196 [Assembly 



which plants require for their nourishment, if properly tilled will 

 stand a drought longer and suffer less from.it than soils less fa- 

 vored by nature. There is no necessity here for artificial Hood- 

 ing of their land to acquire nourishment for vegetation, for this 

 the latter has in abundance ; it is only for moisture, important un- 

 doubtedly to a certain extent for the prosperous growth of plants. 

 If our western and southern friends possess these advant igesfrom 

 their rivers and streams, great and small, they occasionally pay 

 pretty dear for them as in some seasons, these, by their violent 

 and sudden inundations commit great destruction on their banks 

 and tlie adjacent country, not only to property, but some- 

 times lives. Thus verifying the old adage : " That water is a 

 good servant, but a bad master," and that there is no great good 

 without its attendant eviL 



ON THE TARIETIES AND ECONOMY OF FUEL 



It will undoubtedly be allowed that the most antique of all 

 varieties of fuel was wood. Before countries were inhabited, 

 Diost of them were covered with trees j such was certainly the- 

 fact with regard to our own country. These were chopped down 

 to afford room for the agriculturist to commence his labois, and 

 supplied him with necessary fuel. It makes a \esy cheerful and 

 charming fire, from the fact that a bright blaze issues from it, 

 affording not only heat, but an abundance of light. The objec- 

 tion to it is, that it requires constant renewing, and is expensive 

 in its preparation, and likewise requires much room to store it 

 on account of its bulk. Wood is made up of longitudinal fibres 

 of extreme minuteuess, with the spaces between filled up with 

 cellular tissue, arranged to constitute the forms of stems, leaves, 

 branches, &,c., for the juices to flow through; wood is composed 

 of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, they are separated by burning,, 

 and constitute combustion ; forming light carbonated hydrogen, 

 this being ignited constitutes what we call flame. Dense woods 

 give the greatest proportion of heat, and burn much longer than 

 other kinds. Among tliese may be named hickory, oak, birch j 

 hazel. Among the soft kinds are linden, willow, larch, poplar 



