The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-01-15
AGRICULTURAL.
10 FARMERS. TEACHERS, AND ED

10 FARMERS, TEACHERS AND ED
- {. ITOHS.
We invite The special attention Of farm
ers. teachers and editors to the following
articles on "AGRlcuLruRAL GRoLoGy.''-
They are so simple, direct, practical and
elementary, as to afford both interest and
instruction to farmers, now so generally
seeking the science Of their art--ScIENrIF.
&c AcRrcuLruRE. If generally inserted in
papers and read TO schools, newspapers
would become school books, and much o.
the surplus boy-power, now exhibited in
lawlessness, violence and rowdyism, would
be converted into practical science-the
worst boys, in many cases, changed into
the best:
AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY-No. l.
ass BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK. s1
No class OF the community have an
equal interest in geology with farmers
No science is so interesting to farmers as
geology, in connsxion with chemistry
The two sciences cannot be separated
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 abso-
lutely essential for experiments to deter
mine the fundamental principles Of chem.
istry. Oxygen, the most powerful chem
ical 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 10 each other,
and both indispensable, as the foundation
of-all agricultural science.
knowledge of each is as feasible as il
is important entirely within the compre-
hension Of a child six years old Each
isIa science Of facts more than of abstract
reasoning-of facts, too, equally nstruc.
tive and delightful to every young mind.
Take an example: The child has placed
before him two glass tumblers, the 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 objec,
ih, Nature or Art. Into each tumbler is
poured some sulphuric or muriatic acid
In the tumbler of lime the pupil observes
an action-in that Of quartz no action
He is told this action is called efferves.
cence. He hence learns to recognize
lime and quartz, and the more certainly
from the recollection that the one effer.
vesces with acids and the other does not
Here issan example Of geology and chem.
istry, alike useful to the farmer and inter.
esting TO the farmers child. or any child
The same simplicity and direct lundamen.
tai instruction run through the whole Of
both of these exceedingly practical sci
ences. go 4'u
II may hereafter point out a few of the
leading principles Of these two sciences
their connexion with each other; their es-
sential Importance to all classes, and
most of all, farmers, their exceeding fit.
ness for the early instruction of children
and the entire feasibility of having them
among the "frst lessons" taught in each
Of the eighty tht usand American schools
AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY-No. Q.
$50 BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.
Oxus is the Greek word for acid; gino-
mai, in Greek, means make; hence the
literal meaning Of oxygen is acid maker.
Combined with sulphur it forms ulphuric
acid; with nitrogen, nitric acid with car
bon. carbonic acid, &c. Respiration,
combustion and fermentation are the three
principal operations producing the COM
binations Of oxygen and carbon; the re.
suits, Icarbonic acid.
Acids combine readily with metals
carths and alkalies-as iron, lime and
potash. BY chemists these combinations
are called salts, designated by the termi.
nation ate. Sulphuric acids combining
with various bases, produces sulphates;
nitric, ntrates; carbonc. carbonates. Sui.
phate of lime is gypsum or plaster of Paris;
sulphate OF iron, copperas; Of soda, glau.
Der salts; Of magnesia, EPSON salts. The
carbonate of lime is common limestone
marbles. chalk, and many beautiful crys'
tails tCarbonates Of iron, copper, and
lead, are ores Of these metals.
About century ago, water was found
to be composed Of oxygen and hydrogen,
and common air Of oxygen and nitrogen
About half century since, oxygen was
found by Sir Humphrey Dayy to be an
element Of rocks. and, of course Of soils
as il was of alkalies, combined with oxy-
gen, were found by the same great chem
ii, TO be metals ofvery peculiar character
h hence appears, that oxygen is an el-
en,ent in air, earth and water, existing
abundantly in solid, liquid and aerial
forms In the whole, il constitutes nearly
one half of our globe, II is, of course,
the mos, abundant element in the material
world II is also the most important agent
Introducing changes in matter essential
TO human existence. 1t is very appropri-
ately called rital air, as neither animal
life nor any life can exist without it. 1t is
no less essential TO combustion than to
life.grlt also acts with great energy upon
metals and other solid substances. In
frs action It produces three very large and
a u. L j.