VOL. XI. NO. 49. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



387 



<!ip it into tlio potato liquor, and apply it to the 

 article to be cleaned, till the dirt is perfectly sepa- 

 J'ated ; then wash it in clean water several times. 

 Two miildje sized potatoes will he enough for a 

 pint of water. 



The coarse pulp which does not pass through 

 the sieve is of great use in cleaning carpets, wors- 

 ted curtains, tapestry, and other coarse goods. 

 The mucilaginous rKpior will clean all sorts of 

 silk, cotton, or woollen goods, without hurting or 

 spoiling the color ; it may be used in cleaning oil 

 paintings, or furniture that is soiled. Dirtied 

 painted wainscoats may be cleaned by wetting a 

 sponge in the liquor, then dipping it in a little fine 

 clean sand, and afterwards rubbing the waiiiscoat 

 with it. — Economist. 



There are now exhibiting at the National Ho- 

 tel, Chesnut street, models of one of the most in- 

 genious pieces of machinery ever witnessed. It 

 is used for sawing and boring, and the mathemati- 

 cal accuracy of its various o|)erations is really sur- 

 prising. — It will turn out 500 wheel fellies in a 

 day, while 14 are considered a good day's wheel- 

 wright labor. It saws segments of any dimensions 

 or description, slats and legs for chairs, performs 

 all kinds of out sawing, small framing, mitre joluts, 

 &c. &:c. and all with accuracy and expedition. 

 The whole machine is hut six feet square, and is 

 turned by a steam engine of one horse power. Its 

 expense of construction is as trifling as it is sim- 

 ple, and can be worked by an apjirentice with 

 ease and safety. It is very worthy of public atten- 

 tion, and will well repay a visit. — Philad. Chron. 



Oil from Sunflower seeds. — A paper printed in 

 Scotland gives this mode of obtaining such oil. a 

 very delicate oil, much used in Russian cookery, is 

 expressed from the seeds of the sunflower and is 

 prepared by inclosing them in bags, and steeping 

 them in warm water, after which the oil is express- 

 ed, this is actually as sweet as butter. 



CHEAP FODDER. 



During the time we were engaged in the pur- 

 suit of agriculture, we witnessed the following ex- 

 periment, which we subtnit to farmers as a very 

 cheap mode of raising fodder for fattening cattle. 

 It answers a double purpose of bay and grain. It 

 is to plough the ground and fit it in the same 

 manner as for a crop of wheat, and then sow corn 

 on it — say, about two bushels to the acre — plough- 

 ing or harrowing it in like manner as for wheat 

 or rye. In selecting the ground, that should be 

 preferred which is free from weeds. It will grow 

 (provided the land is s'.rong enough) so as to have 

 short ears and the stalks so small that no feed can 

 be given to cattle which will make them gain 

 faster. We have seen some of the nicest beef we 

 ever saw in any market, in fattening which no 

 other grain was given than that which was raised 

 on the fodder, in the above manner. — Middkbury, 

 Vt. paper. 



NEW FIRE. 



Mr. John Hancock, of North End, Fulham, 

 has, we arc assured, invented a compoimd which 

 burns under water, and which continues inflam- 

 mable in any accumulation of moisture. It is in 

 all respects similar to the much celebrated Greek 

 Fire. He proposes to apply it not to human de- 

 struction, but to the saving of the lives of miners. 

 It is the most perfect and unerring fuse for blast- 



ing ever contrived ; the wet, damp, and water, 

 which often interfere, being no hindrance to its 

 perfect and definite action. It may, too, be ac- 

 commodated to time, as a yard will burn out in 

 one or two minutes, or in five or six minutes, as 

 desired. It is, moreover, as cheap as any fuse 

 that ever was made. — Lit. Gaz. 



MAS§. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



FRUITS, EXHIBITED AT THE HAI.I. OF.. THE 

 MASS. HORT. SOCIETY. 



Jdne 15th. Strawberries. By Mr. E. Vose, 

 Keene's Seedling and a handsome specimen of 

 Royal Scarlet. By Mr. P. B. Hovey, Cambridge- 

 port, Methven Castle or Scarlet, the largest and 

 most splendid ever exhibited at the Hall. 



By Mr. J. P. Bradlee (from Mr. Marshall S. 

 Fowle, Watertown,) Keene's Seedling. 



By Mr. Thomas Mason, Charlestown, Keene's 

 Seedling (for premium.) 



By Mr. Downer, Early Virginia. 



By Mr. Rufus Howe, Dorchester, Pine Apple. 



Grapes. By Mr. T. Whitmarsh, Brookline, 

 White Chasselas Grapes from his Greenhouse. 



For the Committee, E. M. Richards. 



The Committee on Fruits, &c. are requested to 

 meet at the Hall of the Society on Saturday next 

 at 11 o'clock. 



Saturday, June 15th, 1833. The display of 

 Flowers this day was equal, if not superior, to any 

 former exhibition at the Society's rooms, this sea- 

 son. The Flowers were sold at auction at 12 

 o'clock, the proceeds of which are to be appro- 

 priated toward erecting a monument, in the ceme- 

 tery at Mount Auburn, to the memory of the late 

 Robert Wyatt. 



