AUGUST 16. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
ftclmuli anil ferlrni. 
THE CURRANT. 
Before the season of small fruits has passed, 
and while an opportunity still remains of observ¬ 
ing the distinctive characteristics of the different 
varieties, we desire to call attention to a some¬ 
what neglected family, and claim for the Cur¬ 
rant a little consideration. There is so little 
skill required in the cultivation and manage¬ 
ment of this fruit, and the old varieties have 
become so widely disseminated, that it is look¬ 
ed upon as rather a common and inferior fruit, 
and only brought to market by farmers, who 
have always an eye to turn every item of pro¬ 
duce to account. Selling at from one dollar to 
a dollar and a half per bushel, very little in¬ 
ducement is presented for their cultivation for 
marketing, as the cost of picking is considera¬ 
ble. Under these circumstances, very little at¬ 
tention has been given to the propagation of 
improved sorts, the old and familiar Red and 
White Dutch being the standard varieties in al¬ 
most every locality, and these so reduced in 
size and quality from neglect, that it is doubt¬ 
ful whether they will remunerate even the 
farmer for the labor of picking them. With a 
little of that attention and skill now so general 
among our fruit cultivators and intelligent 
farmers, and a suitable selection of improved 
varieties, of which there is an ample list offer¬ 
ed by respectable nurserymen, the Currant 
could be rendered much more important than 
it now is. As the method of pruning and gen¬ 
eral treatment of the Currant is well known, 
we design at present only to refer to a few of 
the select varieties now in cultivation, so as to 
induce those who have limited themselves to 
two or three, to try a few additional sorts which 
are decidedly superior. 
From the Red Currant, or Ribes Rubrum of the 
botanist, have been produced by hybridization 
many varieties, varying in color, flavor and pro¬ 
ductiveness, but possessing the essential char¬ 
acteristics of the parent. Knight made the 
most important improvements in this branch of 
the subject, as he produced several new varie¬ 
ties which were decidedly distinct. The White 
varieties have .all sprung from the Red, which is 
the original type of this section of the family. 
The Black Currant is a distinct species, Ribes 
Nigrum, and easily distinguished by its exter¬ 
nal appearance alone,— only a few varieties 
have been raised from it*— all of which closely 
resemble the original. The Large Fruited Mis¬ 
souri, a native of the Western States, is worthy 
of special notice. 
There are about twelve Red varieties of de¬ 
cided value,—of these the Victoria is perhaps 
the most worthy of extended cultivation. It is 
a peculiarly productive sort, with long bunches, 
and large berries of a light red color, with a 
habit very robust and peculiar ; indeed it may 
be readily distinguished when growing beside 
the others by its spreading, strong shoots, with 
glossy foliage ; these characteristics when taken 
together with the peculiarities of the bunch, as 
before noted, are sufficient to identify it.— 
Another advantage is its lateness of ripening, as 
it follows the Red Dutch, and serves to lengthen 
the season of this pleasant fruit. " 
Closely resembling the Victoria, but with 
shorter branches, we may notice the Prince 
Albert ; the color is also a light clear red, berry 
large and delicate in flavor; this variety is easily 
distinguished by its large and ample foliage 
and shoots, the leaves are prominently veined, 
and the whole plant dissimilar to any other 
variety, it is also late in ripening. Knight’s 
Sweet Red; as its name implies, is a variety raised 
by Mr. Knight, similar to the Red Dutch but 
of a lighter color and much sweeter than that 
variety; this property renders it desirable in a 
collection. The Long Branched Red is a very 
productive variety, with bunches nearly as 
long as the Victoria, but with smaller, and 
darker red berries ; the habit of the plant re¬ 
sembles that of the Red Dutch. 
The Red Grape is a beautiful and very pro¬ 
ductive Currant, of a clear red color, and pleas¬ 
antly acid flavor, bunch long, and plant similar 
in habit to the Red Dutch. 
The Cherry is well known for its large berry, 
and the robust habit of the plant, with ample, 
distinctly marked three-lobed leaves. When 
properly cultivated it is decidedly the largest 
Red Currant in cultivation. 
