Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-07-03
From the N. z. Farmer.
THE POWERS OF WATER.


Mn CoLMAN.-In some preceding letters
have dwelt long on the general value Of
water, on the means Of attracting it from the
air, and Of economizing it, by ponds and ir-
riga.ion, on the earth. But on reflection,
am sensible have not said enough on this
important subject, to satisfy my inquisitive
countrymen, who always ask for the reason
of things. This inquisitiveness is the high
road to knowledge, and ought to be cncour-
aged from infancy through life. No reason
able man, especially in America, should rest
satisfied with bare facts, when he has the
means of penetrating TO causes. 1t would
be we'll for US that we should carry this spir-
it Of enquiry into our laws, morals and pol
itics may not add religion also? Can
any system of religion be worthy of reason
utility not apparent.
1t will be asked, probably, by many who
do not understand the composition of water
and its powers over other substances, how it
can play so great part in the composition
of vegetable substance and life. To such
enquiries l will here state what is already
familiar to vegito-phisiologists. There is a
very ingenious apparatus at the ends of the
roots of all plants for attracting water from
the earth; the leaves also, have similar
power, and still more important functions.-
The root, in absorbing water, takes in va.
rious substances which water holds in solu-
ton, and transmits the whole through the
ducts and cellular tissues of the plant, up to
the leaves, which are the lungs Of the plant,
and qualify, by the aid Of the air and light Of
the sun, these various substances for vcgeta-
bic aliment as the chyle, which is the es-
sence of animal food, is by the aid Of our
lungs, and the air, prepared for animal nour-
ishment. When the vegetable fluid is thus
carried up, and prepared by the leaves, it
then descends into the plant, depositing each
article in its appropriate place.
As the decomposition and analysis Of veg
etable substance discovers various ingre-
dents, minerals, oils, salts, &C., they must
have been carried there by the air, or the
water, or by both. They could not penc-
trate meat without the aid Of water any more
than dry salt could penetrate meat with
out the aid of moisture Of some sort. There
is one substance which, as it appears to be
the basis of vegetable construction, is wor-
thy of particular notice. 1t is called carbon,
or charcoal. Every one may see that veg
ctable substance Invested of its aqueous, OIL
eaginous, rosinous and volatile parts, by the
tempered addition eff fire, makes charcoal
that is, charcoal only remains. This is the
framework of the vegetable kingdom {;
therefore carbon, or the constituent Of that
framework is we'll worth our attention.
THIS ~...i--- - L.~"S l.. -r - A. ''.'~.
from the earth, as we'll as obtained from
the moisture of the atmosphere. 1t is blen-
ded with other substances, all which arc
necessary for the nourishment Of the plant /;
but it cannot escape, and take its appropri-
ate place in that formation, until that little
wonderful elambic, the leaf, has decomposcd
the mas of composite fluid in which it was
contained. When this decomposition and
distillation takes place, the oxygen gas with
which it is combined in the water, is let
loose, flies of, and the carbon is then free to
take its place in the vegetable body.
Now as this principle Of carbon, in the
state Of carbonic acid, is abundant in the air,
or more properly, perhaps. in the water OF
the air, the useful attraction Of water from
the air must be apparent, since it brings
with it so important part Of vegetable nour-
ishment. Those who have not looked into
these matters, and who might have doubted
Of so much of vegetable aliment coming
from water, will now begin to understand its
importance and may be inclined to believe
the story told in former number, about
my potato crop in France.
1t may be asked by the uninitiated, for
whom l now write, how this water gets into
the air +; carrying with it minerals, oils, ros-
ms. salts, carbon. &c. And here VIC may
contemplate with grateful admiration, the
wonderful resources and fruitful means Of
nature all tending to what We finite beings
call ends; but which arc, really, nothing but
links il that great, circular, endless chain,