Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1855-02-03
How can fertility be restored?


done more to answer, intelligbly these and
other questions, relating to vegetable GROWTH
than was learned in all the verdi before, and s
propose to explain, in familiar way, what t,qe
chemist claims to have discovered on this sub.
ieet, and afterwards to allude to some-os4rer
laws of nature, by which Vegetation is variously
affected. -
The chemist answers the questions | have
suggested. in a manner, at the same time in
accordance with the strictest principles of his,
science, and with the dictates of common sense.
He goes back humbly and reverently to Him
who said "Let Light be- and light ,Cas. Hei
assumes that He "who spoke the world from
nought," ordained that every part of his crea>
ton should be governed by laws fixed and UNI
changing that the growth, of the smallest
plant-of the parasite, even .hats feeds npe1
fthe bark of a tree, should go on, Step BY step,
from its termination to perfection and decay,
with the same obedience to principles and sySf
tenn, as the earth and the sun are moved in their
courses.
He teaches, that in the bsgianiag, God crea-
ted the Earth-and since that only creation, no
single particle Of matter has been commanded
into being; that Il bursting leaf the brilliant
fragrant blossom, he ripened grain, the bird
that cheers with rs songs our morning labor,
even ''the human from.divine,: contain no at
ON of material substance; which was not in exl
istence, when first ''the morning, stars sang to-
geher." - - va Z
We lock with sort Of awe, gpon the ghastly
mummy, brought out 10 the bljss4feqse two
thousand years Of ,rsstS abds sasi yet the
form of the fairest infant sn1eog lsiss i na5cnp
of atoms older thsn 4lsfirst pirriesss6a Of isis,
Older than the foundation Of the.eity sf shabss
or Ninevalr..,. - -
Every plant is new .orgaaizationl sof ess5sis-,
ing matter, and one plant differs from ensshsg
mainly. in the variety, and offs ehe sntastanceS
that compose it. The same species ofsPiaat
mast be opposed, qluavs of 81 Essentially athe
same eletitatss grain .ef@taaeat, whether
sgrqwa qpzthe .slsafss Of, the Atlantic 6rpaciRo;
of tlsesgFack seq is ifeund always to he made
up ofznearl5 the same sabstances.in the same
preportioasr -.,
Plants are not omniverous. They dosnot de-
vnur whatever comes nearest. They have the
wonderful pover.of selecting their appropriate
food, and, if the elements; With must be
wronght into their varied tissue, be not within
the reseh Of their roots to be draw0 up from
The earth below, and the heavens do NOS Sup,
ply them, III the rain or dew. or breathing air
plants must perish of thirst and, hunger. S
Now TIE wfhdt ne plants
are made, By.a process, called analysts, he
takes them in pieces, separates the original at
onis from each other,aud tells us what materials
arcSfauna in each.
He finds that all he living plants that clothe
the mountain. and valley. are composed of but
fourjeeR different substances In his laborato-
r., he finds by experiment that four of these,
may be burned up. and ten are not affected by
fire. The four which may be burned or dccom-
posed into air or gases by fire, he calls orga n =
&c, or organised matter They are Orygen, Hy-
drOgen, Carbon and Nitrogen. These make
up the greater part of the bull, and weight #
plants. From so 20 90 pounds of every 100.
of all plants, are made only of these four or
ganic elements. The other ten substances
compose the remainder, some of all of them,
in different proportions.
These ten Inorganic substances, which ere
not changed by fire. and which constitute only
from two to ten per cent. of plants, are most
of them familiar to You, in one or other of their
forms.
They are Potash, Soda, Lime, Magnesia,
Orgd Of bon, O<yd Of Magnesia, SILICA.
Chlorine, Su7pharic acid and Pdospboyfc acid.
But the Chemist goes farther. He tells us
not only Of 'r8at the plants are composed, but
also aoEence they derive these various materials
Oxygen and Hydrogen come from water In
deed they, in proportion by weight of one part
of Hydrogen to eight of Oxygen. constitute
water
Cqr5on is derived principally from the air,
though in part from the soil, and Nitrogen
mostly from the soil.
The Inorganic substances, called also mine
rG! substances, arc furnished TO plants entirely
from the soil
Knowing what is ordinarily supplied to plants
by water and by air, and what must be derived
from the soil, in order that the desire crop may
grow upon it, the Chemist next examines the
soil. In his laboratory, he carefully separates
this into its original elements, or into those
substances which compose it. He learns of
what the soil is made, and tells us whether the
earth, of any given field, which he analyses, is
capable of doing its part to construct the de-
sired crop. He shows US what substances
are wanting, and in what proportions, to give
supply of food to growing plants.
Finally, he informs US, where in nature or
how, by the aid of human art, the missing ele-
mcnts may be supplied, so that the farmer or
gardener may add to his soil precisely what is
wanting to give it fertility Country Gentle
man.
Advices from different parts of Canada ex-
press strong fears that the unusual mildness of
he season and the absence of snow will have
an injurious effect upon the autumn sown grain. /
At St. GATHERINGS business was very dull and
,ohharies unite freouent T.