There are in addition to the. above many 
other red varieties, all of which are valuable, 
and though not as well known as the favorite 
Red Dutch, are still Worthy of a place beside 
it, and may if fairly treated prove acquisitions 
to such as desire variety. 
Of the White varieties, in addition to the 
White Dutch which has already attained a re¬ 
spectable standing, we have in cultivation, the 
Attractor, a very distinct variety with cut or 
nettle like foliage, and good sized bunches, 
with delicately flavored, large, white berries; 
we can only say that those who wish to have a 
choice selection of fruit should add this and the 
following to their collection : 
White Grape .—This is a decidedly distiuet 
and valuable White Currant, and only requires 
to be known better to ensure its cultivation.— 
Although it has been before the fruit growing 
community for several seasons, it has not yet- 
had a fair opportunity to prove its merits, as 
those who have cultivated the White Dutch to 
perfection, are fully satisfied with that variety, 
and will scarcely admit a rival. We can, how¬ 
ever, confidently assert that the White Grape 
is superior both in size and productiveness, and 
there can be no doubt as to its identity when 
cultivated alongside the other well known sort. 
While there is yet an opportunity we would 
recommend an examination of these fruits to 
all who desire to depend on their own observa¬ 
tion rather than the report of others. There are 
two other White varieties in cultivation not so 
well marked as those noticed.—s. 
THE VIRGALIEU PEAR. 
Eds. Rural I have thought that an article 
setting forth the productiveness, profits, vigor, 
health, time it takes to bring the tree into bear¬ 
ing, and general cultivation of the Virgalieu or 
White Doyenne Pear, would be interesting if 
not profitable to many readers of your truly 
valuable and widely circulated journal, and ac¬ 
cordingly send you the following for publica¬ 
tion. I have divided the subject into eleven 
parts, and endeavored to treat each part by it¬ 
self as far as possible, for the purpose of making 
the whole subject the more clear and distinct. 
This pear is of foreign origin, a native of 
France. All things considered, it is undoubt¬ 
edly the best pear grown in Western New 
York, and probably in America. There are 
other varieties that are equal to it in some par¬ 
ticulars, but none as a whole. 
1st. It is a Regular and Prolific Bearer. 
The village of Canandaigua contains more 
large trees of this variety than any other place 
in Western New York. There are many trees 
there from 9 to 15 inches in diameter, from 40 
to 50 feet high, and from 50 to 70 years old, that 
have not failed of a single crop since they came 
into bearing. I am told by many gentleman 
that they have borne every year, for 40 to GO 
years, from 5 to 20 bushels per tree. The buds 
stand the coldest winters unharmed and are 
never injured by the frost in the spring. Years 
when the apple crop has been entirely cut off 
by frosts, the trees of this variety have been 
loaded with large aud golden fruit that would 
tempt a king, and which have tempted too 
many boys to the loss of the growers. It is the 
most certain crop of fruit raised in this part of 
the State. These facts show a good crop to be 
just as certain every year as is the arrival of 
Spring, Summer, and Autumn. 
2d. Its Profits. 
A number of gentlemen in Canandaigua have 
kindly given me the liberty to use their names 
in connection with the following facts pertain¬ 
ing to the number of bushels of this pear to the 
tree, price, &c., which can be relied upon with 
the utmost confidence and certainty. 
One of the most prolific trees of this variety 
stands on the old homestead of the late Judge 
Howell on Main st., and was planted by his 
own hand near GO years ago. It is now about 
3)4 feet round its trunk and from 40 to 50 feet 
high. Thos. R. Howell, Esq., son of the Judge 
and who has seen the frosts of nearly half a 
century, says this tree has borne from his earliest 
remembrance every year, and certainly has 
not failed of a good crop for 40 years—that it 
has averaged 20 bushels a year for the last 20 
years. This crop has been sold for $2 a bushel, 
on the tree generally. He thinks it will be 
safe to estimate the profits of this tree at $40 a 
year for the last twenty years. In this estimate 
he called the price but $2 a bushel. The price 
paid there was generally $3 a bushel, last year, 
which would make this crop worth $60. Mr. 
