Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-10-26
FsoN TIE wAsalserss E1DsRAl1sq.
Ma. RIND,

MIR. KIND,
There is such strong desire in most
men 81, stick To their old practices TO the
last extremity" that i, ha, ever bsen va-
~ dlthcult taskto make inEovations among
them, heweser great the advantages re-
hniIng from these might be. Hence il,
mas been tn vain that the besons ot phi
lanthropEsts have so often burned with de-
srs 70 beneh, all mankind. Aware Q.
hrs, cannot eSpcct thar The egriculrir-
isis VIII immediately attend 10 tasnuIinE
their lands with Finely powdered pr coal.
But 10 hasten the introduction Of this a,;i
Gle into general use, | offer The following
statement, WHICH will shew how much
cheaper it IS than plaster Of Paris.
The coal in Jumps may be, purchases
during the suCrnie, season az 90 c. s. pc,
bushel. From experiments made OH 8
small scale, fId, that about Is bushels
OF the coal III humps, will make "a bushels
when powdered. The price OF this will
OF course be 5 dois. 90 els. On. ron OF
good plaster of Paris costs dollars, and
tor'ihs ton The miller givss % bushels in
powder. Surprising that the coal costs 4
dollars, the differences in the expense OF
these articles, is of great consequence 10
tarmeTs--lndependently OF the superior
power Of coal in quickening vegetation;
and the greater eass with which IL can be
procured aud powdered.
That coal has very great influence on
vegetation, may be inierred--not ONLY
from the experiments. published in your
last paper, but from other circumstances.
Every one kaows.,hat animal matter. af
lords to animals more nourishnsnt than
any other substance. Mineral coaIi is tut
little more thar common charcoal render.
ed more compact--and charcoal being the
Chief constituent of most plsnls, we are
naturally LED To conclude, that when CD
Piled 10 vegetables, it would Weld great
support. We have positive proaf tha, We
seisbies have great tendency 10 unite
with charcoal. lnssEhcuz and Priest,y,
were formerly disSuting about their pre-.
tensions 10 the honor of having discovered
That vegetables throw cut, or exsire tha,
! pure, or vital cir which animals take in O,
inspire. Beiore tive warmth Of their dis.
puie had quite subsidized, Professor Wood
house Of Philadelphia. discovered Ina
plants did rot exHire This pure air III,
4 AS"''N - ''Sit bNnNNbtcS experiments tina
'he pure ar around plants proceeded from
/ The decomposition of fixed air, which i
Composed Of ehsTcosl aad pure air. TIL;
decomposition was rifecled by the were
tables attracting The charcoal and uni,in,
with It, thereby leaving behind The olsen
gagged vital ain.
rs upwards OF two thirds of yepetsbj.
bodies are charcoal, sn$ since vegetable.
have the power 60 decompesc an air 10 u
bite with i,s charcoal, can we be surprised
on hnding wien TIE coal is in state 81
purify and its cohesion DESTROYED, as IN
pniverized pit-coal, that j, uni.es more Tea.
Oily with .plan,s.--Nay Il would be aston
ish'ng were not heavy pi,.coal the mos,
valuable manure--beuer than The light
common charcosI--and were not this Char.
coal better than ashes 10 expediiing veee.
IatioD,
Whether coal aels also mechanically
and whether it is useful by blzckenir 2
The soil, so as to make IL give up mote
heat during the sun shine--must be as
csF'alred by future inves;isa,ioa--as wei
as what kinds Of plants Inc coal is best =
dapled to.
| THOMAS EWELL.
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