370 



The Power of Fascination — Bass Matting. 



Vol. in. 



prove the influence of the stock on the graft, 

 and its frnif. 



It was Brydone of England, in his very 

 pleasant book of "Travels through Sicily and 

 Malta," published so long since as the year 

 1771, that first gave currency to the vulgar 

 belief of the Maltese of the red flesh of the 

 orange being the result of that tree being 

 ingrafted on the pomegranate stock, but it is 

 veTy probable that, with the majority of man- 

 kind, who cannot seethe refutation of the er- 

 ror, it will maintain its ground, like the pre- 

 valent one in the U. States, respecting the 

 flowering of the American Aloes only once in 

 an hundred years. 



May 25, 1839. JAMES MEASE. 



Tlie Power of FascisiatioM. 



To the Editor of the Farmors' Caljinet. 



Sir, — Every one has heard of the fascina- 

 ting power of the snake, how that he can 

 draw, even to his murderous fangs, the small 

 birds and animals which happen to be within 

 reach of this wonderful influence, maugre all 

 their attempts to escape ; an invisible power 

 seems forcing them irresistibly forward, to 

 certain destruction, with frightful cries and 

 convulsions, while their enemy has only 

 to lie still, with its eye fixed upon them, un- 

 til they approach within striking distance, 

 when their doom is sealed. 



Allow me, Mr. Editor, to relate a circum- 

 stance which lately took place under my own 

 eye, assuring you of the truth of what I am 

 about to say, in every particular. 



I was walking, as my custom is, over my 

 fields one evening, to see that all was safe for 

 the nighr, when I was struck with the cries 

 of some animal in the adjoining enclosure, 

 and on looking over the fence, I saw a small 

 rabbit, crawling, or rather tumbling over in a 

 circle, towards some bushes not far distant, 

 as though he had been wounded. In a mo- 

 ment after, I saw a weazel creep from a bush, 

 and erecting his head, fasten his eyes on the 

 poor animal, and follow very leisurely in his 

 steps; at length the rabbit approached by cir- 

 cles the bushes, into which he, by the great- 

 est exertion, entered, and I thought that he 

 had then made his escape, when immediately 

 the weazel stopped, and darting his eyes to 

 the place where the rabbit had entered, 

 seemed to await the result — a moment after, 

 the poor victim returned, crying and strug- 

 gling mo.st violently, but still nearing its ene- 

 my at every evolution, until it liad at length 

 approached so near, that, at a bound the crea- 

 ture sprang upon him, and soon stifled his 

 cries ! For a moment I was fixed to the spot 

 with a sort of awe, but determining at length to 

 balk the scoundrel of his supper, I went qui- 

 etly round the corner of the fence, and had 



approached so near as to see that he had fas- 

 tened himself to the throat of the rabbit, be- 

 fore he perceived me, but the instant he did 

 so, he escaped by a single leap into the bushes, 

 leaving his victim stretched upon the ground 

 to appearance quite dead; on my nearer ap- 

 proach, however, he started up, and darted 

 across the field in an opposite direction with 

 the quickness of an arrow, as though nothing 

 had happened, although he was in full view 

 for the space of some hundred yards! The 

 spell was broken, and nature had recovered 

 her powers. 



Returning 1o my house, I met a neighbor 

 to whom I related what I had seen. "Ah !" 

 said he, " then you lost your rabbit !" He told 

 me it was by no means an uncommon occur- 

 rence, " but," added he, " I never knew the 

 weasel to make a mistake, or I either, for 1 

 always waits until he has finished his business, 

 and then I gets the rabbit." J. C. R. 



Philadflpliia County. 



ISciss Matting. 



At any time when basswood bark will peel 

 freely, it may be removed and prepared for 

 matting and strings. Every farmer would 

 find it useful for various purposes of tieing, 

 but it is especially useful to all cultivators of 

 plants and trees, in fastening young trees to 

 stakes, tieing up straggling plants and shrubs, 

 for ligatures in budding, &c. To prepare it 

 properly, strip ofi^ the fresh bark, cut it up in 

 lengths of about ten feet, and immerse it im- 

 mediately in water, taking care that every 

 part is covered by laying large stones upon it. 

 In four or five weeks, the successive layers 

 which form the inner bark will be completely 

 separated and will tiill apart when lifted from 

 the water. They are then readily stripped 

 from the outer or rough bark, and laid aside 

 to dry tl>r use. f his is better and much easier 

 than to shave the rough bark from the inner 

 portion before soaking. When intended for 

 weaving into mats, it is cut into narrow strips 

 as soon as taken from the tree, as it is dini- 

 cult to separate it into shreds of uniform width 

 afterwards. If the bark is suffered to become 

 dry after taken from the tree, no length of 

 soaking, nor even boiling, can separate the 

 lauiin;o. It should in no case be suffered to 

 remain too long in water, for as soon as the 

 bark separates it commences rotting, and in a 

 short time would be too weak for useful pur- 

 poses. If this precaution is observed, we may 

 obtain the material in a mucii superior state 

 to any we get in Europe. — Gc7icsce Farmer. 



The oflener carpets are shaken, the longer 

 thev last, as the particles of dirt and sand 

 which collect upon them grind tiie threads.— 

 Sweeping also wears them. 



