Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-06-18

is intended to lpmedy these evils; aud whether
the food be in itself unwholesome, or taken i'll
such quantiticsas to gorge the plant, it is car
ried back to the root, and by them disgorged in,
to the adjacent soil.
In the very cursory and necessarily imperfect
view have taken of some of the processes
which nature employsin the vegetation oil plants;
the reception and elaboration of proper food loI
their nourishment; the assimilation Of SD much
of that nourslImcnt as may be needGnl to their
growth and luldcvelopement; and the excretion
of so much of it as may be either noxous or sil,
pcrlluous; have purposeIy omitted the clnssifi.
cation of plants as a branch of science belonging
more particularly 10 thedePartment Of botany.
| have also omitted to notice the various liquid
and solid substances composing the plant, whose
chemical combinations and properties can only
be discovered in the laboratory, as more appro-
pracy belonging To the departments ofChem-
istry and pharrnacologY. lam constrained fol
want Of tme to pass by willlont particularly
noticing those nulrilive substances found in the
products ofvegelables which afford 10 mankind
so large and so paIatable portion Of their daily
subsistence.
In conclusion of'the subject, | am conscious
that may fairly be charged with having tres
passed upon the time and patience oftIlis very
rcspectableand intelligent audiencelnlcss some
of the principles attempted 10 be illustrated may
be uscfny applied in the prosecution Of some
of tho various pursuits connected with the cul-
lva,ion oftlc earth. Aflw facts will be briefly
reeapilulated.
Ii. as we have seen, Il seed will never vege-
tate without air or oxygen gas and that it veg
ctates but imperfeclly when exposed 10 the light,
tie planters first lesson is one, the solution Of
which depends upuna knowledge of these facts.
The seed must be buried to aruid tie light. and
yet must hot be buried so deep as tobe iracccs-
siblc tu The mo:phere.
Again, iiihe sap intended for the future nour-
is!iInent Of tie plant, is absorbed only II, the cx-
trcmi,cs Of the roots, and the cutting IN Of the
cxtrcmitics Of the roots or spongioles destroys
their function OF absorption, how careful should
tho planter be that his rloughs and harrows do
no, wound or destroy these essential organs Of
vegetable vitality and Illus by.an unsliiIful and
barbaross hlsbandry, mar the mos, cheering
prospect Of a'plentiul harvest.
\ knowledge of the substances which furnish
nourisliment 10 the plant, and an acquaintance
with Ihe component parts of the soil to be cul-
tivatcd, are highly importantto the plantcr,an
tie gardner, as they form the basis upon which
the whole system of manuring is founded -
Your soil has foo much clay; apply sand and veg
e:abIe'maller: it has too mucl, vegetable mat.
ter; apply clay and animal substances. The
purely vegetable soil is one,less understoudp per.
haps than airy 'othcr; and its'permanent utility
depends entirely upon the application of some
of these corlcctives. Tie disease called the
rusl,so fatal to great staple, the cotton plant
is always seen to prevail in vegetable soils; a
want Of carbonaceous and calcareous matter
is the cause Of the discuss the remedy is found
in the.applicalion of cnyand animal substances
We have seen that vegetables have The func-
ton Of throwing off. by an excre:ory process
whatever they may have imhibed either nox
ious in quality, or supc,Auous in quantity
The LoSious substances dissorged by the plant
at no subsequent perod afford nourislmGnl 10
the same plart, Eor 10 any plant Of the same
family; but will be found to afford the richest
nutrimcnl TO some VEG etabes Of different spc.
ccs. TIL, So facts arc familiar 10 every planter
who makes corn crop succeed 10 cotton crop;
and the cotton crop 10 that of small grain, DC
and furnish the broad foundation of that excel.
lent theory, the rotation OF crops: theory, the
application of which, conducted by skjIfu nus.
bandry, las'enahed Great Britain, and many
of fhc sppcranualed countriesol Europe, ID pre-
serve the freshness and vigor Of S5ils of Il
thousand years continued cultivation, and to
feed their millions of population fro m the pro-
duce of number Of acres whose geographical
extent in our own prodigal country, weuld be
deemed scarcely adequate 10 the supporter rs
many thousands.
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