DOWNING'S FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES OF

AMERICA.

We have already given our opinion on the high merits of this work, and have made a few extracts as specimens of what it contains, to which we here add a few; our readers will however remember that such small portions can afford at best but a very inadequate know-season, it was estimated that he had destroyed female moths ledge of a well arranged and copiously enriched whole; and the book itself must be had by all who would receive the benefit of the inexhaustible fund of information it contains.

the bell glass, or fall into the basin of oil beneath, and in either case soon perish. M. Adouin applied this to the destruction of the pyralis, a moth that is very troublesome in the French vineyards; with two hundred of these lights in a vineyard of four acres, and in a single night, 30,000 moths were killed, and found dead on and about the vessels. By continuing this process through the sufficient to have produced progeny of over a million of caterpillars." (p. 55.) After recommending bonfires of shavings, and flambeaux of tow dipped in tar, as very efficient modes of destroying the apple-worm moth, and melon-bug, the author remarks, " A simple and most effectual scription, which we recommend as a general extirpator, "Insects, the larvæ or grubs of which harbor in the is the following. Take a number of common bottles, ground during a certain season, as the curculio or plum the wider-mouthed the better, and fill them about half weevil, are all more or less affected by the application of full of a mixture of water, molasses, and vinegar. Suscommon salt as a top dressing. On a larger scale-in pend these among the branches of trees, and in vari. farm crops the ravages of the cut-worm are frequently ous parts of the garden. In a fortnight they will be prevented by sowing three bushels of salt to the acre, found full of dead insects, of every description not too and we have seen it applied to all kinds of fruit grounds large to enter the bottles-wasps, flies, beetles, slugs, with equal success. Salt seems to be strongly disagree-grubs, and a great variety of others. The bottles must able to nearly all this class of insects, and the grubs per- now be emptied, and the liquid renewed. A zealous ish even where a small quantity has for two or three sea-amateur of our acquaintance caught last season in this sons been applied to the soil. In a neighborhood where way, more than three bushels of insects of various kinds; the peach worm usually destroys half the peach trees, and what is more satisfactory, preserved his garden aland where whole crops of the plum are equally a victim most entirely against their attacks in any shape." to the plum weevil, we have seen the former preserved Some interesting and striking instances are occasionin the healthiest condition, by an annual application of ally given of the productiveness of single trees, and of a small handful of coarse salt about the collar of the tree the profits of fruit culture:at the surface of the ground; and the latter made to hold abundant crops, by a top dressing applied every spring, of packing salt at the rate of a quart to the surface occupied by the roots of every full grown tree." p. 53. "Common salt we have found one of the best fertilizers of the plum tree. It not only greatly promotes its health and luxuriance, but from the dislike which most insects have to this substance, it drives away or destroys most of those to which the plum is liable. The most successful plum grower in our neighborhood, applies, with the best results, half a peck of coarse salt to the surface of the ground under each bearing tree, annually, about the first of April." (p. 266.) Those who have tried salt the present season, in the western part of the state, speak of its effects as very decidedly beneficial in saving the plum crop.

Much interest has been excited relative to the efficacy of salt as a preventive of the curculio. The author's ex-mode of ridding the fruit garden of insects of every deperience is given in the following statements:

|

"Although the apple generally forms a tree of medium growth, there are many specimens in this country of enormous size. Among others we recollect two in the grounds of Mr. Hall, of Raynham, Rhode Island, which, ten years ago, were 130 years old; the trunk of one of these trees then measured, at one foot from the ground, thirteen feet two inches, [in circumference,] and the other twelve feet two inches. The trees bore that season about thirty or forty bushels, but in the year 1780 they together bore one hundred and one bushels of apples. In Duxbury, Plymouth county, Mass., is a tree which in its girth measures twelve feet five inches, and which has yielded in a single season, 121 bushels." (p. 57.)

