MOOSE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGBICULTUBAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPEB. 
SHEEP BREEDING-, 
'? Now is the time for Flock Masters to look well 
to their ewes, selecting such as possess those 
characteristics which they desire to perpetuate, and 
rejecting those that are fit for nothing but the 
butcher. Sufficient attention is seldom given to 
this point, for though it is perfectly true that the 
male, in all animals, is of more importance than 
the female, yet for the production of perfect ani¬ 
mals it is absolutely necessary that both male and 
female be well bred, and, if not individually 
perfect in every point, the conformation of the two 
should be such as, when combined, to form the 
animal desired. Good breeders understand this 
matter well, and assort their flock into several 
lots, procuring a buck for each lot with those 
points strongly developed in winch the ewes are 
most deficient. But a vust proportion of farmers 
who keep more or less sheep, neglect this matter 
altogether. They often procure a buck, which, 
however useful he might be for other flocks, is 
totally unfit for that which he is intended to serve. 
Again, in a large flock of ordinary sheep there 
are often two or more kinds of ewes with char¬ 
acteristics entirely different from each other ; 
hence, a buck that might be beneficial to the one 
would be altogether unsuited to the other, and 
more likely to propagate imperfections than to 
neutralize them, yet how common is it to let the 
whole flock run together, and have the indiscrim¬ 
inate use of the same bucks. With judicious 
selection any of our ordinary heterogeneous flocks 
might in a few years, be vastly improved without 
any more expense than is incurred by the present 
heedless, careless, and unprofitable system of 
breeding. 
The present high price of mutton has led many, 
in this vicinity at least, to cross their common 
meri no sheep with a Leicester or South-Down buck 
for the purpose of obtaining good sized lambs for 
the butcher. We believe good mutton will always 
command a good price, higher than at present, 
and that this system of crossing fine wooled with 
mutton sheep will be the most profitable species 
of sheep husbandry. YVe do not like to recom¬ 
mend any one to breed from such a cross, yet we 
are not sure but a little South-Down blood would 
improve the size, constitution and fattening qual¬ 
ities of our common sheep, without materially 
injuring the quality of wool. 
The time to place the bucks with the ewes de¬ 
pends upon the location, the breed, and the object 
of the breeder. As a general thing it is not 
desirable to have lambs before there is some grass 
for the mother, and as ewes go from 22 to 23 
weeks, it is easy to calculate in any individual 
case. In Western New York the first of Novem¬ 
ber is considered best. At this season grass is 
scarce and innutritious, and as it is particularly 
desirable that ewes be well kept while the buck 
is with them, it will be advantageous to give them 
a little clover hay, oats, peas, or oil-cake, and to 
keep them at night in dry, warm sheds. It is 
well to give the buck a little extra grain or oil¬ 
cake separate from the ewes. Care and attention 
to the flock at this season, and during the winter, 
will be amply rewarded by an increased number 
of large and healthy lambs, and by more wool of 
a superior quality. Remember that warmth is 
equivalent to food, and that salt and water are 
essential to health, while regularity in feeding 
is very desirable. 
POLLED SHEEP. 
There are two reasons which induce me to of¬ 
fer a few remarks to the Farmer on the subject of 
Polled Sheep. One is, I believe a decided advan¬ 
tage may result to the wool growing community 
from a consideration of the subject. The other 
is, I am now compelled to buy horned rams for a 
cross of blood, because I cannot get such polled 
ones as I desire that are not nearly allied to my 
own stock. 
I believe that nearly all middle and long-wool- 
ed sheep are polled, while the males of the finer 
wooled varieties are usually horned. 
I have for many years regarded horns on sheep 
in a domesticated state, as not only a useless, but 
a troublesome and expensive appendage ; and in 
1845 fortunately getting hold of a very superior 
polled ram, I commenced to try to breed a flock 
which should be hornless. I proceeded by not 
only selecting polled rams, but so far as practica¬ 
ble, perfect polled ewes also ; and here let me re¬ 
mark, a ewe that appears to the casual observer 
to be without horns, is not always a perfect poll. 
