MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
67 
■WINTER EVENINGS AT BOISE. - (NO. 7.) 
Thomas. —In our last conversation, you 
cfl ve me some insight into that curious sub¬ 
stance, carbon, and its combinations and 
uses; among other assertions you stated that 
the diamond was pure carbon. Now how 
is that fact known? 
Father.— It is well settled by analysis, 
although it cannot be proved by synthesis. 
T .—Explain to me, what is meant by 
those two terms? 
^.—Analysis is the decomposition of a 
material or compound substance, and syn¬ 
thesis is the recomposing it again from its 
elements. 
y»_Well now I comprehend it; but tell 
me how you arrive at the conclusion that 
diamond is nothing more than coaL 
f\ _There is one experiment that is very 
conclusive. Steel is simply iron, charged 
■with a small amount of carbon. Now 
diamond enclosed in a soft iron tube, and 
brought to a high heat, is entirely absorbed 
and the iron is turned to steel. 
T. —How is steel generally made ? 
F .—The steel of commerce is made by a 
process called cementation. Bars of iron 
are put into an oven, and layers of charcoal 
and layers of bars until it is filled, when it 
is kept at a red heat for a number of days, 
until it has becomo properly charged with 
carbon, and is then called blistered steel. 
F _What is the process of making cast 
steel? 
F ,— The blistered bars are broken up 
and melted down in a crucible, and poured 
into bars. 
T. —I thought cast steel was a much finer 
and better article than the blistered steel. 
F .—So it is, decidedly. The act of melt¬ 
ing refines it, and causes it to be unilorm 
in texture, while in the bar, there is no two 
inches of it alike, owing to the impurities of 
) the original bar. 
T .—If steel and iron are the same thing, 
J how docs cast iron differ from them? 
; F .—But very little; it simply contains a 
j ‘ larger portion of carbon. In passing thro 
; 30 or 40 feet in the melting process from 
the ore, it absorbs a large portion, and be 
> comes cast iron of different qualities, acoord- 
\ ing to the carbon it receives. The first por- 
, tion causes iron to be steel —another, white 
band cast iron —another, soft and dark va 
| riely, and another, and it looses all tenacity, 
l and becomes black lead, or a perfect oar- 
/ buret of iron. 
T .—Black lead! Can iron be changed in- 
\ to lead ? 
F .— By no means, I should have said 
Plumbago. Black lead is the vulgar name 
given to it before chemistry had settled its 
composition. The points for the ever pointed 
pencils, are simply iron wire, so highly car¬ 
bonated as to lose all tenacity and become 
friable. 
T .— Can common iron and steel be turn¬ 
ed into cast iron, and that back again into 
steel and common iron ? 
F. —With the greatest ease, in a very few 
minutes, in a small way; and this can bo 
done a thousand times over without any 
loss or injury. 
T. —Well, I give up that carbon possesses 
some very curious properties. What causes 
> steel to harden by simply beating, and dip- 
> ping it into water. Other metals are not so 
affected, I believe. 
I F.— Why, my son, I have not yet began 
; to explain the uses and combinations of car- 
> bon. The cause of the hardening of steel, 
j has never been satisfactorily explained. It 
; is supposed that it is owing to condensation 
’ as it oontains carbon in a gaseous state, it 
| expands largely in heating, and therefore 
/ capable of a great condensation of particlea 
| A piece of soft iron, may be hardened by 
simply hammering it cold. 
7^_Well, father, let me go and see if I 
can oondense all you have told me. Good 
night. _ 
REMEDY FOR BURNS. 
foorlwultural. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
BUFFALO HORTICULTURAL SCCIEIY. 
Dk. Reese, late physician of Bellevue 
j Hospital, New York, has been making ex- 
/ periments concerning the best mode of 
healing burns and scalds, and checking the a- 
cute suffering. He has found that Hour, 
thrown on with a common dredging box, is one 
of the best and most efficient remedies yet dis¬ 
covered. The external air is one cause of 
suffering, and the Hour thus applied, both 
heals and lose the wounds to the atmosphere. 
The edges of the wounds which remained 
open he dressed with lime and oil, applied by a 
feather. Ur. Reese says the above appli¬ 
cation made to wounds by fire, hot water, 
gunpowder, &c., has been most happy in the 
practice at the Hospital. 
