Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-23
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Our Readers.
ABOUT THE CIRCULATION OF MATTER
No
BY AGRICOLA.

ABOUT THE CIRCULATION OF MATTER.
No. 4.
Mineral rs well rs vegetable matter is
constantly changing. 1t circulates from
the soil through the plant into the animal,
and thence back to the soil again. Min
eral is the earthly, inorganic, incombustible
part of the plant and animal. When the
plant burns, the organic part disappears,
but the mineral part remains. We call
this part ash The wood ash is familiar
example If the animal burns, the ash
remains. In the native wilderness the cir
culation of matter is short and simple
The leaves and bark of trees are shed, and
the trees themselves die, to restore their
matter TO the soil; and again it quits the
soil for the plant rs it grows. Hence a
single process completes the round. The
same is true in the natural meadow. The
Young heritage grows up in the spring,
and feeds upon the relics Of the past year.
In autumn it ripens and returns its mineral
matter to the soil In cultivated regions.
vegetation is almost entirely consumed by
animals and men. 1t enters their stom
achs, is digested and converted into blood.
From this blood the mineral matter neces-
Sary to build up the body and supply its
waste is taken up by appropriate vessels
this process is constantly going on in the
growth and renewal of the body while the
animal lives. Soon the whole body dies
at once, and all these mineral substances
return to the earth from whence they
came. There they are broken up and
decomposed in preparation for new chem
zeal combinations, TO feed the new plant
and for the service Of the living animal.
All the living are constantly dying
Without death there could BIZ no life
Hence through waste and death all the
mineral matter which served the body re.
turns to the soil. New plants work up
again the old material, and this dying and
living 20 on in endless evolution. The
living must die or nature could not repro
duce life.
SO rapid and sure are these changes in
matter that no man can claim rs personal
property Il single atom even of his own
body. How idle to cherish affection or rev
erence for dead ashes, since we cannot
prevent them from passing into new form
of vegetable or animal in which we hav,
no concern.
The substance of human bodies is con.
stantly changing. The whole body passes
away every seven years. Thousands per
ish in the sea, and are swallowed and di
gested and soon built into the forms o.
marine animals. Thousands die and de
cay in waste places, and new vegetable
forms spring up and feed upon their re
mains. Armies scatter other thousands o
their dead upon battle fields, which restor,
TO the soil material enough to build NJ
the bodies of other armies for many gen
erations. Nor do the cemeteries hold thu
dead matter any more securely. The vii
lage sheep falten upon the green herbag
which grows upon the tufled tombs. Tn
cherished shade trees of the buryin!
ground have appropriated the sacred dus
which once composed the bodies Of thos
we loved. Roger Williams body furnish
ed material for the creation of STATED
apple tree which grew over his grave
Another generation ate the apples an
we're nOurished by them, transferring tn
same matter into other human bodies
Ihe toulbs and pyramids built to preserv
the forms of emperors and queens ca
hold their occupants but for a season. En-
balmed in resinous cerements, the bodie
of our friends would be preserved it'll
longer but they would finally be scattere
, 10 the winds of Heaven. Conceal thes
bodies where local history keeps n
record, and yet they are not safe from thu
: dissolution which awaits all materia
, things.