The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-04-03

ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER.
The following. from The pen af that &C.
cnmpiished Agricultural writer. Levi Bart
lrli. VIII be read with pleasure and insiruc-
lion:
Mr.. Breek-Nol long since, q very good
and inielligentfarmer remarked 10 me Ina.
he did not understand The terms. organic
and aOrgalic matters, IS applied in agri-
culture; he did moi know how or where 10
apply the proper distinction thai he sup.
posed ought to. or did exist, in The two
forms Of matter. Perhaps. there may be
some Of your readers that are not familiar
with the right application OF terms. Pni
Prf. Johnston has made il so plain " that
child might understand" and Cor The be-
nett of such (iflhere by any. will quote
fes passages: " All iha forms of matter
which present themselves 10 our view,
whether in the solid crust of the globe on
which we live. in the air which forms the
atmosphere by which we are surrounded.
or in The bodicsol animals and plants
are capable OF being divided into The two
great groups Of organic and inorganic mat.
Ger. The solid rocks and soils. The stmos-
phere, the waters Of The seas and oceans,
everything which neither is nor has been
the seat Of lie, may generally be included
under the head If inorganic matter. The
bodies ofall living animals and plants. and
their dead carcasses, consist Of organic or
organized matter. These generally exhi
BIZ kind OF structure visible to the eve,
as in the pores Of wood. and in the
fbres Of hemp, or OF the lean Of beef. aud
are thus readily distinguished from inor-
ganic matter. in which no structure is OBJ
servable.
But in many substances Of organic orr
gin. also, no structure is observable.
Thus, sugar, starch, and gum, are formed
in plants in great abundance, and We, do
no. present any pores or iibres: they have
never been endUwned WIN organs; YET,
being produced by The agency Of living
organs. they are ineludedunder The general
name of organic matter.
All your readers are aware that animals
. md plants in part, are eomposed Of the
four elementary bodies--carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen and nitrogen. When portion
Of animal or vegetable matter il burned, it
entirely disappears, or leaves behind il
only small quantity OF ash. All that
escapes into The air while burning, was
derived from the four simple substances.
or elements above d, and are there
fore termed the organic constituents OF
plants. These four elementary snbstan
ces are. by the mysterious operation Of
chemical changes and combinations BY
the vital principle in the living animal or
plant, susceptible ofassuming all that end
less variety of forms and qualities Of or
ganic matter that are found in the animal
aud vegetable world. #..
Sugar, slarrh, veget bile oils, and fat,
when burned, disappear entirely, and By
the process Of burning, they are resolved
into their original elemenls--carbon. oxy-
gen. aud hydrogen; these, and all similar
substances, are derived from, and are
wholly organic matter. @" #-"#
The dry bones Of animals contain about
two thirds their weight ofear,hy, morgan.
ic matter; the other third consists chiefly
of animal matter. resembling glue, and is
called the organic matter Of bones.
When wood is burned in the open air,
the organic paris Of il are dissipated in the
atmosphere, aud quantity Of ashes is
left, consisting of slick. potash, lime, mag
nesia, oxide Of iron. &c. These are the
inorganic constituents Of plants, and are
derived wholly from the soil. .t@@
II You think the above attempt in illus
,rating the difference between organic an
inorganic matter, will in any way be use
ful, i. is at your service. =. s.
n. E. Farmer.