168 



N E V\ ENGLAND FARMER 



KUV, 86 IS*0. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



From ihe T;iunton Whi^. 



LONG CLOSE IMPRISONMENT, AND SUD- 

 DEN EMANCIPATION. 



Visiting at the house of a frionil — an intelli- 

 o-ent and veracious citizen, in Middleboro', a few 

 weeks since, I found liini digsjincr a well upon his 

 premises, near his buildings. He inf .rnied tnc, that 

 lie had penetrated into the earth between nine and 

 ten feet, when ho came to a large flat stone, or kind 

 of ledge, that covered nearly the whole bi>ttom. 

 The stone appeared to be of the softer kind of 

 granite, composed rather of flakes, than a sidid mans, 

 with seams closely united, and though adhering 

 pretty firmly, not very dirticiilt to be started and 

 separated by the bar. He proceeded to break up 

 this mass of stone, which was effected by breaking 

 it in pieces, and scaling it off. But, what was his 

 surprise, when breaking and scaling and laising up 

 a large piece of this stone, a living toad emerged 

 from the place, in which he had been imbedded. 

 He described him as a toad of the ordinary size, 

 and appearance, except in the color. Instead of 

 the dun, or dark gray, he appeared somewhat of the 

 shinincr color of stones, and the margin of streams, 

 in the vicinity of ore. When released from his 

 close confinement, he leaped with all the strength 

 and agility of the most vigorous and active of the 

 race, uttering a kind of scream, as he advanced, 

 something like a tree-toad, so loud and shrill as to 

 attract the attention of the children playing in the 

 door-yard. And in the true spirit of our free in- 

 stitutions, and the age in which we live, he was 

 not only sufiered to go at large, but even helped 

 out of the pit, and put upon the surface of the 

 earth, and look up his old friends, if he had 

 any, and mingle with free population. 



How he came there, or how long he had been 

 imprisoned, in this snug stone cell, must be alto- 

 gether matter of coiijtcture. The little cell he 

 occupied, seemed but just large enough to hold 

 him, without the least room to turn, or at all change 

 his position. The iVssnres in the rock must have 

 been rather favorable todiim, on account of air, and 

 possibly, occasional drot'S of water, though closely 

 adhering, and by no rneans large enough to admit 

 an insect. 



Some suppose the time was, when all the terri- 

 tory south of Boston, commonly called the cape, 

 was submerged in water ; jind suppose it is pretty 

 clear that geological appearances, as far as devel- 

 oped, form Ihe idea. But I do not see that this ac- 

 counts for the position of the toad in question. 

 And even if the deluge would account for it, it 

 would seem to be almost cruel to adjudge him to 

 have had so long an imprisonment. Perhaps the 

 most probable theoiy is, that many years ago 

 he imbedded himself ill that kind of earth which 

 most readily petrified — the earth hardened and 

 confined him, until the earth rose over him by 

 the natural accumulation of that which grows 

 upon ita surface, to the height of near ten feet. 

 How long it would take such earth to petrify, or 

 sucli an amount of soil to accumulate, I am unable 

 to tell. Perhaps some learned geologist, or some ac- 

 cute naturali.^t, will be good enough to inform us. 



Middkboro\ 1840. P. C. 



rand, in the dusk of the evening, I saw two young 

 men rush from a i-hop, one pursuing the other. 

 They were brothers. The oldest had a leather 

 strap in his hand. He caught his brother, and af- 

 ter a severe struggle in which n.any blows were 

 given and received, succeeded in throwing him 

 down and severely whipping him with the strap. 

 I was then a child, and the scene produced an im- 

 pression upon my mind which will never pass 

 away. This occurred about fifteen years ago. 

 Since tliat time I have neither seen nor heard from 

 these two individuals, till a few days since, 1 read 

 in a newspaper that this very person who then 

 whipt his brother is sentenced to death for the 

 murder of his wife. The two events I could not 

 but connect in my mind though fifteen years apart. 



What a warning to parents to restrain the pas- 

 sions of their children. 



What a warning to children to avoid contention 

 and to check the risings of anger. — Bnrrij Gazette. 



" Lead us not into temptation." — Three Indians 

 in the vicinity of Green Bay became converts to 

 the temperance cause, although previously given 

 to "put the enemy into their mouth that stole away 

 their brains." ^Three white men formed the charita- 

 ble resolution of trying their Indian sincerity. 

 Placing a canteen of whiskey in their path, they 

 hid themselves in the bushes to observe the motions 

 of the red men. The first one recognized his old 

 acquaintance, and with an " ugh !" and making a 

 high step, he passed on. The second laughed, say- 

 ing " me know you I" and walked around. Thj 

 last one drew his tomahawk, and dashed it to pieces, 

 saying, " ugh ! you conquer me — now I conquer 

 you." 



j\'ew Alloys in Metal. — A curious and valuable 

 discovery has been made in the alloy of metals. 

