VOL. XIV. NO. 9. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



tlicni, passoil down tlio rod to the upper part of 

 tlio lower story ; here it leH, iind struck into the 

 biiildin^r, passing tlirongh various parts and rooms 

 by the hell wires, wliieh were melted and other- 

 wise destroyed. It left the house hy the front 

 door. lu one remarkable instance, the lightriing 

 passed by the side of a door on the bell wire, 

 which it melted, spreading the o.\ide of the wire 

 on the plastering in itsjiassage. 



From this building we proceeded to Brighton, 

 and examined the meeting house of the Rev. Mr 

 Anstiii. Here 1 was again satisfied that the dis- 

 charge of lightning was horizontal; being receiv- 

 ed on the points of the round rod, it passed down 

 the rod to the side of the building, o[)posite the 

 stove funnel, when it struck into the building, 

 taking the stove funnel in its course, and passed 

 down on one of the supporting pillars of the gal- 

 lery, and off to the ground on one of the beams 

 that su])ported t||ie floor. 



Some days after, I visited the meeting liouse 

 near the bridge in Braintree, which was struck by 

 lightning during the same storm. This house had 

 olso a round rod, pointed at the top and blunt in 

 the ground. Such rods afford but , an imperfect 

 protection. In this instance, the earth about the 

 conductor, was considerably disturbed. About 

 ten feet from the groum], near the road, there was 

 a perforation in the side of the building, where 

 the lightning had passed under the stairway that 

 leads to the g.illery, and throught the partition to an 

 iron brace that supported the stove funnel. It then 

 appears to have passed on the funnel to another 

 brace that was secured to one of the pillars, on 

 which it descended, shattering it to pieces. 

 The pillar opposite was also a little damag- 

 ed ; and other trifling injuries appeared about 

 the building. 



I have also examined a dwelling house at Brook- 

 line, that was considerably damaged by lightning 

 at the same time. This house had no conductor. 

 The lightning struck a large tree in front of it, 

 which it evidently left and descended on the 

 building. 



During this thunder storm, we have three in- 

 stances cut of four, where houses having round 

 conductors were struck by lightning, and where 

 it is evident, the rods afforded but little or no pro- 

 tection. The cause to me is very plain. In the 

 first place, the number of rods is not suflicjent. 

 Secondly, they do not present in all directions a 

 sufficient attracting power ; and thirdly, they arc 

 inmost cases put upon buildings by persons who 

 are not familiar with the science of Electricity and 

 the operations of lightning; and who of course 

 are liable to leave them faulty in many very es- 

 sential particulars. 



During thunder storms, there are three different 

 discharges of lightning ; from the earth to the 

 clouds, from the clouds to the earth, and through 

 the atmosphere from one cloud to another. These 

 latter discharges are more frequent than any other, 

 and ofteu take the earth in their course, and were 

 by the philosophers of the last century, called re- 

 bounding strokes of lightning. To meet these va- 

 rious discharges of lightning, we must have con- 

 ductors armed at all parts ; that is, they should 

 present in all directions, an attracting influence, 

 by which the electric fluid may be discharged 

 gradually aud silently, without an explosion. The 

 explosion prevented, all barm is prevented. This 

 attracting, or receiving power, as it is more prop- 

 erly termed, depends on the points ; hence the 



greater th(' uuniher of jioiuts and sharp and rough 

 corners, the greater tlie protecting [lower. Con- 

 ductors should not only be armed with these mi- 

 merous point.s, and should be pointed to the 

 ground, but they should be placed upon the most 

 exjiosed parts of the building. This re(iuires the 

 judgment of a person acquainted wiJi the opera- 

 tions of lightning, and the nature of different 

 substances to conduct it. Let such rods be placed 

 on our buildings, luuler the direction of an expe- 

 rienced electrician, and we shall no more hear of 

 lightning's leaving the rod and striking into the 

 building. 



Certain trifling things have been considered ne- 

 cessary for lightning conductors ; such as silver- 

 ing the points, pieces of glass to prevent the light- 

 ning from entering the building, and surrounding 

 the lower extremity of the rod with charcoal. 

 These are of no use whatever. That round rods 

 with their silver points, their glass fastenings, and 

 the lower end surrounded with charcoal, do not 

 afford sufficient protection, is evident frotn the 

 fact that a great proportion of the houses struck 

 by lightning, are houses professedly protected 

 by such rods. That the square rod, with the nu- 

 merous points and shar|) corners, does most ef- 

 fectually protect the building, tnay be easily 

 proved by experiments with an electrical machine 

 to the satisfaction of every unprejudiced person. 

 Another consideration of some importance in favor 

 of these rods, is the fjict that, of more than two 

 thousand houses thus protected, I have never 

 known an instance where the building was in the 

 least injured. These rods discharg-e the electric 

 fluid without an explosion, and consequently with- 

 out harm. A Practical Electrician. 



CURE FOR THE SCAB IN SHEEP. 



