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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



tubers were all sound, but were small and nu- 

 merous. They kept perfectly well, and some 

 were used for setting in June last (1852). A 

 part of the other Potatoes was diseased. While 

 this experiment was going on in a field of heavy 

 soil (ctrgilo-schisteuse), hardened by the dryness 

 of the season, similar trials were made in a 

 kitchen garden, the soil of which was lighter, 

 and brought to a good tilth by manuring; the 

 seedlings were, moreover, watered. The result 

 was the same. The tubers charged with Peas 

 were preserved from disease, but the others 

 planted in the same soil rapidly indicated signs 

 of ill health. During the growth of the Pea 

 stems and Potatoe shoots, I had some of them 

 pulled up and examined. I observed that the 

 early vegetation of the Pea had carried off from 

 the tuber its excessive humidity, and favored the 

 development of the Potatoe. Ashes, the use of 

 which has been recommended, appear to me to 

 act in the same way, but less completely. They 

 absorb in part the excessive humidity by reason 

 of the saline matters they contain, but there is 

 no such rapidity of absorption, as follows the 

 vegetation of the Peas." — As M. Bayard speaks 

 so positively on the subject, we advise that his 

 ideas should be universally adopted. No evil 

 can result from it ; and perhaps much good. 



More Proofs of the Sagacity of the Dog. — I am 

 induced by reading the delightful anecdote by 

 Verax, touching the sagacity of a dog, to tell 

 3 r ou something equally wonderful that occurred 

 in our own family. Some time since, my bro- 

 ther had a small terrier, Marcus by name; who 

 always accompanied him on his journeys into 

 the country. Sometimes he would run beside 

 the carriage — sometimes, he would take his seat 

 inside; and on such occasions his master felt as 

 well-pleased as himself. This went on for years. 

 At last, after travelling many hundreds of miles, 

 old age rendered Marcus comparatively feeble, 

 and he was ordered to be kept in. The dog knew 

 well that such orders had been given, and he 

 watched every movement of his master's mouth. 

 Never was there any command given for the 

 horses to be brought out,, but Marcus knew all 

 about it. The moment he perceived some pre- 

 paratory movement taking place, he lost no time 

 in trimming and " cleaning" himself, in rea- 

 diness " to go out." His importance on such 

 occasions, was ludicrously comic; but when the 

 carriage drew up, he was always missing. 

 Vainly was he whistled to. He was not to be 

 found. He had in fact, set out first; and about 

 a mile on the road, there he always was — waiting 

 for the carriage. His place of concealment, 

 nobody knew; for he appeared when and where 

 he was least expected. His quiet manner of 

 joining the horses I shall never forget. They 

 knew him, and he knew them ; and he ran in 

 advance of them, with a perfectly good under- 

 standing among themselves. Wherever Marcus 

 and his master went, a hearty welcome was 

 theirs. Sometimes, Marcus contrived to lose his 

 master. He would then go round carefully to 

 every house, in turn, where his master was in 

 the habit of visiting. If unsuccessful in his 

 search, he immediately returned to the inn, and 

 took up his quarters in the carriage* Sometimes, 



he would make his way up stairs ; and there would 

 he be found, carefully curled upon his master's 

 carpet-bag, or portmanteau. On one occasion, 

 Marcus missed my brother, and was seeking for 

 him, vainly, a whole week. He was on a long 

 journey, and the dog must have travelled 

 upwards of 100 miles in search of him! It 

 appeared that Marcus had called in every town 

 and at every house where his master usually 

 stopped. Not finding him, he was off imme- 

 diately, refusing food or shelter. These he ob- 

 tained at the inns, where he had been in the 

 habit of being fed. At the week's end, his 

 master came home. The dog was there to 

 receive him; and which of the twain felt hap- 

 piest, I imagine it would be a difficult point to 

 determine. — Cherubina, Henley-on- Thames. 



Gardening and Civilisation in Australia. — The 

 following, Mr. Editor, from the Gardeners' Jour- 

 nal, is worthy a place in " Our Own." It con- 

 firms what you have already said about the 

 "Diggings," and who ought not to go there: — 

 " The obvious arrangements of Providence, 

 and the efforts and results of science, seem singu- 

 larly united at the present moment in their ten- 

 dency to promote and further the changes and 

 extraordinary movements with which all persons 

 are more or less familiar at the present time. 

 By protracted processes and continued effort on 

 the part of science, enterprise, and unparalleled 

 wealth, means have been provided by which half 

 the circuit of the globe can in various directions 

 be traversed within a few months. Singular as 

 it may seem, it is just at this remarkable junc- 

 ture, and not before, that the dense population 

 which crowds the soil of Europe find their ears 

 tingle with the enchanting sound, ' Gold, gold ! 

 gold for the digging, at the antipodes!' The 

 result we need hardly repeat — one third at least 

 of the millions of Europe are gone, going, and 

 to go to this new centre of attraction, and ulti- 

 mately, of course, to populate and cultivate vast 

 regions of the earth still unadorned by civilised 

 man. In conformity, we suppose we must say, 

 with the movements of the present period, we 

 learn, from what seems credible authority, that 

 one of the most enterprising builders of the age 

 — we mean Thomas Cubitt — is about to carry 

 out to Australia three thousand or more artisans, 

 for the purpose of building near the gold diggings 

 ' several large towns.' [Mr. Cubitt has just 

 written to the Times, to say he is not going to 

 take the men out with him at his own expense.] 

 But two or three years ago, such a statement as 

 this would have fallen on the ear, and produced 

 no other effect than a smile of incredulity and 

 ridicule. Be the report true or not true, it is 

 now not only a possible, but a probable event. 

 Should it be realised, we think a few gardeners 

 might find a favorable opening here, cither to 

 join the expedition, to precede, or follow it. For, 

 although ornamental gardening can receive but 

 little attention at first from a new community in 

 a new country, there must nevertheless be nume- 

 rous wants there, which a gardener could supply 

 better than any one else. Any one possessing 

 the general education and intelligence of an 

 ordinary gardener, must be infinitely better pre- 

 pared than the bulk of common emigrants to 



