1 



NEW ENGLAND FAllMEll. 



119 



"Like many other great inventions, it was mere 

 accident that gave the clue to this simple, and yet 

 so practical affair, though the inventor frankly con- 

 fesses that he thinks that he might easily have 

 'found it out by reflection, with the aid of physiolo- 

 gy. The credit is due to ray friend Dochnahl, the 

 celebrated pomologist, in Bavaria, who declined 

 the sums offered him by the Belgian nurserymen 

 to sell his secret to them ; but, heedless of that, he 

 would have it out, and, though a nurseryman him- 

 self, published his invention for the benefit of all, 

 in his 'Pomona,' a very cleverly edited little paper. 



"Diel, one of the stars of the century, tried and 

 could not strike a single apple cutting, and rooted 

 but half of a number of slips of the pear quince, 

 which, at the present day, many more besides him 

 can strike readily. Dochnahl, however, succeeded 

 in some of his first experiments, in rooting 800 

 slips of the French Doucm, and missed but ten out 

 of the whole lot. 



"Mr. D. says he is indebted for the invention to 

 some rods of the hazel nut, which he bent into the 

 ground for the purpose of forming a kind of bound- 

 ary for a flower-bed ; the tips of these kept green, 

 formed leaves, and showed even a little callus. This 

 was the latch key to the new cutting house; and 

 I shall with pleasure give you more details of his 

 various experiments, if you think them worthy of a 

 place in these columns. 



Signed, Th. Von Sprecklesen." 



In a London publication of some fifty years ago, 

 entitled "Willich's Domestic Encyclopsedja," is the 

 following description of an apple called, 



"THE RUSSIAN ICE APPLE — 



Or Astrakhan apple {Pommed Astrachan Trans- 

 parente.) It is unquestionably the most eligible 

 summer fruit, provided the situation and climate be 

 proper for its growth, that is, not under 49 deg, 

 of polar elevation. In such a region, it acquires a 

 saccharine juice, which is so copious, that in an ap- 

 ple weighing 4^ ounces, there will be found, on ex- 

 pression, 35 ounces of liquid, and one ounce of 

 pulpy fibres. It is one of the most smiling fruits, 

 wiih fine, red, flaming streaks, on the side exposed 

 to the sun, and may be eaten at table, or convert- 

 ed into cider. There are two varieties of this apple, 

 a larger and a smaller one ; but neither of the 

 trees become remarkably tail." 



Can this be the fruit that is known in America 

 as the "white Astrachan apple," and which is count- 

 ed worthless ? If so, it might be well to make trial 

 of it in the most northern settlements on this con- 

 tinent. There are other remarkable fruits de- 

 scribed in the above named work, which are not 

 enumerated in modem American catalogues or fruit 

 books. Far East. 



December, 1856. 



Near-Sightedness.— The Paris Medical Gazette 

 states that of the 3,295,202 young men examined 

 in France, for military service, during nineteen 

 years, 13,007 were exempted for myopia. Some 

 years since, a regiment of recruits, principally na- 

 tives of London, where they were enKsted, were ta- 

 ken out of the city to practice at a target. To the 

 surprise of the officers in charge, a large part of 

 them were totally unable to see the mark, although 

 within the ordinary shooting distance. This fact 

 led to the discovery that persons whose range of 



vision is limited by brick walls, are near-sighted in 

 far greater numbers than in the same number of in- 

 habitants residing in the country. The eyes of sail- 

 ors, in continued sea-service, become almost tele- 

 scopic. They discover objects at a vast distance 

 which are not even discernible by other eyes. — 

 Philadelphia Med. and Surg. Jour. 



A NEW WASHING MACHINE. 



The burden of an old song is, that '''woman's 

 work is never done," and the declaration is as true 

 as it is trite. There are all sorts of contrivances 

 to enable the farmer and mechanic to save their 

 breath and muscles, and perform their work in an 

 easier and better way. Something has been done 

 for the sitting-room in the way of sewing machines 

 and sewing birds, and something for the kitchen in 

 apple parers, meat cutters, cooldng stoves, and 

 washing machines. But not half enough has been 

 done, yet, for the culinary department ; for the 

 mother, wearied and perplexed with the ever-recur 

 ring duties of the family, cannot be the efficient 

 teacher of the children, or the agreeable compan- 

 ion of the husband and father. In order to progress, 

 to magnify our own calling, and be instrumental 

 in developing ability in others, we must have active 

 minds in vigorous bodies, — minds and bodies not 

 palled by unceasing and too severe labor. 



Any machine, therefore, that will tend to avert 

 this result, will confer blessings on the race, by 

 preserving harmony and a pleasant flow of spirits 

 in the kitchen! Is not the machine illustrated 

 above of this character ? Our household say, yes ! 

 It is light, portable, so simple in its construction as 

 to render it almost impossible to get it out of re- 

 pair, and is easier to work than anything to wash 

 with that has yet stood on our kitchen floor. So 

 say the women. 



Wheeler's machine, that we spoke highly of 

 some time last year, is an excellent one, and ought 

 to satisfy any reasonable person, — but this will sat- 

 isfy those who are unreasonable enough to break to 

 pieces anything that refuses to do the washing and 

 ironing too ! 



It is said by some who have used this machine, 

 that sixty shirts an hour may be well washed with 

 it, and with less injury to the clothes than by any 

 other process known. We advise those who have 

 no machine to call at No. 9 Court Square, Boston, 

 and see it. See advertisement. 



