278 



A Suggestion. 



Vol. X. 



never wet, a state which necessarily renders 

 them a much icarmer medium than ordinary 

 earths; and whilst the roots of a plant are 

 thus placed in a warmer temperature, they 

 are also less liable to be affected by any oc- 

 casional depression of the atmospheric tem- 

 perature. 



The extensive absorbent powers, and the 

 capability of retaining moisture possessed 

 by brick and charcoal, must be well known 

 to every scientific cultivator. The same 

 powers are also in a large degree common 

 to old decayed mortar; hence when those 

 materials have laid in urine, and are mixed 

 together with a proportion of bones — which 

 are in themselves a manure of the most 

 lasting character, — a fund of nourishment 

 is stored up which is almost exhaustless, 

 and is represented to furnish means of nou- 

 rishment and facilities for growth, beyond 

 that which can be obtained from a much 

 larger bulk of mere soil. 



Although this method is expressly in- 

 tended by Mr. Hoare for the management 

 of the vine, we entertain little fear of the 

 success of its application to many climbing 

 plants with strong roots, which have hither- 

 to been found very difficult to flower, or to 

 restrain within moderate limits; but we ap- 

 prehend it will be necessary to employ a 

 larger number of smaller fragments than is 

 recommended for the vine. 



Perhaps, however, the utility of these 

 substances may be greater and more gene- 

 ral when used in conjunction with a small 

 proportion of loose earth, wood-ashes, rotten 

 wood, and leaves in a partial state of decom- 

 position. And in this respect we can speak 

 more advisedly, as our remarks are not merely 

 speculative, but founded on past experience. 

 In adopting it, the earth need not be mingled 

 with the entire mass, but merely incorpo- 

 rated with the upper portion of it, to assist 

 the plant in its earliest efforts to establish 

 itself; tor it is then that a portion of earth 

 seems most essential, and it will tin'ough 

 time by the continual ramification of roots, 

 and occasional waterings, be carried in small 

 quantities amongst the lower part of the 

 mass. It is better, too, that it should be 

 primarily employed only in the upper stra- 

 tum, in order that a larger amount of the 

 finer fibres may be encouraged in the vicin- 

 ity of the surface. — Paxton''s Magazine of 

 Botany. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 A Suggestion. 



Mr. Editor, — While the more intelligent 

 part of our agriculturists are turning their 

 attention to the use of guano as a fertilizer, 



and our merchants are sending their ships 

 thousands of miles to the islands of the 

 ocean, for that highly valuable substance, it 

 appears to me that they should not overlook 

 another article valuable for agricultural pur- 

 poses — an article, too, that is, I am inclined 

 to believe, more valuable than even the 

 guano, for calcareous soils; and soils that 

 have had sixty, eighty, an hundred, or an 

 hundred and fifty bushels of lime per acre 

 tlu'own upon them. 



Our whalers, after they have obtained the 

 oil from the blubber, throw what remains 

 overboard: this refuse is composed almost 

 entirely of carbon and nitrogen, and hence 

 would be very valuable to grain raisers as a 

 manure. It is an easy matter to pack this 

 refuse away in casks, and I have every rea- 

 son to think that if the farming population 

 of our country would properly appreciate its 

 value, it might be brought home by the 

 whalers, and sold at a price that would 

 largely increase the profits of a whaling 

 voyage. There might probably be some 

 expense attending the packing and preserv- 

 ing of it, such as tlie purchasing of salt — 

 but this salt would render it still more use- 

 ful, as it is also a fertilizer, and the increased 

 value of the refuse would perhaps balance 

 the cost of the salt; especially as salt for 

 this purpose need not be of the best kind, 

 and might be purchased very cheaply where 

 salt is manufactured — say at Turk's Island, 

 or somewhere else in the track of whale 

 ships. The ashes made by the fires while 

 trying out the oil — and I believe the whalers 

 use hickory and oak wood principally, which 

 produce good ashes for the purpose — might 

 be thrown into the casks with the refuse, 

 and would assist in preserving it, and be 

 thereby turned to a good purpose. 



This refuse cut into small pieces and 

 scattered over a wheat field about the time 

 the wheat is in blossom, would largely in- 

 crease the crop; and if the soil was supplied 

 with lime sufficient to make good strong 

 stalks that would be able to hold up the 

 heavy heads, the farmer, by the increased 

 value of the crop, would be enabled to pay 

 a good price per pound, for the refuse blub- 

 ber. Will our grain growers and whaling 

 companies look into this matter? 



Chkmico. 



To Prevent the Smoking of a Lamp. — 



Soak the wick in strong vinegar, and dry it 

 well before you use it: it will then burn 

 sweet and pleasant, and oive much satisfac- 

 tion for the trifling trouble in preparing it. 

 Lamp smoke is not only disagreeable to the 

 smell, but hurtful to the lungs. 