There must be a cavity, instead of a fulness, 
where the horn usually attaches, or she cannot be 
depended upon to produce polled lambs with cer¬ 
tainty, although the sire be polled. 
The result of my eight years’ labor is, I do not 
now have but one horned ram lamb in about ten 
or twelve ; and I do not believe that I have sac¬ 
rificed one iota in form or constitution, or in qual¬ 
ity or quantity of wooL 
Some of my objections to horns are briefly as 
follows: 
1. The substance that goes to make horns is 
the same that enters into the composition of 
wool. 
2. If rams are polled you may let all the pure 
blooded ones run entire to the age of one or two 
years, and then, any that are rejected as rams will 
make as good wethers as if gelded while lambs. 
3. Where horned rams run in a flock in summer, 
they are sure to fight, and if they do not kill each 
other outright, loose the skin about the horns, be¬ 
come fly-blown, and without constant care, more 
or less of them die. 
A gentleman who has been engaged in wool¬ 
growing over twenty years, and who keeps near 
two thousand sheep, told me he annually lost 
enough rams from these causes to pay all his 
taxes. 
4. Horned rams frequently strike ewes in the 
side, bruising them, loosening their wool, and 
occasionally causing them to cast their lambs. 
5. You can shelter and feed about double as 
many polled as horned rams in a given space. 
In conclusion, I would say I am always open 
to conviction. Has any one a reason why sheep 
in a domesticated state should have horns ?—Wm. 
H. Laud, in Ohio Farmer. 
The above article is well worthy the considera¬ 
tion of every sheep breeder. In their wild state, 
horns may be some protection to sheep and cattle, 
but in the domesticated state, w r e can see no pos¬ 
sible use for them. Fifty years ago, the common 
sheep of England were mostly horned, but with 
modern improvement, horns have entirely disap¬ 
peared, and no farmer would think for a moment 
of employing a buck that showed the least indi- 
cati on of being horned. 
(Drdjitrfo anfr darkt 
MANAGEMENT OF HOUSE PLANTS. 
Flowering plants are ever a source of 
ploasuro, but in winter, they form such a 
contrast to the choerless sccnos without, as 
to become “ a joy exceedingly.” A fow of 
tho fair sister-hood — by the brightness of 
their beaming faces — will give to a cornor 
of the sitting-room a grace and glory, 
“ Like sunshine in a shady place,” 
to which one can turn in tho stormiest day 
for summer thoughts and fancies. Many, 
very many, of the fair readers of tho Rural, 
think thus, and thoir rooms lack not this 
cheap and comoly adornmont. A stato of 
health and vigor, which at this season is 
somewhat difficult to attain and preservo, 
much increases tho beauty of house plants, 
and a fow hints on this subject, will bo wel¬ 
come to tho many who love them. 
Even greon-houso plants do not grow 
much in winter. Hence they do not need 
that warmth and moisture which is indis¬ 
pensable in tho full progress of vegetation. 
It is generally a period of rest with them, 
and they should bo kopt cool and rather 
dry. A tomporature of about 50° is bettor 
than that of 70° or 80°—between which 
points a living room is usually kept. But 
the “ season of rest” may bo made to vary 
by early or late potting, and other peculiar¬ 
ities of management, so as to bring somo 
plants into full bloom in tho middle of win¬ 
ter. Such, of course, aro especially prized 
then, and it is worth somo pains to have a 
beautiful plant in flower in January. In 
this case, they need moro wator and warmth 
than otherwise, yet not as much as in sum¬ 
mer. It does not evaporato as rapidly, and 
whilo tho soil is moderately moist, no water 
need bo applied. Thorough draining is as 
necessary as in summor,and no plant should 
bo potted without provision being made for 
tho escape of all superfluous water. Filling 
one-fifth of tho pot with broken charcoal, 
will furnish a sub-soil of the proper porosity. 
When it is desirablo to keep plants growing, 
somo fertilizing element, such as a weak 
solution of guano, should bo applied occa¬ 
sionally, instead of pure water. 