I feel a reluctance thus jmblicly to appear in 

 print : and had it not been that the conmiunica- 

 tion to which I am about to allude (I presume) is 

 signed with a real name, I might not have troubled 

 myself to expose some of its errors, and save my 

 brother ftnners from loss and disappointment. 

 Although I thus write, I could wish more of the 

 correspondents of the " Farmer" would favor its 

 readers with their real names, more particularly 

 on all practical operations, inasmuch as it would 

 give more respectability and weight to their com- 

 munications. 



Mercurial Ointment for the Scab on Sheep, is 

 almost universally known by Flock Masters in 

 Britain, to be a cure for the disease if applied to 

 the infected parts, but it is of so objectionable a 

 nature, that but comparatively few resort to its 

 use ; and however safe Erastus Crafts may Sjieak 

 of " its entire eflicacy" from his oicn experience, I 

 can testify that in the moist atmosphere of Eng- 

 land, such a free use as he recommends, would 

 most certainly produce salivation, and probably 

 death ensue. Lest any of the readers of the 

 " Farmer" should make a rash use of this violent 

 specific, induces me to put them on their guard 

 and to recommend if they do use it, that they first 

 apply a small portion to the diseased parts, rub- 

 bing it in well with the finger ; and between the 

 shoulders on the centre of the back between the 

 pins, rub in well a piece about the size of a hick- 

 ory nut ; by so doing it prevents the sheep biting 

 or lickiug the parts anointed, which it will endeav- 

 or to do, caused by the irritation produced. If 

 the sheep succeeds in getting but a small por.tion 



of the ointment, it so irritates the mouth as gen- 

 erally to induce cold, and oftentimes worse con- 

 sequences; 1 have known instancies with this use 

 of the ointment, i)ro(lnce on the sheep's back a 

 perforation of small holes. On all occasions of 

 using Mercurial Ointment, dry weather should be 

 selected. Erastus Crafts says "October is the 

 best time to apply the ointment." It may suit this 

 climate, but in England it would gcu'crally be 

 thought too late in the year. Bcfor« concluding, 

 I must advise the readers of the " Genesee Farm- 

 er" to be very cautiou.s how they apply this rem- 

 edy to ewes in lamb, for if they arc not, they will 

 find the ewes )vill cast their lambs from the 

 effects of Mercurial a])plication. 



It is a true adage, " One niend-fanlt is worth 

 two find faults," and by thy permission will act on 

 it, and give a recipe that I have fo.und excellent for 

 the cure of scab, and it may be safely used at all 

 times and under all circumstances. It is also 

 beneficial in destroying lice and ticks on sheep, 

 and will not for a length of time leave a stain on 

 the wool or carcass. It seems almost unnecessai-y 

 to remark that immediately after shearing is the 

 best and most effectual time to dress for scab, it 

 being then easily perceived, but it is too often de- 

 ferred to a season of the year when it can be at- 

 tended to at cost of less valuable time. This de- 

 lay causes the disease to spread in the flock and 

 when the time does come to endeavor to effect a 

 cure, it may be the trouble is increased ten or more 

 times to what it would have been had it bpcn at- 

 tended to seasonably. 



Well boil one pound of tobacco in a gallon of 

 beef brine or chamber lye. After straining it, 

 dissolve one ounce of corrosive sublimate, and add 

 to it also half a pint of each spirits of turpentine 

 and train oil; to be ai)plied by irritating the dis- 

 eased parts and then pouring a portion from a 

 bottle through a quill in the cork, and also by part- 

 ing the wool from head to tail and pouring such a 

 quantity as may cause some of it to run down the 

 sides of the sheep, observing to keep the mixture 

 incorporated, which will be effected by often 

 shaking the bottle. 



With wishes for an extensive circulation of thy 

 pa;ier, I am thy friend. T. C. Fuller, in the Gen- 

 esee Farmer. 



Inflammation of the throat cured bt 

 Alum. — Powdered alum ajiplied by the finger to 

 the part afteeted, very seldom fails to cure in- 

 flammation of the throat in a few days The effi- 

 cacy of this remedy, says the author, is as mar- 

 vellous as it is rapid. Employed the first, second 

 third or fourth day, while there is yet no abscess 

 in the tonsils, it arrested all symptoms as it were 

 by enrhantment : the fever abates, the swelling 

 diminishes, the appetite returns and the conval- 

 escence is quickly decaded and complete. Alum 

 had already been in use for certain disorders 

 of the throat in malignant inflammation, for ex- 

 ample, then in chronic, but as the greater 

 number of practioners remained fixed in the opin- 

 ions that it must be dangerous in common infl 

 mations, its use was not sp extensive as it dr 

 ed to be. By showing that this remedy is • 

 erful in simple inflammations as inflamm 

 the tonsils, M. Val|>eau hopes that pr 

 will no longer hesitate to make proof r 

 aud rescue thereby, hundred of b 

 from the grave. — London paper. 



