298 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
tion of other sciences to the art of cultivation. The in¬ 
vestigation of questions strictly chemical, is far easier 
than to determine the intricate and combined relations 
existing between chemistry and vegetable physiology. 
In the first place, the analysis of soils is one of the 
most difficult of all kinds of earthy analysis. In the 
next, vegetable chemistry is involved in a great deal 
more uncertainty than other departments of the science. 
Thirdly, the changes which are constantly taking place 
in the growth of plants, variously influenced as they 
are by the atmosphere, by drought or moisture, by the 
nature of the soil and the many different materials of 
which it consists, some fitted for assimilation, and others 
not,—are from these causes, and the time required to 
effect them, and the minute quantities of matter con¬ 
trolling them, often entirely beyond the closest obser¬ 
vations, and can be determined but very imperfectly by 
an examination of the final results. 
Now, the object of these remarks, is not to denounce 
nor discourage the application of science to agriculture; 
but, directly the reverse, to prevent a total rejection 
from the disappointment and disgust, which must fol¬ 
low the practice of holding up false hopes. If an en¬ 
terprise is attended with peculiar difficulties, that enter¬ 
prise is not forwarded by representing it as easy of ac¬ 
complishment, by concealing its difficulties and over¬ 
stating its advantages. Those who are falsely allured 
at the outset, will, from the disappointment resulting, 
be led to refuse even the benefits which might be 
secured. Hence, one of the greatest injuries to sci¬ 
ence, is to invest it with false colors. On the other 
hand the highest benefit is to strip it of its artificial 
dress, and exhibit its true character, that proper cau¬ 
tion may be used, and success instead of chagrin be the 
consequence. 
A brief glance at the different ways in which science 
is expected to benefit agriculture, may serve to show in 
what direction the greatest assistance will be afforded. 
In the first place, a more certain result is to be looked 
for in no quarter, than in the application of the prin¬ 
ciples of mechanical philosophy to the construction of 
farm implements and machines. A great and decided j 
benefit has already followed from this cause; and no 
doubt machines might be much improved, simplified, 
and rendered lighter, and at the same time stronger, 
by a strict observance of the nature of forces, of the 
mechanical powers and elements of machinery, to 
determine precisely where strength is indispensable, 
and where also it is not needed; and in changing and 
adapting the moving power in the best possible man¬ 
ner to effect the intended purpose. It is highly es¬ 
sential, that every thing of the kind in constant employ, 
and requiring for its use, perhaps thousands of repeated 
motions of the hand in a single day, should not be en¬ 
cumbered with a needless pound in weight. The la¬ 
borer who uses the hand-hoe, usually makes with it no 
less than two thousand strokes in an hour, or twenty 
thousand in a day of ten hours. If in any part, where 
strength is not needed, it is made unnecessarily heavy, 
even to the amount of half a pound, then the aggregate 
force uselessly expended, would amount to no less than 
ten thousand pounds, or five tons, in a single day. In 
larger machines, worked by horses, including wa¬ 
gons and carts, as well as threshing machines, and even 
plows and harrows, there is no doubt in nearly all cases 
a waste of power. A strict regard to mechanical prin¬ 
ciples, and their mathematical application, throughout 
the numerous implements, tools and machines, con¬ 
stantly in use by every farmer, would be of the highest 
benefit. An entire volume might be written on this 
subject alone. It is true that the manufacturer of these, 
is the person directly concerned; but farmers too are 
deeply interested in the improvement. 
Those sciences, however, which are regarded as 
more particularly and directly applicable to agriculture, 
are vegetable physiology, and chemistry, and geology. 
The intimate connection between vegetable physiology 
and vegetable chemistry, and between geology and the 
chemistry of the soils, render them all in a manner in¬ 
separable, and Ihey will be mostly considered together. 
The relations of vegetable physiology to the practice 
of horticulture, are vastly more important than to ag® 
riculture. The far greater number of species which 
come under the cognizance of the horticulturist, and 
the variety of treatment they need, render it very neces¬ 
sary that he should understand the nature of acclima¬ 
tion, the influence of heat, cold, moisture, and fertility, 
on the germination, and action of the roots, stems, 
leaves, and various other parts of plants. Such know¬ 
ledge would be also highly advantageous to the enter¬ 
prising agriculturist, whose object, aside from the profit, 
is to introduce new vegetable productions for general 
culture, and who should therefore understand the effect 
of removal to an unlike climate and soil. 
But this science often becomes very useful to the 
common farmer. A knowledge of physiology, and 
of the enormous quantity of moisture which plants per¬ 
spire insensibly from the leaves, would have wholly 
prevented the very common and pernicious error, that 
weeds preserved moisture in the earth, and shade con¬ 
tiguous plants from the effect of drought, while in fact 
every weed is an outlet through which moisture as well 
as nourishment is rapidly drained from the soil. An 
acquaintance with the principles of botany would have 
prevented the prevalence of the equally pernicious no¬ 
tion, that the weed so common in wheat, termed chess, 
could ever be transmuted to wheat, a plant not only of 
a different species, beyond the boundary of which, a 
plant by no change ever passes, but is also of a different 
genus. A knowledge of the fact, that no root of a 
plant can long remain alive, which in a growing state, 
when deprived of its breathing apparatus, the leaves, 
would have prevented the wild attempt practiced some 
years ago, of endeavoring to destroy patches of Canada 
thistles, by carefully digging up every fibre of the 
roots from a depth of several feet; while a simple, ob¬ 
vious, and efficacious remedy consisted in merely 
starving the roots, by cu ting off unremittingly the sup¬ 
ply from the leaves for a proper length of time. Were 
the vital importance of the leaves to the health and 
perfection of the seeds of plants properly understood, 
the practice of “topping ” corn would never have been 
resorted to. In numerous other cases, this science 
serves to throw light on operations of culture, and to 
assist correct practices. 
An intimate and important connection exists be¬ 
tween agriculture and chemistry combined with vege¬ 
table physiology. In some cases, considerable accura¬ 
cy of reasoning, and certainty of application may exist; 
in others, all seems as yet involved in uncertainty. The 
triple relations of the analysis of plants, of soils, and of 
manures, and the determination of the constituents of 
each, promise, perhaps, more important results than 
any other department. 
The knowledge of the organic constituents of plants, 
composed of various combinations of the four elements, 
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, may afford 
some very useful suggestions in practice. By knowing 
for instance, the proportions of these constituents, we 
can often arrive at a comparative value of different 
kinds of grain. Analysis shows that some vegetable 
products contain more starch than others; some abound 
in gluten; some contain a large portion of oily matter, 
and others are distinguished for other ingredients. 
Now, some of these are best adapted to one object, and 
others to another object. If for instance, in feeding 
animals, it is intended to fatten them, those grains 
would be pointed out as best, which most largely con¬ 
tain oil; if to make them grow in flesh and muscular 
parts, those which abound in gluten; if the object is to 
make a cow yield butter, food containing oily matter 
should be given; if to yield cheese, beans, peas, and clo¬ 
ver should be given; and if milk in quantity merely, suc¬ 
culent food should be employed. But although in these 
instances, analyses may suggest useful practices, yet 
the amount of the benefit must be determined by prac¬ 
tice. Theory may point out one course as better than 
another, but the difference may be so small, as not to 
merit attention in practice, which can only be deter, 
mined by direct experiment.* 
* All results of this kind arc greatly influenced by circumstan¬ 
ces. For instance, experiments accurately conducted, have shown 