Freedom from dust is of importance to 
tho health as well as tho appearanco of 
plants, and frequent washing is the only 
moans of securing this desirablo end. This 
may bo effected most conveniently by 
syringing with tepid water; first placing tho 
pot containing tho plant on its side, that tho 
soil may not bo watered too freely. Those 
who liavo no syringe, may use a watering- 
pot, or any means by which tho plants can 
bo thoroughly sprinkled, which answors 
nearly as well. Many fine plants make but 
a sorry appearanco as ornamonts of a room, 
from tho dusty stato in which they aro al¬ 
lowed to remain,— seemingly as though a 
coating of lint and dirt was neoded as a 
protection. 
Plants should have plenty of light at any 
season. They cannot flourish without it, 
and tho flowers aro destitute of half the 
brightness and fragrance which they would 
possoss, had they thoir full share of sun- 
shino. Thoy grow up, too, spindling and 
tonder, and bosides being less beautiful, are 
tar easier affected by any and every causo 
which has an injurious tendency.— b. 
LOW-LIMBED, vs. TALL TREES. 
Oak, elm, maple, pine and most other 
trees, which in a dense forest, sond up 
smooth, bare trunks, that may bo measured 
by tens of feet, will in an open field, if left 
to themselves, limb out near or quite to tho 
ground. Analogy seems to suggest tho pro¬ 
priety of allowing applo trees, in similar cir¬ 
cumstances and in our climate, to follow 
their own modest instincts in this respect, 
instoad of compelling them to Bloomerizo, 
without oven a leaf to protect their spindle 
shanks from tho direct rays of an August 
sun. 
On this thoory, confirmed by somo little 
observation, I planted an orchard of over 
one hundred trees in tho spring of 1850._ 
After considerable inquiry among nursery¬ 
men, I bargained with the Messers. Lake, of 
Topsfield, who said thoy could furnish just 
what I wanted— trees not tall enough to sell 
well! Thoy wero to bo two years from the 
bnd ; consequently small at "best, and still 
smaller for boing “ stunts.” Somo wero 
howovor, threo or four years old—loss at¬ 
tention being paid to ago than to tho re¬ 
quired form of tho trees. When thoy wore 
delivered, Mr. L. pointod to a slim, lank- 
bodied,-small topped treo. and remarkod, 
*• there is a fine ono—sold it for 75 cents; 
but, as it is not taken away, you may have 
it for 50 cents.” I replied “ I would like to 
see it grow with the low-limbed troos I havo 
bought of you for a shilling each, and will 
promiso to set it out well.” 
Now for tho result of four seasons’ growth. 
Tho tall treo was put in the garden, and 
in a soil in which a Louise Bonne do Jersoy 
pear, planted near by and at tho same time, 
has added full six feet to its stature; while 
tho twigs of tho apple havo shot out 
ono, two, soinotimos six inches a season; 
but not onough in tho four years to chango 
its original forlorn appoaranco. Tho trunk, 
a foot from tho ground, measures six and a 
half inches in circumfei'once, and is now, as 
it was when planted, nearly of the size all 
the way from the ground to tho limbs, 
which branch out 5 feet high. 
The small trees wero sot in a light, sandy 
and gravelly soil, from which wood had been 
previously cut; was cleared off and plowed 
in tho fall previous, when a compost of 
meadow-mud, lime, ashos and leaves, was 
made into piles, convenient for use in set¬ 
ting the trees in the spring. This is all the 
“ manure ” they havo had, except what they 
may have stolen from corn and potatoes, 
lightly manured in tho hill ; they havo an¬ 
nually been planted among the trees, and 
ono mulching of coarso meadow hay. I 
have measured a row of 14 trees, which I 
think a fair averago of the orchard, and find 
tho circumference of the smallest six inch¬ 
es ; of the largest ten inches ; averago of 
tho wholo fourteen, about one foot from the 
ground, seven and one-half inches. Tho 
shortest trunk, seventeen inches; tho tall¬ 
est, threo feet; averago of the fourteen 
trunks, two feet three inches. I measured 
ono limb that had grown eight feet in the 
four seasons, but in most cases I could not 
decide where tho first year’s growth com¬ 
menced. But, tako tho trees together, the 
small ones have made about as many feet 
as the tall one has inches. 
