306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



arrhca or what may be called scouring. Then 

 a cadaverous scent from the extrication ot ttie 

 azotic gas,-and, lastly, death itself. Jumper 

 berries are recommended as an antiseptic lor 

 sheep- but 1 never have found any rennedy in 

 this case ; though I am well satisfied the pre- 

 ventive is a generous keeping, for as septan 

 is the principle Of the septic acid, and as this 

 septon prevails abundantly more m the muscu- 

 lar and lean parts of animals than m the fat, 

 those that are kept low will be much more 

 subject to putrid diseases, and vice versa. 



From the many curious experiments made by 

 Sir John Pringle to ascertain the septic and an- 

 tiseptic virtues of natural bodies, it appears that 

 there are very few substances ot a truly ^fp- 

 tic nature. Those commonly reputed such by 

 authors, as the alkaline and volatile salts, he 

 found to be no wise septic. However, he 

 found some, where it was least likely to find any 

 such quality ; these were chalk, common salt, 

 and testaceous powders. He mixed twenty 

 grains of crab's eyes, prepared with six drachms 

 of ox's gall, and an equal quantity of water. In- 

 to another phial he put an equal quantity of 

 gall and water, but no crab's eyes. Both these 

 mixtures being placed in the furnace, the putre- 

 faction began much sooner, where the powder 

 was, than in the other phial. On making a 

 like experiment with chalk, its «epnc virtue was 

 found to be much greater than that of the 

 crab's eves ; nay, what the Doctor had never 

 met wit'h before, in a mixture of two drachms 

 of flesh, with two ounces of water and thirty 

 grains of prepared chalk, the flesh was resolv- 

 ed into a perfect mucus in a few days. 



To try whether the testaceous powders would 

 also dissolve vegetable substances, the Doctor 

 mixed them with barley and water, and compar- 

 ed this mixture with another of barley and water 

 alone. After a long maceration by a fire, the 

 plain water was found to swell the barley, and 

 turn mucilaginous, and sour; but that with the 

 powder kept the grain (o its natural size, and 

 though it softened it, made no mucilage and re- 

 roaiued sweet. 



Nothing could be more unexpected than to 

 find sea salt a hastener of putrefaction ; but the 

 fact is thus ; one drachm of salt preserves two 

 drachms of fresh beef in tivo ouncesof wa- 

 ter, above Ihirtv hours uncorrupted, in aheal 

 equal to that of "the human body, or which is 

 the same thing, this quantity of salt keeps flesh 

 sweet 20 hours longer than pure water ; but then 

 half a drachm of salt does not preserve it above 

 two hours longer. Twenty-five grains have 

 little or no antiseptic virtue ; and ten, fitteen, 

 or even twenty grains, manifestly both hasten 

 and heighten the corruption. The quantity 

 which had the most putrefying effect, wastound 

 to be about ten grains to the above proportion 

 of flesh and water. 



Blany inferences might be drawn from this 

 experiment ; one is, that since'salt is never tak- 

 en in aliment beyond the proportion of the cor- 

 rupting quantities, it would appear that it is 

 subservient to digestion chiefly by its septic vir- 

 tue, that is, by softening and resolving meats; 

 an action very different from what is commonly 

 believed. 



In the above described case where the sheep 

 has a good appetite, and putrefaction has not 

 actualty taken place, it appears there may 

 be a remedy, and if so probably it must be a 



very vow erM antiseptic. Therefore, if the I H covered with a thick crust of lime by whit, 

 above question could be agitated in the New- Washing." Their is a powerful caustic qualii 

 En'-land Farmer, and gentlemen of science and in lime ; and it may be too freely used, 1 admj 

 experience would discover a remedy, and com- it the root, and on the body of a tree 

 f_ .^ .L. i„ iu« .^..Klir thpv would I have also, for manv vears. sriven 



municate the same to the public, they would 

 render an essential service to the agricultural 

 interest. 



Yours, most respectfully, &c. 



SETH CHANDLER. 

 Minot, Me. April \'^, 1823. 



From the Massachusetts Yeoman. 



Mr. Denny,— In a late paper you have re- 

 published from the American Farmer a treatise 

 upon the management of Fruit-Trees, in which 

 the principal object of the writer seems to be 

 to " protest against the too common practice of 

 white-washing them." He asserts *hat the caus- 



I have also, for many years, given some a 

 tention to the cultivation aud management 

 fvuit-trees, and fully agree with the writer, th 

 soap and water, with an infusion of tobacc 

 makes an excellent wash. If, often repeate. 

 ind, as far as it is applied, it will preserve th 

 Iree from the insects which make their lodj 

 nent on its bark. 1 have been led to ascribe i 

 «fficacy in the growth of trees to its finding i 

 tray to their roots, and in afl"ording an exhal 

 lipn for its branches, rather than from muc 

 permanent benefit to the bark ; as it is liable i 

 te washed off by every successive rain. I hav 

 ^en no reason to be satisfied, like the write 

 (lat " cleanliness is as important to trees as 



iidIi 



i)nite-wasning incui. nc oaoti i.^ ^..".. nm i,tcu*ttt*tcoo ja a^ Aui^vyti..; 



tic quality of the lime not only kills the insects, jjg human family," any farther than it consis 



for which the wash is intended, but trees also, j, cleansing them of moss, and coarse bar 



by stopping up the pores of the bark, thereby .,i,;„i, ;r„i:,-,fn lU^ wnnt nf An^ viirmir Hp 

 preventing the absorption of those gases that 



are as essential to preserve and promote vegeta- 

 tion, as it is necessary in the human system, to 

 keep open the pores of the body to preserve 

 health and vigour.—" How long," he a.sks, 

 " would a man continue healthful, were his 

 body to be encrusted in paste ?" The subject 

 is important, and the doctrine of the writer so 

 novel that it merits investigation. 



