Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-02-21
Agricultural Geology, No. 4.
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.

BY JOSIAH HoL BROOK.
No class of the community have an
equal interest in geology with farmers.
No science is 81 Interesting TO farmers
as geology, in connection with chemis-
| try. The two sciences cannot be sepa-
rated and justice done TO either. While
the elements of our globe, especially of
soils, require chemical tests to determine
their character, these very elements are
absolutely essential for experiments TO
determine the fundamental principles Of
chemistry. Oxygen, the most power
! ful chemical agent in creation, is also. the
most abundant material in rocks and
soils. The one as an element, the other,
as an agent, are alike essential TO each
other, and both indispensable, as at the
foundation of all agricultural science.
A knowledge of each is as feasible as
as it is mportant-entirely within the
comprehension Of child six months
old. Each is science of facts more
than of abstract reasoning-of facts, too,
equally instructive and delightful to eve-
ry young mind.
luke an example: The child has pla-
ced before him two glass tumblers-,he
one containing quartz, the other lime or
sand and chalk. The name of each is
of course as readily learnt as the name
of iron, lead, gold, tree. horse, or any
other object in Nature and Art. Into
each tumbler is poured some sal phnrlc
or muratic acid. la the tumbler of lime
the pupil observes an action--in that of
quartz no action. He is told this action
is called effervescence. lie hence learns
to recognize lime and quartz, and the
more certainly from the recollection that
The one effervesces with acids aud the
other does not.
Here is an example of geology and
chemistry, alike useful to the farmer and
interesting to the farmers child, or any
child. The same simplicity and direct
fundamental instruction run through the
whole of both of these exceedingly prac-
tical sciences.
/ may hereafter point out a few of
the leading principles of these two sci
ences; their connection with each other;
their essential importance to all classes,
and, most of all. farmers; their exceed
ing h,ness for the early instruction of
children, aud the entire feasibility OF
having them among the .'firss lessons
taught in each of the eighty thousand
American schools. .".@ ..-
AGRICULTURAL GEoLoaY-No. 2.
Oxus is the Greek word for acid; gin
omai, in Greek, maze; hence the literal
meaning of oxygen is acid maker.-
Combined with sulphur, it forms sulphu-
ric acid; with nitrogen, nitric acid; with
carbon, carbonic acid, &c. Respiration,
combustion aud lermenliou are the three
principal operations producing the com-
binaiions OF oxygen and carbon; the re
suits, carbonic acid. e
Acids Combine readily with metals
ear,hs and alkalies--as iron, lime and
potash. By chemists, these combina.
uons are called salts, designated by the
termination ate Snlphuric acid combi-
ming with various bases, produces sui
pilates; nitric nitrates; carbonic carbon
, ates. Salpha,e of lime is gypsum OF
f plaster oil Paris; sulpha,e of iron, cop
perss; of soda; glauher salts; of magne.
sla, epsom salts. The carbonate o.
lime is common limestone, marbles
chalk. and many beautiful crystals
, Carbonate of iron, copper and lead are
, ores of those metals. s ... GA.
, About century ago water was found
to be composed of oxygen and hydro
, gen. and common air of oxygen and nj
trogen. About half century since
oxygen was found, by Sir Humphrey
! Dayey, to be an element Of rccks, o
soils, as it was of the alkalies, conbinee
!, with oxygen, were found by the same
, chemist, to be metals very peculiar il
: their character. , st s..-a..a.
1t hence appears that oxygen is al
, element i'm air, earth and water, existing
abundantly in sohd. liquid, and mrla
r forms. In the whole it constitutes near
ly half of our globe. 1t is, of course
the most abundant elemeniin the matters
al world. Ii is also the most imporlan
: agent in producing changes in matter es
sential 10 human existence. IL is very
r appropriately called Uitdl AR, as neitheI
r animal life nor any life can exist with
out il. II is no less essential 10 combus
tion than 10 life. 1t also acts with grca
: energy upon metals and other solid sub
I stances. In Tins action il produces three
) very important classes. of bodies-ox
ydes. acids and salts. Iron rust is tht
oxyde Of iron; the dross of lead, oxyd,
1 of lead; burnt lime. the okyde Of calci
D ,m; pure potash, the oxyde Of poiasi
up; pure soda, the oxyde of sodium, 81
. lex or flint, the oxyde of silicium. Th'
. combination Of one part oxygen, ant
!. four Of nitrogen, constitutes the atmos