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NEW ENGLAND FARMEU, 



June 15, lS:ji- 



TULIPS. 

 Now that we feel the 'etherial iniltlness' of 

 spring, we may perhaps turn our thoughts for a mo- 

 ment to the scihject of flowers. 



Of the early history oftlje Tulip, from its discov- 

 ery among the Turks, to the extravagant specula- 

 tions in the roots, as articles of merchandise, in 

 various countries, ;)Ut particularly in Holland and 

 England, about a century and a half ago, our rea- 

 ders are prohably ns well acquainted as ourselves. 

 Mr Neale, however, has put into our hands a leaf 

 from a very old Magazine, from which we quote 

 the following paragraphs' on the fondness of the 

 Turks for the Tulip,' from the Opuscoli of the 

 Abbe Sestiid which will probaly amuse, if it does 

 not instruct the reader. 



The Tulip, called in the Turkish language Lale, 

 is a flower which these people were so passionate- 

 ly fond of, that they em]iloyed the utmost care 

 to bring the cultivation of it to perfection. They 

 did not set much value on those, the bulbs of 

 which were brouglit from Holland, because it is 

 an established rule among them to esteem more 

 whatever grows in their own country, than the 

 productions of foreign nations. 



Tulips, however, have been in so great request 

 and so much sought after at Constantinople, that, 

 several Sultans have ordered roots to be brought 

 them from all countries, in order that they might 

 have every possible variety of these flowers. To 

 these 'varieties they even gave Turkish names, 

 which had some relation to those of the first offices 

 in the Ottoman empire ; and they commanded 

 that a catalogue should be made out in the Tur- 

 kish language, of all the diflferent species. 



Under the Sultan Achmet TH. who was pas- 

 sionately fond of this flower, all the nobility of 

 his court applied themselves to the cultivation of 

 it, with the greatest care, and to ]u-ocure uncom- 

 mon kinds, with the newest and most beautiful 

 varieties. 



These nobles presented their tulips to the Sul- 

 tan, on a certain day of the year; and this cere- 

 mony, which was extremely splendid and magnifi- 

 cent, was called vi'tfet-lalesi that is to say, the fes- 

 tival of tulips. 



The grand Vizier, Ibrahim Baschia, was also 

 remarkably fond of tulips. As he had never seen 

 any Uuc ones, he took it into Iijs head that he 

 could, by the assistance of art, procure flowers of 

 that color. He therefore consulted on this subject 

 different Turkish chemists, who all agreed, that to 

 have blue tulips nothing more could be necessary, 

 but to put into the bulbs the flowers of the syringa 

 carulea. The experiment was tried, but, as may 

 well be supposed, was not attended with suc- 

 cess. 



The Turkish nobility derived afterwards anoth- 

 er pleasure from these tulips. They waited for 

 the moment when they were in full bloom in their 

 gardens, and intermixed them with small lighted 

 lamps and cages, in which they inclosed nightin- 

 gales taught to sing ; thus endeavoring to gratify 

 both the senses of seeing and bearing. This fes- 

 tival was called cierngan, that is to say, the illumi- 

 nation. 



This reigning passion'for tulips continued in Tur- 

 key under the Sultan Mahnioud, and the Sultan 

 Mustapha ; iTut after the death of these emperors, 

 it gradually decreased. The Turks at present do 

 not entertain an exclusive passion for tulips, and 

 they set almost the same value on them as we do. 

 —.V. y. Com. Adv. 



SOAP. 



As this is the season of the year when most of 

 our housekeepers attend to making soft soap for 

 the use of the family, we trust a few observations 

 may be acceptable. 



Much difficulty is frequently experienced in 

 this business, and many vulgar errors have been 

 connected with it ; and we have heard women de- 

 clare that they believed their soap was bewitched. 

 When the principles are once understood, the 

 whole process is easy and simple. First, tlien, it 

 is proper that housekeepers should know the prop- 

 erties of the component parts of soap. 



There are two fixed alkalies used in soapma- 

 king, viz. potash and soda. Potash is called the 

 vegetable, and soda the mineral alkali. Either of 

 these alkalies will unite with grease and form 

 soaps : potash and grease make soft soap only, but 

 soda and grease make hard soap. Both these alkalies 

 have a strong affinity for acids — uniting with them 

 and forming what is generally called neutral salts. 

 Thus potash and nitric acid form saltpetre ; so^la 

 and sulphuric acid form glauber salts, and soda 

 and muriatic acid, or spirits of salts, form common 

 salt. 



Now no woman in her senses would think of 

 making soap with either of these salts ; and yet the 

 base of either, when separated from the acid, 

 would form when mixed with grease, as good soap 

 as if they had never been united. 



There is also another acid which combines with 

 these alkalies, which will equally prevent their 

 uniting with grease as either of the before men- 

 tioned acids — that is carbonic. Now this acid is 

 continually floating in the atmosphere unseen, and 

 will combine with potash or soda whenever it 

 comes in contact, forming a carbonate of soda or 

 potash — neither of which will unite with grease to 

 form soap. 



