215 
the carbon retained for the formation of the 
woody texture, and, in connexion with oxygen 
and hydrogen, forms, in different plants, starch, 
sugar, gum, rosin, oil, &c, substances wholly 
composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen ; and 
possibly the atmosphere and water may always 
furnish a supply of these three elements for the 
use of all plants. Water being composed of oxy- 
gen and hydrogen, may, by the efficient agency of 
vegetable chemistry, be decomposed in the 
plant, and thus supply those two gases for new 
and different combinations. Levi Bartlett. 
Warner, N. H., March, 1850. 
ECONOMY. 
Teach children economy, both by precept 
and example. Economy is one of the main pil- 
lars of success and reputation in future life, as 
avarice is its bane. 
The grand element, after superior talent and 
good sense, in the character of Washington, 
Franklin, the Adamses, and nearly all our revo- 
lutionary worthies and their predecessors, and 
with equal justice we may add, their successors 
also, was economy — economy in its broadest 
sense, economy of time, of opportunity, intelli- 
gence and advantages, equally with economy of 
money. 
Without economy, Franklin would have had 
no time nor money to acquire the stores of in- 
formation he had treasured up, and that stood 
him in such good stead in after life. Franklin 
agreed to board himself for half the amount 
allowed his fellow apprentices. He bought 
bread, raisins, and other simple, nutritious, and 
easily-digested food which he could eat without 
cooking. The consequence was, he had dis- 
patched his meal in the printing office before 
they had reached their boarding house. All 
the remainder of the time occupied by the more 
laboi'ious meal was by him devoted to those 
acquirements which subsequently delighted the 
literary and scientific world. What was saved 
from his food, furnished the only means he 
could command for the purchase of books. 
Thus half the money spent by his fellows on 
board, amply supplied him with both mental and 
physical food. 
Had Franklin been the low-minded, needy 
gormandiser, dependent on any greedy schemer 
or paltry politician for the means to gratify a 
loathsome appetite, he would have succumbed to 
the popular clamor when almost universally 
assailed. But after inviting all his objectors to 
his frugal repast — a dinner of plain-boiled In- 
dian pudding without dressing — of which he 
partook heartily, while their pampered stomachs 
turned from it with disgust, he showed them his 
independence of popular support, and that even 
then, he had purposed that self-dependent, self- 
dictated course, which was destined afterwards 
to challenge the admiration of both hemispheres. 
The untiring activity, enterprise, and economy 
of Washington enabled him to devote the seven 
long years of the revolutionary war to his 
country's service, without pecuniary recom- 
pense. By the practice of these virtues, he had 
acquired the ability, largely to augment the gift 
of a patriotism so opportune, and so almost in- 
dispensable to a suffering nation. 
Arnold had his morbid, undisciplined, clamor- 
ous appetite to pander for ; and without strong 
moral principle to uphold him, rapidly ran 
through a career of extortion, peculation, and 
robbery, till he was fitted for the last great leap 
into the abyss of infamy, long before prepared 
for him by the arch tempter, who had early and 
effectually taught him to despise economy. 
It is said that the British emissary sent to 
treat with Marion, finding him sheltered in the 
almost impenetrable fastnesses of a swamp, and 
with his entire suite of officers dining on a few 
roasted potatoes, reported the hopelessness of 
assailing an enemy so independent of the con- 
veniences of life, and threw up his commission, 
which could be only employed in the futile 
efforts of tyranny against a self-denying pa- 
triotism and virtue. 
But leaving examples historically conspicuous, 
let us look at the every-day avocations of life. 
Examine the success of business men, in this or 
any other large city. How few of those, to the 
manor born, achieve independence by their own 
exertions. Reckon up all the successful men, 
whether as importers, shippers, jobbers, or re- 
tailers ; examine any class of mechanics or 
artisans; look into the professions of the pulpit 
and the bar, of surgery and medicine ; of artists, 
authors, publishers, and schemers of every hue 
and description, and nineteen out of t\vent) r , if 
not ninety-nine out of a hundred, will be found 
to have been bred in the country, and early 
trained to hardy enterprise, patient endurance, 
and the most rigid economy. These are the 
elements of future prosperity — the only bases of 
success. This is the law of our being — an 
ingrain principle of our nature, without t!i ! 
early and constant practice of which, future 
achievement is as hopeless as growth without 
food, or vitality without air ; they are indeed so 
essential that they should be taught and enforced 
even where there is no present necessity for 
their practice. Teach the little girls to econo- 
mise their dresses, their school books, their pin 
money, and even the paper rags ; and the boys 
their own little personal matters, and those per- 
taining to the farm, as economy in feeding the 
animals, economy in saving and supplying ma- 
nures, economy in the application of hand, ox 
and horse labor to their various and appropriate 
duties, and we will guarantee to every child of 
good sense and sterling moral principle, thus 
educated, the greatest measure of success 
attainable in the sphere, occupation, and cir- 
cumstances with which they may be sur- 
rounded. 
COWS HAVE POWER TO HOLD UP THEIR MILK. 
It is known to many farmers that, when 
young cows first come in, when the calves are 
taken away, they will hold up their milk for a 
short time, and some will almost dry themselves 
before they will give it down. A few years 
ago, I bought a young cow which proved to be 
very wild, and when I took away her first calf, 
she would not. give down her milk. I had heard 