Howell has a number of small trees on his 
place, 25 years of age, each of which bear from 
5 to 6 bushels a year of beautiful and superb 
Jruit worth $3 per bushel—$15 to $18 per tree. 
Judge Taylor, has three large trees about the 
age and size of those mentioned above. The 
yield from these three trees in 1854 was eleven 
bushels of selected fruit, four of which he sold 
for $56, and the other seven for $70—making 
the crop $126, from three trees, equal to $42 a 
tree. He says the weather was so dry that a 
part of the fruit dropped off in August—that 
the yield was not as good as it had been years 
before, and that he has never failed of a good 
crop. Judge T. has a number of other'trees, 
grafted a few years ago, just coming into bear¬ 
ing, which produced 7 or 8 barrels more. He 
says his pear trees will pay the rent of 50 acres 
of land yearly. 
There are three trees on the old Atwater 
place, now owned by Marshall Phinley —two 
of them about the size aud age of the above, 
the other small. Mr. Phinley says he has al¬ 
ways sold the crop on the trees—price from $50 
to $60 a year. They bear regularly every 
year. The small tree bears about 3 bushels* 
the largest from 15 to 18 bushels, and the other 
from 10 to 14 bushels. The profits of these 
three trees, at $3 per bushel, wou>d be from 
$84 to $105 annually. He says he was offered 
$100 a tree for them, but refused to take it. 
One gentleman sold his crop of thirty barrels 
year before last, in the city of New Y r ork, for 
$15 a barrel — equal hi $450. This fruit, as I 
understand it, was from a young oTchard of 
seven or mon^years from planting, containing 
some hundreds of trees. It yielded about 50 
barrels last year, as I am informed. If this is 
correct, and they sold as high as the year before, 
they brought the snug little sum of $750 — as 
much as 20 acres of wheat would bring last year. 
The above are but a few facts selected from 
many of like nature, to show the amount of 
pears produced by a tree, and the price for 
which they were sold. I can say farther, with¬ 
out fear of contradiction, that these will not 
vary much from the average of all the trees in 
Canandaigua, taking age and size into consid¬ 
eration. An acre of 100 large trees like those 
above described, would average at least thirteen 
bushels each—equal to 1,300 bushels. At the 
Canandaigua price, $3 a bushel, the crop would 
bring $3,900. At the New York price, $15 a 
barrel, (three bushels to the barrel,) they would 
bring the snug fortune of $6,500,— enough to 
buy a good farm. We have no such orchards 
to my knowledge in America, at this time, to 
compare this estimate with ; but taking the 
Canandaigua trees as a whole, for a sample* 
they will warrant the above estimate. 
3d. Time required, under good Culture, to bring this 
Variety into General Bearing. 
Two year, old trees (from the bud.) that are 
healthy and thtifly, and planted upon the right 
soil for the pear, rightly trimmed and cared for, 
will cemmence bearing the third year after 
transplanting, and will produce from one to 
twelve pears each, and annually increase rapidly 
in number. By the seventh year they will 
average at least one peck of splendid pears to 
each tree—making the yield per acre (of 160 
trees) of 40 bushels—equal to $120 at the pres¬ 
ent price. I have some trees that were set four 
year ago. They commenced bearing in 1853. 
Year before last they bore from one to twelve 
pears each. One of my neighbors planted an 
orchard of 300 trees threcryears ago this spring. 
Some of his trees bore the following summer. 
This explodes the idea so generally entertained 
that it takes from 15 to 20 years to fruit the 
pear from bud—however true it may be with 
seedlings cultivated in the old way by farmers 
on the borders of their gardens. Many other 
varieties bear equally young, amoDg which are 
the Madelaine, Bloodgood, Bartlett, Seckel, 
Winter Nelis, «fcc. 
Trees twelve years from transplanting will 
average at least one bushel per tree, (and this 
is a low estimate.) Where 160 trees are set 
upon an acre, the crop will be worth, at $3 per 
bushel, the clever sum of $480. I estimate that 
the whole yield from the time of transplanting 
to the twelfth year, would be at least 3)4 bush¬ 
els to a tree—equal to 560 bushels to the acre, 
which at $3 per bushel, will give $1,680 for the 
whole crop for twelve years; or an average of 
$140 per year. 
