12 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



March 5, 1831.- 



ieiSCEZ,tANEOUS. 



"KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE. 

 Or the plain Why and Because," 



Is the title of a book, which we learn from 

 the Atbeneum has been recently published.and 

 concerning which it thus speaks : — Chr. Reg. 



This is the first portion of an attempt to 

 simplify science, or rather to trace effects, 

 which we witness every hour, to scientific prin- 

 ciples ; or. in common parlance, the plain 

 Why and Because, and reduce it to plain and 

 popular terms. 



The present part is devoted to Domestic 

 Science, or the phenomena that occur in parlor, 

 kitchen, chamber and hall. Each question be- 

 gins Why — and the answer Because, and of 

 these are" upwards of 400. We quote a few 

 specimens : — 



Fires — Why does water thrown on a brisk and 

 Naming fire apparently increase tho combus- 

 tion ? 



Becau68 s the water is converted into steam, 

 which, expanding and mixing with the flame, 

 causes it to spread out into a much larger vol- 

 ume than it otherwise would have occupied. 



Why does sunshine extinguish a fire ? 



Because the rays engage the oxygen, which 

 had hitherto supported the fire. 



Why does a fire burn briskly and clearly in 

 cold weather ? 



Because the air being more dense, affords 

 more nourishment to the fire. 



Effects of Heat. — Why do we stick a pin in a 

 rush light to extinguish it ? 



Because the pin conducts away so much hoat 

 that the tallow will not melt or rise in the wick- 

 Why does the heater of a tea urn soon change 

 when placed near the water ? 



Because it parts with its heat to the water, 

 until both are of the same temperature. 



Why is a harp or piano forte, which is well 

 tuned in a morning drawing room, not perfect- 

 ly in tune when a crowded evening party lias 

 heated the room ? 



Because the expansion of the strings is grea- 

 ter than of the wooden frame work; and in 

 cold the reverse will happen. 



Why dues a gate in an iron railing ehut 

 loosely and easily in a cold day, and stick in a 

 warm one ? 



Because in tho latter there is a greater ex- 

 pansion in the gate and railing than of the 

 earth on which they ate placed 



Why are thin glass tumblers less liable to 

 be broken by boiling water than thick ones? 



Because the heat pervades the thin vessels 

 almost instantly and with impunity, whereas 

 thicker ones do not allow a ready passage of 

 heat. 



Why does straw or flannel prevent the freez- 

 ing of water in pipes during winter ? 



Because it is a slow conducting screen or 

 covering, and thus prevents heat passing out of 

 the pipe. By the same means the heat is re- 

 tained in steam pipes. 



Evaporation — Why is profuse perspiration 

 so cooling to laboring men, ana all evaporation 

 productive of cold .' 



Because of the necessity of a large quantity 

 of caloric being combined with fluids to con- 

 vert them into vapor or gas. 



Why do persons take cold by sitting in wet 

 clothes ? 



Because they suddenly lose a large portion 

 of hoat, which is carried off from the body by 

 the evaporation of the water from the (dollies 



Boiling. — Why should tho bottom of a tea 

 kettle be black, and the top polished ? 



Because the bottom has to absorb heat, which 

 . ■ i aided by rough and blackened surfaces ; and 

 in* top has to retain heat, which is ensured by 

 polished ones. 



Why rs a crust so frequently seen on the in- 

 sides of lea kettles and boilers? 



Because of the hard water boiled in them, 

 which holds in solution carbonato of lime, but 

 being long boiled, tho latter is no larrger suju- 

 bie aud becomes ptpcipitat-ed. 



Why is water when boiled, mawkish and in- 

 sipid ? 



Because the gases which it contained have 

 been expelled by boiling. 



Why is hard water.by boiling, brought near- 

 ly to the state of the soft ? 



Because it is freed from its gases, and its 

 earthy salts and substances, by which its hard- 

 ness was produced, are precipi>nted. 



Why is it wasteful to put fuel under a boil- 

 ing pot, with the hope of making the water 

 hotter ? 



Because the water can only boil, and it does 

 so at 212 degrees of the thermometer. 



THE SAFETY FUND. 



In a recent report of the bank committee of 

 the senate,the amount paid lo the Safety Fund, 

 up to the present time, by the several banks 

 contributing to it, is thus stated, from an ab- 

 stract furnished by the Comptroller : — 



Jefferson county bank, $100 00 



Livingston coouty b,ink, 166 67 



Ontario bank, 2,500 00 



Hudson River bank, 116 44 



Bank of Monroe, 1,333 33 



Mechanics' and Farmers' bank, 2,138 18 



Bank of Auburn, 1,000 00 



Canal bank, Albany, 1,333 33 



Otsego county bank, 72 63 



BankofUlica, 2,500 00 



Bank of Ithaca, 791 67 



Ogdensburgh bank, 437 00 



Onondaga cuuuty bank, 187 50 



Catskiil bank, 636 66 



Bank of Newburgh, 616 67 



Mei chants' and Mechanics' bank, 1,312 50 



.New York slate bank, 1,682 94 



Bank of Albany, 1,200 00 



Bank of Genesee, 395 83 



Bank of Poughkeepsie, 70 82 



Wajue couuly baok, 350 63 



Lockport bank, 443 06 



Bank of Troy, 1,943 34 



Fanners' bank of Troy, 1,390 00 



Bank of Chenango. 600 00 



Saratoga county bank, 41 67 



Mohawk bank, 825 00 



Bank of Geneva, 2,000 00 



Central bank, Cherry -Valley, 497 75 



making a total of $26,983 67 



The aggregate capital of Ihe above twenty 

 nine banks, now subject to the annual pay 

 ment of one per cent, on their capital, is $6,- 

 294,600. 



