CHINESE CORN. 



29 



upon which it moves as a centre, and 

 when that is clown in its place, a small 

 point or beak of iron, enters into holes 

 made in an iron plate; and the other end 

 of I he lever comes to rest on a stop, which 

 has several holes in it. The end of the 

 lever has also a little iron beak which en- 

 ters these holes. Thus, when the lever is 

 down, it becomes an immoveable cross- 

 bar of the frame, and the last may be held 

 or wedged in between this, and either side 

 of the frame, and held down by the strap. 

 But to adjust the width of the opening on 

 which the last lies, nothing more is neces- 

 sary than to lift up the lever, so that the 

 point clears the holes of the plate, 

 then sliding the link along the wire to the 

 intended width, and shutting it down 

 again, the beak or point enters some other 

 hole of the plate, and holds the lever fast 

 in the new position, so as to adapt it to the 

 width of any last, or to hold it in any po- 

 sition at pleasure. 



Mr. King observes that at other limes 

 the last is held down by the foot strap 

 pressing the lever upon it ; that the ma- 

 chine forms an universal vice, supporting 

 and holding the last firmly down upon the 

 cross-bar, in any required position. Two 

 stiff pieces of sol*.- leather are also fixed in 

 the Irame, which in certain positions sup- 

 ports the last. 



(ibservations. — If confidence is to be 

 placed in the certificate of a long list of 

 individuals who have used Mr. King's 

 machine, and who state that it is highly 

 conducive to the health of boot and shoe- 

 makers, Mr, King will, doubtless, be 

 speedily gratified in witnessing its general 

 adoption by that numerous class of the 

 community; but we fear that the liberality 

 of the society for rewarding individuals 

 for inventions of a similar nature, has not 

 yet led to the general adoption. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN MONTGOLFIER's HY- 

 DRAULIC RAM. 



These improvements consist in, 1st. 

 widening the body ram in a curved form, 

 which facilitates the entrance of the water 

 as much as possible and thus augments the 

 effect of the machine; 2d. in substituting 

 hollow balls for flap valves ; 3d. by the 

 addition of a small sucking valve, which 

 admits at each pulsation a quantity of air 

 into the head of the ram, from whence it 



is expelled at the following pulsation intcc 

 the compressing reservoir, which would 

 be filled with water if the air lost by ab- 

 sorption were not renewed by this method; 

 4th. by so disposing the valve of ascension 

 that between its outer sides and the inside 

 of the head of the ram, there shall be a 

 volume of air which cannot be driven into 

 the reservoir, but which is compressed at 

 each pulsation by the power of the water. 

 In consequence of these improvements, 

 the shutting of the valves make less noise, 

 all the operations take place with more 

 gentleness, the machine is Jess shaken, 

 less liable to want repairs, and its con- 

 struction is rendered more simple. 



CHINESE CORN. 



Mr. Grant Thorburn, of Hallets Cove^ 

 N. Y. informs the public in a letter to the 

 Editor of the New York Commercial 

 Advertiser, that he has the aforesaid 

 corn for sale, price 25 cents per ear. He 

 describes the corn as striking off in two, 

 three, and frequently four branches, in 

 appearance like a small tree, and produ- 

 ces an ear at the head of each branch. It 

 grows from 8 to 10 feet high, produces an 

 abundance of fodder, is a large white flint 

 twelve row corn, and ears from 10 to 14 

 inches long, he counted six hundred and 

 sixty grains on one ear; it was planted on 

 the lOlh of May, and had ears fit to boil 

 on the 10th of July; the produce of one 

 stalk was two thousand one hundred and 

 twenty grains, although subject to a severe 

 drought while growing. The dutton, 

 planted on the same day, on the same field 

 and receiving the same quantity of man- 

 ure, cross ploughing and hoeing, did not 

 produce one half of the quantity. — U. Si 

 Gaz. 



Tomato Pies equal to fine English 

 Gooseberries. 



The other day we partook, for the 

 first time, of a Tomato pie, anri were so 

 much pleased with the treat that we en- 

 quired into the mode of making them. 

 The tomatoes are skinned and sliced, and 

 after being mixed with sugar are prepared 

 in the same manner as other pies. 



The Tomato is likely to become one of 

 the most useful plants. — Phila. Com. H. 

 and Sent. 



