analytical methods of separating them, all 

 putrefaction at the surface of the earth, ends by forming a brownish, 

 black, powdery mass, which combines with the alkaline, earthy and 

 metallic bases in the plant. This substance has been called " Geine." 

 As I have elsewhere defined it, it is the decomposed organic matter of 

 the soil. It is the product of putrefaction ; continually subjected to air 

 and moisture, it is finally wholly dissipated in air, leaving only the in- 

 organic bases of the plant, with which it was once combined. Now, 

 whether we consider this as a simple substance, or composed of sev- 

 eral others, called crenic, apocrenic, puteanic, ulmic acids, glairin, 

 apotheme, extract, humus, or mould, agriculture ever has, and proba- 

 bly ever will consider it one and the same thing, requiring always sim- 

 ilar treatment to produce it ; similar treatment to render it soluble when 

 produced ; similar treatment to render it an effectual manure. It is 

 the end of all compost heaps to produce soluble geine, no matter how 

 compound our chemistry may teach this substance to be. 



Among the many economical modes of producing geine, the plough- 

 ing in of vegetable matter, has held a high rank. Nature teaches us 

 to turn in the dried plant. Dried leaves are her favorite morsels, and 

 the very fact, that Nature always takes the dried plant, from which to 

 prepare the food of growing vegetables, should have taught us long 

 ago, the wisdom of ploughing in dry crops. The careful collecting 

 and husbanding of dried leaves, their superior efficacy in forming 



