100 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
To Destroy Sorrel in Grass Lands —Sorrel abounds 
in the proportion of the free humic acid in the soil, 
and it can be eradicated by the use of calcareous ma¬ 
nure, such as soapmakers’ waste, carbonate of lime. 
To Neutralize "the Humates in Water. —Put a small 
piece of lime, or, better still, a little lime water into it, 
and the water will become clear and palatable. 
Farming by the Insane. —The inmates of one of the 
insane hospitals in France, have been gradually 
brought on to a farm in the neighborhood to perform 
its daily work. This has not only been attended with 
considerable profit to the establishment, but it has also 
had a very happy effect on the health and temperament 
of those employed. The system of thus employing the 
insane is now spreading rapidly in France. 
Whole Potatoes best for Planting —These generally 
insure a tolerable crop in all seasons, and are said to 
prevent the dry rot in hot weather, and rottenness in 
wet weather which cut pieces are so liable to. 
To Grow Fine Early Strawberries. —As it is of great 
importance, in growing strawberries in the open air, 
to make them produce fine fruit as early as possible, 
without loss by frogs or slugs, Sec., which loss is gene¬ 
rally very great, the following plan may be found use¬ 
ful : Fix on each side of the row of strawberries, just 
before they come into blossom, feather-edged boards at 
an angle of fifty or sixty degrees. This may be effected 
by nailing two narrow strips of wood to each board, 
and pushing them into the ground. The boards should 
be painted black. This plan makes two or three 
weeks’ difference in the ripening of the fruit; but glass, 
or an oiled paper frame, being placed on the top, makes 
a greater difference still, and prevents any of the fruit 
from being trod upon, or eaten by vermin. This plan, 
at first sight, may appear to be an expensive one, but 
it is not so ; any old boards will answer the purpose. 
I have bought old feather-edged boards at \d. per foot; 
and, as they are only used in summer, they last for ma¬ 
ny years. The expense is saved in the first year; for 
the wood, although painted on each side with a coat 
of invisible green, costs only about 1 \d. the foot; 
while the increase of fruit in quantity, as well as in 
quality, quite compensates for the outlay. In conclu¬ 
sion I may observe, that watering with strong liquid 
manure two or three times in the month of February, 
and frequent waterings during bearing time with pond- 
water, are, I have found, very beneficial.— Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
Dry Rot in Timber. —I have had a great deal to do 
with this, and I have tried many remedies, but have 
found none to answer except the following, which I 
tried about four years ago. I took 3 lbs. of corrosive 
sublimate, and put it into a large glazed earthen pot; 
to this I put about four gallons of water, and when it 
was well dissolved I took a large painter’s brush, and 
washed the timber and walls with the water, and no 
symptoms of rot have made their appearance since.— 
Ibid. 
Productive Variety of Apple.— The Rymer Apple, 
Caldwell, or Cord wall, as it appears to be called near 
Nottingham, proves a most productive and valuable 
sort. The following note accompanied a specimen of 
the fruit: The tree will cover 100 yards; and 240 
ecks have been gathered from one tree and sold for 
4 1. 15s. 8 \d. — Ibid. 
Salt and Lime. —A correspondent of the Farmers’ 
Magazine recommends a mixture in a dry state of five 
quarters of lime and two and a half of salt for every 
acre, and allow the mass to remain undisturbed for 
three months before using. A double decomposition 
is thereby effected, and two new and valuable salts 
formed—carbonate oi lime and muriate of soda. On a 
farm of heavy soil, subsoil yellow clay, this mixture is 
used as a top dressing for vhei't, oats, and barley, ap¬ 
plied in March or April. The grain is thereby in¬ 
creased in quantity, and both grain and straw in quali 
ty. Light grain is thus entirely prevented. These 
salts not being volatile are always applied as a top 
dressing. 
The Himalayan Cedar. —Its botanical range extends 
from seven thousand to twelve thousand feet above 
the level of the sea; and in its most congenial locality 
it attains a great height, and a circumference of above 
thirty feet. When young it closely resembles the real 
cedar, but never sends forth spreading branches. So 
durable is its timber, that some used in building one of 
the wooden bridges over the Jailum, was found little 
decayed after exposure to the weather for above four 
hundred years. 
The Discovery of the true Food of Plants , with a Sketch 
of the Physiology of Agriculture. —Prof. Schultz of Berlin, 
has just published his views on these subjects, which are 
very different from those heretofore generally received. 
He says, 1. The hitherto received theory, that car¬ 
bonic acid is the principal food of plants, is erroneous, 
and altogether without foundation in nature. Car¬ 
bonic acid is absorbed by the roots merely incidentally, 
together with their food, and is decomposed at the 
same time with it, but with great difficulty, by means 
of the leaves; whilst the large quantity of oxygen 
which plants exhale has a very different origin. 2. 
There is no proof of the truth of the assumption con¬ 
nected with the carbonic acid theory, that water is 
decomposed and assimilated by plants. 3. The view 
hitherto adopted with the carbonic acid theory, that 
plants feed on unaltered humic acid and salts of humic 
acid, is also wrong, inasmuch as plants never absorb 
unaltered humic acid, humus extract, and salts of 
humic acid. 4. The true food of plants is rather the 
azotised humus in the vicinity of the roots, which is 
converted into other substances by their digesting 
action. 
Inversion of the Uterus. —Before we begin to return it 
to its natural situation we must have plenty of assist¬ 
ance at hand, and, if possible, get the cow to stand up 
if she is down. One of the assistants should lay 
hold of her by the horn and nose, another should press 
down her back, or goad her to keep her, if possible, 
quiet. If it is a mare put the twitch, or side line, or 
hobbles on. We should then lift the uterus on a clean 
cloth, which should be supported by a person on each 
side; then separate the placenta from the cotyledons 
[part of the inside of womb], in doing which we should 
be careful of not tearing any of them off, though I 
have seen some of them accidentally removed without 
any ill effect. If it is dirty, wash and clean it with 
warm milk and water, or any mucilaginous decoction 
of herbs. We should then place our clenched fist against 
the fundus, or extreme end of the uterus and force it 
again into its proper place. In doing so, we should, 
with our other hand and other assistants, gradually anc 
steadily force the side of the uterus in, and whic\ 
will, in a great measure, take off a deal off the pressure 
caused by the fist, and which might otherwise rupture 
the uterus. It will generally be found that when about 
half of it is returned it will begin to slip in very easily. 
We must be careful to pass our arm sufficiently far up 
in the body until the whole of the uterus has become 
re-inverted Some persons are in the habit of placing 
a clean napkin over the fist and arm, which, perhaps, 
may assist in drawing in the sides of the uterus, by be¬ 
coming in a measure attached to it. It may also 
prevent inoculation of the arm, which I have in seve¬ 
ral instances experienced to a painful degree.— Ve¬ 
terinarian. 
Gooseberry Caterpillar. —To prevent the attack of this 
pestiferous insect, when the plants are beginning to 
open their leaf-buds, dust the whole of them over 
with dry soot. This simple method has never been 
known to fail. 
