The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-05-11
From Moors's Burial New Yorker.
uTERRA.CULTURE."
THE WONDERFUL MYSTERY REVEAL

"lEhNA.CULI
THE WONDERFUL MYSTERY REVEAL
ED.
In presenting the following article to the pub
lic--thereby disclosing the so-caled great and
useful discovery in vegetation-a word Of ex-
PLANTATION may be necessary in regard to the
propriety Of appropriating, or imparting TO tho
community, that which Is claimed as valuable
individual property. As to our right and duty
in the premises, we have no misgivings-1. For
the reason that the responsible editor of the
RURAL has never made any pledge whatsoever
concerning the secret, and hence has no com.
Functions Of conscience in regard to disclosing
the disclosures g. We firmly believe that
the pretended discovery is of little or value
indeed, that such of it may be Of is
not nep, as we can land may hereaf,er) Demon
strate by quoting from the works Of popular au-
thors-and hence, that i. is our bounden duty 10
expose the deception, in order that those whose
interests we advocate may no longer unwilling.
ly be defrauded Of their well earned dollars, and
| valuable time
The subjoned article was written by gen.
| teman connected with this journal, who has
| listened most patiently and attentivrly to the
disclosures and who, in common with num-
erous other hearers thereof, has arrived at the
inclusion that the presented discovery by the
theoretical Professor ought to be made public.
Ifthis is not sufficient in extenuation, we may
state that the Professor has violated by portion
of the contract, and hence our associate is under
no obligation. For pronouncing the pretensions
Of the professor to the possession of a secret
of great value, is an unmilgated humbug, the vi.
ais of his wrath have been poured out upon US,
most profusely These ncoherent rawlings are
harmless, however, and certainly will not deter
US from discharging our duty to the agricultural
| community. Hence for the benefit Of the pub.
lie, we shall now and hereafter submit certain
facts for candid consderation.-ED.
| The Agricultural community has been kept
in state Of excitement for some time past, by
the announcement that Russell CoMsrocK Of
Mabbetsville, Duchess county, had discovered
new and valuable fact in vegetable physiology,
which was Of the utmost importance to mankind
Presenting himself before Congress, the secret
| was disclosed to a committee, from which he
AYERS he received the offer Of $500, 900 for his
discovery. The same occurred before the Lee
gislature Of Massachusetts, and we now think
New York All Of the Committees he AYERS,
| pr .nounced the discovery Of incalculable im.
portancr, but with none was he able to make
| satisfactory bargain.
He next urged the matter upon the attention
of the New York State Agricultural Society,
| who appointed committee to hear the disclos.
ures, and report their value To the Snciety. q.
overwhelmed by the magnitude ~ of the support
at the time, but subsequently the late A. J.
| y
responded to the numerous calls nf the public,
and submitted lucid, and we doubt not salts.
factory disclosure.
ifany still doubt the immense importance of
the disclosures, will they step with us in the
lecture room, and listen to the weighty secret
lear the great discoverer disclose his disclose
ures, as the Professor euphoniously terms his
revelations. Il
| Before you stands the veritable Professor him
solf in adj
order, sundry roots, twigs and saplngs with
here and there an ear of corn, the cob on
i which corn has grown, and few old aud appa.
rrn,ly well read books. With an appearance Of
wisdom which would grace Solo,non, he an
nounces that many years since, in looking over
the pages of School Botany, he caught what
had escaped the attention of the aulhor,-a fact
in vegetable physiology which he believes 10 be
of incalcuable benefit TO all who live BY tillng
the snil. In London's Encyclopedia OF Agri-
culture, he also found c, rioboraton of the
fact, since which time he has, by much labor
wrought the whole into system, which is as
universal in its application as are the plaais
which subject to this newly discovered law.
i Picking up a small peach tree, he will 20 on
10 illustrate that, at the point where the root
/ merg-s into the tree, the point between the
ground and the air, is what may be called the
seat Of life in the plant, or tree. lfthis seat Of
life in planting is set too low into the ground, so
as I" be covered up, the top root dies; the tree
from being a seeding becomes a sucker merely,
an otfshoot from the original tree-forming roots
above the seat Of life, which changes its ma.
ture, and subjects tito all the bligh,ing diseases
OF which farmers and horticultursts so much
complain. This principle he applies to every
tree and plant and by some process Of reason
ing uniatelligihle to common apprehension, in.
sisls that the same were very sure to follow any
departure from the rule, by either putting in
trees or plants too deep, or not setting them far
enough in the ground.
Should some nearer, less credulous than any
other, venture to ask an explanation, or the ap.
pllcaion ofthe discovery to any plant not before
named, the Professors to give all the facts
before related, winding up with an exhibition of
some of his favorite trees.
: The prevention ofthe potato rot, raising wheat
without winter.klIing, and many of his theories
concerning growing corps, are but efforts to
make the system Of cultivation conform to the
great mystery Of the scat Of life The burden
Of his discovery is, that Nature terra cultures,
Therefore follow Nature.-Trees for fruit or
ornament need no trimming or cultivation mtre
than to let them grow nature designed.
j Such is, subs antially, the whole. theory Of
Terra Culture and should the reader consider
it 'most lame and impotent' affair, we shall
not attempt to conlrovert his conclusion