NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



131 



IS nothing the matter with the person who takes it, 

 there very soon will bo ; and although, before its ad- 

 ministration, it might be impossible to know or say 

 what was the matter, if any thing, it will be very 

 easy to do both, after it has been given. Decayed 

 teeth, bad breath, foul stomach, irregular bowels, 

 pains in the bones, weakness and weariness, are a 

 small portion in the catalogue of ailments, which are 

 most distinctly traceable to calomel. Dyspepsia, 

 dropsy, and ] ilcs or fistula, may bo very easily 

 procured, by one who will undergo a course of cal- 

 omel. 



" If a medical man cannot find enough of disease 

 to employ him, let him give calomel to that which 

 he does find, and he will most assuredly find more. 

 It may be proper, in some cases, to give sarsaparilla 

 as well ; but that depends upon whether the doctor 

 sells it. If he does, let him give it by all means." 



illccljaiiics' department, ^^Hrts, $^c. 



SixGULAH UsKS OF GuTTA Percii.v. — Nothing will 

 better illustrate the infinite variety of uses to which 

 this substance may be applied," than its complete 

 adaptation to every work connected with the creation 

 of a book. From it a paper very difficult to rend, 

 and especially adapted to any documents exposed to 

 wear and tear, as bills of exchange, share certificates, 

 &c., and also for wrappers and envelopes of all sorts, 

 may be made. It may be mixed with colors in 

 printing, and thus a degree of permanency be given 

 to impressions which they would not otherwise pos- 

 sess. A strong and perfectly water-proof fabric may 

 be formed, by simply laying a number of gutta 

 percha threads, side by side, upon a foundation of 

 cotton, linen, or other textile material, and passing 

 the substance between two heated rollers, which has 

 the effect to cement the threads firmly to the cloth, 

 and to one another ; and finally, the threads of the 

 gutta percha may be combined in the construction of 

 fine cords or strings. The use of this material in 

 binding books is important, as giving them additional 

 strength. Its durability renders the treasures of a 

 library less liable to the destructive attacks of in- 

 sects, than they are Avhere paste, glue, and leather 

 arc employed. The London Company for the man- 

 ufacture of it, have taken out a patent, comprehend- 

 ing among its objects the binding and covering of 

 books, pamphlets, portfolios, writing cases, and sim- 

 ilar articles. 



A solution of it used for paste, size, gum or glaive, 

 wherever the same arc ordinarily employed in any 

 of the processes of binding or covering ; as for ex- 

 ample, in pasting in or down any of the end papers, 

 or joints in attaching leather or vellum to the boards 

 and backs, or in sizing for marbUng and gilding. 

 Another solution of the same description is used as a 

 vehicle for coloring and marbling the covers. In the 

 sheet state it is used as a substitute for vellum, 

 leather, and cloth. 



The advantages attending the use of tliis article 

 are, first, a saving of time and expense in nrost cases, 

 as it supersedes the necesshy of sewing or stitching, 

 or of embossing or figuring each article separately ; 

 and secondly, a great increase of durability, it being 

 affected by neither cold nor water, nor by damp, nor 

 by any of the ordinary variations of atmospheric 

 temperature, nor by oil or grease, nor subject to the 

 ravages of insects. 



We may rest easy as to the evil results of the loss 

 of any common material. Gutta percha stands ready 

 to take its place, if it is either hard or soft, librous or 

 pulpy, hardware, ropes, wood- work, overshoes, plates, 

 or any thing else. 



Coal Tar. — Recent experiments have demon- 

 strated the fact that coal tar may be used success- 

 fully as a substitute for paint. A correspondent of 

 the Agriculturist says, — 



" I tliiidc it would be well to call the attention of 

 farmers to the u<c of coal tar as paint. The tar pro- 

 duced in the coal gas works, is extensively u.sed in 

 England for painting fences, out-buildings, &c., and 

 is being rapidly introduced into this country also. It 

 never alters by exposure to the weather, and one or 

 two good coats will last many years. It is the 

 cheapest and best black paint that can be used. 

 Out-buildings are painted with it ; our apparatas, 

 also, and even the iron pipe we place in the ground 

 is coated with it. I think if its advantages were 

 fully known, it would be generally used throughout 

 the United States. The government soak the bricks 

 used in building the fort at Throg's Neck, in this tar, 

 which renders them impervious to water, and posts 

 painted with it are ])rotected from rot when in the 

 ground, as eft'ectually as though they had been 

 charred." 



This tar is very cheap, can be had in all our cities, 

 and is undoubtedly one of the best articles that can 

 be had for protecting iron from rust, or wood from 

 decay. 



ON SUCKERS OF FRUIT TREES. 



The season has arrived for setting out fruit trees. 

 We regret to see a practice still persevered in, that 

 always results in loss and disappointment. In the 

 year 1845, we wrote the substance of the following 

 article for the Western Reserve Mwjazine of Ai/riculture 

 and Ilorilculture, and perhaps we cannot occupy our 

 columns at this time better than by republishing it. 

 During the last week we had occasion to dig up the 

 last of the mazard stocks, alluded to as having been 

 purchased in the county of Columbiana. Tiie large 

 roots remained in the condition thej' were when 

 transi^lanted many years since, except they were 

 more diseased. Very few small fibres had formed, 

 and wherever any appeared, they were in connection 

 with a cluster of suckers. 



The employment of suckers as stocks for propagat- 

 ing fruit trees, should be considered as a species of 

 malepractice among nurserymen. It is followed by 

 so many evils, that it is discountenanced at this day 

 by every judicious horticulturist, and we are liappy 

 to say that we believe it is discontinued by most, or 

 all the ])racticrtl nurscrynrcn in this vicinity ; though 

 it is still a popular and common practice with the 

 public generally. 



The cherry, plum, pear, and apple tree, in a dis- 

 eased condition, will often throw up numerous thrifty 

 sprouts, that will ofi'cr to an unexi)erienced cultiva- 

 tor, inviting temptation to multiply his stock at a 

 rapid rate, with little labor. If he be deceived by 

 tliesc ai)pearanccs, and propagate his valuable kinds 

 upon these diseased growths, his efibrts will ulti- 

 mately result in disappointment. 



It is not denied that in a few instances trees thus 

 propagated may have been tolerably healtliy, fruitful, 

 and long-lived ; but we hesitate not to alfirm, that 

 in nine cases out of ten the experiment will prove a 

 total failure. -\11 the failures and disappointments 

 incident to the cultivation of fruits, do not of course 

 originate in this practice ; but a long course of obser- 

 vation has confirmed us in the conclusion, that sev- 

 eral forms of disease in the tree and in tlicir fruits, 

 attributed to other cau.ses, have their origin in this 

 practice. 



The late black damison, the English horse plum, 

 and the Kentish and Morello cherries have been 

 propagated in this manner since the first settlcmen* 

 of Europeans in this country, and they have now all 



