304 



General Notices. 



—b 



performed was in a field of straggling wheat, in some parts considerably laid, vet the work waa 

 executed in a style far surpassing any thing I had ever seen. The wheat was cut and laid in such 

 a way that there was no difficulty of gathering it up, binding it into neat sheaves, and leaving a 

 a clean and neat stubble without raking. From the trial made, it appeared to me that the machine 

 (if the grain could have been cut both ways) would have cut fully an acre per hour, and the gather, 

 ing, binding, and setting could have been performed by eight or ten people ; and I may farther 

 state, that the two horses seemed to work as easily as in the plough. Upon the whole, I am con- 

 vinced that your reaping machine will soon come into general use, and will at least be equal in 

 utility to the threshing mill. 



The Rev. P. Bell, %c. (Signed) George Arklay. 



No. 8. — After having given you the opinions of these agriculturists, I conceive I may, without 

 being accused of affectation, subjoin what passed under my own eyes, on my father's farm. That 

 almost unprecedented storm, which, I believe, was general over at least the whole of Great Britain, 

 on the 1st or 2d of August, bent the whole of the standing corns in this neighbourhood so much to 

 the south, that they never again regained their upright position. This circumstance was a consider- 

 able obstacle in the way of our field labours ; as, from the principle of the machine, she could cut 

 only in going to the north or west, and in returning we were obliged to allow her to go empty ; 

 thus performing only half the work the implement was capable of doing, if the crop had been 

 standing nearly upright. This circumstance, however, has no other effect than to diminish the 

 quantity cut, as by cutting in one direction, she will take up the grain, although lying almost flat 

 upon the earth's surface. 



We managed this season to cut the whole of my father's farm, with the exception of corners and 

 patches, where no machine could operate, in a manner surpassing my most sanguine expectations. 

 The implement both did its work well, and was easily managed; and any horse will work in it. 

 The greatest quantity we cut in a day was about six acres Scotch measure ; this was oats, and cut 

 after nine o'clock in the morning. It required nine people to gather, bind, and stook. This, you 

 will observe, was only half work. I am, Sir, &c. 



J. C. Loudon, Esq. %c. Patrick Bell, 



A great Improvement in the Construction of Axles for carriages, carts, 

 and waggons, has been made by George Burges, Esq. M. P., of Cambridge. 



Instead of one circle moving within an- 

 other, as in all common axles ; or one 

 circle moving within another, this other 

 having grooves for retaining oil, in the 

 manner of the patent axles ; Mr. Burges's 

 axle is a circle {fig, 57. a) moving within 

 six points formed by six equal convex seg- 

 ments, which hold oil in their angles (b). 

 The friction is thus reduced to a minimum 

 in theory; and, with case-hardened iron 

 and abundance of oil, we should think it 

 could not be otherwise in practice. Mr. 

 Burges has had the axles of his own carriage constructed in this way for 

 some years. — Cond. 



The Wheels of Carts and Waggons have lately been much improved by the 

 introduction of cast-iron naves, or stocks. These stocks are found par- 

 ticularly suitable for warm climates, and I send a great many yearly to the 

 West Indies and to other warm countries. I may notice to you, that the 

 very first pair I made of them, in July 1808, have been ever since in use; 

 the wooden parts, or spokes and fellies, were entirely removed about 

 eighteen months ago ; and the wheels are now, after the space of twenty 

 years, nearly as good as ever they were. — Samuel Morton. Leith Walk, 

 Edinburgh, October 27. 1829. 



A cheap and elegant Method of obtaining the Impression of Leaves and 

 Plants. — Take strong and smooth wove paper, oil it well with sweet oil ; 

 after it has been oiled a few minutes (or long enough to soak through), 

 rub off the superfluous oil with a rag, then let it hang in the air to dry. 

 After the oil is well dried in, take a lighted lamp, and raise up the wick in 

 the lamp, that it may make a strong smoke ; then take the oiled paper, 

 and hold it in a horizontal position over the smoke, moving it slowly over 

 the smoke and flame (so as not to burn it) until it is perfectly black. 

 The plants or leaves of which you wish to take the impression should 

 be pressed in the inside of a large book ; when sufficiently pressed (which 

 requires nearly a day), take them out, and lay the under side of the leaves 

 carefully upon the oiled black paper ; then lay upon the top of the leaves 

 or plants some clean soft blotting-paper, and press it equally in all parts 





