Entracts.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 60, 25 July 1846, Page 4

Entracts.

Smut [N Wheat,— lt may perhaps be in teresting to state the lesnlt of some little experiments made upon a small piece of ground on Mr. Jolhe's farm last year, with a view to test the effectaofthe smut powder upon grain treated with it. Several rowsof wheat of different kinds, both red and white, were sown. Some* were smutted by being rubbed between the hands with smut dust $ some Were sown and smut Mattered along the drill so as just to cover the seed ; others again with wheat taken from a smutty lot in the barn just thrashed out. Of the seed sown with smut, that is to say, covered by it, only about onethird grew, and of that third every plant which did not die off before reaching maturity, nearly every stem was smutty ; of the seed smutted by the hand, one half only came up, and only onethird of that was healthy } of the smutty lot from the barn (very dirty, but still a good deal purer than the last), the whole appeared to grow, but the proportion of clean heads was only aboutu t ahalf. These results apply almost indiscriminately to both red and white wheat, though perhaps a slight difference might be observed in favour of the red. — Nelson Etoatniner.

Navy of the United States.— -The total number of sailors in the United States is 6,160, of whom about 960 are native bora Americans, the rest being principally English, with a few Swedes and Hanseatics. Their pay is fifteen dollars a month, and two dollars per month if they don't draw any grog ration. Thife is fully equal to £3 10s. per month. Without this hifch rate of wages it would be next to impossible for the Secretary of the Navylo man the ships. The navy of the United States is very respectable. Taking their navy list, it appears that they have of all classes of ships, old, rotten, or on the stocks, on their rivers and lakes, in China and the Pacific, a grand total of 76, namely, ten line-of-battleships, twelve frigates ofthe first-class, two of the second class, tw^h'ty-three sloops of. war, eight brigs, eight schooners, eight steamers, together with four siore-ships and brigs 5 but it may be safely reckoned that between forty and fifty of this list are really very superior, formidable vessels, and really available for any service of emergency. Five ships of the line, alongside which, ttyey say, j our Factory looks like *a frigate, might be ready for «ea in a month, and six first-class frigates, rated a» forty -fours, but really more resembling our razee, TVarspite, which may be considered one of the beet ships of her class. The Americans have onlyone razee, the Independenve, a fiftyfour, a description of ship that hitherto has not been seen in any of out navy yards, but which we shall soon have to exhibit in a few razees now constructing out of the old first-rates that have not seen muchceservi.

Difficulties Useful.— lf any man possessed ever; qualification Tor success in life, it is probable be would remain perfectly stationary. The consciousness of bis powers would tempt him to omit opportunity after opportunity to the end of bis days. Tbose who do succeed, orI dinarily owe their success (o some disadvantage nnder which they labour jand it is the struggle against a difficulty that brings facilities into play. A member of the Vermont Legislature rising to reply to a very frothy and ignorant orator on the other side said— "Mr Speaker, 1 can't reply to that ere speech, for it always wrenches me terribly to kick at nothing."

