yil)C ircmncr 5 itlcmtljm Uisitor. 



15 



Inn i km of the Earth. 



Professor Silliman lias, among oilier matters 

 of interest, concerning which he lias made some 

 very valuable observations, provided us also with 

 the following suggestions. A fact, he remarks, 

 of great interest has been proved by the borings 

 for Artesian wells in the suburbs of Paris, 

 namely, that as we go towards the centre of the 

 earth, the temperature increases at the rate of 

 about one degree for every fifty feet. That the 

 whole interior portion of the earth, or at least fl 

 great part of ir, is an ocean of milted rock, 

 agitated by violent winds, though I dare not af- 

 firm it, is still rendered highly probable by the 

 phenomena of volcanoes. The tacts connected 

 with their eruption have been ascertained and 

 placed beyond a doubt. How then are they to 

 be accounted for ? The theory prevalent some 

 years since, that they are caused bv the combus- 

 tion of immense coal beds, is perfectly puerile, 

 and is entirely abandoned. All the coal in the 

 world would not afford fuel enough for a single 

 capital exhibition of Vesuvius. We must look 

 higher than this ; and 1 have little doubt that the 

 whole rests on the action of electric and galvanic 

 principles which are constantly in operation in 

 the earth. 



We know that when certain metals are 

 brought together, powerful electric action is 

 evolved, and a light is produced, superior even 

 in effulgence to the splendor of the sun. Now 

 if a small arrangement produces such results, 

 what may we not expect from the combination 

 of those immense beds of metals to be found in 

 the earth ? Here we have the key to all the 

 grand phenomena of volcanic action. An illus- 

 tration on a small scale may he seen in an in- 

 strument called the tbeo-electrical battery, made 

 of zinc, bismuth, and antimony, packed in a box 

 and varnished. In this, heat is evolved below, 

 while the top is cold ; and here we have the very 

 cause of the volcano, when in the interior a fiery 

 ocean is heaving its surges, while its peak is 

 capped with everlasting snows. — Bost. Cultivator. 



. Patent Wago.v. — Mr. Start, of Smyrna, Dela- 

 ware, has made an improvement in manufactur- 

 ing wagons, which will certainly be a great ad- 

 vantage to the farmer, inasmuch as it will effect 

 a great saving in labor. The bed of the wagon 

 is placed on small rollers, fixed in the frame 

 work on which it rests, ami in front is a fixture 

 for a lever by which a lad can run the wagon 

 bed back, and shoot its contents on the ground. 

 It would seem that this wagon can be introduced 

 to great advantage among those who haul fresh 

 lime or manure on their farms, as tbey can at 

 once discharge the load just as readily as they 

 can the! of a cart, thereby saving, where the load 

 is limp, an hour's work or more. Old wagons, 

 at a slight expense, say some ten or fifteen dol- 

 lars can be rijjged on this plan. It was exhibited 

 at the New Castle County Cattle Show, and was 

 highly spoken of by the gentlemen who exam- 

 ined it. — Farmer and .Mechanic. 



Cotton for Shoes. — The London correspon- 

 dent of the New York Commercial Advertiser 

 says : — 



"There is a new patented material for hoots 

 and shoes called the Pannas corium, or leather 

 cloth, invented by a person named Hall, which 

 has met with a great share of patronage, fiom 

 the Royal family down. The material is cotton 

 but has the gloss and general appearance of 

 leather, and receives a polish from ordinary 

 blacking and in the same way. It is used only 

 for the upper part of the hoot or shoe, the sole 

 being leather. It is said to he as durable as 

 leather, never cracks or splits, and possesses the 

 advantage of not drawing the fool — a great de- 

 sideratum for persons with lender feet. They 

 yied to (he action of the foot without the slight- 

 est pressure. 1 speak from experience, having 

 feed [hem in my family." 



A load of three hundred stools, manufactured 

 in Sterling, in this county, passed through our 

 streets last .veek, boxed up for California. Tbej 

 are designed for seats for diggers. They are 

 worth here about fifty cents, but may he consid- 

 ered as good for 810 to §25 each in El Dorado.— 

 Worcester (Massachusetts) JEgis. 



