The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-12-08

their sides luto the earth. Thus would
the Author, of Nature conceal what is
barren and unsightfy, that he may cause
beauty and verdure to grow, to delight
the eye, and to supply the wants of his
creatures. When one plant dies it fur
nishes soil as we'll as nutriment for the
growth of another species. The fungi
ufou dead trees, the mold upon decaying
matter, the rust upon wheat, and midew
upon cloth, are all vegetables whose seeds
or spores, constantly floating in the at
mosphere, lodge and grow wherever they
fud soil or substance adapted to them.
Their design seems to be, to cover up and
conceal dead or decaying substances, and
also to remove the poisonous matter gen.
Grated, by absorbing it and giving it to
the atmosphere to be carried away, lest
the noxious vapors shall exert their dele
terious influence upon other plants, or
upon animals. The toadstool and the
puff. ball, two as uns;ghtly, lack -lustre
looking plants as we find, are more curl
Gus and wonderful in their formation,
arrangement of parts, and design, than
anythlng which man can construct or con-
trive. Tney grow only in soils that cou-
tain ih excess animal or vegetable sub
Stances which need to be removed, for the
benefit of the remaining plants. They
arc little messengers to perform natures
dirty work, purifying and cleansing the
soil, and ministeriug to the health and
growth of other more beautiful and hon.
orable species of plants. That they may
not cease to grow, when and where they
are needed, they are provided with the
means for their propagation, to an almost
infinite extent. The smoke, which issues
from the puff ball when pressed, consists
of infinitely small seeds or spores, each of
which is capable of producing another
plant of the same species, yielding seed
after its kind.
Thus it is throughout the entire vege-
table kIngdonI, whether i'll the visible or
in the microscopic workbench tree, plant,
mold or mildew is provided with the means
for its propagation, and its seeds grow and
vegetate in the place, and at the time ap-
pointed for them: to give beauty, food
and health to some other plant, to crea-
ture, or to man. They are all beautiful,
eurious and wonderful in their design and
in their adaptation of means to the ends
which they subserve. And they know
their appointed times. Men mark the
changes of the seasons By the almanac, or
by signs; but the little seeds which
lie concealed beneath the surface, know
when it is time to spring forth better than
the almanac. The cmbryo plant or tree
sleeping in the germ Of the seed needs no
one to tell it when to awake to unfold its
leaves to the breezes, and to perfume the
air with its sweet exhalltons. 1t knows
the difference between November rains
and April showers. The vcrnal winds
and summer sun can awaken it from its
hibernal sleep when nothing else can. The
flowers know when to put forth their Pc
tails, and they are all beautiful in their
time. They delight the eye, they please
the smell, they infuse joy into the soul.
They unfold their leaves and look up to
receive Gods blessing. The sunshine
rejoices then, the rains wash their faces,
aud they smile with beauty, and send up
silent praise to their Maker. He hath
made everything beautiful in his time"
The world is full of the displays of His
wisdom and goodness.
Notice again, the magnitude, grandeur
and magnifcence of Gods works as COM
pared with those of man. When king
wishes to build palace, he sends out his
masons and carpenters, who, with axes,
chisels, planes and augers, and various
implements, erect what they consider 4
magnificent structure-a mansion of great
dimensions and great splendor. Yet God
not only furnished all the materials used
in its construction, but see how he pre-
pares place upon which to set it, The
little coral insect prompted by instinct,
and wishing for habitation to dwell in,
builds his little limestone cell-scarcely
half of an inch in length--upon the
sand at the bottom of the ocean. His
progeny-they being very social creatures
and fond Of society construct their dwell
irgs by the side of the first and attached
to it. This forms little cluster of houses,
which gradually increases till it becomes
a village, and then city. They continue
to build, extending and enlarging their
dominions outward, and upward, and
strengthening their foundations as they
rise, till after many thousand or million OF
years, they reach the surface of the ocean
when they cease to build higher, but con-
tiuue their operations outward, and around
on every side, forming an immense coral
rock, resting upon the bottom of the ocean
and reaching to its surface. Notice now
the different agences God employs IN this
magnificent work. The little coral insects
build the masonry and lay the foundations