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MOOSE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
135 
Drcjrarfo mxir 
SHORTENING-IN ” THE PEACH TREE. 
THE CULTURE OF CELERY. 
Constant pruning is a necessity of the 
Peach tree, if it is desired to maintain it in a 
shapely, thrifty, and productive state. This is 
bo from the fact that the sap tends powerfully 
to the extremities of the shoots, so that the 
branches are constantly advancing outward 
and dying off inwardly, and thus in a few 
years the trees become worn out and unpro¬ 
ductive. The fruit, too, being borne only on 
wood of the preceding year, the tree must be 
so managed as to furnish a constant and reg¬ 
ular succession of bearing shoots, or it gradu¬ 
ally deteriorates in value. 
The shortening-in mode of pruning has been 
found most successful in accomplishing this. 
It consists in yearly cutting back the extrem¬ 
ities, so as to counteract the spread of the 
limbs, and induce more frequent branches, in 
a young tree, for instance, the growth ot a 
year consists of shoots all over the top or out¬ 
side of the tree, from a foot to two feet long. 
In a bearing tree there will be one or two 
wood buds at the base, and two or three more 
near the top and terminating the shoot. The 
remainder—a dozen or more in number—will 
be fruit buds, and if untouched, will probably 
bear, destroying the wood buds at the base and 
pushing out at the extremity, new shoots, but 
weak in consequence of the quantity of fruit 
below them. At the end of the season, the 
shoot of last year will show a long, vacant 
space, without a young shoot or living bud, 
and in this way the centre of the tree soon 
contains only bare limbs, and the vigor of the 
tree is wasted by over production. 
When the shoots are shortened one-half, or 
thereabouts, the sap is retained in their lower 
parts, one-half the fruit buds are removed, and 
those that remain produce larger and better 
fruit; the lower wood buds produce vigorous 
shoots to bear next year, taking the place of 
those which have already borne. In this w r ay, 
regular, uniform crops of large and fine fruit 
are produced, and a succession of young shoots 
kept up. ‘'If this pruning,” says Thomas, 
“ is regularly and annually performed, the 
head of the tree will be preserved in an even 
and compact shape, and in a healthy and vig¬ 
orous condition ; and it will rarely become 
necessary to shorten and thin out the limbsby 
cutting back the larger side branches." 
This mode of pruning is most expeditiously 
performed by a pair of light, hand-pruning 
shears, cutting every shoot separately and dis- 
criminately. Indeed this must needs be so at¬ 
tended to, for it will not answer to clip the 
trees as one would a hedge—the circumstances 
of growth, situation and number of bud3, 
must be considered to perform it properly.— 
If the top is sheared evenly all over, it tends 
to produce a thick mass of shoots on the out¬ 
side, shutting out the light from the centre, 
and increasing instead of diminishing the evil. 
Something may be done for large, neglected 
trees, by an intelligent operator. They will 
have a head composed of long, branchless 
limbs, and consequently an open centre. The 
fruit will be produced on the ends of the limbs, 
and the tree become tall and enfeebled from 
over bearing and a constant succession of ter 
minal shoots. The proper shortening-in is 
performed by cutting back the principal limbs 
three or four feet—taking care to do so just 
above a considerable side branch, which leaves 
no stump, and causes the wood soon to heal 
over. The tree will throw out a new head of 
healthy bearing wood, and trees “ given up 
by the doctors” as superannuated and worn 
out, have thus regained their youth again,— 
good at least for half a dozen years’ fresh ser 
vice. Early in spring is the proper time for 
this, as well as most other pruning. 
GRAFTING—SELECTION OF SCIONS. 
