VOIi. XI. NO. 45. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL 



357 



lucern, or seven and a half ])oiinds, and the re- 

 mainder of the ration consisted of such a portion of 

 the other alime'itary substances, as was found suf- 

 ficient by a careful weigbiii^^ during the five weeks, 

 to keep each lot in the same healtliy condition. 

 Of these substances, the following quantities wera 

 found to he equivalent in nutritive value to the 

 half ration of lucern: — Oilcake, 4.V lbs.; Barley, 

 3^ do ; Oats, 5 do ; Crude potatoes, 14 do ; Cook- 

 ed potatoes, 13 do; Beets, 16 do ; Carrots, 23 do. 

 The quantity of water drunk by each lot of 

 slieep, measured by a guaged trough, during the 

 five weeks, was as follows, showing the relative 

 degree of thirst occasioned by tlie diti'crent ali- 

 ments: — 1st lot, 223 quarts; 2d lot, 189 do.; 3d 

 lot, 1(J4 do. ; 4th lot, 123 do.; 5th lot, 108 do. 

 (Jth lot, 95 do.; 7th lot, 36 do. 



From llie Montkhj Magazine. 

 HBM1.0CK: AND HENBANE:. 



The base of Hemlock is an organic salt whicli 

 opens an entirely novel series of these highly .in- 

 teresting' organic substances, for it is volatile, and 

 similar to a volatile oil. The pecidiar qualities of 

 this substance, both intrinsically and when brought 

 into combination with acids, its rapidly changeable 

 character, and the brilliant play of colors which it 

 eihibits whilst undergoing change, render it one 

 of the most interesting productions in organic 

 chemistry. Its poison is of the deadliest descrip-. 

 tion. The smallest quantity, applied inwardly, 

 produces paralysis; and one or two grains are suf- 

 ficient to kill the largest animal. Another of Pro- 

 fessor Geiger's late discoveries is the active princi- 

 ple of henbane (a<ro/iin ;) its base is likewise an 

 organic salt, but it is tenacious, admits of being re- 

 duced to a crystal, forms a crystalline salt with 

 acids, like hemlock, and has a disagreeable smell, 

 though it is not volatile, unless it be subjected to 

 decomposition. Its poison is quite as deadly as 

 tliat of the former, but exhibits dissimilar appear- 

 ances, and is not so rapid in its effects. Animals 

 where even a minute dose is administered, become 

 languid, cannot stand upon their legs, are attacked 

 by convulsions, and die within si.x hours. The 

 elfects of this poison in dilating the pupil of the 

 eye is extremely remarkable. The minutest por- 

 tion of it, when api)lied to the eye of a cat, pro- 

 duces a dilation of the pupil for the next four 

 and twenty hours ; and the hundredth part of a 

 grain prolongs the appearance for the next seven 

 or eight days, besides inducting other singular 

 symptous of poisoning. 



The Chinese Method of propagating Fruit Trees 

 by abscission. The Cliinese, instead of raisin^ 

 ti'uit trees from seeds, or from grafts, as is the 

 custom in Europe, have adopted the following 

 method of increasing them: — 



They select a tree of that species which they 

 wish to propagate, and fix upon such a branch as 

 will least injure or disfigure the tree by its re- 

 moval. Round the branch, and as near as they 

 can conveniently to its junction with the trunk, 

 they wind a rope, made of straw, besmeared with 

 cow-dung until a ball is formed, five or six times 

 the diameter of the branch. This is intended as 

 a bed into wliich the young roots may shoot. 

 Having performed this part of the operation, they 

 immediately, under the ball, divide the bark down 

 to the wood for nearly two-thirds of tlie circum- 

 ference of the branch. A cocoa nut shell, or small 

 pot is then hung over the ball, with a hole in its 

 bottom £0 small thai water put into it will fall on- 



ly in drops. By this the rope is kept continually 

 moist. During three succeeding weeks nothing 

 fiu-ther is required, except to supply the vessel 

 with water, ^t the expiration of that period one 

 third of the remaining bark is cutoff', and the 

 former incision is carried considerably deeper into 

 the wood, as by this time it is expected that some 

 roots have struck into the rope, and are giving 

 their assistance in sujjport of the branch. 



After a similar period the operation is repeated, 

 and, in about two months from the commencement 

 of the process, the roots may generally be seen in- 

 tersecting each other on the surface of the ball, 

 uhich is a sign that they are sufliciently advanced 

 to admit of the separation of the branch from the 

 tree. This is best done by sawing it oft'at the in- 

 cision. Care must be taken that the rope, which 

 iiy this time is nearly rotten, is not .shaken by the 

 njotion. Tlie branch is then jilanled as a young 

 tree. 



PLEASANT AND USEPUI,. 



Some people are in the habit of thinking that 

 nothing can be pleasant, that is of use. This is a 

 very mistaken idea, for to a rightly cultivated mind, 

 the pleasure arising from any object, would bear 

 some proportion to the useiulness of that object. 

