No. 6. 



Structure of the Horse's foot — To preserve Flowers. 



183 



any of the above substances. It is also known, 

 that fish manure when ploughed in, and work- 

 ed repeatedly with the plough and harrow 

 in fallowing, lasts longer than when simply 

 ploughed under for the crop— a proof, that 

 cultivation and pulverization strengthen the 

 chemical powers of the soil. On the same 

 principle, farm-yard manure will go further 

 when worked into the soil, so as to become 

 ultimately mixed, before sowing the crop. — 

 This satisfactory conclusion may therefore be 

 drawn — that the particles composing a well- 

 wrought soil, are capable of mechanically 

 retaining and chemically combining with 

 air and water and their principles; and also, 

 with the various products from vegetable anil 

 animal manures : and this capability of the 

 soil is to be improved, strengthened and per- 

 petuated, by well directed cultivation — thus 

 proving, not only the use, but the necessity 

 and' importance of thorough cultivation and 

 pulverization by means of fallowing; the 

 operations for which ought always to be com- 

 menced early in the autumn, and in dry 

 weather; then the plough presents an entire 

 fresh and partially dry surface to the influ- 

 ence of the succeeding winter, instead of the 

 same which had been before long exposed 

 during the preceding summer, and was in 

 consequence become stale; therefore, the 

 soil would not derive the proportion of benefit 

 it ought to do from the ensuing winter's frosts 

 and rains, and other changes, which, how- 

 ever, will be gained by the particles of the 

 now fresh turned up surface. Again, the 

 land being broken up as dry as it will plough, 

 the surface not only presents a greater num- 

 ber of particles to immediate exposure, but 

 being at the same time rather dry than other- 

 wise, the winter's rain and snow enter more 

 readily into every part of the clods, which, 

 after the manner of lime, crumbles them to 

 powder: whereas, if the same land be plough- 

 ed up wet, so as to knead, the cavities of the 

 soil being already filled with water, like a 

 sponge, can receive no more; and therefore, 

 from the approaching winter, there is no 

 chance to be again moved, or become dry : 

 the fresh rains and snows which fall cannot, 

 penetrate through the clods, every interstice 

 being already pre-occupied by the former 

 moisture; and this same quantity, thus lock- 

 ed up, when it has imparted to the soil all 

 that it is capable of, no further benefit is to 

 be expected, except upon the mere surface, 

 where the frosts and sun may occasion a 

 partial dryness. Such land, when ploughed 

 in the spring, w T ill turn up cold, heavy and 

 clammy, instead of being in the fine and ten- 

 der state of that land which was ploughed 

 dry in early autumn, and now again in a dry 

 season. And if a person follows the plough 



at that time, and examines the land thus 

 turned up, when the stubble and weeds were 

 buried, he will see that in turning over, it 

 separates readily into small portions, thus 

 materially assisting in the commencement of 

 pulverization ; the stubble being found in a 

 blackened and mouldy state, with the weeds 

 quite decayed ; and all this proceeding from 

 the fermentation which ensued during the 

 changes of winter, aided by the easy decom- 

 posible nature of the substances buried ; 

 whereas, if the weeds had been suffered to 

 remain unmolested, they would have contin- 

 ued alive, and have grown, if the winter had 

 proved mild. — Bland's Principles of Agr. 



Structure of the foot of the horse. — 

 The bones of the toot are not placed directly 

 under the weight; if they were in an upright 

 position, they would make a firm pillar, and 

 every motion would cause a shock; but they 

 are placed slanting or oblique, and are tied 

 together by an elastic binding on their lower 

 surfaces, so as to form springs as exact as 

 those which we make of leather and steel 

 for carriages. Then, the flatness of the hoof 

 which stretches out on each side, and the frog 

 coming down in the middle, between the 

 quarters, adds greatly to the elasticity of the 

 machine. But ignorant of this peculiarity of 

 structure, ill-informed farriers nail the shoe 

 in such a manner as to confine the quarters, 

 and thus cause permanent contraction of the 

 bones, ligaments and hoof, so that the elas- 

 ticity is destroyed ; every step is then a shock, 

 and inflammation and lameness ensue. Mr. 

 Bracey Clark has contrived an expanding 

 shoe, which, by a joint in front, opens and 

 contracts, so as to obviate the evils of the 

 common process. — Brougham. 



To preserve Flowers fresh for a long 

 period. — Procure a flat dish of porcelain ; 

 into which pour water sufficient to nearly 

 fill it ; in the water place a vase of flowers : 

 over the vase place a bell-glass, with its rim 

 in the water. This is similar to a " Ward's 

 case," in principle, although different in con- 

 struction. The air that surrounds the flow- 

 ers being confined beneath the bell-glass, is 

 constantly moist with the water that rises into 

 it, in the form of vapour. As fast as the water 

 becomes condensed, it runs down the sides 

 of the bell-glass into the dish ; and if means 

 be taken to enclose the water on the outside 

 of the bell-glass, so as to prevent its evapo- 

 rating into the air of the sitting room, the 

 atmosphere around the flowers will remain 

 continually damp. This plan is designated 

 the " Hopean apparatus." The experiment 

 may be tried on a small scale, by inserting a 

 tumbler over a rose bud, in a saucer of water. 



Gardeners' Chronicle. 