Tho exact circumference of either the 
small trees or tho tall ono when planted, is 
not known; but, while the first havo 
changed from mere bushes to respectable 
trees, the latter has remained in statu quo. 
Tho tall treo has been full of blossoms 
every spring, but has borno no fruit. Of 
the small ones, seven bloomed last year, 
(tho third year from planting,) and matured 
seven apples; this year twenty-one bloomed, 
but only one applo ripened. 
Injustice to the tall tree I ought to add 
that it has sont out shoots every season 
from both roots and trunk, apparently for 
the purpose of remedying its unnatural po¬ 
sition ; but these havo been regularly Jack¬ 
knifed, to give tho tree a “ fair chance,” and 
tho full benefit of “ cultivation.”— JYew 
England Farmer. 
Pears. —Why don’t all the farmors raise 
pears ? Good pears bring a higher price in 
this markot than any other fruit. Choice 
Bartlott’s have boon sold hero at 12J cents 
each, and a few of another kind at 18f 
cents each. At such prices whoever could 
raise a crop of them would make his fortune 
speedily.— JY. Y. Journal Comerce. 
Domestic fomratjL 
TO ROAST FOWLS. 
Pick and draw them; bo careful not to 
break the gall-bag in drawing, as if tho gall 
bo spilled, it will render any pari which it 
touches bitter ; a fowl should bo so cleanly 
drawn as to requiro no washing, but merely 
to be wiped out with a clean dry -cloth.— 
Singe them; then press down tho breast¬ 
bone. Break tho legs by the middle of the 
first joint, draw out the sinews, aid cut off 
the parts at tho break. Put the gizzard in 
one pinion and the liver in the other, and 
turn tho points on tho back ; put a skewer 
in tho first joint of the pinion and bring the 
middle of tho leg close to it; put the skewer 
through tho middle of the leg and through 
the body, and the same on the other side ; 
put another skewer through tho small of 
tho log and the sidesman, and another thro’ 
tho other side. Cut tho head, off close to 
tho body, leaving sufficient skin to tie on 
the back. Suspend it neck downwards.— 
Baste with butter for somo time after put¬ 
ting to the fire. They will require from 
half an hour to an hour according to the 
size. When fowls aro large thoy are very 
good stuffed like turkey. 
Servo roast fowls with meltod butter or 
gravy sauco. Boforo you send thorn to ta¬ 
ble, remove all skewers and strings which 
may have been used in trussing. Fowls and 
all other feathered animals aro sorved with 
tho breast upwards. 
To Roast a Turkey. —Having picked, 
drawn and singed t!ie turkey, truss it ac¬ 
cording to previous directions for trusing 
fowls. Stuff the breast with rich veal stuf¬ 
fing, adding a little sausage meat; sew up 
the neck. Cover tho breast with buttered 
paper to preserve it from scorching, and 
roast it to a fine brown. Baste it well with 
butter; and a little while before it is done, 
removo tho paper and allow tho breast to 
brown. A good-sized turkey will requiro 
roasting from an hour to two hours. You 
must havo plenty of good gravy in the dish, 
and garnish with lemon. Servo with bread 
sauco. 
To Roast Ducks. —Pick, draw and singo 
them. Cut off the head; dip tho feet in 
boiling water to removo the yellow skin; 
truss them plump, turning tho "feet flat upon 
the back. Stuff the'same as goose, and 
serve with gravy and applo-sauco. An hour 
will roast a duck. 
The Way to Spoil Potatoes. —It is a lit- 
tlo singular that many who are otherwise 
excellent cooks aro ignorant of tho rich, dry, 
mealy vegetables, theirs are invariably “ sog¬ 
gy” and heavy as bread when tho yeast is 
worthless. Their method of spoiling pota¬ 
toes after thoy aro well cooked is wonder¬ 
fully simple. They place over tho dish con¬ 
taining them, hot and smoking from tho 
boiler, a tight cover, and koep it there—any 
ono can do it, and oat water-logged potatoes 
in consequence. Better put thoir cover out 
of sight, ovon if tho contents of tho dish 
should cool a few minutes sooner on that 
account. Boiled potatoes intended for the 
tablo should not bo covered a momont.— 
J\'onvich Examiner. 
