mm. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



41 



■crease in product. Another statement, speaking 

 •of wheat, says it causes a great increase of till- 

 ering, a longer and heavier h©ad, and more 

 straw than the ordinar}/ process. 



It is almost inconceivable to us, what virtue 

 could be communicated to a seed so small as the 

 turnip, even if the most concentrated essence of 

 any thing, that would cause an increase of any 

 amount of its products. The advantage gained by 

 this process of steeping, as it is called, must 

 accrue to the plant in its younger stages, before 

 the fertilizing power of the seed is lost, to give 

 strength and early vigor to the young plant, 

 — causing its roots to throw out abundantly and 

 strong — whereby its ability to pi'ocure nutriment, 

 is greatly increased, as all seeds are entirely de- 

 composed long before the maturity of the plant. 

 We presume the phosphates and sulphates of ana- 

 monia are among the secrets of these prepara- 

 tions, as they are well known as great stimulants 

 and excitants of vegetation, and perhaps com- 

 bined with some material that rendei-s these salts 

 of difficult solubility, until decomposed by the 

 peculiar processes of the vegetable economy. ^ 



Natural ScieBce. 



One of the most interesting series of lectures 

 recently delivered, is that by Professor Agassiz, 

 in New York city, upon Natural Science. — 

 These lectures have been published in the jour- 

 sials as they were delivered, and exhibit the most 

 profound researches into the depths of nature. 

 Animal life is traced in all its various forms and 

 changes, to the present geological period, when 

 '^Lhe types and forms reached their present perfec- 

 tion. The conclusions are directly at variance 

 with the ingenious author of the Vestiges of Cre- 

 ation, whose theory ef development or evolution 

 of more perfect types out of the next inferior, 

 whieh theory tended to infinite progression, has 

 occasioned so much discussion. P. ofessor Agas- 

 siz thinks that the whole view of animal life upon 

 our globe proves that the great and beautiful and 

 harmonious plan of the Creator has been carried 

 out and finished ^ that it is a complete whole, 

 and that no further or higher types or develop- 

 ments of animal life should be looked for on this 

 globe. Among the interesting facts brought to 

 view was the limitation of different species of 

 animals to particular locations on the earth. — 

 Man's dwelling place is on every portion of the 

 earth's surface, and he traverses every sea ; but 

 there is no other specimen of animal life which 

 extends generally over the earth or through the 

 waters of the oceans. They are all confined to 

 limited fields, whose bounds they never pass. 

 Each continent and the different portions of con- 

 tinents have each their peculiar species of ani- 

 mals, which are unknown in other portions of 

 the earth. They all seem to remain upon the 

 ^.eld where they were created ; and the fossil 



remains in the different strata of the earth's sur- 

 face show that this law has always prevailed. 



In New Holland there are species of animals 

 entirely different from any others found in the 

 world, and the fossil remains of the same species 

 are found in the different strata in New Holland, 

 and nowhere else on the earth. What seems 

 more remarkable is, that fishes, which appear to 

 have no barrier to locomotion round the globe, 

 obey the same law, and remain alv/ays in the 

 same oceans and the same fields. There is a 

 family of fishes around the islands between New 

 Holland and Southern Asia, differing from any 

 others found in the world. They never leave 

 these waters except for a short distance i^to the 

 Indian Ocean. The fishes on the Atlantic shores 

 of Europe are entirely distinct from those on the 

 Atlantic shores of North America till we get far 

 north, where the mean temperature is thirty-two 

 degrees, and the two continents approach each 

 other. They never migrate, even along the 

 coast, beyond certain limits, A very interesting 

 summary of these lectures has appeared in the 

 National Intelligencer. Tlie professor, who has 

 but recentlv arrived here, is but forty years of 

 ■age, and the cultivators of natural sciei.ce have 

 yet much to hope from his labors. 



Shrinking of Pork— Lsnar Influence. 



Messrs. Editors : — I observe an inquiry in 

 the December number of the Farmer, asking the 

 reason or a remedy for the shrinking of poi'k 

 when boiled. What little experience I have 

 had proves to me that the following is a renrredy 

 — and of course when you see the remedy 

 you will know the reason. Now I care not 

 whether your h-^gs are very heavy, or whether 

 very fat or not, the whole mystery is here — kill 

 your hogs iii the new of the moon, as near the 

 full as you can, and when the moon is rising — 

 any time when it is betv.'een east and south — but 

 better the nearer the moon is to the south. 



The moon governs the tide ; when the moon 

 is rising the tide is rising, and the nearer the 

 full the higher the tide — and as soon as the 

 moon is south the tide begins to ebb. Therefore 

 your pork will shrink or swell with the ebbing 

 or flowing of the tide, and wane or wax of 

 the moon. Try it, and then you will know for 

 yourself. Wm. L. Van Dusen. 



Henrietta, Ohio, Jan. 1848. 



Remarks. — We give the above for what it is 

 worth. We shall not, at present, attempt to dis- 

 prove the statements and conclusions of our cor- 

 respondent, although we do not adopt his faith in 

 lunar influence. We alluded to the main ques- 

 tion at some length, in our January number. 



Keep your heart alwaj-s ready for some mis* 



fortune. 