Effects of Mud on Crass Lands. — Last 

 season, Mr. David Choate of Esses, Massachu- 

 setts, sent us, says the Boston Cultivator, some 



heads of grass, showing the effects of mud on 

 the crop. At that time no particulars were com- 

 municated, but since, Mr. Choate has given the 

 following: — In the fall, meadow-mud was hauled 

 from low land, and laid in a heap on high dry 

 land, that yielded a very light crop. In a short 

 time the heap was removed, leaving about an 

 inch depth of mud, in consequence of which a 

 very stout crop of grass was produced the next 

 season. The heads of herdsgrass from the land 

 thus manured by the mud are eight inches long, 

 and of a large size. This shows the very pow- 

 erful effects of mere mud, which abounds in 

 nearly every section of the country. Almost 

 every farmer has on his farm a mud mine, more 

 valuable in contributing to the happiness of him- 

 self and others, than a mine of gold. 



How to manage a kicking Horse. — First 

 make a stall or pen for your horse, in which he 

 cannot turn round, anil with slats, through which 

 you can put your hand to rub him in the face, 

 and all over, two or three times, raising his tail 

 gently three or four limes, then touch one of his 

 fore legs, and say to him, "foot, loot," till he 

 shows a willingness to raise his loot; raise his 

 foot and put it down some three or four times, 

 and then go all round until fear is removed. All 

 you wish a horse to do, ought to he done three 

 or four times, repeated two or three days in suc- 

 cession. 



To teach a Horse to lie down. — First with 

 some soft hankei chief or cloth lie up one fore 

 leg; then with a slick, tap him on the other and 

 say "kneel." Sometimes by rubbing him on the 

 head, and patting him on the leg, you will in- 

 duce him to lie flown. It appears that all horses 

 are inclined to obey when you teach them that 

 you will not hurt them.— Domestic Animals. 



Patent Safety Bridle.— Mr. Henry Seitz, of 

 Marietta, Lancaster county, Pa., is the inventor 

 of a very ingenious Bridle for which letters pa- 

 tent were recently granted, whereby it is im- 

 possible for the most spiiited horse to kick or to 

 run away, and perfectly safe Cora lady to drive 

 or ride. The principle on which ir is construct- 

 ed is to hold the horse by ihe application of a 

 pulley around which the reins are made to pass 

 at the side of the horse's mouth, which enables 

 the rider to exort a great deal of lever power to 

 control the mouth of the animal, to check him 

 it any moment. * 



U. S. Coinage for 1848. — The total coinage 

 of all the U. S. Mints lor 1848, is as follows : 

 Gold, $3,775,512 ; silver, $2,040,050 ; copper, 

 $64,157. The total number of pieces coined 

 was 12,649,790— their total value was $5,879,728. 

 The total coinage of the U. S. Mint since 1793. 

 has been $151,017,714, consisting of 340,281,750 

 pieces of coin. 



Ancient Apple. — The Worcester Spy gives 

 an account of an apple more than filly-six years 

 old. It has been presented to the American An- 

 tiquarian Society by Col. Samuel Jaques, who 

 received it from a young lady, as a birth-day gift, 

 in 1792. 



The total amount of teas exported to the Uni 

 ted Slates from China, during the year ending 

 June 30, 1848, was 19,332,647 pounds. Since 

 that time, in the months of July, August, Sep- 

 tember and October, 1,900,821. 



&?" The Bay Slate Mills, at Lawrence, are 

 mm lighted with gas, manufactured on the pre- 

 mises of the company. Many manufacturing es- 

 tablishments find ibis the cheapest method of 



lighting their mills. The Bay Slate Company 

 propose to lay pipes and furnish the citizens of 

 Lawrence who desire it, with gas lights. 



Cheap Happiness. — Perform a good deed — 

 speak ii kind weird — bestow a pleasant smile — and 

 you will receive the same in return. Tin; hap- 

 piness you bestow upon others is reflected hack 

 to vour own bosom. 



Beauties of Trees. 

 What can be more beautiful than the trees? 

