512 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



offered and awarded for the best cow exhibited ; 

 seldom with any restriction upon the use to be 

 made of the animal after the Show. How does 

 such an award tend to improve our stock ? 

 Should there not be some requisition made on 

 the owners of such premium animals, and obliga- 

 tion placed upon them to rear the progeny of 

 such cows, always taking care that they associate 

 only with animals of the best class ? 

 September, 18G1. Essex. 



THE RAPIDITY OF GROWTH IN FUNGI. 



Mr. Ward, in his work "On the Growth of 

 Plants in Closely-glazed Cases," says of it : "I 

 had been struck with the published accounts of 

 the extraordkiary growth of the ])hallus impudi- 

 cus. I therefore procured three or four specimens 

 in an undeveloped state, and placed them in a 

 small glazed case. All but one grew during my 

 temporary absence from home. I was deter- 

 mined not to lose sight of the last specimen ; and 

 observing one evening that there was a small rent 

 in the volva, indicating the approaching develop- 

 ment of the plant, I watched it all night, and at 

 8 o'clock in the morning the summit of the pileus 

 began to push through the jelly-like matter with 

 which it was surrounded. In the course of 25 

 minutes it shot up three inches, and attained its 

 full elevation of four inches in one hour and a 

 half. Marvellous are the accounts of the rapid 

 growth of the cells in the fungi ; but in the above 

 instance it cannot for a moment be imagined that 

 there was any increase in the number of ceils, but 

 merely an elongation of the erectile tissue of the 

 plant." The force developed by this rapid growth 

 and increase of the cells of fungi is truly aston- 

 ishing. M. BuUiard relates that on placing a 

 fungus within a glass vessel the plant expanded 

 so rapidly that it shivered the glass to pieces with 

 an explosive detonation as loud as that of a pis- 

 tol ; while Dr. Carpenter, in his Elements of hhy- 

 siology, mentions that *'in the neighborhood of 

 Basingstoke a paving stone, measuring 21in. 

 square, and weighing S3 lb.,was completely raised 

 an inch and a half out of its bed by a mass of 

 toadstools of from six to seven inches in diame- 

 ter, nearly the whole pavement of the town being 

 heaved up by the same cause." Every one has 

 heard of the portentous growth of the fungi in a 

 gentleman's cellar, produced by the decomposing 

 contents of a wine cask, which, being too sweet 

 for immediate use, was allowed to stand unmoles- 

 ted for several years. The door in this case was 

 blocked up and barricaded by the monstrous 

 growth, and when forcible entrance was obtained 

 the whole cellar was found completely filled, the 

 cask which had caused the vegetable revel, drained 

 of its contents, being triumphantly elevated to 

 the roof, as it were upon the shoulders of the bac- 

 chanalian fungi. — Macmillan's Footnotes from the 

 Page of Nature. 



The Jealousy of a Dog. — Some time since, a 

 gentleman living on the Hudson, had a fine New- 

 foundland dog, who was a great favorite with the 

 family. While this dog was confined in the yard, 

 a pet lamb was given to one of the children, which 

 the former soon discovered to be sharing a great 

 portion of those caresses which he had been in 

 the habit of receiving. This circumstance pro- 



duced so great an effect on the poor animal that 

 he fretted, and became extremely unwell, and re- 

 fused to eat. Thinking that exercise might be of 

 use to him, he was let loose. No sooner was this 

 done, than the dog watched his opportunity, and 

 seized the lamb in his mouth. He was seen con- 

 veying it down a lane, about a quarter of a mile 

 from his master's house, at the bottom of which 

 the Hudson river flowed. On arriving at it, he 

 held the lamb under water till it was drowned, 

 and thus effectually got rid of his rival. On ex- 

 amining the lamb, it did not appear to have been 

 bitten or otherwise injured ; and it might also be 

 supposed that the dog had chosen the easiest 

 death in removing the object of his dislike. 



HARVEST HYMN. 



BT OEORQE D. PRENTICE. 



At Carmel'g mount the prophet laid 



His offering on the altar stone, 

 And fire descended from the skies, 

 And round the holy altar shone ; 

 And thus, when Spring went smiling past. 

 Our offerings on the earth were cast, 

 And God's own blessing has come down, 

 Our sacrifice of faith to crown. 



No conqueror o'er our fields has gone. 



To blast with war our Summer bowers, 

 And stain with blood of woe and guilt. 

 The soil that giveth life to flowers ; 

 But morning dews and evening rains 

 Have fallen on our beauteous plains, 

 And earth, through all her realms abroad, 

 Gives back the image of her God. 



Bright with the Autumn's richest tints, 



Each hill lifts up its head on high, 

 And spreads its fruits and blossoms out. 

 An offering meet beneath the sky; 



And hill, and plain, and vale, and grove, 



Join in the sacrifice of love. 



And wind, and stream, and lake, and sea, 



Lifi high their hymns of ecstasy. 



It is the festival of earth — 



The flame of love o'er nature burns, 

 And to the holy heavens goes up 



Like incense from a thousand urns; 

 And. 0, let man's impassioned voice, 

 With nature's self in song rejoice. 

 Until the blended notes of love 

 Ring from the temple-arch above. 



Striking Rose Cuttings. — Mr. Peter B. 

 Mead, editor of the Horticulturist, of New York, 

 spoke of a new method of striking rose cuttings : 

 Take a pan or saucer, fill two-thirds with sand, 

 and then fill up with water ; prepare the cutting 

 in the ordinary way, cutting under a bud or an 

 eye, and place it in this sand, and it will root in a 

 much less time and with less failures than in any 

 other way. — Iloriictdturist. 



Norfolk County Society. — Here they had 

 good weather and a good time. The exhibition 

 of fruit probably surpassed that at any other show 

 this season. Col. Wilder had one hundred va- 

 rieties of pears on the table. The display of 

 flowers was profuse and beautiful. They had a 

 drawing, plowing and spading match. Address 

 by Prof. Agassiz. 



