THE CULTIVATOR. 
367 
harnessed to light sledges, and never allowed to break j 
trot; so that an Orloff trotter has, perhaps, never gallop¬ 
ed or cantered since he was foaled; and thus, having lost 
all instinct of the pace, if a wolf wereathis heels, would 
still trot away from it. When put to their utmost speed, 
these horses therefore trot at an astonishing pace. 
Hints to Lovers of Flowers.—A most beautiful and 
easily attained show of evergreens in winter may be had 
by a very simple plan, which has been found to answer 
remarkably well on a small scale. If geranium branches 
are taken from healthy and luxuriant trees just before the 
winter sets in, cut as for slips, and immersed in soap and 
water, they will, after drooping for a few days, shed their 
leaves, put forth fresh ones, and continue in the finest vi¬ 
gor all the winter. By placing a number of bottles thus 
filled in flower baskets, with moss to conceal the bottles, 
a show of evergreens is easily ensured for a whole sea¬ 
son. They require no fresh water. 
NEW BOOKS. 
Downing’s Landscape Gardening. —We hail with 
pleasure the new edition of this elegant work, which has 
just been issued by Wiley & Putnam, New-York. Such 
had been the demand for this work, that not a copy of 
the first edition had been for sale for months past; and 
we anticipate a much more rapid sale for this new edi¬ 
tion, a large part of the first portion of which has been 
re-written, much new matter added, the whole revised, 
and newly and more copiously illustrated from examples 
now existing in our own country. The illustrations are 
admirable, both in the drawing and engraving, and the 
work is, altogether, got up in a style to compare well 
with the best English books. This Treatise is justly re¬ 
garded as an honor to the country, and it has already ef¬ 
fected an immense good by inspiring a correct taste for 
rural improvement, the evidences of which are not un¬ 
frequent throughout the land. 
“ The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America.”— 
This new work, by A. J. Downing, Esq., advertised to 
have appeared some time since, has been delayed, as we 
are informed by the Author, that he might have the be¬ 
nefits of the fruits of the present season to enable him to 
test additional varieties and to settle some doubtful points. 
It will be issued during the coming winter. 
American Poulterer’s Companion: a Practical 
Treatise on Breeding, Rearing, Fattening, and General 
Management of the various Species of Domestic Poultry, 
with Illustrations and Portraits of Fowls, taken from 
Life: by C. N. Bement. This work, the most complete 
of the kind yet published in this country, has just been 
issued by Saxton & Miles, 205 Broadway, New-York. 
It embraces 380 pages, l8mo., is beautifully printed, and 
contains many engravings illustrating the characteristics 
of the different species and varieties, and exhibiting the 
most approved plans of buildings and other necessary ap¬ 
purtenances to the successful management of poultry. As 
a work of 'practical value, and containing much informa¬ 
tion on all branches of the subject to which it relates,we 
have no doubt it will be eagerly sought, and highly priz¬ 
ed by the American public. When we have had an op¬ 
portunity to examine it more minutely, we shall give it 
a more extended notice. 
