448 Miscellaneous liileUigence. 



and the proprietor considers that it would have cost him doubU 

 the expense if he had it ploughed. 



Mr. Falla, of Gateshead, Northumberland, has this year 

 grown upon land worked by the spade, pieces of wheat trans- 

 planted from a seed-bed into rows six inches apart, which pro- 

 duced 17 coombs per acre ; and one 12 inches, which produced 

 15 coombs ; a fourth piece sown in drill, and a fifth in broad 

 cast, yielded 19 cooiubs per acre. The produce of the land 

 by ploughing is usually about 6 coombs. 



6. Ripening Wall-Fruit. — Mr. H. Davis, of Slough, has pub- 

 lished the result of an experiment for facilitating the ripening 

 of wall-fruit, by covering the wall with black paint. The expe- 

 riment was tried on a vine, and it is stated that the weight of 

 fine grapes gathered from the blackened part of the wall was 20 

 lbs. 10 oz., while the plain part yielded only 7 lbs. 1 oz., being 

 little more than one-third of the other. The fruit on the black- 

 ened part of the wall was also much finer, the bunches were 

 larger, and ripened better than on the other half; the wood of 

 the vine was likewise stronger, and more covered with leaves 

 on the blackened part. 



t. Protection of Fruit from Wasps. — Mr. Knight has found 

 his vinery to be perfectly protected from the attacks of the 

 wasp, in consequence of the vicinity of some young yew trees, 

 which, since they have come into bearing, and produced berries, 

 have constantly attracted these insects from the vines. The wasps 

 feed upon the berries with much avidity, and from the sweet- 

 ness of their taste, and the quantity of mucilage they contain, 

 they are probably very nourishing. 



8. Dry Rot. — Colonel Gibbs of the United States, in speak- 

 ing of the dry rot, mentions some facts of great importance that 

 had been stated to him by Colonel Perkins of Boston. Several 

 ships built at Boston have been filled in between the timbers 

 with salt, whilst on the stocks, and after 10 or 15 years, the 

 wood has invariably been found to be quite sound. A large 



