MISCELLANEOUS 



CLEARNESS OF SOUND AT NIGHT. 



Tlie areater'clearness with wliich distant sounds 

 are heard in tl>e night, is an intrre.t.n<r phenome- 

 non It was noticed by the ancients, and ascribed 

 to the repose of animated nature. Wlien Hum- 

 boldt heard the noise of the preat cataracts of the 

 Oronoco, his attention wiS directed to tins cnnons 

 fact • and he was of the opinion that the noise was 

 three times louder durin-r the night than in the day. 

 As the humn.ing of the insects was much greater 

 in the n.M.t than in the day, and as the breeze 

 which might have agitated the leaves of the trees, 

 never rose till after sunset, he was led to seek for 

 another cause of the phenmnenon. In hot days, 

 when warm currents of air ascend from the healed 

 ground, and mix with the cold air above, ot a dif- 

 ferent density, the transparency of the atmosphere 

 is so much atiVcted, that every object seen through 

 it appears to be in motion, just as when we look to 

 an ohjec* over a fire, or the flame of a candle. 

 The air, therefore, during the day, is a mixed me- 

 dium, in which the sounds are reflected and scat- 

 tered in passing through streams of air of different 



tered in passing uiruuj;ii =.i^^.." "■-•■ -• - ,- , , 



densities, as in the experiment of mixing atmos- to flight and never 



pheric air and hydrogen. At midnight, on the con- '"•- <-" ' 



traiy, when the air is transparent and ot uniform 

 densitv, as may be seen by the brilliancy and num- 

 ber of' the stars, the slightest sound reaches the car 

 without interruption. M. Chladni has illustrated 

 the effect of a mixed medium by an experiment ot 

 easy repetition. If we pour sparkling champaigne 

 into a tall glass till it is half full, the glass cannot 

 be made to ring by a stroke on its edge, but emits 

 a dull, disagreeable and puffy sound. The effect 

 continues as long as the eftervescenoe lasts, and 

 while the wine is filled with air bubbles. But as 

 the effervescence subsides, the sound becomes 

 clearer, till at last the glass rings as usual, when 

 the air bubbles- disappeared. By re-producing the 

 effervescence the sound is deadened as before.— 

 The same experiment may be made with efferves- 

 cence of malt liquors ; and with still more effect 

 by putting a piece of a sponge, or a little wool or 

 tow into a tumbler of water. The cause of the re- 

 sult obtained by M. Chladni, is that the glass and 

 liquid contained, in order to give a musical sound, 

 must vibrate regularly in unison as a system, and 

 if any considerable part of a system is unsuscepti- 

 ble of regular vibration, the whole must be so. — 

 This exp'eriment has been employed by Humboldt 

 to illuHrate and explain the phenomenon of dis- 

 tant sounds being more distinctly heard d-uring the 

 night. — Eiic^do. Amtr. 



NEV. ENGLAND FARMER 



Treat favor if he would assist him in the accom- 

 plishment of his purpose. His neighbor being 

 willincT to humor the candidate for a change "t 

 worlds, told him he was just going into the woods 

 to chopping, and that if he would accompany him 

 he would fell a tree upon him, and put an end to 

 his life With a verv little trouble. 



"I'm very much obliged to you," said the weary- 

 of-the-world, "and shall consider myself bound to 

 you for life. I'll go ond be killed directly." 



Accordingly he followed the axe-man to the , 

 woods A tall tree was chosen, and he was direct- 

 ed where to stand, so as to receive the full force 

 of its fall. He fixed himself on the spot, folded 

 his arms, and prepared to wait the event. The 

 chopper began to lay on the vigorous blows, while 

 the death candidate kept his eye upon the top ot 

 the tree, to see when it would fall. He stood very 

 con.posedly for a while ; but at length began to ap- 

 pear uneasy and not perfectly satisfied with his 

 prospects. And while the axe-man seemed to him 

 to redouble his blows, he kept winking and winli- 

 in<r, he thought he perceived the tree begin to nod, 

 an'd that the next moment would be his last 1 he 

 cold sweat began to isoue from his skin, his limbs 

 trembled— he could stand it no longer! He look 



FEJ. J, 1841. 



looked behind him until he had 

 act a"t least forty rods, when he ventured to stop. | 

 He was pursued by the axe man, who on coming 

 up, asked him whv he ran away. 



