1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



501 



five feet above the ground, it measured 21 feet 

 9 inches. At the ground it would measure near- 

 ly, or quite, 30 feet. Another, directly on the 

 road, measured between 17 and 18 feet. 



I have visited the Industrial School for girls 

 twice since I came here. Once on a week day, 

 and yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, and was very 

 much gratified. At my first visit we were shown 

 through the buildings by the gentlemanly Super- 

 intendent, Rev. B. K. Peirce, and found every 

 thing in the very best order, and the inmates 

 busily engaged in different ways ; the most_ of 

 them were knitting, others seemed to be special- 

 ly charged with the daily work of the establish- 

 ment. At the request of Mr. P. a number of the 

 girls seated themselves on the lawn, and while 

 plying their knitting needles, they sang to us, in 

 perfect time and tune, a number of songs, in a 

 manner that would not discredit professed musi- 

 cians. They all appeared happy and contented, 

 and were treated by Mr. Peirce more as if they 

 were his children, than his scholars. Yesterday 

 afternoon I attended the religious services at the 

 Chapel, and I do not remember to have passed a 

 Sunday afternoon when I was more pleased or 

 interested in religious services. They were con- 

 ducted with great propriety, and proper solemni- 

 ty, by Mr. P. After the evening lesson of the 

 Episcopalian church, and singing, the Sunday 

 school lessons were recited, under the direction 

 of two young misses, whom I took to be inmates 

 of the school, selected, probably, by the matrons. 

 Everything that vras recited was well selected 

 and perfectly committed. 



There were present three gentlemen, part of 

 a committee of Legislature, to examine the be- 

 nevolent institutions of the State, Messrs. Hale, 

 of Boston, Brooks, of Concord, and Morrissey, 

 of Nantucket. They appeared to be very much 

 gratified, and Mr. Hale, at Mr. Peirce's request, 

 made some very appropriate remarks. The ser- 

 vices continued for two hours or more, and when 

 I left, I believe if you could have seen my heart, 

 you would have found printed upon it, "God bless 

 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." 



[We learn from one of the gentlemen present 

 that our correspondent. Major French, being 

 called upon by Mr. Pierce, made some brief and 

 appropriate remarks. He likened old Massachu- 

 setts to an embodiment of philanthropy, stretch- 

 ing forth the arms into every corner of the Com- 

 monwealth, and gathering up the poor and needy 

 and leading them in the paths of virtue to use- 

 ful and happy lives. He spoke feelingly of life as 

 a state of trial and progress in our mental and 

 moral powers ; happily quoted the stanza from 

 Longfellow — 



"Life is real, life is earnest, 

 And the grave is not our goal — 

 Dust thou art — to dust returnest 

 Was not spoken of the soul," 



and closed, leaving his audience to feel that they 

 belonged to the great brotherhood of man, and 

 that they were still regarded with a deep inter- 

 est.] 



Let politicians say what they will of the old 

 Bay State, in regard to her present government. 



policy, &c. They cannot wipe from her statute 

 book the glorious pages whereon are recorded 

 her noble charities ! There she stands as much 

 above the petty malice and the j^^fty minds of 

 those who attempt to revile her, as Bunker 

 Hill Monument does above the mud pile of the 

 scavenger of the gutters ! 



Perhaps I will pursue the subject whfn I re- 

 turn to Washington, I have written enough now. 

 Ever faithfully, B. B. French.. 



SCIENCE AiSrSWEBING SIMPLE QUES- 

 TIONS. 



Why is rain water soft? Because it is not im- 

 pregnated M'ith earth and minerals. 



Why is it more easy to wash with soft water 

 than with hard? Because soft water unites freely 

 with soap, and dissolves it instead of decompos- 

 ing it, as hard water does. 



Why do wood ashes make hard water soft ? 

 1st. Because the carbonic acid of wood ashes 

 combines with the sulphate of lime in the hard 

 water, and converts it into chalk. 2d. Wood 

 ashes converts some of the soluble salts of water 

 into insoluble, and throws them down as a sedi- 

 ment, by which the water remains more pure. 



Why has rain Avater such an unpleasant smell 

 when it is collected in a rain water tub or tank ? 

 Because it is im.pregnated with decomposed or- 

 ganic matters, washed from roots, trees or the 

 casks in which it is collected. 



Why does water melt salt ? Because very mi- 

 nute particles of water insinuate themselves into 

 the pores of the salt, by capillary attraction, and 

 force the crystals apart from each other. 



How does blowing hot foods make them cool ? 

 It causes the air which has been heated by the 

 food to change rapidly, and give place to fresh 

 cool ail'. 



Why do ladies fan themselves in hot weather ? 

 The fresh particles of air may be brought in con- 

 tact with their face, by the action of the fan ; and 

 as every fresh particle of air absorbs some heat 

 from the skin, this constant change makes them 

 cool. 



Does a fan cool the air ? No, it makes the 

 air hotter by imparting to it the heat of our face, 

 but cools our face by transferring its heat to the 

 air. 



Why is there always a draft through keyholes 

 and window crevices ? Because the external air, 

 being colder than the air of the room we occupy, 

 rushes through the window crevices to supply 

 the deficiency caused by the escape of warm air 

 up the chimney, &c. 



If you open the lower sash of a window, there 

 is more draft than if you open the upper sash. 

 Explain the reason of this. If the lower sash 

 be open, cold external air will rush freely into 

 the room and cause a great draft inward ; but if 

 the upper sash be open, the heated air of the 

 room will rush out, and of course there will be 

 less draft inward. 



By which means is a room better ventilated? 

 By opening the upper sash, because the hot, viti- 

 ated air, which always ascends towards the ceil- 

 ing, can escape more easily. 



Why does the wind dry damp linen? Because 

 dry Mdnd, like a dry sponge, imbibes the parti- 



