The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-10-03

rious phases power The world OF vegetation
than climate, SOIL or cultivation.
Intimately connected with the increase OF agricultural
products is the important question OF their relative adap
taon TO the purposes OF human subsistence and both
gagged the attention OF able and scientific observers, and
the progress OF the has been equally honor
able TO them, and satisfactory 10 all who take an inter
est in this great department OF human concern Re
searches into the true principles of vegetable physiology
have been pursued Wi admirable judgment and success
and have opened 10 new and enlarged views OF the
necessary to their gowth and subsistence we'll of
those they furnish Tor The support OF man.
And it is here that chemistry, especially by the i'm
proved process OF analysis has shown itself the efficient
handmad of agriculture IL has taught us that The in
combustble inorganic portion OF planisthe ashes,
small indeed. not exceeding two per cent IN weight but
essential the economy OF vegealon--is DER we'd from
the soil, while the organic portion, the carbon, the hy
drogen, the oxygen, and the nitrogen mbbed by the
roots and leaves and conveyed by the proper vessels IN
Unknown to us TO every part OF the plant, and
incorporated by assimilation with the new body into
which they enter.
How far these nq ures may be extended and to what
hidden operations OF Nature they may ultimately conduct
in the progress of human knowledge, il rash to
undertake TO conjecture. That we have reached
the boundary which divides what may be known from
what must be unknown evident from all that is daily
passing around us in the world OF matter The limit
may be far distant. and doubt important developments
will hereafter reward the zeal and industry OF phosoph
ical nqurers, and perhaps give plain views where
we have now but imperfect glimpses OF Jehovah's king
dom. All this is, however, wisely concealed from us,
pressed. But we may safely assume that many OF the
final causes and oil the secondary agencies also, which
govern the vast creation OF God. and preserve that won
derful harmony in his works by which the elements OF
destruction forever pressing upon those OF preserva
ton, but pass the limits prescribed to them by
Him who has assigned to each ito functions j.
principles contribute to universal order, if made
known, will probably only be made known in another
OF the visible there brighter spot than this
for the eye OF man TO rest upon nor where the Wis
dom of The Creator is more wonderfully displayed The
are so combined as 10 retain the planetary bodies in their
orbits and to conduct them along their trackless paths
in the heavens with unerng precision There they have
been and and there they will be till their great work
is ended. And yet how admirable the adaptation by
which these mighty masses are guided and controlled
and the agencies In operation balanced and restrained
The preiominance OF one would bring these worlds to
gether nvo ing in their the utter destruction OF
system, while that OF the other would release them
from the bonds OF mutual dependence and send them to
wander the bolndless regions OF space, where even
The human ina sinaon could not follow them in their
endless And the wisdom is displayed in the
natural operations around us, ard IN The midst OF which
our life is passing. change m the constituent prnc
pies OF the osphere undue superiority of Of its
elements, would render unfit for Iespiraon and inca
pable OF performing The functions assigned TO IT FIRE
water animals pians--the whole economy OF Nature,
deed--woud eei the effects OF such modification, and
of the revoutioni would bnns with it, The ocean and
the atmosphere are kept within their respective limits
and sunshine follow each other IN beautiful success
sion and the whole order OF the universe is maintlined
by this combination OF anagon,slic principles thus har
enormously blended and made to work IN unison together
Ii is not the wisdom oil man, but the ordination OF Cod
which sets houHds the tecnndy OF insect lie, and
spares US iron the infections like those Which VISITED
Egypt. when her proud monarch hardened ms hear
az alnst the Divine command. What wonli avail human
might il the barriers against indefinite multiplication were
broken down. aud il the iocu~ts should The fie OF hs
ea, that there should remain green Lsng2 la such
warfare, poweriess would be human hrengh against an
enemy whose numbers would mock to the efforts OF
man. And thus The hail. or The wind, or The ram II mol
held check BY superior power would rule the as
cendan and scatter destruction the fair face OF Ma
But lar mgh,e than they has SET bounds 10 their
destroying agencies. and each furnishes lis contribution
OF good to the great work OF all.
The impressve language OF reproof addressed by the
Almighty to Job may be addressed 10 every son OF Adam
~ here thou when laid the foundations OF the
earth Declare, if thou hast understanding" When
the morning stars sang togsther, and all The sons OF God
shouted for joyp The human faculties are bewldered
in the contemplation OF the wonderful power Of the
Creators and s,ll the more 1t rs made known 10 US by
knowledge of His works-by the knowledge that
there are worlds OF animated beings arounds US, for
ever invisible to the naked eye but each ENJOYING his al
loted share OF happiness; while far beyond IN the
oil space, those shining obs whose object 10
vision, only to deck the sky with glitlefng points,
tined to far noblsr endsto The performance OF important
functions IN the great scheme OF CREATION and probably
peop.d with intelligent beings, perhaps better fitted than
we TO comprehend these miracles OF creative power
power felt in the regions OF ilniiable space, equally
inaccessible 10 human vslon and 10 the efforts OF the hu
man comprehension.
We cannot 20
Where universal love smiles arolnd,
Sustaining all yon obs and all their suns,
From seeming evil sill educing good
And better thence again. and better still
In infinite progression. 0l
The researches OF modern chemistry have been
ces-fuly directed to two objects OF inquiry equally essen
ial TO Just and rational view OF the true theory and
practice of agriculture One the elements which FUR
nsh the proper numeni 10 the animal system and the
other the plants in which this rabulum OF life is most
abusdantly found Experiments, skully directed and
steadily pursued have already conducted lar IN this
interesting field OF investigation and strange Is that
has been bu, recently explored in the real spirit OF Undue
tive philosophy Scarcely century has elapsed since
much has been known OF the true structure OF plants
and many important points OF vegetable physiology. even
among those accessible TO daily observation are yet
in volved in doub: and dispute Chemistry has been far
behind the sister sciences, and is only with the COM
OF the present century that commences that
Of its advancement when the labors oil analysis and
the principles OF induction rescued il from the hands OF
contributing not less TO the comfort OF man than 10 true
knowledge of many of the most interesting operations OF
Nature and II is by other process that we can expect
10 obtain just conceptions of the nature and properties OF
the undecomposej substances which, in the present state
OF knowledge may be called elementary principles,
and by whose all living organized bodies are con
stincd and perform their functions. The bodness-ibe
blind rashnoss, rathcr-of man leads him to reject the
slow process OF following Nature step BY STEP and adding
fact after fact to his store OF knowledge and then
bnng these together and dedueing such general laws AS
il may be given him TO develop and comprehend For
centuries the theory first, and then facts were
sough TO support IT, Bot though this scientific empIri-
csm is not ysl wholly banished, i yielding 10 more
rational spn 81 investigation aud the reward has been
found in that wonderful advance Of knowledge 10 the
natural sciences winch has made the aye which we live
omnenily PRACTICAL one Our first bu IL with the