J837J 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



«6d 



friend in each of tlie towns?, trading; with Peters- 1 

 burii;, were designated, who would receive and j 

 transmit to the eihior, ail comnuinicalious that i 

 niiijlu be iodij^ed with him. A better phm would | 

 be, tor Congress to liirect by hiw, that all letters 1 

 directed to the editors of agricultural papers, 

 should be transmitted free of |)ostage. The pat- 

 riotic vocation of these trentlemen lliirly entitles I 

 them to such an immunity. The liberal-hearted i 

 old gentleman, often called " Uncle Sam," miglu 

 exert his generosity much more unworthily. 

 Should these remarks be lionored by the perusal 

 of a member of Congress, he would acquire the 

 gratitude of at least one citizen, by attending to 

 subject, and what is of vastly more importance, 

 he might promote a cause, which has, not without 

 reason, complained of inattention from " the pow- 

 ers that be." 



[Our correspondent has correctly guessed that the 

 routes of nearly all the excursions of which notes 

 have been published, were directed by the pressure of 

 other business, more than by our own choice. It is very 

 gratifying to learn that these crude and very defective 

 notices have been approved by our present correspon- 

 dent, and many others of our readers; and if so, of notes 

 collected hastily, and irregularly, and almost under 

 close constraint, it may readily be inferred that sim- 

 ilar excursions, directed by choice, and conducted leis- 

 urely, and without distraction, would be very far more 

 interesting and instructive. We have numerous readers 

 and friends, (as well as subscribers) to the Farmers' 

 Register, who sometimes have opportunities to make 

 such excursions, and prepare better reports of their 

 observations; and in no other way could they more ef- 

 fectually aid this journal to forward its great object, of 

 serving agricultural interests. An excellent article 

 of this general character, was commenced in the 7th 

 No. and is concluded in this, of the notes of a corres- 

 dent taken during an excursion through western New 

 York. Much instruction, as well as entertainment, 

 would be furnished to our readers, by similar fruits of 

 other journeys, made for pleasure, health, or business. 

 If it were possfole (which it certainly is not, unless 

 effected by the action of government,) to obtain full and 

 correct reports of the agriculture of Virginia, precisely 

 as it is, with all its defects exposed, no less than its com- 

 mendable features, the agricultural instruction that 

 would thereby be conveyed, would be of incalculable 

 value to the country. 



If any communications have failed to be sent to the 

 Farmers' Register, for fear of taxing us with postaga, 

 we beg that that obstacle may no longer be permitted 

 to operate. It is true, that we are taxed both enor- 

 mously and unjustly in postage — but it is not on com- 

 munications,' theae we would be glad to obtain at far 

 greater cost than the expense of postage. We have, 

 however, felt the injurious operation of this tax, as 

 a prohibition to that free intercourse by correspondence 

 with the agriculturists of the country, which is all-im- 

 portant to the properly conducting of a journal devoted 

 to agricultural interests. It is on this score, far more 

 than for relief fram the pecuniaiy tax of postage ac- 

 Vol. V— 72 



tually paid by editors of agricultural journals, that the 

 plan of our correspondent, would be greatly beneficial. 

 But it is not only on the correspondence of agricultu- 

 ral editors that the prohibitory tax of postage operates 

 severely. There is still a heavier payment, and a 

 most unequal and unjust one, levied on the copies of 

 our publication, compared to newspapers, and all such 

 other publications as, by law, or by favor, arc declared 

 to be newspapers. This unjustice and hardship, under 

 which this journal suffers peculiarly, is a subject, which 

 we had before thought of exposing, however des- 

 perate might be the chance for redress. But its con- 

 sideration is of sufficient importance to require a sep- 

 arate and substantive article — and we shall therefor* 

 refrain from giving our views in full, for the present.] 



from the Northampton Courier. 

 MANUFACTURE OP PAPER* 



The Northampton paper mill, has just com- 

 menced operations. It is on the old paper mill site, 

 and is one of the most commodious buildings in the 

 county. If the reader will follow we vvill lead 

 him through the successive stages of the process, 

 and show him how they manufacture an article, 

 in the hands of every one, the manner of making 

 which, is a sealed book to "the many." The first 

 object of attention in the operations of the mill, is a 

 gigantic overshot water wheel in the basement 

 story — 16 leet in length, and 20 feet in diameter. 

 This drives the eng/ne lor grinding the pulp, the 

 cost of which is nearly $'3,000. The paper ma- 

 chines, are driven by a smaller tub wheel, the lat- 

 ter producing a more unilbrm and regular mo- 

 tion. 



But few of our readers, we imagine, are aware 

 of the beauty and simplicity of the processes im- 

 (iergone in the manuhicture of paper by machine- 

 ry. The rags after being sorfed in the third story, 

 are thoroughly dusted in a large revolvintr wire 

 cylinder. From thence, they pass to the cutting 

 machine, which reduces them to mere shreds. 

 From this they are transferred to the engines in 

 the second story, where, by the revolution of cut- 

 ling rollers in large oblong tubs of water, they ard 

 in the course of a few hours converted into a fine 

 homogeneous puip. In these engines, also the 

 pulp is bleached and changed from its original 

 dusky hue, to a most pure and beautiful white. 



From the engines, the pulp is now conducted 

 below through troughs into cisterns of immense 

 size, by which the machine is supplied. Fromt- 

 one cistern, a thin stream of pulp is constantly 

 flowing upon the machine, and by passing ujKi'er 

 a succession of rollers, comes oat at the e'xtremi- 

 ty of it in the form of paper — dry, and rerniy fbr 

 use. As it issues from the cistern, it is received 

 upon a horizontal moving sheet of the fi-r^est wire- 

 gauze, having a quick, vibratory raonon, which 

 permits the water to strain through, but retains 

 the body of pulp on its surface, f l li^en passes un- 

 der a solid iron roller, which actir^g with the pres- 

 sure of more than a thousand pounds, forces out 

 the water, and gives the pulp consistency, whicb 

 consistency is furilier increased by the passage of 

 the pulpundersuccessivesimiiarrollers. The paper 

 is now made. But that'it may be dried, it passer 

 immediately from these rolrers over and under sev- 

 eral large hoHow polishact copp«r cylinders, wh©«© 



