November, 1878.
THE WEST SHORE.
81
A New Poison for Rats and Mick. At the
Zootechnicel Institute, in connection with the
Royal Agricultural Academy at Proakau, a
series of experiments has been carried out UKn
the comparative activity or inactivity of the
various poisons most oommenly employed for
the destruction of rata, mice, and other rodents.
The result of these are now published by the
director of the Institute, Dr. Cramim. Of all
LUe uiaUriaia experimented with, the most elli
oacious proved to be precipitated carbonate of
baryta. This occurs as a heavy, line, white
powder, devoid of taste or smell, and can lie
purchased at any ordinary drug store. In the
experiments of Proskau, a portion of it was
mixed with four times its weight of sound bar
ley meal, and made into a stiff paste with wator,
and small pellets of the soft cako introduced
into the holes of rats, house mice and Held mice.
Ono great advantage of this preiiaration is that
the smallost quantity of it proves fatal. Furtliur,
it appears to cause immediate and complete
paralysis of the hind extremities, so that it may
be assumed that mice eating of it in their holes
will die within them, and so not prove destruc
tive in their turn to domesticated animals that
might otherwise devour the oarcassos. It was
found in practice that neither fowls nor pigeons
would touuh the paste, either in its soft state or
when hardened by the sun, so that its employ
ment is probably free from danger to the occu
pants of the p ml try yard. Some rabbits on the
other hand, that got access to the paste, ate
heartily of it, and paid the penalty with their
lives.
Farm Lite. It is a common complaint that
the farm and farm life are not appreciated by
our people. We long for the more elegant pur
suits, or the ways and fashions of the town.
But the farmer has the most sane and natural
occupation, and ought to find life sweeter, if
less highly seasoned, than any other. He alone,
strictly speaking, has a home. How oan a man
take root and thrive without land? He writes
his history uuon his field. How many ties, how
many resouroea he has; his friendship with his
cattle, bis team, his dog, his trees, mo ssusiac.
tion of his growing crops, in his improved fields
his intimacy with nature, with bird anil Iwast,
and with the quickening elemental foroes; his oo
oDorations with the cloud, the sun, the seasons,
heat, wind, rain, frost Nothing will take the
various social distempers which the city and
artifioial life breed out ol a man like farming,
like direct aud loving contact with the soil
It drmwi out the poison. It humbles him,
teaches him patience and raverenoe, and restores
the nroDer tone to his system, ('ling to the
farm, make much of it. out yourself into it, be
stow your heart and your brain upon it, so that
it shall savor of you and radiate your virtue
after vour day a worn is done: vonn ur.
rougkt, in Srritmer.
Dhoouraokmints. -In the battle of Uk
Krie Commodore Perry stood upon the quarter
deck of the flag ship looking down upon the men
who manned the great gun. A broadside from
the ensmy swept them away. The reserve corps
hj.hu their enmnaninna mangled and dyinil.Mii
thinking of homes and wiveaand children, turned
pale and hesitated. Their beloved Commodore
looked at them silently, (lazing into his lace
;.i,.., thou afomtiul til their nlsoes all'
wivuvu m ' " j 1' i r
wnrltwl the trim. The Ltti MM Out of on
hoard onlv twenty escaiied
Yet the battle was won. Satan means that dis
nnneammtanta should keel) US from our work
The Iiord means them to arouse all our lovs an
trust and oourae. I)ok at the discouragement
and yon will shrink, falter, fail. Fix your eyas
steadfastly upon the lrd Jesus as he silently
w.ii.Kia vnu mid vnu will 110 forwsnl. F.ven
should the ship sink, your rain appear to bs
oompleto, yet the !ord's battle shall bs woo, and
yon shall be crowned, "in was gionou.
