MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
311 
Drtfarfr hi nfo fotott. 
SEEDLING FRUIT TREES. 
Many of our best pomologists aro specu¬ 
lating on the necessity of reproducing our 
valuable fruits from tho seed; some main¬ 
taining that many of tho old varieties aro 
running out, havo passed the period of their 
vitality, and will soon bo oxtinct. Ono thing 
is sure, that certain kinds are subject to dis¬ 
eases that others aro not, and othors only 
partially, which it is very possible to avoid 
in now, fresh and youthful varieties. 
Our good apples aro numerous, and 
adapted in thoir times of ripening to all pe¬ 
riods of tho year, and leavo little to be 
hoped for or desired; and yet wo conceivo 
perfection in flavor and other qualities is 
not yet reached. Thoro is quite a markod 
difforeneq in tho aptitude of tho plum to 
tako tho blotch, or leprosy of limbs, and in 
liability to bo attacked by insects. 
Tho poach, ono of tho easiost to experi¬ 
ment upon; as it fruits so soon from tho 
seed, requiros moro attontion than any 
othor, particularly sinco tho prevalence of 
tho curl. Many varieties of this fruit are 
found to bo almost exempt from this dis- 
easo, but thoy aro in no case our host 
peaches; thereforo from a soedling orchard, 
sorno now kinds may bo produced as good 
as tho best, and porhaps superior, and not 
subject to this diseaso. 
All of our fine fruits wero onco seedlings 
and accidentally produced; but as no ono 
now-a-days sets out uncultivated trees, par¬ 
ticularly apples, tho day is past for improv¬ 
ing that fruit, unless such a courso is taken. 
Ono curious fact has been observed rela- 
tivo to liko producing like, that is, that tho 
seeds of tho highest and finest flavored—of 
tho best blood — aro not as liko to produce 
any thing valuablo, as tho coarsor varieties. 
It holds good in all tho fruits, down to tho 
grapo. Tho Isabella has boen known to 
bring tho poorest kind of frost grapes.— 
Many facts relative to tho loaf and wood, in 
tho early stages of a soodling, indicate tho 
value of tho forthcoming fruit—tho thick, 
velvelty, glossy loaf — sparse and strong 
twigs, without thorns or spurs — and that 
general appearance of blood, as wo say of 
tho horso. 
If every amateur of fine fruit would ex¬ 
periment upon a very small scalo, wo aro 
satisfied astonishing rosults would bo pro¬ 
duced. 
ISABELLA RAISINS. 
Eds. Rural :—In your paper of Sept. 3d, 
you copied a short account of my “ Isabella 
Raisins,” from tho Horticulturist, and there¬ 
by caused mo to bo flooded with inquiries, 
from Maine to Iowa, in regard to my mode 
of preparing them—“whother their prepa¬ 
ration is expensive”—whether “sugar is 
used,” &c., &c.,—nearly all offering to re- 
mit tho amount charged for tho information 
sought. 
Now I do not complain of all this, for it 
indicates a laudable desire on the part of 
cultivators to avail themselves of all tho im¬ 
provements suggested in the preparation of 
tho fruits of tho earth for tho uso of man. 
But I think it will only bo an act of justice 
on your part, to allow me to answer all 
these inquiries “ at wholesale,” through tho 
Rural. I cannot answer in fewer words 
than by giving tho account of their prepa¬ 
ration publisbod in tho Naples Weekly 
Journal, of Fob. 25, in answer to similar in¬ 
quiries, made at that time by the editor of 
tho Country Gentleman, which was sub¬ 
stantially as follows : 
First then as to tho expense, for I pro- 
poso to coino to tho point at onco. Tho 
expense of preparation is nothing at all, 
except%o far as “ sun shine,” or a littlo firo 
boat, may bo oxponsivo. Tho raisins pre¬ 
sented to Mr. Barry, and forming tho sub¬ 
ject of his notice, wore nothing moro than 
woll ripened Isabella grapos, dried slowly 
upon shelves in a closet adjoining my din¬ 
ing-room, in which thoro was sufficient firo 
maintained for ordinary uso and for com¬ 
fort, during the months of November and 
December. Thoy roceivod no moro caro or 
attontion than would havo boon domanded 
by an equal quantity of apples, after being 
spread out in a similar manner to dry. It 
is confidently boliovod that it would bo an 
improvement to wring tho stems while yet 
on tho vinos and lot them remain thero and 
dry in tho sun, as is tho practico in prepar¬ 
ing our host imported raisins. I shall try 
this modo of treatmont tho coming season, 
and if tho result seoms to bo of any im¬ 
portance to tho public, shall not fail to re¬ 
port progross. But my friond, tho Country 
Gentleman, says :—“ It can hardly bo that 
tho Isabella grapo will afford good raisins 
without addition of othor ingredients.” I 
do not say that thoy will; but I do say that 
tho raisins in question woro proparod as 
above stated, and wholly “ without tho ad¬ 
dition of other ingredients.” 