 Their lofty trunks, august in their simplicity, as- 

 serting, to the most inexperienced eye their in- 

 finite superiority over the imitative pillars of 



man's pride — their graceful play of wide, spread- 

 ing branches, and all the delicate and glorious 

 machinery of buds, leaves, flowers, and fruit, 

 that, with more than magical effort, burst from 



the naked and rigid twigs, with all the rich, and 

 heaven-breathing delectable odors, pure ami an- 

 imating essences, pouring out spices and medici- 

 nal*, under brilliant and unimaginably varied co- 

 lors, and making music, from the sollest and 

 most melancholy undertones to the full organ 

 peal of the tempest! We wonder not that trees 

 have been the admiration of men in all periods 

 and nations of the world. What is the richest 

 country without trees ? What barren and mo- 

 notonous spot can they not convert into paradise ? 

 Xerxev, in the midst of his most ambitious en- 

 terprise, stopped bis vast army to contemplate 

 the beauty of a tree. Cicero, from the throng, 

 and exertion, and anxiety of the forum, was ac- 

 customed, Pliny tells us, to steal forth to a grove 

 of plane trees lo refresh and invigorate his spir- 

 its. In the Scaptan grove, the same author adds, 

 Thueydides was supposed to have composed his 

 noble histories. The Greek and Roman classics, 

 indeed, abound with expressions of admiration ; 

 but above all, as the Bible surpasses, in the splen- 

 dor and majesty of its poetry, all books in the 

 world, so is its sylvan ahorescent imagery the 

 most bold and beautiful. Beneath some spread- 

 ing tree is the ancient patriarch revealed to us, 

 sitting in contemplation, or receiving Ihe visit of 

 angels; and what a calm anil dignified picture of 

 primeval life is presented to our imagination at 

 the mention of Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, 

 judging the twelve tribes of Israel, between Ra- 

 uiah and Bethel, in Mount Ephraim, beneath the 

 palm tree of Deborah. The oak of Bashan, and 

 the cedar of Lebanon, are but other and better 

 names for glory and power. The vine, the olive, 

 and the fig tree are imperishal le emblems of 

 peace, plenty, and festivity. David in his psalms, 

 Solomon in his songsand proverbs, ihe prophets 

 in the sublime out-pourings of their aw lul inspi- 

 ration, and Christ in his parables, those most 

 beautiful and perfect of all allegories, luxuriate 

 in signs and similes drawn from the fair trees 

 of the. East. — Anon. 



Culture of Wheat. — A discussion in rela- 

 tion to this subject by a farmers' club in Eng- 

 land, resulted in the following conclusions: 



1. Preparation of the land — the land to he well 

 cleansed, followed by grass or clover, depastured 

 by sheep. Ploughed with a furrow eight to nine 

 inches wide and lour inches deep. Heavy land 

 lo be as light as possible at ihe lime of sow ing, 

 and light laud to he made lis heavy as possible. 



2. Time of sowing and quantity of seed to be 

 regulated by ihe season and the slate of the 

 land — early in ihe season nine pecks per acre, 

 and more as the season advanced. 



3. Treatment of Ihe crop — ihe crop to be kept 

 clean, and to he rolled in iho spring will] one of 

 ('n -kill's clod -crushers. 



4. Time of reaping. Early reaping — grain 

 not allowed to get ripe before being cut. 



The soil to which ihe discussion referred was 

 described as of a lime-stone character. Ii is not 

 staled whether a Rllhsoil plough was to be userl, 

 or whether a greater depth of furrow than four 

 inches was made at any time. We presume 

 there is hut little, if any land devoted lo wheat 

 in this country, where so shallow ploughing 

 would be advisable. — Albany Cultivator. 



The late Mrs. lion. Roger Sherman, of Fair- 

 field, Conn., received into her family, and educa- 

 ted at different periods, twelve destitute orphan 

 children. She hail lost her own children, and 

 both herself ami husband bring impressed with 

 the conviction that they might do good by filling 

 the place of parents lo the homeless, liny com- 

 menced the work — and as one and another be- 

 came settled in life, their places were filled by 

 others. 



