NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



415 



flled)amc3' ^Department, 2lits, ^c. 



STEAM EXCAVATOR FOR DIGGING 

 GUANO. 



Mr. John Souther, Proprietor of the Globe 

 Works, South Boston, has just completed the con- 

 struction of one of Otis's Steam Excavators. This 

 machine, we learn, is to be shipped in a i'ew days 

 to the coast of Peru, South America, for the pur- 

 pose of excavatino- that substance known as Guano. 

 It was built for Don Domingo Elias, a rich mer- 

 chant and planter in Lima, who was one of tlie 

 candidates for the Presidency in tlie last elections 

 in that country. 



For some months past much inconvenience and 

 expense have been incurred by the slow method oi 

 dign;ing the guano ; and the necessity of giving 

 quicker despatch to the great number of vessels 

 which are constantly seeking cargoes of this article 

 induced the proprietors to send Santigo Flores, an 

 excellent engineer, to procure some machine to ex- 

 pedite the digging. After a careful search, he 

 contracted for one of Otis"s Patent Steam Excava- 

 tors, which has been built with great despatch and 

 accuracy by Mr. John Souther, at hi.s Globe Works. 



The Excavator, which is to be the pioneer in 

 the introduction of Yankee machinery into a coun- 

 try where as yet English trade and inventions have 

 had no competitors, was invented some years since 

 by a very talented mechanic of Canton Mass., 

 named Otis, who died at the early age of 22 years. 

 He was a man of great promise, and the excavator 

 which he invented has given him a high rank 

 among the great mechanics of the present century. 

 It is one of the most intricate machines ever inven- 

 ted, and yet there is such fine symmetry in all its 

 parts, so splendid a mechanism stamped on every 

 movement, that Otis' Excavator is considered one 

 of the finest specimens of machinery ever invented. 

 It is capable of taking up three shovelfuls of loose 

 gravel in five' minutes, the shovel holding from a 

 yard to a yard and one half cubic. It is estimated 

 that with it two men can easily perform the same 

 work, in the same time, as would require one hun- 

 dred and fifty common laborers. — Traveller. 



New Patents. — Among the patents issued at 

 Washington for the week ending 25th inst., were 

 the following : 



Erastus B. Bigelow,of Clinton, Mass., for im- 

 provement in wires for making pile in woven 

 fabrics; Elias Howe, Jr., of Cambridge, Mass., 

 for improvement in fastenings for garments. George 

 W. Carlton, of Brunswick, Me., for improvement 

 in cooking stoves. Thomas H. Mortimer and 

 James M. Gardner, of Charleston, S. C, for im- 

 proved method of operating ruddcis. Dated No- 

 vember 25, 1851; patented in France, June 11, 

 1851. Francis A. Stevens, of Burlington, Vt., 

 for improvement in railroad cars, bralces. Reisue, 

 Solomon Merrick, of Springfield, Mass., for im- 

 provements in the screw wrench. 



Steam Drilling Machine. — Mr. Joseph J. 

 Couch, of this State, some time ago perfected an 

 admirable machine for drilling rocks, by the aid of 

 steam power. The machine has been in very suc- 

 cessful operation upon some of the railroads in the 

 middle States. He has now made a very decided 



improvement in it, dispensing with the gearing, 

 and applying the steam directly to the operation of 

 the drill. Indeed it is nothing more than a steam 

 engine, with a drill inserted in the piston-rod, and 

 operated by a simple and ingenious cam-like ap- 

 paratus, which gives it, with great piomjjtitude 

 and certainty, all the movements requisite for effi- 

 cient execution. 



It is altogether one of the most simple, ingenious 

 and elTective machines to which this inventive age 

 has given rise. It can be operated at a very small 

 expense, and will do at least the work of twenty 

 men. — Traveller. 



Interesting Experiment. — A Stoughton cor- 

 respondent of the North Bridgeimtcr Gazette says : 

 " There has been an experiment tried on the Bos- 

 ton and Providence Railroad track, for the purpose 

 of ascertaining if letters can be sent to a distance 

 by means of atmospheric pressure. To test the 

 practicability of the theory, there was laid for 

 about one mile a pipe, tiirough which the paper or 

 papers were to pass. I am told that those who 

 have experimented, are of opinion that communi- 

 cation can be given in this maimer from Boston to 

 New York in four minutes, and that they are quite 

 sure of success." 



£ai>ic3' P.partmcnt. 



GOOD TASTE IN DRESS. 



You see the lady of good taste turning a cold eye 

 to the assurance of shopmen and the recommenda- 

 tions of milliners. She cares not how original a 

 pattern may be, if it be ugly, or how recent a 

 shape, if it be awkward. Whatever law fashion 

 dictates, she follows laws of her own, and is never 

 behind it. She wears very beautiful tilings which 

 people generally suppose to be brought from Paris, 

 or at least made by a French milliner, but which 

 so often are brought from the nearest town and 

 made up by her own maid. Not that her costume 

 is either rich or new — on the contrary, she wears 

 many a cheap dress, but it is always pretty, and 

 many an old one, but it is always good. She 

 deals in no gaudy confusion of color; nor does she 

 alTect a studied sobiiety ; but she is sure to refresh 

 you with a judicious harmony. Not a scrap of 

 tinsel or trumpery appears upon her. She jiuts no 

 faith in velvet bands, or gilt buttons, or twisted 

 cordings. She is quite aware, however, that the 

 garnish is as important as the dress ; all her inner 

 borders and headings are delicate and fresh, and 

 should anything peep out which is not intended to 

 be seen, it is quite as much so as that which is. 

 After all, there is no great art either in her 

 fashions or in the material. The secret simply con- 

 sists in her knowing the three unities of dress — her 

 own station, her own age, and her own points — 

 and no woman can dress well who does not. We 

 need not say, that whosoever is attracted by such a 

 costume will not be disappointed in the wearer. 

 She may not be handsome or accomplished — but 

 we will answer for her being well informed, 

 thoroughly sensible, and jiossesscd of a refuied 

 taste, which is of much more importance. — Do- 

 mestic Advertiser. 



An Excellent Tea Biscuit. — Rub one ounce 

 of butter into one and a quarter pounds of sifted 