I havo said the manufacture of them is 
not expensive, but in this statemont I am 
not exactly correct. There is a loss of 
weight in tho process which may prove a 
barrier in tho way of tho profitableness of 
their preparation. On this point however, 
tho figures- cannot bo given, as no means 
wero taken to ascertain tho amount of that 
loss. Next time I prepare Isabella raisins 
I will uso tho necessary means to enable me 
to report fully on this important point.— 
All my friends who have tasted theso raisins, 
havo expressed themselves in as strong- 
terms of approbation of them as did Mr. 
Barry. I have in overy instance been told 
that they were preferred to tho importod 
articlo. Tho Isabella raisins are a littlo 
tart, and this is tho secret, 1 apprehond, of 
their being porferred. To most tastes tho 
foreign articlo is altogether too sweet. 
Naples, N. Y., Sept., 1853. E. A. McKAY. 
THE MEXICAN WATERMELON. 
This is a variety of Watermelon brought 
from Candalia in Northern Mexico. I re¬ 
ceived a few seeds tho past winter from J. 
H. Rogers, Esq., of Toxana, Texas. Plant¬ 
ed them at tho usual time and havo had tho 
pleasuro of eating some of tho best melons 
that I ever tasted. One vine in particular 
boro three large sized melons, quito long 
and large around. Theso when ripo were 
white-fleshed, with white seeds having col¬ 
ored spots on tho edges near tho chit end. 
Theso melons were very juicy, very sweet, 
and so tender as to melt on tho tongue, and 
yot they wero not over ripo and had thin 
rinds. 
Other vines produced red-fleshed melons, 
with reddish seeds. Theso wore also a long 
melon, but smaller in size, not quito as lus¬ 
cious, nor quite as melting, yot much bettor 
than our ordinary melons. Othors again 
woro moro nealy round with black seeds.— 
Those wero not as good as the red seeded 
ones, but still better than our common ones. 
Thoy probably had been somewhat mixed. 
I was careful mysolf to plant them at a dis¬ 
tance from any other melons, whilst I have 
saved tho seeds, distinct from each other, 
hoping to socuro the best ones puro, and if 
possible improvo them. If thoy maintain 
their quality under further trial, they will 
prove a very desirable variety. It is proper 
to say the vines had no extra caro, and but 
a moderately rich location. I might fur¬ 
nish a limited supply of the seeds to post 
paid applicants and will chargo nothing for 
it, except apostago stamp from each to cover 
time and trouble in putting them up and 
mailing. Those who wish to address mo 
will notice tho change in my P. O. address, 
which is now T. E. Wetmore, 
Sept., 1853. North Cannon, Kent Co., Mich. 
GATHERING AND KEEPING THE PEAR. 
Nearly all pears ripon with a much finer 
flavor if picked and matured in tho houso. 
The exceptions aro very few. Some which 
prove only second or third rate when allow¬ 
ed to remain till they soften, on tho troo, 
becomo rich, molting and delicious if house 
ripened. Gathering the fruit whilo yet hard, 
will in nearly all cases prevent or greatly 
diminish tho rotting at the the core, which 
othorwiso nearly destroys tho value of many 
early sorts. 
Winter pears should hang upon tho tree 
as lato as safety will allow, and when gath¬ 
ered should bo kept in a cool room till near 
their usual poriod of maturity, when tho 
ripening is to bo completed in a warm room, 
at a temperature of 60° to 70°. They 
should bo kept covered to prevent shrivel¬ 
ing. Somo cultivators have wholly repudi¬ 
ated winter pears, merely for want of skill 
in tho management of their ripening, or the 
want of a good cellar to keep them in.— 
Somo sorts, however, as tho Beurre d’Arem- 
berg, require but littlo caro ; others, as the 
Vicar of Winkfield, need particular atten¬ 
tion. But the transfer from tho cool to 
tho warm room is of great importance to 
most, and will convert tough and hard spe¬ 
cimens into thoso which aro juicy, melting 
and excellent.— Thomas. 
