1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



357 



The blacksmith understands the fact, but is igno- 

 rant of the reason, when he puts water on his fire to 

 make a great heat, as he often does. Then, too, 

 the heat of the burning coal decomposes the water 

 and the same result follows as before. In the 

 same way with green wood. If a hot fire is to be 

 kept up, the decomposition of the water of the 

 green wood will add to the heat ; while the quan- 

 tity of Avood consumed will be less than if all dry 

 was used. As to the value of green wood, or rath- 

 er, the amount of combustible material in it, as com- 

 pared with wood seasoned out of doors at least, 

 there is doubtless more in the former than in the 

 latter. Hence it is that wood should be seasoned 

 under cover. 



The cost of drawing wood, all things considered, 

 is probably not much greater green than dry. 



By thus considering the circumstances of the 

 case, we reconcile the opinions of practical men 

 with the teachings of science. I. H. N. 



a novel but a very effectual method. At best it 

 always takes three men to shoe a horse — one to 

 hold him another to hold up his foot, while a third 

 fastens on the shoe." 



MEDICAL USE OF SALT. 



In many cases of disordered stomach, a teaspoon- 

 ful of salt is a certain cure. In the Aiolent internal 

 aching, termed colic, add a teaspoonful of salt to a 

 pint of cold water ; drink it and go to bed ; it is 

 one of the spediest remedies known. The same 

 will revive a person who seems almost dead from 

 receivmg a heavy fall, &c. 



In an apoplectic fit, no time should be lost in 

 pouring down salt and water, if sufficient sensibili- 

 ty remain to allow of swallowing; if not, the head 

 must be sponged with cold water until the sense 

 rerurn, when salt will completely restore the pa- 

 tient from the lethargy. 



In a fit, the feet should be placed in warm water, 

 with mustard added, and the legs briskly rubbed, 

 all bandages removed from the neck, and a cool 

 apartment procured, if possible. In many cases of 

 severe bleeding at the lungs, and when other rem- 

 edies fail. Dr. Rush found that two tea-spoons full 

 of salt completely stayed the blood. 



In case of a bite from a mad-dog, wash the part 

 with a strong brine for an hour, and then bind on 

 some salt, with a rag. 



In toothache, warm salt and water held to the 

 part, and removed two or three times, will relieve 

 it in most cases. If the gums be affected, wash the 

 mouth with brine. If the teeth be covered with 

 tartar, wash them twice a day with salt and water. 



In swelled neck, wash the part with brine, and 

 drink it, also, twice a day, until cured. 



Salt will expel worms, if used in food in a mod- 

 erate degree, and aids digestion, but salt meat is 

 injurious, if used much. 



Blacksmithing in Turkey. — A correspondent 

 of the New York Commercial, writing from Con 

 stantinople, gives the following description of the 

 way in which Turkish blacksmiths do their work : 



"In passing a blacksmith's shop the other day, I 

 observed an attempt to shoe a mule. The animal 

 was very refractory, and not at all inclined to have 

 any liberties taken with his understandings. After 

 several fruitless attempts to conquer his obstinacy, 

 four Turks took hold of him, threw him down, and 

 ashed his legs to a stick, rolled him over on hi; 

 back, and put his shoes on at their leisure. It was 



LETTER FROM MR. BROWN. 



Washington, D. C, June 20, 1856. 

 De.\ii Sir : — It is more than three years since 

 I have visited this city, and during that time 

 marked changes have taken place. The city now 

 has suburbs ; we do not dash from the country, or 

 rather, the wild woods and jungle pastures, directly 

 into Pennsylvania Avenue, as we used to some 

 twenty years ago. On every side of the city, there 

 is visible improvement. Some of the lands in the 

 immediate neighborhood, once covered with the 

 decaying flesh and bones of dead horses, together 

 with the garbage of the city, infinitely worse than 

 the contents of FalstafF's buck-basket, are now 

 enclosed, reclaimed, and covered with grass, shrub- 

 bery and trees. Roads that were originally project- 

 ed, but whose boundaries could only be found in 

 some of the dark recesses of the City Hall, have 

 been laid out, graded, and have a "local habitation 

 and a name." In the thickly-settled part of the 

 city the improvements are none the less striking ; 

 and in no particular are they more pleasing than in 

 the new style of architecture which has been in- 

 troduced in some of the more recently erected 

 dwellings. The original style of building here was 

 truly of the "mixed order" — made up of a grand 

 touch of the Gothic and Corinthian, pig-stye, corn- 

 bam and rope-walk. To look at a house in its best 

 face, it was like a book standing on one of its ends, 

 long, high and rakish, causing the beholder to 

 wonder why the first "gust" did not topple it down, 

 until he turns the corner and finds how it is sup- 

 ported by a batch of young houses clustering at its 

 roots. A better taste has been introduced, and its 

 influence is perceptible in every part of the city. 

 With this improvement has sprung up another, not 

 less important than the flrst, — and that is in the 

 multiplication of fine shade trees and choice shrub- 

 bery and fiowers. The finest among the gardens I 

 have visited is that of Major French, a few rods 

 east of the capitol, on soil that I once knew as un- 

 kindly and perverse as that of any cold spring land 

 on any hill-side of New England ; but now, at this 

 early state, literally covering the eartn with flowers, 

 shrubbery and grass, gladdening the eye, and send- 

 ing blessings on every breeze that is wafted from 

 them to the neighborhood around. No high, tight 

 fence, like that about a country jail, cuts off the 

 vision or obstructs the fragrance that exhales from 

 this delectable spot. If a Httle one lingers at thp 

 gate, it is met with a kindly "God bless you, my 

 child ; here, take these flowers, and enjoy them 

 with us." O, if men would but unbutton the great 

 coat of selfishness in which so many of them are 