The Messrs. Winships' collection of Flowers 

 were very fine, in addition to which they exhibited 

 one hundred and thirty-two varieties of splendid 

 Roses, raised by them from Admiral Coflin, mak- 

 ing in all upwards of two hundred specimens of 

 choice flowers. 



Samuel Pond, Pinks, and some fine Roses. 



Thomas Mason, Charlestown Vineyard, a variety 

 of fine Roses and Herbaceous Plants. 



P. B. Hovey, jr. Cambridgeport, Roses, Dahlia 

 superflora var Nuttalii, Rocket Larkspur, Hespris 

 matronalis pur. plena. Campanula Medium, &c. 



Rufus Howe, Dorchester, some very fine Roses. 



John A. Kenrick, Newton, some very elegant 

 Roses, Magnolia glauca, Poeony fragrans, do.Whit- 

 leji, Colutea Pocockii, Philadelphus grandiflorus, 

 Louicera pubescens, Kalmia latifolia, Glycene fru- 

 tescens, &c. 



Samuel Walker, Roxbury, Pinks, Roses, &c. 



By order of the Committee, S. Walker. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 To the Editor, 



Sir, The remarks in a late Number of the N. 

 E. Farmer, on Incombustible Buildings, I have 

 thought worthy of a few observations. 



It is apparent that your Constant Reader had 

 not read tlie extract you quoted from Loudon's 

 Encyclopedia of Architecture ; for, if he had, he 

 would not have attributed the discovery to Mr. 

 Rafinesque. If the secret is sheet iron, or cast 

 iron, Mr. R. probably took his hint from the Eng- 



lish publication. But it is by no means certain 

 that Mr. Rafinesque's proposed incombustible 

 buildings are to be made of any description of 

 iron. For, if your remarks are correct iron cannot 

 be the material of Mr. R. The cement, or sub- 

 stance, called Fabhi, which you noticed in a late 

 number as the incombustible material of the pub- 

 lic works at Algiers, may be Mr. J!.'s secret; or it 

 may be the famous Chinese incombustible material 

 for building. However, whatever it may be, I 

 hope Mr. Rafinesque will have an opportunity of 

 exhibiting ; anil if he docs not meet with imme- 

 diate encouragement in Philadelphia, I have no 

 doubt he woidd in Boston or its vicinity. 



Our houses in the country, for the most part, 

 require a new top and bottom every twenty years ; 

 and what is ruinous to us, whenever a farm is 

 sold, from whatever cause, whether from neces- 

 sity, fancy, or on behalf of heirs, a sacrifice is 

 generally made, either of the buildings, or of the 

 entire farm ; either the land, no matter how 

 mu(;h, or the buildings, no ujatter how large 

 and costly, are a total loss to the vendor. Now, 

 if cheap, incombustible, and imperishable country 

 houses of convenient size and comfortable apart- 

 ments, can be erected, a Franklin's own placid 

 countenance would kindle with enthusiasm ; for 

 though he guided the lightning, this man will liave 

 conquered fire. 



But independent of the great utility, the comfort, 

 the clear comfort (that untranslatable, happy word, 

 peculiar to the English language) of going to sleep 

 at all times, even in a hurricane, secure from fire, 

 both from your neighbors and your own house, 

 would add immensely to the quiet repose of hu- 

 man life. 



I hope, sir, the subject will not be permitted to 

 rest ; and although your present correspondent 

 knows nothing of architecture or mechanics, he 

 sees in Mr. Rafinesque's project, and likewise in 

 your extract from Loudon, the future oak in the 

 acorn, he thinks he sees the seed of a beautiful 

 tree which will gradually overshadow the world : 

 and notwithstanding your " gravity personified" 

 seems to doubt the splendid promise of an incom- 

 bustible iron house, comparing it to a " steel trap," 

 which would be very happy, if you meant to ex- 

 clude rats from the outside, or catch them within, 

 I hope both you and myself may ere long see a 

 new order of architecture in the comxtry, when an 

 estate there will be valued, not on account of its 

 expensive buildings, but rather on account of its 

 well cultivated acres. Thus you perceive, sir, 

 that I value Mr. Rafinesque's discovery as much 

 on account of the country as on account of the 

 city. A Slow Thijtker. 



MEDICAL PROPERTIES OF THE HIGH 

 CRANBERRY. 



Mr. Fessenden, Some weeks ago, I sent to you 

 an inquiry about the High Cranberry ; and am 

 much obliged to the many gentlemen, who have 

 given information of various localities of the plant 

 through your paper. One of them requests infor- 

 mation as to its medicinal properties. 



When steeped in spirits it is a powerful and 

 extremely valuable anti-spasmodic, given in doses 

 of a small wine-glass to twice the quantity, as cir- 

 cumstances may require. When in combination, 

 it has other valuable properties, which cannot be 

 fully described in a journal of this sort. N. D 

 . Portland, June 13. 