The love of Gardening. —No truth in 
political statistics is moro established than 
that whorever a lovo of gardening provails 
among a population, thero also provails 
comfort, virtuous habits, and littlo of evil. 
This is no mere assertion of hope, but is tho 
verdict given by thoso who havo devoted 
themselves to tho study of such questions ; 
and it is sustained not only by the evidence 
of overy boneficed clergyman watching 
over tho habits of his flock, but by the per¬ 
sonal experience of every ono who reads 
thoso pages. No ono in town or country, 
who has noticed tho pursuits and tho con¬ 
dition of his neighbors, whother wealthy or 
poor, but can testify that regular habits and 
respectability of character are the invaria¬ 
ble accompaniments of attachment to the 
culturo of tho garden plot.— Cottage Gar¬ 
dener. 
Tiie Kingston (N. Y.) Press, makes men¬ 
tion of a cluster of ton tomatoes on exhibi¬ 
tion at the store of J. R. Ilallonbeck, which 
woro raised in tho gardon of Tobias Van 
Buron, of that villago. Tho largest of tho 
cluster measures 1G inchos, and tho others 
aro of nearly tho same sizo. Tho whole 
grow on a singlo branch, and weigh 9 
pounds. 
A new Catalpa. —Dr. Warder, in tho 
August number of tho Western Horticultu¬ 
ral Review, gives an account of a now va¬ 
riety of the catalpa, which ho found growing- 
in Dayton, Ohio. It blooms two or three 
weeks earlier than tho other variety. Tho 
bark of tho young trees is lighter in color, 
tho foliage of a deep green, and more luxu¬ 
riant ; the seed pods much longer, the form 
of the tree moro upright and compact, tho 
flower larger and a purer white. They are 
very plenty in Dayton, where thoy woro 
first introduced somo years since by Dr. J. 
Ilainos, from two trees which he found on 
a farm two miles south of that city. Where 
tho original trees woro obtained is not 
known .—Ohio Farmer. 
folTMIL 
LIST OF PATENT CLAIMS 
ISSUED FROM THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 
For the week ending Aug. 30, 1853. 
Preserving Peaches. —To twelve pounds 
peaches take six pounds clear brown sugar 
and one pint best cider vinegar. Simmer 
the sugar and vinegar together, which will 
make a clear syrup. Pour boiling water 
upon tho poaches, and remove them in two 
minutes from the water, and wipe them dry 
without breaking the skin. Put them into 
tho syrup, and boil gently till tho fruit is 
cooked to tho stono. Keep the preserves 
in jars, covered close, in a cool place; in¬ 
spect occasionally, and if white mould ap¬ 
pears skim it off, scald tho syrup and re¬ 
turn it to the peaches. K. 
The following recipo was obtained somo 
twenty years sinco, of the widow of an emi¬ 
nent physician, and has been found to be an 
excellent family medicino for Diarrhea and 
Dysentery.— H. 
Rhubarb Syruf. —Forty grains pulver¬ 
ized rhubarb, forty grains saleratus, put in¬ 
to a pint of strong peppermint or spear¬ 
mint tea. Thi'ee table spoonsful of best 
brandy, and loaf sugar enough to make a 
syrup. A table spoonful for a child of five 
years once in three houi-s till it operates, 
and twice tho quantity for an adult. 
Elderberry Jelly. —Tako tho berries 
that aro fully ripo and remove all unsound 
ones, pour a little water over them and 
press the juice out through a strong cloth. 
Put equal quantities of tho juice and mo¬ 
lasses into the preserving kettle and boil to 
tho consistency of very thick molasses, stir¬ 
ring in three or four drops of lemon oil to 
the gallon. Put it up in stone or glass jars, 
and if to keep for the following summer, fit 
the covers air-tight by using bladder, or 
white of egg on papei*, or sealing them, and 
put them in a cool place, and they will keep 
good as long as you wish. 
Elderberry Preserves. —Theso can be 
made by the same recipes as other fruit, 
and aro tho most healthy of any preserves I 
know of. 
Elderberry Wine. —Press out thejuico 
as you would for jelly, and let it stand until 
it ferments, then add a quart of sugar and 
a few drops of cinnamon oil to the gallon, 
and bottle it for uso, and you will have an 
excellent quality of wino.— Ohio Cultivator. 