"Oh," said he, "I was afraid if I staid there I 

 should be killed !" 



" I thought," returned the chopper, "you came 



cm purpose to be killed." . 



" Ah true," replied the man with great simplici- 

 ty " but I forrrol that. O how I tremble ! If I d 

 staid there a minute longer, I should h^ive been a 

 dead man. What a cra.sh it made when it fell . 



" Crash ! why the tree is standing yet. I mere- 

 ly chopped with the head of the axe." 



" With the head of the axe '. do you say so .' U 

 you cheating rascal! But I'll never trust you to 

 kill me again, I'll bo hanged if 1 do." 



POUDRETTl'. 



This valuable manure may be had on application to the 

 s,ul.seril>er, at ihe ofike ol the " Neio York Poudrelle Com- 

 pany:' Sh 120 .\assau street, New York, ll :s in -odoroua, 

 mul may he Irans^iorted in harrels, on boar'l ol any vessel 

 or sleomboiu, v.iihout offenee—and it will be found an ex- 

 ceedingly valualile article as a fertilizer on anij sod, and for 

 am; crops; hnl more especially lor ganlciis ami flowers, as 

 there are no loul seeds in it. Poudretle has licen use.l for 

 three seasons with entire success on Long Island, by many 

 Iir;iciical larmers, as may be ascertained from lellers ami 

 -.uuemenls ma.le hy ilicm, ami published at ihis office in a 

 pamphlet conlamin'i; also the " ad ofincorporntion," granted 

 lo the Company l.y the Legislature of the Stale ol ^ew 

 1 y.irii ; and olber facts in relation to the subject. I ''cc 3i 

 I cenis per bushel. Barrels cost 25 cents each, and hold 4 

 i bushels, Persons wishing to make an experiment on a 

 Ismail sca'e can obtain one barrel hy enclosing a /wo dollar 

 ' current bank hill— or three barrels by enclosing /w dollars, 

 free of postage. On receipt of themoney the article will lie 

 put up anil forwardeii as directed, 



*J' Price of shares, one hundred dollars — which entitles 

 the lioluer lo one hundred bushels ol poudietle annually, 

 durin-' Ihe term ol ihe charter; fifty bushels in time kir spriua; 

 use a"nd titty bushels in time for fall use Shares takcu 

 soon, will be entitled to ihe spring dividend— and, if desired 

 fir experiinenl, a lew bushels may be had this fall. 



All orders, or aophcalinns in relation to the business, 

 must he made to lti« subscriber, '2" Nassau sln^tiNeu 



^^ I wish it disiinctly understood that the " New York 

 I Poudretic Company" is in no way conneclrd with ilie 

 I'l.oili Manulactunng Company," of which Anthony Dcy 

 I and Peler Barthelemynre, or were, the managers. 



Dee. a, IS4U. 3m. D. K. M. 



POrUKETTE. 



The subscribers reside in the state of New Jersey, many 

 of us in the vicinily of the works erected by Anlhuny Dry. 

 of the city of New York, on the llackensack river, in Ne*- 

 Jersey for ihe manufactory ol Urate and Poudrelle, call...i 

 " 77ie Lodi Manufaduring Company" We have used tl . 

 noudreite on the Spring Crops this year, iS4ii. \\ e find a 

 a mluablc manure, superior to any other kind that ve ha:c 

 ever used, and considering the facility of ils lranspoTtat..m 

 to tlie field the small quantity required m the appncuiion to 

 the crops, flic quickness of ils operation on re^etable rmllrr, 

 and the ease with which it can be applied -a\Uc»d lo recom 

 mend iis use lo the farmer and gardener as the cheapest ami 

 best manure, and we recommend it accordingly. 



Those of us who have applied it to corn and polalnes tbiiili 

 that it" ripens those vegeiables quicker than anv other ma 

 nnre bv several weeks. 



Dated New Jersey, October, IMO 



Jacob D. Van Winkle. 



John J: yewkirk. 



John Tise 



THE HONEY BEE. 