JPtdjmnk 
LIST OF PATENT CLAIMS 
ISSUED FROM THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 
For the week ending November 15, 1853. 
Erastus B. Bigelow, of Boston, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in looms for weaving pile fabrics. 
Jno. Gledhill, of New York, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in power looms. 
Henry P. M. Birkinbine. of Philadelphia, Pa., 
for supplemental valve to the equilibrium pipe of 
the Cornish engine. 
James BrowD, of New l r ork, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in daguerreotype apparatus. 
Chas. S- Bulkley, of New York, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in electro-magnetic annunciators. 
Joseph D. Elliot, of Leicester, Mass., for ma¬ 
chine for dressing staves- 
Franklin Fruit, of Jefferson City, Mo., for im¬ 
proved chuck for cutting barrel heads, 
Banford Gilbert, of Pittsburgh, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in propellers. 
Leonard Gilson, of Brighton, Mass., for ma¬ 
chine for dressing circular sash, <fec. 
Daniel H. Hovey, of Kilborn, Ohio, for improve¬ 
ment in machines for creasing straps of leather. 
J. Leeds, of Philadelphia, Pa., for improvement 
in ventilators. 
Wm. & Wm. H. Lewis, of New York, N. Y., for 
improved coating box for daguerreotype plates. 
Sergius P. Lyon, of Farmmgton, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in self-acting dampers for air-tight 
stoves. 
Wm. Henry Muntz, of Norton, Mass., for im¬ 
proved paddle wheel. 
Geo. Phillips, of Philadelphia, Pa., for improve¬ 
ment in seed planting cultivators. 
Timothy Raudlett, of Enfield, N. H., for im¬ 
provement in mop-heads. 
Robert Sinclair, Jr., and Richard F. Maynard, 
of Baltimore, Md., for improvement in feed-rollers 
of straw-cutters. 
John H., James M. and Hosea Q. Thompson, of 
Holderness, N. H., for improved machine for trim¬ 
ming soles of boots and shoes. 
Wm. II. Towers, of Philadelphia, Pa., for hot¬ 
air registers. 
Wm. Townshend, of Hinsdale, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in looms. 
Jon. E. Warner, of Boston, Mass., for machine 
for finishing the ends of staves. 
Henry Waterman, of Hudson, N. Y., for im¬ 
provement in safety-valves for locomotive engines. 
Jon. YV hite, ot Antrim, N. H., for improvement 
in uniting shovel blades to handle straps.* 
Hosea H. Grover, of North Cohocton, N. Y., for 
improvement in rotary churns. 
Evan H. Branson, of Fredericksburg, Va., as¬ 
signor to Franklin Slaughter, of same place, for 
machine for dressing crooked timber. 
RE-ISSUE. 
Aretus A. Wilder, of Detroit Mich., for im¬ 
provement in planing machines. Patented Dec. 
21, 1852. Ante-dated July 17, 1852. Re-issued 
Nov. 15, 1853. 
COOIONG^BY^GAS. 
Of tho complote success of gas as fuel 
for cooking, wo can speak with aconftdonco 
founded upon careful observation and re¬ 
peated experiments. YVo have eaten meats 
cooked by this new process, and can vouch 
for their fine flavor; as for the expense, we 
can speak with mathematical precision, hav¬ 
ing carefully computed tho cost with Mr. 
Power and tho President of the Brooklyn 
Gas Co. To cook 3 lbs. of mutton chops 
takes just 10 minutes of time, and costs 
only $ of a cent; to boil a kottle containing 
half a gallon of water, occupies exactly 12 
minutes, and consumes loss than a cubic 
foot of gas. To got up a breakfast of four 
dishes, say ono for meats, a second for cof¬ 
fee, a third for potatoes, &c., and a fourth 
for eggs, or whatever else you please, will 
cost only 3 cents, and can all bo dono with¬ 
in 15 minutes. If any of our readers are 
skeptical on this point, they can easily satis¬ 
fy their curiosity by a visit to Skinner & 
Power’s Gas YVorks Fulton stroet, Brooklyn. 
