570 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



injury to it by breaking some of its roots, but 

 we should ascribe the advantage to the right 

 source, and not advance a principle ^hat in one 

 case is considered to promote growth and in 

 another to .retard it. Nature is uniform in her 

 operations, and we cannot change her course 

 at will to suit our fancy. It would be better to 

 retain all the roots if possible. 



Believing that the proposition of the editor 

 is based upon an erroneous principle, and is 

 not in accordance with the facts instanced, I 

 greatly prefer the principles advanced by the 

 writer of the essay in question, considering 

 them in the main correct. There is one prop- 

 osition advanced however, that I think is be- 

 ginning to be viewed in a different light, the 

 result of which will ere long be ascribed to a 

 different agent from that hitherto supposed. — 

 It has long been the opinion of writers on veg- 

 etable physiolog}'-, that carbonic acid gas im-j 

 bibed by the leaves and taken up by the roots, | 

 was decomposed by sun light, and thus prepar- 

 ed for building up the carbon in the plant. — 

 Sun light, doubtless, plays an important part 

 in the economy of nature in vegetable growth, 

 but it is beginning to be believed, and strong 

 evidence is had, that electricity is the agent 

 mainly instrumental in releasing oxygen from 

 its compounds. In the arts we know that it 

 does have that effect, and would it not be more 

 consistent with reason to assign as a cause for 

 an effect, one that we have evidence is capable 

 of the effect, rather than one that we have no 

 other evidence of producing the effect than that 

 it is produced. It is not until recently that ex- 

 periments in electricity have verified this con- 

 clusion, but it would seem now to be pretty 

 clearly ascertained, that this active agent is so 

 generally diffused in the atmosphere as to be 

 within the reach of every plant that grows, 

 and every plant is the medium of conveyance 

 from the atmosphere to the earth, and vice ver- 

 sa ; and thus suiting its action precisely to the 

 circumstances of the case. Every leaf, even 

 every point of a leaf is a conductor, and as 

 moisture is favorable to its conveyance, it is in 

 precisely the condition most favorable to the 

 decomposition of the carbonic acid in the sap, 

 in its passage along the branches and trunk of 

 the plant or tree. The former theory was that 

 the inorganic materials necessary to growth 

 were conveyed by the sap to the leaves, and 

 that by the operation of sunlight, were there 

 vitalized, and then returned by a downward 

 flow of sap to build up the plant in its several 

 parts. This is a roundabout way of producing 

 an effect, and not at all in accordance with the 

 simplicity of nature's laws, where we are ac- 

 quainted with them. They are remarkable for 

 their simplicity. This theory was borrowed 

 from the known circulation of the animal sys- 

 tem, but now our ablest botanical writers say, 

 there's no such circulation in plants as there is 

 in animals. Yardley Taylor. 



Tobacco Exchange. 



The following communication, intended for 

 the August number of this paper, was received 

 too late for insertion. To those interested in 

 the subject of which it treats, it will have lost 

 nothing of its interest, by the unavoidable de- 

 lay in submitting it to our readers. — [Editor. 



Fo7' the Southern Planter. 

 Frank G. Ruffin, Esq., late Editor, &c.: 



Dear Sir— The Bush and Briery Club have, 

 by che publicly expressed opposition to the 

 "Tobacco Exchange,'' provoked replies from 

 several quarters; and especially have you, 

 as late Editor of the Planter, in publishing 

 certain " remonstrant resolutions" of the Club, 

 thought proper, in ''your quasi official char- 

 acter,'' to make them a text to read us a lecture 

 on "■the code of moral obligations, ''freedom 

 of trade, of action, and opinion.'' To these 

 strictures of yours we are prompted to reply, 

 even though we should still incur your un- 

 favourable judgment for great moral ohtiise- 

 ness — and we do so not with a view of pro- 

 voking farther discussion of the subject, but to 

 elicit your views on certain "apprehensions" 

 and facts connected with the establishment of 

 this " Exchange,'' and not noticed heretofore 

 by you. We do so, hoping that if we are mis- 

 taken, 3^ou will, in some measure, enlighten 

 our moral sense and set us rectus in curia. 

 But until that is done, permit us here to say, 

 that having taken the position that we do 

 occupy in opposition to this Exchange, we will 

 dare maintain it, even though we may not have 

 the "congratulations of that large majority of 

 planters who acquiesce in, or approve the re- 

 form," of which you so hoastinghj speak. Per- 

 mit us, also, to inquire how you ascertained 

 "that large majority," and if the returns Avere 

 official, if it were practical, most gladly would 

 we submit the question of This Exchange to a 

 vote of the planters, and not fearing, would 

 cheerfully submit to the result; and predict 

 that the returns from the Eural Districts wM)uld 

 rather set back our friend, of the City and his 

 Exchange. 



In the published Preamble of the Club, we 

 set forth that, "apprehending that the establish- 

 ment of a Tobacco Exchange in the City of 

 Richmond, is calculated to result in the trans- 

 fer of the sale of all tobacco, carried to that 

 market, from the hands of the planter to the 

 commission merchant." You contend, in your 

 article, that the " inducement is to improve the 

 cumbrous machinery of trade, and the attempt 

 is made to do it in conformity icith the 'prece- 

 dents of other emporia. The question, then, is 

 whetlier*Richmond is ready to imitate their ex- 

 ample ; and in all such questior:,, the first 

 motive of commerce is policy : as it is the only 

 motive which the public cares to consider, for 



