1880.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



25 



"^by the gyrations made. Let us hear from the 

 now numerous observers of the West, for truly, 

 now that plants are beginning to imitate human 

 beings by cutting off the heads of enemies, is it 

 not time they were looked after and civilized? 



It is significant that the monthly magazines 

 • continue to devote some space to horticultural 

 topics. Scribnei- has pictures of gardenesque 

 effects, and even condescends to make beautiful 

 strawberry pictures. The time may come when 

 gardening will attract part of the interest now^ 

 given to agriculture. 



In Europe they seeks health from all sorts 

 and varieties of natural objects; earth, water, 

 fire and air are sought to renew strength. Even 

 the planting of people, leaving the head and 

 neck alone uncovered. Some prisoners of war 

 were thus served, and left to die of hunger. It 

 is said that one or more on being fed in this con- 

 dition by humane peasants, when dug up, were 

 found to have greatly benefited by their tem- 

 porary obscuration. It gradually became a tra- 

 dition among the inhabitants of Eastern Europe 

 to resort to earth baths for certain maladies. 

 Baths of earth are now taken in various parts of 

 Germany, as are also baths of mud. Gardeners 

 would be experts at this business, and one at my 

 elbow offers to treat all members of Congi-ess in 

 this manner; but declines to supply drinks gra- 

 tis. It is from the latter business, no doubt, 

 that he expects his profits. 



The vine disease is still a source of great 

 anxiety in Europe. A French author gives par- 

 ticulars of which the following is an abstract. 

 Up to the close of last year the ravages of the 

 phylloxera vastatrix in the vineyards of France 

 had extended over more than 1,600,000 acres, 

 the vines in 700,000 of which had been totally 

 destroyed. The appearance of the insect is now 

 reported from the centre of the most famous of 

 all the viticultural districts of France, namely 

 the Medoc. At Chateau Lafitte, which with its 

 180 acres of vine land was sold about two years 

 ago to Baron Charles Rothschild for $830,000 is 

 ruined, or nearly so. This and the neighbor- 

 ing estates attached, is valued at many millions 

 sterling. At the rate the insect travels it is pro- 

 bable the whole district will be infected before 

 the end of next year. The government, and the 

 owners are equally alive to the importance of 

 averting the calamity. Sulphuret of carbon ap- 

 plied according to the plan of M. Dumas, ap- 

 pears to be the remedy most in favor ; although 



a more simple and equally efficacious as well as 

 less costly, is said to be— combining deep trench- 

 ing and manuring, with application to the root, 

 of turpentine and powdered resin ; this has 

 achieved highly successful results. Some are 

 planting American stocks, which are supposed 

 to be less liable to attack. 



The Cork trees.— One at least of the South Car- 

 olina Cork trees has perfected acorns, as speci- 

 mens on my table truly indicate. 



Cases of the dispersion of seeds was a subject 

 discussed at the British Association. Various 

 specimens were shown, especially of South 

 African Harpagophyton, a plant whose seeds 

 are provided with terrible hooks more than an 

 inch long. These seeds sometimes even destroy 

 lions ; they roll about on the sandy plain, and if 

 one attaches to the skin, the wretched animal 

 tries to tear it oft', and getting into its mouth, 

 perishes miserably. 



Dr. F. Daxj read a paper before the Linnean 

 Society lately, on the instincts and emotions of 

 fish, combating Cuvier's ideas, estimate of their 

 total want of intelligence. He shows that they 

 construct nests, transport their eggs, protect and 

 defend their young, exhibit affection for each 

 other, recognize human beings, can be tamed, 

 manifest fear, anger, hatred and revenge, utter 

 sounds, hide from danger, betake themselves 

 to protection to the bodies of other animals 

 and have other peculiar modes of defence, leave 

 the water for food, and even dift'erent families 

 combine for attack and defense. Their faculties 

 nevertheless, are greatly subordinated and modi- 

 fied compared with those of higher races of the 

 vertebrata. 



The Japanese are becoming scientists. Teikichi 

 Xakamurra, of Tokio, has written an essay on a 

 new method of determining sulphur in coal. 



SaZ»!o?i.— Whether much has resulted as to 

 placing salmon in the rivers of this country is 

 yet unknown. The extent of the salmon can- 

 ning on the Columbia river is so astonishing as 

 to deserve notice. As many as three hundred 

 thousand cases have been made up in one season, 

 each case containing forty-eight cans of one 

 pound each. Tlie fish run up the Columbia to 

 a distance of four hundred miles from the sea, 

 finding also, ample room in shallow places for 

 spawing as well as in the numerous tributaries. 

 The average weight is twenty-two pounds, but 

 one has been taken weighing sixty-five pounds. 

 As a rule, a Columbia river drift net is about 



