Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-05-14

,i6c, or book planter cannot succeed. This
iIea. so fatal to the progress Of improve
mcnt. is founded upon the gratuiiais ts as
sumption that the scientific planter reptl-
diates and coutemns all common sense
and practical observation.
All scienceis bu, n collection and order
ly arrangement ofcerIain principles, baIed
on facts, previously known to exist. either
by the senses aided by instruments, or by
mathematical demonstrations; and there.
fore, the planter who avails himself of the
researches Of the Philosopher, the Cheln-
ist aud The G-ologist. enlarses his stock
ofrhar sort of knowledge which most he
needs, namely, facts aScertainel ln he true
bv experiments made upon scieatiflc prIn-
ciplrS. an,l so skillully arrayes! as to ena-
BILE him to correct those errors of theory
aud practice in>rparable from defective
or pr .julicrd education.
Il cannot be attempted III repnrt like
this. to shnw The various relations snhsls
ting bprwepn Agriculture as SCIENCE. aud
manv of the legitimate objects of The Phi
lnsophical Society, and particularly 'he
science of Chemistry and Geohsy; only
few leading aud pr'rninent facts will,
therefore. he briefly noticed, illustrative OF
the intimate and harmonious cnnnet'>iun
between them. :,
A, ,I,r earth is the great mp'her ut NIL
vegetable matter, ,n are heat and moisture
the agents employed as well Ia the pro.
cess or perruinatin, as that of elabora'lnS
and furnishing fond 70 the plant. AMI Civ.
ins il nourishn,enr. The first concern OF
the pIaurer, therefore, is 10 ascertain the
nature of The soil Iir cullivaies. and It's
capacity for absorbing heat and moisture.
The component parts of soil most tav"rh'
bile To the growth of plants are calcarenus
matter, and animal and vegetable sub
Stances. united in certain prnp"r'lon> with
sand and CLAW. lf you desire To know
whether your suil contains lime ar calra
reous matter. the Cherni>, will tell you
that irs presence NAV hr idfalihly drfe. led
bv observing an rffrrvescrncs on the ap-
plicalinn of an cid To p"rliol of The soil;
If YOU desire To know Ia wlia, ex,eu' vnur
suil contains animal or vegetable sub
stances, il is only necessary |" tXpn>e Il
certain pnrlinn of it To Il burning heat. and
after making proper allowance for the
,nuis,ure it conrain.,l, iis ,InrinuIion IN
weight will sufficiently imaicate the pr
portion in which one ar both at these sub
stances are present. Again. If il hc desired
To know what >nils best rcrri heat. The.
Chrmis, will tell vnu that white clay s''il~
are heated slowly and with difficulty. and
that black vegetable suls are heated n',>l
rapidly. That this fact i> owing, in Il
great measure. to The constituent elements
Of the soil, is ceriaiu. and Thar il may in
part be accounted fur ny lis colour is pro.
bable. II is krr'wn to many at You. thai
our ilusirionS cnnnlrvman. DIR. franklin
made Il series nf experiments I" ascertain
if any. aud what influence colour nisli
have in ah<nrbine heal, aud The result was.
that black was tnuml IN be The grea'rst.
aud white the least absorbent.
May mt some nf our respectable plan
iers whn own rich hnttnm lands, profit hv
Il fac. 81 simple. and vrr sn fraughl with
consequences affecting their Interests! For
it follows as coruIary from The lnreeoina
conclusions, that bottom lands, composed
as they are, for the most part. of black
vegetable anil animal substances. possess
in Il greater degree than any other, the
property of absorbing heat; and colse-
quenlly, unless they are subject 10 iuunda-
tinn, or other cause ofSuperahu,nlant nois.
,urr, ct eeteris paribus, they should be
planted earlier than most Of the high,
clayey nr calcareous lands.
In general. the same soil which attracts
most heat. ahsorhs mnS, moisture n fact
otiu6hile importance IN the planter, @helh'
er il he considered with reference To the
fertility nf The virgin sni. nr 10 the manur-
ing aud improving nf snils tI,a, have heen
exhausted hy culiivarlou. IL is 81 fact
knnwn l., all plan crS, rI,a, some soils lral
drought muc, heller than Others do. and
the Chemist will tell ,uu. that this results
from, a greater capacity To absorb noi>-
,ure, and that Il,is capaciry depends unt
only on The constituent parts of the soil.
but also on lis lunsrncss and pcr,ncabiliry
to the atmosphere.
Ultimately connected with kllowlrdsc
Of The rnperiir, of different sniIs. is an ne
quainlancr with Ihr physical structure and
organization of plants. To The common
observer. nnaidrtl bv the lights Of Srinnre,
the phenomena Of vegeinIinn are wholly
unknown. Tha, planl grows. is a Fact
apparent To the senses, bur HAT !, rnsseS.e<
organs Of respiration. ,:and u<si,,ilalinn
analogous I" the same organs in the AMI
nal economy. is only io l'- learned we
apprehcnd, by patient inve>liSarsnn and
ANALYSIS
We hive said that tile plant haa orsnns
of respiration. aud il innv lie added. thai
much of the Innd or substance nf she plan,
is taken in The form nf mir or pns; and
that ii il derived ~ II great degree frnrI
the atmosphere. This leads us to enquire
into The constituent elements "i' the n,luo<.
uherp: how they are Ilecomnosrd. and