214 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JAN. 13. 183S. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, J4N. 13, 1836. 



inr Members of the Legislature who subscribe for I'l^ 

 Farmer, and do not receive their papers regularly, (if 

 any such there be,) will oblige us by giving information 

 of the fact, so that we may rectify the error. 



Remarks on the Economv and Sodrces of Heat. — 

 Altliough heat, for economical purposes, is generally 

 obtained from the combustion of fuel, in many cases it is 

 practicable and expedient to make use of a great source 

 of warmth provided by nature, and treasured in the 

 earth. A well in a kitchen, and a spring in a green 

 house, especially if the bottom, or source of the well or 

 spring lies deep, will affoid mucli warmth in winter as 

 well as refreshing coolness in summer. In some places 

 in Europe, tender plants are preserved from winter's 

 frost by placing them under cover, and over the outlets, 

 mouths or avenues of springs of water; and .such sources 

 and causes both of coolness and caloric are much used in 

 Pennsylvania. The provident husbandmen and house- 

 wives of that part of the Union make much use of what 

 they call spring-houses, into which springs of water are 

 conducted, and so managed as to cover the floor to the 

 depth of two or three inches, and on this floor are placed 

 milk-pans, cream-pots, tubs or jars of butter, &c. From 

 dairies thus accommodated the market of Pliiladelphia is 

 supplied with butter of a most excellent quality, which 

 is, 1 believe, generally otfercd for sale without having 

 been salted ; of course the purchaser is not obliged to 

 pay the market price of good butter for the extra salt too 

 frequently used in spoiling the article. If the water 

 from these springs was properly disposed of, and we be- 

 lieve that it is in some cases, it would furnish warm 

 houses in winter as well as cool houses in summer. 



The internal heat of the earth has been extensively 

 used for economical purposes in Europe. A French 

 periodical informs, that " Bored wells, from which the 

 water rises to the surface by some internal force, and 

 flows in a constant stream, are now common, at least nu- 

 merous, in the north of Europe. The temperature of 

 water which rises from considerable depths in the earth 

 being almost constantly winter and summer at about 54 

 deg. Fab., the application of this temperature to econom- 

 ical purposes was suggested by M. de Bruckmann, of 

 Wirtemberg, and it has met with complete success. — 

 This able engineer had bored a number of these wells 

 for the supply of various establishments for spinning, 

 paper making, bleaching, &c. in which the water flow- 

 ing from them is used as a motive power. 



" In the winter of 1830 he was consulted in relation to 

 the best means of keeping the wheels clear of ice, in one 

 of the manufactories of Heibson, when the congelation 

 was so great as to oblige ihcm to use the axe in clearing 

 the wheel. Recourse had been had to currents of hot 

 air, and cylinders filled with ignited charcoal, but with 

 imperfect success. Dr Bruckmann introduced the cur. 

 rent from a bored well into a cylinder, pierced full of 

 holes, from which the water fell in a shower upon tile 

 wheel, and in less than an hour, the wheel which was so 

 encased with ice as to be immovable, was as clear of it 

 as if it had been the month of July, and from that time 

 no further obstruction was experienced. This beneficial 

 application of the warm water of bored wells was soon 

 extended to all the manufactories where such wells ex- 

 isted. 



" But the engineer did not rest there. He conceived 

 and executed the plan of warming the manufactories 



themselves by the water prior to its falling on the wheel. 

 This was done by the simple process of causing the wa- 

 ter to circulate in open tubes [troughs] throughout sev- 

 eral rooms of a paper mill, and thence to fall on the 

 wheel. A difference of nearly thirtyfive degrees in very 

 cold weather, was thus pioduced between the interior 

 and the exterior of the building, although the doors were 

 frequently opened by the ingress and egress of the work- 

 men, and it enabled the proprietor to dispense with the 

 stoves and furnaces without any inconvenience to the 

 laborers, either on account of the lieat or of dampness 

 from the water, which was at first an object of apprehen- 

 sion. 



" In oil mills this profedure is particularly advanta- 

 geous, not only in keeping the wheels clear of ice, but in 

 securing the requisite dampness of the grain, without the 

 danger of freezing, which in cold weather demands much 

 troublesome precaution. 



" The process now described has this farther advan- 

 tage, — Isl, That the same water which in winter warms 

 the apartments, in summer communicates a most agreea- 

 ble and refreshing coolness, the heat never exceeding 

 fifiyfive degrees, though it may outside be as high as 

 seventysix degrees. 2d, That the circulation of water 

 in manufactories purifies the air and promotes the health 

 of the workmen, so that in rooms full of people the at- 

 mosphere is found to be perfectly free, though the win- 

 dows may be kept shut. 3d, That in case of fire, a cur- 

 rent of water within a building must be of the greatest 

 consequence. 



" So successful have been these inventions of M. de 

 Bruckmann that the King of Wirtemberg has appointed 

 him to the stalion of Royal Architect, and Knight of the 

 Order of Merit, and decreed to him a large gold medal. 



