..... 
AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
which to gather its food. It is also a great feeder, 
and therefore requires a liberal supply of manure. 
One season of liberal treatment will conyince the 
cultivator of this fact. 
There are several varieties of Flowering Cur¬ 
rants, the Fellow and Scarlet Flowering, which we 
shall not describe at this time. There are also 
several Variegated-Leaved varieties, more orna¬ 
mental than usetul—and not having much to boast 
of in the way of ornament 
“The attention of the learned world is now en¬ 
grossed,says the Independence Beige, "by a new 
invention, which promises to be of universal use¬ 
fulness. Mr. Tlioraus, of Colmar, after thirty years 
of hard study and assiduooa labor, has atlastsolved 
the problem of calculation by mechanism. His 
machine, which he has baptised • Arithmometre,’ 
is applicable to the solution of all arithmetical 
operations, from the simplest to the most compli¬ 
cated ones. This instrument solves, with infallible 
correctness, not only the four rnU-s—addition, sub¬ 
traction, multiplication and division, but also 
ascertains the powers of quantities, extracts the 
roots of numbers, resolves triangles, reduces ordi¬ 
nary and decimal fractions, and defines tbe rules 
of proportion, Ac. Its rapidity of execution is 
such as to defy the ablest calculators. A multipli¬ 
cation of eight numbers with eight numbers is exe¬ 
cuted in eighteen seconds; a division of sixteen 
in twenty-four 
LIST OP PATENTS 
Issued from the United States Patent Office for the week 
ending December 18, 1856. 
THE SMALL FRUITS 
Fig. 4. 
Then fasten the branches down into a horizontal 
position, as in figure 4. Cut oil the ends of the 
shouts about one-third. Kach of these horizontal 
branches will give a number of shoots, from which 
two must be selected to train in a vertical direc¬ 
tion, and one to continue the main horizontal 
branch, as in figure 5. The shoots trained verti¬ 
cally should he about eight inches from each other. 
The next spring the shoots of the previous sum¬ 
mer’s growth should be cut back about one-third 
of tbeir growth, and so continued each season. 
The pruning and training of trees and plants is 
nut. aimtdv a mechanical operation. It requires 
1 Clark H. Brown, Forest Port, N. Y,, improved method of 
planine and tapering wooden hoops. 
William Reach, Philadelphia, improvement m rake pans. 
John Butler, Domnore, Pa., improvement in valve mo¬ 
tions for steam engines. 
Wm. E. Copeland, Fall River, unproved spring bolt, 
Jabez Coney, Boston, improvement in pumps. 
Chaa. Flanders, Charlestown, Maas., improvement m rail¬ 
road car coupling. „ , . , . 
John Edwin Forbes, Hoboken, N. .L, improvement in 
skate runners. . _ _ _ 
George H. Fox, Boston, and Henry J. Siller, East Cam¬ 
bridge, Mass., improved Altering faucet . 
Harvey Gray, Bristol, Conn., improvement m lifting jack. 
.Tames E. A, Gibbs, Mid Point, Va., improvement in sew¬ 
ing machines. _ . , , , , 
John Heller, East Lampeter, Pa., Improved portable wa- 
U James G. Hunt P-eading, .0., Improved portable field 
fence. 
T/'wis Jennings, New York, improvement in sewing ma¬ 
chines. , . ... 
Peter H. Jackson, New York, improvement m ships 
windlass. .. „ ' . 
Joseph Kin gland, Jr., Franklin, N. J-, improvement m 
machine for grinding paper pulp. , ._ 
FlorMio Keyes, Leominster, Mass., improvement in raa- 
chines for paring apples. ... 
I Samuel Klahr, Reamstown, Pa., improved boring ma- 
cViiuo 
" Wrn. Lewis, an-1 Wm. XL Lewis, New York, improvement 
in pLotographic batb*. _ , 
Joseph Thomas McIntyre, Middletown, Del., improve¬ 
ment in railroad gate for cattle-guard- 
or with the knowledge that we might thus impart 
Our aim is not to astonish our readers, but to bene¬ 
fit them — not to make ourselves noted but useful. 
We therefore choose a humble subject, the C ru- 
Many, we suppose, are ready to say " W e 
can grow currants well enough: we have always 
had currant brush in our garden, and we think 
there isn’t much to learn about growing a few 
currants for sauce and jelly.” If you grow cur¬ 
rants of line flavor, with bunches from five to six 
inches in length, and berries one-and-a-half inches 
in circumference, we think you are doing well.— 
But, if your currants are sour, small, and almost 
entirely filled with a hard woody seed, with bunch¬ 
es about an inch in length, as we commonly see | 
them in our markets, and in the gardens around 
the country, we think you have something to learn 
even about so small a matter as growing currants. 
The Currant is not so insignificant a fruit ns 
some may be disposed to think. It is at least one 
of the moat useful of the small fruits, and the bet¬ 
ter varieties, when well grown and well ripened, 
arc of excellent tiavov. We have loug thought 
that the currant has been sadly neglected by those 
who have given their attention to the raising of 
ciphers through eight ciphers, 
seconds. Tbe machinery is so simple that, after 
the expiration of five minutes of instruction, the 
most ignorant head knows enough at calculation 
to defy with its help all calculators, in rapidity and 
correctness. The “ Arithmometre ” is placed in a 
small, light box, which can be easily carried in a 
pocket, and is so constructed that its mechanism 
can scarcely ever be deranged. It is already in 
operation in several great commercial houses, the 
house of Rothschild, and in the mint of France, 
and it soon will be as common as letter presses.” 