Bv an article in the last number of the 
“Horticulturist,” written by Mr. Pardee of 
Palmyra, I perceive that the spirit of con¬ 
troversy on the question of the necessity of 
regarding sexual difference in the culti¬ 
vation of the strawberry, is not yet “laid.” 
Whether “Ilovcy’s Seedling,” or any 
other plant known as pistillate, can be 
made to produce good crops without the 
oontiguity of staminates, is at this day, in 
my judgment, an inquiry of no practical 
importance whatever. If, indeed, there 
were no staminatc varieties yielding valua¬ 
ble fruit, and, aside from their fertilizing 
properties, they only encumbered the 
ground, it would become a point of vast in¬ 
terest to ascertain how satisfactory crops 
might be obtained without their aid. But 
since every person who cultivates strawber¬ 
ries, to however small extent, will raise 
“ Boston Pine” or “ Large Early Scarlet,” 
whether their presence as fructifiors be need¬ 
ful or not; and since it is a settled thing be¬ 
yond dispute, that a full yield is uniformly 
afforded by the pistillates when grown near 
either of these, of what possible importance 
is it to inquire if a like product might not 
by some method, have been realized from 
them standing alone? So we get the 
delicious berries we care not to know wheth¬ 
er we are indebted to the impregnating 
powers of the one or the native energies of 
the other. 
But “ experienced cultivators ” maintain 
that in “ proper,” soil and with “ proper” 
culture, the pistillate sorts will of themselves 
bear abundantly. Pray, will these gentle¬ 
men tell us what they mean by “ proper” 
culture? There can he no manner of 
doubt but the “proper” way to do a 
thing will accomplish it; but until one is in¬ 
structed in this proper way, how will he be 
able to pursue it? Do these individuals 
mean high culture or low, much manure or 
u little, or none—a deeply worked or shal¬ 
low soil? IIow will they account for the 
following facts? 
A neighbor of mine obtained at Boston, 
several years ago, plants of “Hovey’s,” war¬ 
ranted genuine, and with them got the no¬ 
tion that only “ good cultivation” was re¬ 
quired to make them afford a plentiful sup¬ 
ply of fruit. They were put out in the 
spring and the following year gave a fair 
crop, no other variety being in the garden 
or in any adjoining grounds. This was a 
promising beginning, and the next season 
he looked confidently for a similar result, 
but looked in vain. Obstinately refusing 
to be persuaded to throw away his Boston 
notion and surround the Ilovey’s with a 
stuminate kind, he waited year after year 
expecting fruit, but never getting a quart in 
a season, from a plat of vigorous well look¬ 
ing plants, which ought to have furnished 
bushels—until, two years since, he dug 
them all under and made a finish of his 
strawberry raising. A fact somewhat sig¬ 
nificant in its bearing upon the question 
why this friend’s vines were barren, is that 
all the plunts of this variety I ever had, 
came from a Btock of fifty taken by myself 
from his garden, and they have invariably 
borne satisfactory crops, growing near to 
staminates. 
I planted a bed with what proved to be 
“ Bishop’s Orange,” and for two years had 
no fruit I then in August, purchased fif¬ 
ty runners of “ Duke of Kent” or “Austrian 
Bcarlet,” and set them on the south side of 
the square at least fifteen feet from the 
farthest edge of the bed, and was blessed 
the next and each succeeding summer with 
a splendid crop of these beautiful orange 
berries. 
In my belief it is wholly unnecessary to 
intersperse staminates in the same beds with 
the others, and the practice is very incon¬ 
venient. There is no question that a patch 
of the former will sufliciently fertilize one 
of tho latter class ten and perhaps twenty 
feet distant 
If deemed desirable I may at a future 
time furnish remarks upon the qualities of 
the different kinds which have been culti¬ 
vated in my garden. li. P* n. 
Brockj>ort, N. Y 
This Society held its annual meeting, 
February 19th., Benj. Hodge, was elected 
President for the ensuing year. Abner 
Bryant, H. B. Potter, Joseph G. Mabtkn, 
and Jas. W. Brown. Vice Presidents. W. 
R. Coi’pock, Corresponding Secretary. J. 
C. Eaton, Recording Secretary. A. A, 
Howard, Treasurer. 
Resolutions were passed that the Society 
hold four exhibitions during the ensuing 
season — in the months of May, June, Au¬ 
gust and September, and that monthly 
meetings, be held throughout the year. 
Also that additional premiums bo offered, 
and those of last year increased in value. 
