288 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 5 



2. "Cy ihe amalfrfimrition — the method similar 

 to tliat employed in Iliiii^ary in fzold mines. 



3. "By the damp way, or dissolving the sands 

 in acids. 



4. "By meltinfT the sand in the blast furnaces. 

 ''Those experiments were made hy liie order of 



the Minister of Finance, Comte Kancrin, to the 

 eml of ascerraining the exact qnantity of gold 

 contained in a <:rivea quantity of sand, and ex- 

 tracting Ihe gold from the very middle of the 

 grains. 



"By the second method ; they obtained eight 

 times more gold than by the first (common sys- 

 tem.) 



"The third method produced ftur times more 

 gold than the first; but by the fourth method, that 

 is to say, by melting the sand, twenty-four times 

 more gold was obtained than by the washing sys- 

 tem. 



"In that process, the produce of the melting is an 

 alloy of cast iron and gold (fonte aurifere,) from 

 which the ijold is separated by means of sulphu- 

 ric acid. By putting this Inst method into prac- 

 tice, we shall obtain yearly 8000 poods (sixty-two 

 poods equal to one ton) of crold instead of 400, 

 from the same quantity ol" alluvial deposit. But 

 the conservatory principle, applied to the national 

 wealth of the Government adopts the plan of only 

 a moderate increase of the annual produce of gold, 

 and securing thus a longer existence to the allu- 

 vial deposits." 



The statement as to the difference produced by 

 the modes of treatment may appear startling at 

 first, but it may be considered as more probable 

 if we take into account the nature of the sub- 

 stance in which the gold is enveloped. The pro- 

 duce of smelting, we see, is an alloy of cast-iron 

 and (fold, indicating that, as is very usual, the 

 substance accompanying this gold is iron. Now, 

 to say nothing of the very imperfect results which 

 can be obtained by the old method of washins-, if 

 we consider the ingenious application of amalga- 

 mation which is mentioned, we shall at once per- 

 ceive, that every particle of gold which is wrapt 

 up in iron must infallibly escape the action of the 

 mercury, and it is not difficult to imagine, that a 

 very considerable proportion may be so defended. 

 Let the whole, however, be reduced by fusion, 

 and all the metallic part will then be broufrht to- 

 gether and separated at once from the earthy part, 

 and consequently, little or none of the gold can 

 escape. Thus, we may account for a very con- 

 siderable difference in the results of the processes 

 that have been employed. The separation of" the 

 gold from the iron Ijy sulphuric acid, is not likely 

 to produce any waste of the precious metal. 



It is anticipated, I know, that this improvement 

 may be extended to other gold-producing coun- 

 tries, and I have no doubt but it may in due time ; 

 but it should be recollected, that smelting is a very 

 expensive and tedious process in some of these 

 countries, partly from scarcity of fuel, and partly 

 from very imperfect methods for producing the ne- 

 cessary blast, by which it happens that the de- 

 gree of heat required is difficult to obtain. Im- 

 provements may be made so as to remedy some 

 of these defects, and one important one. I believe, 

 would be, the application of the hot air blast; but 

 those who know what the difficulties are in mak 



plicable, will see that considerable time may be 

 required to accomplish the object, and the selec- 

 tion of very judicious and well instructed agents to 

 carry the necessary measures into operation. 



To any one who may be considering the sub- 

 ject with a view to adopting the use of this disco- 

 very, I would also siiLCgest, that the chemical 

 separation of the metals, is an operation which 

 must be directed by one possessed of considerable 

 skill and experience, and that it can only be done 

 where sulphuric acid, or substances not easily 

 transported, can be supplied in sufficient quanti- 

 ties. If the alloy be rich enough to bear the 

 charge of carriage it might be better to send it to 

 places where tlic requisite skill and materials can 

 be had with facility, but here again, Ihe fiscal re- 

 gulations of different countries may oppose an 

 obstacle. 



I merely throw out these hints that persons 

 who may wish to avail themselves of the advan- 

 tages held out by this process, may be prepared to 

 meet the difficulties that present themselves, and 

 to set about the undertaking in a manner most 

 likelv to ensure success. 



1 am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



John Taylor. 



Chatham Place, July 6. 



NEW MODE OF APPLYING STEAM. 



The editor of the New York Herald, in one of 

 his recent letters ii-om London, says — 



A new mode of applying steam has been in- 

 vented, which will do away with horse power en- 

 tirely on canals. On the day of the launch last, 

 week, a small boat of forty tons was passing and 

 repassing the river, without paddles or sails. She 

 had a hi«j,h pressure engine on board — and there 

 she Avent through the water, puff, puff, pufl", puff, 

 without indicating any other symptom of motive 

 power, or even a single ripple disturbing her 

 course. 



It seems that she has under her bottom, a single 

 paddle, in the shape of a screw, with one turn 

 only. To this screw is given a rotary motion by 

 the steam engine — and its motion propels her 

 through the water without creating a single ripple 

 on the surlace, around the boat. An experiment 

 was made last week on the Surry canal, and it 

 succeeded beyond all expectation. I saw the lit- 

 tle boat myself^, moving like a living creature, 

 over the dirty bosom oif the Thames. There is 

 now no doubt of the entire success of the plan, 

 and in less than a couple of years I expect to see 

 the whole length of the Erie canal navigated by 

 steam power, without injuring at all its banks. 

 One such steamboat as I saw could take a train of 

 thirty canal boats, at a speed of six miles an hour. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 



PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE. 



When the bill providing for a continuation of 



the Asrricultural Survey of "Massachusetts by the 



ing alterations in established processes in some of i Rev. fl. Colman, came up before the legislature 



the countries to which these observationa are ap- 1 of that state a few weeks since, a dead set was 