1 shall not determine how far the analogy 

 between the bark of the tree and the human 

 skin holds true ; but if the pores of both have 

 the same functions, as must be assumed by the 

 writer in his elucidation, a wash of beef tea 

 might be beneficial, whereas a thick «oat of 

 hasty-pudding might be injurious. It does not 

 necessarily follow, that, because a thick plaster- 

 ing of lime mortar is prejudicial, a light white- 

 washing with the same material would be des- 

 tructive. If the pores of the bark absorb the 

 gases that are essentia! to preserve and promote 

 vegetation— and it is thought that no substance 

 affords this essential more pure and abundant 

 than lime- why may not those gases be genera- 



yhich indicate the want of due vigour 

 lis analogy fails. 



The wash I use and have recommended, 

 ess caustic than white-wash, and partakes 

 he quality of soap and water. It is compose 

 jf 1 lb. of pot-ash, 1 lb. of unslaked lime, in 

 jallons of water. To this I add cow manui 

 iufRcient to make it of the consistency of th 

 jaint. When pot-ash is not readily obtained, 

 (ise weak a?h ley instead of water. This appl 

 Ration is durable, and although an unclean 

 flress, 1 have found (adopting the figure oft! 

 writer) that my trees are delighted with it.- 

 rheir bodies are invigorated, their bark is e 

 panded, and they hold their heads erect, big 

 tnd proudly. I have had reason to believe th- 

 a crust, from mild ingredients, is beneficii 

 Whets the bark of my trees has been extensiv 

 ly injured, 1 spread a plaster of cow-dung ai 

 clay upon strong cloth, and tie it on with tarr 

 cord, that it may exclude the air and weath 

 until the wound be healed, or the bandage b 

 comes too tight. If the tree is small, I encom 

 pass the whole body. When the coating is r 

 moved, I have noticed a more healthy and fres 

 er state of the bark under the whole dress' 



ted by the wash, and directly imbibed, or at , ^^„ „ _ _ 



traded from the atmosphere by its application ? iiiaQ j„ other trees, or in other parts of tl 

 The crust adhering to the tree, from an annual Is^^e. a covering in itself necessarily porou 

 white-washing, surely cannot be so impeivious ' ^.j^jch ^.jn yield to the moisture of the atmo 

 as to exclude the gas, when the wash is a pow- 1 phere, if not so caustic as to bind the bark, wi 

 erful attractive of moisture from the dew, I ^^j^ i 3,^, confident, occasion the injury the wf 

 which is supposed to be the most efficient agent (gp apprehends. Tar should never be used (1 



(/f its inhalation. But, still, should the coating be 

 (jut on so thick as to prevent an absorption from 

 the atmosphere, (and it is at least questionable 

 whether the bark of a tree is constructed for 

 this purpose) a more abundant supply of nour- 

 ishment might be generated and furnished tor 

 the leaves and capillary branches, a supposed 

 medium of communication, so that the trees, 

 like those of the writer in the Farmer, in their 

 anxiety to inhale every exhalation, would not 

 be under the necessity of bending down their 

 branches to snuff it from a compost heap ! 



The " fact" in confirmation of the writer's 

 ophiion of the utility of keeping open the pores 

 of trees, is not^a conclusive illustration of his 

 doctrine, unless he as^^mes another fact that the 

 nourishment which contributes to the growth of 

 a tree is wholly imbibed through the pores of the 

 bark. Otherwise, I cannot see why the trees 

 should not grow luxuriantly in his highly en 



the naked body of a tree. It hardens and coi 

 stricts the bark ;'and forms a ligature to preve). ^^ 

 the circulation of the sap. My method wh^ ^ 

 using it is, to tie a strip of paper, or cloth, !< ,^ 

 the tree, and tar over it. These strips will l||(l 

 as long as tarring is necessary 



O. FISKE 



f 



Worcester. March, 1824. 



MILLET. 



Extract of a letter from the Hon. Bushrod Wot* 

 iwton, relative to the Culture of Millet. 



Mount Vernon, April 14, 1824. 



" About the middle of May last I sow© 



about five acres of ground with Millet sew 



(millium) at the rate of about a bushel of sec 



to the acre.* The ground was ploughed i 



* In the spring of 1823, the above lot was cultivate 

 ao-ain in Millet, (without being manured,) and prod?« 



ricbed orchard, notwithstanding they might be | ed a fine crop ; In October it was sown with rye an 



