1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



261 



back suffered in Ihe same way, but the cause is a 

 mystery. Nothing like a worm is to be (bund in 

 the swollen fruit. 



From the United States Philadelphia Gazette. 



young's patent spark catcher for loco- 

 motive ENGINES. 



Mr. Editor — At a time like, the present, when 

 the extension of rail roads throughout our country 

 is becoming so general, and the employment of 

 locomotive engines has become a matter of course, 

 I deem it important that all persons connected with 

 the management of rail roads should be made ac- 

 quainted with the fact, that a complete remedy ex- 

 ists for the greatest nuisance to which this mode 

 of travelling is liable, viz: the. emission of sparks 

 from the engine. That remedy is to be found in 

 the contrivance with the name of which this arti- 

 cle is headed, and the patentee is prepared to dis- 

 pose of the right of using it, either at a reasonable 

 rate for each engine, or at a gross sum, to be paid 

 for the privilege by each company that may be de- 

 sirous of availing itself of his invention. 



It is now upwards of two years since the spark 

 catcher of Mr. Young* has been in use on the 

 New-Castle anil Frenchtown rail road, since which 

 period no instance has occurred on that road of a 

 single, garment having had a hole burnt in it by a 

 spark from a locomotive engine. Of the tens 

 of thousands of persons who have travelled the. 

 New-Castle road during the period named, not 

 one can be found to gainsay the above state- 

 ment. 



Is there a single person, who has travelled on 

 any other road in the United States, on which lo- 

 comotives are used, with wood for fuel, that has not 

 been annoyed, and either had his flesh or clothing 

 burnt during his journey, by the means I have 

 mentioned ? I do not believe there is one to be 

 found. 



Is the Camden and Amboy road free from the 

 intolerable and dangerous annoyance? No! — Bag- 

 gage cars have been burnt, passenger cars have 

 been on fire, and ladies almost denuded. 



Is the great thorough fare of Pennsylvania, the 

 Columbia rail road, free from it? No! Barns, wood, 

 crops of grain, and fences, have fallen beneath the 

 flames in turn. 



Are the Philadelphia and Trenton, the Phila- 

 delphia and Germantown — in a word, are any of 

 our rail roads in the whole country, from Maine 

 to Louisiana, provided against the inconvenience 

 and danger of which I am speaking? No! not 

 one. 



We have arrived then at this point; the greatest 

 drawback to the pleasure and safety of travelling 

 on rail roads with locomotive engines, is fire emit- 

 ted from the chimnies of the engines, and against 

 this a perfect preventive exists, the right to use 

 which may be obtained by any company that see 

 proper to purchase it, at a reasonable price. One 

 company only in the United States has availed it- 

 self of it. The question for the public to decide is, 

 whether they will suffer this sort of carelessness 

 or false economy to prevail in rail road boards any 



* Mr. Young is the engineer of locomotive power 

 on the New-Castle and Frenchtown road, and resides 

 at New-Castle. 



longer, ani allow their own property and lives, 

 and those of their wives and children, to be jeo- 

 parded, or whether they will resolve with on<;# 

 accord to prosecute in all cases of damage the 

 company that undertakes to convey them safely 

 without taking the proper precautions to do so. 



The writer of this article is as ardently attached 

 to the rail road system as any man in the country. 

 He has long looked on the monstrous abuse, he'is 

 now noticing, in silence, but a solemn sense of duty, 

 quickened by a recent signal illustration of the dan- 

 ger to which life is subjected by neglect in guard- 

 ing against the particular evil of fire, has at length 

 urged him to break his silence. 



And I hope that this brief notice may induce a 

 general attention to the subject, which is one, in 

 my humble judgement, of paramount importance 

 both to the corporations alluded to, and the pub- 

 lic. 



One word more. The assertion is distinctly 

 made, and all contradiction of it defied, that 

 Young's Spark Catchers are a perfect preventive 

 to the emission of sparks from the chimnies of lo- 

 comotive engines when in use. I believe it might 

 be asserted with equal safety, that no other con- 

 trivance has been (bund to answer at all. 



L. 



June 16th. 



TO DESTROY LICE ON CATTLE. 



To the Editor of the farmers' Register. 



In the June number of the Register, I perceive 

 several modes recommended lor destroying lice 

 on cattle, each perhaps, efficacious, but with some 

 objections: and as we cannot have too many re- 

 medies for the destruction of that pestiferous in- 

 sect, allow me to recommend the use of a^ttle 

 flour of sulphur, given internally, once or twrce a 

 week, with salt, which is eaten kindly. This I 

 have practised with great success. 



In addition to the beneficial result in destroying 

 the lice, it has the happiest effect on the general 

 health of the cattle. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 SUPPOSED MISTAKE AS TO HESSIAN FLY. 



^7ssex, Juhj 22, 1835. 



From the severity of the winter and the de- 

 struction by what we term the fly, our crops of 

 wheat are reduced to about one-third of a crop. 

 I have, on examining the stalks of wheat during 

 the spring, seen a great number of deposites near 

 the root; and at the approach of summer I found 

 the}- had all matured,»diid deserted their winter 

 quarters. I have looked diligently for the Hessian 

 fly, but can see nothing but an innumerable quantity 

 of grasshoppers of the smallest size. Indeed 

 from the slight observations which I have made 

 on this subject, L am brought to Ihe conclusion, 

 that we may probably be condemning the one for 

 the fault of the other. I would beg, therefore, 

 should any of the writers for the Register make a 

 farther experiment with this deposite, that they 

 will keep the insect till they are thoroughly con- 

 vinced whether in fact it be the Hessian fly or not, 

 for between the grasshopper in its youngest slate, 



