Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-03-08

as nearly as possible self.evident, has
not, we are convinced that constant
residence in the mind of the agricullu.
raj student which it deserves. The
idea is connected with the atomic the.
DRY to which we lately adverted. 1t
might be expressed thus: Farm pro-
ducts are made of atoms, which, though
built up together, it may be for the first
time. in the forms we see, have always,
each of them, existed since the crea-
ton, possessed of the properties then
conferred upon them. This may ap.
pear 10 be a very abstract proposition
one of little practical use-but we
believe that no definite idea of the ra-
tionale of any farm process is possible
without the admission of it.
The instruc,ibility and unchanged
BILE nature of matter are capital points
in the theory of agriculture. Strange
as the statement may seem 10 one who
sees the manure added TO the soil. and
the harvest taken from it, no farm pro.
cess alters the nature of the matters on
which il acts: the living plant or ami.
NAL cannot change the character of the
atoms presented to it; it fourshes or
dies according as they are food or poi
son; it can but select those proper to
its growth. Extra fertility is simply
an extraordinary accumulation in the
soil of those atoms which form the sub
stance of our cultivated plants; skill in
agriculture is for the most part simply
that which enables the farmer to pro-
cure these atoms from the cheapest
sources, and collect them for use by the
living seed or plant he has placed in the
soil to assimilate them; the efficiency
of all agffcu ltural practice consists in
its ability TO detach these atoms from
previous combinations, setting them
free for use by the vegetable at the
time it requires them.
Now take either an onward Or a re-
Prospective glance at agriculture; con-
slider in the one case how the soil du-
ring winter becomes broken up, disin-
teregated, and decomposed, under the
inhueace of frost and rain, how it is en-
riched from the farm yard in spring,
and how the atoms thus prepared in it
and added to it are absorbed along with
other atoms from the air, and, uniting,
form within and on the plant the pro-
duce aimed at by the farmer. Or, on
the other hand, take specimen of farm
produce--hesh, for instance; consider
when the atoms which form it have
been taken--the various processes, COM
binations, and decompostions which
they have undergone since first taken
from the earth or air. Mark how each
has maintained individuality and its
character throughout--the numb erless
compaions from which it has parted
the others with which it has united, I'M
til all have become resident in the ami
NAL structure of which they ultimately
form part.
Such an examination, if worked out
in detail, would convey perfect idea
of the nature of that chemi cal manu-
facture which we call farming. And
while analysis enables US to conduct il
more in detail as regards the general
truth on which we have been insisting,
so we are able to supply the idea with
equal force TO every portion Of farm
practice. That of manuring, for in
stance: how entirely it destroys the
merit of mere bulk or weight, apart
from composition So many "cubic
yards per acre. are often spoken Of
but no information as to the value of
the application can thus be conveyed.
The question is whether the particles
are really there which shall ultimately
take their place in the product aimed
at. We know of no better subject for
investigation in this way than that
which the English Agricultural Socie-
ty has propounded for one of their es-
says for ls49: "How to increase the
produce of meat?" A full discussion
of it will involve every agricultural
process, from the preparation of the
soil to the sale of the OK. The atoms
of which meat is formed are no doubt
worked apart from the soil by natures
added to it by art; absorbed by plants;
| q oh frAn. the ~ L. =. 4