AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
521 
1881.] 
though as others have reached different 
conclusions, we will simply take it as a type 
of the Micrococci, and leave the question of 
its connection with the disease to be decided 
by more satisfactory researches. Figure 2 
shows the organism which certainly produces 
Chicken Cholera, and which I think may be 
classified as a Bacterium. Figure 3 shows the 
Bacillus , now known to be responsible for 
the Malignant Anthrax, or Charbon, which is 
fatal to most animals, and to man himself. 
These organisms, which are quite com¬ 
monly grouped together and spoken of as 
Bacteria, are the smallest and simplest forms 
of vegetable life. Bacteria are to be found 
everywhere in nature—in the air we breathe, 
the water we drink, and the food we eat; 
they multiply freely in the mouth, and there 
constitute the coating frequently seen on the 
tongue, as well as the tartar on the teeth. 
But if so numerous everywhere, and if they 
are the active agents of contagious fevers, 
why are not all men and animals swept away 
by these plagues? We are yet unable to 
clearly answer this question. Certain it is, 
the common Bacteria may be introduced 
within the blood-vessels in countless numbers 
without causing disease, being unable to mul¬ 
tiply in the living body. It is probable that 
the difference in the supply of oxygen, and 
in the temperature and composition of the 
liquids from what they have been accustomed 
to, has much to do with this; for Bacteria 
that grow in pus channels beneath the skin, 
or in the liquids of the abdomen, in cases of 
inflammation of its lining membrane, fre¬ 
quently become very dangerous, or even 
fatal, from having acquired the ability to 
propagate within the tissues and vessels. 
Septicaemia and pyaemia occur in this way 
during the progress of certain diseases or in¬ 
juries, and even Malignant Anthrax seems 
to have been originated experimentally by 
cultivating a common Bacillus in a way that 
would enable it to become gradually accus¬ 
tomed to the conditions that it would meet 
with in the living body. 
Fortunately, however, there are conditions 
outside of the Bacteria themselves which 
have much to do with their growth in the 
animal organism. Every living being has a 
power of resistance to such germs which is 
greater or less according to circumstances. 
We certainly do not know how this resist¬ 
ance is accomplished, but we know that the 
power may be increased until it is sufficient to 
defy the most virulent of known germs ; 
and, consequently, we have the new methods 
of vaccination for accomplishing this, which 
have been brought out within the past year 
by M. Pasteur, the prince of investigators in 
these matters. "Whether we shall be able to 
find medicines that will destroy the germs of 
contagious diseases after they have gained 
entrance to the body, or, what would be 
equivalent, medicines that would give the 
animal body the power of resisting them, is 
a question that the future alone can decide. 
In the meantime, it is a great satisfaction to 
know that our knowledge of these diseases is 
increasing with great rapidity—thanks to the 
liberal appropriations for their investigation 
by the various civilized nations of the world 
—and that there is now more reason to be¬ 
lieve that we shall finally gain complete con¬ 
trol over them, than ever before. 
“ Grown l»y Electric Light.”—An 
enthusiastic English journal thinks that this 
card will soon be seen in Covent Garden 
Market, attached to choice vegetables and 
fruits. The experiments of Siemens show 
that light as 'well as heat may be used in 
forcing plants. Not only was the artificial 
light turned on at dusk, making continual 
day, but on dull days, when sun-light was 
deficient, its lack was made up by electric 
light. Peas and other vegetables, and melons, 
strawberries, grapes, and peaches, have been 
perfected much sooner by the use of this 
light than without it, the fruit being of re¬ 
markably high flavor. Where the electrical 
apparatus can be driven by water power, the 
cost of the light is merely nominal, being 
only the wear of the apparatus. What effect 
this continual strain will have upon woody 
plants, such as vines and fruit trees is still to 
be ascertained by more extended experiments. 
A Device for Bending’ Ox-Bows. 
Mr. “ T. G. S.,” Canton, Miss., has found a 
simple device of his make very serviceable in 
the bending of ox-bows, and sends a sketch 
and description, from which we have made 
an engraving. It is described as follows : 
The log, a, b, has its upper and lower sides 
A DEVICE FOR BENDING OX-BOWS. 
cut away, or “faced.” Two large wooden 
pins are inserted near one end, and in line 
cross-wise of the log. A “ paddle,” c, d, two 
inches thick, with the broad end cut to the 
shape desired for the bow, is fastened between 
the pins by means of a small iron rod, g. 
