470 



THE SOUTHS 



EN PLANTER 



[August 



to our purpose. Fertility depends at once 

 upon the chemical composition and mechan- 

 ical condition of the soilj nor can it be inde- 

 pendent of subsoil and climatic influences. 

 The latter question, including the chemistry 

 of ozone, is one of great intricacy. It is so 

 interwoven with heat, electricity, moisture, 

 and chemical reaction as almost to baffle in- 

 vestigation. Plants generate and evolve 

 heat, and possess the power of preventing 

 their juices from freezing at a degree of 

 temperature far below that at which conge- 

 lation would take place were the plant dead. 

 Fertility is a relative term, and is dependent 

 upon multifarious influences. A certain 

 degree of heat and moisture is essential to 

 life ; without them, there can be no germi- 

 nation nor maturation of seed ; nor are these 

 essentials independent of soil, or rather its 

 constituents, we may say one constituent, 

 for the absence or presence of one substance 

 may secure fertility or produce sterility. 



With these preliminary remarks, we pass 

 to the consideration of water in its connec- 

 tion with fertility : 



Water in a perfectly pure state is com- 

 posed of two volumes of hydrogen gas and 

 one of oxygen, and about 89 parts of oxygen 

 and 11 of hydrogen by weight. When you 

 mix the two gases they will remain uncom- 

 bined for an indefinite period, unless the 

 mixture should be submitted to the action 

 of heat or electricity. The combination 

 then takes place with the manifestation of 

 stupendous force. The two components 

 may be separated by electricity. Water 

 enters into the composition of all vegetable 

 and animal structures. It is one of the 

 principal constituents of blood, milk, and 

 sap. By its assistance, silex and other in- 

 soluble substances enter into circulation, and 

 are assimilated by animals and vegetables. 

 It is found to make part of all grains, 

 woods, leaves, &c. Its absence "would pro- 

 duce universal death. It enters into all our 

 domestic operations, and forms part of all 

 alcoholic beverages and articles of food. It 

 is essential to production, and it may be 

 said that fertility in any locality is in direct 

 proportion to humidity, and sterility in pro- 

 portion to its absence. The truth of this 

 proposition is verified in a remarkable de- 

 gree in the deserts of Sahara and the west- 

 ern plains of this continent. 



Water is never obtained pure from natu- 

 ral sources; it is procured by distillation. 

 That which issues from springs, generally 



contains mineral substances, and always im- 

 purities of a gaseous nature. There are 

 waters, even river waters, that at times 

 evaporate without residuum. Such is the 

 case of the Schuylkill, at Philadelphia. We 

 have used it for months together, in analy- 

 sis. Kain-water, and that which falls in 

 the form of dew, are also impure. The 

 former, though much freer from impurities 

 than that which has flowed over the ground, 

 comes down charged with all the impurities 

 of the atmosphere, which it washes as it 

 descends. These substances are varied and 

 numerous, consisting of impalpable sand, ve- 

 getable and animal particles, also salt taken 

 up from the ocean. That which first falls 

 after a drought is often charged with the 

 olfensive odor of animal perspiration, excre- 

 ments, and putrefaction. It also brings 

 down fishes and frogs, and at times organ- 

 isms and pollen, to the extent of tinging 

 the surface of the earth with the color of 

 the adventitious matter. Rain-water always 

 contains ammonia and nitric acid. These 

 are partly formed by the action of electricity 

 in the atmosphere, and are partly the result 

 of decompositions which take place on the 

 surface of the earth and in the air. 



Pure water is insipid and unhealthy. 

 That taken from springs or rivers, indepen- 

 dent of any mineral ingredients which it 

 may hold in solution, always contains a 

 quantity of oxygen gas, the great supporter 

 of life and combustion. This imparts a 

 tonic-invigorating quality to cold water, 

 which, when boiled, it does not possess; to 

 the latter, emetic qualities are attributed. 

 Water, from its known quality of containing 

 oxygen in weak combination, or in an eva- 

 nescent form, together with carbonic acid, 

 is a powerful and essential agent in chemi- 

 cal action, which is ever occurring in the 

 soil, &c. The substances held in solution 

 vary in diff'erent rivers and difi'erent parts 

 of the same stream, both in kind and in 

 proportions of the saline ingredients. 



^ ;}c * * * * 



Much has been written upon the sewerage 

 of cities throughout the world. This is a 

 subject of great importance, not only to the 

 agricultural wealth of the country, but im- 

 minent to its sanitary condition. The value 

 that is daily washed into rivulets from our 

 lands, and thence to the sea, is incalculable. 

 Mr. Grey, in speaking of the Medloch, says: 

 " it receives the drainage of not more than 

 100,000, and contains sufficient phosphoric 



