The Van Buren press., 1874-05-26
Hydrophobia'
ENIR. EDITOR

y; but in man 1t arises from the bite OF a
rabid animal. In him we have true case of
iydrophobia or dread of water, while In the
log. fox, etc, there Is an inordinatc thirst,
with the ability to relieve 1t for the time.
That the poison Is transmitted through the
saliva and secretions from the fauces and
throat there can be no doubt. The bite of
Joy unless the disease mas reached the stage
when this poisonous secretion has acquired
It's virulence, is nothing more than a confused
wound that the disease can be propagated
20 the different animals susceptible to Its tox-
ical effects only when maturation Is accom-
plished. but not without the actual contact OF
;he virus to an abraded surface-when APP
pllcd to the sound cutcle, like that of all
other poisons, 1t is harmless. But, perhaps.
when In contact with the mlsetls membranes.
il might become absorbed without abrasion
aud produce its constitutional effects.
We briefly give the symptoms Of rabies.
which are wen defined: In from II to say
30 days the dog after being bit by rabid
log, becomes dull and listless, and appears
sick, detected and more or less peevish. His
usual habits are greatly altered. His master
.an no longer command him. His appetite
Is perverted dirt and rubbish of all kinds he
dcvours. and with arched back
and dropping tail and wandering in an ir-
regular mauher he attempts, as 1t were, to
shun observation, avoiding all other dogs
and they, remarkable AS the fact may seem,
avoid him. He seems lost, and his bark de-
generates as the disease progresses into
howl But there are fortunately but few cases
0cvuiue zoo wet In rainy seasons, as the
earth readily drinks in or absorbs the
excess Of rain which sinks and is retained
below the surface, whilst they do not
wash away, and when rich they furnish
the plants at all times with abundant
food and moisture. In the preparation
of your gardens see that your soil is dry,
deep and rich. On the contrary, shall
low, wet soil will not produce good vege-
tables, fruits or flowers.
But again, in regard to sandy or
LIGHT soil. There are districts OF coun-
try, and indeed extensive ones, in the
southern portions of our own State Gov
cred with vast pineries, the soil of which
consists Of little else than sand to all ap-
pearanccs. am told however, that there
is an abundance Of calcarious matter,
phosphates, etc contained in 1t as proven
bv analyses. For the benefit OF our stu
dents from that sandy district, | Will
state that with far less labor aud cost
YOU can improve and regulate the texture
of an excessively sandy soil better than
an excessively clayey soil, VIZ: In heavy
clay soils an immense quantity OF sick
or sand is necessary to make any per-
ccptible change its general texture,
whilst in an excessively sandy SOIL clay
N quite small quantities is Immensely
beneficial. 1t is indeed of more import
ance than any other fertilizer, soon CO.
mentng the sand and forming with 1t
soft friable loan. Thus few loads OF
stiff clay scattered thinly over the SUR
face of a sandy soil in autumn is worth
more applied to it than that much oil hu-
nous or mould, and am aware that
there are patches OF clay in those dis'
tricts alluded to. for have myself seen
them in travelling through those sandy
districts and pine forests. That there are
other ingredients essential to the growth
of fine crops whether vegetable, fruit or
flower, is an axor, in itself Lime, gyp
sum, ashes and mari are all excellent fer
tilzers for a sandy soil, besides they
tend greatly to stihen the sand and rem
der it Of loamy texture. But after regu'
lating the texture of the soil, and sutll.
cicntly deepening it by trenching with
either the spade or subsoil plow, it must
be steadily borne in mind that there are
very few soils that contain all the Ingre
dients OF plant food in sufficient quantl-
ties to produce the most vigorous and
healthy plants In addition therefore to
its natural elements Of slick and allumina
or sand or clay, there must be present
either by spontaneous deposits or by ar
tificial bestowal sufficient and proper
tionafe amounts Of inorganic or earthly
matters found in plants, such as carbon
ate, and sulphatc Of lime, potash, soda,
magncsls, sulphur, phosphorus, oxide OF
iron, manganese and chlorine, all or
which exist in plants, and some times
form over ten per cent Of their weights
Most soils contain more or less OF each
Yet they are often in disproportion,
whilst there is suillcency of some /;
others are deficient in quantity If exist
ing at all, and can only be known by
skillful analyzaton But again, even
though they all exist in ample quantity,
without the presence Of organic matter
in the soil sufficient to afford an ample
supply of ammonia and carbonc acid to
the growing crop. there will be no salts
factory results realized.
The subject of fertilization. the mode
of its application in practical point OF
view, is one of immense Importance to
the horticulturist. and involves an abso.
lutte necessity of more or less acquant
ance with the sciences Of Chemistry and
Botany. It's true, in this age OF books
the necessity of thorough knowledge OF
these sciences is largely obviated. and
the practical horticulturist is enabled to
proceed by consulting some practical
work, of which there are quite number,
and chief among which l will name that
of the late William N White, Garden
inc for the South " His able treatise on
manures and plant food, their peculiar
combinations. elementary principles, at
mospheric relations and decomposilions,
to become food for plants, and how i'm
bibed by them, through the medium OF
the soil, as extracted by the roots and
from the atmosphere through their