"There are [pear] trees on record abroad, of great size and age for fruit trees. M. Bosc mentions several On the subject of repelling insects by odors, the follow-which are known to be near 400 years old. There is a ing remarks will doubtless be very useful to many:

very extraordinary tree in Home Lacy, Herefordshire, England-a perry pear-from which were made more than once, 15 hogsheads of perry in a single year. In 1805 it covered more than half an acre of land, the branches bending down and taking root, and in turn producing others in the same way. Loudon, in his recent work on trees, says it is still in fine health, though reduced in size.

"In the winged state, most small insects may be either driven away by powerful odors, or killed by strong decoctions of tobacco, or a wash of diluted whale oil or other strong soap. Attention has but recently been called to the repugnance of all insects, to strong odors, and there is but little doubt that before a long time, it will lead to the discovery of the means of preventing the attacks of most insects by means of strong-smelling liquids "One of the most remarkable pear trees in this counor odorous substances. The moths that attack furs, as try, is growing in Illinois, about ten miles north of Vinevery one knows, are driven away by pepper-corns or cennes. It is not believed to be more than forty years tobacco, and should future experiments prove that at old, having been planted by Mrs. Ochletree. The girth certain seasons, when our trees are most likely to be at-of its trunk, one foot above the ground, is ten feet, and tacked by insects, we may expel them by hanging bottles at nine feet from the ground, six and a half feet; and its or rags filled with strong-smelling liquids in our trees, branches extend over an area sixty-nine feet in diameit will certainly be a very simple and easy way of ridding||ter. In 1834, it yielded 184 bushels of pears; in 1840, ourselves of them. The brown scale, a troublesome ene-it yielded 140 bushels. Another famous specimen, permy of the orange tree, it is stated in the Gardener's Chroni-haps the oldest in the country, is the Stuyvesant pear cle, has been destroyed by hanging plants of the common tree, originally planted by the old governor of the chamomile among its branches. The odor of the coal tar Dutch Colony of New-York, more than two hundred years of gas works is exceedingly offensive to some insects in- ago, and still standing in fine vigor, on what was once jurious to fruits, and it has been found to drive away his farm, but is now the upper part of the city, quite the wire worm, and other grubs that attack the roots of thickly covered with houses." plants. The vapor of oil of turpentine is fatal to wasps, The great profits sometimes derived from the sale of and that of tobacco smoke to the green fly." (p. 54.) fruit of well selected varieties, are evident from a single "Moths and other insects which fly at night, are destroy-fact in relation to the Frost Gage, a fine late plum, ed in large numbers by the following mode, first discovered by Victor Adouin, of France. A flat saucer or or vessel is placed on the ground, in which is placed a light, partially covered with a common bell glass besmeared with oil. All the small moths are directly attracted by the light, fly towards it, and in their attempts to get at the light, are either caught by the glutinous sides of

This old tree standing at the corner of 3d Avenue, and 13th street, is evidently on the decline, as it now appears less vigorous than it did a few years ago, hard pavements evidently being less favorable than cultivated soil. A few rods from this tree, is a cherry tree, also planted by old governor Stuyvesant, now in the garden of Robert I. Murray, of 14th-street, which annually yields heavy crops.-Ed.

which commands from two to five dollars a bushel in market:

"Eighteen hundred dollars have been received by a single farmer in this vicinity, for a single season's crop of this plum." (p. 300.)

The frauds of dishonest nurserymen are occasionally mentioned; an instance of which is given by the notice of the "Tobacco-leaved cherry," sold under the imposing name of "Four to the pound," which would make the cherries about twice the size of common hen's eggs. The leaves of this variety are very large and coarse, and thus well calculated to facilitate the fraud, but the fruit is very small; hard-fleshed, with a large stone, and of inferior flavor.

