o 



(>. 



AND GARPENER'S JOURNAL. 



93 



'['he auihor has advnnccd some tbeuries, which ore 

 luovirted by able chemis'.a of ihe day; and be np- 

 i'9 also 10 bavc made same important diecove- 

 s. His theory of the operation of gypsum ie 

 ry interesting, and altogelbor pinnsibic. After 

 V Hi Rsccrtnini'd the exietence of ammonia in rain 

 ucr, be was led to the following conclueion. " The 

 ih uiateof ammonia, contained in rain water, Is dc- 

 ;ii|>i'sedby gypsum in precisely the same manner as 

 lie maniifaciure of sal ammoniac. Soluble sul. 

 ;ii ' of ammonia and carbonote of lime are formed, 

 ,1 ibis salt of ammonia, posssssing no volatility, is 

 nscquently retained in the soil. All the gypsum 

 adually disappears, but its action on the carbonate ol 

 nmonia [of the rain] continues as long as a trace of 

 exists." 



The great mass of the opinions contained in the 

 ork, of course are not expected to bo original with 

 rof. Liebig, although be has amplified tbem, ard pre- 

 iiitcd them in an intercciing light; and we have 

 een surprised to see the Cultivator and New England 

 'armer, attribute to him discoveries and opinions 

 nown in vegetable chemistrj- long ago; especially the 

 ■eautiful explanation of the equilibrium maintained in 

 ho oxygen and carbon ol the atmospUere by the com- 

 uetion and rcf.piration on the one band, and the 

 •rowth of plants on ihe other, in the latter journal. 



Ashes~Aii Important Suggestion. 



It has been frequently observed by farmers, that 



gypsum on some soils, loses its efficacy, after several 



iuccessive applications. The crop of grasses becomes 



{reatly diminished, and the gypsum possesses no fur- 



her power to restore it. The following extract from 



Liicbig, contains a most important suggestion, and the 



sxperiment is well worthy an accurate trial. The 



dreader will bear in mind that potash ie an important 



Jwnatiluent in most vegetables, especially grasses. 



•I " When we increase the crop of grass in a ineadow 



"by means of gyp?uin, we remove a greater quantity of 



potash witfl tlie hay, than can, under ordinary eir- 



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



npso of several years, the crops of grass diminisb on 



the meadows manured with gypsum, owing to the defi- 



ci n;;y of potash. Bat if the mcaduw bi- stracedfrom 



tinu to tine with wood-ashes, even with the lixiviated 



ones which have been used by soap-boilers, then the 



- grass thnces as luzuriantly as before. The ashes are 



t only the means of restoring the potash." * 



hnusc. He barters olf his surplus products as he can 

 spare them, for bricU, lime, nails, glafs, &c ]n the 

 end he builds within his own means, e substantial 

 bouse, which adds to the comfort of his family and the 

 value of his farm. 



When I see a rickety frame house standing on a 

 farm badly fenced and woiee improved, ten to one but 

 the story is, that the proprietor sealed hie ruin by the 

 building of that house, before hie acres were cleared 

 and feiictd to an extent necessary to enable him to 

 till'ord it; that he i» now in debt, discouraged, and com- 

 pelled to employ that time in providing for his debts 

 which is so much needed by his farm. S. W. 



kty 



Log Houses. 



Messrs. Editors — A log house in a newly settled 

 country, has always struck me as exceeding good taste, 

 ■t»i first rate domestic econjniy; although I have of- 

 \en i.>ard sensible men and women remark that such a 

 man w>nUI be "much better employed in hauling 

 his loga tv the saw mill with a view to a frame house, 

 rather than ^le them up into such an unsightly dwel- 

 ling." 



But who ever «;ard of a first rate frome building 

 built in the first sett,j„g„t of ^ ,.oi,ntry ? Such hou. 

