Vol. X.-No. 38. 



AND IIOIITICULTUKAL JOURNAL. 



301 



leaves, wliioh are of a darke greeiie colour, and 

 somewliat tliicke also, the friiite is like the other 

 wild sorts, having more skinne and kcrnell than 

 substance or juyce." 



Thus it appears that Parkinson enumerated four 

 different species of American grapes, which had 

 been introduced into England at that time, cor- 

 lesponding with the number of species as laid 

 down by I\Ir Prince, in his Treatise on the Vine 

 Is it not possible that the Isabella was among those, 

 enumerated by Parkinson ? 



DAMAGE TO FKUIT TREES. 



In another part of this paper we have inserted 

 a letter from John Lowell, Esq. in relation to the 

 damage which fruit trees have sustained during 

 the winter just passed. We ha\'e been led to 

 make particular ixamination of the orchards and 

 nurseries in this vicinity, and have ascertained to 

 our great regiet, that our neighbors have suffered 

 in a similar manner. Of twentyeight twigs, cut 

 iudiscriminately, from four different nurseries, 

 from the apple, pear, peach, cherry, and quince, 

 twenty were killed. The bark on some trees, sev- 

 eral inches in diameter, appears to be killed near- 

 ly or quite to the ground. When cut open with 

 a penknife, it appears of a dark color and nearly 

 rotten. The growth of last year has been most 

 injured. We cannot but hope, that trees which 

 grew but slowly, having short shoots which usu- 

 elly bear blossoms, may have escaped the general 

 destruction, and will yet give us^some fruit. 



The causes of this great calamity — for it is esti- 

 mated that millions of money will not repair it — 

 have been hinted at. Last year was one which 

 produced an abundant growth of every kind of 

 vegetable matter. Trees growed with an aston- 

 ishing rapidity ; and they grew tenderly. Tlie 

 cold winter came suddenly and severely, and found 

 the trees filled with sap. They froze and burst 

 the vessels containing the sa]), which is supposed 

 to have killed the trees. — Concord Gazette. 



JIICE IN THE MEADOWS. 



We are told, the short-tailed field mouse, has 

 made destructive ravages in the meadows. Whole 

 acres are ploughed up, the roots of the grass de- 

 stroyed ; and the trees, wherever there happen to 

 be aiiy, are divested of their bark in a most work- 

 man-like manner. In consequence of the snow 

 falling before the soil froze, they formed habita- 

 tions above ground and have muhiplied in prodi- 

 gious numbers during the past winter, in propor- 

 tion as three to one in ordinary seasons. These 

 mice are usually food for foxes, the weasel, the 

 long-tailed mouse, and often, when provision is 

 scarce, eat each other with avidity. Tliey are 

 often niost destructive to fields and fruit trees, eat- 

 ing up everything around them, existing in such 

 prodigious murdiers as to defy all possible precau- 

 tions. Should the meadows not be inundated this 

 spring, and the mass of them drowned, we fear 

 their ravages will be seriously felt by our frugal 

 husbandmen, the ensuing summer. — jVortliampton 

 Gazette. 



THE CHOLERA. 



The following article, which we extract from 

 a late number of the Boston Medical and Surgi- 

 cal Journal, would seem to indicate that a disease, 

 very nearly approaching the Indian Cholera, for- 

 merly existed in New England. 



" In the history of disease in this country, we 



recollect but one that appears to bear any analogy, 

 either in its general mode of attack, its great 

 fatality, or the means most clearly indicated in its 

 treatment, to the present Cholera of Europe. — 

 The disease to which we refe;-, is the spotted fever, 

 wiiicli prevailed in the Slate of Maine in the year 

 1814. Its symptoms were more various than 

 those of the cholera, and its fatal issue was iiot 

 quite so speedy. But the attack consisted in the 

 main, in a sudden departure of the blood fi-om the 

 surface, and an ajipalling prostration of the pow- 

 ers of life. Having been an eye-witness to this 

 epidemic, it has been recalled to our mind by. ev- 

 ery history we have read of the synqitoms of chol- 

 era. We have seen persons in the fullness of 

 health, suddenly fall under its blow, apparently 

 lifeless ; and the sudden and obstinate coldness of 

 the surface, in all cases, gained for the disease the 

 popular name of the cold plague. In no disease 

 have we seen so marked effects, from different 

 modes of treatment. Purgatives and venesection 

 were generally followed by fatal results ; where 

 calomel was given, the unhappy sufferer often 

 died whilst under its operation ; and in spite of 

 most forms of treatment, its ravages were unparal- 

 leled in that part of the country. It was at length 

 discovered that a treatment, from the first, most 

 phlogistic — stimulants internally and externally, 

 with an unsparing hand — exerted an entire con- 

 trol over the disease. This practice was pursued 

 with marked and almost uniform success, by Dr 

 Page of Hallowel, by that man of Ross, whose 

 benevolence will never be forgotten by the hun- 

 dreds of his townsmen, to whom it has ever been 

 liberally extended. In the small town of Wiscas- 

 set, containing about two thousand inhabitants, 

 2 or 3 (equal to sixty a day in Boston,) were dying 

 daily of this epidemic, until Dr P. was persuaded 

 to visit the place ; and after the day he entered 

 the town and introduced the mode of treatment, 

 that had been so successful at home, not an indi- 

 vidual died of this disease." 



