MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER; AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
^rnf. fo^Mtoii’0 %n\nm, 
On the General Relations of Science to 
PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 
LECTURE SIXTH. 
Relations of Chemical Physiology to the Plant, 
and the Modes of Promoting its Growth. 
an xaere no apparem me woon, m me sceas, djc. wDeat. Tiie straw of wheat contains a large those which ffrow in soils whor/fWrio 
diflFerence in point of color, nor have they At the next meeting, I shall again call proportion of silica; the ash of grain a large abundant su^lv of notesh ToWr-n ® 
any smell; you cannot distinguish them by your attention to the functions of the leaf, proportion of phosphoric acid.^ This actd croo that co?£L ^ 
these senses. But a very simple implement and the manner in which the leaf acquires rises as the plants otow, while the siliceous Sunnose an arrp m 
enables us to do so. This little taper serves carbon from the atmosphere, in order to ex- matter comes in by the roots and lodges it- co ^^These 800 Ih^ 11^^' 
the purpose of a new sense to us. Idonot plain the functions of animal life, and to self in the straw We serdmilar Sr of mineSf^^H abou 160lbs. 
know which of these contains h,;drogen, show how these functions are related. I ences if we look at tl fZ ^rby" id 
which oxygen, or which nitrogen; but this cannot do this now. hecaii.qe T must, intm- n.<?Ii nf miv nn _ 1 I __ii? .1 1 , crop, (in w ncli will 
I whole, contains these things common rotation, mineral matter i 
cv«ry miru year, oApiu^uu, nuiuu put uut tiie ^per, leaving, laineu irom me soil in various torms, and same plant contain these substances in dif- years carries off fion rT/or k . i 
and you may naturally infer that this is a however, the snuff, which ignited again, that is one form in which it is taken in by ferent proportions. What is the inference fstl eS encf-TJn ''there 
simple art, requiring no inental exertion to ^vhen it was withdrawn-the gas itself burn- plants, but not so universally as some have fromallthis? Suppose a plant to be grow- we return 
carry on all its details. It is because this ing-and whichignited also when placed in supposed. There is one form in which ni- ing; it must get fronfthesoiUhose substances mLum an^bl 
art appears so simple that farmers them- the oxygen. This, then, said he, enables me trogen exists,, and that is in ammonia or which it most requires. If in forming the is confinVd 
selves are unwilling to believe that there are to distinguish these three gases. This, in common hartshorn. The nitrofren, Avhich is flower and nerfectimr the seed thp«;p^.?iih ^ ? ^ 's contained in the 
any difficulties connected with it, that it has Avhich the taper kindles and burns brightly necessary to the growth of K is often stances must flow uf retl Iv Id fL ^ T^ 
been generally supposed that. very little and re-kindlis, is oxygen; this, which?ake"s taken in,'^^n this fofm, thougS^ tlmm ta" S^To^e^hr^ 
knowledge ,s necessary to pract.ee fire jtsolf k hydrogen; this, which ctin- ly; and though it exists in plants, in small or the plant must cease to orow rapidly this S I mnTaT ^ 
art ; that .t needs ye.y little .ntellect or .n- gu.shes the taper, is nitrogen. These three quantities, yet it is of the greatest possible shows the practical applicitions or results knowLlTha; mhwri •‘“"f 
telhgence, and that if a man K fit for noth- substances, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen consequence to the e.xistence of huiian and that we shSl arrive at-to which nrLS smrfv S» n 
mplse he had brains enough or this. Be- exist in plants in .diirerent%roportions, not animallife. Thusmuchof the organic parts men have not yet dontlbur *1^.00 oneradol oTJhr''v°”’^‘“i 
sides the obvious effect which this idea has m the shape of air, but in a solid form.- of plants. we shall have reached « wJiem Iff particular operation of this. You see how 
being burn^ou will find what the cUist must be^ecaule_ that soil si,pplfes the ^Z^kenr 
persins themselves! Ihat is the ctes of a? comerpmriy“ 11.0 ZtlXm Sion fc/SfisTsl ’ ‘'j'’ foTthe nlLT%r‘ ““ '""f “ ^ 
is'an‘''?ffi^ the soil; oxygen partly from the Sr and soil; two substances, but of.eight oC'lL Rwill little plspLri^addTT Xi^'ofl^onS mor'e^''enabkn7^^^^^^^^^ 
