I. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 395 



destroying rabbits, squirrels, or other animals in burrows, it 

 is only necessary to introduce the flexible tube or nose into 

 one of the apertures, close up the rest, if this can be done 

 conveniently, and then force a continuous stream of the gas 

 through the burrows. A few minutes' application is suflicient 

 to destroy every living thing within the influence of the 

 apparatus. 



One advantage of this new method is its perfect safety, 

 sulphurous acid being one of the best preventers of combus- 

 tion known, and capable, therefore, of being used for extin- 

 guishing flames, in case of need. Other incidental applica- 

 tions of the Asphyxiator are as a disinfectant and as a deo- 

 dorizer. It is wll known that sulphuric acid is used very 

 extensively for destroying the germs of small-pox, scarlet 

 fever, yellow fever, cholera, etc. ; although there are some- 

 times difficulties in its application, which the present ar- 

 rano'ement seems to obviate. The inventor claims that one 

 or two of the machines can easily disinfect a vessel, on bat- 

 tening down the hatches and working the apparatus from 

 the deck. For cases where the dislodgment of an animal, as 

 of a rabbit, etc., is desired, rather than its destruction, what 

 is called a smoke paper is used, ,which, when burned in the 

 machines, produces unbearable fumes that soon accomplish 

 the desired efiect. 2 A, July 20, 1872, 41. 



VALUE OF SEA-WEED MANURE. 



It has long been customary on the sea-coast to use sea- 

 weed {Fucks, JOamitiaria, etc.) for a manure, its value for this 

 purpose being considered by many as scarcely inferior to 

 stable manure. This applies, however, to sea-weeds proper, 

 the eel-grass (Zostera marina) being of a very diflerent char- 

 acter, and, on account of its slow decomposition and diflerent 

 chemical combination, of much less value. An especial feat- 

 ure of the true sea-weeds consists in their large percentage 

 of nitrogenous matter and in the great amount of ash, one 

 analysis giving for dry sea-weeds nearly 7 per cent, of nitrog- 

 enous matter, 75 of cellulose, and about 18 of ash. The 

 amount of nitrogen proper may be estimated at from 1^ to 

 2 per cent. 



The principal objection to the use of sea-weed as a manure 

 consists in its very small percentage of phosphoric acid. 



