f. 6. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



93 



'he BUlbor baa odvnnced some iheoriee, which ore 



reverted by able chemisis of ihe day; and he ap- 



8 nlso 10 l.avc made some important discove- 



His theory of the operation of gypsum is 



■ interesting, and altogether plausihic. After 



ng ascertained the existence of ammonia in rain 



r, be was led to the following conclusion. '* The 



3nate of ammonia, contained in rain water, is de- 



josed by gypsum in precisely the same manner as 



le monufaoiuro of sal ammoniac. Soluble sul- 



'*! 3 of ammonia and carbonate of lime are formed, 



this salt of ammonia, possessing no volatility, is 



equenlly tetnmcd in the soil. All the gypsum 



aally disappears, but its action on the carbonate of 



•jf, onia [of the rain] contintie<i as long as a trace of 



Igi ists." 



''le great mass of the opinions contained in the 

 , of course are not expected to be original with 

 Liebig, nitbongb be has amplified them, ard pre- 

 d them in an interesting light; and we have 

 surprised to sec the Cultivator and New England 

 ler, attribute to liim diseoveiice and opinions 

 rii in vegetable cheniistry long ago; especially the 

 } iful explanation of the equilibritim maintained in 

 lygen and carbon of the atmosphere by the com- 

 )n and rerpiration on the one hand, and the 

 tb of plants on the other, in the latter journal. 



Ashes— An Important Su^sestion* 



has been frequently observed by farmers, that 

 m on some soils, loses its efficacy, after several 

 isive applications. The crop of grasses becomes 

 f diminished, and the gypsum possesses no fur- 

 ower to restore it. The following extract from 

 f, contains a most important suggestion, ond the 

 ment is well worthy an accurate trial. The 

 will bear in mind that potash is an important 

 uent in most vegetables, especially grasses. 



'hen we increase the crop of grass in a meadow 



ineof gypeum, we remove a greater quantity ol 



wita the hay, than can, under ordinary cir- 



inces, be restored. Hence it happens. that after a 



f several years, the crops of grass diminish on 



adows manured with gypsum, owing to ihedefi- 



'l""! of potash. But iy the meadow b" stretced/rom 



^.'1 time with icojdashcs, even with the lixiviated 



""i hich have been used by soap-boilers, then the 



■ 'trices as Inxurianliij as before. The ashes are 



) e means of restoring the potash." * 



niiii 

 rtF.;a 



C«f 

 n:ta 

 inoili 



Citlil 



««| 

 w;uffl 



Los IIoui«es. 

 SRS. Editors — A log house in a newly settled 

 , has always struck me as exceeding good taste, 

 It rate domestic economy; although I have of- 

 rd sensible men and women remark that such a 

 onUI be " much better employed in hauling 

 J to the saw mill with a view to a frame house, 

 ban pile them up into such an unsightly dwel- 



who ever heard of a first rate frame building 

 the first settlement of a country ? Such hou- 

 necessarily built of green stuff, by rude work- 

 rilh a hasty constructed crazy foundation; so 



much greater expense in the beginning, 

 in come to be as worthless and more unsightly 

 ample log cabin, and equally unfit for profita- 

 lir 



man who first builds a log house has more 

 ges in the premises, than may appear to the 

 ted. In the first place, instead ofe.xciting the 

 or envy of his poor neighbors, thty now all 

 'ith hearty good will to his aid, and his house 

 nfid ''^^ Jonah's goard, in a single day. He now 

 ..i-| is substance to build a barn and improve his 



■ils'oll 

 mil 



mi £ 



id* 



irraJ* 

 l«iitlil 



1 fii* 

 Wrti"] 



At his leisure he draws his logs to the mill 

 iTertod fti;? boards end 9<?sn^ling for a w^ 



house. He barters off his surplus products as he can 

 spare them, for brick, lime, nails, glass, &c In the 

 end he builds within his own means, a substantial 

 house, which adds to the com.'brl of his family and the 

 value of his farm. 



Wbc-n I see a rickety frame house standing on o 

 farm badly fencetl and worse improved, ten to one but 

 the story is, that the piopiietor scaled his ruin by the 

 building of that houso, before his acres were cleared 

 and fenced to an extent necessary to enable him to 

 afford it; that he is now in debt, discouraged, and com- 

 pelled to employ that lime in providing for his debts 

 which is 60 much needed by his form. S. W. 



