104 



THE FARMER'S MONTJILY ViSiTOR. 



fFig. 24.) 



"This plate rcpieeenfs a Cljariot adapted fur town or country uso. At first 

 sight the lineBof this carriciire do not appear sn r'racci'ul to a saperficial obser- 

 ver, as those of ordinary chariots, on account of the straightncss of the bot- 

 tom ; but a closer examination will show, that with elliptic springs placed at 

 the same horizontal level, no other lino could be so advaiitaj;eoi;s!y adopted. 

 The carriage ia a whole, composed of parts of equal sizes and proportions, 

 and not filled in with heterogeneous ornaments; f:r the purpose of covering de- 

 fects. The central parts join together in lines which are portions of segmen- 

 tal curves ; tlius preventing a heavy appearance. The hind end curves up- 

 wards in an elliptic form ; and the front, with a return crrve somewhat resem- 

 bling the light figure-head of a ship; thus denoting the line of progress. 

 The lower line of the haiiimer-clotli is made to range witii tlie central huri- 

 aontal line of the body. The lamp, instead gf lieing ungracefully attached to 

 the forepart of the body as is commonly the case, stands on a branching iron 

 in the open space for it between the body and the hammer-cloth ; thus becom- 

 ing a prominent object, like a classic Pharos. The general harmonious ap- 

 pearance of the vehicle would with unprejudiced observers imracdiately ob- 

 tain for it a preference over ordinary carriages, saying nothing of its mechan- 

 ical advantages ; but the eye, after "being long accustomed to ,-4ibitrary forms, 

 seldom remains unprejudiced, and it is diflicLilt to divest ourselves of attach- 

 ments tliat liavo grown on us by the force of liabit. Thus, many persons are 

 still found to prefer the barbarous grotesquerie which has caricatured tlie true 

 Louis Quatorze taste, and to look with contempt, alike on the beauty of Greek 

 simplicity and Gothic art. 



" But, leaving all questions of external appearance to be decided on their 

 own merits, and taking the mechanical advantages for granted, the question 

 of comfort remains to be considered. In this point of view, t!ie carriiiiTc will 

 be found to possess qualities not attainable in any of the ordinary vehicles. 

 Though appearing larger than an ordinary chariot, it actually stands on a 

 lees space of ground, the axles being one foot nearer to each other than is 

 commonly the case. But the whole of the length is usefully occupied. The 

 body for the sitters, instead of being u cramped liox confining the limbs, as tlie 

 ordinary chariots do, is in reality more nearly approaching the form of an 

 apartment, being sufficient for two persons of the very largest size to recline 

 at full length, without incommoding each other ; while the bottom is strai.o-ht 

 like an ordinary flopr. Britzschka5^,ii in true, also affords a facility for reclin- 

 ing at full leiigtli , but for want gC epir.e above for air, they are almost suft'o- 

 cating to the passengers ; whereas in thi^ kind of chariot ample space is af- 

 forded for air. On looking at the drawing, it will be seen that the ordinarv 

 appearance of the side door is preserved, though it is not in reality a door, biit 

 merely a window to draw up and down as usual. From the fore part of Uic 

 apparent door, the body is continued forward in a circular form; and thus the 

 interior presents a large bow front, with a window on either hand, throuii-h 

 which a perfect view is obtained on all sides. Tlie floor of the body is in fiict 

 in the form of a horse-shoe. The doors open in tliehow front oneitiicr side. 

 This body is well capable of accommodating four or si.x people; and tlie lock- 

 er in front will hold a very large quantity of baggage ; while the coachman 

 and footman go on the box. If required, a stand'ibr the footman might easi- 

 ly be attached behind, by liglit iron stays or brackets.- On a journeyf imperi- 

 als might be placed on the roof, and also on the fore locker ; and supposing 

 two persons only to occupy the interior, they might liave a very convenient 

 table before them. In addition to this, the author has contrived a very sim- 

 ple arrangement, by means of a large lamp below tiie bottom, to heat'small 

 water-pipes carried round the interior,and thus maintain aeomfortable warmth 

 in the winter time. The ordinary mode of c m.itructing carriages will scarce- 

 ly permit this. 



" The principal defects in this drawing are, the al)senoc of a graceful curve 

 in the springs, tad the enormous disproportion of the mouldings which com- 

 posed the outlirfes of the body. 



"This principle of carriage construction is well adapted for stage coaches, 

 as well as the omnibuses witli which the streets are crowded, and wliich wiili 

 the advent of rail roads will continue to increase. 



bow confirmed his expectations. He then constructed a spring of a single 

 plate ot' shear steel, and fitting the ends with adjusting screws, applied a 

 cord of sufficient size to draw the arch to the rigiit span. Tlie result was. a 

 perfect spring of universal action. The annexed cut defines it more clearly; 



(Fig. 25.) 



licguUuing Bojc-spri/tg. 

