NATURAL HISTORY. 25 



to convey to you a general idea of a few of 

 the most useful sciences, and to point out their 

 utility. It will be sufficient to observe, that 

 all material substances, with which we are 

 acquainted, are subject to chemical laws, and 

 afford a most interesting field for inquiry ; and 

 that while the philosopher avails himself of its 

 vast resources, chemistry admits of a practical 

 application to every the most common purposes 

 of active life. It is closely-interwoven with the 

 arts, from the simplest to the most complicated, 

 and it forms an essential part of our domestic 

 manufactures. Dying, bleaching, tanning, glass- 

 making, printing, brick-making, the working of 

 metals, and innumerable other arts are all de- 

 pendent upon chemical principles and chemical 

 operations; as are also the more familiar pro- 

 cesses of converting milk into butter and cheese, 

 of flour into bread, and a variety of articles into 

 wholesome and nutritious food; of preserving 

 others for a similar purpose; and of manufac- 

 turing fermented liquors, wine, cider, beer, and 

 the like in all their different varieties. 



From a knowledge of chemistry, agriculture 

 and gardening are rendered capable of some of 

 their greatest improvements ; since it explains 

 the phenomena of vegetation, including the ger* 

 mination, growth, ripening, and death of plants; 

 the quality and operation of manures; the in- 

 fluence of light, temperature, and moisture upon 



