The organizer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1849-05-19

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| from the color and fine grain or texture CT
the land, as ascertained BY taking a portion
of It IN tie hand and kneading, pressing,
breaking, and Otherwise examining into its
nature. 10 ascertain the real and exact
properties and quality Of the colorinq mat
Ter, we atecompelled 10 caIl in'the aid of
chemistry which can analyze the sell and
determine is constituents
10 this way we shall soon End that il is
not every thing that gives color 10 land
that increabes lis fertility. The poorest
land we inset with in our deserts and 'heaths
need not Be white. and on the contrary is
generally Of a yelIowish or brown color,
and yet will scarcely produce a weed or a
branble; for analysis shows Us that such
land is coiored with oxide Of iron or the
oxide of some other metal. THAI instead of
being nuiritiye 70 plants is detrimental to
some OF them. By these and like re-
searches we are led 10 the Inevitable, con-
clusion that all plants derive their nutrition
and health and strength and growing
powers from something that is mixed with
the soil as we'll as from the soil itself and
its accompaniments Of light, heal, air. and
water. which are all necessary ipgTedcnts
to healthy growth,
Such investigations as this and others
which have Of late years been made on the
chemistry of organic bodies, (which means
all such things as possess, or have possessed
life and living funcuons) have most firmly
established two most important laws OF
which have been long suspected
though but recently proved. and which
have tended to give much greater stability
to chemical investigations than they before
possessed, viz That II Is entirely beyond
the power Of man, as well as out Of the
course Of nature TO produce any new elc.
ment. and Introduce i into coGHp0und sub
stance; and BY the converse Of this law OF
rule. 1T is equally impossible to destroy or
any element that has pfetious
exiEencen AS / may probably BE- ad-
dressing some al this moment who have
given no previous attention 10 chemistry
and its terms and language. Tho wo.d
element in is chemical sense NAV not
be properly understood. and will there
fore take the liberty Of explaining il lest
that should be the case, because a proper
conception Of the nature Of an element is
quite essential to an understanding Of these
Two important chemical laws. An Element
hen means nothing more than anything
hat is single and ,ndivisible into two or
more things Il is in fact a Hniig or single
nuisance. and all compound bodies arc
supposed 10 be formed Of collection Of
uch elements
The Ancients. you are aware. believed in
our elements. from some. or all Of which,
hey conceived all things were made; they
we're Fire. Water. Earth. and Air Modern
hemsry has discovered that water, earth,
nd air are all compound or mixed things,
nd consequently no longer can be called
Clements An things that have resisted
very attempt, Of the modern chemist at
heir decomp sition. or division into more
ban one primitive or simple material, are
ow ranked as Elements. and in this way
no modern list Is increased % more than
hy. among which all the metals are in
luded
Il may farther be stated thar al quaint
les in chemistry (wiih ihe exception Of the
rdsss oalyl are computed by weight; and
ne Of the consequences ofthe two important
Tvs Just mentioned is. that we cannot alter
le weight Of any compound substance.
owever much we may alter lis form or
ppeaFance; and BY tho exercise Of Lkis
Nv the weight Of The globe. we inhabit
lust Femain without increase OF decrease,
Notwithstanding the many changes that
re constantly occurring in OF upon il.
ecause IL our globe consists Of a certain
umber and weight Of elements, they may
E constantly changing places and com
nations By which their appearances and
.nsible properties will be completely
hanged, Bns II we admit the principle,
nd which IS now generally ueknOwl-
AZ lhnf no new element which had not
revious existence, can form, and be adj
tilted inioa combinaiicn, and that nothing
iai dil exist can be destroyed OF annihi-
ned, q falloHs that, Notwithstanding any
hauee, The same elemcnif, having the
ime weight, viii exist b0sh before and
fler he change.
IA illutraiion 81 this principle, suppose
z take 100 ne. Of wpod, and kiodle a FRO
iih Il and let Il burn oai. We shall find
'at We have not more lhsn 4 or 5 lbs.
ashes lefi behind, therefore any enc M
will chemical principles would
iiunllg suppose that IS lbs. a he wood
ere desiroyed ana uiierly loss, and en-
.quenily ibai the globe uas inside % its.
1hicr IAN Il was before. 81 TIE arnr.-
"a. TIE chemist houever denies lhis.
e crqoires What ne WOOD eaa cohPosci
bc'ofe i was burnt. and he fain llat iis
incipal Gan i carbon or unburni char
"a, wilh a considerabic qanhiilg ID water
roug ~ porcs erisllugts sp.e eo1tidsr-