"Much has been said relative to the food of vegetation, while but little is thought and said about these silent means, or mechanical principles quietly at work in furnishing us food. If this matter is put in the hands of really competent scientific minds, disposed and able to give it that attention the subject deserves, good may be derived. Great vitality promotes health and resists disease in our animal systems, and so may vitality in vegetation promote health. New grounds, having the unexhausted elements, as iron, salts, etc., do make better trees. There are localities where trees are long-lived and healthy, where the essential elements may pertain to the soil, and which may illustrate my thoughts. Decay of any manures in soil necessarily releases electricity, while it is desirable that there should be mineral manures for greater power and continuance; hence the necessity of knowing the contents of the soil. The condition of the ground materially affects the supply of vegetation, with whatever there is of nutriment in the soil.

If the ground is hard, and weedy or grassy, but little motive power can be secured, and that little so subdivided with that which is useless that that which is cultivated can not be built up.

"Take a microscope and examine the operations of nature in regard to motion during change of properties of matter; mash seed, and acidulated water on it, on a glass under a microscope, and observe the varied motions under the electrical disturbances going on. Mere absorption of that water could not beget such action or recombination. The experiment will be suggestive of many others. I have very hastily, of a night, and without any attempt to systematize ideas, or to do it creditably to myself or the subject, just penned my thoughts, as presented, as mere suggestions to those more competent; nor have I time or ability to do the subject justice, and I desire others should consider the matter on its own merits without regard to the source of these suggestions.

Many residents of the country could afford to drain 100 feet square, for garden grounds, with cheap iron pipes, and connect them with a galvanic battery, continually working during the growing season, materially affecting the growth of vegetation. If the experiments referred to are reliable, the ground, being drained, becomes more porous, the air and light promoting greater chemical action, and hence a greater supply of the motive power.

"Life must be preceded by the dissolution of matter of various kinds. By means of telegraphic machinery, operated by electricity, as released from the decomposing metals, we are in union with the world; and were it not for this power, it is doubtful if chemical action could he secured, and if it could be, it is doubtful if with air, the nutriment of the soil. Vegetation would, what we can grow, for want of a power to bring together the various elements composing our food. If these ideas are correct, we should seek a more familiar acquaintance with so ingenious and so good a mechanic, unceasingly employed in supplying our wants. But few, however, are prepared to think that such a universal mechanic exists, because but little known. We introduce the gentleman as worthy of our gratitude and highest esteem, and don't doubt but he will treat the most humble, in seeking his acquaintance, in accordance with his known liberality.

"Liebig is right in claiming the use of minerals, and others vegetable manures, but neither have seen the above philosophy. Minerals, by creating greater vitality, economize what little nutriment there may be in the soil naturally.

"Capillary attraction in dead and living vegetation may be very different. The simple adhesion of fluids to sides of capillaries, in dead matter, will overcome but a slight amount of gravity, the sides of the capillaries probably having lost their contractile organs and tenacity for electricity or conducting power. The living capillaries are probably endowed with slight contractile organs and powers of conducting electricity, there being a perfect connection between the roots in the ground and leaves in the air, by capillaries, to hold and conduct the sap to the leaves, where it is elaborated. The chemical action, during change, disturbing the electric condition of the ascending and descending capillaries, one being negative and the other positive, draws up the sap against gravity, and allows the elaborated sap to be operated on by gravity, and it descends. On severing these capillaries, the sap flows down, because the capillaries above the wound have lost the electrical condition resulting from a perfect connection of the negative and positive capillaries or nerves attending each.

Hence a loss of the mechanical power of drawing up the sap; the positive electricity adhering to sides of ascending capillaries, attracting each drop of the sap, and overcoming gravity, operating on the aggregate weight of the minute column.

"No such a column of fluid can ascend a dead capillary. The oil ceases to ascend a wick as soon as the combustion ceases, and it is doubtful if the electricity constantly evolved during combustion does not materially promote the ascent of the fluid. A fluid will rise to the upper end of a short wick or tube, but will not flow over, unless the end be bent downward, forming a siphon, the descending liquid drawing up the liquid. Some other power must be seen to account for ascending sap in trees than mere capillary attraction, or mere adhesion to sides of capillaries. There is no analogy between the limited ascent of a fluid in a dead tube, and the great height of ascent in living tubes.

"While fluids will rise many feet in a living tree, let that tree be severed from the earth and die, and then its dead roots be placed in water, and a fluid would not rise in it the twentieth extent of its length, showing some living or vital principle at work, attracting upward the sap. There is a power of attraction as well as repulsion; heat radiates because attracted, and thus diffuses and equalizes. So electricity, by virtue of its release during chemical action in the soil, is active in the earth, and also in leaves of trees; the two being connected by nerves, or the conducting power of the capillaries. Those disputing the theory of the attractive power of electricity, thus generated, accounting for capillary attraction, should explain why sap will spill out when capillaries are cut, and electric connection between earth and leaves severed. If mere capillary attraction must ac-count for ascent of sap, then dead pieces of trees, or fresh-cut parts of trees, would equally suck up the sap.

My proposition is sustained by experience.

"Elongated cells, or tubes, or capillaries, have a mechanical form, the same as our blood-vessels, to serve as canals to convey fluids from which the plant is built up; and while they thus serve such a purpose, we must look elsewhere for the motive power to the movements of the sap. As yet, but little is known of this motive power in plants or animals. We do know that in every change of density of matter, or chemical change, electricity is disturbed, and flows, or is released, and seeks to be industrious in promoting new arrangements, by carrying matter subject to certain laws in recombining. It is not unlikely that the living tubes, or capillaries, formed of cells elongated, have a kind of valves, alternately contracting by electric excitement, forcing upward the sap, which valves, could they be laid open under the microscope, could be seen; if not, then the tenacity of sap adhering to sides of tubes must arise from the perfect electric condition and connection between roots and leaves.

" Motion presupposes something more than mere mechanical force. Our physical systems are powerful galvanic batteries, manufacturing the life-force, or vital physical principle, during combination of air and carbon in the lungs, and chemical action of food in the stomach; the heart, between the two positive and negative conditions, derives its force of propulsion of blood through our arteries and veins from the attractive forces of the two electricities. The mechanical form of tubes may remain, and yet no action or motion can go on within them; there must be life derived from death - the release of the bound-up living principle in dead matter, by its chemical decomposition; and if there is no chemical change going on, no life-force can be secured. Hence the force of ray proposition, that ground must be frequently stirred up to let in light and heat, and to aid contact of varied manures, or earthy matter, promotive of chemical action - an essential prerequisite to secure life and force; and when thus secured, not allowing that life-force to be directed, from that which is being cultivated to weeds, etc.

This developed mechanical power must be directed only to that we cultivate; and extent of crop depends upon extent developed of this life-force, and to secure it largely we must furnish the soil with diverse manures, especially mineral manures, as furnishing more of life-force, to work up the nutriment from animal and vegetable manures. The greater the diversity of manures, the greater the chem-ical action, provided contact is promoted by frequent stirring, and letting in light and heat of sun".

[At a future time we shall offer some comments on this article. - Ed].