Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-27
THE ATMOSPHERE AND SOME AT
TENDlNT PHENOMENA,
ny Dr. Hiram A. Cutting, state GeoIO-
O.fsf.

our columns, ana we give u !" NPi'N''" VI
~.
TIE lecturer remarked that when we are
children, the atmosphere or air, as II Is
generally termed, is to us as no!hing' "A
vessel of air is TO our senses vessel win
nothing in it. Early nations thought III
the same way. Wind, which we uhoer-
stand as a current of air, they uhders'oou
as spiritral life, and believed IL 10 De the
snirit and life OF the world. They believ-
cd that If animals, or even solids, could be-
come attenuated like air, that they would
be immortal. The world was far advanced |
in knowledge before it gave up the belief |
that things could be thus changed; and
later still they believed that creations could |
nut on various forms; and it passed into |
an axiom of ancient science that every
thing into everything" was to be founda-
ton stone.
Instead of considering the atmosphere as
nothing, we are now inclined TO go toward
the other extreme, and if atmosphere and
the light Of the sun are not considered ev-
erylhing, We attribute very much, both
real and conjectural, to such causes. we
have learned that its conditions as TO
warmth, speed and weight are 50 import
ant that we appoint agents the world over
for the purpose of measuring its frequent
variations while the moisture it contains
has wonderful influence upon ourselves
as well as the seasons. There are also ma
nv invisible bodies in the atmosphere,
some of which are deleterious, while many
more are advantageous. Adding TO these,
lix,inO tbipUC thnm-
selves, some of which are able to plant col
onies wherever they can find nourishment.
II is thus that minute forms of vegetable
life, and microscopic fungi, are conveyed
from place TO place the world over. 1t has
been positively shown, and may be veri-
fed by any one, that some plants of this
order will send off more spores than there
is human population on the globe, yet ev-
cry one capable of producing its kind. 1t
is true that to ordinary observation those
foreign bodies are not observable, but when
beam OF sunlight is admitted into dark
ened room they become at once visible.
BY experiment it has been shown that the
visibility of the ray is entirely owing to
such particles of foreign matter. To show
that these germs will vegutate, and are
sometimes detrimental, an experiment with
milk may be easily tried. Put in two bot
Ties of equal size the same amount OF milk.
Leave one open TO tie air, and close the
other with pellet of fine cotton, which
will admit the air but keep out most of the
spores. The one unstopped will sour in
from 20 to 80 hours, while the other will
keep sweet for two or three days.
MI Al. ~ lNxr
such fungoid growth. This speaks in un-
mistakable terms, and such experiments
show in the most conclusive mannerthat
the air around us is the storehouse from
which many microscopic growths, both
vegetable and animal, are propagated.
There is no other way TO account fol snch
minute cryptosams or animalcules, unless
we admit spontaneous growth produced by
the aid of the light of the sun and the al
mosphere. AT the present time this subject
is sharply debated.
Such ideas are not new. Spontaneous
production has been entertained by some
ever since the dawn of science. The earli-
err naturalists conceived that many higher
organism, such as insects, reptiles, fishes,
and even birds, might he directly produced
from the earth when moistened with show
ers. Some scientific works of the time of
Aristotle, say that the fruit of certain
tree when dropped in the water is known
to produce geese and ducks, and draw
ing of such tree and frnit was made. No
more than fifty years ago many believed
the change of growth from soft to hard
wood in our forests was the result of spon-
taneous growth. or the first statement no
rerutaton need be given; of the second
will give an example directly under my
observation. On Miles Mt, in Concord,
twenty-three years ago, large tract of
spruce timber land was burned over, and
the second year this tract was covered with
a thick growth of bird cherry trees, as the
"Prunus Pennsylvania" is commonly
called The soil had been burned deep
and it seemed impossible that the cherry
stones could be strown over the entire tract.
Examination however revealed the fact
that they were in the soil nearly two feet
from the original surface, too deep TO be
destroyed by fire. This land now where
not cleared, is covered with second growth
maple, yet where an acre or so of this
growth was cut off for wood two years ago
the cherries have again sprung up. This
shows conclusive evidence for all similar
cases, one Of which may be seen on the
sides of the Mi. Washington r. r., where
similar burning has produced similar re-
suits. How seeds germlnated in Maine
from the depth Of 40 feet, and the germina-
tion of seeds from ancient graves, are only
additional proof Of the power of vegetation
after great lapse of time.
The modern advocates of this theory of
spontaneous generation hold only TO spon-
taneous growths of organisms Of very
low type called Bacteria and Vibriones, and
only known to the microscopic, but which
are sure to make their appearance in ev-
cry putrefying organic infusion. But as
step by step this theory has given away be-
fore true scientific knowledge, doubtless
the last vestge of 1t will soon give way.
The perfect preservation of various fruits
in sealed cans, even when put up by none
too careful hands, is hard blow TO this
theory, and doubtless soon 1t will be only
the opinion of past generations. This is not
the only theory that the same remark may
apply to, as that of evolution and correla-
ton of mental and physical forces, have
seemingly no more facts 10 support them
than this, and all theologans who attempt
to adopt and explain them should beware,
and go no further than the facts warrant.
But we are told 1t is not philosophical in
the pursuit Of truth to concern ourselves
about consequences We should accept the
truth with gladness, but beware of theory.
Like the lamented Agassiz let us first find
the facts and reason from them alone, and
all will be well.
AS we gaze into the vault of heaven
beautiful blue color everywhere meets our
yiayy Az thiS 10 daanast Llna xhan thara