Eds. Rural :—Eighteen years ago I com¬ 
menced grafting my fruit trees myself, and not 
knowing anything about selecting scions, I 
took them from the young shoots that start 
from the large branches where they had been 
pruned the year previous. I set fifty that 
grew finely, but before setting any the next 
year I saw it stated in an agricultural paper 
that grafts should be taken from the ends, or 
last year’s growth of bearing branches, and 
from such I selected and grafted the rest of 
my orchard. It was grafted with winter fruit 
principally. Now those that were grafted 
the first year with the sprouts from the limbs, 
produce apples that will keep two months 
longer than those from the ends of bearing 
branches. I have from the first year’s graft¬ 
ing, ever since they came into bearing, Rhode 
Island Greenings that keep good and sound 
and retain their flavor until the last of June 
—aud not more than a dozen decayed apples 
would be found in a barrel that had been put 
up in November aud opened in May follow¬ 
ing. A. B. L. 
Sow the seed in April, (unless you depend 
on procuring plants from some neighboring 
gardener,) in rich ground, lying fair to the 
sun ; aud do not forget to use the water-pot, 
if the weather is dry. The seed will not ger¬ 
minate without moisture. If sown too thick, 
the plants will grow spindling, and will re¬ 
quire a long time to become vigorous. 
Select a deep, loamy soil; dig a trench 
twelve inches in depth and fourteen inches 
broad, and, if space will allow, do not have 
more thau two or three trenches contiguous, 
and that too at the distance of four feet. Fill 
the trenches half full of suitable compost—un¬ 
rotted barn manure is bad, and will render 
the roots wormy — so that the young plants 
may have a genial soil in which to fasten their 
young fibres. All things being ready, trans¬ 
plant hardy, vigorous plants during the latter 
part of June, or the early portion of July.— 
The roots are long and delicate ; let a hole be 
made with a spindle shaped billet of wood— 
an old shovel handle pointed is very conve¬ 
nient—and set but one row in each trench, six 
inches apart. If the weather is fair, cover 
the trenches for a few days during the hottest 
part of the day, and water the plants toward 
evening, after uncovering them for the night, 
that they may enjoy the advantage of the 
night-dew. Add a little natural mould about 
the plants, the third day—it will refresh them 
and reconcile them to their new situation.— 
Hoe gently once a week, continuing to add 
finely pulverized mould, collected from some 
place where an old fence or old building nas 
been recently removed. If the rain is with¬ 
held, water at evening, remembering that the 
earth should be made loose about each plant, 
if you would see a rapid growth. An occa¬ 
sional half hour in the morning or evening, 
will furnish the farmer’s family with a luxury 
almost unknown in the rural districts. 
After the plants have reached the height of 
six or eight inches, the bleaching process may 
be urged quite rapidly, if desired—the quicker 
the growth, the more tender aud brittle will be 
the celery. The stimulating properties of the 
compost at the root, will remind the cultiva¬ 
tor often to “ dress up,” and keep off the sun 
from the stock which is to look so pearly in 
the fall and winter, as it gracefully curves 
over the high celery-goblet. 
Refore the frost becomes too severe, dig a 
good generous trench in the cellar, and trans- 
ler a lair portion of the crop to a mellow, rich 
bed, from whence it can be easily taken as 
wanted. The celery now has its growth, and 
may be packed in as closely as the Egyptian 
mummies are stowed in the catacombs of the 
Nile. 
What is neither used nor packed away in 
the cellar should be partially covered with 
straw and earth, so that the crow-bar may 
loosen it from day to day as wanted for the 
table. This will save much labor and will 
preserve the article in the open garden till 
January .—Christian Intelligencer. 
GRAFTING LARGE LIMBS. 
We prefer, in grafting old orchards, to 
graft the young branches, or suckers, as some 
call them, which spring out of the limb. Wm 
Cone, of Troy, Michigan, in a communication 
to the Michigan Farmer on the subject of 
grafting and orcharding, recommends grafting 
the large limbs. He says “ when grafting old 
trees, cut the limbs very close to the body, say 
from four to six inches. Get your top down, 
you will soon see the benefit of it. You can 
never get a tine top from grafts set six or eight 
feet from the bodies. If you have to cut six 
inches through there, there is no danger if you 
set scions enough and keep it covered with wax 
“ In setting into large stocks, don’t split 
your limbs square across, (but make several 
splits on the outside centering inward like the 
spokes to a wheel, Ed.) Re careful to set in 
scions enough to heal the outside as soon as 
may be, and you can then cut out what you 
don’t need.” 
