MALICIOUS INJURIES TO PROPERTY. At common law mischief perpetrated with whatever motive against the property of another was not punishable criminally, unless the act amounted to felony, or was accompanied with a breach of the peace, or affected the public convenience. In other eases the offender was liable only to an action for damages at the suit of the party injured. But the legis lature has, at different times, interposed to repress, by penal enactments, injuries to private property of an aggravated nature, committed with the malicious intention of injuring the owner of such property. The different statutory provisions against mischievous acts done wilfully and maliciously were modified, as well as consolidated, by 7 & 8 Geo. IV., o. 30," which also contains a provision rendering it immaterial whether the malice of the offender be against the owner of the property or otherwise.
By the third section of that statute it is made felony punishableby transportation for life or not lass than seven years, or by imprisonment not exceeding four years, with or without whipping in the case of a male, to cut, break or destroy, or damage with intent to destroy or to render useless, any goods or articles of silk, woollen, or linen, or of articles in which any of those materials are mixed, or any frame-work knitted piece, stocking, hose, or lace, in any stage of manufacture ; to cut, break or destroy, or render useless warps or shoots of silk, woollen, linen or cotton, or of any of those materials mixed with each other or with any other material ; or looms, frames, machines, engines, racks, tackles, or implements prepared for or employed in manufacturing or preparing such goods ; or to enter by force into any place with intent to commit any of those offences. By section 4, it is made felony punishable by transportation for seven years, or imprisonment not * A bill has been introduced into Parliament, in the present session (1860), to consolidate the whole of the existing laws relating to malicious injuries se property.
scene party-ooloured. and there are varieties with blood rod and even people grains. A plant generally bears two full ears, the grains of which vary greatly Re nummbert some of the largest ears in America contain at least Seff This plant in its wild state Is met with in l'aragtuiy, according to Auguste de St. Hilaire. It was also found on the continent of North America by the Europeans on their arrival there.
It seems that there ls a particular line on the continent of Europe north of which the maim doss not thrive. To the south of this line, which passes through Nancy, formerly the capital of Lorraine in France, It her In a great measure superseded wheat and rye as the common produce of the land. The breed made from Make Is not ea Palatable
as wheat or rye bread; but by mixing it in certain proportions with wheat It makes a very pleasant food. In the United States of North America, Indian earn forms almort the only bread eaten by many of the people; and In the slaveertatees it is the only bread that the negroos eat. It Is not however in the shape of baked bread that maize is most generally used in Europe, but in boiled messes and soup*, as peas are a Ith us : it is not only the ripe grain which is eaten, but the ear In every state, from that of a green vegetable to an unripe corn., It Is boiled, stewed, and hiked : it is a substitute for cabbage or green peas in its, early stage; and is used in some way or other to its coin piste maturity. Nothing can be batter than ripe maize to fatten hogs or poultry with ; and the young stem cut down quite green gives one of the Lost and most abundant varieties of green food for cattle.
A plant which gives such a return cannot be expected to ripen its grains in poor land, or without attentive cultivation. The land must be fertile, or nuule so by art; it must bo well prepared to receive the seed, and sufficient manure must be given to recruit. it. A light, moist, and warm soil suits this plant bolt. It thrives well on land broken up from grass, as is the case with most ylants. As it is always sown in rows, and the plants thinned to a considerable distance, the intervals may easily be ploughed, or stirred with the horse-hoe, by which means the weeds are kept down, and the earth fertilised by exposure to the air. The teed should be taken from the largest and beat formed ears ; those at the end should be rejected, as less perfect. They ahould not be taken off until they are wanted for sowing, and then steeped in water to soften them. If the seed were steeped in brine and dried with quicklime, as is usually done with wheat, it might probably be advantageous, as this grain is subject to smut and brand as well as wheat ; but this is not often done. The time for sowing maize In the south of France is the month of April ; farther north it is sown later for fear of frost, which would entirely destroy the plant on its first appearance above ground : this is one of the reasons why it could not safely be sown in England before the middle or end of M.ay, and it could 'scarcely be expected to ripen its seeds before the winter's frost set in.