NO. 14. 



THE FARMERS CABINET- 



217 



the height of 500 toises. The species, to he 

 sure, are not the same as in Europe, but they 

 have the same character of aspect, size, and 

 consistence. The burning zone which occu- 

 pies the lower space from tlie level of the soa 

 to this height, enjoying a temperature un- 

 known to Europe, is inhabited by vegetables 

 peculiar to this climate; this is the country 

 of palms, bananas, amomums, tree ferns, &c. 

 It is only, therefore, at the height of 500 

 toises, tiiat, on the mountains of the torrid 

 zone, the climate commences which corres- 

 ponds to the base of the Alps, proceeding 

 from tiie level of the sea, and it can only be 

 here tliat the zone of plants corresponding to 

 those of Europe can commence. 



Such is the spectacle of vegetation, always 

 varied, and incessantly renewed, that pre- 

 sents itself to the view of man ; a spectacle 

 rich in its composition, admirable in its con- 

 trasts, sublime in its harmony, and which, to 

 produce it, has only required of nature to sub- 

 rait the forms to the influence of different 

 temperatures — of temperatures, I repeat, and 

 not of climates. It is a very essential effect 

 to remark, that the production of vegetable 

 species is much more dependent on the action 

 of heat and cold, of dryness or humidity, than 

 on the difference of climates; we may meet, 

 and in fact do pretty frequently meet, the 

 same species in very different latitudes, in 

 which, however, from local circumstances, 

 the same degree of temperature prevails. It 

 is thus that we find on the high mountains of 

 the south of Europe, plants of Sweden, Nor- 

 way, and even those of Lapland and Spitz- 

 bergen. Tournefort made the same observa- 

 tion in Asia Minor, on Mount Ararat. At the 

 foot of the mountain are found the plants of 

 Armenia; in proportion as we rise, those of 

 Italy and the south of France, then those of 

 Sweden, and towards the summit the plants 

 of Lapland. It is by means equally simple, 

 that nature has removed from the surface of 

 tiie globe that monotonous uniformity which 

 the plants would produce, were they every 

 where the same; but, subjected to the influ- 

 ence of the atmosphere, what varied forms do 

 they present to our admiration. 



A temperature constantly humid and warm, 

 , such as that of the equuioctial countries, 

 maintained by the rays ot a burning sun, and 

 the emanations of a soil watered by the vicin- 

 ity of large rivers and lakes, gives to vegeta- 

 tion that vigor which astonishes in those mag- 

 nificent vegetables peculiar to those climates. 

 Another form of plants is seen in those coun- 

 tries which are exposed to the alternations of 

 cold and warm seasons; it is more equal upon 

 the sea-coasts, where the temperature is less 

 variable ; but the plants assume a different 

 aspect on high mountains, where dry and cold 

 winds frequently blow ; they vary little in the 



fresh waters, or in those of the sea ; being 

 there placed in a medium less subject to the 

 inclemencies of the atmosphere. The inten- 

 sity and duration of the light, the long and 

 liumid nigiits, occasion as many dillercnt mod- 

 ifications in the vegetable fornis. Nature has 

 also fixed the station of plants, that the dwarf 

 and creeping willows never descend from the 

 summit of their mountains to associate with 

 the osier willows, on the banks of our brooks: 

 and the primula; which decorate the green 

 swards of the Alps; cannot mingle with those 

 of our meadows. 



l^eevils. 



Accident has discovered to a French farm 

 er a simple mode of destroying weevils ir 

 corn-warehouses. Happening to lay in th( 

 corner of a granary, in which there was c 

 large quantity of corn, som.e sheep-skins will 

 the fleece on, he was not a little surprised t( 

 find them, a few days after, covered with deac 

 weevils. He repeated the experiment severa 

 times, and always with the same success. A 

 last he ordered his corn to be stirred up, anc 

 not a single weevil remained in it. It ap 

 pears, therefore, although the cause has no 

 yet been ascertained, that greasy wool, whei 

 in the neighborhood of weevils, attracts an( 

 destroys them. 



We give the above as we find it, in a sci 



entific journal — we know not what credit t 



attach to it, but a trial will injure no one. 



Brief Iliuts for Winter. 



During winter, cattle are very apt to sufTe 

 from a want of water, as running streams ar 

 generally frozen, and they are mostly fed oi 

 dry fodder. 



Cattle will drink several times a day, if th 

 water is good and of easy access; prope 

 provision should therefore be made for them, 



Farmers will save a great deal of haj 

 especially in wet and muddy weather, if ir 

 stead of spreading it upon the ground fc 

 them to be trodden under foot, suitable racl* 

 are provided, so that none of it may b 

 wasted. 



As milk is very valuable in winter, grea 

 care should be taken that cows are now milke 

 very clean. But as the operation is apt t 

 be tedious at this season in consequence c 

 the slowness with which it is given down, : 

 is best, after having obtained what milk ca 

 be done easily at one milking, to pass roun 

 all the cows at the conclusion, and give thcr 

 a second milking, being careful to drain ther 

 to the last drop. 



Cows should not be dried up of their mil 

 too soon before their time of having a calf- 



