322 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



VOL. I. 



ous or heavy substances, continued for ten 

 hours each day, is generally considered by 

 writers on the subject, as six to one in favor 

 of the iiorse. 



As there are some situations where the 

 power of men can be used more convenient- 

 ly than any other, it becomes a subject of 

 considerable importance to apply it in such 

 a manner, that the greatest useful effect will 

 be produced from a given amount of exertion 

 or labor. 



A horse moving on a horizontal road, at- 

 tached to a rope, and the rope passing over a 

 vertical pulley and descendmg into a well, or 

 from the upper pullies, as described in the 

 Alternating Elevator referred to above, will 

 elevate two hundred pounds at the rate of 

 two rniles an hour ; a man of ordinary 

 strength and activity would not be able to 

 carry his own weight to this height, inde- 

 pendent of any load. 



Perhaps this manner of a man carrying 

 his own weight alone to a given height, and 

 raising an amount of weight rather less than 

 his own, to the same height as he descends, 

 would be the best application of human ex- 

 ertion, and it is upon this supposition, that 

 I recommend the following described machine 

 for that purpose. 



Suppose a man weighing one hundred and 

 sixty pounds, of ordinary strength, ascending 

 upon a ladder, and descending in a bucket 

 attached to one end of a rope, and the other 

 end of the rope attached to a weight rather 

 less, say one hundred and fifty eight pounds; 

 this rope runs upon a pulley placed rather 

 higher than the point to which the weight is 

 to be raised ; now the same man carrying up 

 a load of seventy-nine pounds, and descending 

 upon a ladder unloaded, would not be able to 

 continue the exertion for ten hours each day, 

 with more than two-thirds the velocity ihat 

 he does when ascending unloaded, and de- 

 scending without any muscular exertion. If 

 we take the above estimate as a correct one, 

 the power of a horse may be stated by the 

 number eighteen; the best application of 

 human power, three, and the usual mode of 

 ditto at one. 



The insurance upon the life of a horse, to- 

 gether with the expense of his food, attend- 

 ance, &c. annually, would not generally be 

 more than fifty per cent, beyond that of a 

 man's board and wages; this will make the 

 relative value of the power of a horse to that 

 of a man, in the most usual manner of apply- 

 ing the power of the latter, (as above stated,) 

 in the proportion as twelve to one, and com- 

 pared with the best manner of applying that 

 of men, as four to one ; consequently, horse 

 power should always be used in preference to 

 that of men, where circumstances will ad- 

 mit; and a man should always descend with- 



out muscular exertion, and at the same time 

 raise a weight as near an equality with his own 

 as possible, where this kind of power is used. 

 Probably there are exceptions to the rule 

 of ascending unloaded, particularly where a 

 man is more conspicious for strength than ac- 

 tivity ; in this case he might carry up such a 

 load as experience may dictate. 



F)g. 77. i 



A man weighing 160 lbs., de- 

 scending in A, will raise 158 lbs. 

 in B ; he then places 158 lbs. in 

 A, and descends in B, and so on 

 alternately. 



Chester CO., I5th April, 1837. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Observer — No. 7. 



THE PEACH INSECT. 



Only a very Tew have, successfully, culti- 

 vated an acquaintance with the history and 

 habits of the peach insect — or submitted the 

 plans, which have been proposed to arrest its 

 ravages, to the test of tiiir experiment. Their 

 communications, too, may be inaccessible to 

 the readersof the Cabinet, generally. Hence, 

 I have thought that a brief summary of what 

 appears to be known, on the subject, may 

 not only prove interesting, but perhaps, en- 

 courage further investigations. 

 The Peach insect belongs to the 

 Order, Lepidoptera; — having the body 

 and wings covered with fine scales, 

 in form of a loose powder, which 

 easily rubs of Ex. Butterfly. 

 Family, Crepuscularia ; — which fly abroad 

 during the evening and morning 

 twilight. 

 Genus, Sphinx — Linnaeus. 

 Sesia — Lamarck. 

 Egeria — Fabricius. 

 Egeria. Antennar- furiform ; palpi long, 

 separate, covered with long scales, or por- 

 rected hair; wings horizontal in repose; ab- 

 domen bearded at tip. 



EGERIA EXITIOSA. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Male. Body, steel blue; antennce, cilliat- 

 ed on the inner side, black, with a tinge of 

 blue ; palpi, beneath, yellow ; head, with a 

 band at base, both above and beneath, pale 

 yellow; eyes, black-brown; thorax, with 

 two pale yellow longitudinal line::., and a 

 transverse one behind, interrupted above, and 



