MISCEIiLANEOUS. — NOTICES. 23 



Magnetic Injluence in the Solar Rays. — Mr. Christie has ascer- 

 tained, that a magnetic needle comes to rest more quickly when 

 vibrated and exposed to the rays of the sun, than when vibrated 

 in the shade, and this entirely independent of any mere etTect of 

 change of temperature. When the needle was shaded, he could 

 easily make the fiftieth vibration ; when it was exposed, he could 

 not distinguish beyond the fortieth. [^Quart. Journal. 



Cultivation of Plants in Moss. — Mr. Street has ascertained, that 

 many plants thrive better if planted in common moss, than in gar- 

 den mould. The mosses used are various species oi Hypnum., col- 

 lected with the decaying stalks and leaves which are found 

 amongst them. They are pressed closely into the pot, and the 

 plants are put into them as if into mould. [Quart. Journ. 



Method of Making Transparent Soap. — Tallow is the basis of all 

 soaps for the toilette, known under the name of Windsor, because 

 olive oil forms a paste too difficult to melt, and having an odour 

 too powerful for mixing with perfumes. 



Tallow-soap dissolved with heat in alcohol, returns to its solid 

 state on cooling. It is this fact which has led to the discovery of 

 transparent soap. When well prepared, this soap should have the 

 appearance of fine white sugar-candy. It may also be colored, 

 and vegetable colors are for this purpose preferable to minerals. 

 Any person can make the soap by putting into a thin glass phial 

 half a brick of Windsor soap, filling the phial half full of alcohol, 

 and placing it near the fire till the soap is dissolved. This mix- 

 ture put to cool in a mould, gives the transparent soap. 



[Archives des Decouvertes et des inventions nouvelles. 



Blacking-Balls for Shoes. — Take mutton suet, 4 ounces ; bees- 

 wax, 1 ounce ; sweet oil, 1 ounce ; sugar-candy and gum-arabic, 

 1 drachm each, in fine powder ; melt these well together over a gen- 

 tle fire, and add thereto about a spoonful of turpentine, and lamp-^- 

 black sufficient to give it a good black color. While hot enough 

 to run, make it into a ball, by pouring the liquor into a tin mould ; 

 or let it stand till almost cold ; or it may be moulded by the hand. 



QUERY. 



Mr. Editor,— Wishing to use sonje green stuff for Pannels, 

 and having heard that if it were boiled in water for some time, it 

 would prevent the shrinkage, &ic. I should like to be informed if 

 any one has tried the experiment, and if so, with what success. 



A Joiner. 



NOTICES. 



NOTICE OF 



" IlaWs Introduction to the Mechanical Principles of Carpentry.^'' 

 An octavo volume, of about 180 pages, under the above title, 

 has been just published, by Richardson & Lord, of Boston, and P. 

 Sheldon, of Gardiner, Maine. The work is written by Mr. Benja- 