Frum ihe Journal nf Iht American SitU Society 

 Varieties ol' Silk Worms. 



Gideon B. Smith, Esq. 



Dear Sir — Since your favorable notice of my prop- 

 osition to simplily the silk business by the adoption ot 

 simple names which shall be understood by nil, I am 

 induced to /ollow up the subject, reminding ynu at the 

 same t.me, that 1 proposed that you should make any 

 alterations in my clas-irieations which you thou"lit 

 projjer, and to show my readiness to take good advice, 

 1 biiiiU hencetorlb adopt your cla^siIicot^on, as lollows: 



No. 1. Mirobel-Jaune or Large Nankin I'.a-niits. 



2. Sina M:irabel or L^rge White IVa-nuis. 



3. Commnn Pea nut or Small Wuite Fca-nuts 



— Small Nankin Pea-nuts. 



As the other varieties are all inferior to those, v^■hich 

 silk growers will learn sooner or later, and then dis- 

 continue the use of, ] deem it of no importance by 

 what names they ore called. 



in the mean time, I recommend all who wish to as- 

 certain the precise value of eoch kind for themselves, 

 to adopt ihe same experiments made by Janus Maniiey 

 of Beaufort, N. C. in June, 1840 — see Jouinal, vol. 

 iii. folio 10. The important part of thiscx|ierimcnt is 

 to leain how many worms will make 1 lb. reeled silk 

 oi the different varieties — not how many cocoons will 

 lilla bushel — for, of course, a bushel of the smallest 

 cocoons i,tbe small pea-nut) will yield more silk than 

 the oval sulphur, and so also in drawing comparison 

 between the large pca-nu'.s and small pea nuts ; the 

 expense of feeOing an equal number of worms, say 

 100,000, being equal — the question is not how many 

 bushels eai-h will make, or how many pounds each kind 

 will weigh, but how much reeled silk willeach 100,000 

 produce, after having been reared with equal care. — 

 Mr. Monney's experiments ehi w — 1st, 8 oz. mam- 

 moth cocoons, in number 1-41, yielding 360 gre which 

 is 3008 cocoons, or 10 lbs. 10 oz. for 1 lb. reeled silk: 

 2d, 8 oz. pure white pea-nut (« bother large or small 

 18 not stated) in number 134, yielding 359 grs. which 

 IS 2806 cocoons, or 10 lbs. 11 oz ibr 1 lb. reckdsilk; 

 3d. 8oz. mammoth sulphur cocoons, in number 14.5, 

 yielding 327 grs. which is 3-108 cocoons, or 11 lbs. 12 

 oz fir 1 lu. reeled oilk. 



Upon this basis it is easy for every silk grower to 

 calculate tor himself which is the most |irol;iablc kind 

 ol worms to feed, and weight of cocoons, to produce 

 100 lbs. reeled silk. 



No. of Worms, lbs. Cocoons. 



M.-immnth While, SWI.FOU 

 Wliitc IVr.-nut. 2-0 6011 

 .Maiioi'-'lil -Sulpliur, SW.SOa 



1,0(17 ) 



;•?"» f reeled si.k. 

 i,i*j J 



for 100 Ills. 



}i our friends will institute comparison the coming 

 season, by carefully reeling, sny 1,(100 select cocoons 

 of eiicn variety of worms which they raise, and com- 

 municate the exact weight of silk prr>duced from the 

 same, to you lor publication, the question will not 

 then rest upon the opinion of one or two individuals, 

 who may be interested in rearing a particular species 

 of worms, but the- facts will ho ascertained from the 

 whole silk-growing public, and again diffused through 

 your Journal to those most interested in the subject. 



I shall endeavor to experiment on your New Theo- 

 ry the present season — I shall not be able to do it as 

 fully ae you desiie, but will frankly communicate the 

 re.-ultot my experience. Tiuly, yours, 



W. A. WOODWARD. 



Wiaea, April 10, 1811. 



IC Eggs of the large pea nut varieties, of Jlr. 

 Woodward's raising, can be obtained at the Rochester 

 Seed Store, if opplied for soon. 