 This bee, when collecting the pollen of flowers, 

 which constitutes the " bee bread," never passes 

 from one kind of flower to another, as has been 

 supposed. If it first light upon a honey.suckle, it | 

 continues to collect from this flower until it has 

 loaded Its thighs with as much as it can carry a- 

 way The bee is governed in this hy an instinct 

 that makes it a co-laborer in the ..rdinary work of 

 natural re-productiveness. The pollen, or frucli- 

 fyino- dust, IS carried from flower to flower ot the 

 same species, and thus the bee aide the operations 

 of nature by distributing the pollen, necessary to 

 the fruitfulncss of plants. If the bee were to pass 

 from a clover blossom, with the pollen adhering to 



Daniel Van Eiper. 

 George Deinott. 

 Henry Draylon. 

 Josiah Hnrnhlower. 

 Corns. Van Winkle. 



P. P. Welsh. 

 Li. C. Van Riper. 

 George Tise. 

 William Wood. 

 John Diiryce. 

 George Aeickirk. 

 Garret Niickirk. 

 Daniel Vrecland. 



THE MAN THAT WISHED FOR DEATH. 



The habit of avoiding personal dang-r, or the ] ^^ ^ ^^^^ j,^|^j ^p^^,, j, honeysuckle, wuuld pro 

 instinct that leads to the preservation of life is ^so j^^^.^ ^ |',yi,rij^ or mongrel species of flower. How 



Blroni?, that persons who are resolved on suicide, 

 sometimes conduct in a very ludicrous manner, un- 

 der the fear of that death which they are desirous 

 of procuring. 



We hnve heard a story of a countryman who 

 liad made up his mind to "shuffle ofl" his mortal 

 coil," and only waited until he had settled in fiis 

 mind the most comfortable way of dying. Not 

 being able readily to agree with himself on this 

 important point, he informed a i eighbor of his, 

 whom he met with his axe on his siioulder, that he 

 was resolved upon death, and would take it as a 



wonderful are the orderly operations of nature ! and 

 certainly among the most wonderful is this peculiar 

 instinct of the honey bee. 



Shares in the above company are »I00 each, and may hi 

 had by applying in Anthony Dey No. 73 Cedar bi. Net 

 York —The owner will receive 20 per cent, per annurr| 

 payable in money, or ,M. bushels of Poudrctte The price t 

 [hise who buy Poodrette is 40 cents a bushel. ' ™^^"" "' 

 Stockholders 12 cents a bushel. One cents worth, that _ 

 20 Gills, will manure 20 hills of corn, and the like quantU 

 13 hills of Potatoes. 



Newspapers friendly to agriculture will confer a favor t 

 the Farmers and Gardeners by publishing the above. 



Dec. 22. . 



BOKB MANURE. 



The subscriber informs his friends ami ihc publi •, th 

 alter ton years experience, he is fully convinced thai Krou; 

 bones lorm the most powerful sUmulaDt that can be appli.^ 

 to the earth as a manure. 



Orders for Pone Manure or Oyster Shell Lime Icli at I 

 Rone Mill near Trcmoni road, m i!oxbiir\, at llie -\i 

 HSand Agricultural Warehouse ami Seed Slore, No 

 North Market Street, or through the Post Olhce will n. 

 wilh prompt attention. naHUM WARP 



March 4 , 1840 "^ AHUlu vvam 



A'tw Drink.—'' Mr Gu/.zlefunction, I have dis- 

 covered a new drink for you. Suppose you try a 



" Well I dc.n'l care if I do : [drinks.] It hasn t 

 eot a very bad taste to it; and if my memory serves 

 uie right, it IS what they call water. I recollect 

 drinking some of the stuff when I was a lad. 



GRINDSTONES. 



An extensive assoriment of Water and Hand GrimKlo, 

 consiantlyon hand and lor sale by AiMMI C. LO-^'l-^' 

 & CO. 13 Lewis's Wharf. i-*ly. Nov. 17, 



TRACE CHAI.XS. 



Just received, direct from the Knglish manufacinresr 



casks of Trace Chains, from l^ '» ' ' '^''[.^l-'^'^TcO 

 ploughing or draft chains. JOsLPH BKLCK. H ci. 



