1846. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



117 



Importance of Solar Rays to Health. 



An able and lucid article in Chambers' Edin- 

 burgh Journal, after pointing out very sensibly 

 the necessity not only of light and heat — but also 

 of their coming by radiation., (which is called 

 actinism, from a Greek word signifying a ray,) 

 to the proper growth and health of plants and 

 trees, proceeds thus : 



Turning now to the animal economy, we find 

 growth, health and developement also curiously 

 affected by the absence or presence of the solar 

 influence. Dr. Edwards has shown that if tad- 

 poles be nourished with proper food and exposed 

 to the constantly renewed action of water, (so 

 that their tronchiacal respiration may be main- 

 tained) but are entirely deprived of light, their 

 growth continues, but their metamorphosis into 

 air-breathing animals is arrested, and they re- 

 main in the form of large tadpoles. He also ob- 

 serves that persons who live in caves or cellars, 

 or in very dark and narrow streets, are apt to 

 produce deformed children ; and that men who 

 work in mines are liable to disease and deformi- 

 ty beyond what the simple closeness of the at- 

 mosphere would be likely to produce. It has 

 been stated on the authority of Sir A. Wylie, 

 that the cases of disease on the dark side of an 

 extensive barrack at Saint Petersburgh, have 

 been uniformly for many years in the proportion 

 of three, to one on the side exposed to strong 

 light. Further, Dupuytrean relates the case of 

 a lady whose maladies had baffled the skill of 

 several eminent practitioners. The lady resided 

 in a dark room (on which the sun never shone) 

 in one of the narrow streets of Paris. After a 

 careful examination Dupuytren was led to refer 

 her complaint to the absence of light, and recom- 

 mended her removal to a more exposed situation. 

 This change was followed by the most beneficial 

 results ; all her ailings vanished. The more 

 therefore that animals are exposed to the influ- 

 ence of light the more free are the}', in ordinary 

 circumstances, from irregularity and deformity. 



In another part of the article it is shown that 

 heat and light alone, without the solar radiation, 

 will not suffice for the health of vegetables or of 

 animals ; else the artificial fires and lustres of 

 our apartments would have that effect ; but they 

 do not. An indispensable agent is actinism. 



Now, do not the foregoing facts prove the un- 

 healthiness of changing night into day, as many 

 of our fashionable and semi-fashionable, and 

 pseudo-studious people do ? — the unhealthiness 

 of wasting in bed the bright and bracing hours 

 of the early morning, when Nature bids us be 

 out of doors, digging, or walking, or riding 1 Is 

 not the balefulness of dark rooms made palpable ? 

 Draw aside those curtains — open those window- 

 blinds, thou sluggard ; and let Aurora and the 

 rising sun look full into thy chamber, to shame 

 thee forth, if they cannot cham thee forth, to 



inhale strength and health in those best and most 

 beauteous hours of the day. — Richmond Whig. 



The Potato Disease. — The Brussels Jour- 

 nal publishes the following letter from Barleduc 

 (Antwerp) i-elative to the disease in the pota- 

 toes: — "In gathering in our potatoes in October 

 last, we found that the greater part of them were 

 diseased, and, moreover, were covered with tu- 

 bercles. It immediately occurred to us to re- 

 plant those tubercles in a light, sandy soil ; the 

 result of which was, that we obtained a second 

 crop in January : tliis time the potatoes were 

 perfectly healthy and of an excellent flavor, and 

 keep perfectly well in our cellars. Subsequent- 

 ly we made another experiment, which was at- 

 tended with similar success. Potatoes of the 

 year 1844 planted in the month of September 

 last have likewise produced an abundant yield, 

 and of a superior quality. Are not these exper- 

 iments of a nature to remove all fears respecting 

 the cultivation of the precious vegetable, and the 

 apprehensions which many persons entertain lest 

 it be found impossible ever thoroughly to eradi- 

 cate the disease which we have this year had to 

 deplore ?" 



Potato Rot. — From the results of experi- 

 ence and investigation, this disease appears to be 

 a "parasitical fungus," very small, but in its na- 

 ture like the toadstool or mushroom. From this 

 fact, the last season, I considered what would de- 

 stroy this vegetable excrescence, either in the 

 seed, or otherwise ; to acoomplish this, I dipped 

 the seed potatoes, just before planting, in strong 

 brine, and while wet dusted them with fresh 

 slacked or quick lime. Very few of my pota- 

 toes have shown any sign of the rot, although 

 many were in a diseased state at the time of 

 planting. It may, or may not, have done good. 

 As it did no injury, I intend to try it again. — 

 Far. Monthly Visitor. P. 



Superior Method of preparing Potatoes 

 FOR Feeding Stock. — Mr. Boggild, of Copen- 

 hagen, washes his potatoes well, steams them 

 thoroughly, and then, without alloioing them to 

 cool, he cuts them in a cylinder furnished inter- 

 nally with revolving knives, or crushes them in 

 a mill, and mixes them with a small quantity of 

 water and three pounds of ground malt to 100 

 lbs. of the raw potatoes. This mixture is kept 

 in motion and at a temperature of 140 to 180 

 deg. F., for from one to five hours, when the 

 thick gruel has acquired a sweet taste and is 

 ready for use. Given in this state, the results of 

 experimental trials are said to be — 1st, that it is 

 a richer and better food for milk cows than twice 

 that quantity in the raw state. 2d, That it is ex- 

 cellent for feeding cattle or sheep, and for win- 

 ter food ; that it goes much farther than potatoes 

 when merely steemed ; and that it may be eco- 

 nomically mixed up with chopped hay and straw. 



