NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



355 



jUccljanics' Pcpartmcut, ^rts, $^c. 



Iron coated ■with Glass. — From the great ten- 

 dency to oxidation, and the consequent decay which 

 iron, in every shape of rolled or wrought manufac- 

 ture, has inherent in its nature, it has ever been the 

 practice to cover it with an artificial coat, to preserve 

 it from the destructive effects of the elements ; and 

 ■within comiiaratively few years past, many plans 

 have been adopted for this purpose. Various paints 

 and pigments, zinc, enamel for culinary utensils, and 

 numerous other appliances, have been laid before 

 the public, each, perhai's, good in its own way, but 

 neither of them applicable as a universal coating for 

 iron under all circumstances, in numerous cases. 



At the soiree of the president of the institution of 

 Civil Engineers, last week, some specimens of iron 

 manufacture were exhibited, coated with glass, from 

 the Smethwick iron works of Messrs. Selby & Jones, 

 near Birmingham, and which would appear to be tlie 

 •very desideratum so long sought for. There were 

 three ornamental dinner plates, three pieces of iron 

 tube, a frying pan, a piece of corrugated iron roof, all 

 covered with a clear transparent glass, and which 

 ■were viewed with much admiration by the visitors. 

 In the process of coating plates, corrugated or plain 

 roofing, tiles, tubing of all kinds and dimensions, 

 frying-pans, gridirons, saucepans, kettles, caldrons, 

 or boilers, in lieu of coppers, and a host of other im- 

 plements, domestic, agriciiltural, and manufactur- 

 ing, — the article is first thoroughly cleansed in an 

 acid solution, to free it from every particle of grease, 

 similar to the preparation for tinning, zincking, &c. 

 It is then covered with glutinous preparation, over 

 ■which is laid a coat of glass, ground to a tine pow- 

 der. 



The article is then introduced into a furnace of a 

 peculiar construction and sufficient temperature, in 

 •which the glass is fused, and the intermediate gluti- 

 nous matter being evaporated, the glass fills the ex- 

 ternal pores of the metal, and becomes firmly united 

 to it ; and in answer to our inquiries, we were in- 

 formed that, as the manipulation became facilitated 

 by practice, it was probable that the cost of a glass- 

 coated iron material of these common kinds would 

 be but a mere nominal trifle more than the plain 

 articles themselves. 



With respect to the ornamental articles, they, of 

 course, involve some little more complexity, but bid 

 fair to open a field of design and novelty of much 

 interest. We were shown some ornamental dinner- 

 plates of the same material, each of which was four 

 ounces lighter than an earthen-ware plate of the best 

 construction, size for size. The foliage and designs 

 are in relief, and are executed by a kind of stencil- 

 ling : one color being put on, it is transferred to the 

 kiln and fixed ; then, when cold, another color is 

 added, again fixed, and withdrawn, and so on until 

 the design is complete. From the inspection af- 

 forded us, we have no doubt whatever, tliat as, by 

 practice, the colors become improved, and full com- 

 mand over their application obtained, this really ele- 

 gant invention will be applied to numerous purposes 

 at present scarce thought of. To washstands and 

 toilet furniture it would bo most api)licable, as also 

 for sideboards, chijf'onnif-.rcs, door plates, and panels, 

 fire grate ornaments, and to numerous other pur- 

 poses in decorative building and architecture. For 

 plates for the names of streets it would be almost in- 

 destructible, and might be brought into use with 

 much effect for shop front architecture. Wc were 

 shown, among other specimens, a small door panel, 

 Avith a bunch of foliage in the centre, surrounded 

 Avith an arabesque border, to represent gold, which 



had a very pleasing effect. The invention is another 

 step onward in the progress of art and science, and 

 is of much interest, — Mining Journal. 



SOME USES OF YELLOW DOCK. 



The yellow dock is a pernicious weed in cultivated 

 grounds. It is a tough, hard, long-lived jjlant, ex- 

 hausting to the soil, and difficult to eradicate. It is 

 nevertheless useful for some purposes, and is often 

 serviceable as a medicine. 



Two or three years ago, Professor Salisbury made 

 an analysis of it. 



100 grains of the ashes of the root gave, 

 IL grains of carbonic acid, 



.500 of a grain of siliciac acid, 

 26.20 grains of different kinds of phosphates, 

 3.827 " of lime, 

 7.620 " magnesia, 

 9.723 " potash, 

 18.480 " soda, 

 4. .502 " sulphuric acid, 

 3.898 " chlorine, 

 1 1.600 " organic acids. 



Any one can see that a plant which contains so 

 large a quantity of phosphates, as well as so much 

 lime, magnesia, potash, soda, &c., must necessarily 

 exhaust the soil, and is therefore an unprofitable 

 companion for those crops which we are cultivating. 



Now, what are the good properties of this " nui- 

 sance? " Professor S. says the leaves are sometimes 

 eaten for greens. This is true ; every good house- 

 wife knows that the tender leaves of the curled dock 

 arc excellent for greens. He also remarks that thej' 

 are somewhat laxative, and form an excellent diet 

 in scorbutic complaints. The roots contain a yellow 

 dye, and are sometimes used for coloring. This dye, 

 on exposure to the atmosphere for some time, changes 

 to a reddish color. , 



As a medicine, it has enjoyed some reputation, 

 A decoction of the root, when made into a sirup, is a 

 laxative, and also has tonic properties, and is useful 

 in such diseases as the salt rheum, and other cuta- 

 neous afi'ections. In its tonic and la.xativc j^roperties 

 it somewhat resembles rhubarb. It has also been 

 used as medicine for the itcli, and an ointment made 

 of it for external application in such cases. 



The powdered root has also been used as a tooth 

 powder in case of tender and spongy gums. It is 

 extensively used in patent medicines. Some of the 

 famous sarsaparillas arc composed in part of this 

 root. 



Professor S. says it yields its active properties to 

 water and alcoliol. The infusion or decoction is 

 yellow, and the tincture is of a dark yellow color, 

 (the alcohol takes up nearly all of the coloring mat- 

 ter,) with an odor of tlie root, and an excessively 

 pungent, bitter taste. 



It reiiuirea several fresh additions of water and 

 alcohol before the active i)roperties can all be ex- 

 tracted. Tlie residue, after sufficient maceration, is 

 inodorous and almost tasteless. In several trials of 

 this kind, it was found necessary to add water or 

 alcohol from four to five times, keeping the whole 

 addition briskly boiling for ten or filteen minutes, 

 before the bitter, astringent principle could all be 

 taken up. 



On subjecting the green root to a temperature of 

 212 , in a partially closed vessel, it turns to a dark 

 brown color, and ' gives off a very strong, pungent 

 odor, like that of the dry root. 



By long-continued boiling, the pungent, bitter 

 qualities become greatly diminished : a protracted 

 heat will therefore diminish its activity as a medi- 