Under the description of the Monarch pear, considered by T. A. Knight with whom it originated, as superior to all others, are the following remarks:

"By some unlucky error, Mr. Knight transmitted to this country, and disseminated partially in England, several years ago, grafts of a worthless sort, for this fine pear, which in no way resembled it. The false sort was pretty largely propagated and distributed before the error was discovered." ...

ly mortified at this accidental error, and is said to have remarked, that he would gladly have sacrificed £10,000 rather than it should have occurred. Would that some nurserymen were as conscientious!" And hence the importance of propagating for sale or general distribution such fruits only as have been well proved from bearing trees, without depending merely on the authority of others.

In another place the author truly remarks, "Some nurserymen here, we regret to say, do not scruple to fill large catalogues with the names of varieties which have no corresponding existence in their grounds.”

FARM OF J. F. SHEAFE.

IN August last we had the pleasure of making a call at this fine farm, which is called High Cliff, and is situated in the town of Poughkeepsie. It appears that it has received the first premium from the Dutchess county Agricultural Society as the best cultivated farm in the county. We are not surprised at this, for though our examination of it was necessarily hasty, we could not fail to observe the evidences of good management which are so conspicuous. The following extract from the report of the committee which awarded the premium referred to, will give a more just view of the farm than we are able to furnish from our hasty visit. We would call particular attention to the exactness with which all the operations on Mr. Sheafe's farm are recorded—a plan which we wish might be generally adopted.

The committee through their chairman, cannot let the opportunity pass of expressing their pleasure and approbation of the high state of cultivation, and many improvements they witnessed on this farm. It consists of 230 acres, divided into 13 lots by substantial stone walls, with lanes "Mr. Knight was deep-leading to each lot, and gates hung in the most substantial manner; all the hedgerows, elders, &c., along the fences, carefully extirpated, and no weeds to be seen; all the loose stones carefully picked up and laid in walls; the land appeared to be in a high state of cultivation, and well seeded and manured. Lime has been used with good effect as a manure, also horn shavings, muck, barn-yard manure, &c. "The farm buildings were in excellent order, and could not but excite the admiration of the committee. The cow stables, are excellently arranged, the name of each cow being placed over her separate stall, where she can enjoy her food without being annoyed by her neighbors, and she being sheltered from the storms of winter, and Those who have largely disseminated the numerous being carefully bedded with straw, the manure is saved foreign pears lately introduced in our country, before a from being leeched by rains. The committee would thorough trial of their qualities and fitness for the cli-recommend the stabling of cattle to all farmers, (the stamate, should receive a caution from the following fact: "The most successful cultivator of pears in this country, whose collection comprises hundreds of varieties, lately assured us that if he were asked to name all the sorts that he considered of unvarying and unquestionable excellence in all respects, he could not count more than twenty!" The author very justly adds, however, "It may then be asked, why do all cultivate so large a variety. We answer, because the quality of many is yet not fully decided; again, there is a great difference in taste, as to the merits of a given sort; there are also some sorts so productive or handsome, &c., that they are highly esteemed, though only second rate. In a work like the present, we are also obliged to describe many sorts of second quality, in order to assist in identifying them, as they are already in general cultivation."

In ripening winter pears, some care and skill are required. A want of this has induced some cultivators to reject as worthless some truly fine varieties. The following directions are given:

bles can be made less expensive than these) as a great saving of fodder, manure, &c., adds to the comfort of the cattle, and they believe in a very short time would repay the farmer for the expense of a shed.

"The barns and sheds appear to be very conveniently arranged, being placed on the side of a knoll, and the hay, &c., pitched in the windows of the sheds.

