Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-11
BRATTLEBoRo, VT, FRIDAY, JUNE Il, 1880.
MATTER
or the Laws that Preserve the Magni-
nitude Of the -Four Grand Divisions.

or the Laws thHt IreaerNe the hngnt-
nitude Of the -Four Grand Divisions.
No. t.
In the last article it was found that matter
had arranged itself into four classes solids
viscids, liquids and gases. Each division,
Notwithstanding changes are constantly 60
ing on advantageous to one division aud dis
advantageous to another, is able through the
natural laws of restoration to maintain the
bulk of matter that belongs to it without
sensible diminution. The rocks that rise
above the earths surface are being slowly
eroded by the agency of wind frost and wa
ter; the disntegrated particles find their
way into the streams, into the rivers, and
thence into the sea, under which new series
of stratihed rock is being formed. Hence, if
erosion is constantly in progress reducing
the earth's inequalities; converting the solid
rocks into sand, Mt the same time these com
minutod particles are being reformed into
rock in the oceans bed Without this natur-
al process of restoration the rocks upon the
globe would be slowly diminishing, and, if
time should continue long enough. every por-
ton of the carth's crust being successfully
exposed by upheayal, would finally dsap-
pear
Embodonod ly the grandeur aud magni-
tude Of the science, it is not many years since
biologists have vontured TO measure epochs
by years and in this connection some have
supposed that rock is being formed under
the sea at the rate of two inches in century.
Whether this estimate is CORE ct or not we
Al 81 =
and tue formation under the sea are about
equal, and this is all that concerns our sub
ject
Vegetation is constantly disappearing and
reappcaring Plants spring mp and last for a
year, or for a century or more, then die and
miugle with the soil and air, thus restor
ing to these fountains, with rigid exactncss,
the matter to which the only claim was "a
posscssory title Other plants appear in
their places, pass through similar proce sst $ Of
development, aud then disappear only to
make room for their successor, aud through
this ever ceaseless round Of life and death
vegetable forms main,ain their con,tancy.
The same law of preservation exists in the
animal kingdom. In century, nearly all
animal life upon the globe, including man, is
swept from the oarth-a large part of it in a
much shorter period but through the laws
of reproduction the earth still teens with life
and activity.
Here it may be interesting to remark, that
the balance between the different species Of
animals and between the different species Of
plants, and also between each kingdom, has
become SO permanent through the many
ages of struggle for existence that no spe-
cics disappears except at long intervals, and
then n gap occurs for the introduction of
other species. 1t is not to be supposed that
the places occupied by animals in previous
geological epochs, but now extinct, are with
out forms of animal life in numbers accord
ing to the abundance Of food If nature alb
hors n vacuum, she will not permit hiatus
in the animal or in the vegetable kingdom to
continue when so many organic beings are
waiting for an opportunity to migrate to new
and unoccupied territory
In the growth and preservation of organic
beings animal and plants water plays a
conspicuous part. The amount of this fluid
consumed by the animals and plants upon
the globe daily, is immense. During the
process of development and growth part of
it is retained to build up the structure; when
this is accomplished the consumption and the
eNcretious are about equal. As these organ
isms one by one, drop out Of existence and
are d,comlostd, their water is delivered up,
set free to begin once more the round of
evaporation, the falling rain, consumption.
and :, pnrution from its associates
Animals and plants not only consume sol
ids and liquids, but they also consume GER
tain amount Of air daily. The former inhale
air undecompos,d Il and tNhale carhouic acid
the latter uhale carbonc acid in the sunlight
and eXhale oxygen, and in the suns absence
they ,XhHle carhonic acid and inhale oxygen.
But they generally consume more Carbonc
acid than they throw on In this way the
con, fancy of the clements of the atmosphere
is maintained, the counteractive functions of
the two kingdoms, aided by other means that
must be omitted, being equal.
In view Of the immense period the earth
has stood in nearly its present form it is not
unreasonable to believe that there is not Il
drop Of water nor a cubic inch of air that has
not been consumed many times nor an ami
NAL whose elements have not ministered to
the growth of other animals and plants yet,
through the tendency to return, each to its
natural division WHEN released from impris s.
oun, mt, al find their way back to their sever
al fountains to bogin anew the labor Of build
ing up organic life
That small and comparatively insignia can
division known rs vi5cids, is perpctuated by
somewhat different laws that would require
too much spHcc to describe, taking into ac-
count thcirsmall importance h,ncr this part
Of the subject is omitted. s. L. C.
Wilmington, VT