te.4ed.\V^emSto^^ f ^u^hirl J^h^ Ae ™ steeTf ^e “qtrifg" tpCtkeVo'irand^ 
silf£S'SS5 SS'EClf.*— 
can be made more certain in its results and water in the soil • carbon it L nercU the plant lenacity When speaking of the relations of Geology order to re.store to the soil what the crops have 
morelucrativeby the application toitoffte the airnriTrZf san^l HT'' ^ ^grimj^re, 1 showed you that the kind taken fi-oni it. This is importanfiLor it 
various branches of natural knowledo-e, and you may undersLd how it t tlfCrnl^nl of ^ f- great majority of trees grrowing upon different tracts of pomts out how to manufacture what a far- 
that he is indeed the friend of the farmer who SvT‘Ls^things^■rZII.e afences of soil-dilier- mer wants to promp the growth of a,.; 
seeks to bring to bear upon it the results of must make you°acquain ed with another ca Zth^lar Thk nWl cncosansing from the geological conforma- crop, and to restore land to fertility which 
scientific reslarch, and to show the world substance. ^ duamtecl with anothe, ““ f V; -^‘“is .on of the country, but ftey are in reality has been exhausted. I do not pursue this 
that there is really something complicated If I taken piece of limestone reduce it buZnTvTnfheiil if.L , the result of chemical differences, or of dif- matter further. I think I have shown you 
in this apparently simple art ^ to powder out if int/n vp««p 1 ’ “ D'lt only in the soil. It does not enter into Terences of materials that enter into the soils, Alustrations enough to satisfy you of the val- 
I have'Len ifd to therremaiks in con- iS iC! and Sient’ aS”as"nl‘ whZh“ f" t S'lL pVf tS ^ iZ & ™ T 
sequence of having reached that stage in my tao acid, it will boil up, or effervesce. This any plant, and i7 will be foun^to contain and undertake to ^wpllElmtfoSme pbeaZ, they Ce 
r;rv^'';ttttfe‘^:irs^o~r:o!i 
TOlleZrshowfd yoraT^ur ksTm'eefeg; tepZ‘Iril?Krfngua.ld"‘‘Tt*'w\h™hiTdiffere^'Z^^ SSaTsub ™ence have been artuahybroughrto'Lar 
proportions, and on which proporUons the ^ow are we to distinguish between these -_ no straw ot auierent plants. this word exhaust Sup- At our next meeting^ shall show you 
quality of the soil depends. You will re- two gases? It is in this way: If I under- 2 2 ftSci c?|®( for vp 1« t green crops, as the potato, ow science has been brought to bear on 
collect that I showed you that the result of take to pour the nitrogen into this glass I £ g = El 2thino- to adding any- e rearing and feeding of stock, and shall 
chemical research was" the development of cannot do it; if I undertake to pouVTt on -vTtaW 17 ’ lfrge,you present to you considerations on tliis topic 
the fact that all fertile soils contained a cer- this candle, it has no effect upon h; but if? gf- SSSSg ^ 7-^ ly fromS 7o7wilTLT7 S ^ 
tain number of certain things; and now T take the gas which produces this eLrvL- 77 L 177^ ^ w.li then see that this wide held ofsci- 
come to show you that all fertile soils do and cence and pour it into the dass I can fill soil it<5elp7 +v to the ence, ov cr w iich the practical farmer may 
must contain them, and that if certain of jt, and thou|h the glass appeS be J 1*7 —° || I'T advantage, becomes widc-r and 
these things are wanting no soil can be fer- bo found to be full of it, for if I put ^ 'S? 5 '-^ .'n ..rrs'ji g oi a ong tinm, the land will ^ r wi i every step that he takes, 
tile. To show the necefsity of this I must the taper into it, the blaze will 7 ^ £ | i;- j!! Xilfo7th?no77 i - .p 
bringunder your notice the composition of :''^®^I®^tmguished. There is, therefore, this ® Fnri'§g^f^;^-T 57 ^ii emailed ton’s lccUnesy2"lIZ:Tf 
t-; CO C <r< lO 
‘O rj cj O d 
; ^ 2 cr. 
' 05 CO Tf CO t-.. o 
! d d d •<« d d 
o cr,< -vr 05 
^ tC d CO d 
the plant 
I explained to you at our last meeting, 
marked ditference between the two gases; 
the one, tlic carbon, can be poured out into 
; CO O O ^ 
( that if I take a vegetable substance and burn ‘''i^otker vessel, because it is heavaer than 
? it nearly the whole of it burns away, leav- common air; but the nitrogen which is lio-ht- 
) ing but a small quantity. I advert to this er, cannot be poured out; but it will rise. 
