xxviii GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



rapid spread of the infection it threatens at no distant period 

 to annihilate the wine - producing interest of Europe. As 

 might be expected, numerous projects have been proposed 

 for remedying the evil, one of the latest being that of so ar- 

 ranging the vineyards as to allow of their being flooded with 

 water to a depth of several inches, which, it is asserted, will 

 entirely destroy that form of Aphis inhabiting the roots. 



In Agriculture and Mural Economy generally announce- 

 ments are numerous, and bear upon a great variety of top- 

 ics, both general and special. Investigations upon the ger- 

 mination of seeds, the influence of soils upon the growth of 

 plants, the function of nitrous acids in soils, the effect of the 

 salts of potash on plants, the mode of regulating and hatch- 

 ing silk-worm eggs, the extraction of ammonia from the at- 

 mosphere by humus, are among the number. For many valu- 

 able communications in this department we refer to the An- 

 nual Report and the Monthly Notices of the Agricultural De- 

 partment at Washington, which has also published a quarto 

 volume upon certain diseases of cattle, that will doubtless 

 prove of great benefit to the community. 



In Pisciculture great activity has been manifested both in 

 America and Europe. The celebrated establishment at Hu- 

 ningue, in Alsace, having been recommenced under German 

 auspices, bids fair to improve upon its previous administra- 

 tion. A national society has been formed in Germany look- 

 ing toward progress in the same direction. In our own coun- 

 try the fishery commissioners of the several states have la- 

 bored earnestly in the discharge of their duty, and the meas- 

 ures adopted by them -to stock certain streams with salmon, 

 shad, herring, etc., have proved highly successful, so that we 

 have every reason to expect in a few years a restoration of 

 fish in many parts of the country to their original abundance. 

 The most striking experiments of the season have been that 

 of supplying the Delaware River with salmon, and the Sac- 

 ramento of California with shad. The former unfortunately 

 proved a failure for a time ; the latter, however, it is believed, 

 lias been a success. 



The most startling achievement in the department of Me- 

 chanics and Engineering for the year is the completion of 

 the Mount Cenis Tunnel, commenced in August, 1857, and 

 finished, as far as the piercing of the mountain was concern- 



