NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



iloiital differences of temperature ; for, accord- 

 in? to the observations of M. Geoffroi de Sainte 

 Hdaire, the same differences are found in the 

 duration of the development of the chickens 

 hatched by the Egyptians in ovens. 



" From the whole of his observations M. 

 Teissier infers, that the period of gestation is 

 extremely variable in every species, hi pro- 

 longation does not seem to depend either upon 

 the age, or more or less robust constitution of 

 (lie female, or upon the diet, the breed, the 

 season, or the bulk of the fietiis, and still less 

 Upon the phases of the moon." 



When we consider that in the inferior ani- 

 mals most organic actions are more regular than 

 in mnn, we can now no longer be surprised at 

 the uncertainty which sometimes attends the 

 period of gestation in the most experienced ma- 

 trons. May there not be the same variety in 

 the growth of the foetus us in the child bel'ore 

 puberty ? 



• It is inconceivable what effect lime has on 

 the ]>roductiveness of the earth. Philosophers 

 have investigated its nature and proi)erties, to 

 find out the secret spell by which it works ; 

 and while some have attributed the effect to its 

 power of decomposing putrescible matter, or to 

 its artinity for carbonic acid, others have ascrib- 

 ed it to the change effected on the constitution 

 of the soil. All, however, are agreed, th.it no 

 land, after its tirst and natural richness has been 

 exhausted by cropping, can continue fertile with- 

 Qut a mixture of this fossil. Its use was the 

 first thing which revived English agriculture af- 

 ter it had long languished in the most ahjected 

 state ; and the first thing too, which raised Scot- 

 land to opulence and independence. Lime, a.s a 

 manure, has found its way into France and Ger- 

 jnaoy; and it is blended with the sfiil along the 

 shores of the Ualtic. In southern latitudes this 

 mineral manure is more generally applied, eith- 

 er incorporated with clay in the shape of marl, 

 or combined with the sulphuric acid in that of 

 gypsum. 



Lime is found of extremely different qualities ; 

 and in proportion as science comes to enlighten 

 our practice, we will turn our attention to the 

 character of the rock from which this fossil is 

 taken. Pure limestone consists of nine parts of 

 carbonic acid, and eleven of calcareous earth ; 

 and of course, in the process of burning — which 

 is employed solely to expel the acid by the ac- 

 tion of red heat, it will lose 9-20ths of its spe- 

 cific weight as drawn from the kiln. Shells of 

 first quality will require more than their own 

 weight of water to slake them ; and every one 

 bushel, when reduced to powder, will measure 

 three. When the liaie is intermixed with sand, 

 fliut, or clay, its los.s in calcination will be less. 

 the shells will yield a smaller proportion of 

 powder, and what is still more curious, will re- 

 quire a less quantity of water. As there are 

 great inequalities in the mixture of these for- 

 eign ingredients, so the proikict in powder and 

 the quantity of water used in slaking, maybe 

 employed as certain measures of the value of 

 the limestone. — The color, to a certain extent 

 also, ascertains the purity ; but this cannot be 

 relied on infalhbly, as there may be a portion 

 of magnesia in combination, which, on account 

 of its equal whiteness, cannot be discriminated 

 by the eye. It is plain, that when our different 

 cocks come to be wrought, these tests will be of 



infinite advantage, and point out to the farmer 

 and mason, those which will yield the most cal- 

 careous earth — the substance which both of them 

 are in quest of, for the purposes of their respec- 

 tive arts. 



To the farmer it is an object, to cart the lime, 

 when fresh from the kiln. By exposure to the 

 atmosphere, this earth attracts carbonic acid, 

 and returns to its original weight, usually in the 

 proportion of a twentieth part of each of the first 

 five or six dnys ; but if spread out to the air, 

 recovers it much more rapidily. AVhile it is 

 light of carriage, it should be transported to the 

 soil with which it is intended to be mixed, in 

 'tanlly slaked, and then scattered and harrowed 

 on the surface. Delay here is of perniciou? 

 tendency if inert vegetable matter is to be acted 

 on ; as the causticity of the lime or its power 

 of decomposing animal or vegetable matter, is 

 most active in its simple .ftate, before its affinity 

 has been exerted on the carbonic ncid of the at- 

 mosphere : but if the application is meant to im- 

 prove the earthy texture of the soil, or to sup- 

 ply calcareous matter to the vegetable organiza- 

 tion, there is no necessity for such haste, as this 

 tossil, considered as a carbonate, is of infinite 

 value to the farmer, and moreover is supposed 

 by some inquirers to be peculiarly useful in this 

 latter case. Directions* are even given against 

 using it in the former particularly in soils rich 

 in putrescent manure, because it lessens the so- 

 lubility of those compound products that go di- 

 rectly to the nutriment of the plant. 



*i:iavy''3 .Agricultural Chemistry, page 320, 321. 

 Letters of Agricola . 