The bow to be bent is put on the log under 
the “ paddle,” with one end fastened to the 
long end of the ‘ ‘ paddle ” by means of a 
common plow clevis. The bending is done 
by taking the handle over, in the direction 
indicated by the arrow, to a like position on 
the opposite side. An open clamp of the 
shape shown in the upper portion of the en¬ 
graving, and made from a board, is placed 
over the two ends of the bow, thus securing 
them. The iron rod and clevis are then re¬ 
moved, and the bow hung up until it is “ set.” 
A Leather Key. 
Mr. C. L. Palmer, Clay Co., Minn., sends a 
pattern or sample of a self-fastening leather 
A LEATHER KEY WITH BARB. 
key, which is used to secure a bolt of a clevis, 
a staple in an ox-yoke, etc. The engraving 
explains itself. The key passes easily into 
the eye of a bolt, but is prevented from fall¬ 
ing out by the flexible barb which is cut on 
one side of the strip of heavy leather. 
Law for Farmers.—Implied Warranty in 
the Sale of Seeds. 
BY HENRY A. HAIGH, LL. B., DETROIT, MICH. 
It may be stated as a general rale that, in 
in the sale of personal chattels, there is no 
implied warranty as to their quality, and that 
in the absence of an express warranty, and 
of fraudulent misrepresentations on the part 
of the seller, the purchaser must take care, 
at his peril, that he is not beaten in his bar¬ 
gain. There are, however, certain exceptions 
to this general rule growing out of the cir¬ 
cumstances of the case and the nature of the 
thing sold. These exceptions are where the 
law raises an implied warranty, and they 
may be stated as follows :—There is generally 
an implied warranty of title to the thing sold. 
This is always the case where the article is in 
possession of the seller, and he sells it as his 
own. And where goods are sold by sample 
there is an implied warranty that the bulk 
of the goods are equal to the sample shown. 
So also where goods are ordered of a particu¬ 
lar description or kind known in the market, 
and the buyer does not inspect the goods, 
there is an implied warranty that the goods 
shall answer the description, and that they 
are merchantable. If a man buys an article 
for a particular purpose, made known to the 
seller, and relies upon the judgment of the 
seller to supply what is wanted, there is an 
implied warranty that the thing sold shall 
be fit for the purpose desired. Where goods 
are represented to be of a kind known in 
market, and the buyer purchases, relying on 
the statements, without having an oppor¬ 
tunity to examine, or where an examination 
would not enable him to discover whether 
the goods agreed with the representation, a 
warranty is implied that the goods are as 
represented. 
These are the exceptions to the rule above 
stated, and it will be seen that the last one 
will in general cover the case of the sale of 
farm and garden seeds. It is obvious that 
few, if any, of such seeds are of such a char¬ 
acter that an inspection of them would reveal 
their true worth. And so it follows that 
where seeds are labelled and sold for a given 
variety, there is an implied warranty that 
they are good and of the kind represented. 
Such is the law as laid down by the Courts 
of New York, and generally accepted as the 
correct doctrine in England and this country. 
It is now important that the farmer should 
know what is his measure of damages for 
breach of this implied warranty that seeds 
sold to him are good. An old English doc¬ 
trine was that it is the purchase price of the 
seed ; but merely to recover the money paid 
for the seed, after perchance the labor of a 
season had come to naught, would fall far 
short of the farmer’s actual loss. And so 
later decisions have modified this rule, and it 
is now well settled that the purchaser of 
seeds, which were warranted, either express¬ 
ly or by implication, to be of a particular 
kind, may, on breach of such warranty, re¬ 
cover from the vendor the value of such a 
crop as would have grown from the seeds 
had they been of the kind warranted, less the 
expenses of raising the crop and the value of 
the crop actually raised. Profits which would 
certainly have been realized but for the 
vendor’s default, gains prevented as well as 
losses sustained, are now recoverable. That 
is, one may now generally recover the rea¬ 
sonable profits which would have accrued 