they conouer though they die." Or. K.C Raj,
Mori than 8,000 100-acre farms were taken
up this year along the .Northern racinc rau
Limi-Jpici Biscuits. It is not very satisfac
tory to tell about a thing without giving direc
tions for doing it, but this is all we oan do with
"lime -j urn." biscuit We give the following
facts as vouohed for by an F.uglish exchange, in
oase some of our skillful domestic chemists may
find out for themselves the method of manufac
ture which is held a secret by the lime juice
biscuit m.Wrg In England. TI value ol nine
juice as a medicinal agent and also as an artjcleof
laily diet being now so fully recognised, It be
comes a matter of importance that it should be
obtainable in a convenient form, agreeable to
the taste, and also safe for transport This
object has been accomplished in a a itisfactory
maimer by the production o( lime-juice fruit
biscuits, which are manufactured under a pat
euted process recently discovered for the ores
ervation of tho juiooa of fruits in thoir fresh
state; they contain the equivalent of 40" of
fresh lime juice, onndonsod in volume, but un
changed in other respects as to its natural con
dition. Tho condensation of tho juice is effect
ed by the elimination of the greater part of its
constitutional water, at a temperature of about
100" Fahr. ; by means of scientific preparation
the lime juice nt the biscuit preserves its orig
inal anti-scorbutio efficiency in even concentra
ted degree. Moreover, its associate compounds
oo-oierate in this protecting influence, at the
sumo tune that they give an alimentary character
to the product I he lime-fruit juice biscuit,
therefore, is not only a specific against scurvy
and a purifier of tho blood, but a highly nutri
tious food for general use as a part of the daily
diet. For summer use they will be found very
grateful either dry or dipped in water and then
eaten, alleviating the thirst, while at the sains
time serving as an agreeable nourishment.
Ventilation or ('urnnARiM. -The vantila
tion of cupboards is one of those minor matters
that arc frequently overlooked in the erection
of houses, while the want of a thorough draft
is apt to make itself unpleasantly apparent to
the smell. The remedy ot the delect m however,
very simple; if possible, have ierforations made
through the back wall of the closet, and a fsw
in the door; when the wall of the closet cannot
be perforated, hole holes freely on the top and
bottom. To prevent dampness, with the aeeom
panying unpleasantness aud injurious effects of
mildew in clipboard!, a tray oi uuickiiinn annum
bo kept, and changed from time to time as the
lime becomes slacked. This remedy will also Im
found useful in safes or iiiuiiimeiit rooms, th
damp air of whioh is often destructive to valu
able deeds and other content.
The Metallic St.KKrr.il Prolim. Many
railroads, the Central Paoifio among them, has
triad experiments to tost the efficacy ol Iron
sleepers in the hop to out off tho expense oi
perishable timber. The earns problem is being
worked at in Kurops. It is stated that M. da
Hoignie, a Belgian engineer, and formerly a
forgo master, has patented a bv ,
longitudinal sleeper in steel, rolled all in one
pice, and that the John Oookerill Company are
now rolling an experimental couple of thousand
pieces, to belaid near Client, between Qustrouht
and Melle. Tho compound rail and sleeper Is
I 'J meters lung by H00. millimeters broad, and
weigh Al kilometers the meter run. If adopted,
the Belgian iron and steel trades would benefit
to the extent of 103 kilometers of stool, and IS
kilometers of iron (or every motor of way laid
with the new combination, and this, of oourso,
is reason enough why it should bo warmly
reoommoiided to the attention of tho llelgiau
Minister of Public Works. All tho advantages
ol the llilf and I to Merres and 1 1st tig alooper,
both of whioh are now being experimented with
by the State, are combined anil augmented in
M. da Hoignls'e invention.
A flirr to Botanist-. The inheritor of the
Tilla Mussel, near ('amies, has presented the
building, together with the msunilluent herha
rium ami library attached to it. and all the set
entitle iastriiinnnta and aniilisnces. to the French
government, to be maintain, d as a plaoo of
study for botanists of all nations, free of mat
Persons desirous ol studying there, wic.se appn
cations are favorably entertained by the manage
mant. will be omvnled with (roe board and lodg
ing in the institution for six weeks, and every
opportunity afforded them to prosecute Iwtan
ioal research, in tho case ol applicant, noi pro
viiled with academical credentials, an llitroduc
tion or lettor Juf reoommo idatiou fromaome rsoog
nlaed vieoni will be required.
