No. 4. 



Editorial Notices. 



133 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



AND 



AMSRICAN HERD-BOOK. 



Philadelphia, Eleventh Month, 1843. 



Therk is perhaps scarcely any point over which the 

 farmer's eye ranges, in which he should take more 

 pleasure in spreading comfort, than in his kitchen: 

 and the reflection has repeatedly occurred, that scarcely 

 any change could be made in the general economy ofj 

 the farmer's establishment, that would so decidedly 

 promote the comfort of the family, as the introduction 

 and use of coal fires:— we mean for those who are in 

 the vicinity of rail roads, or navigable waters, or 

 within reasonable carting distance. The farmer's 

 kitchen, in cnl<i weather, where wood is burned, is a] 

 cold and comfortless concern to get up and go into in 

 the morning. In many families the men and boys get 

 up before day-break, to go early with the team;— in 

 Jersey, for instance, they go many miles for marl— or 

 to the cedar swamp, for rails;— in Pennsylvania, for 

 lime, and many other objects of the teamster. They 

 have their horses, of course, to feed and to take care 

 of; they have also, frequently, their own breakfast to 

 get : — the room is cold — they can scarcely have other 

 than a cold meal— consequently they start cold, and 

 long remain so. Now if coal wore used instead of 

 wood, the kitchen would be found warm and comfort- 

 able in the morning, with little or no waste of fuel; 

 the tea-kettle would be boiling, and a hot breakfast 

 might be ready in fifteen minutes. We know what 

 we are talking about; and we know— and we would 

 fain persuade others— that the comfort of a farmer's 

 family would be vastly increased by the use of stone 

 coal. It is abundantly safer than wood; and as to 

 economy — even where the wood would be to sell, and 

 the coal to buy, they are perhaps, about upon a par. 

 Farmers need not be frightened at the suggestion— it 

 is entirely practicable, and the difficulties attending 

 the carrying of it out, may be readily overcome. 



UNITED STATES ALMANAC, for 1844; containing 

 the time of the Sun's rising and setting. &c., for six 

 different parallels of latitude, embracing the whole ex- 

 tent of the Union, from Boston to New Orleans; com- 

 plete Ephemerides of the sun and moon, and a collec 

 tion of such tables as are in most frequent use among 

 astronomers, navigators, engineers and others, for the 

 determination of latitude, time, &c., by John Downes. 

 Also a great variety of statistics, relative to commerce, 

 agriculture, manufactures, public offices, <fcc., by Free- 

 man Hunt, editor of the Merchant's Magazine. This 

 is a very complete work, both as regards the matter 

 more particularly appropriate to an Almanac, of a 

 high scientific character, and the statistical part which 

 contains abundance of information wanted every day 

 to be referred to, respecting the general, and State 

 governments— their population, debts. &c., &c. It may 

 be had at this office,— price 50 cents. 



THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OP CHEMISTRY,— Theo- 

 retical and Practical ; presenting a complete and ex- 

 tended view of the present state of Chemical science, 

 by James C. Booth and Martin H. Boye, with nu- 

 merous engravings. To be published semi-monthly, 

 in twenty numbers, at 25 cents each, by Carey S^ Hart. 

 The first number of this work has been laid upon our 

 table. The high character of the authors, gives every 

 assurance of great merit. Well versed by long experi- 

 ence in the science they have undertaken to elucidate, 

 and thoroughly acipiainted v^ith the late discoveries 

 and views of the great German chemists, and drawing 

 too, from every other resource afforded by the Conti- 

 nent, the Encyclopedia of Chemistry will be found de- 

 serving the strong recommendation of all whose busi- 

 ness or studies lead them to consult books of this 

 character. 



The Western Farmer and Gardener says, that John 

 E. Mottier, at a late spirited Exhibition of the Cin 

 cinnati Horticultural Society, produced Seckle pears 

 weighing 6J ounces, and a vine of the Catawba grape 

 containing forty-nine bunches. 



THE COMPLETE COOK.— Plain and practical di 

 rections for cooking and house-keeping, with upwards 

 of seven hundred receipts, &c., with additions and al- 

 terations, by J. M. S.vNDERPON, of the Franklin House, 

 in this city. Lea ^ Blanchard, have lately publisTied 

 the above work, — price 25 cents. We plead ignorance 

 of the art which it professes to teach, but we take it 

 for granted, our friend Sanderson is au fait in the bu- 

 siness, and that what he has endorsed must be good. 

 If as Dr. Kitchiner observed, " the stomach is the main 

 spring of our system."— and if, as somebody else has 

 said, "the energy of our brains is greatly dependent 

 upon that main spring, it may after all, be of no little 

 consequence, not only what we eat, but how that is 

 cooked, which we do eat. 



E. H. Bdtler, No. 10, South Fourth street, has just 

 published, and has for sale, a second volume of the 



FAMILIAR LETTERS ON CHEMISTRY, and its 

 relation to Commerce, Physiology, and Agriculture, by 

 Justus Liebio. This is a valuable little book, just 

 published by George S. Jippleton, 148 Chesnut street, 

 Philadelphia, and D. j9ppleton, Broadway, New York, 

 and may be bought either of the publishers, or at this 

 office, for a 'levenpenny-bit, or twenty-five cents in 

 boards. It is much loss scientific in its character, than 

 the larger works of the same author, which have with- 

 in a few years preceded it, and given so much celeb- 

 rity to his name, as an Agricultural and Chemical 

 writer. It will be found a very interesting collection 

 of letters, and is adapted to the comprehension of the 

 common reader, who is but little, or not at all initiated 

 into the technicalities of the science. It is edited by 

 Dr. Gardner. 



The same publishers have placed on our table, the 

 first number of APPLIED CHEMISTRY, in Manu- 

 factures, Arts, and Domestic Economy;— edited by E. 

 A. Parnell. The article in this number, giving a his- 

 tory of Gas illumination— Composition of coal — Pro- 

 cess of making coal gas, &c., is an interesting oner- 

 Price per number, 124 cents. 



A MEETiNO was held at Salem, N. J., on the 28th ult., 

 to consider the expediency of forming an Agricultural 

 Society for the county. They resolved to do so, and 

 took the necessary preparatory steps. 