From the Providence .lourral. 

 The President of our I'niversity has, from 

 experiments in Ilydraulicks. discovered, an im- 

 provement in Flumes, which, at mist mills, per- 

 haps all, will increase the torce of the water, 

 and. at some will double or treble it. Where 

 mills are now in operation, this improvement 

 may produce a small expense. For this discov- 

 ery, he has, we learn, obtained Letters Patent 

 from the President of the United States. 



Rice Glue. — An elegant cement may be made 

 from rice flour, which is at present used for that 

 purpose, in China and Japan. It is only neces- 

 sary to mix the rice llour intimately with cold 

 water, and gently simmer it over the fire ; w hen 

 it readily formr a delicate and durable cement, 

 not only answering all the purposes of common 

 paste, but admirably adapted for joining togeth- 

 er paper,cards, Uc. in forming the various beauti- 

 ful and tasteful ornaments which afford so much 

 employment and amusement to the ladies. — 

 When made of the consistence of plastic clay, 

 models, busts, basso relievos, Szc. may be formed 

 and the articles when dry are susceptible of a 

 high polish and are very durable. 



Portland Gazette. 



MnniiJ'actures 4* Agriculticrnl varieties. — Among 

 the articles which obtained premiums at a late 

 agricultural fair in Alleghany county, (Penn.) 

 were Japanned Waiters and Trays, made at 

 Pittsburgh; CfLstor Oil, from fifteen acres of 

 beans raised in that county ; and Segars from 

 tobacco also raised in that county. 



A", r. Statesman. 



139 



IVatrr. — .\ late English jiajier says. " Recent 

 experiments, in iiiany parts of England, have 

 proved, that supjilies of the best water may be 

 obtained by properly boring the earth to a suf- 

 ficient depth. The expense appears to be trif- 

 ling, while the result is of the highest impor- 

 tance to all landed property. Fountains liavc 

 been made in parishes where water has usually 

 been sold by the gallon, which yield a constaii' 

 supply, the year round, of a hogshead per hour." 



This appears ofoliable enough, when \ve ca!! 

 to mind how s,ilt water is procured througlioi:' 

 the western slates of the union. 



.^ iVes'j Regisic.- 



On Wednesd.\y last, n highly interesting o.\ 

 pcriment was made with a machine, con«tiuctL(l 

 by Messrs. Fenton, Murray and Wood, of thi^ 

 place, under the direction of Mr. .fohn Blenkins- 

 hop, the patentee, for the purpose of substitu- 

 ting the agency of steam tor the use of iior.-- 

 es in the conveyance of coals on the iron 

 rail way. from the mines of .T. C. Brandling. 

 Esq. at Middlctown, to Leeds. This machine if, 

 in fact, a steam-engine of four horses' power, 

 which, with the assistance of cranks turning a 

 cog wheel, and iron cogs placed at one side of a 

 rail way is capable of moving, when lightly load- 

 ed, at the speed of ten miles an hour. 



At four o'clock in the afternoon, the machine 

 ran from the Coal-staith to the top of Hunslet- 

 moor, where six, and afterwards eight waggons 

 of coals, each weighing 3 l-l tons, were hook- 

 ed to the back part. — With this immense weight, 

 to which as it approached this town was super- 

 added about filly of the spectators mounted upon 

 the waggons, it set off on its return to tlie'coal- 

 staith, and performed the journey, a distance ol 

 about a mile and a half, principally on a dead 

 level, in twenty three minutes, without even 

 the slightest accident. The experiment, which 

 was wilnessi-d by thousands of spectators, was 

 crowned « ilh complete success ; and when it is 

 considered ihat this invention is applicable to al! 

 rail-roa<ls and that upon the works of Mr. Bran- 

 dling alone, the use of fifty horses will be dis- 

 pensed wilii, and the corn for the consumption 

 of at least two hundred men saved, we cannot 

 I'orbear to hail the invention as of vast public 

 utility, and to rank the inventor amongst the 

 benefactors of his country. — Leeds Mercury, 



A young lady in London, who was handsome, 

 and had a fortune of £12,000, while she was 

 buying some small articles of a young shopkeep- 

 er, with whom she had some triiling acquaint- 

 ance, took a piece of Flanders lace, and, out of 

 mere gaiety and frolic, went hastily out with- 

 out paying for it. The shopkeeper, who had a 

 good head for speculation, followed and seized 

 her, and ciiarged her with the theft ; and in a 

 serious and peremptory manner, said to her, 

 "Miss, you may take your choice, either to go 

 with me before a magistrate and suffer the pen- 

 alty of the law for stealing my lace, or go before 

 a clergyman and marry me.'' After a short 

 pause, (and who could blame her?) she chose 

 the latter. — London paper. 



A red Ge4ar gate-post has lately been takon 

 up at Philadelphia, fit for fresh use, which was 

 put down no years ego f* is to be marked for 

 further experiments 



