, 1861-06-06
coliodion for Grating.

Grating is q process Of great value to
the horticulturist and should be understood
by every tiler of the s,'iI. Most Of our
best fruits are obtained by graft ng, term
which may be considered as budding also.
The theory of grating is to cut off a piece
Of one limb and E.sten it on to another So
that it will live. The inner bark of the
scion or bud must fit against the inner bark
of the stock, which last communicates its
life to the former and makes it grow. 1t is
expected that all sprouts will be cut off save
those shooting from the scion or bud, which
in time are to grow and form the body Of
the tree and produce all the fruit. After
the scion or bud has fitted TO its place, il
needs some protection from the sun and
wind. This It has been usual to give by
covering the graft with rag or with graft
ing wax, or with both but a new device,
said to be highly successful, has Of late been
resorted to in the Eastern States and Eu
rope. Collodlon, q solution of gun cotton
in ether, mixed with q little alcohol, is
clear liquid, with syrupy consistence which
dries very rapidly on exposure to the air,
and leaves hard film, that adheres very
tenAciously to any substance on which it
dries, and makes strong coat impervious to
water. Instead Of going to the trouble Of
wrapping his bud in q rag or moulding
wax about his graft, the horticulturist now
has vial of collodon at his side, from
which he applies touch of the liquid with
q camel's hair brush. 1t dries in few llin.
utes, and the wound is protected against air
and water. The process is very brief and
cleanly. After the work is done, the bru b
is washed out in alcohol, the bottle corked
up, and :he material is put away ready for
use on another occasion. CollodiOn costs
two bits an ounce, o vial and brush two
bits more; so the experiment is not very
expensive. The liquid is one very valuable
for animal as well as vegetable wounds.
For clean fresh cut there Is no better rem.
edy than to put q little collodion on its
edges, End hold them together till it dries
but il the wound is old, or has any foreign
matter in it, suppuration may result, and the
closing Of the wound externally with COLO
dion will do more harm than good.
FATTENINo PoULTRY.-ln days gone by
there has been but little attention paid to the
best modes Of fatteniug poultry but as the
subject Is becoming more apparent, deeper
interest has been awakened. Just at the
present there is much being said concerning
the alimentary properties Of chal coal.
Some have asserted that domestic fowls may
be fattened on il Witout any other food, and
that, too, in q shorter time than on the most
nutritive grains. This is claiming too much.
Still, numerous trials have proved that there
Is much virtue IN it. One experimenter re-
ports that, having confined four turkeys in q
pen, he fed them on meal, boiled potatoes
and oats. -Four others Of the same brood,
and similarly confined, were fed daily on
the some articles, with the addition Of one
pint Of finely pulverized charcoal, mixed
with their meal and potatoes. They also
had plentiful supply Of broken charcoal IN
their pen. The eight were killed on the
same day. and there was difference Of one
and half pounds each in favor Of the fowls
which had been supplied with the charcoal,
they being much the fattest, and the meat
greatly superior in point Of tenderness and
favor.
HoENe PoTAToEs WHEN WET.-A cor
respondent Of the Prairie Farmer states that
having noticed how potatoes were inter-
rupted in their growth, and invariably pined
away and died, IL disturbed and bruised
when wet with dew and rain, he tried the
following experiment: He selected patch
In his potato field, had It ploWed only once,
and then loosed the soil with the hoe when
they were dry. He never touched them
afterwards till they were dug In October.
These stalks kept green, and the yield Of
potatoes was very large. The other portion
Of the patch was worked three times, and
when the stalks were wet with dew. These
blighted early, did not produce half crop,
and that Of an inferior quality. The ground,
seed, and time Of planning IN both patches
were the same.
| PLANT Pas DEEP.-The theory recently
advocated Of planting peas very deeply In
the earth, In order to prolong the bearing
capacity Of the vines, has also been found
TO be correct. A farmer told me that he
Plowed fnrrow beamdeep; then scattered
the seedpeas OF the bottom; after which
he turned deeT farrow upon them with his
plow, covering them, if possible, 10 the
depth Of twelve or fourteen inches. They
pushed their way up through the thich mass
Of earth very soon, and instead Of turning
yellow at the bottom and dying after the first
gathering, they blossomed and bore until he
was tired Of picking the pods. II such re-
suit will Uniformly Be realized from the plan,
pea.eultureimay be made more profitable than
hitherto. ~ E Aa-tsa
/ UsE or SuoAR YoR DARRHeA.-Drs.
Behread and Sober recommend the medical
use Of sugar Is . curative means Of great
value in diarrhea and several other affections
Of childrsn, and they relate two cases Of
diarrhGa-one in child aged three years,
and another in q child aged four yeafs-in
which half an ounce Of powdered white
sugar given every hour, soon gave q favor.