Tomato Ketchup. —Take ono bushel of 
ripe tomatoes. Bruise them and boil over 
a slow fire one hour in a brass kettle. Then 
work the mass through a brass sieve with a 
wooden ladle, and add ono quart of salt, 
one ounce of cloves, one ounce of allspice, 
and two ounces of pepper. Boil again for 
half an hour, guarding against burning; 
turn into a tub, or an* earthen vessel, and 
add one quart of vinegar and eight ounces 
of pepper sauce. When cold, strain through 
a coarse sieve or collander, and immediate¬ 
ly bottle. Let the spices bo ground. 
To Preserve Tomatoes for Winter Use. 
—Select perfectly ripe, sound tomatoes, 
wipe them dry, and boil them half an hour 
in a porcelain preserving kettle, thon strain 
them through a collander, and boil again 
ono and a half hours; they are then ready 
to bottlo. 
Tho air should bo expelled from tho bot¬ 
tles by placing them in cold water and rais¬ 
ing it to tho boiling point, caro being taken 
to keep thorn perfectly dry inside. The 
fruit should bo put in boiling hot, and tho 
bottles corked with new corks, and soalod 
immediately. 
Bell Pepper Mangoes. —Take green 
peppers, and take tho seeds out carefully so 
as not to mangle them. Pour weak, boiling 
brino over them, and let them stand four 
days, renewing tho brine daily, boiling hot. 
Stuff thorn with chopped cabbago, seasoned 
with cloves, cinnamon and mace ; sew them 
up nicely, and turn the same sharp vinegar 
over thorn three successive weeks, adding a 
littlo alum tho last. Tomatoes, if green 
and small, are good pickled with the pep¬ 
pers.— JYor. Farmer. 
A Hint for Housekeepers. —A few drops 
of carbonato of ammonia, in a small quan¬ 
tity of warm rain water, will prone a safe 
and oasy anti-acid, &c., and will change, if 
carefully applied, discolored spots upon 
carpets, and indeed all spots, whether pro¬ 
duced by acid or alkalios. If ono has tho 
misfortune to have a carpet injured by 
whitewash, this will immediately restore it. 
Another Hint. —Soap or strong soap 
suds will destroy green paint more readily 
than other colors. Tho ley has the same 
effect on oil paints that it has with grease. 
Many painted rooms, window blinds, &c., 
are soiled by carolessness or ignoranco of 
washer-women, in tho application of soap or 
strong soap water. Whon it does not de¬ 
stroy tho paint it affects tho lustre. 
ZINC AND TIN FOE COVERING ROOFS. 
M. B. Dyott, of Philadelphia, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in hot-air furances. 
Oliver P. Drake, of Boston, Mass., for improve¬ 
ment in benzole vapor apparatus. 
R. R. Finch, Jr., of New York city, N. Y., for 
improvement in stove pipe collar. 
Thos. S. Gore, of Jersey city, N. J., for improve¬ 
ment in stoves. 
Benj. Irving, of Green Point, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in steam boilers. Patented in France, 
May 12, 1853. 
John Krauser, of Reading, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in cider mills. 
O. S. Leavitt, of Maysville, Ivy., for improve¬ 
ment in hemp and flax breaking machines. 
Wm. H. Mitchel, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in machine for distributing and com¬ 
posing type. 
Frederick Nishwitz, of Williamsburgh, N. Y., 
for improvement in grain harvesters. 
Samuel Darling, of Bangor, Me., for improve¬ 
ment in grinding and shaping metals. 
Andrew Ralston, of West Middletown, Pa., for 
improvement in saw mills. 
Stephen P. Ruggles, of Boston, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in machines for cutting sheet metal. 
Daniel Winslow, of Westbrook, and Perley D. 
Cummings, of Portland, Me., for improvement in 
paper files. 
Charles Weston, of Salem, Mass., for improve¬ 
ment in machines for splitting leather. 
William Wigston, of New York city, N. Y., for 
improvement in apparatus for purifying gas. 
Elliot Savage, of Berlin, Conn., (assignor to F. 
Roys and Edward Wilcox, of same place,) for im¬ 
provement in machinery for cutting and bending 
metallic discs. 
Elijah Valentine, of Palmer, Mass., (assignor to 
Abel Bradway, of MonsoD, Mass.,) for improve¬ 
ment in shiDgle machines. 
