^^^ farmers' a.nd mechanics' journal. 



But if appears to us that the ingenious luvenfor has at lenc^th van- 

 qu.shed at! the obstacles, both with regard to u.aintainin ^ a n.-iform 

 speed, at discretion or at least 10 or I I ,Tiiles an hour fand, frotn 

 having the centre of gravity below the horizontal line of the axles 

 the risk of overturning seems to be entirely obviated. We under- 

 stand a carriage will be completed to carrv passeuj^ers. in the en- 

 virons of London, in three weeks or a month from the present 

 tinie. 1 aking into consideration the perfect control of the en-ine 

 and the uniformity with which it is now capable of heum manr^iied 

 by an ordinary conductor, we should say there \s scarcely a possi- 

 bil.ty of Its not ultimately superseding the use of horses in runninf' 

 Jour-wheel carnages, for the conveyance both of goods and pas'T 

 sengers. We believe it is estimated, that the expense of convey- 

 ance may be reduced to one-half or two-thirds of the Dre^e-it ave- 

 rage charge of stage coaches. ^Und. Week. Report, 



CEDAR TREE. 



To the Editor of the American Farmer : 



Sir,— The following account, which I find In the Richmond En^ 

 qmrer of an incident which is stated, I believe, to have taken .divce 

 in tha city discloses the existence of a new and imnortant prooer- 

 ty in the cedar tree. An answer, howev er. to the f dlowii,.; query 

 which take the liberty of proposing through the columns of you,' 

 valuable paper, may render the discovery more complete, and ob- 

 late a d.fhculty have heard started, as to the means of turning 

 the accident to advantage :-It is well known that there are two 

 species of cedar whose qualities are so different, that whilst one 

 may be possessed of the property mentioned below, the other may 

 be entirely devoid of ,t. To which of these kinds of cedar does 

 the power of coMdncting the electric fluid belo.)^^ 



J. S. Siiix.xEn, Esq. BMimore, Oct. 29. 



Lightning.— A house, occupied as a gig-maker's shop, was 

 s ruck with lightning; ,t was built of wood and covered with pine 

 slaos, and the rafters composed of oak and redar. A cedar and 

 oaken rafter are joined at top, a cedar piece and oaken piece mak- 

 ing one rafter; and m putting them up, the cedar and oaken parts 

 of the rafters are plared alternately on each of the sides of the 

 frammg-When the lightning struck, it commeiued at the southern 

 extremity of the building, and in every instance shivered the oaken 

 parts of the rafters and did not so much as leare a sign of its touch 

 upon the cedar. The electric ^uid actually skipped over every 

 raf er of cedar, and rent in splinters every one that was of oak; 

 and although the cedar and oaken rafters were nailed tOL'ether at 

 tfie top, yet, wonderful to tell, even the iron appeared to lose its 

 attractive quahty, and the cedar was let^t untouched, the fluid seem- 

 ing lo evade the cedar artd spend the whole of its violence upon 

 he oaken rafters, splintering them upon one side and the other, 

 throughout the length of the building. 