Much of the difficulty which housekeepers meet 

 with in soap-making, arises from their ley having 

 become more or less saturated with carbonic acid. 

 Ashes which have laid long in adamp place, or be- 

 come damp by any other means, will absorb carbo- 

 nic acid, or if the ley is allowed to stand too long 

 after it is leached in an o|)en vessel, the same 

 thing will take place. Lime is often placed in the 

 bottom of the leach, and but few can tell why they 

 do it. If the question is asked, the reply is — be- 

 cause it makes the ley cleaner. Lime has a stron- 

 ger affinity for carbonic acid than potash has, and 

 of course will separate it from it. Common lime- 

 stone is lime and carbonic acid : when limestone 

 is biu'ned in a kiln, the carbonic acid is separated 

 by beat, and quicklime is formed. Now if this 

 quick or fresh-burnt lime is placed in the bottom 

 of the leach and the ley made to pass through it, 

 it becomes purified from the acid, and the mly 

 thing necessary then to have it unite with grtase, 

 is to have it of sufficient strenorth. — This mii^' be 

 ascertained by its specific gravity — to learn w dch, 

 4jut a new-laid egg into it: if the egg floats the 

 ley is strong enough ; if it sinks, the ley must either 

 he evaporated by boiling, or by again leachiig it 

 through ashes. The grease made use of is ib^ re- 

 fuse fat of animals, and before it is united witl. the 

 ley, should be freed from all the salt by boiliig it 

 in water. The quantity necessary for a barrd of 

 good soap is about sixteen pounds, or half a pound 

 to a gallon. 



Soap when well made, should be thick tnd 

 salve-like, ca|)ablo of being spread thin upon chth 

 without flaking or rolling off. — If to such scap 



about an equal quantity of soft water is added, tin 

 soap becomes hard and liver-like, capable of be 

 taken up in the hand. This many think is desii 

 able, — especially the soap-boilers who make 

 for sale, as they make double the profit thi 

 would on the other quality. 



Some housekeepers practise making their own 

 hard soap. This is doi:3 by adding salt to the 

 soap after it is well made, while it is yet boiling. 

 The effect is thus explained. Salt is soda and 

 muriatic acid. Potash has a stronger affinity for 

 muriatic acid than soda has, and when theV come- 

 in contact, OS in this case, the potash decom|iose* 

 the salt and combines with the muriatic acid, forrn- 

 ing a muriate of potash — leaving the soda piu-e to 

 form a hard soap with the grease : — the nuiriate 

 of potash will be found on cooling, in solution at 

 the bottom, being ofgreater s|)ecific gravity than 

 the soap. The salt should be added by small 

 quantities until the separation takes jilace, which 

 may be known by the soap becoming curdled ; af- 

 ter which it should be allowed to stand until cold, 

 wlieii it may be cut into bars or cakes, as suits the 

 operator. Many suppose that resin is necessary 

 to harden the soap. This is not the case ; it is 

 used as a matter of profit — not of necessity. 



The common yellow color of soft soap is owing 

 to the iron contained in it, as the oxide of iron is 

 ilissolved by potash. Where white soap is desira- 

 ble, it may be made by substituting pearlash orcar- 

 bonate of |)otash, and abstracting the carbonic 

 acid by lime — and by using lard or other white 

 grease, the purest white soap may be made. Gen- 

 esee Farmer. 



Copperas. — It may not be generally known to 

 our readers that a Copj)eras mine was discovered 

 about two years since, in the town of TempletoD, 

 Worcester County. We have been obligingly fu^ 

 nished by a gentleman who has recently visited tfce 

 mine, with the following particidars respecting it 

 About two years since, a nune was discoveredin 

 Templeton, Worcester county, and the lands adjs- 

 cent, to the amount of 200 acres inunediatcly pur- 

 chased by a company from Worcester. The Com- 

 pany have erected suitable buildings and have been 

 at considerable expense in making arrangcmentsto 

 mamifacture the article extensively. They are now 

 in the ' full tide of successful experiment.' The 

 ore produces about 75 per cent of^lhe pure article. 

 About six tons ofcopperas have been manufactured 

 and more than six hundred tons of ore have been 

 discovered lying in ojie pit. The mine is sripposed 

 to be inexhaustible. Sufficient may be manufac- 

 tured from it to supply the whole country. We hope 

 the efforts of the enterprising company who liafe 

 embarked in it, will be attende<l, as there is every 

 reason to suppose they will be, with complete SSC 

 cess. — Dcdham Palladium. 



Morning Air. — The most wholesome and in- 

 vigorating air of the day is usually at daybreak. 

 The man who rises at the dawn of flay, may enjoy 

 a pleasure that is denied to a sluniberer. It isthc 

 best time for exercise. The birds gayly carol, lo 

 welcome the rising sun, and to waken man to 

 industry. The glorious orb of day is in itself 

 an object of more magnificence than the Falls of 

 Niagara or Montmorenci, the Peak of TenerilTe, 

 or Etna. Yet how many traverse sea and land to 

 behold these terrestrial objects, while perhaps thejf 

 never saw the rising sun in its utmost splendor, 

 the sublimest spectacle in creation. 