Tho gas pipes are tapped, and tho con¬ 
nection with tho cooking apparatus made 
in tho samo way that wo have described for 
heating. Fifty dishes can be cooked at tho 
same time, if desired. A fino largo turkey 
was roasted at the Astor House tho other 
day by this process, and thoso princes of ca¬ 
terers, Messrs. Coleman & Stetson, pro¬ 
nounced this new mode of cooking the most 
completo and successful in its rosults that 
they had ever witnessed. Tho 'days of 
stoves and cooking ranges are numborod.— 
Tho use of gas is to form a part of our do¬ 
mestic economy, and tho kitchen will be¬ 
come an attractive place. 
Many inventions of a somewhat similar 
character have boen brought before tho 
public, but they havo all been radically de¬ 
fective. This is tho first time that the gas 
has been so thoroughly decarbonized that 
no smoke would gather upon tho dish.— 
Tako the clearest gas burner in New York, 
placo polished metal over tho flame, and it 
will bo instantly blackened. Take the 
brightest silver and hold it in tho blazo that 
Mr. Power produces, and it will scarccly 
dim tho surfaco. 
Mr. P. has apparatus for overy ramifica¬ 
tion of tho kitchen—even to heating a fiat- 
iron—that is evor required. An ironing 
day will soon coaso to bo droaded by house¬ 
wives. He has a smoothing iron construct¬ 
ed in such a manner that it will bo heated 
nearly as soon as tho gas is turned on;— 
tho gas is conducted into its body in the 
manner wo havo described, and can bo grad¬ 
uated at pleasure, the wooden handle 
through which tho gas passes boforo ignition, 
is a non-conductor of heat, and the flatiron 
can bo usod all day without a holder. 
YVo cannot go into tho minuto description 
of tho various cooking utensils, but we will 
say, in brief, that thoy aro all mado upon 
tho samo principle. The gas of ono of our 
ordinary burners supplies about fifty jots— 
forming a distributed and attenuated flamo 
—resembling in appearanco tho bluish al¬ 
coholic flamo, and saving overy particle of 
heat. Tho cooking is all done by downward 
radiation ; the fire is brought to the meats, 
not tho meats to the fire. In roasting, tho 
fire keeps basting the meat all tho time, 
thereby saving tho cook all that trouble 
which ho is now compelled to tako. 
Tho various jots unite and form a splen¬ 
did sheet of flamo, the boat of which in¬ 
creases in intensity tho longer it burns, and 
which accounts for tho groat economy of 
tho invention. Every particle of the heat 
generated is usod—nono of it being lost as 
is the caso now when tho tiro is not cribbed 
and confined. 
Ono of our averago gas burners costs 
about 35 cents for ove^-y 100 cubic feet of 
gas, and as it burns only about 4 feet per 
hour, and as one burner of tho ordinary 
sizo will koep tho pot boiling, or most any 
of tho dishes going, tho economy will be ap¬ 
parent to every reader. A company of 
capitalists havo taken hold of the matter, 
and will soon erect a largo factory for mak¬ 
ing the cooking utonsils, etc. ; so that tho 
public will soon enjoy a participation in the 
benefits of this new and valuable-invention. 
—JYew York Mirror. 
THE SCREW PROPELLER. 