We have never seen Mr. Cone’s method 
adopted among us, but presume where the tree 
is vigorous and thrifty it would work well. 
There is one thing we have learned by experi¬ 
ence in grafting old trees, whether you graft at 
the end of the limbs, six or eight feet from 
the body, or cut off to within six or eight in¬ 
ches of the body, you must look out to have 
leaves enough, either on the grafts or suckers, 
during the summer, to elaborate sap wood 
enough to cover or sheath that limb over by 
the second year at least. We have seen grafts 
put into the extremity of old limbs, say four or 
1 five feet from the body. All the suckers were 
then carefully cut off, and kept off through 
the season. The graft grows well during the 
first summer, for the layer of sap wood, (albur¬ 
num,) made the season previous, conveys an 
abudance of sap to it. Its leaves elaborate 
this sap into new sap wood, and send it down 
to form a new layer or sheath for the limb, 
through which the next years sap may come 
up, but does not form enough of it. The graft 
starts again next spring, perhaps vigorously, 
for the old sap wood still conveys sap to it, 
but by fall it begins to falter, and during the 
next season it dies. This has been the case 
with some old limbs in our own orchard, that 
had been grafted and so managed, and on cut¬ 
ting off the limbs and stripping the bark off, 
we found that the successive layers of new sap 
wood, (alburnum,) did not cover or sheath 
over the limb, and hence, probably, the death 
of the whole .—Maine Farmer. 
To raise good crops of black seed Onions, 
they ought to be sown early and the weeds 
kept out by continual cultivation. 
easily propagated by cuttings of its long 
vines, aud by its roots, which are, like those of 
the potato, of annual growth. The roots are 
large and long—the flesh very mealy, and de¬ 
void of any peculiar or disagreeable flavor.” 
It has been pronounced by eminent cultivators 
in France, “ a precious acquisition.” 
The result of the few that were grown in 
this country during the last season, was very 
satisfactory. The N. Y. Commercial Adver¬ 
tiser states that Mr. Rolles exhibited some of 
the roots at a late meeting of the New York 
Horticultural Society, and described them as 
giving a large Yield, capable of bearing a cold 
climate, and of remaining in the ground dur¬ 
ing the winter. 
From the few specimens I have had the 
privilege of examining, the shape resembles 
the sweet potato, though less uniform. The 
flavor is said to be somewhat similar to the 
same vegetable, but it is thought that wherein 
it differs, its tendency will be to come into 
even more general use. Its nutritious proper¬ 
ties are said to exceed those of any other 
known root. 
Of its adaptedness to the climate of the 
Middle States, I believe there can scarcely be 
a doubt; and there is every reason for the be¬ 
lief, that even in Massachusetts, its cultivation 
will be attended with the most complete suc¬ 
cess.— Mass. Plmighman. 
THE JAPANESE YAM. 
LIST OF PATENTS 
Issued from the United Slates Patent Office for (he week 
end.ing April 10, 1866. 
Culture of Asparagus. —Asparagus is a 
plant lhat will bear an exceedingly rich soil, 
provided the manure is finely and thoroughly 
incorporated with Ihe soil, and that plenty of 
room is needed tor each individual plant, its 
large growth depending on this as an indispen¬ 
sable requisite. From our own observations 
we are inclined to think that for its market 
production, it should be in drills sufficiently 
remote to admit a narrow horse cultivator.— 
A very common cause for small shoots, even 
in beds which have been dug and enriched two 
feet deep, is planting too thick or near togeth¬ 
er, and afterwards allowing the evil to be in¬ 
creased by the self-sowing process, numerous 
young plants springing up all over the bed. 
We would give ihree leading reejuisites of suc¬ 
cess, namely—good soil, good cultivation, and 
plenty of room.— Exchange. 
flinxstit foiiim 
SEASONABLE RECIPES. 
Stewed Parsnips. —Wash, pare and cut 
them in slices ; boil until soft, in just water 
enough to keep them from burning; then stir 
in sweet milk ; dredge in a little flour, and let 
them simmer fifteen minutes. This is a favor¬ 
ite dish with many persons. 