 "The spring is a single plate of steel tapered both w-avsfrom t!ie centre to 

 the ends, which are forcibly curved by the adjusting bolts. The spring is 

 firmly fi.xcd by the back to the crcss-bar of the carrinoe, and tlie cord is" at- 

 tached to the axle ijy proper fastenings. Consequently, the cord, being flexi- 

 ble, will relieve the concussion ei the wheel in whatever direction 'it may 

 strike. It will also be seen that this spring has no tendency to break, and 

 that by the action of the cord it will resist tlie upv,'ard rebound as easily 

 as the downward pressure. There are also three other material ad- 

 vantages attending it. One lialf the uf^h.iI weight of steel will suffice for its 

 construrtion— the adjusting screws will adapt it at pleasure for a light or hea- 

 vy load— and being a single plate, it may be efficiently covered wltli paint 

 to preserve It from rust. The author hris' reason to believe that th-s spring 

 will bo found a very perfect sub.«titute for llie unwieldy C spring and leatlier 

 brace." — From " Adams' English Pleasure Carriages,'"' pp. 260-^275. 



" After completing these designs, the author was led to reflect that the no- 

 vel mode of looking was not well adapted for the use of C springs. This in- 

 duced an analysis of the ordinary elliptic springs, with a view to their im- 

 provement. Upon further reflection, the reason of the double elliptic sprino-s 

 bemg easier than the straight sprin-s seemed to be, the (act of the bodv pla- 

 ced on them bemg two removes irom the concussion. It immediately struck 

 the author that a flexible medium attached to a single sprincr wouldbe a more 

 perfect cpmbraation than a double spring, and exoerimentVith an archer's 



The wayward Ctlitor. 



The temptations to the garden and the field are so strong that, without for- 

 cing ourselves from them, we fear we shall in the busy season do poor justice 

 to our oditornl seat, and to the other avocations whicli retirement from more 

 public affairs has left us. A director of a bank, of an insurance office, and 

 of a rajl-road which is more troublesome not to proceed than to go on, a trus- 

 tee to the Insane Hospital, with some iinlf a dozen other employments, taken 

 as an honorary matter and generally without compensation, it might be sup- 

 posed we could easily find employment for the whole of our time. Our 

 choice is rather to be in the garden "at sunrise than to be in bed or at the desk; 

 for if in the morning we do not exercise, a catarrhal complaint (which has 

 followed lis ill all damp, coIJ weather for more than thirty years, and which, 

 instead of sciziug on the lungs and carrying us ofl" in a consumption many 

 years ago as was predicted, has probably contributed to general healtli by run- 

 ning oft" the materials for many set feve"rs,) either stojis the breath of the nos- 

 trils, or forces a discharge affecting the eyesight, and sometimes, as we think, 

 stuplfying the brain. 



■We have a cornfield of about five acres planted en the ."ith of May — a d.ay, 

 it will be leniembered, cold enough fu- January, and which some of our broth- 

 er farmers in derision, reported as having r-ej«c vp the next day, the violent 

 north-wesi wind having, as was supposed, swept olf the light soil which was 

 placed upon the hill for a covering:' the truth was, the wind did blow the 

 covering from a few hills of beans at the edge of the field near the Merrimack, 

 j which were most exposed. Our corn is at least a fortnight more f irward 

 than that of some persona who laughed at us for complaining of cold fingers 

 [ when w'e planted it. Travellers from Portsmouth who pass by tliis field, "say 

 there is no superior field of corn between the two places ; and we claim cred- 

 it for it because it is land which two years ago was covered with wdlov.-s, 

 brakes, and other bushes, and which from redundancy of river sand had 1 con 

 cons'dered all but worthless. Three acres of the lighter soil is of the Brown 

 corn from Lake Winnlpls.seogep. It was hot d for'the third time on the Tth 

 an.l-Hh July : the spindle-; of tiiii corn began to appear about the first of the 

 month. It was planted with manure sjireud alone, and of coiir.ie is not as 

 even as if it had the stimulant uniformly in each hill. About one hundred 

 loads of manure, principally compost of alluvial soil and lime, were put up- 

 on two thirds of this ground last year, and then planted with pot:itoes ; and 

 with the quantity doubled where there was none last year, one hundred loads 

 more have been applied to the whole, by spreading before it was ploughed in, 

 the present year. This last is principally rich stable manure. .It the second 

 hoeing a spoonful of pulvi-risod plaster wa^ applied to each hill. The stalks 

 of corn are probably the shorter for the backward, wet season ; but they have 

 thus far grown very stout, and in many cases alrcadv, there are as inany as 

 three vigorous sprouts to the main stalk, having ilte "appearance of four sep- 



