264 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Important Keniedy Proposed for Infec- 
tious Diseases.— Lung Murrain, etc. 
The following communication to the American 
Agriculturist is from Dr. Stephen Bredin of Butler 
Co., Fa. We are gratified at having our attention 
drawn to Prof. Polli's experiments and agree en- 
tirely with Dr. B. in regard to the importance of 
having these remedies immediately tested. 
" The perusal of a late article on Pulmonary 
Murrain iu your excellent paper has induced me 
to call attention through your columns to the ex- 
periments of Professor Polli in the use of the 
sulphites of soda, potash, etc., in cases of blood 
poisoning from purulent infection or contagious 
disease. The experiments of this learned Italian 
professor were undoubtedly carefully conducted 
and extremely satisfactory, their results so marked 
and conclusive, that scientific men do not hesitate 
to aver that these experiments, in the benefit they 
are destined to confer, may be only second to that 
of the great Jenner in the discovery of the vaccine 
disease and its power over that loathsome pesti- 
leuce, small-pox. A remedy so powerful as to pre- 
vent the death of an animal after having had as 
violent a poison as that taken from the nostrils of 
a glandered horse, introduced into the circulation 
of the blood, and afterward to bring about its re- 
covery by neutralizing the same and enabling 
Nature to throw it off, is worthy of trial in pleuro- 
pneumonia or lung-murrain. The power- 
ful autiseptic property of these sulphites 
is so conclusively shown in these experi- 
ments, a detailed account of which may 
be found in Braithwaite's Retrospect, that 
their preventive power in warding off 
the infection of lung murrain might prove 
very great. The magnitude of the calamity 
which the introduction of this terrible dis- 
ease into our country at the present day 
may inflict, is so great, that any means to 
retard or destroy its pestilent force may be 
of incalculable benefit to us as a nation. 
The use of these salts may remedy faults, or 
violation of hygienic laws, iu our treatment of the 
dumb beasts, which we do not now understand and 
which are yet to be overcome by science. The sul- 
phite of lime is sold to prevent fermentation of cider, 
and the sulphite of soda* is a cheap salt used by 
every photographist. These are within the reach 
of every man. The lime salt is tasteless and in- 
odorous, and could be given in the food, or if mixed 
with a little common salt, the cattle would lick 
it up ; that of soda could be given with salt or in 
any way convenient: a tablespoonful of either 
twice a day might be sufficient to prevent infection 
after exposure, or to render the disease milder and 
less fatal after its commencement. During the 
progress of the disease, an ounce or more would 
have to be used frequently during the day, to secure 
the effect upon the blood. These quantities are 
not too great, perhaps are hardly sufficient to ex- 
hibit the full autiseptic power of the salt — of this, 
experience would be the guide. I am therefore 
anxious to call attention through your widely ex- 
tended columns to the use of these simple and 
innocuous salts in all or any diseases where the 
blood is poisoned by any infectious matters." 
* " Sulphite of Soda," is not the salt used by photographers ; 
the hypo-sulphite Is used. The medical effects of the two 
may be similar, however ; but as it is often called improper- 
ly " Sulphite of Soda," this fact must be borne in mind to 
avoid disappointment. 
Shall we Lend to the Government ? 
Our Government needs money to put down rebel- 
lion. Shall we, the people lend it, or shall the Gov- 
ernment go to foreign countries for it ? If we do the 
former, we receive regularly a high rate of interest, 
the investment is not taxed, the "7-30s" (which 
is the loan now offered) after 3 years, are converti- 
ble into 6 per cent, gold-bearing bonds, we help 
the Government to put down treason and rebel- 
lion; and the more the people take of these bonds, 
the stronger will be the Government, because it 
will be the personal interest of more people to sus- 
tain it, and its credit. If, however, we go abroad 
to have the loan taken, we make the country, and 
ourselves as of it, tributary to foreign nations. 
