THE GREAT VALUE OF SLATE MANUFACTURE. 
ed, and which seems to be essential to the 
economical application ot steam to husbandly; 
tor 11 IS evident, that weie i requisite to impel 
the rnaciiine with a velocity equal to that 
01 the ploughs, by dragging them witli it, a 
great proportion ot the power of ttie engines 
would be uselessly expended. 
Another valuable properly appertaining to 
the machine, and wiiich conduces greatly to 
its economy as a bog culiivaior is, that it re- 
quires no previous outlay in tne lormalion ot 
roads, no prepaiaiion ot any hind lurihei than 
a di am on each side 01 it. i hat a tocoiuotive 
machine oi sucn great dimensions and p-ower 
could be so cunsii ucted as to navel on meie 
law tog, was an excellence the moie appie- 
Ciated Us It was unexpected by ttiuse peisons 
who ale conveisaiil willi ihe soil, un^latde 
nature ot bog. J iieliisn gentlemen piesent 
also pionouuced lied Aioss to t e a tan speci- 
men ut the great mass ot the tlai, led, hhious 
bogsot lielano, ana that neiliiei the machine 
nor ilie ploughs would liave any ditticuliies to 
encounlei in that country widen had not been 
already oveicome on Red Mo^s, ilie neiu of 
expeiiment. ihe engines are capable of 
working up to fitly horses power, buiibe oper- 
ations suiisequent to ploughing will require a 
small foice compared witn that necessaiy lor 
urea^mg up the suiiace ot the nogs, to ilie 
riepih and at liie speed efiecied oy these 
ploughs. The powei consumed by each 
plough Is estimated at about twelve iiorses, and 
ihe weight ot the sod operated upon by ihe 
plough, itoin point to heel, is not less man 
nnee huuditd pounds. The boiler is oi un- 
usually laige dimensions for locomotive en- 
gines, being suited to the use ot peal as tuel, so 
mat the endure of a bog will oe etfecled by 
me prouuce ot its diains. At Red [Moss, 
however, coals are so cheap, being tound 
coniiguous to and even under it, that they are 
used in pieteieuce to turf. Eight men aie 
required loi the management ol ihe machine 
and ihe two ploughs, oi at the rate, neaily, ot 
one man per acre , but it must be uadei§tood 
mat ihio number of men will only be required 
loi me first lieavy process, and has no relation 
to any suosequeni operations in ihe cultivation 
ut bogs, uoi to tlie application ot the invention 
to Uie culture of hard laud. 
After passing a sufficient time on the Moss 
to Witness the exlilbilion of the ploughs, and 
The various other functions and properties of 
the machine, the party expressed to Mr. 
Heathcoat the extreme pRasiite they had 
received, and their eai nest hope that he would 
extend the sphere of lus exeriions by applying 
the invention to the culture of stiff clay soils ; 
and more especially to cjrry into effect those 
iinpoilant operations of sub-soil ploughing and 
impioved drainage recently introduced to the 
agricultural world by iMr. Smith, of Deanslon. 
J o efteci these processes, great power is es- 
sential, and It was evident that Mr, Heath- 
coat’s invention was equally well adapiea to 
them, and would be attended with results no 
less important than those which will arise 
fiom Its application to the reclamation and 
cuiiuie ol bogs, — Mo/ niug Chronicle. 
39 7 
THE SILICA SOAP, AND WASHING 
WITH PIPE-CLAY. 
Sii, — I have just, observed in your Maga- 
zine tor lastrronih an aitir lefioin Dumiee, 
rel.itive to the use of pipe day as an auxiiiaiy 
to soap. In coi loboration of the tails staled 
iheiein, 1 beg leave to say , that 1 and some of 
my friends have for many years been in the, 
habit of using a silicious clay or species of 
soap'tone. both in solution with water and 
in combination with soap, and have found ii to 
possess such valualle deleigenl quaiiiies, as 
to effect a considerable saving in laataitice. 
lam not aware whether pipe-ciav, oi a 
clay such as mine, be the better maleual, ti e 
former you know IS highly aluminous, winie 
the piincipal constituent of that on my land 
iftsihx.aiuJ diffeiing, 1 should tliinb,veiy 
little, if at all, Irom the pulp of flint ; for the 
use of which, in the nianufactuie oi soap, you 
noticed in a late Number mat a patent iiad 
been obtained. 
1 am, Sir, 
Youi obedient servant, 
i. S. 
Dublin, June 20, 1836. 
ORNAMENTAL SLATE MANUFAC- 
TURE. 
Slate has of late years become exten.siveiy 
useful, and its application to new purj O'C'- is 
of every-day occurrence. A Mr. Stilling has 
for some time been labouiing to bring it into 
use as a material tor the manufacture ot various 
ai iicies of fui niiuie, and, fiom the specimens 
whii ti we have seen, we iliinb it likely that he 
will meet with complete success. 1 ables of 
all kinds, sideboards, wash-hand stands, other 
articles ot a similar nature, and which do not 
requite to be often moved (as.slate is.ofcour-e, 
heavy), n. ay be niade ot it, deco: ated in the 
most elaborate style. The naiuiai texture of 
the slate, it has been tound, is peculiariy ap- 
plicable as a giound for the reception of 
colouis; and Mr. Stirling has some spe- 
cimens of tables with a vvieath of floweis 
round tiie edge, and group in the centre, 
most beautifully executed - the nentiai tint of 
the slate forming an appiopriate back-ground. 
A very beautiful and appropriate application 
ot the article has been made in the formation 
of doot-panels. J’he General Sieam Naviga- 
tion Company has. we understand, given 
orders for the fitting up of the saloon ol one 
of its new steair -vcssels with tiiese panels, 
painted with groups of fruit, flow'eis, and 
designs of a like nature. Amongst the nu- 
merous other articles of slate manufactuied 
by Mr. fetirling, we shall merely pairicu- 
larise his door finger-plates and inkstan ls, 
which are extremely beautiful. 
WOOD-POLISHJNG. 
The Persians have introduced an entirely 
new mode of polishing, which is to wood pre- 
cisely wiiat pjating IS to metal. Water may 
fie spilled on it'witfioui staining, and it resists 