Ma. AMMtftHOMHI, The following story
is told to show the rigid honesty of Pmsulen
Lincoln in early life. hen he wss ixietmasl.
in a small Illinois village word came that thi
postoflioe agent would lie along In a day or two
to Collect HlB !llney II US HI ins .MIVSTUinens.
It aa about 17 jy and one of Lincoln's friends,
alarms.! lest 'the young postmaster should bs
mnUrrassed by the sudden demand lor so mucn
M.oiiev. offered to lend him the sum. Mr. Lin
coln declined the proffered kindness, awl, going
to the upper shelf of a oloatt brought down
l..,. n.ntaminir the amount in the very coins
-,h had coma iuto his hands. He said ha
..v.r allowed himself to use, even for s. lay
money which was in his possession belonging to
F.rrirr or Cohstaut Vibration Urov Iron.
Shafts of side-wheel steamers and propellers
sometimes break suddenly, and It la eappoeed
that the constant vibration ol certain qualities
f apparently sound iron causes a crystallisation
and lose of cohesion, lately the steamer Vily
( 'hrtttr was proceeding at an ordinary rats f
1 in clear, calm weather, when, without a
word of warning, two blades of her wheel drop
pod off simultaneously, crippling her at ouoa.
The manufacturers and builders laslisvs that an
examination of the remainder of tho propeller
will probably show again that tho constant vi
bration had crystallised the metal, so that the
whssl want to pieces sll at ones, like the dra
con s "one horse shay. I he nrooaiyn aiui
uiiKosta that thia gradual crystallisation of iron
ia one of the dangers which threaten the elova.
led mails How long the trestle work will re
tain its strength of fiber under ths osaaelssa
vibration it ta oiled upon to endure, it la a
luostion whioh ouly ooetly tipsrisnos will deter-
MM
Tiir. Nsr.ii or Cimuei i Mtatr Hi sun
We read that Prof. J. Peter lieslsy, at present
Htato (Isologiat of Pennsylvania, and for some
I ears engaged in conducting the elaborate geo
iigioal survey of thst State, breaks out Into
loud lamentations over ths utterly InadequaU
lelineationa of the topography ol the nut n
which ha has to fit his geological charts. " I hey
neither fit on to each other nor correspond to
any oommon standard map," he says. ( 'ounly
lines, lis ssys, are soinatiniss hail a mils sway
from thsir true places. Ths Joint commission
of ths Stales ol New York and Pennsylvania
to establish the line between tboee Htalea, has
found ths old aooepted line wrong at evsry point
so far as It has sarvsysd. Ths (.oast Survey la
now authorised to eitand lis system ol Irian-
gulation over any Htsla which provides for a
scientific surrey, ami there never was a lima
when It was easier to get largs corps of si pert
surveyors.
AixtRtRRATiii or Nervous Viuxtmr ay toe
Win. A translation In the Journal of Ik
FronkU aefatsss says that Chauvsau has lately
undertaken two distinct sets of espertmesla.
In the first, he eosn pared the velocity of trans
mission in the nerves of the laryngeal muse las
(rod voluntary Rsosoles), sad la loos of ths
osrvical position of the oesophagus (rod Invol
untary muscles). In the ssoostd, ths com pa
isoii was attended to the serves of ths terminal
portion of the meopbagus (pale involuntary
muscles). He finds that In toe motor nerves of
the rod involuntary mueeles, ths velocity c'
transmission of centrifugal sioitetaeut Is six
eight tints less Uua in the serves of ma
which have aa identical structure, bat
belong to the portion of the ss secular
that la controlled by the will
way.
other people.