The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-05-14
sundower Culture ms a Preventive of the Fe-
ycr and Ague.

/
sun1ower Culture as a Preventive of the Fe.
vcr and Ague.
Under this head Lieut. Nlaury has an interesting
letter TO the Rural New Yorker" April 4th, id
which he gives the results of an experiment made
by him last year with the cultivation Of sunaowers
as preventive of ague and fever. He says:
"The dwelling of the Superintendent is adioin-:
ing the Observatory, which is situated on a hill on
the left bank of the Potomac, in latitude 3S deg.
80 min., 80 sec. 1t is ninety-four feet above the
low water Of cbb tide and about four hundred yds
from the river The grounds pertaining to it con-
tain about seventeen acres enclosed by brick
wall Oh the east south, and west side, with pick-
ct fence on the north. The south wall runs along
nearly parallel with the lveGand so does tie west
The Chesapeake and Ohio canal ringed by a single
row OF sycamores of some twenty years growth
parates the wall from the river In fact the rv
cr with its marshes at the foot of the hill, encir-
cles the ground Of the Observatory half way round
VIZ: from southeast, by way of south, or no Invest
Thus, you perceive We are in sort of bend in the
rfy& Most Of the marshes are irst a wash at
low water parts Of them are bare when the tide is
out and all CT them in the early summer are COW
cred With rank growth Of grass and weed,, which
begin to decay in August. This is the commence
ment, too, OF the sickIy season, and few minutes
walk about tie grounds Of the Observatory after
sunset has been found TO bring upon strangers
an attack OF the ague anl fever. The place is so
unhealthy that my family are compelled to desert
| it Tor four or five months ev r. year. Last year
they broke up early in May, aud did not return till
Ncvomber"
Then process of reasoning like the following
led him to try the experiment
"If it be the decay of the vegetable matter on
the marshes that produces the sickness on the hill
then the sickness must be owing to the deeteriouS
effects of some gas, miusm. c Ivium that is set
free during the decomposition aul,f so, the pois.
| onOus matter, or the basis cr it, whatever it be-
must have been elaborated drtring the growth of
the weeds and set free in their decay Now, if thiS
reasong be good why might we not, BY planting
other vegetable matter between Us and the nisrsh,
es and by bringing it into vigorous growth lust
about the time that that OF the marsh begin to
decay, bring fresh force Of the vegetable kingdom
again to play upon this pose ous matter, and
elnbDrutclt agan into vegetable tissue aud so
purify tlt air
This reasoning" he says, "appcared plausible
enough to justify the trouble and expense of ex-
pertinent, and was encouraged to expect more or
less success from it in the circumstance that every
body said, "p'ant trees between You and tile
marshes they will keep off the chis" But as
to the trees, itso happens that at tie very time
when the decomposition Oh tue marshes is going on
most rapidly, the trees for the most part, have
stopped their growth to prepare for he winter and
though trees might do scnie good yet rank
growth of something for the occasion might do
IN Nre. Hops climb high they are good absor.
bents and Of rank grow h but there were oh
jariiOns to hops on account Of stakes poles &c
re objected that hal often seen sunfowers
growing about tho cabins in the West and had
h .arl in explanation, that it was "icalthv I'd
Il ,re them. rAis wa 50 much more in favor of
mtlii, lie ,ypo;.dla..t w.,h sualovars.
".c,.-,;, y; resolved to make tie experiment nf
The risk Of spelling the looks of beautiful lawn
Accordingly, in the fall of 1850 tn, gardener
treachod up TO the depth Of two aAd u half feet d
belt about lorly.fye feet broad around the Obser
vatory on the mars'iy 81 ta and from one hundred
ami fifty 10 two hundred yards from the buildings
The conditions of the theory was about to try
required rich ground tall sunHowets, and rank
growth, Accordingly. after being well iranured
from the yard the ground vas propGity bre-
pared ana r'ante in snlowers lat spring. They
grew finely. the sickly season was eXpeclcd with
more than tie usual anxiety. Finally it set inand
there shaking a the Presidents House and
other places, as usual bot for the first time since
the Observatory wts but the wlchnien about it
welthercl the summer clear of cdills and fevcrs-
These men, being most exposed TO the night air
suffer most and heretofore two or three RELAYS of
them would be attacked during the season; for
as one falls sick another is employed in his place
who in turn, beng attacked, would in ike manner
give way for fresh hand. And last year attacks
of aguc and fever were more than usually preva-
lent III the neighboring parts of the city.
Here is encouragement, not discovery or proof
bat it is worth further trial, at any rate Accord
ingly the gardener is making ready to try the ex-
pertinent again this year. but with variations The
seeds are not to be planted quite as early as in tho
first instance, and in the next place. there are to be
two paintings so that the last crop may he caught
by the frost while yet the plants are Towering, anil
therefore in lul' and vigorous growth during the
season of active decay in the marshes
"Suppose the fact should be established that d
hedge of sunaowers between the dwellings of Gtrm
ers and the ponds or marshes and standing pools
would generally keep ague and fever away, the dis
covery that such simple contrivanee would CON
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