Trees sixteen years from the setting will 
average 3 bushels per tree, or 480 bushels per 
acre, worth $1,440. At twenty years from 
planting they will produce 6 bushels to a tree 
—equal to 960 bushels to the acre—worth at 
the present price the snug little fortune of $2,- 
8o0. This variety retailed in some of our prin¬ 
cipal cities last fall for from 2 to 6 cents each.— 
It sells in London market for 25 cents a pear, 
or at the rate of $50 per bushel of 200 pears ! 
Should any one think the above estimate too 
high, I shall not be troubled in the least to 
show them trees of the above ages that produce 
yearly twice the quantity of fruit specified. 
[To be concluded next week.] 
CORRECTION, AND REASONS THEREFOR. 
D. D. T. Moore :—As printers often take the 
liberty of altering my words, allow me once for 
all, a remark on the subject — especially as an 
alteration of this kind occurs in a short note 
with my name, in last Rural. 
Having long since adopted the practice of 
designating the days of the week, and the 
names of the months, by numerical names in¬ 
stead of those in more common use, as most of 
the latter were originally given in honor of 
pagan deities, I have been sometimes mortified 
to find myself represented in public journals, as 
using the language that I have professed to dis¬ 
card, for one more in accordance with the purity 
of expression which a Christian would prefer. 
There are certain terms applied at the pres¬ 
ent, (chiefly as a mere matter of form, it is true,) 
to Europeans of high rank or office, which 
would be repulsive to most Americans ; such, 
for example, as “ His Sacred Majesty,” as ap¬ 
plied to a profligate king, or “His Grace,” as the 
title of a drunken duke. It is for the same 
reason, (in addition to that of Christian princi¬ 
ple,) that induces me with many others to reject 
the names of days and months, given at first in 
honor of the gods of a false, corrupt, and oppres¬ 
sive form of religion, and to renounce the use of 
certain complimentary titles, approaching the 
adulation offered to men who have only rank to 
recommend them, and which also appears to me 
adverse to republican simplicity, to say nothing 
of Christian equality, 
I would not have obtruded this subject on the 
readers of the Rural New-Yorker, if I had not, 
as well as several of my friends, been often 
placed in a false position, in various papers, 
through typographical liberty; and I make 
these remarks simply as explaining the course 
we adopt. Very respectfully, 
J. J. Thomas. 
Union Springs, 8 mo. 4, 1856. 
Remarks. —In giving the above, we beg to 
state that oar printers do not “often take the 
liberty of altering words,” and moreover that 
the Rural very rarely gives any one occasion 
to complain of being “ placed in a false posi¬ 
tion.” The note alluded to was received at the 
moment of closing the paper for press, hastily 
placed in type, and substituted for other mat¬ 
ter—leaving us entirely innocent aud uncon¬ 
scious of the serious “ mistake of the printer” 
until notified by the above from our esteemed 
but punctilious correspondent.— Eds. 
How to Produce Large Fruit. —A corres¬ 
pondent of the Gardener's Gazette says, by a 
very simple and easy process, fruits of many 
kinds may be raised about one-third larger 
than is usually the case, and of greatly improv¬ 
ed quality. The secret consists in supporting 
the fruits so that they shall not be allowed to 
hang the whole weight upon the stalk, or twist 
about in the wind. The Gazette states that 
when fruit is allowed to hang naturally up¬ 
on the stalk, the increasing weight strains the 
stem or twig, and thus lessens the quantity of 
nutritious food flowing to the fruit. The fruit 
may be supported either by tying it to a branch 
with a piece of matting or by inclosing it in a 
small net. Flowers, such as dahlias or peonies, 
may also be rendered much larger by the adop¬ 
tion of this system. 
etjrattit fife, 
HIST OP PATENTS, 
Iftfined from the United Staten Parent Office for the 
week ending July 29,1856. 
Alfred Bailey, Amesbury, improvement in pegging jacks. 
C. D. Barnitz, Baltimore, improvement in portable fold¬ 
ing tables. 
John W. Batson, Triadelphia. Md., assignor to himself 
and Martin H. Batson. Md., improvement in rakiDg appa¬ 
ratus of corn and cane harvesters. 
