^\)c jTarmcr's iHciutl)hj bisitor. 



83 



gromid is, that ooniiimnicutioii may be easily 

 cut off in any case leqiiirinp it — more so than if 

 laid under fjroiiiid. — J^'ashiia Telegraph. 



An E.vonMOL's Steam Engine. — J?y far iIjo 

 largest ever constructed, is now in process of 

 manufacture at Harvey <Si CoV. Foundry, Hayle : 

 the piston rn<l, wldch was forged last week, is \9 

 fijet long, ]3 inches in diameter in liie middle, and 

 16 inches in the core, and weiahs 3 tons 16 cwt. 

 It will work in an 80 inch cylinder, which will 

 Bland in the rjiiddle of another, of ]-i4 inches in 

 diameter. Five other piston rods will work he- 

 tween the iirncr and outer cylinders. We con- 

 clude, fi>r this has not heen explained to us, that 

 the piston of the external giaut c>ihider will he 

 perfoiated in the middle for the 80 inch cylinder 

 to stand in it, and will work hetwceii the two. 

 The 80 inch cylindri- was cast last week, and the 

 |.ir;ie one will he cast soon. The pumps are to 

 be 04 inches in diameter, a measurement which 

 may atibril some idea of the size of the ent'inn. 

 It is intenrled for draiidng iherlem Lake, in Hol- 

 land, and it is expected that other oiders for sim- 

 ilar ensines will he received from the same fjuai- 

 ler. — London paper. 



CuciMBEKS. — A writer in Ihi- London Gar- 

 dener's Chronicle, says he has entirely discarded 

 the old mode of allowing cucnmhers to run on 

 the sm-fiice of the j;roiiiid. He trains them to 

 trellises, and finds that lie has not half the tronhle 

 with (hem that is reipiired hy the old plan, and 

 tli.-it the jilanls continue much longer in bearing, 

 w hen so treated. 



Berk's Cootv (I'a.) Crops. — The Readin;; 

 (Pa.) Gazette says that tlie farmers of that region 

 have betii hnsily engaged gatheiing their hay 

 crops. They liave had, upon the whole, favora- 

 ble weather ; and a more than aver.ige yield, both 

 ill qiiality and rjuantity, has been havested. The 

 rye and wheat are ripening fast and in some 

 parts of the countiy will be ready for the sickle 

 next week. The crop will he fair, though not as 

 ahnndant as was anticipated. Corn seemsadvanc- 

 ed and healthy. We may look for green corn on 

 the tables about the 4lli of July — sumewhat ear- 

 lier than usual. 



From the Report of Hon. H. L. dlsworlh,Coniiniiiisioner 

 of Patents, Qiade to Congress at its present session. 

 .Miiunrcs. 



The science of chemistry, applied to agricul- 

 ture, has furnished analyses of soils,and, by de- 

 termining the nature of the elements or constitti- 

 ent parts of the various kinds, and the combina- 

 tion of these also in the vegetable productions, 

 has enabled many to judge as to what are the el- 

 ements needed to be supplied in the form of ma- 

 nure. Similar invesiigations have been made, in- 

 to the character of the substances generally used 

 as mannres ; and the result has been, to develop 

 the principles which constitute more especially 

 the nutritious parts of these fertilizers of the 

 soil. Many substances, before unknown .-is re- 

 spects their practical hearing in this |ioint of 

 view, have, on trial, proved to be very valuable ; 

 tind after the analyses have been cmnpleted, aud 

 the elements known, it has been fomui tliat new 

 combinations, still more effective, may be mads 

 at a less e."cpeiise than the natural ones. In bulk, 

 toq^iiianurcs are thus greatly reduced, as the es- 

 teflK of the principle by which the plant is 

 nourished is extracted, and applied uithout ad- 

 juncts which are usually found with it. Very 

 astonishing results have been proihiced hy the 

 application of some of these manures to hinds 

 well adii|)ted to them. 



The various sails reduced to a small space af- 

 ford great fertilizing power. The value of urine, 

 as a manure, is beginning to beapineciated. For 

 a long lime, both in Europe and in China, it has 

 been greatly esteemed as a means of enriching 

 land. A single cow, it is staled, will produce iii 

 a year 13,000 weight of uiine, and this contains 

 t)CO lbs. of solid matter finely dissolved, indii- 

 ding 230 lbs. of ammonia. 