The Society is represented to be in a 
flourishing condition. 
AtttjC 
LIST OF PATENT CLAIMS 
ISSUED from the united states patent office. 
For the week ending February 12, 1851. 
To Charles Scofield &■ G. J. JohiiB, of Albion, 
Ill., for improved scraper. 
To Samuel &. Morton Pennock, of Kennett 
Square, Pa., for improvement in seeding appara¬ 
tus of a seed plantor. 
To Win. O. Grover, of Boston, Maes., & Wm. 
B. Baker, of Roxbury, Mans., for improvement in 
sewing machines. 
To John Osborn, of Hamden, Conn., for im¬ 
provements iu operating the Watergate in hydrau¬ 
lic rams. 
To J. E. Ware of St. Louis, Mo., for method of 
securing ranges of short plank in pavements. 
re-issues. 
To Harmon Hubbard, of Henrietta, N. Y., (as¬ 
signor to Wm. W. Reid, of Rochester, N. Y.,) 
for improvement in tanning leather, by tanning 
and acids, previously patented October 16,1849. 
Jlulutal fyizton j. 
THE HYDRA. 
TO PREVENT 
INCRUSTATION 
BOILERS. 
IN STEAM 
This fine summer pear originated in the 
garden of Gen. Dearborn, of Boiton, one of 
the early Presidents of the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society. It ranks among the 
the best of its season, and is quite popular 
among pear growers. 
Downing pronounces it “ a very .admira¬ 
ble, early pear, of first quality,” and adds:— 
“It bears most abundant crops in every 
soil, and is one of the most desirable early 
varieties, succeeding the Bloodgood, and 
preceding the the Bartlett Young shoots 
long, dark brown. Fruit scarcely of medi¬ 
um size, turbinate, and very regularly form¬ 
ed. Skin very smooth, clear light yellow, 
with a few minute dots. Stalk slender, 
rather more than an inch long, set with very 
little depression. Calyx with delicate, 
spreading segments, set in a very shallow 
basin. Flesh white, very juicy and melting, 
sweet and sprightly in flavor. Ripens about 
the middle of August.” 
Mode of preparation, by M. Saillard, of 
Nantes: Catechu 100 lbs.; subcarbonate 
of potash, 50 lbs.; subcarbonate of soda, 50 
lbs.; common resin, 10 lbs.; lime, 20 lbs.; 
water, 300 lbs. 1. Boil for 20 minutes the 
subcarbonate of potash and soda with the 
lime and resin, with 200 parts of water; re¬ 
move the fire, allow the mixture to settle 
and draw off the clear liquor. 2. In another 
boiler, make a decoction of the catechu, in 
the remainder of the water; after boiling for 
10 minutes, pass the decoction through a tine 
hair or silk sieve, and add to it the liquor 
obtained in the previous process; stir the 
mixture, and keep it in well stoppered ves¬ 
sels. Mode of application: The boiler hav 
ing been well cleaned, introduce through 
the man hole, as soon as the boiler is half 
filled with water, a£ lb. of the resinous double 
subjaponnte of soda and potash per horse 
power every 0 weeks. The quantity above 
mentioned should be introduced every six 
weeks, by means of the feed pipes, when the 
steam is low. For marine boilers, introduce 
3 lbs. of the preparation eyery 4 hours into 
the boiler for every 100-horse power, and 
blow oft once in every 8 hours. The blow 
ing off should be performed 10 minutes pre 
vious to the introduction of the preparation 
into the boiler. 
This singular animal was discovered by 
Trombley, in aquatic plants. It consists of 
a fleshy tube, open at both ends, the largest 
of which is furnished with a row of six or 
eight tentacula, or arm-like appendages.— 
These tentacula are hollow filaments, and 
can be extended to a great length, and bent 
in every (Inaction. With these the hydra 
siezes upon small objects, and conveys them 
to its mouth where they are quickly swal¬ 
lowed. WJien irritated or alarmed, the an¬ 
imal has the singular power of contracting 
itself into a small and almost invisible globe. 