" The water of bored wells has been applied in France 

 to the warming of conservatories of plants, and a large 

 fish pond at Montmorentcy ha.-* been supplied in the 

 same manner with cool water, which in the summer 

 season prevents the loss formerly sustained by the per- 

 ishing of the fish from the excess of heat. In conse- 

 quence of these valuable applications, the committee of 

 the ' Societie d'Encouragement,' propose the decree of 

 their gold medal to M.de Bruckmann." 

 {To be continued.) 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL, SOCIETY, 



Saturday, Jan. 9. 



At a meeting of the Massadiusetts Horticultural tioci- 

 ety hidden this day at their rooms, the following report 

 was unanimously adopted. 



The Executive Committee to whom was referred a 

 paper from Mr A. J. Downing,* of Newbugh, N. Y. have 

 liad tiie same under consideration, and have directed me 

 to report the following vote. 



Voted, That the thanks of the Society be presented to 

 Mr A. J. Downing, of Newbugh, N. Y. for his valuable 

 and interesting communication on the subject of the 

 ' Naturalization of Plants,' and that tho same be publish- 

 ed in the New England Farmer, and that the Correspond- 

 ing Secretary be requested to transmit to Mr Downing a 

 copy of the same. 



The same Committee to whom was referred a letter of 

 Mr Benjamin Maund, of Bronsgrove, England, in rela- 

 tion to a periodical work called the ' Botanic Garden,' 

 report that it is inexpedient for the Society, lis such, to 

 become the medium of circulating that work, and that 

 the Corresponding Secretary be requested to refer Mr 

 Maund, • agreeably to his desire, to some respectable 



' We acknowledge the receipt ol Ihis paper, and will insert 

 it in our next. 



bookseller, who might be willing to promote his views. 

 Respectfully submitted, per order, 



Elijah Vuse, Chairman. 

 January 9, 183G. 



Mr Maund's Letter. 



Bromsgrove, Oct. 9, 183.5. 



Sir ; — I have been much gratified by observing that 

 America is now sending us her works on Gardening, 

 from which I am sure we shall reap many advantages. 

 Horticulture and Floriculture are evidently receiving in- 

 creased encouragement in the United States, and it 

 probable that if our principal cheap work on Flowers, 

 " The Botanic Garden," were well circulated amongst 

 your gentry, it would give an amazing impulse to the 

 delightful pursuit of Floriculture. The Botanic Garden 

 was commenced nearly eleven years ago, and being the 

 first moderate priced work, on a popular plan, which 

 ever had been published in England, its sale is immense ; 

 and the enthusiasm whic h now exists amongst us rela- 

 tive to gardening, is acknowledged to have arisen with it. 



I have thought that your Society, in order to give 

 encouragement to the circulation of such a work, would 

 very probably take the charge of it. Even the regular 

 circulation of it amongst the members of the Society 

 only would be a step of considerable importance. 



In order to give my assistance, as far as possible, to 

 the support of such a scheme, having the whole proprie- 

 torship myself, I would send the work to the Society at 

 a reduction of 35 per cent, below the retail price. It 

 would then be left to the choice of the Society either to 

 circulate it amongst its members at a reduced price, or — 

 (which would be far better, as it would not intrude on 

 the province of the bookseller) — to circulate it at the 

 regular price and add the profits to the Society's fund. 



It would be also indispensable, that booksellers be en- 

 couraged to give their best assistance to its circulation. 

 As the object of the Society is the national benefit, it 

 would perhaps transfer a portion of its stock to the care 

 of a bookseller, as a general agent, to sell them to other 

 booksellers. The Society would then, it may be pre- 

 sumed, forego any advantages on such portion transferred, 

 contenting itself with effecting thereby a public good. 



Should the Society decline availing itself of my offer 

 perhaps, Sir, you will be kind enough to hand my pro- 

 posal to your most respectable booksellers who may be 

 depended on for regular remittances. 



My residence is near to Birmingham, and I believe I 

 could enclose small parcels through the medium of the 

 Birmingham merchants, so that the cost would be incon- 

 siderable as regards carriage. 



I will send you a specimen number or two when op- 

 portunity offers, lest you should not have a convenient 

 way of showing the work to your subscribers. It sell« 

 at 1*. small, and Is. 6d. large, each size being colored, 

 and having four figures of plants in each ijumber. The 

 coloring of the large is allowed to be superior in neatnesi 

 of execution to any work extant, the small is less per- 

 fect, but still done correctly. It is published monthljl 

 If you can obtain a number of the Botanic Garden to 

 show to your Society, you would perhaps be kind 

 enough to favor me with an early reply. Very large re- 

 prints of the work have been required, and as many 

 numbers are still being reprinted to meet the demand, it 

 would be a convenience to ascertain whether America 

 would require many, that the reprint may be accordingly 

 increased. I am, Sir, yours, very respectfully, 



Benjamin Madnd. 



To the Foreign Corresponding Secretary j 

 of the Mass. Horticultural Society. ) 