^ to show you that the same thing is true of Hence the extinguishment of the taper is no 
^ the soil—as part of the soil burns away, and ^est of the presence of carbonic acid or ni- 
) a part of every plant—but a certain quan- b-ogen; but they are distinguished altogetli- 
) tity of each is left behind. Both contain a by their comparative weight. Common 
) certain quantity of combustible and incom- composed of 79 parts of nitroo-en to 
i bustible matter. 21 parts of o.xygen, or nearly—carbonic acid 
In both, the first is organic, the second constituting about 4-100 of it. This small 
inorganic, or mineral matter. But they dif- quantity of carbonic acid exists in the air, 
fer in tliis, that the part of the soil that burns b-om this small quantity, plants derive 
away is very small compared with the whole '’■b the carbonic acid which they get from 
mass, while in a plant the converse is the ^be air. 
case; the largest portion of the plant burns How do they take it in ? I showed you 
away; so much greater is the comb ustiblepor- ^ former lecture, that the under surface 
tion of it [Prof. J. here pointed to a table ^bc leaves of plants is covered with an im- 
showing the different quantities of ash left af- uiense number of minute pores, and that 
ter burning different vegetable substances, ^cse pores vary according to the circum- 
wood, wheat, straw, hay, tobacco, <fec.] Thus stances under which the plants live. They 
you perceive, said he, that in the case of the iu through these pores, carbonic acid 
plant, first, the quantity of mineral or incom- during the day, but not during the night — 
bustible matter is less than in the soil, and The very great number of leaves and sur- 
? second, that the quantity of combustible or bices thus presented to the air, enables the 
) organic matter is greater. Now, as the plant to draw from it the minute portion of 
S consists so largely of combustible matter, in carbonic acid necessary to its growth. This 
i order that we may know something of it, I one of the wonderful things, of which na- 
) must make you acquainted with some sub- ^^re is full. You cannot but be astonished 
> stances of which I have not yet spoken, as it ^o find, that this never ceasing operation is 
< will be necessary to illustrate not only what going forward, and that the countless leaves 
) I have to say to-night, but at our next meet- of plants, which seem to us as intended 
) ing. The part of a plant that burns away merely for the ornament of trees, and to 
< contains six different tilings, in different pro- gratify the eye, by their perpetual motion, 
? portions—one or two of them in large pro- ‘'is the winds pass through them, are actually 
j portions. This [holding up a piece of it,] necessaiy to enable the plants to extract 
> is common wood charcoal. If wood is ig- b'om the air, or to druik in the element so 
^ nited and closed from the access of air, it necessary to their growth and maturity. , 
CO CO o 1 
o c"* oi» 
I ‘O I—» x* 
CO CO 1-H 
•-< , ^ 05 
• ic 05 O 
I 1 I • • H iy — T3 * * 
I : ! I rTs 2 -^ : s ' ; 
e.« ^ ;'s ; ; 
; i'w'B O J'l 2 £ s' : 
.3s Sj;^."H §’^2 1 6 3 
® 0.5 ^ '•< 
There you will see that all these difter- 
for years in succession, without adding any- tbe rearing and feeding of stock, and shall 
thing to the soil; if the crops are large, you present to you considerations on tliis topic 
will take a large quantity of potash, partic- which can scarcely fail to interest you; and 
ularly from the soil; besides taking out a ynn will then see that this wide field of sci- 
pqrtion of other matters belonging to the ence, over which the practical farmer may 
soil, it selects this potash in large quantities, travel witli advantage, becomes wider and 
After cropping for a long time, the land will wider with every step that he takes, 
cease to grow the potato, bectause of the- 
exhaustion of the potash. This is what is *We give an analysts, taken from Prof. Jolins- 
called special exhaustion, that is, there mav lectures, 2 d edition, of the ash of the tobacco 
be enough of other snbstonces ioft to gZv 
the potato. Hence, in many instances, the Pota.sh,. 
