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About Oregon spectator. (Oregon City, O.T. [i.e. Or.]) 1846-1855 | View Entire Issue (June 11, 1846)
a i a f HE SPECTATOR. hishbbsbhh-hhb 4. Avrlcallanil Cfcetailtry-ll mOM LIKIIO AND OTHSOB. It will bo shown hereafter, that all plants and vegetable structures, undergo two pro cesses of docoriipositlon after death ; ono of these In named fermentation tho othor, pu trefaction or decay. It will nlso Imi shown, that decay in a slow process of combustion a process, therefore, in which tho combustible part of a plant unito with the oxygen of tho atmosphere. The decay of woody fibre (tho principal constituent of all plant) is accompanied by a phenomenon of u peculiar kind. Thin nub. utarice, in contact with air or oxygen, con. vortH the latter into an equal volume of car bonic acid, ami its decay ccascu upon tho din appearance of the oxygen. If the carbonic ucid is removed, and oxygen replaced, its ifecay recommences, that in, it again con verts oxygen into carbonic acid. Woody fi. lire constats of carbon and the elements of ' ter; and if w judge only from the products formed during its decomposition, und from those formed by pure charcoal, burned at a high ternpernture, wc might conclude that the causes were Oregon Special iTT" '-" --cj )y lirTFTWT "Westward U Star of Emfin Ukw ite way.' r.f rx nr.rr rrr - BZzsoMtrtsmxx toll OrtfOB City, (Orsfem Tr.) Tfcmlay, Jut 11, 1146. tho organs by which it obtains food from the atmosphere aro formed, the carbonic acid of the soil is no further required. Deficiency of moisture in the soil, or its complete dryness, doea not now check tho growth of a plant, provided it receives from tho dew and atmosphere as much as is re quisite for the process of assimilation. Dur ing the heat of summer it derives iu carbon almost exclusively from the atmosphere. The size of a plant is proportional to the surface of the organs which are destined to convey food to it. The power which roots possess of taking up nourishment does not cease as long as nutriment is present. When tho same in both ; the decay of he food oftt P,ant '" in greater quantity than its organs require for their own perfect de . iclopment, the superfluous nutriment is not woody fibre proceeds therefore, as if no hy ilrmroii or oxvuen entered into its comnosi tion. A verv lona time is required for tho ' ""turned to the soil, but is employed in the ..L.. i-J. r..:. aunrM.mi...:nn ,i ' formation of nW organs tuiiiijiuuwii " lllll llV"jr- i .wiu furuii unu i w - the presence of water is necessary For its maintenance ; alkalies promote it, but acjds retard" it. Woody fibre in a state of decay is the substance called humus.' The proper ty of woody fibre to convert surrounding oxy i;cn into carbonic acid, diminishes as its de cay adiunccs, and at last a brown coaly look ing substance remains, in which this proper. ty is entirely wanting, which is called com mon mould: it is the product of the complete decay of woody fibre, and constitutes tho principal part of ull the tilrata of brown coal nnd peat. Humus acts in the same manner in a soil permeable to air, as in air itself; it is a con tinued source of carbonic acid, which it emits very slowly. An atmosphere of carbonic acid, formed at tho expense of the oxygen of the air, surrounds ccry particle of decaying humus. The cultivation of land, by tilling and loosening the soil, causes a free and un obstructed access of air. An atmosphere of carbonic acid is therefore contained in every fertile soil, and is the first and most impor tant food for the young plants which grow in it. In BDrincr. whn: lhoiu nrrrnna nf nlantu am i o r i '--j absent, which nature ha? appointed for the abstraction of nourishment from tho atmos phere, the component substance of seeds is employed in tho formation of the roots. Each -ow radical fibril which a plant acouirei, my be regarded as constituting at the same time a mouth, a lung, and a stomach. The roots perform .tho functions of the leaves from the first moment of their formation; they ex. tract from the soil their proper nutriment namely, the carbonic acid generated by the humus. By loosening the soil which surrounds young plants, we favor the access of air, and the formation of carbonic acid ; and on the other hand, tho quantity of their food is di minished by evory difficulty which opposes tho renewal of air. A plant itself effects this change of air at a certain period of its growth. The carbonic acid, which protects the unde. .cayed humus from further ohange, is absorb ed and taken up by the fine fibres of the roots, this is replaced by air, by which pro cess tho decay is renewed, and a fresh por. tion of.oarbonic aoid formed. A plant at this time .receives its food both by the roots and by the organs above ground, and advances rapidly to maturity. When a plant is quite matured, and when oi now organs ; at the side or a cell already formed, another cell arises; at the side of a twig and leaf, a new twig and leaf arc del eloped: these new parts could not have been formed, had there not been