A NEW FACT.-WESTERN CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. 
37 ' 
Senator from Illinois, containing a description of a 
prairie car , which appears to be an improvement on 
similar inventions. This car runs over the prairie 
without the necessity of a railroad. It only requires 
wells to supply it with water, at the distance of 15 
miles. Dr. Gardener moved that Commodore De 
Kay be requested to prepare for the Association, a 
full account of the car, to be read at the next meeting. 
Mr. Edward Clark stated that he had made some 
successful experiments for preserving diseased pota 
toes by the use of lime, in different forms. Some he 
immersed in a weak solution of chloride of lime, for 
twelve hours, others in lime water, and had dusted 
some with quick-lime, dry slacked with water. The 
potatoes thus treated were preserved, while others of 
the same lot to which lime was not applied, decayed 
entirely. 
Dr. Grice, veterinary surgeon, read a paper upon 
the horse, and some of the diseases to which that ani¬ 
mal is subject. 
Mr. Doremus exhibited the electrical apparatus 
with which he had made some experiments upon 
plants, during the past season. It appears from his 
remarks, which were listened to with much attention, 
that a powerful current of electricity prevents the ger¬ 
mination of seeds ; and that with the apparatus 
which he had employed, he could not perceive any 
beneficial effects on the growth of plants. 
A discussion arose upon the subject, and some in¬ 
teresting remarks were made by Dr. Gardner, Mr. 
Stevens, and Mr. R. L. Pell. The latter gentleman 
attributed the failure in many cases to the imperfect 
manner in which the apparatus was constructed, and 
to inattention in keeping the conducting wires, espe¬ 
cially where they join the upper plate, perfectly dry. 
The meeting adjourned, after some other business 
o' the society was transacted, to the first Wednesday 
of December next, at which time several interesting 
things are expected to be discussed. 
A NEW^FACT. 
It is generally believed that the eggs of weevil, 
deposited in grains of wheat, are hatched oat in the 
same season before winter, or if not hatched out then, 
that they perish and do no injury to the grain. This 
may be the case with the white weevil, but it is not 
true of the black. In the fall of 1843, two years 
ago, I received from Virginia a shot bag filled with 
Conner wheat—an early ripening variety much val¬ 
ued by some farmers in that State. It was a fair, 
sound, beautiful sample of grain. I had just sown, 
before its reception, a small quantity of the same va¬ 
riety, and determined to keep this to sow the next, 
year, fearing some accident to the seeded crop. The 
shot-bag of wheat was carefully put away in a 
clothes-press, so carefully that it did not again come 
to light till about ten days ago. On opening the bag, 
a number of black weevil were seen, which had 
come out. Others were in the act of coming out ot 
the grain; and on cutting open grains .vhich ap¬ 
peared sound, the insect was found in the grain. 
Do not the eggs of insects remain dormant like seeds 
of plants, till the proper conjuncture of circumstances 
for their active existence takes place ? This may not 
be for years, or may happen the same year. 
The black weevil also hatched out of grain here 
of the present year's harvest , for one of my neighbors 
culled from his field a small sack of wheat he thought 
might be a valuable kind, cleaned it out, and sus¬ 
pended it by a rope in an upper room of a house 
When he took it down to sow a few weeks ago, he 
found great numbers of black weevil hatched out 
since harvest in his sack of selected wheat. The 
conclusion at which I arrive is, that no season favor¬ 
able to the active life of these insects has occulted 
here in 1843 or 1844; but that this season being fa¬ 
vorable, not only those deposited this year, but those 
also remaining dormant in the grain deposited in pre¬ 
vious years, have been excited into active existence. 
Great injury has been done in this state by these 
insects this year, and much of the wheat cleaned out 
has been destroyed by black weevil ; and in cases 
where it was got out of the straw and left in the 
chaff, it has been injured by white weevil—a circum¬ 
stance causing astonishment, as leaving it in the 
chaff has been thought a sure preventive of injury by 
them. The wheat Left in the stacks till this time is 
also generally injured, and in some stacks utterly 
destroyed by the white weevil. Can any of your 
correspondents tell us how to avoid these injuries to 
the grain after it is made ? John Lewis. 
Llangollen, Ky., Oct. 18, 1845. 
WESTERN CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. 
In the hemp growing region, this is a busy month. 
The residue of the corn not cut up, should be gathered 
and cribbed. All the hemp not put out in October 
should now be spread for winter rotting; and that 
which was spread in October, if sufficiently watered, 
should be taken up and put in shocks before Christ¬ 
mas, so that the hemp-braker may have employment 
in all suitable weather during the winter. A stock of 
pine wood should be laid in to last at least a few 
weeks, so that there may be no necessity for the 
hands to be out in bad weather. During rainy wea¬ 
ther, if corn shall have been gathered and put under 
a shelter, all hands may be engaged in shucking it 
out. Unless blue grass pastures have been kept in 
reserve for winter feeding, stock should now be fed 
with winter provender, and should be attended to 
with great care, to prevent them from falling off, not 
forgetting that salt is necessary for them in winter as 
well as summer, though a smaller quantity will 
answer. 
In the States and Territories north of the Ohio, 
winter will have set in, in good earnest, and much 
attention should be given to their stock. If possible, 
their stock of ail kinds should be so well kept as not 
to fall off' in flesh. As these States and Territories 
raise but little hemp, there will be abundance of time 
for feeding and attending to their stock. During the 
early part of this month, every necessary preparation 
should be made for the economical feeding of stock, 
and rendering them as comfortable as possible, always 
recollecting that when stock are sheltered and kept 
warm, less food will keep them in good order. 
As the winters are more severe in these States than 
in those farther south, and as January and Febru¬ 
ary are generally very inclement, a stock of wood 
should be laid in, abundantly sufficient to last till 
some time in March—and even for a longer period, if 
practicable, as by having a good supply of feed 
ahead, the farmer will have more time in the spring 
to repair fences, and make the other necessary pre» 
parations for the ensuing crop. A. Beatty 
Prospect Hill , Ky 
