SOLON ROBINSON, 1847 99 



analysis. If Mr. C. himself will undertake the matter, I 

 am sure that he will prove some facts of vast importance 

 to the corn-growers of the United States. Where cobs 

 are to be had in vast quantities, if they were used as fuel 

 and the ashes carefully saved, I have no doubt that they 

 would be found more than twice as valuable as wood- 

 ashes for any purpose. If cobs are not worth feeding to 

 stock, and not of sufficient value as manure or fuel, to be 

 worth saving, then I am greatly mistaken, and hope to 

 have my mind enlightened with the truth ; and when that 

 is done I shall not feel so grieved to see this bountiful 

 product of nature lying knee-deep across the public high- 

 way in front of the door of many a hog and hommony 

 farmer of the West. But enough about one of nature's 

 productions which the world estimates as good for 

 nothing. 



But there is another subject that was talked over by 

 Mr. Ellsworth and myself which I hope to see discussed 

 in your columns, and which will afford your Reviewer 

 an ample text, and which I hope he will discuss with all 

 the candor that his somewhat captious pen will allow 

 him, and not ridicule the idea because it is a new one. 

 It is packing flour and meal, and in fact, all dry sub- 

 stances usually packed in barrels for a foreign market, 

 in square packages. A barrel of flour put up in a neatly 

 made smooth chest, would be something new. The ad- 

 vantages in form over that of the old one would be many, 

 as we view the matter. Firstly, not one tree in a hun- 

 dred will make barrel staves, that will make good sound 

 boards. Secondly, they can be made cheaper than bar- 

 rels. The boards can be sawed, planed, and sides and 

 ends dove-tailed together — bottom and top cut to match 

 in — all by machinery of the simplest forms and rapid in 

 its operation. All but the top should be well nailed, and 

 cut nails are cheaper than hoops. The top should be put 

 on with wood-screws, which can be done with a very 

 simple machine, and much quicker than the most expert 

 workmen could head a barrel ; the screws being made of 