an excess of nourishment. Leaves, twigs and brunches, when com pletely matured, as they do not become lar ger, do not need food for their own support; for their existence as organs, they require only the means necessary for the perform ance of the special functions to which they arc destined by nature; they do not exist on their own account ; but they serve for the formation of woody fire, and all tho solid mat- 1 ters of similar composition ; and when the woody substance has advanced to a certain extent, the expenditure of the nutriment (the supply of which still remains the same) takes a new direction, and blossoms are produced. Tho functions of the leaves of most plants cease upon the ripening of their fruit, be cause the products of their action are no longer needed. They now yield to the che mical influence of the oxygen of the air, gen erally suffer a change in color, and fall off. Mr. Willamette, May 22, 1846. Mr. Editor You are requested to publish the proceedings of a meeting which was held, pursuant to notice, at Mr. D. Waldo's, for the purpose of organizing a Military Com pany; when, On motion, Mr. Keyser was called to the chair, and Mr. Thos. Holt appointed seore tary of the meeting. On motion, the following preamble was read and adopted, to wit : Whereas the people of Oregon territory are situated remote from, and without the pro tection of, any government ; wetherafore, as members of a free and enlighteojdjoom munity, wishing to preserve the principles and institutions of a free and republican form of government, and being well aware that the body of the people is the only power ca- pable of sustaining such institutionr, there fore, we deem it advisable to form ourselves into military bodies, for the purpose of pre serving peace and order at Lome, and pre venting aggression from abroad having this precept before us, that Etanul vigiiaaea is fteiaWs fries Its 4eadry baas is wsw aai visa. On motion, it was resolved, that we, as citizens of said territory, in pursuance of this duty, forthwith organize ourselves into a com pany of Mounted Riflemen, and pledge our selves to abide such rules, regulations, tad by-laws, as may bo adopted by a majority ef tho company. On motjon, resolved, that this company shall bo called "THE OREGON RANGERS.'1 On motion) the president proceeded to read a code of by-laws for the government of the troop, which was adopted. After which, about forty.five joined the company, by subscribing their names fo the by-laws. On motion, two committees were appointee to nominate candidates for officers of said company. The result of the election was as follows, to wit : For Captain, Charles Bennet. " 1st Lieut. A. A. Robinson. ' 2d " Isaac Hutchins. " 3d " Hiram English. " Ord. Sergt. Thos. Holt. 2d " Thos. Howell. " 3d " S. C. Morris. 4th " William Herring. " IstCorp'l.P. C. Keyser. " 2d ' Robert Walker. " 3d " B. Frost. " 4th " John Rowe. On motion, resolved, that the president secretary sign the proceedings of this meet ing, and forward a copy of them to the edl tor of the Oregon Spectator for publication. On motion, Uiemeeting adjourned. m w trtsrnnn w a. Thos. Holt, See's. XI Tho PfcilaeaplBir f Xmrrtmg. r ALfBKD CaoWQUUX. Marriage, under any circumstances, is a very ticklish affair. When the contracting parties do not " hit their horses," they frequently hit each other, and then it is a most disagreeable affair. When Aey do harmonize, and one is the echo the veritable reflexion of the other's thoughts, smiles, and feelings anticipating every whim and desire, it is a very pleasant affair. When a " happy couple" display their af fection by pats and taps, and little pinches before company it is a very ridiculous af fair. When the husband throws out aggravating insinuations, and the excited spouse, liky Xaa tippe of old, throws a tea-pot at her lord and master's head, it is a horrible affair. When the lady rules the roast, and wean the inexpressible look of tyrannical com mand, and the gentleman tacitly yields to her usurping and unnatural sway -it is a pitiable affair. When the husband is not content with the sweets of the flower he has culled, but flies abroad, and, like the "little busy bee," goes sipping and "gathering honey" from "every flower it is a lamentable affair. When the lady, forgetful of her vows of constancy and love, " bolts" with a pair ot black whiskers, and ditto military boots It Is a very naughty attair. . Takinc all these reflections into consider. ation, it must inoontestibly appear What marriage is a very serious affair. And, as marriages are said to be made in heaven, w should advise every candidate not to knot before he obtains a duly authenticated certificate of the original contract ( Similarity of disposition does not always constitute a happy marriage. As in a duet, they may accord beautiftiTly, although they sing different notes. But here the shall ends, or is at fault ; for the husband should invariably take the lady's part I Disparity of age Is not a Mosaeary bar It domestic felicity. 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