1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



766 



two plants last June of Messrs. P., it is not in New 

 England. # * # Dq you then really think 

 that this people will ever enter into the business ol 

 raising silk?'' 



The above, my dear air, fixes the date of my 

 reception of the trees e.xactly. It takes o(f one 

 year from the dale fixed upon in my lormer state- 

 miMif, or rather makes the dale one year later. 

 1 regret having (iiilen into the error, and hope it 

 may be attributed to the proper cause — I could 

 have no motive in misstating the date; and I hof)e 

 this prompt correction ol'il will be received as evi- 

 dence that I had no desire to do so. I have 

 quoted Mr. Kenrick's letter merely to show at 

 what time he commenced the culture of the tree. 

 Gideon B. Smith. 



In addition to the above new, or supposed facts, 

 as to the early introduction and early want of 

 knowledge of the morus multicaulis in this coun- 

 try, we have obtained information of another, and 

 previously unknown source of supply, from which 

 alone the southern states might have been already 

 slocked, if the value of the plant had been better 

 known. The statement is in the followni(T ex- 

 tract of a letter received from a correspondent in 

 Georgia, dated November 11th. 



"Some 8 or 10 years since, a gentlemnn who 

 commenced a vineyard in Harris county, 22 miles 

 above Columbus, sent to France liir a vine-dress- 

 er; and the person engaged, M. Besson, thought 

 it would not be amiss to bring out a (ew morus 

 multicaulis, which he planted adjoining the vine- 

 yard. Owing to the worthlessiiess oC the vines, 

 or want of proper energy, or both, or some other 

 cause, the vineyard was suffered to go to decay, 

 and the Frenchman to other business. The plan- 

 tation was subsequently sold to various persons, 

 till it fell into the hands of Dr. J. W. Turner, 

 who being a man of some taste and zeal in such 

 matters, has revived the place to some extent, and 

 propagated the mulberry trees left by the French- 

 man, until there are 100,000, or more. A short 

 time since, the owner's zeal growing cold, and not 

 finding a market for his trees, he sold Uie land, 

 consisting of 1000 acres, with three improvements 

 (or settlements,) thereon, including the old vine- 

 yard and the mulberry trees, for ^16000, to a gen- 

 tleman of Columbus, who has a brother in Balti- 

 timore, and therefore was better informed as to the 

 then demand for the trees. The purchaser will 

 shortly leave here lor Baltimore, to make sale of his 

 trees, thinking he will get more there than here. 

 Many of our citizens have lately become very 

 anxious to procure the trees, andthere is no tell- 

 ing where the excitement will end. 



"Poor Besson is dead, and his widow lives in 

 obscurity and indigence. So goes the world. I 

 like your suggestions relative to G. B. Smith, and 

 the "Gratitude" farm, and hope our fortunate citi- 

 zen may be induced to contribute somethins?; at 

 least I hope he will not forget the poor widow of 

 the man who laid the foundation of his fortune." 



of lead well pulverized. The materials easily 

 unite by stirring. Steep the wicks in this compo- 

 sition while warm and fluid. When cold the can- 

 dles may be made upon them by dipping or mould- 

 ing, in burning these candles, the carboimte of 

 lead is decomposed by the heat, and little globules 

 of lead collect on the top ol the wick, which bend 

 it out of the flame and ihcreliy increase the beau- 

 ty and brightness of the light. 



[Jour, de Conn. Usuelles. 



PREPARATION OF METALLIC CANDLE WICK. 



Melt 100 parts of tallow, or wax, or any mix- 

 ture of these, and add 5 to 10 parts of carbonate 



For the Fanners' Register. 

 ROUGH FIELD NOTIiS. 



No. III. 



Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. 



This work is highly important, being a link of 

 the great improvement wliich is now in success- 

 ful operation, connecting Philadelphia with the 

 west. It is 83 miles lonir, and connects the watera 

 of the Schuylkill at Philadelphia with those of the 

 Susquehanna at Columbia. The highest sum- 

 mit crossed in this ('istance is the Mine Rido-e, 

 elevated 600 feet above tide, and distant 54 miTea 

 from Philadelphia. The descent to each river is 

 made by means of an inclined plane worked by 

 staiionary power. The one at ('olnmbia risea 

 ninety in 1980 fi*et, the other at the Schuylkill is 

 ISO feet high and about half a mile long. At the 

 latter place the stationary engine with its room, 

 is a model for neatness and order. The train is 

 let down gently and safely by means of a rope 

 three inches in diameter.. I'he Schuylkill is crossed 

 by a handsome covered bridge 900 feet long, on 

 which are laid no less than fliur rail-way tracks. 



A double track has been laid throughout the 

 entire length of the road. The superstructure 

 consists principally of the edge rail, supported 

 every three feet on stone blocks, about one foot 

 cube. Wooden sills are substituted for these 

 cubes of stone, at miervals of 15 feet, which pass 

 under both rails and act as ties. At each point of 

 support the rail rests in a heavy cast iron chair, and 

 is fastened in it by means of a small iron wedge 

 on each side. The chair is previously fixed to the 

 block, by means of wooden plugs driven into holes 

 drilled into the stone. The sills and blocks are 

 all firmly bedded on broken stone. On many of 

 the high banks, the blocks of stone are entirely 

 replaced by sills of wood, no doubt, to prevent in- 

 equality in settling. A portion of the road which 

 was once laid with stone and iron plate, thev are 

 now ripping up, and substituting the supers"truc- 

 ture just described, except that the ties are made 

 of" stone instead of wood. Though many errors 

 of location, as well as ofconstruction, are percepti- 

 ble, yet this work may justly be placed in the first 

 class of railroads. 



The Philadelphia and Columbia railroad be- 

 longs to the state. The state owns also all the 

 motive power. Individuals or private companies 

 put their own coaches and burthen cars on the 

 road, and pay to the state lolls, just as boats do on 

 a canal. The slate owning ihe engines which 

 propel these wagons, has of course the regulation 

 of the hours lor startin<j, &c. so as effectually to 

 ffuard against accident from the meeting of trains. 

 The transportation on this road is immense. In 

 passing over it, we met two long trains of coaches 

 filled with passengers, and two heavy produce 