For the week ending September 6, 1853. 
James T. Asbury, of Taylorsville, N. C., for 
improvement in straw cutters. 
Philos Blake, Eli W. Blake and Jno. A. Blake, 
of New Haven, Conn., for improvement in nut 
crackers. Ante-dated March 6, 1853. 
James Barnes, of Franklin, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in machine for edging leather straps. 
Victor Beaumont, of New York city, N. Y., for 
improvement in printing presses. 
Wm. Compton, of New York city, N. Y., for 
improvement in piano fortes. 
Henry Hunt, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in sealing preserve canisters. 
Jos. R. Lindner, of New York city, N. Y., for 
improvement in horse collars. 
John Moyle, of Martinsburgh, Va., for improve¬ 
ment in straw cutters. 
Charles Montague, of Pittsfield, Mass., for im¬ 
provements in printing presses. 
Stephen Meredith, of Erie, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in feed apparatus to gas generators. 
James Spratt, of Cincinnati, Ohio, for improve¬ 
ment in bottle fastenings. 
W. W. Spafford, of Boston, Mass., for improve¬ 
ment in machinery for planing metals. 
Gideon B. Smith, of Baltimore, Md., for im¬ 
provement in counterfeit coin detector. 
Henry L. Weeks, of Hannahatchie, Geo., for 
improvement in cotton gins. 
Thomas Warner, of Chicopee, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in making twisted gun barrels. 
Benj. Irving, of Green Point, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in paddle wheels. 
Thomas Allison, of Milton, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in straw cutters. 
L. H. Davis, of Ivennet Square, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in corn shelters. 
Porter Dickinson, of Amherst, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in corn shelters. 
Stephen Morse, of Springfield, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in iron car brakes. 
Hiram Sands, of Cambridge, Mass., and Gary 
Cummings, of West Derby, Vt., for improvement 
in brick makers. 
Samuel H. Turner, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in printing ink. 
DESIGNS. 
P. A. Palmer, of Leroy, N. Y., for a design for 
milk stool frame. 
Frederick Schultz, (assignor to Clias. & Samuel 
Gilbert, of Philadelphia, Pa.,) for a design for 
cook stove. 
Garrettson Smith & Hemy Brown, (assignor to 
J. G. Abbott & Archilus Lawrence,) of Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa.,) for a design for parlor stoves. 
S. W. Gibbs, of Albany, N. Y., (assignor to 
North, Chase A North, of Philadelphia, Pa.,) for 
a design for stoves. 
Wm. F. Gray, of Penn Township, Pa., (assign¬ 
or to Abram it Jos. Cox, of Philadelphia Pa.,) for 
a design for cooking stoves. 
PAINT YOUR HOUSES, 
Now is tho time for preparation; soon 
after tho heat of summer is over, say in 
September and October, is the best time to 
paint. One coat laid in Autumn is equal 
to two in Summer; the load dries more 
evenly, and oil holds it much longer than 
when'sproad in hot weather. Paint laid on 
in Fall weather is moro lasting than when 
put on in the Spring, because tho surface 
becomes hardened through tho winter with¬ 
out exposure to the intense heat of July and 
August, and is thereforo much less likely to 
suffer from tho effects of tho onsuing sum¬ 
mer. Whonever white lead adheres to the 
hand when rubbod over it, put on a thin 
coat. A house onco well painted, if rightly 
coated every third year succeeding, will be 
more economically painted and kept in bet¬ 
ter preservation than in any othor way. 
Use none but the best material at any time. 
—Worcester Transcript. 
Mu. Moore : — Can you, or some of the numer¬ 
ous readers of the Rural, give me any informa¬ 
tion in reference to covering dwelling houses (in 
the country,) with zinc ? 1st. Its durability and 
cost compared with tin ? 2d. Will it injure wa¬ 
ter for drinking or other purposes ? 
An answer to the above will oblige a subscriber 
to the Rural. w . j . a. 
Lebanon, Tenn., Aug., 1853. 
The covering of roofs with Zinc will not 
bo found a desirable process, in comparison 
with Tin. It is moro expensive, nearly 
double, as a sheet of tin contains a super¬ 
ficial foot of surfaco and costs loss than six 
cent3. 
