168 Miscellanies. [July, 1846.] 



ence of all ages go to confirm the doctrine we have taught in re- 

 gard to the function of the root. -Why is it that lime is worthless 

 on soil destitute of organrc matter? — and -why is it so useful 

 when organic matter is supplied? We are ready to ask some 

 other questions when these are answered. 



Expense of Fattening Pork. — We have often seen the article 

 in the Genesee Farmer entitled, " Expense of making Pork," 

 quoted with evident approval by our cotemporaries. Let the 

 American farmer, however, look at the experiments of Boussin- 

 gault, and see if they are worth anything to us. He put up seven 

 swine, weighing 1691.8 pounds, and fatted them 104 days — at 

 the end of which time they had gained only 409.2 pounds — about 

 58 .V pounds each: was this increase of weight what a farmer who 

 understands his business would have a right to expect ? This 

 pork cost, according to Dr. Lee's estimate, 10^ cents per pound. 



Again, Boussingault puts up nine thrifty hogs to fatten, and 

 they gain only 344 pounds. This is still worse — a little over 38 

 pounds for each hog. But admitting that Boussingault made the 

 most of his feed, does it cost us as much to make a pound of pork 

 as is here represented ? We say not. We have supposed, how- 

 ever, that in Massachusetts and New York it costs b\ cents per 

 pound — but then, in making pork, the farmer has converted matters 

 into wholesome food, which would otherwise have been lost. 

 The western farmer, however, can make money by selling pork 

 at three cents per pound. So we think Boussingault's experi- 

 ments prove nothing for us. 



Glass Milk Pans are used in England. They are preferred 

 to earthen for these reasons: They may be washed clean without 

 boiling water; they stand a hea\T blow without breaking. It is 

 not improbable but they preserve milk better than tin, zinc, or 

 earthen, especially as the latter is more or less absorbent of foreign 

 matters. They weigh eight pounds, and cost from 3s. 9d. to 6s. 

 8d., according to the quality of the glass. 



Lmpregnation of Violets. — Thos. S. Rulf, Esq., pointed out to 

 the members of the Linnean Societv', that the particular form of 

 the stigma was connected with the development of hairs in the 

 spurred petals upon which the pollen falls. The stigma is glo- 

 bose and the style bent, which brings the former in contact with 

 many moniliform hairs in the claw or the petal. It is through 

 these that the pollen gains access to the interior of the style. 