"Mr. Sheafe has been erecting a superior hay press which appeared to be made in the most substantial manner. He has also an office erected near his farm buildings, where his farmer keeps a set of books, being a journal of every day's work, the expense of every field and crop; the age, pedigree, &c., of all the stock. In the office is a platform scale to weigh every thing necessary; also a map of the farm, containing the quantity of land in each field, each lot being numbered and surveyed. Indeed the old adage, "a place for everything, and every thing in its place," appeared to be verified here. The piggery also appeared well adapted to its purpose, well filled with old and young porkers. The farm house and dairy cellar appeared excellent and well arranged. "The Committee were shown some beautiful farming

"Winter dessert pears should be allowed to hang on the tree as long as possible, until the nights become frosty. They should then be wrapped separately in pa-implements, among them a subsoil plow to break up the per, packed in kegs, barrels, or small boxes, and placed in hard pan in heavy land, following the common plow, a cool, dry room, free from frost. Some varieties, as also other plows. All of them appeared well adapted the D'Aremberg, will ripen freely with no other care for the work to be done-a plaster sow er; straw and root than placing them in barrels in the cellar, like apples. cutter, &c. But most kinds of the finer winter dessert pears should be brought into a warm apartment for a couple of weeks before the usual season of maturity. They should be kept covered, to prevent shrivelling. Many sorts that are comparatively tough if ripened in a cold apartment, become very melting, buttery, and juicy, when allowed to mature in a room, kept at the temperature of 60 or 70 degrees."

BONE MANURE.-R. M. Bailey says in the American Agriculturist, that some of the most extensive farmers of Long Island, use annually from 500 to 1000 bushels of ground bones on their lands, applying it at the rate of 35 to 56 bushels per acre; and that some of the poorest farms have thus been made fertile and productive, within the last fifteen years.

This farm is used principally for grazing. The Committee were shown a beautiful herd of improved short horns, well adapted either for the dairy or the shambles; also a flock of Southdown sheep. It would take too much time to mention everything worthy of note. This farm has been under the management of Mr. JAMES H. LAWSON, for a number of years, and too much credit cannot be awarded him for the skill and judgment shown in everything appertaining to the farm.

BIRDS VS. INSECTS.-The north of France is distinguished by a deficiency of trees and hedge-rows and affords consequently but little shelter for birds. The ef fect is as obvious as it is injurious, and destructive insects, unchecked by their natural enemies, commit extensive ravages.

The figure at the head of this article was copied from Young Agatha, a calf of Mr. Silsby's imported Agatha, is a cow of great substance, good symmetry, and Mr. one taken of Holderness in 1828. With the exception of the neck, which is represented with somewhat less dew-Watson assures us, is the best milker he ever owned. lap than belonged to the animal, it is said by those who Taking her in all respects, she is a superior cow, even remember him, to give a very good outline of his lead- among the famed ones of the celebrated breed to which she belongs. ing characteristics.

At the farm of Orren Thompson, Esq., principal of the The Short-Horns of the district of Holderness, Yorkshire, had long since the reputation of great milkers, and Thompsonville Manufacturing company, we saw the bull it was probably this circumstance that induced Mr. Par. Sir Dick, and two cows, imported by Mr. T. a year or sons to substitute for this bull the name of Holderness for two since. The cows were very large, and were said that of Fortunatus. The result, however, was doubtless to have been selected in England on account of their injurious to the reputation of the bull and his progeny. great milking qualities. They were, however, very thin Among those acquainted with the history and character-in flesh when we saw them, being evidently too large istics of the old Holderness breed, the idea was at once for the thin soil and short pasture of that section.

REMEDY FOR COWS SUCKING THEMSELVES.-(Fig. 97. A subscriber inquires for a plan to prevent cows from sucking themselves. We give the above cut and the following description, as the best plan we have met with. It was furnished for the Cultivator by R. North, Jr., of Berlin, Conn., in 1842.

Description. A and B, in the cut, represent two ox. bows, of a size suitable for the animal for which it is intended. The bow marked B, should be a little the largest, corresponding with he size of the neck at the shoulders. C and D, represent the yoke or neck piece. It is formed of two pieces of wood of a size say 14 by 24 inches and framed together by means of a cross piece, which gives it the appearance of the letter H. In this yoke are bored four holes of the size of the bows, and at such distance apart as would best receive them. Across the bows, midway from the bottom to the neck piece, are riveted two pieces of iron marked E. and F. These pieces have a spiral termination. They should be bent out somewhat, lest they uunecessarily pierce the

sides of the animal,

FATTENING ANIMALS.