In order to move, it fixes its foot, no doubt 
by the power of suction, and advances its 
head as far as possible. The foot being 
then detached, it is brought near the head, 
which is again raised and advanced as be¬ 
fore. A day’s journey in this manner, even 
during summer, is no more than about sev¬ 
en or eight inches; but when the hydra is 
in a hurry, it advances by a series of somer¬ 
sets, foot over head, and head over foot—• 
This curious animal is reproduced by tuber¬ 
cles or buds on the surface of tho parent 
In this period of its existence it grows and 
stretches out its tentacula, learning at the 
ame time, the art of catching and swallow¬ 
ing its prey. Gradually the tube connect¬ 
ing it to its parent closes, when the young 
hydra commences a separate existence.— 
The hydra can likewise be multiplied indef¬ 
initely by cutting it into pieces. If cut 
asunder crosswise, the part containing the 
head supplies itself with a new tail, and the 
tail sends forth a new head, with a new set 
of tentacula. A mutilated tentaculumiain 
like manner soon repaired; and if the en¬ 
tire animal is divided into numerous pieces, 
each fragment soon acquires all the parts 
necessary to make it a complete hydra.— 
Arthur's Home Gazette. 
IMPORTANT INVENTION. 
A MOUNTAIN CAT. 
DWARF FRUIT TREES. 
, Feb. 1851. 
Downino says that “ fine fruit is the most 
perfect union of the useful and beautiful 
that the earth knows.” 
See Nursery advertisements, page 71. 
It may be questioned whether a very ex¬ 
tensive introduction of dwarf trees will suc¬ 
ceed so well in this country as some antici¬ 
pate, until those generally who plant trees, 
learn to give them better cultivation than 
they now commonly receive, dwarfs indis¬ 
pensably requiring good treatment. And 
yet they may prove better adapted to some 
soils than trees on common stock. Dwarf 
pears have in various instances withstood 
the severity of winter, or made tine growth, 
in localities where trees on pear stocks have 
perished or not flourished. Lindley found 
that in the chalky soil at Rouen, the cherry 
on cherry stock was languid and sickly, while 
it was healthy and vigorous on the Mahaleb 
stocks. Would not this stock be worthy of 
trial in those portions of the western States 
where the cherry has proved so difficult of 
culture?— Alb. Cull. 
EARLY VEGETABLES. 
I have been in the habit, for some years 
past, of putting the seeds of tomatoes, and 
other vegetables, to sprout in a box, jar, 
or flower pot, about the last of January or 
the first of Febuary, so that by the time the 
danger of frost is past, in the spring, I have 
healthy plants ready for transplanting. In 
this way I have tomatoes a month earlier 
than mv neighbors, who wait till the usual 
time for planting garden seeds in the spring. 
My method is to place tan or half rotted 
manure in the bottom of the box, and gar¬ 
den soil on the top, in the same way as a 
hot bed is prepared, and after the seeds are 
planted, the box is kept with the house plants. 
Those of your readers who desire early 
vegetables, with very little trouble, will, I 
am assured, find this an admirable plan.— 
Exchange. 
Charcoal, —The use of charcoal in grow¬ 
ing plants is now become general, and it is 
found to produce the most effect when mix¬ 
ed in large pieces with the soil, in rough rot- 
tin". Powdered charcoal silted so as to 
have the particles not larger than those of 
sand has been used in Germany for striking 
cuttings in, and it is found superior to sand, 
as it supplies them with nourishment after 
they are rooted, by attracting oxygen from 
the atmosphere, and thus forming carbonic 
acid gas round the roots. 
The Rochester American says Mr. Ben 
jamin M. Smith, of Jeddo, Orleans Co., has 
obtained a patent for an important invention 
in the propulsion of Canal boats by steam 
The most important feature in the invention 
is a horizontal smoke pipe running alon 
the inner side or deck of the boat to the 
stern, where the smoke is discharged; and 
an exhausting or rotary fan, placed between 
the steam furnace and the terminus of the 
flue, causing sufficient draught to burn coal 
or green wood with tho greatest facility. 
The two propellers at the stern, when in 
motion, prevent the smoke from floating 
back on the deck. 
Mr. Smith says that freighted Canal 
Boats can be propelled at the rate of six and 
even up to ten miles per hour, and that, 
too, with from two to four boats in tow. 
We are informed that some boats are being 
constructed with his improvements prepara¬ 
tory to the opening of navigation. 
Flax Cotton. — We have seen a sample 
of yarn, spun by Messrs. Bright <k Brothers, 
of Rochdale, which seems to us more prom¬ 
ising than any previously produced from 
mixed flax and cotton. It is mule yarn, 
apparently about No. 16, and is stated to 
be produced from four parts flax and one 
cotton. It is good, strong, useful yarn— 
somewhat rough and uneven, but, if it can 
be produced as stated to us, at 2d per lb. 
under the price of cotton yarn, it is likely 
to come into extensive use. Of course, we 
cannot say how far cloth made from it could 
be dyed of uniform color; that must be 
determined by experiment — Manchester 
(Fug.) Guardian. 