Our security is the stability and permanence of the 
Government of the United States of America. Who 
doubts this but traitors, and those who seek to im- 
pair its credit, and bring defeat to its arms ? — Who, 
then, ought to take this loan? Whoever has even 
S50 to invest for a short or a long time. The bonds 
will always meet a ready sale, their value will in- 
crease, and every principle of patriotism, and all 
sound financial considerations unite in furnishing 
motives to all who have money to invest, to place 
it here. See notice of 7-30s on another page. 
Chess or Cheat. — Bromus secalinus. 
It is not the purpose of this article to discuss 
the often exploded fallacy of the transmutation 
of wheat and other grains into chess, but rath- 
er to show what chess is, and how it may he 
known when it is met with. It would seem 
from letters and specimens frequently sent to 
the Agriculturist, that all its readers do not 
know the plant. A gentleman near Utiea re- 
cently sent us very fine specimens of a grass 
which came up among some seeds from the 
Patent Office. From its luxuriance, and the fact 
that horses seemed to be fond 'of it when fresh, 
he supposed that he had come into possession of 
a new and useful grass. It was very fine chess. 
The engraving of a full sized ripe cluster will 
enable any one to recognize the plant. The 
open, loose panicle (as the cluster is called), with 
its long stalked, separate heads, has a graceful 
and peculiar appearance, and it is not likely 
that any other grass can he mistaken for it. Be- 
fore the grains commence to mature, the heads 
are narrower and more pointed than is here 
represented. The little awn or bristle to the 
chaff of each grain, varies very much iu length, 
beiDg sometimes much longer than is shown in 
the engraving. Although the chess grows lux- 
uriantly, it can not be considered other than as 
a worthless weed which should be carefully 
eradicated. An attempt was made some years 
ago to introduce it under the name of Willard's 
Bromus. It was found to yield a large quantity 
of fodder, but its quality was found by direct ex- 
periment to be poorer than any other fodder, 
except oat-straw. Cows having equally free 
acces3 to the Bromus or chess, and swale hay 
and corn-stalks, invariably neglected the chess. 
Sowing Grass Seed in early Autumn. 
The modes of seediug land to grass are so 
various, yet simple, and on the whole, uni- 
formly successful, that we need not wonder 
at finding conflicting opinions among farm- 
ers. In this latitude, grass is the natural cover- 
ing of soil denuded of the forest, and where 
bushes and trees do not come in naturall} 7 , the 
grasses will crowd out almost every thing else. 
True, they have a few associates which dispute 
the territory with them, as the white daisy, but- 
tercup and yellow dock, but on the whole the 
grass is master. Naturally, grass seeds are sown 
in the heat of summer — that is, at this time they 
fall ripe from the stalk and find their way to the 
soil. Circumstances favoring vegetation seldom 
occur before the rains of August and Septem-^ 
ber moisten the ground. These newly dropped 
seeds do not always germinate with the same 
degree of ease as those a little older; a few, how- 
ever, spring up, get a good start before winter, 
and the next summer under favorable circum- 
stances stand iu their full vigor. 
On good soils, not too stiff, and on which wa- 
ter does not stand in winter, grass seed sown 
before the middle of September, or even a month 
earlier, will generi.'_y make an excellent stand 
for the next cutting ; even clover often does well, 
though we prefer, as a rule, to sow clover in 
spring. The ground is cleaner as a general 
thing in the fall, and the grass gets a good hold 
upon the soil, but hardly forms a sod. Clays, 
which heave by the frost, even when covered by 
a tough sward, are best seeded down in the 
spring, or with grain, for the protection afforded 
by a grain crop on such soils, especially if the 
roller be used in the spring, usually secures the 
grass from essential damage. As to the quanti- 
ty of grass seed to he sown per acre, the prac- 
tice of the best farmers is constantly increasing 
the quantity sown, and the number of kinds 
sown for permanent meadows, and for all pur- 
poses where grass seed is not sought. Grass lauds 
are seldom over-seeded, and if they are, no harm 
is done, and the crop of hay may be increased 
and improved by a mixture of seeds. The 
seed ought to be sown evenly after thorough- 
ly harrowing, and at this season it is usu- 
al to go over the field with a light bush after 
sowing the seed. There is little danger from 
drouth after the seed has started — for it will 
not generally germinate till after a good rain. 