It should be made a primary object to fatten animals intended for slaughter as rapidly as possible, if we wish to obtain the greatest quantity of meat in proportion to the food consumed. The reason is this: It takes a certain amount of food, daily, to support life, or to supply the natural waste of the body. For instance, suppose fifteen bushels of meal and five hundred pounds of hay will bring an animal to a certain degree of fatness in forty days; that is, allowing a peck and a half of meal and twelve and a half pounds of hay to be consumed daily. Now suppose it takes a fourth part of this daily allowance to sustain life and supply the waste of the body; then, if instead of feeding out our whole quantity of food in forty days, we prolong the time to an hundred and sixty days, the food would be wasted, and the trouble and labor of feeding expended for nothing; as the animal might be in worse condition at the expiration of that time than when we began feeding.

only at a slow and unprofitable rate. We have seen hogs and cattle intended for slaughter, rendered so entirely uncomfortable from the coldness and filthiness of their situation, that they scarcely throve at all, though they consumed and wasted much more food than they would have required if properly cared for. Hence the saying, that "an animal will fret off flesh faster than it can be gained."

Animals should not be confined to wet and muddy places-above all things they should not be obliged to take their food in such places. Cattle and sheep that are fed with grain and vegetables, should be provided with clean mangers. Fatting hogs should be fed in clean troughs, or on clean dry floors, and their sleeping places should be dry and sufficiently warm. They should not be expected to perform much labor in the compost-yard; that service should be rendered while they are in working trim, and not after they are full fed and are becoming overloaded with fat. All exertion is attended with a waste of muscular tissue, and the more laborious the exertion, the greater is the expenditure. Hence the increase in weight will be most rapid by allowing the animal to remain as much at rest as is consistent with the preservation of its health.

Substances in which the nutriment is much concentrated, should be fed with care. There is danger, espe cially when the animal is first put to feed, that more may be eaten at once than the digestive organs can manage. Meal of Indian corn is highly nutritive, and when properly fed causes animals to fatten faster than almost any other food. They will not, however, bear to be exclusively kept on this article for a great length of time. Meal made from the heaviest varieties of corn, especially that from the hard flinty kinds grown in the northern and eastern states, is quite too strong food for Hence one cattle, sheep, or horses, to be full-fed upon. of the advantages of having the cob ground with the corn, by which the nutriment is diffused through a greater bulk, lays lighter in the stomach, and is more thoroughly digested. The effect of pure corn meal on animals, we suppose to be similar to that sometimes produced on our own species by the use of fine wheaten flour-the subject becomes dyspeptic, and is forced to use bread which has the bran mixed with the flour. The mixture of the cob with the meal, answers the purpose of the bran—the health of the animal is preserved and the process of digestion goes on uninterruptedly. In fact the advantages of grinding the cob and corn together for feeding cattle may be said to be well established. For hogs, the benefit of the cob, is not, we think, so evident; those animals appearing to be better adapted for taking their nourishment in a concentrated form, than those which ruminate, or chew the cud. Yet food sufficiently bulky to effect the distention of the bowels is necessary for hogs.

Hay or straw, cut into lengths so short as to be readily mixed with meal, answers a good purpose in rendering the meal easy of digestion, and in enabling the animal to extract from it all the nutriment.

Much has been said on cooking food for stock, and it seems to have been pretty well settled that for hogs, it is attended with considerable advantages, but as regards This is a matter which has been too little regarded, cattle, we are yet without any reliable experiments made and as a consequence, there has been a useless expendi-in this country. The Highland Society of Scotland, inture of food and labor. In the animal economy, the ac-stituted a series of experiments a few years ago, with cumulation of fat and extra flesh, is only a deposit of a view of ascertaining the advantage, if any, of cooking superfluous nutriment, which not being required by the different kinds of food for different species of animals. system at one time, is laid by for future emergencies; The conclusion arrived at from the result of these exand it must be obvious that the larger the quantity of food which a fattening animal can be made to consume daily, with a good appetite, or to digest thoroughly, the greater will be the amount of flesh and fat gained in proportion to the whole quantity of food consumed.

