The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-04-25


Lieut.. NJ. P. Maury, besides serving most
acosptably in the United States Navy, ex-
ploring the momtainsand plains of the ocean,
and perseveringly laboring to unite this Con-
tinent with the Old World by a submarine
telegraph, has also given his attention to a
matter, which, if successful, will confer a
benefit of no mean order on great class Of
the population Of the Southern and South
! western States. Within few years he has
been experimenting with the sun-fower-
oultivating it as preventative or protection
against ague and fever. The Importance Of
shelter from this lion in the path of all
those who seek the Western States, might
be deduced from the multiplicity Of panaceas
| that are prepared by CIRCULARS" and
"quacks," and every year swallowed by un-
| fortunate shakers" were not the living ev-
licences too numerous to escape observation.
Lieut. Maury's experiments have been
made at Washington-aboutt the dwellings OF
the Superintendent at the Observatory; a
location where the decayed vegetable matter
| 50 fills the air with impurities, the ground
being low and marshy, that residence there
during the warm months, free frem levers
and chills, has been of rare occurrence.
Reasoning, that " if if it be the decay of the
vegetables on the marshes that produces the
sickness on the Hill, then the sickness must
be owing to the deleterious effects of some
gas, miasm, or effluvium, that is set free dur
ing the decomposition, and if SO, the poison
Gus matter, or the basis of it, whatever it be,
must have been elaborated during the growth
of the weeds, or elaborated during their de-
cay it is plausible then to conclude that
by planting other vegetable matter between
us and the marshes, and by bringing it into
vigorous growth just about the time that
Of the marshes begins to decay, bring fresh
forces of the vegetable kingdom again into
play upon this poisonous matter, and elabo-
rate it again into vegetable tissues, and so
purify the air. A belief frequently observ-
ed, too, that chills are frequently kept off by
the interposition of trees, also favored the
idea and for various reasons the sun-fower
was chosen for the experiment.
In a late number of the Rural New York
err, Mr.. Maury details the origin and progress
of his his experiment, the success of which
is apparently quite satisfactory to himself.
He says:
~ resolved to make the experiment, at
the risk of spelling the looks of beautiful
lawn. Accordingly, in the fall of 1858, the
gardner trenched up belt about As feet
broad around the Observatory on the marshy
side, and from $50 to 200 yards from the
buildings. The condition of the theory
was about to try, required rich ground, tall
sun-howers and a rank soil therefore, after
being we'll manfred from the stable yard,
the ground was properly prepared and plant
ed in sun-fowers last spring. They grew
finely the sickly season was expected with
more than the usual anxiety Finally it set
dents house ard other places, but for the
first time since the Observatory was built,
the watchmen about it weathered the sum-
mer clear Of chills and fevets. These men,
being most exposed to the night air, suffer
MoSt, anu ucrctOiOTe twO Ut turec relays VI
them had been attacked during the season,
for as one falls sick another would be en-
ployed in his place, who, in turn, being at
tackled, would in like manner give way to a
fresh hand. And last year, attacks of ague
and fever were more than usually prevalent
in the neighboring parts of the city.
Here is encouragement, not discovery or
proof-but it is worth further trial at any
rate. Accordingly the gardner is row max
ing ready to try the experiment again this
year, but with variations. The seeds are
not to be planted quite as early as in the first
instance; and in the next place there are to
be two paintings, so that the last crop may
be caught by the frost while Towering; and
therefore in full and vigorous growth during
the season of active decay in the marshes.
Suppose the fact should be established that
hedge of sun-howers between the dwell
ngs of farmers and the ponds or marshes and
standing pools, would generally keep ague
and fever away. The discovery that such a
simple contrivance would constitute an i'm
passabe barrier to '.the pestilence that
walketh in darkness" would surely be an
achievement worth recording.