No. 1. 



The Farmer's Diary. — Lime, an Anti-Septic. 



29 



Now, as I believe, according to the theory 

 of Vir and others, tliat these animals are 

 merely the effect and not the cause of the 

 disease of the plant — that arising from the 

 putricity of its juices upon which they feed — 

 that all putrid matter is highly charged with 

 oxygen, oxygen being the basis of acidity ; 

 the application of a strong solution of soap 

 must have the effect, by means of its alka- 

 line properties, of neutralizing this acid and 

 purifying the juice of the plant, rendering it no 

 longer capable of sustaining the lives of crea- 

 tures destined by the Almighty to prey only 

 on corruption; they therefore die, properly 

 speaking, of starvation. If this theory be cor- 

 rect, it is probable that a solution of soap and 

 water will be found as effectual in the pre- 

 vention of disease in all kinds of plants as in 

 their cure, and its application might be ex- 

 pected to become general, in the garden and 

 green-house as well as in the field, no injury 

 being to be apprehended from its glutinous 

 quality, as it is so readily miscible in water. 

 And to this neutralizing property is no doubt 

 attributable the benefit that has resulted from 

 dressing peach-trees affected with the yel- 

 lows, with soap-suds. A friend writes, he has 

 tried the effect of soft soap on the rigid bark 

 of some of his apple-trees, and the result is 

 surprising ; the trunks of his trees are become 

 as smooth as glass, and the branches seem 

 possessed with new vigour. I presume that 

 whale oil may be rendered saponaceous by 

 an addition of barilla or potash at a most tri- 

 fling expense, but would not recommend the 

 refuse oil for this purpose, as its filth and im- 

 purities may be found injurious to some of 

 the more delicate plants. O. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Farmer's Diary. 



Conversing with a friend in Delaware on 

 the very general rust which has befallen the 

 wheat-crop in that part of the country the 

 present season, he assured me the evil had 

 been the work of a few hours only ; the thick, 

 moist and hot atmosphere of a certain Wed- 

 nesday in June, having been the cause of the 

 prostration of their hopes, which had, until 

 then, been bright and most promising. On 

 my return home, I turned to my diary, and 

 read the following entries, which to my mind 

 fully corroborate the views which he had 

 taken, and go to prove the truth of the theory, 

 that rust is occasioned by atmospherical in- 

 fluence. 



Tuesday, 22d June. Therm. 72° ; consi- 

 derable rain, close and warm ; afternoon ex- 

 cessively close and hot. 



Wednesday, 23d June. Therm. 83° ; close, 

 cloudy, moist and hot; a trying time for the 

 wheat. Look out for blight, mildew and rust ; 

 rain about noon, excessively sultry. 



Thursday, 24th June. Therm. 93° at 

 noon, hot and clear, the reverse of yesterday, 

 by no means so oppressive. It is hoped the 

 wheat will recover from the effects of yes- 

 terday. 



Friday, 25th June. Therm. 82° ; a close, 

 thick, hot day ; at noon, heavy rain until 5 

 o'clock, with therm. 77°, a dread time for the 

 wheat. 



Saturday, 26th June. Therm. 77° ; close, 

 damp and hot in morning; at noon clear. 



Is it not strange, that every one at all con- 

 cerned in the state of the weather does not 

 keep a diary f I procured mine from the re- 

 commendation at page 190 of the Cabinet for 

 January, and it is a perpetual source of inte- 

 rest and pleasure to look back to its pages 

 and read those " prophecies of the past," as 

 tiiey have been called, and benefit by observa- 

 tion and reflection on things gone by: by 

 them I have been convinced that there is 

 such a thing as weather-wisdom, and find 

 myself becoming quite an adept in the sci- 

 ence. H. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Lime, an Anti-Septic. 



In corroboration of the theory contained in 

 an article in the Cabinet, page 314, under 

 the caption " Lime a Septic or Anti-Septic," 

 I beg to copy the following note from Mr. 

 Samuel Parkes's examination before a com- 

 mittee of the British House of Commons, as 

 published in the Philosophical Magazine for 

 September, 1808. It is there stated — 



" On the 4th of August, 1798, Mr. Cruik- 

 shank made the following experiment: he 

 dissolved two separate ounces of sugar, each 

 in five ounces of water in separate vessels, 

 and added a two drachm measure of yeast to 

 each. To the one, he afterwards added a 

 little fresh lime in powder, and placed both 

 vessels in a favourable situation for fermenta- 

 tion. In twelve hours, one mixture began 

 to ferment, but that which contained the lime 

 showed no sign of fermentation, although it 

 was continued in a favourable situation dur- 

 ing a period of twenty-four days : a similar 

 experiment was made with potash, with the 

 same result." 



Would it not therefore appear that "no 

 fermentation can take place, if the alkaline 

 principle be in excess? and can chemical de- 

 composition take place without fermenta- 

 tion]" K. 



Four pounds of beef lose one pound by 

 boiling ; one pound five ounces by roasting, 

 and one pound three ounces by baking. 

 Four pounds of mutton lose fourteen ounces 

 by boiling ; one pound six ounces by roast- 

 ing, and one pound four ounces by baking. 



