360 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



INFLUENCE OF FOOD ON THE QUALITY OF PORK. 



As the result of experiments in England upon the influence 

 of food upon the quality of pork, it is stated that pigs nour- 

 ished with milk give the best-flavored meat and the greatest 

 weight ; next to which come those fed with grain, maize, bar- 

 ley, oats, and pease. Potatoes furnish a loose, light, tasteless 

 flesh, which wastes away very much in cooking ; while that 

 of animals fed upon clover is yellow and of a poor flavor. 

 Oil-cakes and oil-seeds produce a loose, fatty flesh, of an un- 

 pleasant taste ; beans a hard, indigestible, and unsavory meat ; 

 and acorns are but little better. 8 C\ October 19,1871, 42, 334. 



CONVERTING WEEDS INTO MANURE. 



A ready method for utilizing weeds and garden refuse so 

 as to convert them speedily into valuable manure consists in 

 laying them in a trench, in successive layers, with un slacked 

 lime between, and then covering the whole with earth. The 

 mass will be rapidly converted into an excellent manure, and 

 the additional percentage of lime will also have its import- 

 ance in the economy of the farm. 9 (7, February ',18V '2, 25. 



DESTROYING MOULD IN CELLARS. 



According to Dr.Wiedehold, fungus growths in cellars may 

 be combated either by burning sulphur or by pouring two 

 parts of concentrated sulphuric acid over one part of com- 

 mon salt. In the first instance, sulphurous acid gas is pro- 

 duced ; and in the second, hydrochloric acid, by means of 

 which the fungi are destroyed. It is sufficiently evident, how- 

 ever, that during this process all openings must be closed, so 

 as to prevent any escape of the gas, and the greatest care 

 exercised not to enter the cellar after the operation until it 

 has been thoroughly ventilated. 6 (7, Aovemfor 16,1871,458. 



RUST IN W r HEAT. 



It is at present well established that rust in grain is pro- 

 duced from the spores of a microscopical fungus growing 

 upon the barberry and various rough-leaved plants, alder, etc. 

 These, falling upon the leaves of the cereals and other grasses, 

 develop very rapidly, and in turn yield the summer spores 

 of a similar character, by which the affection is propagated 