periments, was, that the superiority of cooked over uncooked food for cattle is but trifling, and not sufficient to balance the cost; but for hogs, the extra cost of preparation was repaid. The articles tried were turneps, potatoes, barley, and oatmeal, oil-cake and flax seed. We do not advert to these experiments as altogether conclusive, though as before said, we could not advise the outlay of much expense for cooking food for cattle, till some additional light shall indicate its advantages.

Another essential point in fattening animals, is to keep them in a quiet and comfortable condition. We do not propose to engage at present in a consideration of the relative action of the different organs of the animal body. Every farmer has, however, more or less noticed the The appetite and health of animals are promoted by connection which the nervous system has with the diges- giving a variety of food. This fact has led to the prepative and secretive organs. An animal may consume a ration of compounds for fattening stock. An article called large amount of food, but if it is so situated that it is "Warnes' Compound," (see last vol. Cultivator p. 373, restless and discontented, the accumulation of fat will bell374,) is much esteemed by British farmers, for fattening

DISEASE IN THE POTATO.

cattle. For fattening hogs, we have used with advantage the following mixtures. 1. Two parts potatoes and two parts pumpkins; boil together till they can be easily mash- WITH the exception of the state of Maine and the ed fine then add one part meal, stirring and mixing inti. British Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, mately together. The heat of the potatoes and pump- we think the potato crop has not this year been as kins will scald or cook the meal, and when cold the much injured in this country by what is called rot, as it mixture will be a stiff pudding. 2. Two parts potatoes, was in either of the two years last preceding the present. and two of ripe, palatable apples, (either sweet or sour;) In Europe, however, the ravages of the disease have boil till they can be mashed fine-then add one part meal, been more extensive than ever before. The foreign (either that from corn, barley, or oats and peas, allow-journals teem with accounts from all quarters of the ining the same weights,) and mix together while the po-jury suffered, and with various conjectures and theories tatoes and apples are hot. as to to the nature of the cause and remedy.

Hogs seem more fond of this food when it has slightly fermented, (not become pungently sour,) and they appear to fatten faster if it is fed in this state. We have never seen hogs thrive faster than when fed on these mixtures, with occasionally a little dairy-slop, and we have always found the pork solid and of good quality.

The Edinburgh Quarterly Journal publishes a letter from Professor JOHNSTON in which he makes the following remarks:

"This disease in the potatoe has already called forth many hasty opinions, almost all partially true, because founded on one or two facts, but nearly all unsound as general expressions of the truth, since they are contradicted by the experience of other practical men in other districts of the country. We are clearly unable as yet, to assign either any general cause for the disease or any universal remedy. Something may possibly be suggested by the analysis of sound and diseased potatoes, for which the Highland Society has offered a premium, though, in the present state of our knowledge upon the subject, even this is doubtful. The most that chemistry has yet done for this question is in the shape of suggestions for experiment."

In regard to the relative value, compared with grain, of different kinds of vegetables for feeding stock, there is, perhaps, more diversity of opinion than on almost any other branch of husbandry. Some, for instance, believe that four bushels of potatoes are equivalent to one bushel of corn meal; others think potatoes should be reckoned higher; others again hold them less valuable, while some declare that stock will scarcely fatten at all on potatoes, and that for milch cows, if they increase the quantity, they injure the quality of the milk. It is not easy to understand fully the cause of such contrary opinions; but there is no doubt that it may be considered The Buffalo Pilot furnishes a translation of a paper partly attributable to the different degrees of nutriment originally prepared by Prof. CHAS, MORREN, of the Uni-, which the same kinds of vegetables possess when grown versity of Liege. He conjectures that the disease proon different soils, and under different circumstances, and ceeds from a description of mold or fungus. It may be partly to the different systems observed in feeding. Ac- said that this theory has the appearance of plausibility, cording to some chemical analyses, turneps and other as the blight or blast in gráin, has been pretty clearly vegetables contain considerably more nutriment when traced to a fungus; the spread and increase of which is grown on some soils, or by the aid of some manures, however, greatly dependent on the weather, heat and than when produced on other soils. Potatoes produced moisture, or a damp sultry atmosphere, favoring its proin soils deficient in carbonaceous matter, are acknow-pagation. But until something more shall have been ledged to be less nutritive than others.