Carding Cylinders. —We find in an ex¬ 
change a description of an improvement in 
the construction of carding cylinders, by 
James Greaves, of Baldwinsville, in this 
State, which is new to us. It is said to 
lessen the cost of the cylinders considerably. 
Mr. G. runs a composition of lead and zinc 
around an iron roller of suitable size to about 
one and half inches in thickness. After 
this, punched sheet iron is wrapped around 
the whole, and steel wires are driven into 
the holes with a bossing punch. The wire 
is sharpened before being driven in by this 
method. The teeth are perfectly pointed 
with a file after being driven in. 
Bellows Pump.- rA tolerable substitute 
for a pump may bo made out of a pair of 
bellows on an emergency, by attaching to 
the valve hole a hose or tube, in an air tight 
manner, and using them as in blowing a 
fire. The end of the house or tube must 
be placed in the water, which will be drawn 
into the’bellows instead of air, and discharg¬ 
ed through the muzzle into any vessel 
placed to receive it. 
A gentleman yesterday brought into our 
oflice one of the most curious animals we 
have ever seen. He was caught in a trap 
baited with sugar, on the North Fork of the 
Yuba. Some have named this species of 
animal the mountain cat; but, with the ex¬ 
ception of some of its habits, he seems to 
resemble the cat very little. He is about 
two and a half feet long, one half of which 
length is his tail, which is ringed with alter¬ 
nate white and black. His shape more re¬ 
sembles the kangaroo than any other ani¬ 
mal, his haunch portions being much larger 
than his breast. His head is small, with 
very large, glittering, prominent eye.,, and a 
nose somewhat approaching the form of 
that of the ichneumon. He is as flexible 
as a weasel. With short legs and fine fur 
and exceedingly clean and neat toilette , iie 
is really one of the nice young men of the 
animal tribe. lie is a curiosity, being un¬ 
like anything we have before seen in any 
zoological collection or in any wild state.— 
His color is grey, not so silvery as the grey 
squirrel, and the most inquisitive little Paul 
Pry that has ever looked iu upon us. He 
seemed determined to understand every¬ 
thing about our sanctum, thrusting lik point¬ 
ed nose into every nook and corner. He is 
a far handsomer and cleanlier animal than 
the coon, in all graces as much superior as 
is “ Hyperion to a Satyr,” and when we es¬ 
tablish a new political party, shall probably 
instal him instead, as the insignia of our em¬ 
bodied principles. — Alta Californian. 
THE TEARS OF OYSTERS. 
Gazing round this anatomical workshop, 
we find, amongst other things, some pre¬ 
parations showing the nature ot pearls. 
Examine them, and we will find that there 
are dark and dingy pearls, just as there are 
handsome and ugly men; the dark pearl 
being found on the dark shell of the fish, 
the white brilliant one upon the smooth in¬ 
side shell. Going farther in the search, we 
tind that the smooth glittering lining upon 
which the fish moves, is known as the nacre , 
and that it is produced by a portion of the 
animal called the mantle —and for explana¬ 
tion’s sake we may add, that gourmands 
practically know the mantle as the beard 
of the oyster. When living in its glossy 
house, should any foreign substance find its 
way through the shell to disturb the smooth¬ 
ness so essential to its ease, the fish coats 
the offending substance with nacre, and a 
pearl is thus formed. The peuii is, in fact, 
a little globe of the smooth, glossy subst ance 
yielded by the oyster’s beard; yielded ordi¬ 
narily to smooth the narrow home to which 
his nature binds him, but yielded in round 
drops—real pearly tears—if he is hurt— 
When a beauty glides proudly among a 
throng of admirers, her hair clustering with 
pearls, she little thinks that her ornaments 
are products of pain and diseased action, 
endured by the most unpoetical of shell fish. 
—Household Words. 
If the feathery gills of a small perch 
could be unfolded and spread out, they would 
nearly cover a square yard. This will not 
appear so extraordinary when it is recollect¬ 
ed that the nerve in a dog’s nose is spread 
in so thin a web, that it is computed to be 
equal to four square feet. 
