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at intervals of about ten inches by horizontal pieces 

 two feet long placed broadwise, and rather less than 

 four feet long placed lengthwise. The whole is firmly 

 attached, and the two vertical pieces on either side are 

 tied together after the topmost tray, and the rope is 

 made to pass through a cup, generally half a coconut, 

 filled with water. The whole is then suspended to a 

 horizontal polo which hangs from the ceiling in the 

 corner of the common sitting-room or bedroom. In size, 

 the Siamese cocoons compare unfavourably with the 

 European kinds, being only about tvvo-thirds as large. 

 But in the Northern Laos provinces, where there are 

 two rearing seasons, one in the late summer aud the 

 other in late autumu, the cocoons of the first produce 

 are said to be of a large size. The following is a de- 

 scription (if the spinning machine in vogue in Siam. 

 It is very simple, aud consists of a thin piece of soft 

 wood about two inches broad ; bent in the shape of 

 a horse-shoe ; about ten inches from its extremities a 

 piece of wood of like thickness aud br=;adth, and 

 having a small hole in the middle, is fixed horizontally, 

 aud about six inches above it is a small winder placed 

 horizontally in the same manner. The two extremities 

 of the machine are fixed on two small flat pieces of 

 wood, having a groove on the inner side, which 

 enables it to be fixed ou to the rim of an earthen pot. 

 it thus stands over the mouth of the pot filled with 

 boiling water, in which a number of cocoons have 

 been thrown. The spinner sits before a small fire- 

 place, on which is placed the pot with the spinning- 

 machine fixed firmly on to it, and with a stick 

 having a small slit at the top, shakes the cocoons in 

 such mauuer as to collect the threads of about half 

 the number in the pot. Having twisted them with 

 the hand into a single thread, it is passed through 

 the small hole and fastened loosely over the winder. 

 It is then pulled out with the right hand, the winder 

 being thus caused to revolve, and is gradually heaped 

 up in a basket close at hand. In the left hand the 

 spinner holds the stick described above, with which 

 to keep down the filament when it becomes entangled. 

 Th is macihne is called by the Laos mak khuen// talok, 

 and its height is generally about three feet. The 

 method of reeling is as follows: — The thread is 

 reeled on a winder twenty inches long, fixed hori- 

 zontally on a stand, on which the thread is improved 

 by scraping off with a knife where it appears irregular, 

 and by removing any blemishes. It is then re-reeled 

 on another winder made of two sticks, fixed hori- 

 zontally on the extremities of a piece of wood about 

 two feet high. This is held in the middle with the 

 left hand, and the thread wound in zigzag fashion 

 with the right over the extremities of the cross sticks. 

 The skein thus takes the shape in which it is generally 

 sold. Sometimes this winder is replaced by another, 

 formed of four cross pieces instead of two, the 

 extremities of which are joined with string; it is then 

 laid horizontally on a stand, is furnished with a 

 handle, and the thread is reeled over the strings. 

 This winder, called ra wimj, is used both by the 

 Laos and the Siamese. "When it is required to twist 

 a double thread or tram another instrument comes 

 into use, A narrow stand, about four feet long, con- 

 tains atone end a large wheel turned by a handle; a 

 string is passed over the latter and round a piece of 

 iron a foot in length) projecting from the stand on 

 one aide and rounded at the end. Some rough cotton 

 is wc'und over the middle part in whicli the string 

 catches so that in turning the wheel the iron point 

 terolves (|uickly. The two or more threads are tied 

 together to the extremity of the iron instrument, and 

 this in revolving twists them firmly together. — Journal 



of the i^ocieiy of ArU. 



^ — 



Sainiat-l fKB Acre. — People scarcely ttnderstaud 

 by rainfall in inches what this really means, but an 

 inch of rain means ft gallon for every two square 

 feet, or 100 tons per acre. — Gardeners' Monthfi/. 