But probably the principal cause of vegetables having been undervalued for animals, is their having been used in an improper manner. Boussingault and his associates restricted the food of certain animals to potatoes, turneps, mangel wurtzel, and carrots, and from the result of this experiment, inferred that these vegetables would not fatten swine or cattle-that they reduced the flesh of milch cows, and made the milk poorer-and that all the butyraceous particles the milk contained came from the fat previously deposited in the system.

actually proved by experiment or practice in regard to the prevention of the difficulty complained of, we do not think it necessary to occupy much space in giving theories in reference to the cause of the disease or its remedy. We give place notwithstanding to the following extract from Prof. Morren's paper, which we are sure will at least be read with interest:

"For some time I have been in the daily habit of observing from stage to stage, the progress of the disease in various fields of potatoes. It commences unquestionably, with the leaves and superior parts of the plants. I have even observed the flowers and balls first attacked. A part of the tissue becomes unhealthy, loses its color, and changes rapidly to yellow; the spots then become gray, and within a day or two subsequently, the under side of the leaf and fruit will show a sort of white down or mold. The microscope shows that this down proceeds from a sort of fungus, that fructifies upon the pile, or beard, that thickly covers the under side of the leaf of the potato plant.

Without attempting to discuss this matter in detail, we would remark that to a practical man, accustomed to feeding animals with vegetables, these results, though at variance with others, would not appear strange. It is well known that graminiverous animals require food of a fibrous nature, and that an essential function of some species, rumination, cannot be carried on without it. It is also known that the articles alluded to have, when fed by themselves, a laxative or cathartic action; and thus for various reasons, we see the necessity of feeding "This fungus is of an extreme tenuity; but reproduces straw or hay with vegetables, in order to enable the in an incredible measure. Its trunk is composed of seanimal to derive full benefit from them. In the ex-veral erect, jointed fibres, bearing at their summits one periment of Boussingault, the animals, it should be remembered, were confined to the vegetables, without any fibrous or absorbing substances to check the tendency to purgation, and keep the food in the intestines in such a state, and for such a length of time, that the nutritive particles could be assimilated. If the animals had been fed wholly on corn meal or wheat flour instead of potatoes and turneps, the effects would not, probably, have been precisely similar, but no practical farmer would expect stock to thrive or continue healthy for any considerable length of time on either of these substances. And yet we do not see why it might not with as much propriety be argued from a failure to fatten stock on meal and flour, that it was owing to a deficiency of nutriment in these articles, as that the failure in the former case was attributable to this cause.

or more branches, always double, and at the ends of which appear the reproductive bodies, in the form of an egg, but which do not really exceed in diameter the one hundredth part of a millimetre, or the 393,700 part of an inch. Perhaps it will be said that this is a small affair to make such ravages, but I would ask is the itch a disease less to be feared, because the animals produ. cing it exist only in a microscopic state?

"Immediately following the formation of the yellow spot, and the developments of the botrydis upon the potato leaf, the stein begins to feel the deleterious influence. Here and there the epidermis begins to turn brown, and finally black; and when the phases of the disease are carefully watched, through the microscope, it will be readily perceived that it is in the bark the fatal germ exists. The morbid agent communicates its action from the bark to the inner epidermis, and although this lat

Preparations should be made for winter as soon as ter does not always show the fungus itself, yet it is not possible.

the less fatally affected. To those who have any idea of