THE FARMER AT HOME. 337 



increase of the crops, of whatever kind they may be. And the air of 

 the atmosphere is more intimately and abundantly received and blend- 

 ed with them. These are a few of the various advantages that may 

 be derived from the pulverization of land ; but there are many others 

 noticed by writers on agriculture and rural economy. 



PUTREFACTION. This is the spontaneous' decomposition of 

 animal and vegetable substances, attended by the evolution of fetid 

 gases. The putrefactive fermentation of animal substances is usually 

 attended by more fetid and noxious exhalations than those arising 

 from vegetable products. This appears principally referable to the 

 more abundant presence of nitrogen in the former ; and hence those 

 vegetables which abound in nitrogeniferous principles, such as most 

 of the cruciform plants, exhale peculiarly nauseous effluvia ; hence, 

 also, such animal products as are destitute of nitrogen are either un- 

 susceptible of what is usually called putrefaction, or suffer it slowly 

 and imperceptibly. The putrefactive effluvias are, for the most part, 

 easily decomposed, and resolved into new and comparatively inocuous 

 compounds by the agency of chlorine ; hence the importance of that 

 body as a powerful and rapidly acting disinfectant. The rapidity of 

 putrefaction, and the nature of its products are, to a great extent, in- 

 fluenced by temperature, moisture, and access of air ; they do not 

 ensue below the freezing point, nor in dry substances, nor under the 

 entire exclusion of oxygen. The astringent principle of vegetables, as 

 seen in the tanning of leather, is a powerful preserver of most organic 

 tissues. The anti-putrefactive powers of salt are well known. When 

 a piece of meat is salted, brine runs from it, in consequence of the 

 energy with which the salt abstracts the component water of the 

 muscular fibre ; the flesh becomes indurated, and its susceptibility to 

 putrefactive changes is greatly diminished ; but it becomes at the 

 same time less easy of digestion as an article of food. 



QUADRUPED. In its simplest and most general meaning, a 

 four footed animal. But as such an interpretation must include a pro- 

 digious multiplicity of animals of very different habits and structures ; 

 as, for example, not only hoofed and clawed land animals, but lizards, 

 tortoises, frogs, and other amphibious reptiles, and perhaps various 

 kinds of insects, it has been necessary, in the study of natural history, 

 to limit its meaning, in order to be able to apply it to any definite 

 purpose, and hence it has generally been restrained to such animals 

 as have not only four feet, but a hairy body, produce viviparously, and 

 suckle their young. 



Q/UASS. This is the name of a liquor in Russia, which serves 

 the natives not only for drink, but also for sauce to a number of dishes ; 

 and it is the the basis of the favorite cold soup of the North, which is 

 made by adding cold meat, cut in pieces, with cucumbers, salted after 

 a peculiar manner, or with onions, or garlic, to a bowl of this sub-acid 

 liquor. The common Russian quass is prepared by putting into a 

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