Inaidition to the above, there are eight of 

 the old banks in the city of New York, whose 

 chaitera have been renewef.and three that 

 were chartered by the legislature of 1830, 

 whioh have commenced their operations since 

 the first of January last. The aggregate cap- 

 ital of these eleven banks, is about ten millions 

 of dollars, and their annual payments to the 

 fund will consequently, amount tofifly thous- 

 and dollars; there will be in the treasury, 

 therefore, in the month of January next, ex- 

 cept what may be drawn from it for expen- 

 ses, rising one hundred thousand dollars, viz : 

 the sum now paid in,ainouoting to $..'6,983,67, j 

 together with the half of one per cent, on $16,- 1 

 215,800, the capitals of the forty banks that i' 

 now are, including those that shortly will be, 

 subject to the fund law. The annual pay- 

 ments on this amount of capital will be $31, I 

 079, and will make the aggregate amount in 

 the treasury, in January nexi,$108,062,67 I 



The population of Virginia is ascertained to 

 be 1,207,783. In 1820, 1,065,362— increase, !- 

 142,421, At a ralio of either 48, or 50,01)0, 

 she will toso two members of Congress. 



Selected lor the Genesee Farmer. 

 AN UNFORTUNATE. 



What an unfortunate situation am I placed 

 in! Being one of those who mix in all kinds 

 of society, from the highest to the lowest, and 

 confessedly by all parties aD important, ne- 

 cessary, and welcome visiter at all times and 

 in all situations; yet am I eternally abused 

 by all hands, who are constantly dissatisfied 

 with me, either as a visiter or friend, while 

 tbey admit that from my long and habitual 

 intercourse, they cannot do without me. 



I have arrived at a " greeD old age," and 

 on that account have a claim to be respected ; 

 I am allowed to be venerable in my appear- 

 ance, and sage from my experience, and that 

 my temperature and passions are under full 

 as good conlrol, as those of my complainants, 

 and therefore think I ought not to be repro- 

 bated, on the score of inconstancy ; yet so it 

 i3, that although I seemingly take pains to ac- 

 commodate my variable dispositions to the va 

 triable dispositions of all mankind, yet the cir. 

 cumstance produces no sympathetic conge- 

 niality between us, and my inconstancy is 

 rendered proverbial, while their own propen- 

 sity to fickleness never recurs to their recol- 

 lection. I have no complaint to make against 

 the world on the subject uf indifference, ueg- 

 lect, or disregard, for 1 must confess that every- 

 body pays me due attention. 1 am eagerly en- 

 quired about every night and every morninc, 

 and am 60 much the topic of conversation and 

 so regularly introduced sfter ,tbe customary 

 greetings of ceremonial intercourse, that I 

 may be said to be a kind of necessary assis- 

 tant to conversation, for when people are bar- 

 ren of ideas I am always at hand to supply the 

 vacuity of their minds. The closest friends 

 on passing each other at such speed as not to 

 be able to ask about each others dearest con- 

 cerns, will yet speak of the state of mine; mv 

 situation absorbs all minds, and moves a!; 

 tongues; the " brain sick lover," mute on all 

 other subjects, can preach most fluently on 

 my affairs, and the statesman and devotee are 

 not so oveiwbelmed with their respective du- 

 ties, as to be uodmindful of my state aud cir- 

 cumstances, & yet I am scarcely named in any 

 other light but as the source of complaint and, 

 dissatisfaction, nor withont having some oppro- 

 brious epithet attached to my name; sometimes 

 I am too warm and free in my behaviour 

 aud sometimes too cold If I smile unexpec- 

 tedly I am suspected of harboring treacheroui 

 designs, and men say to each other sarcasii- 

 Ij, " we shall pay foi this," and if I continue 

 my placid deportment aud am mild and swei ' 

 tempered for any length of time, 1 am said 

 to be breeding wars and commotions. Some 

 wish me to weep when I am inclined to bff 

 merry, and some tu be gay when I am inclined 

 to be sad. Thick, heavy, dull, nasty, muddy, 

 are epithets commonly applied to me. If I am 

 still I am said to be vaporish. If loud, bois- 

 terous and rude. 1 am accused of causing a! 1 

 the mischances of business, and creating all 

 the ills of life. Aches, pains, rheumatism, and 

 shooting corns are attributed to my influence. 

 In shot t, I am so wretched, so ceusured, so a- 

 bused every day, that it would setm as if I 

 was a stranger upon earth, and born but yes- 

 terday, rather than an inhabitant of Paradise, 

 and oue who was present at the creation, and 

 was the friend and attendant on .Vdi-m and 

 Eve aBd every OBe of their multitudinous 

 race. But gentle reader I will not detain 

 yen longer, as I see you looking at me thro 

 ihe window and fixing your muscles to abuse 

 me fpr detaining you flom more important be 

 siness, tiIe weather. 