Mashed Turnips.— Pare, wash and cut 
them in slices; put them in a pan, with cold 
water to cover them ; let them boil till soft 
pour them into a colander and press cut the 
water; mash them, with fresh milk, or sweet 
cream, or butter, until smooth ; then put them 
into a sauce pan, over the fire, and stir them 
about three minutes. 
Greens. —White mustard, spinach, water- 
cresses, dandelions, and the leaves and roots of 
very small beets, are the best greens. Roil 
them with a little salt in the water, or after 
you have boiled ham. They will sink to the 
bottom when boiled enough. They will not 
require more than half an hour to cook ; if ten¬ 
der, lass time. 
Salads. —To be in perfection, salads should 
be freshly gathered, and kept in cold water for 
an hour before they are put on the table. To 
prepare salad warm, take the yolk of an egg 
and beat it; add what vinegar will cover the 
quantity, and pour it in a skillet, with some 
ham gravy ; when it boils, pour it over. Eggs 
boiled hard, and cut in two, are very nice on 
the salad prepared in this way.— Ohio Farmer, 
Salsify or Vegetable Oyster.— Wash the 
roots perfectly clean and drop them into boil 
ing water; when done, take up and mash 
add sweet milk and flour sufficient to make a 
batter. Season with salt aud pepper and such 
other condiments as the oyster requires, and 
fry in butter. Another way in which they 
are very delicious is, to grate the root on as 
fine a grater as it will pass through; add 
sweet milk, just enough to cover it, aDd boil 
when done, add flour enough to make batter 
season with salt and pepper; break two or 
ihree eggs in and stir the whole together ; fry 
in butter or very sweet lard, and the resem¬ 
blance to oysters is complete. 
Celery. —This delicious vegetable is not 
generally appreciated as a cooking vegetable 
Wash the stem clean in salt and water, and 
drop them into fair boiling water. After boil 
ing twenty minutes, take up and drain ; place 
some toasted bread in the bottom of a dish 
now lay the celery over and season with melt¬ 
ed butter, pepper, salt, and such other condi 
ments as the taste may dictate. 
The Japanese Yam, (Dioscorea japonica of 
botanists,) is the name under which a new veg¬ 
etable has been recently imported, and which 
from the few' experiments that have been made 
in its cultivation, promises to be one of great 
importance. According to the best foreign 
authority, it is “ of all the esculent roots pro¬ 
posed as a substitute for the diseased potato, 
the only serious one. largely grown in Chi¬ 
na, it is very hardy, and stand i the winter un¬ 
der the climate of Paris perfectly well. It is 
Potato Pudding. —Roil three large mealy 
potatoes, mash them very smoothly, and put 
in one ounce of butter and two or three table- 
spoonsful of thick cream ; then add three well 
beaten eggs, a little salt, grated nutmeg, and 
a table spoonful of brown sugar. Eeat all 
well together, and bake in a buttered dish for 
half or three-quarters of an hour. 
To Restore Color in Prints. —A little 
alum dissolved in the rinse water will restore 
greeu or black: A little vinegar added to the 
rinse water will restore ml.— 0. Cultivator. 
fkknix 
fa. 
Warren Aldrich. I.owell, for improved lathe. 
John Andrews, Winchester, Mass., improvement in 
drills for artesian wells. 
Nelson Barlow, Newark, for saw teeth. 
Horace Boardman, ITattsburg, improvement on steam 
boilers. 
Solomon E. Boilers, Rochester, Mass., improved ma¬ 
chine for raising and transporting stones. 
Lyman Brainard and Levi Newton, Attica, N. Y., im¬ 
provement in rotary harrows. 
Byron Boardman and George C. Swcete, of Norwich, 
onn., improvements in machinery for wincing up lines, 
twist or cord. 
Stephen M. Cate & Edmund Jordan, Waterbury, Conn., 
improved arrangement of dies and stocks for ornament¬ 
ing metal tubes. 
John Chilcottand Robert Snell, Brooklyn, improvement 
in boot forms. 