The most honorable, the most useful, the most in- 

 dependent of men, is tb:' well informed farmer, who 

 cultivates his own soil, and erijoyti the odvantages that 

 beol'h, otnpp'ence and inteiiijencoaieiure t>l>e5«ow. 



To Destroy Hats and Mire. 



Wo copy from the (London) Gardener's Chronicle: 



"Monsieur Tbonard in 1832, tiibmitted to the 

 Academy of Sciences, a plan for destroyin',' noxious 

 animals in their h'ding iibices. The insiriinient of 

 destriiciion is sulplinrettcd hydrogen jzns, wLicli is pe- 

 culiarly destructive to animal lile. Animals when al- 

 lowed to breathe the pure gas, fall down as if stiuelt 

 with a bullet. Even when considerably diluted wit'u 

 (itmosplieric air, its effects ore deadly. A horse dies 

 in less than a minute in air containing 1-250 of ibis 

 L'os. A dog of moderate size is speedily kilkd in oir 

 containing only a thousand part of it, niiu o small biid 

 expires in a few seconds in air possessing 1 1500 of 

 sulphuretted hydrogen. 



*' M. Thenard's first trial wos in an apartment in- 

 fested by rals, which showed themselves occasionally 

 during the day, and at night wire actively engaged in 

 pluudeiing artcles kept in the room. There wiie 18 

 rat-holes; and M. Tbenaid odapted lo each of them 

 in succession, retorts capable of containing hn/j'a ;"'•• t 

 by introducing the hiak, ond filling up the in onnl 

 round the neck with plaster. [The mixture will b« 

 mentioned below-] Inn few minutes not a rat re- 

 mained alive in the building. 



" His next experiment was in nn old abbey, when 

 he was equally sncceseful, end having opcnid port of 

 the wall, he linind ll«nlber^ cf dead rots. He recom- 

 mends ihe npplicniion of ihis method to the de.-sttuc- 

 tion of mobs, foxes, ond all animals that cannot bo 

 extirpated by the usual means. 



" Mix 4 parts of iron filings, or very small noils, or 

 scropmgs of iron, with 3 parts of (lower of siilpf ur, 

 and moislen it with 4 pans ol boding water, stirring 

 It with a piece of wood. Add gradually aliei words 4 

 linrls more ot water, and introduce it into the retort 

 Pour upon the mixture, common oil of vitriol diluted 

 with 5 times its qnantiiv of water, and continue to add 

 it gradually until the effervesence ceases." 



These directions appear to us incomplete; and wo 

 wish to inquire of some practical chemist, how th« 

 operator is to avoid the ill effects of the gas, while he 

 is pouring on the oil of vitriol 1 and while he is clo- 

 sing tlft rat-holes round the retort ? f 



The following poem, by .Maiiy Howit. we Insert by tlio 

 reque.t of a fair frieiiil, who jiielly olieervcs it may be new 

 to some of our reatlars, anil cannot fail to exi-ite feelings of 

 gratitude towards that I3cing who provides so liberally for 

 our plcisurcs us well ;is necessities. 



The Use of Flowers. 



God might have made the earth bring forth 



Enough for great and small — 

 The oak tree itini the ccd.ir tree. 



Without u flower .tt all. 



He might have made enough, enough. 



For every want of ours, — 

 For Iu-\ury, mrdicine, and toil, 



And yet have made no flowers. 



The ore, within tlir mountain mino. 



Requiielli none to grow, 

 Nor dncs it ncCLl the Lotiis-flnweri 



To make the river flow. 



The clouds nii^ht give abundant rain. 



The nightly dews might fall. 

 And herb, tlmt kecpetli life in man. 



Might yet have d^unk tlicm all. 



Then wherefore wherefore were thej luade 



All djod in rainbow light, 

 All fiiBliioncd n ith supremcst grace. 



Up springing day and r-i^lit: 



Springing In valleys green and low, 



And in the mountains high. 

 And in the silent wilderness, 



Whsreno man pusses by! 



Our outward life rr-Tuires them not. 



Then wherefore had they birth? 

 To minister ilelight lo man, . 



To beautify the earth: 



To ronifort man — ^to whisper hops, 



"Whene'er his face is dim, 

 For who so earetli for the flowers. 



Will much more care for liiiii t 



The first elements of weailb are obfdined by labir 

 from tht?e3it ' and -"-olor*. — Fr<rnk!ir> 