Having sketched the progress of Screw 
Steam Navigation, a short spaco will suflico 
for an explanation of what this scrow con¬ 
sists, how placed, and in what its great ad¬ 
vantages resido. Tho reader will no doubt 
gladly bo spared a treatise on the resistance 
of fluid bodies, on positivo and negative slip, 
or centrifugal action. It may bo enough 
to say, that the screw propellers now most 
commonly in use, are what aro termed 
double-threaded, of about one-sixteenth of 
a convolution; in plainor languago, they 
consist of two twisted iron blados fixod up¬ 
on a shaft revolving beneath tho water, at 
tho stern. This shaft is surrounded by a 
a stuffing-box filled with homp packing," to 
keep tho aperture in the ship’s stern water¬ 
tight; its extremity is set in a socket attach¬ 
ed to tho ruddor-post. Tho scrow itself re¬ 
volves in that part of tho stern of tho ship- 
called tho dead-wood, in which a suitably 
si/e .I hole is cut to admit of its working. It 
is the thrust, or forward pressuro of tho 
blades, or sections of the scrow threads, 
which is effective in propolling tho ship. 
Numerous trials as to tho relative quali¬ 
ties of the paddle and tho scrow have re¬ 
sulted in a most complete demonstration of 
tho superiority of tho latter as an auxiliary 
power to vessels under canvass. For long 
sea voyages, in which calms, light airs, or 
fair breezes are looked for, a screw ship of 
fifteen hundred tons and three hundred 
horse power, would bo proforable in point 
of spoed and economical working to a pad- 
pie steamer of the same size and of three 
times the horso power. It has boen clearly 
shown that a screw steamer makes as much 
way undor canva3 and with half steam on, 
as without sails and with her whole steam 
power applied. Indeed, wherever sails can 
be used at all, the advantages of the screw 
appear most clearly; even in sailing close- 
hauled to the wind, a vessel by the aid of 
tho scrow maybe propelled four knots, when 
previously making only ono knot an hour. 
Experiment has demonstrated that an 
auxiliary screw-power sufficient to propel a 
ship not moro than a milo or a mile and a 
half an hour, when brought to tho aid of 
the sails, has in roality added three or four 
miles an hour, to her speed. This is ac¬ 
counted for in tho following manner:—when 
tho vessel is propelled by canvas alone, and 
at a low rate of sailing, the wind quickly ro- 
bounds from the sails, and forms a sort of 
eddy or dead air in their rear, which acts to 
an extent adversely , for tho sails do not re¬ 
ceive nearly the whole advantage of tho 
breeze; but, the moment more speed is im¬ 
parted by auxiliary powor, tho sails retain 
tho wind longer, having more of it, and 
there is not tho same degree of rebound.— 
In like manner the sails assist the action of 
the screw, by enabling it to work upon a 
largor surface of water, and so extend its 
power. 
It is evident, therefore, that exce-pt in 
running against a head gale, tho screw-pro¬ 
pelled ship must have tho advantage. In 
regard to the original cost and working tho 
two kinds of steamers, thero is an enormous 
difference. Calculations show that the re¬ 
lative oxponse of the throe classes of ships 
is as nine for paddle-steamers, to four for 
sailing vessels and threo for auxiliary screw- 
ships.— Household Words 
COST OF A LOCOMOTIVE. 
Our first class narro-w guago engines, 
weigh empty, 44,000 lbs., and are worth 16 
cents per pound. Thoy will consume ono 
cord of wood and 1.200 gallons of water per 
hour, and will generate 265,000 cubic feet 
of steam per hour, of a pressure equal to 
that of the atmosphero. The heating sur¬ 
face is of tho extent of tho bottom of a boil¬ 
er, 24 feet in diametor. Tho strain upon 
tho iron of tho shell of tho boiler, is from 
6,500 to 11,000 lbs. por square foot under 
ordinary pressuro. There is also an addi¬ 
tional strain ot about 4,000 ff>3. per square 
foot exerted lengthwiso of the boiler to pull 
it apart crosswise. The whole pressure ex¬ 
erted against all the internal surfaces of tho 
boiler amount to 20 millions of pounds, or 
10,000 tons ! The usual distance traveled 
by tho locomotive, being in motion but one- 
oighth of the time, is equal to once around 
the globe overy year; In going 60 miles an 
hour, 88 feet are traversed per second, 5 
revolutions of the driving w'heols are made, 
requiring 20 strokes of tho piston, and 20 
intermediate periods of action in the valve, 
equal to the division of a second into 40 
parts. 
