Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-06-21
guuhuu fire. press,
AGRICULTURAL.
VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY
by GEN. BIERCE, OF AKRON,


dom, whirl in circle composed Of alternate
striped pants and shilling calico, as they dane.
ed around some mimic bachelor standing in
the centre cogitating which, of all the pretty
faces smiling on him, he should select as his
psrtHer-and sing,
"Nor you, nor /, and no one knows!S
How oats, peas. beans, or barley growsf"
Well! those were days of happy ignorance,
In which the laboratory of our existence was
the heart and blue eyes and ruby lips were
the only chemical agents with which we wer.
acquainted. We did not know Show oats, peas
and barley grow nor did we care; the matter
offact we knew, that peas and beans make red
cheeks, and cotton and fax made Shilling cal
icO;" aud "homespun" articles, in those sunny
days Of bean pOrridge and short-gowns, were
most enrapturing to our eyes.
But those happy days are gone-never, l
fear, to return. Should an artless admirer of
olden times, now dare to sing
"No one knows
How cats, peas, beans, or barley grows"
every embryo Of humanity that had but for a
week, exchanged the diaper for the broad cloth,
and the sugarpap for the cigar, would raise an
argument on the subject, an6 learnedly give you
the mOdaS operbadi of termination.
But, seriously:-How different is the e6uca-
ton Of the young, at the present day, from what
1t was when we were boysl Animal and veg
etable physiology now form an important part
nf Cd D.
science he is taught that every seed contains,
within itself, the embryo of its kind and needs
but favorable circumstances to produce chemi-
cal action, by which the embryo is fully devel
oped. la the seed this embryo is more or less
perfect. In some seeds it is so perfect as to be
distinctly seen by the aid of microscope, the
roots pointing downward, and the top upward
This embryo is surrounded by matter of the
seed, whose only object Or use is to perfect it,
and furnish material agents to act upon. Ex-
posed to heat and moisture it abSorbS moisture
and OXYGEN kind Of fermentation common
ceS-carbOnic acid is thrown off-and starch,
which is one the largest components of seeds,
is converted into sugar by the chemical pro-
cess going on. This process goes on at the
point where the nourish nent passes into the
germ, and thus prepared it is circulated into
the embryo plant which, as the new matter is
added to it, expands-the embryo root shooting
downward, and the microscopic top upwards.
Thus far all the material for the expansion
OF the plant has been drawn from the Seed
The seed has no power of drawing material for
its growth from the earth. Even after the
radicle has burst its tenement, the plant has to
rely on the nourishment of the seed until the
top reaches above the EARTH This is the rea-
son why, IN many plants-as the bean, melon,
squash, pumpkin, &c, the seed comes up on
top of the plant. The seed thus accompanies
the plant in its first excursion, furnishing it
with nourishment until the leaves are above the
ground, when a new source of nouriShment is
provided. The leaves are to the plant what
The lungs are to the animals. BY the leaves
corbonic acid is absorbed from the air-decom-
posed by shemical action-the carbon retained
for the use of the plan, and the oxygen thrown
off into the atmosphere. Iron, lime, and other
minerals in the water, are absorbed by the
roots-carried up to the leaves in the circula-
ting fluid of the plant-decomposed by the
leaves-the water is eXhaled and the iron, lime
and other minerals retained for the use of the
plant The ori6ces in the leaves, by which
this respiration is carried on, and provided with
kind of ralre, by which they regulate the
amount Of inhalation, or exhalation they may
require.
Every person has noticed the difference be-
tween the upper and under side of the leaf
The pores on the under side absorb the gases
and convey them into the circulating fluid
in the inner bark decomposition takes place
the carbon and minerals detained, and the oxy-
gen thrown off through the pores and the upper
side of the leaf
Heat aad moisture may thus produce germi-
nation-but that is the extent to which it can
go without light, and air. Air is necessary to
furnish the oxygen to condense the superabun-
dance Of carbon in the seed. Light is necessa
ry, as without it no decomposition of the oxy-
gen and carbon takes place, but both are expel-
led, or thrown off together, just as they were
inhaled.
Thus we learn that the growth of animals,
and vegetation, is but the chemical action of
agents, by which the germ, or embryo is en-
Iarged, and brought to maturity. Take away
heat, light, air, moisture, carbon, or oxygen
the great chemical agents in Natures Labora-
tory-and plants cannot exist. Without ami
mails to use the oxygen, and return the carbon,
and return the oxygen to the atmosphere, ami
mails could not live. Thus few gases, and
little mineral m after, by chemical changes,
produce animals and vegetables-and all the
changes in the animal and vegetable kingdom
and the humiliating truth is forced upon us,
that the material part of man, like the vegeta-
Die kingdom, is a compound of mineral gases,
and few buckets of water-the gases with
most persons, predominatin g. Ohio Farmer.
The Washington tPa.) Reporter dominates
John Bell, of Tennessee, for President. and All.
bott Lawrence of Massacbnro.+, G. ". n