Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-05-21

i
stofogg. The Object OF Systematic Botany is, 10
arrange and soto describe plants, tnt nj onee
determine with ceftsiuy both their names aud their
most important properties. In proposing such u
study rs this, may be met with the question. ~hy
cannot The com mn names tas they arr eallcd) OF
plants be used by scientific writer's aud thus the ne
eessiiy toi such n Study he femovedi There arc
several meRhty reasons why such course cannot be
opted, One is, that by far the greater part Of lhe
plants ui every country have no common names !;
and even IA tho ease OF those which have, those
names are entirely unknownio the greater pan oil
The peaple. Another objection IL, that the common
names oil plants are not uniform throughout The
country N mnuy instances the same plant being
called b1 different names, aud what IL s,,l worse,
different pauts being called by the sane name, IN
illustrate this objreuon, will mention single in
stance In the "Detns OF Experiments on Grasses"
given IN the appendix 10 Davy's Agricultural Chem
isry therois great amount oi most valuable infor-
nation respecting the comparative value ol the drf-
teteu Lrassesi amongst Others tho Phttum pratepse
Ia mentioned, and thr coW,non name whrh 1t bears
IN England given. w; Mead " Cnl's-ia gtass.
The ouly grass called s-ta grass III This cuunty
Is eiass, utterly worthless food tni cattle,
aud as different hom the grass lntodcd IN the rapcf
referred In nv any Two etasses can be. The Phieum
prdicaSe tho called Timohy IN sone paris al
the county, and lletds.0tass In others, for
bol OF winch NIL my not be aware, thai the names
1tmo'hs a ilc0ls.gtass are applied IuterebAnge1bly.
IN dtl,en,pHts Of thls country, 10 two very d fer
ent prtssos. that which IL called 'fimohy in
part being called lletds-grass In nnoher, aud thai
which Is called Herds grass In the to,1ef i called
Timothy IN The latter. IN this ease, dependence On
the common name would necessarily have led the
reader euor. In this pnpei the scirnlic names
are gwen, but without Knowledge II Systematic
BulHny II must remain u sealed hook To nny readers
and yea tom mere inspection Of any can see
ih, II contains the very kind Of ntottnRiion respect
tag grasses which the t1tmer most needs, Should
writers on aguculGngl sub Gets make Use Of common
names, instiy many instant ihen communications
will be OF no value Of the immediate section OF
toHptrv IN htch dizzy teside should they use the
scientific MINES, II must be confessed, that nj preseal
the case would not he much heiiet; but then the dis
6cnIIy which here prescnts Itself IL which
he easily removed. LEI farmers become tanlinr with
these scientific names, aud the, tlren ~ posses
Sion OF the common language used by wrets among
every civilized people IN earth
The nhlrct OF Jegftabie PlYsioi0cu is to expliD
the stuctate and wal action 81 plauts PmDls may
he regarded asa Glass al cnrlons mnrhnes, by which
the common elements of nature arc "otkrd up nlo
organized lolus, aud thus hted iur the sustcuauee
ni humhe hf. The objrci ol Vegetable Physiology
Is 10 lay orcn then siiucture Tor Inspection, and TO
explain tlleH uannei III operhiipn II pl ,nts we've
susceptible OF to ehauges---dld obey lenan The
tHmr aud thrive equally well IN all climates, all
soils aud undcr every system OF eullyatlon-p fun
undc, sIandug Of their structure aud manner OF
growth would be Of practical value The farmer.
lie would trn rcceise certain ieturnlof h,s abouf.
and thai return wou Il be the same Whatever course
he mighl pursue. But such Is not the fact. To be
saushru thai great changes, aud changes 100 which
materially dltt lher value, may be produced IA
plants, by careful cultivation, notIng more ~ neees-
saIy ihan 10 compare any of our fine large species OF
apple, uIth ilc Wild crab. the sluek from which II or
giuay sprung, JUDGED, OF the plants com-
mon cultivation havr been completely meiatnof-
phosed. have ht en- so much ioproscd by iong-
inucd aud ludIcons culture, that ~ impossible TO
tell with certainty what they originally were. That
plant will improve under Judelons system oil
culture, and detetiofate under an inIodleous one,
the fed OF The thrifty aud OF the unhfity inrlner IN
every pnrl OF the ennntry abundantly testify. Then.
100, plants snbjee TO diseases, arising from tie
innnence OF the atmosphere, from the sings OF IN
SEC 3, and from many other causes. We all admit
HE Importance oil a knowledge oil the anatomy and
physiology al The human body TO HE physician
may no. hny conclude. from analogy, thai 81
n,lor knoalcd e. respecting plants, would be oisef-
wee to the farmer
Although plants arc subject 10 many changes rom
tie influence Of SOILS climates aud the Of men,
vet these changes always lake place IN accordance
with certain fixed aud myarabe laws. The object ei
the Vegetable Phi, slologst by careful oh efsaton
and oft experiments 10 learn these laws IN
oider thai, acting III accordance with them, man may
rruder The vegetable kingdom subject 10 his control
Lord Bacon has remarked that "knowledgf 10 ro~tf.'
This Is Irne IN peculiar manner AT Nnuft Science;
for It IS only by acting IN accordance with the laws
Of nature, lhal render IL subsenient to our
wall.
Il may seem strange. bur il is sfaeo than
tfue, tina, rany of The commonly received oIinlons
respecting the growth OF plants are drtety at van
ancc wiI truth aud matter OF coutse, tie pfac
ucrs based upon those opiulons, are huy ihlhg else
than The proper ones. To mention sugr Instance.
/ II !, the common brliei thai tie sap crculal's
through the uuuhs OF trees dutiuR'e e spi'ng anu
summer, whilst IL rellres INTO the root during me
/ winter; aud ~ the Jfy-iU Is believed L. arse IRON
the ureseuCc -, sap IN tlnibef, the conmun ptacuce
H. to cut timber Which desired shall isI long M
i infd-uIutcr. THIS opinion Respecting the situation
OF The sap al he year ~ altogether
/ erroneous, as any one may convince himself ny INC
/ following sample experiment. Let Young onk sap
bug be err IA The winter, and laid upon iRe iite As
soon as II becomes thoroughly heated, lhn steam ~
fusi, oul a, each end OF The STICK, hon the heart
wood. whilst the sai-woud vail remain dry; let 81
unlal rk be cfd The sutnaer and tIea ed 10 tlt
came manner the steam Will then be found 10 ISSUE
noin le sap. " God, whilst the heart woud I'll remain
ldty: thus shewlng, that dHrmg the winter months
Tie heart Is The prucipa depository ol the sh =
! whilst duuDg the summer mouths, II eIteul1ts al
most exclusively through tho sap-"ool. i lac com
mon opinUu, thai the presence OF sap l. the nnedi
ate cause OF the dry u.timber, IS doubtless cur
rect one bat Tie very correctness oil tlis ophioi
leads TO nn error IN praeHce when coupled ~lth an
+ incorrect opui0n respecting The sluanoh ct the 'p
The proper pfacltLe would be. 10 cut lumber ia
ring the Summer, ayl MOI dhtrng the winter mohths
A fourth department of Natural Seleuce, which
may vcy property be lncintled ~ course oh Am
cultural ed calon. ~ MecAaa,eaL Phlosophy, em
btaeng the laws 81 force and motion, as they appl
IA The case Of sollds, Liquids, aud Gases. Ne
ehanica philosophy hos bee0 defined as 'iha
SCIENCE - lch tea hes rs how tn produce The great
r.t fret Ith the smallest expense OF JoWeI" III