AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 253 



JAPAN WAX. 



The London Journal of Arts of July 29, spealcs of tKe recent extension 

 of imports, amounting to cargoes of hundreds of tons. 



A tree bears berries of wax, resembling when dry, dried grapes. The 

 wax is of the Anacardiacem family, the Rhus succcdanea. It is a medium 

 between beeswax and vegetable tallow. Such as the Bassia butter, Bor- 

 neo vegetable tallow and Cncum butter, &c. Huber says, bees convert 

 sugar into wax. This Japan wax is softer, more brittle and fatty than 

 beeswax, kneads easily, melts readily at 40 degrees Centigrade, about 98 

 degrees Fahrenheit ; contains twice as much oxygen as beeswax, &c. 



SALT ON CULTIVATED LANDS. 



Mr. Aycrigg. — The result of the following experiment has convinced me 

 that, on my land, five and a half bushels of salt to the acre, is at least not 

 injurious to any garden crop, and that it has entirely driven off the striped 

 melon bug, and some subterranean insects for the last three years. I state 

 the case in detail, including part that others may think of some import- 

 ance, although I may not so consider it. 



In 1856, I planted a variety of garden vegetables in part of an ordinary 

 field without any especial preparation. Nothing grew well, as the ground 

 was not in as good condition as I supposed. The striped melon bug cut 

 off nearly all the watermelons, muskmelons, &c., although I sprinkled 

 ashes and powdered lime over the plants. A patch of Osage orange drills, 

 making together perhaps a mile in length, was filled with black beetles ; 

 as I found on digging up a short distance, occasionally, to see if the seeda 

 had sprouted. In a short time, nearly every drill (perhaps there was no 

 exception) could be traced by the mole burrows. The mole tracks were 

 visible in every direction over the rest of the ground. Not a single Osage 

 orange made its appearance. Probably because the seed had been ex- 

 tracted from the balls by means of hot water, and were therefore worthless 

 except that they caused an examination, which showed the condition of 

 the ground. 



All farther attention to this garden (if it deserved the name) was aban- 

 doned. 



In the spring of 1857, a new spot was chosen a short distance from the 

 former, with the same description of soil. It is a very fine, sandy loam, 

 such as is used by moulders for their castings. In early spring the entire 

 place was dressed with salt, broadcast at the rate of (2|) two and three- 

 quarter bushels to the acre. This part, intended for a permanent garden, 

 was then heavily manured, plowed and harrowed. Then a second dressing 

 of two and three-quarter bushels of salt, making together (5.^) five and a 

 half bushels to the acre. Everything, excepting potatoes, did very well, 

 some things remarkably. From the experience of the previous year, some 

 of the melons were secured by the open boxes, others planted in sods in 

 closed boxes, others were left to chance. All did equally well. Not a 

 striped bug made its appearance, although my neighbours were troubled as 

 usual. There was none last year, nor this year. 