 A manufacturer of Paris has invented a composi- 

 tion much less oxoidable than silver, and which will 

 not melt at a heat treble that which silver will bear ; 

 the cost of it is less than 4d an ounce. Another 

 improvement is in steel ; an Englishman at Brus- 

 sels has discovered a mode of casting iron so that it 

 flows from the furnace pure steel, better than the 

 best cast-steel in England, and almost equal to 

 that which has undergone the process of beating. 

 The cost of this steel is only a j&rlhing per pound 

 greater than that of cast iron Mining Journal. 



When I see a man who affects to doubt every 

 thing he hears. I never hesitate about writing him 

 down as an ass. A great doubter is a solemn and 

 self-conceited pig. — Fniser's Magazine. 



The Career nf Crime. — A few years ago, as I 

 was walking through my native village, on an er- 



Hungarian Yeast. — The yeast prepared by the 

 Hungarians will keep for a whole twelvemonth. 

 During the summer season they boil a certain 

 quantity of wheat bran and hops in water. The de- 

 cotion is not long in fermenting ; and when this has 

 taken place, they throw in a certain portion of bran 

 to form the whole into a thick paste, which they 

 work into balls that are afterwards dried by a slow 

 heat. When wanted for use, they are broken, and 

 boiling water is po Jred upon them ; having stood 

 a proper time, it is decanted, and in a fit state for 

 levening bread. The Romans prepared their yenst 

 much in the same way ; taking wine in a state of 

 fermentation, and working up a given quantum of 

 the flour of Millet with it; the paste thus obtain- 



ed was made into balls and dried. It often hap- 

 pens that the yeast, the leavened dough itself, will 

 become acid in summer, and acidulate the bread ; 

 tliis may be remedied by thro»ing some fingers of 

 carbonate of magnesia in yeast or paste. — Foreign 

 Literary Gazette. 



Bursting of Sluves. — The Philadelphia Gazette 

 relates an instance of the bursting of a stove from 

 covering up the fires. It was a large common 

 stove in the laboratory of a chemist, and had been 

 partly filled with wet or damp anthracite coal 

 placed on ignited coal, and the whole covered with 

 ashes. In an hour or so aftervards a tremendous 

 e.vplosion occurred, and on entering the laboratory 

 the stove was found blown into pieces, and the 

 pipe split asunder to the ceiling. The phenomenon 

 is attributed to the accumulation of ga.s in the 

 stuvf before the fire burst inio a flame, and when 

 the flame touched it the e.^plosion followed. The 

 case is mentioned as a warning to house keepers. 



Marrying a lady for her beauty, is like eating 

 a bird for its sincing. 



GREBN'S PATEKT STRAW COTTER. 



.TOSKPH BRECK 4: CO. at Ihe New England Agricul- 

 tural Warehouse and Seed Store Nos. 51 and C2 Korin Mar- 

 ket Slroel, have for sale, Green's Palcnt Straw, Hay and 

 Slalk Cutter, operating on a niechaniccl principle not before 

 applied lo any implement for ihis purpose. The most prom- 

 inent effects of this application, and some of the consequent 

 peculiarities of the machine are : 



1. So great a reduction of the quantum of power requisite 

 to use ii, that the strength of a half grown boy is sutiicieDt 

 to work it efficiently. 



2. With even this moderate power, it easily cuts two bush- 

 els a minute, which is full twice as last as has heeii claimed 

 by any other machine even when worked by horse or steam 

 power. 



3. The knives, owing to the peculiar manner in which they 

 cut, require sharpening less often than those of any other 

 straw cutter. 



4. The machine is simple in its construction, made and put 

 together very stronyly. It is therefore not so liable as the 

 complicated machines in general use lo get out of order. 



Oct. 14. 



ENGLISH ACORNS AND. SPANISH CHESNITS. 



Just received and for sale, a few quarts of English Acorns. 

 The tree is very heautilul, and one of Ihe most ornamental 

 of the English forest trees. Also a few Spani.-h Chesnuts, 

 — twice as large as the common sort — i rice GO cents per 

 quart. J0.SE1»H BKECK & CO. 



Oct «8. 



HYACINTHS. 



The subficrihors jiavp received a large assortment of Dou- 

 ble and Single Hyacinihs of every color and shade. Also, 

 Tulips of mi.\ed sons, Crown Imperials, ami Lilies: ihey 

 have :Uso at their garden all the tine varieties of Paeonies, 

 which will he furnished at one day's notice. Lilies and 

 Paeonies, and Crown imperials, should he planted in August 

 or the first of September. We shall receive a great variety 

 of Bulbous Routs, from Holland, in a tew weeks, when no- 

 tice will he given. JOSEPH BRECK & CO. 



August 26. 



THSS NEW J'-.NG!, \""D FArtMER 



ts published every \Vednesday Evening, at S:) per annum 

 payable at the end of llie year — Iml those who pay within 

 sixtydays from the time of suhsciihing are entitled to a tie- 

 duetionof 59 cents. 



TCTTI.E, DE.NNETT AMD CHISHOL.M, PRIWTFRS, 



17 "I t;0'H, s'iREET..... BOSTON 



