1838] 



F A R M E R S ' R E G I S T E R 



207 



probable however, that the process is continiiec], 

 Ihouiih Ut a slow rale, to a much rrrnatcr tlt'ptli; 

 llir as olicn as a worm is coiiii)cllc(l hy dry wea- 

 ther, or any other cause, to descend deep, it must 

 briiiir to tiic surliice, when it empties the contents 

 of its body, a lew particles of carlh. The author 

 observed, tl>al the digestive process of animals is 

 a fTcological power which acts in another sphere 

 on a frreater scale. In recent coral Ibrmations, the 

 quantity of stone converted into the most impal- 

 jiablc mud, by the excavation of boring shells and 

 of nereidous animals, is very great. Numerous 

 large fishes (of the genus Spams) likewise sub- 

 sist by browsing on the living branches of coral. 

 JMr. barwin believes, that a large portion of the 

 challv of Europe was produced from coral, by the 

 digestive action of marine animals, in the same 

 manner as mould has been prepared by the earth- 

 worm on disintegrated rock. The author conclud- 

 ed by remarking, that it is probable that every 

 particle of earth in old pasture land has passed 

 through the intestines of worms, and hence, that 

 in some senses, the term "animal mould" would 

 be more appropriate than "vegetable mould." 

 The agriculturist in ploughing the ground follows 

 a method strictly natural; and he only imitates in 

 a rude manner, without being able either to bury 

 the pebbles or to sift the fine from the coarse soil, 

 the work which nature is daily performing by the 

 agency of the earth-worm.* 



DISEASE AMONG THE SIIELL-FISH. 



" One of the most curious phenomena of the 

 year (1836) has been the fatal effect of an epi- 

 demic disease among the molluscous animals or 

 shell-fish of the JVluskingum river, (Ohio.) It 

 commenced in April and continued until June, 

 destroying millions of that quiet, retiring race, 

 which people the beds of streams. As the ani- 

 mal died, the valves of the shell opened, and, de- 

 composition commencing, the muscular adhesions 

 gave way, and the fleshy portion rose to the sur- 



* Since the paper was read, Mr. Darwin has re- 

 ceived from Stafibrdshire the two foilowinE^ state- 

 ments : — 1. In the spring of 18,35 a boggy field was so 

 thickly covered with sand that the surface appeared of 

 a red color; but the sand is now overlaid by three- 

 quarters of an inch of soil. 2. About eighty years 

 ago a field was manured with marl; and it has been 

 since ploughed, but it is not known at what exact pe- 

 riod. An imperfect layer of the marl now exists at a 

 depth, very carefully measured from the surface, of 

 twelve inches in some places, and fourteen in others, 

 the difference corresponding to the fop and hollows of 

 the ridges or butts. It is certain that the marl was 

 buried before the field was ploughed, because the frag- 

 ments are not scattered through the soil, but constitute 

 a layer, which is horizontal, and therefore not parallel 

 to the undulations of the ploughed surface. No plough, 

 moieover, could reach the marl in its present position, 

 as the furrows in this neighborhood are never more 

 than eight inches in depth. In the above paper it is 

 shown, that three inches and a half of mould had been 

 accumulated in fifteen years; and in this case, within 

 eighty years (that is, on the supposition, rendered 

 probable from the agricultural state of this part of the 

 country, that the field had never before been marled) 

 the earth-worms have covered the marl with a bed of 

 earth averaging thirteen inches in thickness. 



face of fhe water, leaving the shell in the bed of 

 the stream. As these dead bodies (loafed down 

 (he current, the heads of islands, masses of (ixeil 

 drill-wood, and the shores in many places, were 

 covered with them, tainting the air in the vicinity 

 with putrid ellluvia. The cause of the disease 

 amongst ihe shelly race, remains as much a mys- 

 tery as that of the Asiatic cholera amotiLrstthc 

 human family." — l>r. S. P. JUldrath, Joitriud 

 (f Science. 



From tlic Genesee Farmer. 



GERMINATION OF THE ACACIA OR LOCUST 

 SICED. 



Mr. Loudon, in his Magazineof Natural Histo- 

 ry, states that Sir John llerschel lately sent some 

 seeds of the acacia iiom the Cape of Good Hope, 

 with directions to scald them to ensure their 

 srowth. Mr. L. having received some of them, 

 subjected them to the lollowing experiments: — 

 two were placed in boiling water, and left to soak 

 for an hour, until the water had become cool; two 

 were kept at the boiling temperature for one and 

 a half minutes. Some were sown immediately 

 under a hand-glass in the open border; and the 

 rest were kept for three or four days and then 

 sown in a hotbed. The following are the results: — 

 Under the hand-glass. 



1 boiled 1^ minutes failed. 



1 do. 3 do. came up in 14 days. 



1 do. 6 " " " 13 " 



1 not steeped at all did not germinate. 

 In the hotbed. 



1 boiled 1^ minutes came up in 8 days. 



2 a 3 £c a 7 (( 

 J u g a (( 7 " 



1 " 15 " " 13 " 



2 in boiling water left to cool 9 " 

 2 not steeped caiTie up in 21 " 



Nothing can more forcibly show the hardness of 

 the envelopes, or the tenacity of life in the acacia, 

 than the germination of the seed after boiling 15 

 muiutes. We have a number of times scvdded the 

 locust seed to produce germination, no other mode 

 being so speedy or effectual. 



From the Southern Agriculturisl. 

 SUN-FLOWER CULTURE. 



Effingham County, Geo. Feb. 10, 1838. 



Mr. Editor,— In your last September number, 

 I saw a commimication relative to the sun-Hower, 

 and as yoii seem willing to "gather up the frag- 

 ments, that nothing he lost," 1 take the liberty of 

 saying, that I have been in the habit of planting 

 the sun-flower a number of years, to a limited ex- 

 tent. 



There are sev^eral fences, which lead from my 

 yard fence, to the surrounding woods— the weeds 

 and grass growing up in the fence corners, formed 

 ready ways for snakes to visit the yard. To pre- 

 vent this, the hoe is used to keep these ways 

 clean, and so prevent the temptation to their visits. 