Thos. C. Connolly, Washington, improvement in ma¬ 
chines for recording votes in legislative bodies. 
Jason W. Cory, CrawfordsviLe, Ind., improvement in 
seed planters. 
Josiah J. Butcher, New Haven, improvements in loco¬ 
motive boilers. 
Wright Buryea, New York, for card exhibitor. 
Bonj. R. Eames, South Nowry, Me., improvement in 
portable door fastener. 
-alathel Ellis, New York, improvement in framing for 
building concrete walls. 
Henry C. Garvin and J. II. King, Hagerstown, for tool 
for boring hubs. 
Moses Thompson, Henrico Co., Va., improvement in 
furnaces for burning wet fuel. 
Chas. B. Hutchinson, Auburn, for rr.ode'of guiding re¬ 
ciprocating saws. 
James H. Jones, Scio, N. Y., improvement in railroad 
car coupling. 
Ferdinand Klein. Newark, improvement in fire-arms. 
Alex. B. Latta, Cincinnati, improvement in steam gen¬ 
erators. 
Walter Lackey, Worcester, Mass., improvement In 
straw-cutters. 
Robert F. R. Lewis, Annapolis, for spiral wheel for re¬ 
placing railroad cars upon the track. 
W. Ixwghridge, Weverton, Md., improvement in gradu¬ 
ating the tension of car breakers. 
W m. I.oughridge, Weverton, Md., for stationary hydro¬ 
pneumatic engine for extinguishing fire. 
John F. Manahan, Lowoll, improved machinery for 
boring wells. 
am’l N. Maxam, Shelburne Falls, Mass., improvement 
in machine for paring apples. 
A. H. Morrell, Harlem, improvement in cultivators. 
Benj. T. Norris, Lyun, machine for mortising blinds. 
Samuel P. Parham, Trenton, N. J., improved gas regu¬ 
lator. 
J. Rodefer, Cincinnati, improvement in bedstead fast¬ 
enings. 
Ira Rose, Akron, 0., improvement in straw-cutters. 
Charles Rose, Ahentown, Pa., improved Venetian win¬ 
dow blinds. 
David Russell, Brewersburgh, Ind., improvement in 
straw-cutters. 
Samuel T. sharp, Danville, Mo., improvement in straw 
cutters. 
David M. Smyth, New York, improvement in platform 
balances. 
Thos. C. Slmonton and I.oren J. Wicks, Paterson, N. J., 
improvement in straw-cutters. 
Albert S. Southworth, Boston, plate-holder for cameras. 
John & Thomas rweeny, Birmingham, Pa., improve¬ 
ment in adjustable lriction rollers. 
John B. Hall, New York, apparatus lor feeding paper 
to printing presses. 
Wm. Thomas, Hingham, Mass., improvement in cabin 
chairs. 
Isaac R. Trimble Baltimore, improvement in woodoo 
splice piece for railways. 
Hiram Wells, Florence, Mass., device, allowing circu 
lar saw spinules to yield. 
C. N. White, Concord, N. C., improved implement for 
boring the earth. 
David E. Paynter, Philadelphia, assignor to Israel M. 
Bissell, of same place, improved paint mill. 
J. M. Stone, Manchester, N. IT., assignor to the Man¬ 
chester Locomotive Works, improvement in lathes for 
turning locomotive drivers. 
RE-ISSCIH. 
Samuel Palmer, Prockport, N. Y., and Stephen G. Wil¬ 
liams, Janesville. Wls., improvement in harvesters.— 
Patented July 1, 1851. 
Benj. D. Sanders, Holliday’s Cove, Va., improved win¬ 
nowing machine. Patented June 19,1849. 
which are filled by Ihe mighty rivers, aud serve 
not only the purpose of a commercial highway, 
but are used for the two-io!d objects of irriga¬ 
tion aud drainage, thus rendering available for 
cultivation much land which would otherwise 
be useless. This canal Las been pronounced 
by Europeans a gigantic work, and one dis¬ 
playing sound practical engineering skill, and 
even genius, in its construction. Yet it is 
only one among many achievements of art to 
be found on a larger scale in China than in 
any other country in the world.— Un. Art. 
