40 



THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



the climate of every country is constantly and 

 regularly changing from its greatest degree of 

 cold, to its greatest degree of heat, and then, 

 from heat to cold again. Each progression, Mr. 

 Locke conceives, occupies about 333 years, and 

 our own climate, since the year 1791, the period 

 of maximum cold, has been gradually getting 

 milder, whilst during the same time, the climate 

 of Europe has been undergoing an opposite 

 change ; thus, Mr. Locke asserts, that the United 

 States will soon possess, as he declares they for- 

 merly did, the verdure of the vine clad hills of 

 France, whilst France will again be bound in 

 the icy chains of ancient Gaul. This variation 

 in climate, Mr. Locke thinks, is attributable to 

 the same cause that produces the variation in 

 the magnetic needle. 



The fact of regular and gradual variation in 

 climate, for which Mr. Locke attempts to ac- 

 count, is said to be fully established by a refer- 

 ence to history. 



SCOURS IN CALVES. 



We have never found any remedy for the 

 scours preferable to boiled skimmed milk. This 

 should be given warm, and it is more safe than 

 poisons of any kind. 



TO PROTECT FRUIT FROM LATE SPRING 

 FROST. 



The following article appeared in the "Ame- 

 rican Farmer" last spring, and attracted our at- 

 tention on account of its novelty and ingenuity. 

 Since that period, we have seen a gentleman 

 who assured us he had tried the preventive re- 

 commended with the most entire success. It is 

 at least curious, and for the preservation of the 

 fruit of a particular and favorite tree, might be 

 esteemed useful. 



"Many expedients have been resorted to for 

 the protection of fruit from the blighting influ- 

 ence of late frosts. Throwing a sheet over 

 the tree, hanging iron upon it, kindling a fire 

 under it, &c. have each been found to have a 

 beneficial influence, but none have been more 

 efficient than the experiment which I am about 

 to describe. 



" My friend, Major Ruff, who is a virtuoso, 

 lately informed me that many years ago he saw 

 it stated in a French paper that by throwing a 

 hempen rope over the top of a fruit tree, when 

 in bloom or near the time of blooming, and by 

 letting its lower end touch the ground, the tree 

 would thus be protected from the influence of 



frost. This I thought quite rational and phi- 

 losophic, I accordingly made the experiment. — 

 To prove more fully the modus operandi I took 

 two dishes half filled with water, and set them 

 a few feet distant, under the tree, on the night 

 before an expected frost, the tree being nearly 

 in full bloom. Throwing the rope over the top 

 of the tree I let the other end hang in the water 

 of one of the dishes — the event proved the cor- 

 rectness of the theory. There was a hard frost 

 on the morning of the 27th instant and the dish 

 into which the rope was deposited, contained ice 

 of the thickness of a dollar, while that in the 

 other dish was scarcely of the thickness of paper. 



" The philosophy of the above experiment is 

 this : the rope, which was previously wetted, 

 was a conductor of heat ; the air, and of course 

 the limbs of the tree, became colder in the night 

 than the earth — the rope conducted the heat 

 from the earth to the tree, >hus keeping up an 

 equilibrium and preserving the tree from frost. 



u As far as my observation extends, the critical 

 time for fruit is long before it is in blossom ; but 

 it is nevertheless true, that severe and protracted 

 cold at that time, or even later, will destroy the 

 fruit. This was the case last year. The fruit 

 was killed by severe frost after it had been 

 formed. 



" There is not in my mind a doubt that by 

 attaching a rope to each tree of choice fruit, and 

 thus letting it permanently remain thrQugh the 

 winter and spring, that the fruit would be se- 

 cured from the effects of frost. 



" To the incredulous and the supercilious, who 

 balance their grist all their lives with a big 

 stone — who, sufficiently wise, despise knowledge 

 and instruction, the above may appear unworthy 

 their attention. Let such be informed that it is 

 not less philosophic than lightning rods attached 

 to buildings to protect them from the influence 

 of electricity — let them be informed that 



" There are more things in heaven and earth 

 Than their philosophy has ever dreamed of." 



W. L. Horton." 

 Woodlawn, Hartford Co., Mafth 29, 1842. 



TO MAKE PERMANENT MARKING INK. 



Take six and a quarter cents worth of lunar 

 caustic, and, having put it in an ounce vial filled 

 with vinegar, cork it tight and hang it in the 

 sun. In a couple of days it will be fit for use. 



To make the preparation for the above, take 

 a lump of pearlash the size of a chesnut and 

 dissolve it in a gill of rainwater. 



The part of the muslin which is to be written 

 upon is to be wet with the preparation, and dried 

 and glazed with a warm flatiron : immediately 

 after which it is ready for marking. 



A little vinegar in which a rusty nail has re- 



I 



