NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



83 



T)ontl)*3 ^Department. 



How DO Tou SPEXD TOUR EvENiNGS ? — Young man, 

 how do you spend your evenings ? Answer this ques- 

 tion, and wc can tell you, almost to a certainty, what 

 will be your future character. In our view, more 

 depends upon the manner in which young men puss 

 this season, as it regards their course and conduct in 

 years to come, than upon any thing else. We have 

 been an observer of men and things, for tlie last 

 twenty years, and can point to many a youth, who 

 has caused weeping and sorrow in his family, dis- 

 graced his name, and is now an outcast in the world, 

 or has sunk to a dishonored grave, who commenced 

 his career of vice, when he broke away from whole- 

 some restraint and spent his evenings in the company 

 of the abandoned. On the contrary, we know many 

 estimable young men — the pride and hope of their 

 friends — who are working their way to favor and 

 wealth, who spend their leisure evenings in some 

 useful pursuit. 



Young man, listen to us, and take heed to our 

 words — not that we wish to deprive you of a single 

 pleasure, or debar you from any innocent amusement. 

 We entreat you to be particular where and how you 

 pass your evening hoiu-s. K you lounge about the 

 bar-room, partaking of the vulgar conversation that 

 is introduced, and join the ribald song, or stand at the 

 corner of the streets, using profane and indecent lan- 

 guage, you will soon so habituate yourself to low 

 blackguardism and vile conversation, that no young 

 man who respects himself will be found in your com- 

 pany. 



^caltlj JBepartmcnt. 



Medical Uses of Salt. — In many cases of dis- 

 ordered stomach, a teaspoonful of salt is a certain 

 cure. In the violent internal aching, termed cholic, 

 add a teaspoonful of salt to a pint of cold water — 

 drink it, and go to bed ; it is one of the speediest 

 remedies known. The same will revive a person who 

 seems almost dead from receiving a very heavy fall, 

 &c. 



In an apoplectic fit, no time should be lost in pour- 

 ing down salt and water, if sufficient sensibility 

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

 be sponged with cold water until the senses return, 

 when salt will completely restore the patient from the 

 lethai-gy. 



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

 with mustard added ; and the legs briskly rubbed, all 

 bandages removed from the neck, and a cool apart- 

 ment procured if possible. In many cases of severe 

 bleeding at the lungs, and when other remedies fail. 

 Dr. Hush found two tcaspoonfuls of salt completely 

 stayed the blood. 



In cases of bite from a mad dog, wash the part 

 with strong brine for an hour, then bind on some salt 

 with a rag. 



In tooLhacho, warm salt and .water held to the 

 part, and renew cd two or three times, will relieve in 

 most cases. If the gums be affected, wash the mouth 

 with brine ; if tlie 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 the food in a 

 moderate degree, and aids digestion ; but salt meat is 

 injurious if used much. 



XHcdjanks' Department, ^xXq^ $^c 



Manufacture of Parchment Vellum is made 



of the skins of calves, kids, and dead born lambs ; and 

 parchment is made of thin sheep and she goat skins. 

 The wool or hair must be removed from them first, 

 and then they are steeped in a pit of lime water. 

 After they are taken out of the lime pit, they are 

 shaved and well washed, and then stretched on a 

 li'ame made of upright and croas pieces strongly fas- 

 tened together, and the bars are perforated with a 

 series of holes to receive hard wood or iron tapered 

 pins. Each pin has a hole in it like a violin pin, to 

 hold the struig tied to the skin, to stretch it, and pre- 

 vent it from puckering while drjing. Skewers are 

 also employed to stretch more or less of the skin on 

 this frame, {hcrse,) according as a greater or less piece 

 is required to get hold of. Some employ hoops in 

 place of the herse, and this answers tolerably well. 

 The great point is to stretch the skins as much as 

 possible, keeping out all the wrinkles. While the 

 skin is on the stretching frame, the workmen, with a 

 currj'ing double edged knife, remove the fleshy ex- 

 crescences by drawing the knife downwards. The 

 skin is then sprinkled upon the fleshy side with 

 chalk, and well rubbed with a piece of flat pumice 

 stone. The pumice stone is then rubbed over the 

 other surface of the skin without chalk. The skin is 

 then allowed to dry, but must be protected from sun- 

 shine and frost. It must not be dried too suddenly. 

 When it is perfectly dry, the chalk is removed by 

 rubbing it with the woolly side of a lamb"s skin ; but 

 great care must be taken, in this process, not to 

 injure the surface. AH grease must of necessity be 

 removed from it; this is the object of steeping it in 

 lime. 



After the skin is dried, it is transferred to a frame 

 called the scropcr, where it is extended with cords, 

 generally upon a piece of calf skin well stretched. 

 The skin is placed with the tail downwards, when the 

 rough edges are pared off with a sharp knife, and 

 then the outside surface is scraped obli(iuely down- 

 Avards till it becomes perfectly smooth, and whatever 

 irregularities may remain, are removed by a fiat, 

 smooth piece of pumice stone. To do this, the skin 

 is placed upon a stool stuffed with wool and covered 

 with soft parchment. It is called the cushion. The 

 pumice stone should be very fine, the finer they are the 

 better. Sometimes there are small holes made in the 

 parchment skin ; these are neatly patched by cutting 

 the edges thin and pasting on small pieces with gum 

 water. Parchment is often colored green, which is 

 done by a mixture of cream of tartar, verdigris, and 

 nitric acid, (only a small quantity of the latter.) It 

 is made into a solution of water and laid on evenly 

 with a sponge — the skin having been first wet. 

 Parchment receives its necessary lustre from the 

 white of eggs, or weak gum water. — Sci. American, 



Ventilating Bricks. — The London Huildcr says 

 that there has been registered in the Patent Office a 

 brick so shaped, that when two are placed end to 

 end, a circular space is left at the junction. This 

 circular sjiace connecting from course to course, a 

 wall formed with them is, to a certain extent, hollow, 

 and admits of currents of air through it, either 

 heated or otherwise. Each brick is nine inches 

 square and three inches thick, the size of two com- 

 mon bricks, so that only half the usual number is 

 re([uircd to do a rod of brick work ; and as they pay 

 but one duty, and are laid with a very little more 

 labor than a common brick, the work may be exe- 

 cuted at considerable saving. A common brick 

 is used at the angle of each course. — Jbid. 