Tho contraction and expansion of motallic 
coverings for roofs, aro tho great troubles 
mot with in using that material. The 
heat and cold in our climate, produce 
such an effect on all of the metels, that a 
great deal of study and ingenuity have been 
expended to overcomo tho law's by which 
thoy aro governed, and boen tho subject of 
patent rights. No soldering or nailing will 
answer the purposo, but a peculiar locking 
of tho joints is requisite to allow it to ox- 
pand or contract. 
Of tho common metals adapted to roof¬ 
ing, lead is tho most expansible by boat, 
zinc tho next and iron, of which tin plato is 
composed, tho least. An objection to the 
use of zinc also is its width, causing a much 
greater expansion on each lock or joint, and 
as it is not a very flexible, or malleable mot- 
al, in our opinion is not adapted for tho 
purpose. 
A tin roof, if well constructed and with a 
fair pitch of elevation, will last a hundred 
years. Tho tin coating'of tho iron plato, 
protects it from rust and the tin will not 
sensibly oxidato or corrodo by oxposuro to 
tho elements for long periods. Neither 
zinc nor tin will injure water for domostic 
purposes. 
A good pine shingle roof, with a sharp 
elovation, will last fifty years or moro.— 
Painting is of no use, as it does not reach 
the coverod part that first rots. Very flat 
roofs for valuable buildings, should be cov¬ 
ered with tin, or cement, as shingles cannot 
bo depended upon against leakage in heavy 
and driving storms, and they soon decay in 
such situations. 
TO PREVENT WOOD FROM WARPING. 
METALLIC CASKS. 
Francois Tatciiet, of Paris, has taken 
out a patent for the following method of 
preparing wood, to prevent it from warping 
or shrinking. The ordinary method of do¬ 
ing this is to employ two or more thin 
pieces, which are united together with tho 
grain cross-wise, by means of glue or liquid 
cement, but this only partially answers its 
intended purpose, as glue, or cement, ap¬ 
plied in a liquid state, is always liablo to bo 
affected by a moist atmosphere, and tho ex¬ 
pansion produced thereby, and the subse¬ 
quent unequal contraction in drying, causes 
a certain amount of warping. Now tho ob¬ 
ject of the patenteo is to unite pieces of 
wood together, so as to render them inde¬ 
pendent of atmospheric influences, and this 
he effects by employing tho cement in a dry 
and powdered state, and applying heat to 
the exterior of the pieces of wood to be 
united, so as to effect the melting of the ce¬ 
ment by transmission. The cement which 
tho patentee employs is gum lac, alone or 
in combination with other materials. This 
he reduces to a powder, and sprinkles even¬ 
ly over the surface of one of the pieces of 
wood to bo united. He then lays the other 
pieces of wood on the cement-covered sur¬ 
face, and repeats tho process of sprinkling 
cement and applying thicknesses of wood, 
according to tho ultimato required thick¬ 
ness to be produced. He thon clamps the 
pieces of wood together, and applies sand, 
heated to about 300 deg. Centigrade, to tho 
exterior surfaces, and continues his applica¬ 
tion of heated sand until tho cement is 
melted, when tho sand is romoved. and tho 
air admitted to cool the wood and set the 
cement. Whon quite cold, the prepared 
wood is removed from tho clamping press, 
and may then be applied to any useful pur¬ 
pose.— London Mechanics’ Magazine. 
A specimen of Clare’s metallic cask has 
been placed in tho Exchange-room, where 
it has attracted considerable attention. Tho 
a lvai t vges of iron over wooden casks ap¬ 
pear to be that they can be taken in pieces 
and put together again with despatch and 
nicety of fitting. Thoy aro not liable to 
shrink, whilo they preservp their contents 
from the effects of fire, and from the attacks 
of vermin. The leakage which they save is 
also a matter of groat importance, inasmuch 
as the loss from leakage by wooden casks, 
every shipper and merchant knows, is very 
considerable. Their capacity, also, is stated 
to be one-fourth greater than that of casks 
of wood. The tare, in proportion to the 
size of the iron cask, is also much less than 
in the wooden cask. With tho model of 
tho metallic cask is placed a wooden cask of 
similar proportions, by which the relative 
advantages of the two may bo compared.— 
It is said that the metallic cask is adapted 
to carry any kind of liquid, that it may bo 
prevented from external oxidization by gal¬ 
vanizing, or coating with hot lime or tar, 
and that it is applicable to many branches 
of commerco where wooden casks cannot be 
employed.— English paper. 