addition of wood ash has been found to be . o.or 
a simple mode of making the soil grow the ASe'sia ,um 
potato. Now, suppose in a case of exhaus- Chloride of sodium,. : 3 . 4 () 
tion, that you introduce a crop that contains [^^hloride of potassium,. ;t;98 
or requires but little potash or much phos- Ph 3 mt 7 ?f CeV.:;:::::;::::;: 
phone acid and alternate this crop with the .Sulphate of lime,. ti.3o 
root crops, it is obvious that the soil will hold . 8. 01 
out longer, because in that case, you do not 
7717 ''''T O"® substance in All the in-^redients which are necessary to replace 
me SOIL inis is one reason for the rotation too.lbs. of the ash of tobacco !eave.s, are present in 
of crops, and the most skilful rotation is that f«“»wing mi.Kture; 
which is governed by these rules. Thus "iy').M 17' 
you see the ineaning of the two terms gen- Uo. of soda, (dry ,5 
eral and special exhaustion. Land is gen- m-agnesia,. 2.5 lbs. 
eralbj exhausted w'here this alternation is . - 
pursued for a long series of years, and will 144 lbs. 
remain so until all those things are added =-rr-—- - 
which have been taken from it, in sufficient Washing Clothes. -Mrs. ISwisshelm 
quantities to feed the plant. If I grow one gives the following direction how to wash 
crop continually, and that crop requires one clothes much soiled by field or out-door 
titfrf ? especially when they are much satu- 
titie% I exhaust it of that one thing only, rated with perspiration. 
^ y®" take a teacup full of spir- 
ow what that is. I his is the great object its of turpentine, and as much spiiits of wme, 
®®'®''®® ^'th a quart of water, and a gallon of soft 
soap, put them on the fire and boil a few 
more study than you can well understand minutes, then put the mixture away for use, 
7 ^ '^'''ter- and the evening before wash day, put your 
the soil and white clothes into cold water, with enough 
what to put in to bring it back again. of this mixture to make suds, and let them 
I Prof. J. illustrated this point by showdng stand all night, you will find your clothes 
that a system of cropping might be adopt- very easy to wash. A little of this stuff 
ed, w^hich would lead to a partial exhaustion thrown into the boiler, makes them wliite 
of the soil, and Avhich it was vain to try to ‘'ind clear, and if you rinse them well does 
bring back again by ordinary manure, but not injure the clothes.” 
which could be easily restored, and without --- 
All the in-'redients wiiich are necessary to replace 
lOO^lbs. of tno ash of tobacco leaves, are present in 
Bone dust, sulphuric acid,. 23 lbs. 
Carbonate of potash, (dry,). 31 lbs. 
Do. of soda, (dry,). 5 lbs. 
Do. m-agnesia,. 25 lbs. 
Do. lime, (chalk,).60 tbs. 
becomes charcoal. It contains all the min- I shall at the next meeting draw vour 7 p 7® expense, by applying to the soU, Cure for a Ringworm.— The Plough, 
eral or incombustible matter of the plant attention to the substances existinir in nlants • to sen ^ t leplmit but the proportions dif- the substances which must have been taken Loom, and the xinvil, furnishes the follow- 
This charcoal, therefore, is a materiafrep" thatTto sar^^^^^^ 7 pni Ip f ' 7 ‘7 ^ng receipt which it states is infallible for 
resentation of carbon. There are varioL contains theL elementarv sifbstancL c^r iff 7 y®'"' attention, said he, to a fact the cure of the ringwormHeat a shov- 
forms of carbon, the diamond is one. Bu b7 0^1^^^^ he proportion of about 23-100, where^^ familiar to you in this countr^^ Avhere there el to a bright red; cover it with grains of 
carbonisoneof four or five other substances tha it do7snotcon£ soil, the same ingredient is present in but is little intercourse with the large towns, and Indian corn; press them down with a cold 
which constitute the combustible or organic Xh I hav7e7 bu fn7 7®®“?"^^^^''®^ pi^portion. So with where the former raises or makes eveiything flat iron. They will burn to a coal, and ex¬ 
portion of plants, and forms farthel4est dXent phosphoric aa^ half at home-his soap, .candles, &c. In"mak- ude an oil on the surface of the flat iron; 
portion ofit. Another substance is oxygen; that the plant consists of other substances k p • 7’ 77 "ig soap for instance, you know that the with Avhich rub the ringworm, and after 
SsSTSSS? 
in me draw your attention, said he, to a fact the cure of the ringworm:—“ Heat a shov- 
in foiniliar to you in this county, Avhere there to a bright red; cover it ivith grains of 
7 fbk 7 ®^77V? f7®?S^' P''®®®''* quantities in I have described, does not take the ash of ■'is Julius cSir.= 