CURIOUS FACT ABOUT RAILROAD IRON. 
The Buffalo Democracy relates a curious 
fact about the action of frest on railroad bars. 
During the very severe cold weather of the 
past winter, a diffeiei.ee was observable in the 
wear and tear of ihe rails upon the New York 
Central Road. Here weie three kinds in use 
under observation—those weighing 56 pounds 
to the yard, those weighing 65 pounds to the 
yard,andalso those weighing 76 pounds to the 
yard. Ihe heaviest rails were worn the most, 
the next heaviest lees, and the lightest the least 
of all. And the heaviest were injured more 
in proportion than either of the others. The 
56 pound rail stood ihe frost, and the percus¬ 
sion of the passing trains, as compared with 
the 65 pound one, better than the latter as 
compared with the 76 pound rail. 
It has been obsei ved upon the Central Read 
during the winter, that wheels and rails were 
more apt to break the day after intense cold 
than on that day itself. As a mechanic phrased 
it, “ Iron breaks worse, sir, when the frost is 
going out than it does when it is coming in !” 
New Paper Material. —Among the pat¬ 
ents issued in England during the past year, is 
one dated July 8, 1854, to Lord Berriedale, 
London, relative to the application and use of 
the common thistle, or Carduus, as it is term¬ 
ed by botanists, in the production of pulpy 
material from which paper may be made. All 
varieties of the plant, it is stated, are applicable 
to the purposes of this invention, but more 
particularly the large Scottish thistle, which 
grows luxuriantly in many parts of Great 
Britain, attaining a great height and thickness 
of stem, and which furnish, in each plant, fibre 
of great tenacity to a large amount. This, 
when duly prepared, is well suited for the prep¬ 
aration of paper pulp, which will adhere very 
powerfully, as well as prove useful in textile 
manufactures. It may be used whether green 
or dry, aDd for paper goes through a similar 
process to that which rags are subjected to, 
and if for manufactures, like flax. 
CAST IRON FOOT PAVEMENT. 
We learn by the Journal of the Franklin 
Institute, an extensive piece of cast iron foot 
pavement has been laid down under the super¬ 
intendence of Benj. Severson, (a skillful me¬ 
chanician.) in Philadelphia. The pavement is 
made of cast iron plates 12 feet long, 3 feet 4 
inches wide, and % inch thick ; 12 feet being 
the width of the pavement to the curb. These 
plates are roughened on the surface by grooves 
YFi inch apart, crossing each other at an 
oblique aDgle, so as to divide the surface into 
diamonds. 
A cast iron half-inch plate, with its two 
edges turned at a right angle, so as to make 
flanges at the top and bottom, forming a gir¬ 
der 11 inches deep, is bolted to the columns of 
the building, making a support on which the 
inner ends of the plates rest. The curb is of 
cast iron, X inch thick, 11 inches deep, hav¬ 
ing a flange each side, at the bottom, and on 
the inside only at the top ; it is made to slope 
slightly outward from the top to the bottom. 
This curb rests upon a brick wall, forming 
the outside wall of the cellar, a good cement 
beiiig interposed to make a water-tight joint; 
the pieces of curb have butt joints secured by 
a cast plate behind, riveted securely to both 
pieces, cement being interposed. From the 
building girder to the curb, and resting on the 
lower flange of each, stretch girders or joists, 
12 feet long and 11 inches deep, 3 feet 4 inches 
apart, on which the pavement plates are laid 
and securely fastened by bolts or rivets, with 
counter sunk head, going through the flanges 
of the girder, the joists and the curb. 
All tfie joints are carefully cemented so as 
to be water-tight; the transverse girders or 
joists are of half-inch cast iron, strengthened 
on the bottom flange by wrought iron flat bars, 
bolted to the cast iron only at the two ends, 
and slightly expanded by heating when it is 
put on, so as to bring the lower part of the 
girder into a state of compression .—Scientific 
American. 
