298 [Assembly 



great part of all soil. Good farming is then a thorough decompo- 

 sition of land, making it easily penetrable to moisture, air, roots, 

 &c. 



Mr. Vail. — Mr. Chairman — During the past season, we have 

 had the best chapter on agriculture ever presented for our peru- 

 sal. The efficacy of thorough preparation of the soil and con- 

 tinuous cul ure of crops as a preventive of ill effects from seasons 

 of drouth, has been fully demonstrated. The question, " how to 

 prevent the effects of a drouth?" has been so ably discussed by 

 Prof. Mapes and others, that I will occupy but a few moments of 

 your time. 



We all know that water is an essential element of plant and 

 animal existence, that in the bodies of plants and animals, it not 

 only exists in chemical combination, but that its presence is essen- 

 tial to secure elasticity and lumpness; that in the atmosphere, 

 in the form of vapor, it plays an admirable part in sustaining 

 them, by preventing the too rapid drying of their exposed sur- 

 faces. In the soil, water acts as a solvent of the substances 

 required by plants, and plays the part of a vehicle in carrying 

 such elements into their structure. The water thus taken into 

 plants, passes off from their surfaces by evaporation, leaving the 

 substances which were dissolved by it, deposited in various jiarts. 

 We know, too, that every square foot of soil is parting with moist- 

 ure during dry weather, and absorbing it during moist or wet 

 seasons. Now it is evident that in a badly prepared soil, during 

 a protracted drouth, the plant and soil must part with more 

 water than they receive; as soon as this occurs, crops suffer to a 

 greater or less extent. We find the continual evaporation of 

 water from the plant, affords it protection from excessive heat, 

 and that in p/oportion to the increase of heat is the increase of 

 evaporation. We explain the phenomenon in this way : Bodies 

 have a capacity for heat in proportion to their bulk. Now one 

 cubic inch of water can take up a certain amount of heat, but as 

 heat is added, the bulk of water is increased until in a vaporous 

 form it occupies many hundred times its original volume, and of 

 course appropriates many hundred times as much heat as simple 