Hints respecting the Cholera ; with directions 

 which may be most safely followed, when medical 

 aid is not immediately to be obtained. — As it is 

 easier to prevent than to cure this dangerous dis- 

 ease, the following cautions should be observed. 

 Great moderation in diet and in the use of fer- 

 mented and spirituous liquors. Raw vegetables 

 and unripe fruit should be carefully avoided. The 

 state of the skin should be particularly attended to, 

 so that perspiration should not be checked sud- 

 denly. The feet should be kept dry and warm. 

 Flannel should be worn next to the skin, or at 

 least a flannel bandage round the body. The ut- 

 most personal cleanliness should be maintained by 

 frequent washing. Every room in the house 

 should be ventilated by opening the doors and 

 windows frequently, in the day-time. Gentle ex- 

 ercise in the open air is highly useful to preserve 

 the general health of i)ersons, who may be exposed 

 to the risk of infection. 



When the patient is seized with the disorder, 

 he complains first of giddiness and nervous agita- 

 tion, and is extremely feeble. His features be- 

 come sharp and contracted, his lips, lace, neck, 

 hands and feet, blue. The fingers and toes are 

 contracted. The jiulse is so small as to be almist 

 extinct. The skin is deadly cold and shrivelled ; 

 the voice nearly gone ; breathing quick, the patient 

 speaks in a whisper; suffers cramps in his limbs 

 and body. The urine is totally suspended. He 



vomits and purges a liquid like rice water or 

 whey. 



A person so seized should have his feet put into 

 hot water immediately. lie should be wrapped 

 in hot blanets ; and friction all over his body, 

 with canqjhorated spirits and hot flannels, should 

 he used. Poultices of flour of mustard and lin- 

 seed meal, in equal parts, n)ixed with warm water, 

 should be applied to his stomach. He should 

 drink hot brandy and water, or hot water with a 

 tea spoonful of sal-volatile, or with ten drops of 

 oil of peppermint and some sugar in it. In case of 

 his complaining of much pain, from twenty to 

 thirty drops of laudanum may be given — but med- 

 ical assistance should be obtained as soon as pos- 

 sible. It is important to add, that when the pa- 

 tient shirts or the sheets of his bed are changed, 

 which should be done as frequently as possible, 

 the dirty linen should be plunged immediately in- 

 to a tub of cold water. — British Almanack for 1832. 



ONONDAGA SALT SPRINGS. 



The annual report of the superintendent of the 

 salt springs, and the inspector of the salt in the 

 town of Saliua, has been communicated to both 

 houses of the New York Legislature. 



It appears by the report, that during the year 

 1831, there were 1,514,037 bushels of salt inspect- 

 ed in the town of Salina ; 189,000 bushels of which 

 was coarse salt ; 166,000 having been made by so- 

 lar evaporation, and the residue by solar heat and 

 artificial heat combined. 



The cumber of manufactories of salt by artificial 

 heat, in that town, is 135 ; containing 3,676 kettles. 

 The manufactories making salt by solar heat or 

 evapor;rtion are, the Onondaga salt comi)any, the 

 Syracuse salt company, and Henry Gifford's 

 works ; in all, consisting of 1,303,034 superficial 

 feet of lots. — Albany Aigus. 



The American Rail-Road Journal, published in 

 New York, gives the honor of the invention of 

 rail-roads, to Col. J. Stevens, of Hoboken, N. J. 

 In May, 1812, twenty years ago. Col. Stevens pub- 

 lished a pampililet, strenuously recommending a 

 rail-way from the Hudson to Lake Erie, instead 

 of the canal %vhich was then under discussion. — 

 In this pamphlet. Col. Stevens proposed the em- 

 ployment of steam power to propel cars or car- 

 riages, and made the following singularly prophetic 

 statement : " I 'should not be surprised at seeing 

 steam carriages propelled at the rateof40or50 

 miles the hour." But at that time, (1812,) Col. 

 Stevens was in advance of the age, and such en- 

 lighted men as Gouverneur Morris, Robert L.Liv- 

 ingston, and De Witt Clinton, considered the 

 project as visionary. 



Cotton, to the amount of about .89,000,000, is 

 annually imported into Providence, and irianufac- 

 tured into cloth, which sells for about seven mil- 

 lions of dollars. 



Bronzing. — The fijllowing method, which is 

 simple, may be useful to some of our readers: — 



" After having covered the article with a coat 

 of gum-water, mixed with a little minium, take a 

 little isinglass, dissolved in spirits of wine by ex- 

 posing them to a gentle heat, and add to it some 

 saffron ; then take the filings or fine dust of any 

 metal which it is desired to imitate, and apply 

 this, when mixed with the isinglass, to the articl* 

 with a hair pencil." 