 «esare necessarily buu (,(■ green stuff, by rude work- 

 men, with a hasty cons.,jg[gj crazy foundation; so 

 that with much greater e.,gj,gg j„ ^^^^ beglnnin?-, 

 they soon come to be as wortL,^^ ^i^j ^^^^ un^ightfy 

 than a simple log cabin, and eq,][y ^„(^^ f^^ profits- 

 ble repair 



But the man who fi.-st builds a log .^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ 

 idvanlagea in the premises, than may .,^^^^ ^^ ^^^ 

 uninitiated. I:t the first place, instead ol '■■'^.■„„ ^^^ 

 jealousy or envy of his poor neighbors, they .^ ^,| 

 fall in with hearty good will to his aid, and his hi ^ 

 is up, like Jonaii's goard, in a single day. He novi 

 eaves his substance to build a barn and improve his 

 domain. At his leisure he draws his logs to the mill, 

 to l» wnrerted tat't boatds and gcaniling for a new 



From tlie Journal of Ike Aintriccn fiilk 

 Varieties of Silk Worms. 



Gideon B. Smith, Es^. 



Dear Sir — Since your favorable notice of my prop- 

 osition to simplify the silk business by the adoption of 

 simple names which shall bo understood by all, 1 am 

 induced to follow up the subject, reminding you at the 

 same t.me, that I proposed that you should moke any 

 alterations in my clae-ifieations which you thought 

 prftper, and to show my readiness to take goud advice, 

 I shall henceforth adopt ytiur claFsiiication, as lolluvvs: 



No. 1. Miiabel-Jauue or Large Nankin P a-niils. 



2. Sum Marabcl or Largo White I'ea-nuts. 



3. Common Peanut or Small Wuiie Pea-nuts 



— Small Nankin Pea-nuts. 



As the other varieties are all inferior to those, which 

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

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

 what names ihey are called. 



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

 certain the precise value of each kind for themselves, 

 to adopt the same experiments made by Jami s Manney 

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

 iii. folio 10. The important part of this e-xperinient is 

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

 of the different varieties — not how many cocoons will 

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

 cocoons I, the small pca-nul) will yield more silk than 

 the oval sulphur, and so also in drawing comparison 

 between the large pea-iuus and small pea nuts ; the 

 expense of feeding an equal number of worms, say 

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

 bushels eaih will make, orhowmony pounds each kind 

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

 ■iroduce, after having been reared with equal care. — 

 Mr. Manney's experiments shi w — 1st, 8 oz. mam- 

 moth cocoons, in number 141, yielding 360 grs which 

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

 '2d, 8 oz. pure white pea-nut (wheiher large or small 

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

 IS 2866 cocoons, or 10 lbs. 11 oz for 1 lb. reeledsilk; 

 3d, 8oz. mammoth sulphur cocoons, in number 145, 

 yielding 327 grs. which is 3408 cocoons, or 11 lbs. 12 

 oz for 1 lo. reeled eilk. 



Upon this basis It is easy for every silk grower to 

 calculate for himself which is the most profitable kind 

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

 100 Iba. reeled eilk. 



No, of Worms, 

 Mammoth While, 300,900 

 White P<!n-nut. 2*6,60.) 

 Miiiiir.->tll Sulphur, 340,!rO9 



li our friends will institute eompar: 



To Bestroy Rats and Mice. 



Wo copy from the (London^ Gardener'e Chionicic: 



"Monsieur Thenord in 1832, submitted to the 

 Academy of Sciences, n plan for dretroyini; noxious 

 at.imala in their hitiing places. The insirunent of 

 det-lrin-iion is sulphuretted hydrogen gas, wbieli ie pe- 

 culiarly destructive to animal li!e. Animals when al- 

 lowed to breathe the pure fins, fall down as if sirick 

 with a bullet. Even when considerably diluted with 

 atiiiiifplieiic air, its ctTi cts arc deadly. A horse diea 

 in less than a minute in air ciraining 1-250 of this 

 sns. A dog iif modernte size ie speedily killed in air 

 containing imly a thouFnnd part of it, aiui a small biid 

 expires in a few seconds in air possessing 1 1500 of 

 sulphuretted hydrogen. 



