MECHANICAL AND USEFUL ARTS. 119 



twenty-four covers laid complete ; four large dishes, twenty-eight 

 plates, thirty cups, saltcellars, &c. ; a large chandelier containing 

 twelve wax lights ; nine garden chairs, four parlour candlesticks, a 

 Chinese writing-desk, a fancy inkstand with wax tapers, rulers, and 

 bell ; a tea-tray, a drawing-room table, a throne, a throne- chair, four 

 small flower-tables, a large table, inlaid with specimens of shells, 

 glass top, &c, &c. It certainly is a most ingenious work of mecha- 

 nical skill. When the various articles are put together and spread 

 over the apartment, the notion of putting them all back again into 

 the snug little cabinet seems scarcely less than absurd. 



PATENT CEKAMIC WOOD. 



Mr. J. C Martin, of Barnes, has patented a Plastic Material, 

 resembling Wood in its finished state. It may readily be moulded by 

 pressure into moulds of any form : it admits of carving or cutting to 

 any extent required ; may with facility be glass- papered ; and will 

 receive the highest French polish. 



The material is in great part composed of fibrous pulp of as long a 

 description as possible (to which it owes its strength), which is 

 worked together with resinous and gelatinous gums, acted upon 

 chemically, and as nearly to imitate the nature of wood as possible. 



The inventor says : — "It is unlike all the ordinary descriptions of 

 moulded papier-mache' or carton pierre, as it contains no earthy or 

 non-fibrous substance in order that it may be made to take a fine 

 impression : to this it in a great measure owes its strength and 

 the facility with which it may be carved and finished, and renders it 

 suitable for the manufacture of many articles to which other descrip- 

 tions of plastic materials could not be applied ; and, at the same 

 time, from articles made from it being homogeneous throughout, 

 they do not chip with a blow, as is the case with ordinary moulded 

 ornamented papier miiche" articles, which are faced over with a weak, 

 readily-moulded material, in order to take an impression." 



It was while engaged in experimenting with various woods, with 

 a view to their conversion into pulp for the manufacture of paper, 

 that it occurred to Mr. Martin to replace the pulp and the gums of 

 which the wood had been deprived, varying the proportions to meet 

 the circumstances, and upon this the invention is based. — Builder. 



PATENT COMPOSITE BLOCKS FOR PAVEMENT. 



The novelty of the invention consists in the combination together 

 of both wood and stone ; and the cement by which both materials 

 are thus united together is described as being impervious to water ; 

 whilst the materials themselves are rendered less liable to abrasion by 

 ordinary traffic. It is notorious to all persons living in London, 

 that wood and stone pavements are liable to two great objections — 

 the wood in wet weather being dangerous to horses, and the stone 

 causing gijeat annoyance from the incessant noise of carriages rolling 

 over granite blocks. It is supposed that a combination of wood and 

 stone — sucb as has been effected in the construction of "the Com- 

 posite Blocks" will present these three advantages — "cleanliness, 



