KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



253 



feeding only on the castor-oil plant. Mr. Pidding- 

 ton had, for some time previous to Sir William 

 Reid's arrival in Malta, been striving to convey 

 this silkworm to the Agricultural Society of Turin, 

 as they wish to introduce it into Italy ; it will be 

 his first duty, if he succeeds, to send it there. — W. 



Man's Contempt for Nature. — I rejoice, my 

 dear Sir, to see you so constantly inveighing 

 against mankind for the apathy they show for all 

 that is good, amiable, and natural. I have just 

 been reading a book, called " Friends iu Council," 

 and in it I rind the following, which please register 

 at once in the columns of Our Own : — At present 

 many a man who is versed in Greek metre, and 

 afterwards full of law reports, is childishly igno- 

 rant of nature. Let him walk with an intelligent 

 child for a morning, and the child will ask him a 

 hundred questions about sun, moon, stars, plants, 

 birds, building, farming, and the like, to which he 

 can give very sorry answers, if any ; or, at the 

 best, he has but a second hand acquaintance with 

 nature. Man's conceits are his main knowledge. 

 Whereas, if he had any pursuit connected with 

 nature, all nature is in harmony with it, is 

 brought into his presence by it ; and it affords at 

 once cultivation and recreation. — These remarks 

 are very pithy, and the force of them appeals to 

 us daily, even amongst our own acquaintance. 

 The world owe you. " Forestiera," " Honey- 

 suckle," "Puss," "Bombyx Atlas,"— indeed all 

 your interesting, kind-hearted correspondents, obli- 

 gations they never can repay. They may not be 

 aware of it. More's the pity ! It is really dis- 

 tressing to note what ill-use people make of the 

 time, the very short time allotted them in this 

 world. In that which is most beautiful, they 

 take no delight. Flowers, birds, trees, blossoms, 

 fresh air, and country pleasures — these are ig- 

 noble in their sight — fit only for "vulgar people," 

 who can find nothing better to amuse them. 

 Oh, my dear Sir, how one does regret to see so 

 much apathy and ignorance ; especially at this 

 season, when all nature is clothed in her loveliest 

 of lovely robes ! I enjoy so much all you say 

 about this ; and can enter with the sweetest 

 feelings of sympathy into the many aspirations 

 (in praise of all that is good and lovely) that 

 are breathed in the genial pages of Our Journal, 

 by all who know its value ! I should send you 

 many of my observations; but really you so 

 abound in amiable correspondents, that I am re- 

 luctant to put myself forward. I read, listen, 

 feel, admire, sympathise, and delight in all that 

 is said — preferring this to being a constant 

 speaker myself. — Lily of the Valley. 



[We rarely venture to differ in sentiment with 

 any of our choice correspondents ; but really, 

 fair Maid of Kent, you must not talk in this 

 strain. We cannot afford to let you off thus 

 easily. Your heart and your pen must become 

 public property ; therefore, if you please, send us 

 "something" — -anything from you will be most 

 truly welcome — every month. In a cause like 

 ours, you are a host.] 



Cultivation of the Willow. — There are many 

 species of willow. Linnaeus enumerates thirty. 

 Some of these attain the size of timber trees ; but 

 by far the greater portion of them are small shrubs, 



and only fit to cultivate in osier grounds. They 

 are naturally found in damp situations, by the side 

 of rivers, lakes, and brooks ; and in such places 

 are successfully and profitably cultivated — as no 

 other tree, the alder excepted, would grow in such 

 situations. One species of this tree (the Hunt- 

 ingdon willow) will, however, prosper in situations 

 perfectly dry, and even elevated, and attains the 

 size of a lofty tree. Though the wood of the willow 

 is weak and light, yet it has the property of sharp- 

 ening knives equal to a whetstone. The flowers 

 of several sorts have agreeable scents, particularly 

 the Persian willow, from which may be distilled a 

 water delightfully fragrant. There is a species of 

 willow in Germany, from which the natives extract 

 a kind of cotton, which they make into waddings, 

 and many other things. Willows have some 

 claim as ornamental trees ; and when grown old, 

 there is something very striking in their hoary 

 and reverend appearance. 



No tree in all the grove but hath its charms, 

 Though each its hue peculiar ; paler some, 

 And of a wannish grey — the willow such. 



The most beautiful weeping willows ever known 

 in England, were the two in Pope's gardens at 

 Twickenham ; they were remarkable for their 

 bulk, and the extent of their branches, spreading 

 so as to form two large groves. At Lichfield, in 

 Staffordshire, where Dr. Johnson was born, near 

 to the cathedral, may still be seen a very large 

 weeping willow, planted by that celebrated writer 

 in his youth. Willows of the osier kind (which 

 are considered the most profitable for cultivation) 

 are all propagated by cuttings, which root freely ; 

 and plantations of them may be formed in the fol- 

 lowing manner : — They are generally planted by 

 being pushed into the ground by the hand, which 

 must be well defended by a piece of strong leather; 

 but sometimes, in pushing in the cutting, the bark 

 is pressed off. In order to prevent this, it is better 

 to use a common dibble shod with iron, and have 

 them planted by it like ordinary planting in the 

 nursery. Where the ground is anywhere hard, or 

 where there is danger in pushing off the bark, they 

 should be planted so as to leave five or six inches 

 above ground, that, when it may become necessary, 

 the top of the stools may be cut off in order to 

 renovate them. This may be in, ten or twelve 

 years after planting ; and the practice will be found 

 of considerable advantage. It is a matter of indif- 

 ference whether the cuttings be planted in a sloping 

 or in a perpendicular position. — William R. 



Damp fatal to Bees. — A few golden rules must 

 be observed to secure success in bee keeping ; one 

 is, that damp is one of the greatest enemies of 

 bees. A damp floor-board ought to be removed 

 immediately, and replaced by a dry one, to which 

 a light hive ought to be tied down. When bees 

 lie on the floor -board 24 hours, they must be dead, 

 and should be removed ; and if the bottom of the 

 combs is very moist and mouldy, I would advise 

 turning up the hive in a warm, sheltered place, 

 and with a very sharp knife cutting oft' the mouldy 

 part ; employing that right hand of the practical 

 apiarian, a puff of tobacco-smoke, among the 

 combs. Feed, if possible, at the top ; it will 

 raise the spirits of the workers, and stimulate the 

 queen, if she is safe ; if she is not, the life of the 



