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Their kind offices in destroying vermin are in many places stupidly 
ignored, and they are pursued with relentless destruction as public 
enemies. . 
In order to disabuse the minds of the rising generation of these preju- 
dices, and secure proper protection for the ‘‘farmer’s friends,” the pre- * 
fects are directed to bring this matter to the attention of superinten- 
dents of instruction and teachers, and cause them to show their pupils 
how to distinguish injurious insects from harmless ones, and to indicate 
the classes of birds which prey upon the former. The protection of the 
latter is to be impressed upou the minds-of youth as a public duty, and 
every effort is to be made to secure a spontaneous aud hearty co-opera- 
tion with the authorities in this great work. But in case such methods 
should fail, the prefects are reminded of certain statutory enactments, 
enforced by severe penalties, which are to be clearly indicated to the 
pupils, and to be rigidly enforced by the relentless prosecution of all 
infractions of the same. In some communes protective societies have 
been formed among the pupils of different schools. Good results have 
already flown from this new organization, which promises to extend 
itself throughout the republic. 
UTILIZATION OF TANNERY REFUSE IN FRANCE.—The tanning in- 
dustry is largely developed in Western France, more especially in 
Brittany. An attempt bas been made of late to utilize the organic 
residuum of the tan-;ard. ‘Two classes of organic refuse, animal and 
vegetable, are distinguished in these tanneries, the former being much 
the more valuable as fertilizers. The process of their elimination from 
the leather embraces, first, subjecting the hides to the prolonged action 
of milk of lime. The hair is then removed, and necessarily retains a 
large mixture of lime. The patches of fleshy tissue adhering to the 
inner side of the hide and its external cuticle are next removed and 
mingled in heaps until an opportunity for selling them presents itself. 
These heaps contain about 754 per cent. of water, and 243 per cent. of 
dry matter. The dry matter, npon separate analysis, yields 844 per 
cent. of organic matter and 153 per cent. of mineral matter. The min- 
era] matter averages about 34 per cent. of silica, 174 per cent. of phos- 
phate of lime, 69 per cent. of lime, and 10 per cent. of various salts. 
The whole mass of organic and mineral matter in the heap contains 
about 7 per cent. of nitrogen. As the heaps generally remain undis- 
turbed for two or three months, they exhale one-fifth of their water, and 
three-tenths of their nitrogen. This is due to the rapid decomposition 
of their animal matter under the corrosive action of the lime. It is 
then sold as manure at 3 to 5 franes (60 cents to $1.00) per cubic meter, 
(1.3 cubic yards.) It is beneficial to fruit-trees, and is valuable on 
apy non-calcareous land, but it is most speedy on light soils, where its 
cowposition is most speedily affected. The School of Irrigation at 
Lézardeau have tried it with excellent results, the nitrogen enriching 
the soil, and the lime benefiting vegetables. It also gives a superior 
quality to hay. If not in an advanced state of decomposition before 
application to the meadow the hair will remain to be gathered up with 
the hay, with which it will be gathered up and swallowed by the 
animal, in which case it cannot fail to injure the digestive apparatus. 
It is thought best to mix it with farm-yard manure. 
The vegetable residuum of the tanning process is derived mainly from 
the bark which furnishes the astringent principles. The tannin com- 
bines with the tissues creating a composition which resists decay and fur- 
nishes a serviceable fabric for boots, shoes, saddlery, and other branches 