 In fine, we should strive to make every thing we 

 engage in, however trivial, Vi'hether forrela.xation, 

 or for the diversion of disagreeable feeling, as ben- 

 eficial to ourselves as possible. This principle 

 should be acted upon in all our arrangements If, 

 for instance, trees are to be planted by the road- 

 side, to give beauty to the prospect, and shade to 

 the traveller, those trees might be of great use if 

 they were properly chosen. In some places in 

 Europe, thousands of poor people are supported 

 by the culture of silk, the worms being fed from 

 public trees. Now if our roads were shaded by 

 inull)erry treesy the traveller would receive all the 

 benefits that could be derived from trees of any 

 sort, and the condition of hundreds of poor people 

 would be rendered comfortable. By a little atten.- 

 tioii to this principle, of rendering every thing as 

 useful as possible, our happiness here would be 

 greatly increased. A gentleman who died at Am- 

 sterdam some years since, struck with the correct- 

 ness of this principle, bequeathed two thousand 

 florins to a benevolent society, ore condition, that 

 two fruit trees of full growth, should be i)lanted 

 over his grave, the fruit to be publicly sold by auc- 

 tion every year, in order to prove, that even the 

 receptacles of the dead may be rendered beneficial 

 to the living. — Family Lyceum. 



it ripens so soon that the frost ii- the fall is not ca- 

 pable of injuring it, whilst on the contrary, cora 

 which is plante<! late, though it grows luxuriantly, 

 is generally so backward tint the early frosts in- 

 jure those ears which are not fully ripe, and thus 

 prevent their coming to maturity. Corn planted 

 late is generally found to be interspersed with soft 

 corn, much of it moulded, greatly injurin" the 

 sound corn which is mixed with it, while corn 

 which is planted early is found to be sound and 

 much more valuable. Land that is planted early 

 produces nujch more corn. 



A neighbor of mine once planted a piece of 

 corn very late, on plain sandy land, being about 

 the time a neighbor of his was hoeing a piece of 

 corn situated at the side of it, for the first time. 

 By the time the former was hilled, the latter -was 

 tassled and in the blow. They were both treated 

 in nearly the same maimer..— gypsimi being used 

 on both pieces; but harvesting told the consequen- 

 ces of late planting, — for while the late planted 

 corn yielded scarcely ten bushels per acre, the 

 earlier planted corn yielded about twenty-five ! 

 As Indian corn is a very important production of 

 our country, it ought not to be neglected. The 

 above makes good the old maxim, '■If you cheat the 

 crop it will cheat you.' — JVorthampton Courier. 



EARL.Y PLANTING. 



A coRREsi>oNDENT, who evidently knows a thing 

 or two, writes us on the subject of early planting, 

 sensil)ly as follows : — "Perhaps there is nothing so 

 deleterious to the growth of corn as late planting. 

 In Farmer's cribs, when they clear them out in 

 the spring to thresh it, the soft and mouldy corn 

 too often testify negligence in planting in proper 

 season. Corn ought always to be planted as soon 

 as the ground is warm enough to produce fermen- 

 tation, which always precedes the germination of 

 the seed, and which in loamy or sandy laud, is 

 early in May. Corn planted at this season though, 

 it does not grow so fast at first as that which is 

 planted later, yet the radicals are shooting into the 

 earth and preparing to nourish plumula or stem, 

 thus facilitating more rapid growth. It makes it 

 much earlier than that which is planted later, and 



From the Manjland Republican, 

 Mr. Hughes: — Having been so frequently ap- 

 plied to for the following receipt, until it has be- 

 come troublesome to give copies of it, I request 

 you to publish it. James Boyle. 



To make Paint ivithout Jfldtelead and Oil. 



2 quarts skimed milk. 



2 ounces fresh slacked lime. 



5 pounds of whiting. 



Put the lime itrto a stone ware vessel, pour up- 

 on it a sufficient quantity of milk to make a mixture 

 resembling cream ; the remainder of the milk 

 is then added ; and lastly, the whiting is to be 

 crumbled and spread on the surface of the fluid, 

 in which it gradually sinks. At this period it must 

 be well stirred in, or ground as you would other 

 paint, and it is fit for use. There may be added 

 any coloring matter that suits the fancy. 



It is to be applied in the same manner as other 

 paint, and in a few hours it will become perfectly 

 dry. Another coat may then be added, and so on 

 until the work is completed. This paint is of 

 great tenacity and possesses a slight elasticity 

 which enables it to bear hard rubbing even with a. 

 coarse woolen cloth, without being in the least de- 

 gree injiu-ed. It has little or no smell when wet, 

 and when dry is perfectly inodorous. It is not 

 subject to be blackened by sulphurous or animal 

 vapors, and is not injurious to health. All which 

 qualities give it a decided advantage over white- 

 lead. 



The quantity above mentioned is sufficient for 

 covering twenty-seven square yards with one cont- 



Drinkfor Horses. Some of the Inkeepers on the 

 western road have adopted the practice, recommen- 

 ded by a member of the Bath Agricultural Society, 

 of boiling the corn given to horses, and giving 

 tliem the water to drink. It is most satisfactorily 

 ascertained that three bushels of oats, barley, &c. 

 so prepared, will keep the horses in better condi- 

 tion for working than doubl« the quantity in a crude 

 state. 



