Miscellaneous Intelligence. 433 
interesting discussion of which report says the pro and the com were sus- 
tained with equal success; this was at the commencement of the pres- 
ent month (August); to-day the subject is forgotten; and why has it 
deserved to pass so soon into oblivion? It was in consequence of a 
negative fact. The 14th of August was a fine day. On the 15th, the 
féte of the empire, the sun shone out, the cannon thundered all day 
long, fire-works and illuminations were blazing from 9 o’clock in the 
evening. Every thing conspired to verify the hypothesis of M. Méry, 
and chase away storms for a long time. But towards 11 in the evening 
a torrent of rain burst upon Paris in spite of the pretended influence of 
the discharge of cannon, and gave an occasion for the mobile Gallic 
mind to turn its attention in other directions. 
ous communications with care. None are satisfactory ; the theories 
are vague and uncertain; the methods of prevention are in general 
ridiculous or impracticable; and the subject is still left for the future to 
solve. 
enabled the Commune of Thomery alone to send to Paris in 1853 more 
than a million kilograms of the white grape, (‘‘ chasselas”) of excel- 
whole surface of the plant. The first application is made when the 
shoots are several centimeters long, the second after fl g, the third 
before the grape reaches maturity. The operation succeeds best in the 

done 
highly honored, is the treatise of a 
for a prize 000 francs, next year. 
Din . < the number of this Journal for May, of the pres- 
ent year, at page 414, I have spoken of one of my papers having for 
its object the determination of the influence which the medium may 
Srconp Serres, Vol. XVIII, No. 54.—Nov., 1854. 55 
