324 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
By the steamer Europa, we are in receipt of our 
foreign journals to 1st September. 
Markets. — wishes a material advance. Cotton ad- 
vanced and then receded the past month, leaving it 
at about the same rates as per our last. Flour and 
Wheat a decline. Indian Corn remains unchanged. 
Cheese in great request. Lard a considerable advance. 
Tobacco an upward tendency. Wool the same. 
The Crops throughout Europe are very abundant, 
and rather low prices must be anticipated. 
The Potato Disease. — The old potato disease has 
re-appeared in Ireland, where the fields present evident 
marks of its devastation. 
Death of Mehemet AH. — His Highness Mehemet 
Ali, Pascha of Egypt, died at Alexandria on the 2d of 
August. On the day following, his remains were 
taken up to Cairo, where they were buried on the 4th, 
in the new alabaster mosque, built by himself, in that 
citadel. 
Literary Prizes. — The Belgian government has of- 
fered a prize of 5,000 francs, and another of 1,000 francs 
with a gold medal. The first for the best work on 
general agriculture, and the second for the best trea- 
tise on the diseases of potatoes. Foreigners are invit- 
ed to compete, and manuscripts are to be sent to the 
Minister for the Interior before the 1st of January next 
year. 
To Destroy Weevils. — Corn and pea weevils, both 
in the egg, as well as in the perfect state, are easily 
destioyed by exposing them for a certain time in con- 
tact with carbonic-oxide gas. — Agricultural Gazette. 
Query in Regard to the Potato Disease. — As a mere 
guess at a remedy for the potato disease, it may be 
worth the inquiry of geologists and chemists whether 
ths native soil of the potato, in South America, 
contains any elements which are wanting, or defi- 
cient in that of Europe. Those who have been in 
volcanic districts are aware how every fissure and 
cranny of the earth is at least occasionally charged 
with gases of mixed composition, but especially sul- 
phureous, which may be smelt, in still weather, by 
those walking on the surface, and which must have 
some influence on the vegetation of those regions. 
Mexico and the Andes are doubtless similarly circum- 
stanced, and the peculiar constitution of plants, native 
to that range, may possibly have some dependence on 
those conditions of growth. Are the potatoes in the 
kingdom of Naples attacked by the disease ? Because, 
if they are, the presence of sulphur in the soil is no 
preventive against the potato plague. — Ibid. ■ 
New Process for Preserving Wood. — M. Brochard's 
plan for preserving wood, which differs very little 
from other methods now in use, or at least proposed 
for the same purpose, is, first by means of a pneumatic 
apparatus, worked by a steam engine, to exhaust the 
wood of its sap and other watery liquids ; then by 
means of compression, to force into the exhausted 
pores two other liquids, one after the other, which, 
combining in the interior, form an insoluble salt of 
iron. The author produced before the Academy of 
Sciences, at Paris, two pieces of deal, which had been 
experimented on, at Cette, by the chief engineer of the 
Ponts et Chaussees. These two pieces of wood had 
been used as piles, and had been covered by sea water 
to the depth of three or four yards; one of them which 
had not been in any way prepared, was very much at- 
tacked by the worm, whilst the other, which had been 
prepared in M. Brochard's way, was scarcely attacked 
at all. — Foreign Journal. 
Extraordinary Invention. — A Mr. Appold has in- 
vented a remarkable machine, called the " Centrifu- 
gal Pump," for draining marshes, &c, and a most 
ingenius affair it is. You have heard of the tur- 
bine — a small box waterwheel, possessing extraordi- 
nary capabilities for work. Well, Mr. Appold's model 
contains such a wheel made of tin, a little thicker, 
but no larger, than a halfpenny. This is fitted at the 
bottom of a square tube dipping into a small cistern 
containing water, which may represent a lake, &c. 
The little wheel being made to rotate with great 
velocity, throws up water rapidly into the tube above 
itself, until it overflows in a continuous stream at the 
top, and the volume of its stream is such as to deliver 
eight gallons per minute ; and on applying a nozzle, 
the stream is driven to a distance of twenty feet. This, 
you will say, is a marvellous effect from so apparently 
insignificant a cause ; but a wheel, about fifteen inches 
in diameter, exhibited at the same time, will deliver 
1,800 gallons per minute; it requires to be worked by 
an engine of four-horse power. Mr. Appold has lately 
proposed to the engineer of the Dutch government to 
fix a similar wheel on the Haarlem Sea, now in pro- 
cess of being drained, by forty pumps, driven by steam. 
A centrifugal pump of forty feet in diameter would do 
more work than all the others put together, and would 
deliver — so the inventor asserts — 1,500,000 gallons per 
minute. With such power at command, one would 
think we ought never more to hear of ships founder- 
ing at sea; and the emptying and reclamation of the 
Zuyder Zee resolves itself into a possibility. — Ibid. 
Profits of Public Slaughter Houses in France. — 
In all cases where these have been built in France, the 
revenues have been such as to make such constructions 
good speculations. At Paris, in 1847, the gross reve- 
nues were 1,200,000 francs, nearly ; the expenses, in- 
cluding employes, repairs, water, lighting, &c, were 
not 140,000 francs, leaving 1,060,000 francs net to pay 
the interest on a capital of 18,000,000 francs. In the 
town of Havre, the abattoirs are built upon 18|-year 
leases, and yet the proprietor makes money by his 
speculation. At Caen, the abattoirs produce a net 
revenue of 24,000 francs to pay the interest of a capi- 
tal of 301,000 francs. Everywhere the results are 
about the same ; nor can there be any reason to doubt 
that in England the results would be equally favor- 
able. The butchers of Paris, at first, violently opposed 
the establishment of the abattoirs ; but now they are 
so convinced of their utility and commodity, that they 
would almost as vigorously oppose any return to the 
former system. Indeed, it must evidently be to the 
interest of the butcher that his meat be killed in the 
most perfect condition, to ensure its preservation, and 
to satisfy the public that every precaution is taken to 
ensure a supply of wholesome meat. — Builder. 
Hatching Chickens. — An American, named Williams, 
near Champigny, France, has an establishment for 
the artificial incubation of eggs. He has been 
very successful, following, as near as possible, the 
means adopted by the mother hen, in the application 
of the artificial heat. As in her case, he applies the 
heat from above, and following her instinct as his 
guide, he frequently removes the heat, leaving the 
eggs free, to imbibe the necessary amount of oxygen. 
So far, his success has been complete. He finds 
ready sale for all his broods, which are sent to mar- 
ket, when twenty days old. His furnaces are kept 
constantly at work to furnish poulets for the Paris 
markets. — Paris Paper. 
Waterproof Composition for Cotton Cloth. — Take of old, 
pale linseed oil, 3 pints; sugar of lead, 1 oz. ; and 
white resin, 4 oz. The sugar of lead must be ground 
with a small quantity of the oil, and then added to the 
remainder, incorporated with the resin by means of 
gentle heat. The composition is to be laid on with a 
brush, shortly after which it dries, on exposure to the 
air. White linen or cotton fabrics, for protecting ten- 
der plants and vines, covered with it, exclude as little 
light and heat as any other material except glass; 
besides, it does not mildew. — English Paper. 