John W. Batson, Triadelphia. Md., assignor to himself 
and Martin H. RatsoD, Md., improvement in the cutting 
apparatus of corn and cane harvesters. 
Henry J. Behrens, New York, improvement in machine 
for sawing in taper form. 
John F. Doynton, Syracuse, improvement in apparatus 
for solar salt evaporation. 
Wm. H. Burnham and B. Hibbard, Cortland Village, 
improvement in churns. 
E. C. Cleveland, Worcester, improvement in metal 
planers. 
A. S. T. Copeland, Pittsburg, improvement in sawing 
machinery. 
Algernon L. Cole, Windham, Me., improvement in har¬ 
ness for weaving seamless bags. 
Janies R. Creighton, Boston, improved shutter operator. 
Austin G. Day, Seymour Conn., improved fountain pen. 
Samuel Downer and Joshua Merrill, Boston, improve¬ 
ment in pyrogenous lubricating oils. 
Lewis S. Fisher, Waynesboro’, Pa., improvement in ma¬ 
chines for sawing marble. 
Geo. W. Gerau, Brooklyn, improvement in fore and aft 
rig of vessels. 
Samuel H. Gilman, New Orleans, improvement in sugar 
evaporators. 
John P. Hays, Philadelphia, improvement in bake ovens. 
Charles Hoyt, West Aurora, Ill., improved devices in 
stave machinery. 
E. T. iDgalls, Haverfield, Mass., improvement in steam 
boiler furnace. 
Ralph Henry Isham, Greenwich, Conn., improved mode 
of “ patching” rifle shot. 
James D. Jeffers, Joseph Sparks, and John H. Jeffers, 
Philadelphia, improvement in corn planters. 
Fr. q. Langwith, New York, improved clamp for 
plumbers. 
Samuel W. Lowe, Philadelphia, portable printing press. 
John McMurtry, Fayette county, Ky., improved stave 
machine. ^ 
Patrick Mihan, Boston, improved method of inserting 
faucets in fluids under pressure. 
A. C. Miller, Morgantown, improvement in hand seed 
planters. 
Campbell Morfit, Baltimore, improvement in soap boil¬ 
ing apparatus. 
John Moore, Quincy Point, Mass , improvement in po¬ 
tato planters. 
James Myers,' jr., New York, improvement in coal 
scuttles. 
John Nesmith, Lowell, improvement in knitting ma¬ 
chines. 
Washington F. Pagett, Stone Bridge, Va, improvement 
in machines for binding grain, &c. 
Thomas Parkes and Alfred Parkes, Brooklyn, improved 
printing press. 
J. S. Brown, Washington, D. C., assignor to Jos. Kent, 
Baltimore, improved bee hives. 
T. T. Prosser, Oconnmowock, Wis., improved sawing 
machine. 
James Reynolds, New York, improvement in gutta per- 
cha apparatus tor covering wire. 
Solomon W. Ruggles, Fitchburgh, for pickpocket de¬ 
tector. 
Nelson Ruger, West Farms, improved devices in carving 
wood. 
G. H. Starbuck and L. D. Gilman, Troy, improvement in 
smut machines. 
Alva B. Taylor, Newark, improvement in machinery for 
forming hat bodies. 
Miron Smith, Sandisfield, Mass., improvement in ox 
yokes. 
G. W. Walton and H. Edgarton, Wilmington, Del., im¬ 
proved method of turning ellipsoidal fmms. 
Augustin D. Weymoth, Fitchburg, Mass., improved ma¬ 
chine for manufacturing spools. 
Cromwell P. Weaver, Philadelphia, improved model of 
hanging window sash. 
Joseph Wharton, Philadelphia, improvement in appara¬ 
tus for purifying white oxide of zinc. 
C. B. Wheeler and Austin Bascom, Steuben, O., im¬ 
provement in clover seed harvesters. 
Benjamin F. Wheelock, Mayville, Wis., improvement in 
sad iron heaters. 
James Wilder, Boston, improvement in machines for 
cutting out soles of boots and shoes. 
John Wright, Wilmington, Del., improvement in appa¬ 
ratus for smoking meats. 
