No. 11. 



Editorial Notices. 



359 



THE FAKHIJEI&§' CABINET, 



AND 



£Lmi2B.2GIklS HERB-BOOK. 



Philadelphia, Sixth Month, 1843. 



Two months ago, we save the results of some ob- 

 servations made by different astronomers, upon the 

 Comet which had a short time previously been visible, 

 both here and in Enrope. We then stated that "Pro- 

 fessor Kendall and S. C. Walker, have computed the 

 elements of this comet with great care, and find they 

 do not agree with those of any one on record: it is 

 therefore, in all probability, to be hailpd as a new vis- 

 itant, within the limits of our system." Subsequent 

 communications made to the public, however, render 

 it probable that this conclusion was prematurely come 

 to. Various paradoxical suggestions have been since 

 thrown out, in relation to the path and perihelion 

 point of this remarkable comet. It was at one time 

 suggested, that this fresh starting point to which it 

 was aiming, was many thousand miles within the 

 body of the sun — that the comet in approaching it, 

 had come in contact with the sun, from which it had 

 rebounded, and was flying off in a path that would 

 not admit of its future return.* This was a bold 

 suggestion, made, as they thought, understanding^', 

 by the indefatigable and able observers, at our High 

 School. It seemed to be sustained by tracing back- 

 wards the comet's path, as observed when it was re- 

 ceding from the sun. This idea is now abandoned. 

 Comparing the results of observations made by Pro- 

 fessor Bessel, of Konigsberg, Encke, of Berlin, and 

 other European astronomers, with those of our own 

 country, S. C. Walker and E. O. Kendall, of this city, 

 in a communication made to the American Philoso- 

 phical Society, on the 25th ult., place the perihelion 

 point at an extremely short distance from the sun's 

 surface — they give to the comet an elliptic orbit, — ex 

 press their conviction, that " it is identical with those 

 of February, 16C8, and of December, 1689,"— that it 

 has a period of 21J years, and will doubtless return 

 "in December, 1864, to be seen under more favourable 

 circumstances than at this visit." Such of our readers 

 then, as shall be here at that time, may have an op 

 portunity of verifying the predictions of our learned 

 townsmen. 



* In the United States Gazette, of the 18th ult., we 

 find a communication from our High School Observa- 

 tory, in which "the gradual shortening of the mean 

 distance from the sun," of Encke's comet, is referred 

 to, and the natural inference drawn, that it is gradu 

 ally winding itself up — that it must one day — how- 

 ever remote — actually come in contact with the body 

 of the sun— to join its mass—" a drop in the ocean"- 

 or perhaps to rebound, and fly off in another orbit 

 The communication goes on to state, that the present 

 comet may have approached the great centre of our 

 system in an elliptic, or parabolic orbit — have come in 

 contact with the permanent portions of the sun' 

 body — then have rebounded, and flown off with its 

 orbit changed to an hyperbola. The idea of an elliptic 

 or even parabolic orbit being changed after contact, to 

 an hyperbolic one, was, we apprehend, hastily adopted 

 According to the principles and laws of motion, such 

 a result is impossible. 



'THE FARMER'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA 



DICTIONARY OF RURAL AFFAIRS: 



Embracing all the recent discoveries in Agricultural 

 Chemistry, adapted to the comprehension of unscien- 

 tific readers, by Cctkbert W. Johnson; enlarged, im- 

 proved and adapted to the United States, by a Practical 

 Farmer, assisted by numerous scientific gentlemen, is 

 now in course of publication by Carey & Hart, of this 

 city." 



At the close of the sixth number, an extended arti - 

 c!e on the Dairy is commenced; it is continued and 

 closed in the seventh number, and will be found wor- 

 thy the perusal of every good fanner, who is desirous 

 of becoming acquainted with the profits and conveni- 

 ences, and necessities of a Dairy, and who would 

 place within reach of his better half, all the facilities 

 for supplying his board with such butter and cheese, 

 as he would like to invite his friends to help them- 

 selves to— such as he would be proud to carry to market, 

 and as the good house-wife would be ambitious to 

 supply. 



Our friends in Delaware and Jersey, are anticipating 

 abundance of peaches. They afford a healthful luxury, 

 which citizens are ever ready to indulge in. We sin- 

 cerely hope fine crops and good prices may be realized. 

 We gather too, from various parts of the country, that 

 wheat is generally promising pretty fair. 



POUDRETTE. 



Arrangements have been made by the subscriber 

 with D. K. Minor, of New York, for the sale of this 

 valuable manure, as noticed on page 288. It may be 

 obtained at the office of the Farmer's Cabinet, No. 50, 

 North Fourth street, where we expect to keep a supply 

 constantly on hand. Farmers, gardeners, and the 

 truck growers in New Jersey, will now have an op- 

 portunity to avail themselves of an article, so much 

 valued in Europe, and in the neighbourhood of New- 

 York, where it is manufactured. The price will be 

 two dollars a barrel, where one or two only are taken 

 — for three or more, it will be somewhat reduced. 



We learn from the manufacturer, that Poudrette is 

 extensively used in the vicinity of New York, and to 

 good purpose, as a top-dressing for corn. 



Josiah Tatum. 



It is highly gratifying to observe in our market, a 

 general upward tendency in agricultural productions. 

 Wheat, flour, corn, beef, as well as many of the more 

 perishable articles of the farmer, command remune- 

 rating prices. Our manufacturers too, are more active 

 than they were. Their goods are finding their way to 

 almost every portion of the globe, where our flag is 

 seen. To China, the British East Indies, and to Asia 

 generally, we are able to hold out inducements for 

 them to become large and increasing customers for our 

 cotton goods. Let each one get out of debt and keep 

 so, and the period of activity and thrift will soon open 

 to us. 



