New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-18
PATENT OFFICE REPoRT.....PART II.
CHAPTER III.
AGRICULTURAL nETEOaOLOOY.

a soil may contain all the atoms required 70 i'fn
uxurant crop yet If the temperature OF the gfoahd'
or OF the air above it, be too low vegetation makes
no progress. Again, the earth and atmosphere
may have a due degoee Of warmth aad light a.
well as abound ia all the food Of plants in an avail
able farm, except rater, and the absence OF this
element will be fatal b the hopes Of the husband
man.
Atmospheric air light heat, electricity rain, dew
snow end frost, exert a controlling influence over
the growth Of all cultivated plants. A knowledge
of the natural laws By which these generally H.
visible and imponderable bodies are governed, so
far as researches have revealed them, alike yalu'
able and interesting. The atmosphere and the nu-
merous phenomena Of which tits the theater, should
command more attention in this country than they
hitherto have received, if we intend to keep pace
with the progress Of physical science in Europe
To encourage the study Of meteorology in it's ap-
pcaton to agriculture is the object Of this chapter
THE ATMOSPHERE is mainly composed OF two
distinct gases which are invisible but not impon'
derable bodies, and everywhere surround the
planet like an ocean. II has mean depth OF some
forty.five miles The gases which form the air are
called nitrogen and Oxygen. According to the &C
curate analysis OF dry, pure air. made by NJ. II.
Dumas and BoussiDgault, 100 parts consist of POS
oxygen and 1872 nitrogen. These chemists found
from to parts Of carbonic acid in 10000 Of at
mospheric air. DR.. Fresenius has ascersained that
the proportion Of ammonia in the atmosphere ID as
to 100000, varying to / to 100000. Undou6.-
edly there are msny other volatile and gaseous
a afoe 81,
diluted and diused, to escape all chemical tests.
Sir Robert Kane found that salphurete1 hydrogen
will pass through thin piece of Indiarubber into
the atmosphere, against g pressure equal to 50
times the weight of common air Gaseous com
pounds of phosphorus, chlorine, and sulphur, arc
constantly discharged from decaying animal and
vegetable substances into the atmosphere. These
gases fall TO the earth again in rain-water IL is
one of the laws peculiar to all gases that the pres
ence Of one in any given space does not in the
least prevent several others from occupying the
vacancies left between storms OF gass that seem 70
repel each other with singular aversion. The Ia
cility with which the atmosphere takes up yapor
when water evaporstes, is familiar to all Thls
capacity to hold immense quantities OF water i'm
bibed from the ocean, lakes, rivers, the foliage OF
trees, and moist earth in volatile condition, to be
distributed over broad continents, is a wonderful
provision of nature. But the filling oil the AIR with
water, like a wet sponge, II less remarkable than
the contrivance Tor squeezing me sponge, 50 u
sneak and causing the diiiased moisture to fall in
gentle rains, SHOWS and dews The drying OF the
atmosphere, after it is saturated with water is a
phenomenon without which it would never rain
nor could there be any springs, rivers, land plants
or animals on the globe. This precipitation OF wa
ter is effected by change Of temperature; which
change is the result OF the revolution Of the earth
on It's axis, and of solar heat. Day and night
Spring. Summer, Autumn and Winter, with their
ever varying temperature. varying winds and
clouds, and constantly changing humidity are all
results Of fixed laws which invite the research Of
every reasoning mind
EoLAR HEAT.-Accordingt TO Prot Forbes, the rays
Of heat coming from the sun, and passing through
the atmosphere in the shortest line, at the latitude
OF Paris, lose % per cent OF their caoriiic
power by the time they reach the earth Rays
that strike the atmosphere at an angle Of only 25'
part with half their intensity or heat, by the time
they touch the ground. The molecules OF air alb
sorb and Tadiate heat into space, the same
as other ponderablc bodies. Hence, no mat.
! ter how clear the atmosphere neither the rising
nor 1e setting sun imparts SO much light or hea.
TO those parts Of the earth affected ne they
ceive when the sun is at the meridian. The effect
of solar rays on the earth is still farther diminished
morning and evening by ths fact that fewer fall on
any given area because they impinge upon its sur
face oblquely One can look at the setting
with impunity, not because it ennits less heat or
light az that Time but because the rays mostly
absorbed and rsdiated in passing through many
miles Of atmosphere before they reach the eye Of
the observer.
The facility with which SOAR heat pcnetrates and
warns the soil, 10 the depth Of q II, IS and -
inches, and the radiation Of heat from the earth,
the leaves Of plants and all other substances, de-
serve particular notice.
A distinction must be made between the ra1ia-
ton of heat from the surface Of any body, AMI the
transmission Of il through any substance, rs iron,
wood, water, mold OF soil All these hold differ.
ent relations to this peculiar element 1t is not H.
tended to take more than popular view Of this
subject At the time Of seeding in Spring a single
day is sufficient to warm to the depth Of inches,
a mellow soil, recently ploTed. Two days OF sun
will warm the ground inches; and six days l2
inches. The fall of warm rain on a well drained
mellow soil, greatly hastens the heating OF the
earth. On the contrary, the falling of cold rain
much cold water in the ground, greatly retards
the rise of temperature in TILED land. Heat
and water should be studied together, il one
would obtain clear idea of their joint influence on
vegetation. When water evaporates, it expands
to 1896 times It's former volume and renders
latent or insensible, a considerable amount of
active heat Hence, wet piece Of ground, from
the surface Of which & good deal Of water evep-
crates, is always cooled by the constant loss Of
sensible heat which rises in vapor and departs far
into the atmosphere
The warmer the atmosphere, the greater is its
capacity to hold water in the condition of diused
invisible vapor The lower strata Of air are heated
much more by caloric radiated from the earth than
by the absorption Of heat from the sun to the |
planet. Air thus heated becomes expanded, or
rariied and specifically lighter than the colder air
above 1t. This causes the air within and near the
tropics to rise high above the surface of the earth
and flow over both north and south, toward either |
polei while colder and heavier air rushes In 70.
ward the equator to fiji the empty space These |
aerial currents are detected in their courses bv
the diurnsl revolution Of the earth, aud by noun
tain ranges where SUBMITS are often covered with
eternal snow and they still further mci.Ged
by the varying temperature Of the ocean, and its
peculiar streams.
Heat and water are the f-ui,fl na-a-.. oc .... Il