But you may ask the _practical_ use of this. "The world is made up of little things," saith the proverb. So with the productive arts. The steam engine consists of many parts, each part being itself composed of atoms too minute to be detected by our observation. The earth itself, in all its solidity and life, consists entirely of atoms too small to be perceived by the naked eye, each visible particle being an aggregation of thousands of constituent elements. The crop of wheat, which the farmer raises by his labor, and sells for money, is produced by a combination of particles equally small. They are not mysteriously combined, nor irregularly, but each atom is taken from its place of deposit, and carried to its required location in the living plant, by laws as certain as those which regulate the motion of the engine, or the revolutions of the earth. It is the business of the practical farmer to put together these materials, with the assistance of nature. He may learn her ways, assist her action, and succeed; or he may remain ignorant of her operations, often counteract her beneficial influences, and often fail. A knowledge of the _inner_ world of material things about us will produce pleasure to the thoughtful, and profit to the practical. CONTENTS. SECTION FIRST. THE PLANT. PAGE. CHAPTER I.--Introduction, 11 " II.--Atmosphere, 15 " III.--Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, 23 " IV.--Inorganic Matter, 29 " V.--Growth, 40 " VI.--Proximate division of Plants, 43 " VII.--Location of the Proximates, and variations in the Ashes of Plants, 52 " VIII.--Recapitulation, 56 SECTION SECOND. THE SOIL. CHAPTER I.--Formation and Character of the Soil, 65 " II.--Uses of Organic Matter, 77 " III.--Uses of Inorganic Matter, 84 SECTION THIRD. MANURES. CHAPTER I.--Character and varieties of Manure, 93 " II.--Excrements of Animals, 96 " III.--Waste of Manure, 101 " IV.--Absorbents, 109 " V.--Composting Stable Manure, 118 " VI.--Different kinds of Animal Excrement, 126 " VII.--Other Organic Manures, 136 " VIII.--Mineral Manures, 149 " IX.--Deficiencies of Soils, means of Restoration, etc., 155