318 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



(which is not quite pure) has a peculiar bluish color 

 and lustre, a lamellar and crj'stalline texture, and its 

 specific gravity is about 7. At common temper- 

 atures, it is tough and intractable under the hammer ; 

 anil wlicn heated to above 500°, it becomes brittle, 

 and fuses at about 770°. But at temperatures be- 

 tween 220° and 320°, it becomes malleable and ductile ; 

 80 that it may be beaten out under the hammer, and 

 rolled into sheets and leaves, and drawn into wire, in a 

 manner extremely remarkable when its highly crys- 

 talline texture is considered. Being a cheap and 

 light metal, and one which, after having been super- 

 ficially oxidized, long resists the further action of air 

 and water, it has lately been much cmploj'ed as a 

 Bubstitute for lead in lining water cisterns and cov- 

 ering buildings ; it has also been lately employed in 

 the curious operation of transferring printing, (under 

 the name of zincography.') It is a very imflammable 

 metal, burning in the flame of a sj^irit lamp with a 

 brilliant white light ; but the oxide which forms 

 interferes with its continuous combustion, which can 

 only be carried on at a high red heat, when the 

 vapor of the metal burns with an intensely bright 

 flame, and j'ields at the same time a quantity of floc- 

 culent oxide, which floats about in the surrounding 

 air, and was formerly called philosopher s wool, pam- 

 plwlix, and nihil album. The equivalent of zinc is 

 32, and that of its oxide 40. Though zinc is 

 apparently without action upon water, yet it is a 

 most oxidable metal ; but the insolubility of its oxide 

 protects it from further action, so that when a film is 

 once formed upon it, it resists further change; but 

 when a little acid is present in the water, and the 

 zinc not quite pure, it is rapidly acted upon, and 

 oxidized at the expense of the water, which evolves 

 abundance of hydrogen, (when dilute sulphuric acid 

 is used,) and the oxide of zinc is removed and dis- 

 solved by the acid. It is this action which renders 

 zinc so powerful a generator of electricity in the 

 voltaic pile. The salts of zinc are mostly soluble, 

 and have a nauseous, astringent, and metallic taste. 

 The sulphate of zinc, or white vitriol, is employed 

 in medicine as an emetic and tonic, and the oxide 

 and carbonate are externally used in the form of 

 ointment. The chloride of zinc is a colorless com- 

 pound, fusible at a heat a little above 212°, and 

 known to the older chemists under the name of but- 

 ter of zinc. Bi'ass is an alloy of zinc and copper. — 

 Plouijh, Loom, and Anvil. 



IMPORTANCE OF WELL-DIRECTED 

 LABOR. 



A single stroke of an axe is of little consequence ; 

 yet by the continual ajiplication of that small power, 

 properly directed, what amazing cff'ects are produced ! 

 The sturdy oak and lofty pine do not simply own its 

 power, but whole forests lie before it, and the wil- 

 derness becomes a garden. 



Industry, Avell directed, will give a man a com- 

 petency in a few years. The greatest industry mis- 

 applied is useless. 



As an example, there is my neighbor. Seth Steady, 

 the blacksmith, is not only an industrious man, but 

 his industry is applied to one object. His hammer 

 is heard at dawn of day, and the fire blazes in his 

 shop, during the evenings, from the 20th of Septem- 

 ber till the 20th of March. Go to his shop at any 

 time of the day for any kind of work, you are sure 

 to be waited upon. The consequence is, his purse 

 is filled with dollars, and his cellar well filled with 

 provision ; and that's what I call quite comfortable. 

 Although suitably liberal, and enjoying the good 

 things of this life as he goes on, ten years of health 

 will enable him to purchase a gpod farm. 



As a contrast, there is my friend Nat Notional, 



the busiest and most industrious mortal in existence ; 

 as the old saying is, "he has too many irons in the 

 fire," and with all his industry, he goes behindhand. 



He has a fine farm, but instead of pursuing the 

 cultivation of it, he flies off, and seizes on every new 

 project that occurs. 



A few years ago, he concluded to give up the dairy 

 business, in consequence of the low price of butter 

 and cheese ; sold his cows at a low figure, and pur- 

 chased sheep at a high rate, for wool then demanded 

 a high price. Bj* the time he got fairly into the 

 raising of wool, down went the price of wool, and up 

 went the price of butter and cheese. He then sold 

 his sheep, and purchased cows again, for cheese was 

 up and wool was down. And finally, he changed 

 his business so often, because he wasn't contented to 

 thrive, little by little, as Seth Steady did, that he 

 got completely used up, and is now only fit for Cali- 

 fornia, or some other wool-gathering project. 



So you see that well-directed labor is sure to meet 

 its reward ; while he who keeps a dozen irons in the 

 fire, and none of them hot, will as surely meet with 

 the fate of poor Nat Notional. — Selected, 



VASES AND BASKETS OF GRASSES. 



A well-stocked flower garden and a well-managed 

 greenhouse are, certainly, very important aids in 

 forming hand-bouquets, or those designed for display 

 in baskets or vases. The great variety of delicate 

 textures, of beautiful colors, and of delightful odors 

 which they afford, is sufficient to hide many faults 

 of arrangement, and to insiire to any one the power 

 of making something attractive. The white lily is 

 always fragrant, the rose always cheerful and pretty, 

 the heart's-ease always modest and unpretending, 

 and honeysuckle always graceful. Put either of 

 these in any part of a group of cut flowers, in the 

 centre, at the top, at the sides, they are never out of 

 place. The general effect of the whole will, indeed, 

 be greatly heightened by each being placed in its 

 proper position among its proper companions. The 

 full bright face of the rose fits it for the centre ; the 

 humility and simplicity of the violet accords with a 

 situation near the base, or lower edge ; the erect and 

 strong stem of the lily seems to lay claim to the sum- 

 mit ; and a loose wreath of honeysuckle may surround 

 the w'hole. Attention to such things as these is very 

 important ; but as respects the pets of the flower 

 garden, it is not absolutely indispensable. Every 

 body will love them, arrange them as you will. 

 Even though thrown carelessly together, without 

 the least regard to floral proprieties, they would still 

 be pretty. 



Good taste is the secret of success in these cases. 

 And, by the exercise of a little of this quality, the 

 most beautiful vase or basket bouquets may be made, 

 without pretty flowers. The lady who possesses it 

 may be, in some degree, indei^endent of both green- 

 house and garden. The meadows will yield her 

 materials. A few weeks ago, I saw some baskets and 

 vases in which were grasses of different kinds, and 

 grasses alone, so arranged as to produce an effect 

 exceedingly beautiful, — so beautiful as to excite me 

 to hope that they might become much more com- 

 mon, — Sartain's Mag. 



HILLS AGAINST LEVEL LANDS. 



A correspondent of the Gardener's Chronicle saj's, 

 " In a lecture on land surveying by a French pro- 

 fessor on mathematics, at the college of Blois, the 

 lecturer informed his audience that in the purchase 

 of hilly or uneven land, its extent is estimated or 

 measured, not according to the area of the surface, 