The celehrated .Arthur V'oung niiinured four 

 erpial portions of a field — one with di-y stru\>' : 

 another with straw soaked with Iresb urine 5 

 lioins; the third, with stuiw thus soaked 1.3 

 liours; and the fourth with straw thus soaked 

 lor 3 days; and a fifth he left without aiiythins. 

 All were sown with grain, and tilled alike." The 

 result was that the first product was 30, (lie sec- 



ond was 50, tlie third 63, the iburlh 126, and the 

 filth only It. 



The great f|ii6iitity of nitrogen contained in 

 the mine of animals is considered the cause of 

 their heiiL-ticial action on soils. L'rate, which is 

 a salt manuliiclured and sold as a manure, it U 

 staled cannot fully siip[)ly the place of urine. — 

 Human mine is said to contain in 1,000 lbs., at 

 least 68 lbs. of dry fertilizing matter of the riidi- 

 est quality, worth .$3 per hundred weight. The 

 urine alone discharged into rivers and sewers by 

 a town population of 10,000 inhabitants, would 

 supply maiiiiie to a farm of 1,500 acres. The 

 excrements of" a single individual, i't is supposed, 

 are siifHcient yearly to yield the requisite nitro- 

 gen to an acre of land. 



Soot and charcoal are also excellent fertilizers. 

 .\ccording to an able writer on this subject, 100 

 lbs. of soot, by analysis, has been found to con- 

 tain as many valuable salts as a ton of cow dung; 

 and its nitrogen compared with that manure is 

 as 40 to 1. 



In an experitiieui, tried by .Mr. Sinclair on po- 

 tatoes, the soil without manure yielded 157 Inish- 

 el.s per acre. 



With 30 bushels of soot 192 liusheis per acre. 



With 30 bushels of soot and salt, (3 bushels) 

 210 bushels per acre. 



Charcoal has heen before mentioned, and the 

 great increase of the wheat crop in France, from 

 the employment of this substance, stated. By 

 the u?e of charcoal and lime, in the State of New 

 York, a cro() of wheat of 78 bushels to an acre 

 lir.s been obtained. 



Common sail is likewise a powerful species of 

 mannre ; comhined with soot, as stated above, 

 its effect is great. iMr. Sinclair gives the follow- 

 ing experiment on carrots: 



Soil without manure, produced over 23 tons 

 per acre. 



Soil with 6i bushels of salt dug in, 44 tons per 

 acre. 



Soil with 0.J bushels of salt dug in, and 6h 

 bushels of soot, 40 tons per acre. 



A striking experiment on the application of 

 nitrale of soda is thus slated: 



"On the 6tli of last May, five alternate ridges 

 of w heat, measuring 1 acre 2 roods and 4 jierch- 

 es, were sown with 500 cwt. of nitrale of soda 

 In afield. In a few' days the difTereiiee between 

 the ridges sown with nitrate and the intervening 

 ridges of the same could be discerned at a con- 

 siderable distance fro:n the field : which contin- 

 ued through the summer. The two sons have 

 been reaped, threshed, measured, and each 

 weighed separately, and the following is a cor- 

 rect account of tlic* produce: Nitrate — 49 bush- 

 els : weight per bushel, 56 lbs.; of straw, 2 tons 

 4cwt. 3 qrs. and 5 lbs. The other 23 bushels: 

 weiglit per bushel, 55 lb.=.; straw, 1 ton 5 cwt, 1 

 qr. and 2 lbs." 



By the experiments of MM. Payen and Bous- 

 ingault, it appears that so far as relates to the 

 quantity of nitrogen contained, the following 

 proportions of certain articlea exist to 100 lbs. of 

 larm-vard dung: 



.Moist. 



Pea straw 22 



Wheat straw 166 



Rye straw 235 



Oat straw 142 



Jjtirlev stravT 173 



Wheat chaff 47 



Green beet leaves 80 



Potaioe 72 



Carrot 47 



Buried clover roots 24 



Dunghill dralnings 67 



Solid cow dung 125 



.Mixed cow dung t>7 



Cow urine tlO 



Solid horse dung 72 



Horse urine To 



Mixed horse dung .34 



.Mixed pig dung 6.3 



Mixed sheep dung 36 

 Liquid Flemish manure 210 



Oyster sheiis 



Slarl 



Blood s<iliibie 



liquid 



ilry insoluble 

 Bones boiled 



moist 



fat 



125 



78 



3 



13 



Dry. 



