The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-07-11
Fro,s he Patent t.Gcs Report.
GENERAL VIEW OF AMER.
CAN AGRlCULTURE.
CHAPTER III.
,sa.crLruRAL MgTEoRoL0Gy.

T.er are few sciences the study
q ,sith IS more useful to the farmer
s. ha, Of Mcteorology. A soil
:, eon,sin all the atoms required to
e luxuriant crop. yet. il the TEN.
;e-ssar Of the ground, or Of the air
eJs it, be too low, vegetation makes
| ,-aress. Again, the earth and
s,z,4;hcrc may have a due degree
q nru,a and light, as we'll as abound
!. tie food Of plants in an availa-
IL I'm, e1cer. rdt<r, and the ab-
we Of tbs element will be fatal to
-,tes of the husbandman.
lNnosrheric air, light, heat, cleo
ycy, rain, dew, snow, and frost,
5rt 4 controlling Influence over the
-,;h Of all cultivated plants. A
!. Wedge Of the natural laws by
'-;s these generally invisible and
s,oaierable bodies are governed, so
= Is researches have revealed them,
lse valuable and interesting
atmosphere and the numerous
a,a eaena Of which it is the theatre,
I'D command more attention in this
'sa,'y than they hitherto have re-
Fn'rd, il we intend 70 keep pace
b. the progress Of physical science
/ Europe. To encourage the study
I ne,eorology in its application to
e-cal,urc is the object Of this chap
Tar Atmosphere is mainly com
|.i Of two distinct gnses, which are
;&hlc but not imponderahe bodies,
:. cvcry where surround the rlnnet
L. IN ocean. II has q mean depth
sssc forty.6ve miles. TIE gnscs
MA form the air arc called nitrogen
~ 'rygrn. According to the &C
sne analysis Of dry, pure air, made
N. NJ. Dumas aud Boussingault,
y paru consist Of 20.8 oxygen and
'..niuogcn. These chemists found
70 , to ) parts Of cartonic acid in
100 Of atmospheric Dir. DR..
''s,alus has ascertaincd that the
sipr,ion Of ammonia in the atmos-
n'r u As l to 1000. 900, varying
=! 5000, 900. Undoubtedly there
p n,ny other volatile aud gaseous
zoos in the atmosphere, in . state
nvemely diluted and didased a.
escape all chemical tests. Sir
ri Kane found that sulphuretted
'aaeea will pass through . thin
&'e Of India rubber into the atmos
EH'e, against a pressure equal to 80
ats the weight Of common air
eoas compounds Of phosphorus,
anae, and sulphur, arc constantly
'sArged from decaying animal and
ssatlc substances into the atmos-
RfrG These gases fall to the earth
Ssa il rain,water. 1t is one Of the
peculiar TO all gases, that the
''tss.es Of one in any given space
- nes ia The least prevent several
1.*n from occupying the vacancies
@ ossseen atoms Of gas that seem
rasi each other with singular
se,aoa. The facility with which
y airoslhere takes up vapor when
',,sr evaporates, Is familiar to al.
!As capacity to hold immense
'sInhes Of water imbibed from the
ess, lakes, rivers, the foliage Of
s'@l aud moist earth in . volatile con
~s, 10 be distributed over broad
sS'Sasn.s, is . wonderful provision
a'are. Bot the filing Of the air
"a .s.er. Ike = vet sponge, Is less
Hstsbls than the contrivancc for
'<''aas L Tonge, 80 to speak, and
aa'a: tie dihased moisture to fall
sstae rains, sno ws, and dews.--
= a'gns Of the atmosphere, after
"a saaraisd with water, is . pAeao-
Ssaa, s,,iiout which Is would never
= aer could there be any springs,
IN iali plants, o. sainsls ON The
.s' THIS precipitation Of water is
ea By change Of sesnperatare.
change Is the result of the re-
.'a'e II the earth on It's axis, and
"u beat. Day and Night, sprins