MISCELLANEOUS.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 125, 23 December 1846, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wheat Sowing.—Experience has proved that wheat sown in the morniijg, in a thick fog, is more subject to thesr.hut lhan when sown in the middle of the 11 ay. Of this we have a curious illustration in, the following anecdote. A farmer, on working the lands of a rich; commeuiiciery at Malta, was found sitting on a saciv of seed. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining brilliantly, and not a cloud to be seen. A friend came up to him and inquired why he was not sowing. " Because the land is ill," said the farmer. '* Wlnat is the matter with it?" replied his friend. "It sweats," said the other; " stoop <3own and you will see a cold vapour conning from Tarn sixty years old, and this was pointed out to me by father. I sVhall wait, or else I shall have black, wheat." He considered this transpiration as tiaving an influence upon the seed if its occurrence. The farmer added, that in, the preceding year, there had been only two days proper for sowing, and that the harvest was most abundant; whiile the part of the fitld which was sown in unfavourable weather produced a prodigjions quan- j tity of smutted corn.—The Plough. i Physiological Effects of Bathing. —I come now to the immediate physiological effects of bathing on the- system. When the body is moistened with a sponge wetted in cold water, or when affusion by the sponge or shower-bath is effected the skin immediately shrinks, and JLhe whole of its tissues contiact. As a result of this contraction, the capacity of the cutaneous system of vessels for" blood is diminished, and a portion of the bJood circulating through them is suddenly thrown upon the deeper parts and internal organs. The nervous system, among other, participate in, and is stimulated by th.c afflux, and communicating, its impression of stimulus to the wholie system, canse a more energetic action, of, the. heart and,blood and a consequent-rush back to the "surface, ThiV ifthe state teirmed 're action,'" 5 the.first obfect and purpose of etery- fprtn.of oatfilntr'wnal.soevei , , the-test o|jits utUity; and. security* Re-action U known : by] thai redness of surface, ilhe glow, the thrill Of comfort 1 -and' warmth, which foflow tHe bath, and; the, baih®: should ensuring, thae. effect. By, H, tbe.,internal.ongansjare relieved', respiration islightened,' the heart is made ro-beat , calm and;'free, the,rtjnd* feejs^ctea'r tern incjeasjedj.the.a.ppetMe is. sharpened, andithe-wliole.'organisnfc'feals' ThUh tlieend and'tjje eim of tfe bother, and to all'.trafni/% ttinili. ';' Tile" eirbr is, to expect the result without ; the preparation. After a; ; proper training, the most plethoric and apoplectic individual may derive health and eafety from syste. matic bathing; but it will be seen, at a glance, by the above explanation, that without the training the attempt would be madnegs: But the reader must not imagine that because ihere is danger in bathing in a particular, case,. that the practice is that would be an erroneous interference. Lhave endeavoured to show that food, raiment, and exercise, when judiciously used, are the source of many enjoyments, and the means of our exis-; tence; and ! think it will be granted me without difficulty, that excess in either is replete with danger. Arc we to give up the use of food, because, an incantioas person eats himtelf into an apoplexy?, Batfaing is ac little dangerous as.food, the difference between the two btnng, that we prefer the one and therefore take it under 'the mantle of our while we repudiate the other, is less; agreeable to our appetite, or perhaps a little troublesotne.—Wileon on the skin.

Tbe-Genealogioal Almanac of Saxony for .1846, just published, gives a list of all ihe sovereign houses of Europe, which consist of 683 members, of , whom 356 are males,,and s27 females. Among the sovereigns of Europe there, are 20'inciuding the who hive>no male children, five who have married wives, of a different religiom po'rsuaeion to iheir own, three; who profess a-religion different from thatof -the-majority-of their subjects, four who; arethe last of their race, and fonrwlio-are natives of a different cduntry from thai |over which they reign". These are the: .Kings of Hanover, Swe;len, and Norway, 'Bolgiumand Greece. The reigning famU Hee in Which there are the moet mdld members arc the Princoea of Lippo who number 38; of Austria.-in which, there ard -27;; LieclHonatein 26 ; W.urteab'ura. 19 « s Prussia, 14 and 11;