Paper Manufacture.— The N. Y. Sun 
says that a company is soon to he formed in 
that city, for the manufacture of paper from 
sawdust and shavings, from which it has been 
found, by experiment, that the most beautiful 
paper may be made. It is estimated that saw¬ 
dust can be purchased for §5 per ton, and that 
the process through which it will go in the 
production of paper will materially lessen pri¬ 
ces ef the latter. The sawdust is reduced to 
pulp, in the process of its manufacture, by 
acids, and afterwards passed through an opera¬ 
tion similar to that through which the paper 
in use is subjected to in its preparation. From 
the sawdust, turpentine is extracted in quanti¬ 
ties sufficient to make it an object of labor, 
and the acid used in reducing the sawdust to 
pulp is purified into its original strength, with 
the loss only of about ten per cent. 
Chloroform. —Edinburg Surgeons say that 
they are guided in avoiding danger to life 
from the use of chloroform in surgical cases, 
not by its effect on the pulse, but by the state 
of the breathing. They cease the administra¬ 
tion of the vapor when the breathing be¬ 
comes difficult, however favorable the pulse 
may appear to be. They also pay attention 
to the tongue, as a point of great importance. 
When the breathing becomes difficult, or 
ceases, they open the mouth, seize the tip of 
toDgue with artery forceps, and pull it well 
forward. Death, it is said, would have occur¬ 
red in some cases but for the use of this expe¬ 
dient, which affords the external air free ac¬ 
cess to the lungs. 
The Comfort of Ff.en'Ch Railways.— A 
Paris correspondent of the Newark Advertiser 
says :—“ The French cars are much more com¬ 
fortable than the English, a fact which I take 
pleasure in recording on account of its unique¬ 
ness, it being the only particular I have yet 
seen in which comfort appeared to be studied. 
The first class, beside luxurious cushions and a 
thick sheepskin carpet, are supplied with long, 
flattened cylinders of copper, filled with hot 
water, renewed at intervals, and affording a 
most agreeable warmth to the feet. What a 
contrast to the English cars, in which I froze 
for seven mortal hours between Liverpool and 
London ! And how much better, toe, are these 
cylinders than the close stoves with which 
onr cars are heated.” 
CHINESE ENGINEERING SKILL. 
Cider Cake.—O ne cup of butter, 2 cups of 
sugar, 3 cups of flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup of cider, 1 
teaspoonful of soda, a little nutmeg. — lb. 
Europeans and Americans are apt to con¬ 
sider the Chinese as barbarians, when com¬ 
pared with our own Christian nations. Yet 
we are constantly meeting with facts in rela¬ 
tion to that singular people, which put to the 
blush all our vainglorious boasting. Wbat 
are our great canals when compared with that 
extraordinary work of art, the Imperial Canal 
of China, which was built by the Mongol Em¬ 
peror, Kubla Khan, and extended a distance 
of more than six huudred miles? Great 
heights are tunneled, lakes bridged, and stu¬ 
pendous embankments thrown over marshes 
and low grounds to afford a passage. Unlike 
uur canals, its capacity is not limited to small 
boats, but large ships sail upon its waters, 
The Street-Sweeping Machines. — The 
following is the statement of three days’ work, 
April 16,17 and 18, of the mechanical sweepers 
in the city of New York. First Ward, dirt 
removed, 690 loads, ashes, 225 ; Second Ward, 
dirt 437 loads, ashes 200 ; Fourth Ward, dirt 
400 loads, ashes 150 ; Sixth Ward, dirt 370 
loads, ashes 200 ; in all 2,678 loads. 
Hermetically Sealed.— We often find 
this expression used to indicate an air tight 
stuffing box ; but it should never be employed 
except for expressing a closed joint made by 
melting the material of which the joint is 
composed, such as a glass tube being melted 
and then closed .—-Scientific American. 
The Blue Ridge Tunnel has progressed 
through all its difficulties 3,050 feet; ihe re¬ 
maining 1,200 feet will probably offer no other 
difficulty than the hardness of the rock; and 
the progress at about 70 feet per month will 
complete it short of 18 months. 