Jacob Zimmerman, Oswego, Ill., improvement in molds 
for hollow projectiles. 
S. C. Mendenhall and J. Conner, Richmond, Ind., im¬ 
provement in flour bo.ts. 
Thos. B. Atterbury and Wm. Warwick, Pittsburg, as¬ 
signor to Warwick, Atterbury & Co., same place, improved 
face plate for locks. 
Theodore F. Engelbrecht, New York, assignor to himself 
and Thomas C. Nye, same place, improvement in chimney 
dampers. 
Joseph Goodridge, Boston, assignor to Boston Faucet 
Company, same place, improved faucet. 
Geo. Kenny, Milford, N. II., assignor to Geo. Kenny and 
George N. Davis, Boston, Mass., improvement in whiffle- 
trees. 
Alfred Swingle, Boston, assignor to Elmer Townsend, of 
same place, improvement in pegging jacks. 
John C. Shorey, Rochester, N. H., assignorto Augustus 
J. Webster, same place, improved method of operating 
gates for water wheels. 
RE-ISSUE. 
Wm. H. Guild and Wm. F. Garrison, Brooklyn, im¬ 
provement in operating valves in direct acting steam en¬ 
gines. Patented March 27, 1856. 
AMERICAN CLOCK BUSINESS. 
Out of thirty-one clock manufactories enu¬ 
merated by us in articles on the subject two 
years ago, four have been destroyed by fire, 
nine have stopped by failure, and five have 
ceased manufacturing on account of small profits. 
There are still thirteen factories making clocks, 
but only six of them are running full time and 
with a full complement of hands. These six 
will produce about 95,000 clocks this year.— 
The remaining seven factories will make about 
48,000 clocks, so that the total production of 
clocks this year will not exceed 143,000. 
The Jerome Manufacturing Company in 1853 
and 1854 produced each year 444,000 clocks.— 
Thus they must have produced about an av¬ 
erage of one clock per minute. The factory of 
J. C. Brown, during 1851 and 1852, issued from 
80,000 to 100,000 clocks annually, making a total 
from the two establishments of over Jive hun¬ 
dred thousand clocks each year. The Ansonia 
Company manufactured about 150,000 last year. 
Thus it will be seen that all the thirteen facto¬ 
ries now runuing will make hardly one-fourth 
of what was produced by three of the large fac¬ 
tories now standing still. The question natu¬ 
rally arises, w T hat shall we do for low priced 
clocks in the future ? There is still a large 
amount of fancy clocks on hand, which will 
probably last out the season, but the wooden 
frame “ O. G.” and “ sharp top Gothic” clocks 
are not being made, and there is comparatively 
none in the market. The wooden frame clocks 
cannot be made for the prices that they have 
been sold at. It is estimated that nearly half 
a million of dollars has been lost in selling 
clocks under the cost within the last three 
years. The clocks tor exportation have amount¬ 
ed to about one million of dollars annually, 
which aided us in the exchanges with the old 
country. As an instance, we know one house 
that imports shawls, linen, collars and lace 
goods from Scotland and makes its exchange in 
clocks. But if they were to send a bill of ex¬ 
change it would cost them from 7 to 8 per cent. 
But sending out clocks at 5 per cent, profit or 
more, it makes then at least 13 per cent, on the 
clocks, which is a paying business. There are 
doubtless many similar agents in the exporta¬ 
tion of the article which is an advantage to 
ourselves ; and for this reason we desire to see 
it fostered and again take its place among the 
industrial productsof our country. The business 
has resulted so disastrously to those engaged in 
it, that some time must elapse before capital 
will seek this channel as an investment, unless 
something like a combination can be made to 
sustain the prices. Foreign countries with all 
their low wages cannot, it would appear from 
the past, compete with us in making cheap 
household clocks. The workmen of England 
cannot be induced to put together work so 
recklessly. They are amazed at the thought of 
shaping the parts by the bushel and putting 
them together as a boy sets ten pins. America 
makes a clock while Europe is putting on its 
apron. The clock business now stands in a pe¬ 
culiar position. There has been no rise in 
prices, but there appears every reason to anti¬ 
cipate one. The amount of low priced clocks 
made this year will not supply the home mar¬ 
ket, and the exportation of the article must 
almost wholly cease for a time at least. It is 
said that one or two English agents have been 
to the clock disticts and have scoured them 
thoroughly to buy all that' could be found fin¬ 
ished, but the amounts were small without a 
prospect of getting more. If the American 
manufacturers can combine and form rules 
which shall prohibit the continual cheapening 
process and fix a minimum price varying with 
the quality ordered, but never such as to forbid 
a living profit, the clock manufacture may again 
rise ; without it there appears every sign of a 
long stagnation.—IF. Y. Tribune. 
