AN AMERICAN CRITICISM.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2233, 14 May 1880, Page 2

AN AMERICAN CRITICISM.

Hero is a lively specimen of American criticism, taken from the San Jose (Cal) “Argus”;—“Our old friend .Le Due is on deck again, this time with a large volume on the “Diseases of Swine,” and in forwarding it to us he expresses the hope that we will give the work a careful persual, and favor the Department of Agriculture with such criticism as we think it deserves. Wo have given the work a perfect persual — that is, wo tore the wrapper off and looked at the gorgeous chrome of a “ microscopic section of the mucos membrane of the intestines of Mr Harris’ pig.” In our humble judgment, this is the best chromo of a muscos membrane of Mr Harris’ pig that has ever been placed before the eyes of an admiring and art-loving people. The perspective is fine, though the chiaroscuro is a little off. The subject is a grand one, calculated to bring into play all the artist’s powersjof imagination, and giving scope to a rich Oriental fancy that dwarfs into insignificance the pretentious efforts of Dore. In fact we mistook this masterpiece at first sight for a finely executed copy of Turner’s * Slave Ship.’ She letterpress of this new novel of Lo Due’s is a marvelof skill; the introduction of Oregon quads gives a unique effect to the impression. As to the text, we have never had any experience with sick pigs, and can’t criticise the chapters on that subject. In his circular letter to us, Mr Lc Due says: —“If remedies have been employed with any degree of success, please state the ingredients and the portions in which they are compounded, and the quantity given.” We employed a remedy once to cure a neighbor’s pig of the pernicious habit of rooting up our garden. The ingredients were nitre, sulphur, carbon, lead, and an old-fashioned musket; proportions were two haudfulls of powder to a pint of shot. We are happy to inform the Agricultural Department that the degree of success was simply immense. The pig was cured, and lasted our family several months. Regarding hogs we arc better posted. There are lots of them in San Jose that want ten dollars’ of advertising for a dollar and six bits. There is no cure for them.”