100 



650 



975 



541 



750 



207 



43 



84 



66 



no 



129 

 84 

 75 

 ol 



m 



13 



64 

 57 

 65 



487 



13 



II 



'A3 



The astonishing fertilizing power of the ma- 

 nnre called g-unno, which is found in such vast 

 quantities on the coast of Chili, and other parts 

 of South America, and is, doubtless the depos- 

 ite of immense mimhcrs of birds liir ages, has 

 e.xcitod much interest in this country, as well as 

 abroad. An artificial kind is inanulitclnred in 

 England, which is .said to answer as well as the 

 natural, and is to be obtained at a less price. Gu- 

 ano is stated to be tijund, on analysis to consist 

 of certain ammoniacal and earthy salts, togeth- 

 er with a small quantity of aniinal matter; but 

 the proportions ol' the difi'erent substances are 

 said to vary in different specimens submitted to 

 the test. It is a very strong manure, and must 

 not he used in large quantities. To obviate this 

 difficulty, the artificial guano has been prepared 

 in England. A great number of varied expert- 

 nienis have been tried with guano. It is said to 

 be well suited to the humid climate of Great Brit- 

 ain. It can only he drawn out of the soil hy the 

 crops, hy a course of years. It may either be 

 used alone, or with other manures, and is gene- 

 rally used in the fijrm of a powder. The [irice 

 of it in Peru is often about .*250 per cwt. The 

 general price in the South .Vmerican porta is 

 about 66 cents jier cwt. Some comparative ex- 

 periments are mentioned as tried in England 

 on turnips. Thus, where was used farm }'ard 

 manure, 20 tons per acre, the product was 18i 

 tons per acre in bulbs ; hone dust 40 bushels per 

 acre, the product gave over 14i tons per acre in 

 bulbs ; soot 50 bushels per acre, the product gave 

 over 1(! tons per acre in hulhs; Guano 3 cwL 

 per acre, the product was 23 tons per acre iu 

 bulbs; wood ashes 20 bushels per acre, gave a 

 product of 32 tons |ier acre in bnlbs; nitrate of 

 soda 1 cwt. per acre, gave a (iroduct of 27 tons 

 per acre in bulbs; sulphate of ammonia 1 cwt. 

 per acre, gave a product of 243 tons I'er acre in 

 bulbs. 



In another experiment, it is stated that 305. 

 worth of giinno gave a belter crop than £7 worth 

 of farm-yard manure. The great efTect of gua- 

 no was decisively shown in a public garden, late- 

 ly, in Boston. Two seeds of sweet corn were 

 planted May 12th, in a poor, sandy soil. One 

 was without any manure, and produced but one 

 stalk, which had on it one ca., and which weigh- 

 ed Ij pound. The other, manured with guano, 

 produced eight good ears, and four or five use- 

 less ones, and weighed eight pounds. OnU' two 

 spoonfuls of gnano were used on the bill. By 

 the experiments of General Beatsou at St. Hel- 

 en.a, the comparative produce of potatoes from 

 different manures was — 



Bushebi. 

 Guano, at 35 bushels per acre dS'J 



Horse dung, at 35 carl-loads per acre 626 

 Hogs' dung, at 35 cart-loads per acre 534 

 Simple soil 446 



According to the analyses of iHM. Voelchel 

 and Klaproth, the varieties of guano wliieh they 

 examined contained — 



Vr.elchel KUprotb^,^ 

 Paru. Virt^..-' 



9.0 16.0" ."" 



10.6 o;o'''' 



7.0 li?i> 



&0 0:0 



■-4 



Urate of ammonia 

 Oxolate of ammonia 

 Oxolate of lime 

 Phosphate of ammonia 

 Phosphate of ammonia and 



magnesia 

 Sulphate of potash 

 Sulphate of soda 

 Clilorade of sodium 



(common salt) 

 Chlorade of ammonia 

 Phosphate of lime 

 Clay and gaud 

 Undetermined organic sub- 

 stauees, of which about 

 12 per cent, is soluble in 

 water, a small quantity of 

 soluabl» i^alt of iron, wa- 

 ter 32.53. 28.75. 

 In a few words, it may be regarded ae a o/>in- 

 pound of urate of animoiiia and other salt«, 



Mr. Johnston gives the following mixturi* of 

 the variii'is ingre^lieiits found in guaiio aa likely 

 to provee qgally efficacious v. ith the iiatuml guauo 

 lor all the erpps which have beeo tried with that 

 manure. 

 31.3 pounds (7 bushels of bonedusL) 

 100 pounds of sulphate of ammoiiia, conloio- 

 iiij 35 pounds of ammoiiia. 



I. 



