138 
VARIOUS INTERESTING DISCOVERIES, 
EMBOSSING ON WOOD. 
Sir, — I have been shown some very beau- 
tiful specimens of embossing upon veneer, 
principally floral and arabesque designs, 
upon rosewood maple, mahogany, elm, and 
other hardw^oods. The relief is almost alto, and 
has quite the appearance of carving. I un- 
derstand the invention is patented, but that 
the inventon ; or, M. Caccia, an Italian, has 
been prevented from bringing it into extensive 
operation from the premarily expensive 
nature of the machinery, and the jealousy of 
cabinet-makers, who declare that it would 
supersede carving and enlaying, and so spoil 
their business. The process may be so varied 
that the relief will be brought out in different 
colours ; it is also applicable to the emboss- 
ing of cloths, kerseymeres, waistcoat-pieces, 
paper-hangings, and things of a like nature. 
This is the first instance, as far as I know, 
in which designs have been impressed upon 
wmod— embossing is common enough upon 
card, paper, calico, and such fabrics ; and 
unless there be some improvement in the 
process, I do not know that the patent will 
hold good. Making the parts in relief come 
up of different colours, I believe to be new ; 
and upon this possibly the patent rests. 
Embossed hard fancy woods might be very 
extensively and very beautifully applied to the 
ornamenting of cabinets, work boxes, &c., 
and to the panels of doors and wainscoting. 
Hei-ewith I send you some specimens that, in 
the effect produced, you may judge for yourself. 
I am, &c. 
P. B. T. 
November, 1835. 
AN AIR VIOLIN. — A newly and ingeni- 
ously invented instrument has lately been pre- 
sented to the Acadimie des Sciences of Paris, 
by M. Isoard It resembles the common vio- 
lin, with the strings extended between two 
wooden or metal blades ; it is vibrated upon 
at one end by a current of air, while at the 
'other the player presses on them, shortening 
them by the pression of the finger. In fact, 
the strings of this instrument are acted upon 
by a current of air, instead of the common 
bow. The sounds vary between those of the 
French horn and the bassoon. 
A HAND WATER-ENGINE.— A hand 
water-engine, on an entirely new principle, 
has lately been invented by Mr. Read, the 
patentee of the best of all our garden syringes. 
This new invention is very little larger than 
the syringe, but it has a tube added to it, 
which, being inserted in a pot or bucket full 
of water, give^ the instrument all the powers 
of a garden-engine, with less than half the 
exertion required for working the latter 
machine. The power gained is by the condensa- 
tion of air in a tube or barrel, parallel to that 
in which the piston works ; so that the inven- 
tion might not unjustly be called Read’s 
double-bai'relled syringe. The whole instru- 
ment, including the length of the handle, and 
the tube, which can be screwed on and off, is 
only three feet long, and the barrel part is but 
half that length. The price is only 50s. We 
have seen it at work, and consider that, for 
all ordinary purposes, it will supersede both 
the garden-syringe and the Garden-engines. 
— Gardener's Magazine. 
[The above-mentioned specimens may be 
seen at our office, by any party who may 
think the subject worthy attention. — Ed. 
M. M.] 
STEAM -PLOUGH. — At a meeting of the 
Grantham Agriculture Association, Mr. Han- 
ley stated that he had seen a steam-plough 
at work in Lancashire, which did its work 
remarkably well, and turned up an acre of 
wet land, at a depth of nine inches, in 1 hour 
and 50 minutes. 
SUGAR FROM INDIAN CORN.— M. 
Pallas lately presented to the Academie des 
Sciences of Paris a sample of this substance, 
extracted from the stem of the plant, which 
has been found to contain nearly 6 per cent, 
of sirop boiled to 40 degrees, a part of which 
will not crystallize before fructification ; but 
it condenses and acquires more consistency 
from that period to the state of complete 
maturity. The most favourable time to 
obtain the greatest quantity of sugar, is imme- 
diately after the maturity and gathering of 
the fi’uit. The matter left after the extrac- 
tion of the sugar, is capital to feed cattle or 
to make packing paper. 
THE MOON INHABITED.— Professor 
Gruithausen, of Munich, has publicly declared 
that he has discovered irrefragable proofs 
that the moon is inhabited like the earth. 
All Europe has answered by railleries the 
declaration of the Bavarian astronomer, but his 
firmness has been no more shaken than that 
of Christopher Columbus was, when he 
announced the existence of a new world. The 
German Journals have published the observa- 
tions of Professor Gruithausen, combined with 
those of his learned brother, the astronomer 
Schroeler. Their common conclusions are, 
1st, that vegetation upon the surface of the 
moon extends to the 55th degree of latitude 
south, and to the 65th degree of latitude north ; 
2dly, that from the 50th degree of - latitude 
north to the 47 th degree of latitude south, may 
be perceived evident traces of the abode of 
animated beings ; 3dly, that some signs of 
the existence of lunar inhabitants are suflfici- 
ently apparent to enable a person to distin- 
guish great roads traced in several directions, 
and particularly a colossal building situated 
nearly under the equator of the planet. The 
crtsem&Ze presents the aspect of a large town 
near to which may be distinguished a building, 
perfeetly resembling that which we call a 
redoubt, or horn work. — [Q,uery — Are there 
any mines or railway 8 ?— Ed. Mining Jow'nal. 
