The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-30

have stopped their growth to prepare for
the winter, aud though trees might do some
good, yet rank growth of something got
up for the occasion might do more. Hops
clint. high they are good ahsorhents. and
of rank growth, but there were objections
to hops on account Of stakes, poles, &c.
I recollected that had often seen sunflow-
ers growing about the cabins in the West,
and had heard, in explanation. that it was
"healthy" to have them. This was so
much more in favor Of making the expert
ment with sunfnwcrs.
! An acre Of sunflowers will absorb during
their growth many thousand gallons Of
water more than are supplied by the rains.
They are great at'sorbents. They are Of
easy cultivation, are more rank than hops
they require no poles, and the seed are very
valuable. pad So a bushel for them.
This plant, therefore, apparently offered to
fulfill all the conditions required to satisfy
the problem for if the surposition that
the ague aud fever poison lie impaired to
the atmosphere by the tec:yiug vegetable
matter in the marshes. and it this poison
were set free during the process of decay,
why should not the sunfl"wers in their rank
growth absorb it, and again elaborate it
into vegetable matter, and so fix it, at least
for while, and until cold weather? con-
suited upon this subject with one of the
most useful men this country ever produced
the late A. j. Downing, Of Newhurg-
and he thought the idea good one.
Finally, resolved to make the expert.
ment. at the risk Of spelling the looks of n
beautiful lawn. Accordingly, in the fall of
1855, the gardener trenched up to the
depth Of two and half feet belt about
forty-five feet broad around the Observatory
on the inarshy side, and from one hundred
anil fifty to two hundred yards from the
buildings. The conditions Of the theory
was about to try, required rich ground, tall
sunf1owers and a rank growth. According
Iy, after beng we'll manured from the stable
yard, the ground was properly prepared
and planted in sunflowers last spring. They
grew finely: the sickly season was expected
with more than the usual anxiety. Finally
it set in. and there was shaking in the Pres
ident's Hous" and other places as usual, but
for the first time since the Observatory was
built, the watclimen about it weathered the
s;;;i;i,,cr clear of chilIs and favers. These
men. hcing most exposed to the night air,
suffered most, and heretofore two or three
relays of them would he attacked during
the season; for us one falls sick another is
empl"yed in his place. who, in turn, being
attacked, would i'll like manner give way to
a fresh hand. And, last year, attacks of
ague and fever were mare than USUALLY
prevalent i'll the neighboring parts of the
city.
Here is encouragement, not discovery or
proof-but it is worth further trial, at anv
rate. Accordingly the gardener is making
ready to try the experiment again this year,
Int with variations. The seeds are not to
n" planted quite as early as in the first in
stance; and, in the next place, there are. to
be two paintings, SO that the last crop may
be canght by the frost while yet the plants
are Towering, and, therefore, in full and
vigorous growth during the season of active
decay in the marshes.
Suppose the fact should be established
that a hedge of sunfnwers between the
dwellings of farmers and the, ponds OF
marshes and standing pools. would general
ty keep ngne and fever away, the discovery
t''at sucl, simple contrivance would con.
stitute an impossible barrier to "the ,pes,i.
lence that walketh in darkness" would be an
achievement worth recording.
"The destruction that wasteth at noon.
day" may form the subject Of another com.
mnnication. If you csrn find room for it,
Indeed. otI'er. sen'arks upon the subject in
hand are Suggesting themselves, hut with
,yOhr leave, will reserve them for the nexl
number of the Rural: in the meantime,
! hope that a'l who can, but especially. those
who live in notedague and fever Districts,
will prepare to try the snnhower expert.
inent this summer.
\ Tile readers of the Rural are mostly in
the region Of westerly winds, an.i that the
results Of each experiment should throw
| light Upon the rest, it. is desirable to know,
! approximately at least, in eath case the
situation OF the dwelling, It's distance
from and height above the supposed region
eEm'"sm, as well as its distance from the
,dsheags of .sunAowers, .heir height, &c. ), We
know that One Of thesofic+s of the vegeta.
BILE NngaOm is=te preserve the purity Of the
7 atmosphere; apd that during their.grow,b
manysPlapts take up from fhe air and e.
4 1of q while various .116x;ons v.,,s,. T.,M.