Force of Imagination. — Someyears ago a celebrated physician, author of an excellent work on the force of imagination, being desirous to add experimental to 'his theoretical knowledge made application to the minister of justice to be allowed an opportunity bf proving what he asserted by an experiment on a criminal condemned to death. The minister complied with his request, and the criminal agreed to the proposal, counting himself happy in being freed from the painful exhibition of a public execution. At the time appointed the physician repaired to the prison, and, the patient having been extended on a table, his eyes bound, and every thing being ready, he was slightly pricked near the principal veins of the legs and arms with the point of a pin. At the four corners of the table were four little fountains, tilled with water, from which issued email streams, falling into basins placed there to receive them. The patient, thinking it was bis blood that trickled into the basins, becati.e weaker by degrees, and the remarks of the medical men in attendance in reference to the quality and appearance of the blood, made with that intention, increased the delusion, and he spoke more and more faintly, until his voice was at length, scarcely audible. The profound silence which reigned in the apartment, and the constant dropping of the fountains, had so extraordinary an effect on the brain of ttie poor patient, thdtall his vital energies were soon gone, although before a strong man, and he died without having lost a drop of blood. Lord Denman, in his charge to the Worcestershire grand juiy, made the following excellent remarks :—"lt: — "It is not the punishment of men for crime that is the most effectual means of preventing it. We ought to remove its cause, by attending to the wants of those in the humble ranks of life, and by providing them with a use" fut and religious education, giving a higher moral tone, and worthier aspirations to their minds and actions, thus elevating them from the degrading position in which unfoitunately, too many of them now are. The desire and endeavour to benefit the people, and thus endeavour to prevent crime, v\ Inch has been too long neglected, ought to actuate those placed in affluence and authority, instead of a total carelessness about the cause, aud an over anxiety to punish the criminal — banish him from his family and friends, aud consign him to the contaminating influence of a gaol. Our true duty is to prevent not punish." 1 The wife of a noble Venetian having; witnessed the death of an only son, gave herself up to the most violent grief. A priest endeavoured to console her:— "Kecollect" said he, "the case of Abraham, whom God commanded to plunge his knife into the bosom of hit only son and he was ready to obey without a murmur." "Ah, my good friend (she replied) God gave this command to a Father 5 he would not have required such a sacrifice from a Mother." Persons who are always cheerful and good humoured are very useful in the world $ they maintain peace and happiness, and spread a thankful temper amongst all who live around them.

, Munificent Donation.— The secretary of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge has received the handsome sum of j£l,ooo in furtherance of the views of the above society , from an anonymous contributor signing himself " A. Friend Unknown. "

Bad Temper. — When moralists and philosophers of all sorts set about reasoning on the phenomena of the world we live in, and contemplating the mass of human misery to be found thereiu, trace it to all the fearful crimes that since the fall of man have found their way into the heart, they overlook one little cause of suffering 1 which blights more happiness and neutralizes a greater portion of God's bounteous favours than all the other heinous enormities of our depraved race put together. 'lhis hateful, stealthy, heart destroying blight is often found where every thing like atrocious vice is utterly unknown, and where many of the very highest virtues flourish. Probity, liberality, temperance, observant piety, may all exist with a soui temper ; yet mauy a human being has been hung' in chains whosejustly punished deeds have not caused one hundredth part of the pain to his fellow men which a cross temperament i s sure to give. How often has bright sunny days risen up, on a healthy, prosperous, gay, spirited race, each hour of which, " though blessed with all that heaven can send,'' has beeu poisoned, mildewed, and rendered hateful to every member of it by the habitual ill - humour of its head ! Yet all the reprobation cast on such a one is summed up in the gentle phrases, "He is a tiresome man," or, " She has a disagreeable temper, poor woman " Let men see as in a glass the hideous contrast between their crooked, crabbed natures, and the sweet image of him who taught the doctrine of perfect love! Do this anil your labour will not be in vain.

Industry.— Honest industry is, after all, man's only sure dependance tor the double blessing; of a contented mind and a comfortable livelihood. Night is a season favorable to nobleness of purpose. The world then is not too much with us, and our moral responsibility to Gbd and man assumes a more demonstrated form. We are not ashamed of aspiring after virtue. There is no human sneer to wither our good intentions; no glitter ot pompous illusions to dazzle the clearness of onr perceptions : right and wrong resume the tangible and steadfast landmarks ot the empire. How much real comfort every one might enjoy, if he would be contented with the lot in which heaven has cast him, and how much trouble would be avoided if people would only let " well alone." A moderate independence, quietly and honestly procured, is certainly eveiy way preferable even to immense possessions achieved by the wear and tear of mind and body so necessary to procure them. Yet there are very few individuals, let them be doing ever so well in the world, who are not alwa\s straining every neive to do better, and this is one of the many causes why failuies in business so frequently occur amongst us. The present generation seems unwilling to " realise " by slow and sure degrees, but choose rather to set their whole hopes upon a single cast, which either makes or mars (hem for ever, Keep him at least three paces distant who hates music and the laugh of a child.