Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-28

amOunt.of force for making crops in
position, which needs little iudicious
labor to render nsxailable in agricul-
ture; and it is impofssut that every
one who controls pillow ofs-Loe under.
stands how force from corn ea5eAhy a
mule passes into corn growing in "a
field. While the quantity of matter
and of force in the universe cannot be
either increased or diminished by any
known means, man has no inconsider.
able power to accumulate both force
and matter in che place at the expense
OF their presence IN other places. Life,
like heat and light, is mode of mo-
ton; but life in the germs of seed corn
stil IN the crib is not force In motion,
but force in position. Plant this appa-
rently lifeless corn as 1t should be, and
You viii soon see life and force In mo-
ton. But without much greater force
In position in the soil, in the sun, In
rain, dew and atmospheric gases, you
would look in vain 10 witness one seed
Of corn produce a thousand on, per-
haps, two good ears at the harvest
How does mule make corn, or man
cabbages by hoeing them2
This question reminds us Of the rude
efforts of negroes in Central Africa to
melt iron ore In a small furnace By
blowing through reeds to increase the
heat of fire. not knowing the contri-
vance of a bellows. That human lungs
should be able to fuse refractory ore in
this way is fact in favor of industry.
This labor blows away efete gases
from burning Goals, and forces vital air
into the combustion that demands it to
intensity the heat. In a similar way,
tillage with the pillow and hoe consumes
vegetable matter in the soil about corn,
cabbage, tobacco and cotton; supplies
new gases in all the condensing pores
of the earth near their roots, and does
to refractory minerals what the
bellows does to iron ores. They
are not melted, but dissolved.
Tillage is that consumption of force
which precedes production; and the
gain IN production over consumption
is made at the expense of agricultural
force in position, which Is fertility. If
there is no fertility in the ground, no
amount of hoeing viii produce a cab
bage from its seed, nor of blowing a
crop of corn. Freshly stirred earth i'm
bibes moisture from the air particular
~ at night to nourish cultivated plants.
Only not injure the roots of your crops,
and tillage is an active force in the
right direction, passing from the mus
Gle to the needy life in the, perhaps,
suffering plant. Man feeds plants,
and in turn plants feed and
clothe man. Between these is
capital, which is force in position.
Of all capital or force in position, cul-
tivated common sense is the most pro-
ductive on the farm, and elsewhere.
How to make every step taken by man
or beast tell to the best advantage,
implies a good deal of sound thinking
by somebody. Nature is full of wise
MISUNDERSTANDING up force and vital
ity in millions of nutritious seeds to
bless all that live. Scientific labor is
in perfect harmony with this grand
system Of growth in wealth and kappi-
ness. No phenomenon Is more inter-
esting than that of endless growing
and multiplication OF life and work
ing crops in May and June applies vi
tai force in way that some times re-
turns 1000 grains of corn for one con-
sumed to drive the pillow,