" M. Thenard'a first trial was in an apartment in- 

 fested by rais, which showed thtinsclves occatioiially 

 during the day, and at night were actively engaged in 

 plundering artelea kept in the room. There weie 18 

 rat-holes; and M. Thenard adapted to each of tbsm 

 in succession, retorts capable ol containing half a j>** t 

 by introducing the beak, and filling up the iniervn" 

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

 mentioned below.] In a few minutes not a rat re- 

 mained alive in the building. 



" His next experiment was in an old abbey, when 

 he was equally eucccesful, and having openr d part of 

 the wall, he found numbers if dead rate. He recom 

 mends ibe a|iplico:ioii of this meihod to ibe de.^tiuo- 

 tion of moles, fo.^es, and all animals that cannot be 

 extirpated by the usual means, 



■ Mix 4 parts of iron filings, or very small nails, or 

 scrapings of iron, with 3 parts of flower of sulphur, 

 and moisten it with 4 pans ol boiling water, eii ing 

 it with a piece of wood. Add prndually afieiwaids 4 

 parts more ot water, and introduce it into the u toM 

 Pour upon the mixture, common oil of vitriol diluted 

 with 5 times its quantity of water, and continue lo add 

 it gradually until the etfcrvesence ceases." 



These directions appear to us incomplete; and we 

 wish to inquire of some practical chemist, how the 

 operator ie to avoid the ill eflects of the gas, while h* 

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

 sing the rat-holes round the retort ? t 



. Cocoons. 



for 100 lbs. 

 ( reeledsilk. 



on the coming 



l.oia 



enaecn, by carefully reeling, say 1,000 select cocoons 

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

 municate the exact weight of silk produced from the 

 same, to you for publication, the question will not 

 then rest upon the opinion of one or twu individuals, 

 who may be interested in rearing a particular species 

 of worms, but the facts will be ascertained from the 

 whole silk-growing public, and again difiused through 

 your Journal to those most interested in the subject. 



I shall endeavor toe.\perimenl on your New Theo- 

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

 fuUv as you desire, but will frankly communicate the 

 result ol my experience. Truly, yours, 



W. A. WOODWARD. 



nkaca, April 10, ISIl. 



IC? Eggs of the large pea nut varieties, of Mr. 

 Woodward's raising, can be obtained at the Rochester 

 Seed Store, if opplied for soon. 



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



Seudent ol men, is the well infjrmed farmer, who 



.Vales hie own soil, and enjoys the advantages that 



competcnoc and intelligence Bic (rare to bestuw 



The following poem, by Marv Uowit. we insert by the 

 request of a fair friend, who juBtly oliservcs it may I'c new 

 to some of our readsrs, and cannot fail to excite fcelingi of 

 gratitude towards tiiat Being who provides so liberally for 

 our pleasures as well as necessities. 



The t'se of Flowers. 

 Cod might have made the earth bring forth 



Knough for great and small — 

 The oalt tree and the cedar tree. 

 Without a doner at ell. 



He might have made enough, enough. 



For every want of ours, — 

 For luxury, niedieine, and loll. 



And yet have made no floivcra. 



The ore, within the mountain mine. 



Rcquiieth none to grow. 

 Nor docs it need the Lotus-flnwcri 



To make the river flow. 



The clouds might give abundant rain. 



The nightly dev,-5 uiighi fell. 

 And herb, that kcepclh life in man, 



Wight yet have di unk them all. 



Then wherctorc wherefore were they made 



All dj el in rainbow light. 

 All fashioned with supremest grace, 



Up springing day and night: 



Springing in valleys green and low. 



And in the mounlrJns high. 

 And in the silent wilderness, 



Wlirre no man ffluaes byl 



ithe 



not. 



Our outward life rcqu 



Then wljereforc had they birth ? 

 To minister delight to man, 



To beautify the earth : 



To comfort man— to wliisper hope, 



Whene'er his fas-.c is dim, 

 For who so carelh for the flowers. 



Will much more care for hiai'. 



The first clenicnls af wealth aie obtained br hb.ir 

 from thcoattb end ■Kii^ir^—Fran/tlir , 