SHIPPING TUNNAGE. 
Tuns of Shipping of the British Empire and 
the United States, in 1840:—British Empire, 
3,128,000; United States, 2,180,000. 
Tuns of shipping in the world in 1850—Brit¬ 
ish Empire, 4,232,000 ; United States, 3,535,000; 
all other nations, 1,750,000. 
From 1850 to 1856, navigation received a 
great impetus by the discovery of gold in Cali- ■ 
fornia and Australia, and by a repeal of the 
British Navigation act. The following tables 
show this remarkable increase : 
Tuns of the world in 1855—United States, 
5,400,000 ; British Empire, 5,200,000 ; all other 
nations, 2,000,000. The increase of tuns in the 
United States from 1850 to 1855 was 1,865,000 ; 
in the British Empire, same period, 967,000. 
Since 1840 the tunnage of the world has in¬ 
creased 85 per cent.; that of the British Em¬ 
pire, 67 per cent.; that of the United States 
140 per cent. 
The United States now leads the British Em- . 
pire 200,000 tuns. 
The difference in the measurement is about 
10 per cent, in favor of the United States, which 
gives an addition of 540,000. Total excess of 
the United States over the British Empire, 
740,000 tuns. 
It will be seen that the United States not 
only leads the British Empire in her mercan¬ 
tile marine, but is fast advancing upon the com¬ 
bined tunnage of the world. 
IRON AND COAL. 
In the United States there are 160,000 square 
miles of coal beds; in Great Britain less than 
12,000. The proportions of iron are about the 
same. The coal and the iron which she pos¬ 
sesses are the source of nearly all the power of 
the British Empire. Hod forms the body and 
the coal the soul of her strength; iron the nerve 
and sinew, but the coal the vital heat and en¬ 
ergy that puts the whole in motion. The iron 
fingers of the machinery spin the most delicate 
and cunning laces, and the iron arms of her 
shafts move with huge force, accomplishing the 
labors of hundreds of millions of men ; but it 
is the carbon of her coal that has imparted life¬ 
like force and direction to'the cold, hard metal, 
and thus enabled England, while only having 
to support a population of 25,000,000, to per¬ 
form an amount of physical labor more than 
equal to that of all the human beings in the 
world unaided by machinery. All the teeming 
swarms of her Indian possessions, consuming 
as they do and must, perform not half the val¬ 
uable labor for the world that her coal, genera¬ 
ting the motive power of steam, is momentarily 
effecting. This it is that rears all the wealth of 
British manufacturers and the peaceful arts of 
industry—this that enables her to carry so 
easily her unheard-of public debt, fight battles 
all over the world, and conduct campaigns to a 
successful issue, in spite of her numerical fee¬ 
bleness. 
Electricity in Steel-Making. —The London 
Mining Journal contains the results of some 
experiments by which it would appear that the 
conversion of iron into steel is much facilitated 
by the passage of a current of electricity 
through. The application of the current for a 
certain time will, it is affirmed, insure the ab¬ 
sorption of a certain amount of carbon, and by 
controlling the flow in this respect, as also by 
1 increasing or diminishing the intensity of its 
action, different qualities of steel will be pro¬ 
duced with more certainty and regularity than 
by the ordinary process. As we understand 
, the description, the iron is imbedded in char¬ 
coal in the usual way, and the cementation is 
i conducted in all respects according to the old 
i established way, except that the flow of elec¬ 
tricity is allowed to aid both in hastening and 
■ equalizing the extent of the cementation. 
TUTmTMTurmTMmn 