Tea Cultuee. — TTnless we are wise, Italy will get 

 the start of us in tea culture. A plantation at 

 Novaro has been so successful that the Italian govern- 

 ment is arranging to plant largely tfaf; comiug year, 

 smQ'ifrdeiicr*' Monthly, 



Spiders. — Dr. 0. "K-Uer, of Zurich, claims that .spiders 

 perform an important part in the preservation of 

 forests, by defending the ti'ees againts the depred- 

 ations of aphides and insects. He has examined a 

 great many spiders, both in their visicera aud by 

 feeding i.hem in captivity, and has found them to 

 be voracious destroyers of these pests and he be- 

 lieves that the spiders in a particular forest do 

 more effective work of this kind than all the in- 

 sect-eatiug birds that inhabit it. He has verified 

 his views by observations ou coniferous trees, a few 

 broad-leaved trees and apple trees. —American Grocer. 

 [The many thousands of spiders whose webs can be 

 seen ou dewy mornings ou tea bushes, are probably 

 doing a good work. — Ed.] 



SriiAE. — The Journal dcs Fahricant de Sucre gives an 

 account of a new process for filtering beet sugar 

 through sand instead of animal charcoal. By the 

 new system considerable expnse is saved, and a 

 brilliant yellow sugar superior to Demerara crystal.i 

 is produced. It is impossible to make white sugar 

 by this process only, aud if charcoal is done with- 

 out carl onataion — that is, the separation of car- 

 bonic acid from carbonate of lime, and the use 

 both of the lime aud of the re=!ultant gas in the 

 saccharine liquid— is substituted for ib. — Home ami 

 Colonial J fail. 



MiLDEAN-. — AVe are often asked whjtt can be done 

 to master the frequent attacks of mildew on plants. 

 One of the most recent recommendations for this 

 purpose is .sulphide of potassiu-u, which is a compound 

 of sulphur and potassium — not potash. This used in 

 solution at the rate of ^oz. to the gallon of water in 

 fatal to mildew and fungoid parasites; and is besides 

 destructive to many pernicious insect pests. Lime 

 and sulphur mixed in the proportion of four parts 

 lime and one sulphur may also be used successfully 

 either by dusting it on the affected parts dry, or by 

 pouring boiling water over them and making them 

 into a solution. The solution must be used while 

 fresh, and should be applied with a brush. Some 

 soft soap mixed with it will make the mixture more 

 effectual where scale and the like is concerned. — Planter 

 and Farmer. 



Plunging Plants in Pots — The meaning of the 

 term plunging— well known to gardeners — is that 

 the pot is sunk in some substance that will retain 

 moisture— soil, sand, coal ashes, sawdust, and cocoa 

 fibre refuse being the substances commonly used, 

 and of these the lastnamed is considered the best. 

 The effect of plunging pots is that the J^oil they 

 contain remains longer in an equable condition, and 

 plants suffer less from the frequent excesses of 

 moisture and drought, to which they are subject when 

 the pots are exposed to the air. It may be easily 

 understood that the daily watering of plauts is an 

 unnatural process, and therefore must be more or 

 less injurious, retarding the progress of plants sub- 

 jected to excess of moisture at one period, and perhaps 

 in a few hours to immoderate drought in the soil, 

 the process of assimilation being checked both when 

 the soil is saturated, as it must be for some time 

 after watering, and also when too dry ; both of these 

 evils being reducable by plunginsj the pots, whether in 

 the house or out of doors. Plants on window sills 

 arc especially liable to these fluctuations, and fre- 

 quently also iu plant houses, especially when the sun 

 is allowed to shine on the pots; while plants in pots 

 set ou the surface out of doors can hardly be got 

 to thrive unless closely shaded, although watered 

 twice or thrice a day, .suft'ering not only from alter" 

 nations of drought and moisture, but also of heat 

 and cold, the rapid evaporation through the sides oi' 

 the pot chilling the roots, which are again subjected 

 to intenae heat v/hen the moisture ha.s evaporated. 

 Independent of the benefits resultiug from the 

 plunging of pots, t'j.e saving of labour is also worthy 

 of consideration, being in nearly all circumstances 

 verj' great; and nurserymen as well as other plant 

 growers should take advantage of it to lessen their 

 very heavy labour accounts, to which watering in 

 summer time cause.3 a large increase-— P/anfc/' an^ 