Johnston’s Lectures on the Applications of 
Chemistry and Geology to Agriculture. —Among 
the various attempts which have been made to show the 
practical relation of the sciences of Chemistry and Geo¬ 
logy to Agriculture, we have no knowledge of any which 
have been more successful than those of Professor 
Johnston. The “Lectures,” here mentioned, are par¬ 
ticularly valuable in this respect. They are written in 
an exceedingly interesting and perspicuous style, no sci¬ 
entific terms being used, or philosophic principles re¬ 
ferred to, that are not fully explained. Professor J. in¬ 
forms us, in the preface, that the “first Part of the Lec¬ 
tures was addressed to a society of practical agricultu¬ 
rists, most of whom possessed no knowledge whatever 
of scientific Chemistry or Geology. They commence, 
therefore, with the discussion of those elementary prin¬ 
ciples which are necessary to a proper understanding of 
each branch of the subject.” “For the sake of cl ear- 
[ness,” says Professor J., “I have, in the following pages, 
divided the subject into four parts—the study of each pre¬ 
ceding part preparing the way for a complete understan¬ 
ding of those which follow. Thus part 1, is devoted to 
the organic elements and parts of plants, the nature and 
sources of these elements, and to an explanation of the 
mode in which they become converted into the substance 
of plants;—Part II, to the inorganic elements of plants, 
comprehending the study of the soils from which these 
elements are derived, and the general relations of geolo¬ 
gy to agriculture;—Part III, to the various methods, me¬ 
chanical and chemical, by which the soil may be im¬ 
proved, and especially to the nature of manures, by which 
soils are made more productive, and the amount of vege¬ 
table produce increased;—and Part IV., to the results of 
vegetation, to the kind and order of the food produced 
under different circumstances, and its relations to the 
growth and feeding of cattle, and to the amount and 
quality of dairy produce.” 
These lectures have been republished in this country, 
by Messrs. Wiley & Putnam, New-York. They may 
be had, neatly bound in one volume, for $1,25—or bound 
in two volumes, for $1,50. 
SMUT IN GRAIN. 
It has been often stated that this is a kind of fungus, the 
seeds orsporules of which are so exceedingly minute that 
they are taken up and ascend through the pores or sap- 
vessels of the plant. Professor Johnston lately spoke 
upon this subject in a lecture before the Agricultural 
Chemistry Association. He observed that the smut had 
received the name of Uredo segetum. That these puff¬ 
balls or sporules were so minute that it would take 2800 
of them to cover an inch. There was no doubt that they 
ascended through the plant—by examination, it could be 
seen where they had come up—the tubes of the stalk 
were filled with black matter that had come through the 
vessels, affecting first the straw, and then getting into the 
ear, where it spread itself all over. After passing- 
through the stalk the smut fixed itself under the root of 
the flower, which it rendered barren, and as the grain 
approached perfection, the puff-balls became ripe and 
burst, showing black dust of very minute particles.—so 
minute that it took about 1,100,000 of them to lie across 
a single inch. He then went on to speak of the manner 
in which smut was propagated. It was in the first place 
sown along with the seed. Very often it was so minute 
that thousands of the particles might attach to a single 
grain, and yet not be visible to the naked eye. Oats are 
more subject to smut than other grain. Rye is never 
attacked by it, and wheat seldom. Grasses are some¬ 
times attacked by it and much injured. 
Certain substances have been employed for the pre¬ 
vention of smut. The substances used are sulphate of 
copper, or blue vitriol, urine, common salt, wood ashes, 
lime-water and sometimes arsenic. The application of 
these substances to the seed grain, destroys the black dust 
or the spores of the fungus, and in addition to this they 
make the grain grow better. Professor Johnston men¬ 
tions an instance where a large field of oats was divided 
into several parts, and the seed doctored in different ways 
—some not being doctored at all—other portions being- 
dressed with guano—and others steeped in the following 
composition: 
Phosphate of Soda, Sulphate of Magnesia, Nitrate of 
Potash, Common Salt, Sal-Ammoniac, or Sulphate of 
Ammonia. One pound of each in ten gallons of water, 
to steep 300 pounds of seeds, the moist seed to be dried 
with gypsum or quick lime. 
On looking at that field it was found that the grain to 
which nothing had been done, was smutted, that which 
was dressed with guano was also smutted, as was like¬ 
wise a portion where Campbell's steep had been used; 
but there "were only two or three stalks affected with 
smut in the grain steeped in the composition above men¬ 
tioned. 
The smut which is sometimes found in wheal, called 
dust brand, or pepper brand, is supposed by some to be a 
different species of uredo from that above spoken of. It 
is sometimes called uredo feet ida. But the same remedies 
against its attacks are used with equal effect. 