RANT, 
The Red Currants are considered tbe best tor 
cooking, jellies, Ac,, on account of tbeir acidity 
and beautiful color. The White are preferred for 
eating in the natural state, as they are of a more 
beautiful mihl flavor. The Black are of a peculiar 
strong flavor not liked by Americans generally. 
In England they are preferred to all others for 
jams, jellies and tarts. The Black Currant Jam or 
Jelly is there considered an almost infallible rem¬ 
edy for colds, sore throats, Ac., and invaluable in 
cases of fever. The good English housewife would 
hardly feel safe to pass through a winter without a 
good store of black currant jelly and jam. Ike 
taste for the black currant, like the taste tor the 
tomato, must he acquired—and when once acquir¬ 
ed, like the latter it becomes a necessary luxury. 
Those who make currant wine should try the black 
currant, as it makes a superior artiele. 
This cable is three-fourths of an inch in diame¬ 
ter. In the centre are seven small copper wires, 
twisted upon themselves, and the whole insulated 
by a thick covering of gutta pereba. Eighteen 
strands of slender iron wire, each strand composed 
of seven threads loosely twisted upon themselves, 
constitute the outer covering. The weight of the 
whole is eighteen cwt. to the mile, and its strength 
such that it will bear in water over six miles of its 
own length if suspended vertically. Its specific 
gravity is such that it is thought there can be no 
question about its sinking readily to the bottom, 
being much heavier than the shells brought up by 
I sounding. The objection that the strands of wire 
I formiug the outer covering will sutler corrosion or 
decomposition, is met by the statement, based, it is 
said, on satisfactory experiments, that in corrod¬ 
ing, the material of which the outer covering con¬ 
sists will enter into chemical union with the soft 
mud in which the cable is imbedded and will thus 
form a concrete mass of ealcarious or silliceons 
substance, affording its very best protection. 
The gntta percha and central copper wire are 
thought to be indestructible under water. The 
I flexibility of the cable is such as to make italmost 
! as manageable as a small hemp line. Its selection 
for a length of time. In cultivation too it has 
been sadly neglected — it receives no pruning, or 
pinching, or training, or mulching, such as are 
lavished on its more favored neighbors.” John 
Baul, of Washington, recently said in an article 
on tills subject—“ Were we to search through the 
whole catalogue of fruits, we could not find one 
possessed of so many sterling good qualities as 
this; and yet how much neglected.” After such 
testimony, who will say that we are giving too 
much importance to this much neglected and ill- 
used fruit. 
We have one objection to the currant, and that 
is, that it is too patient under ill-usage. If planted 
in some out-of-the-way corner, where it is almost 
smothered with weeds; or in the corner of a fence 
where it is half eaten up every season by the cat¬ 
tle; or in the middle of some thoroughfare, where 
it is in the way of every one that passes, and re¬ 
ceives some pretty hard rubs, doing service about 
half the time as a clothes-line; still it produces 
fruit—not worthy the name of currants, to be sure, 
but what is eaten and sold as such. Like a good 
many well-disposed peisons, it is sadly imposed 
upon on account of its amiability of disposition. 
The Currant bush , as we generally see it, is but 
an ungainly stump, surrounded with a thicket of 
suckers, like fig. 1. 
Restoring Old Steel Pens.— J. Pimont, of 
Rouen, France, has obtained a patent for the fol¬ 
lowing method of restoring old steel pens which 
have been thrown aside as worthless, by long use 
or bad ink. 
The old and injured pens are exposed in a suit¬ 
able vessel to heat, in a furnace, untiltheir tempe¬ 
rature is raised to about a red heat. They are af¬ 
terwards allowed to cool, and then cleansed from 
the dirt that may adhere to them. The cleansing 
maybe performed by shaking them togeth- 
CHERRY CURRANT. 
Knight’s Early Red is a very good early cur¬ 
rant, of about medium size. 
The Long-bunched Rep Dutch is a large late 
variety of the Red Dutch. The bunches are long, 
and the berries large, but quite acid. 
The Reo Dutch is a good currant, with a fau- 
sizfid bunch, and large, rich berries. It is a good 
bearer and a free grower. 
The Victoria is a very late variety. Its bunches 
are of great length, ana its color pale red. \ alu- 
able on account of its lateness. 
Knight’s Sweet Red is a good sweet currant, 
with long bunches and large berries. 
The White Dutch is a high flavored, fine varie¬ 
ty The bunches arc of very fair length and the 
berries large. One of the best of the white cur¬ 
rants. 
The White Grate is tbe largest white currant. 
The hunches are long, and the berries large and 
pale. Tbe flavor is not considered by some quite 
process 
er for some time in a close box containing a little 
soap and sand. 
By this simple process it is stated that metal 
pens hitherto considered to be perfectly spoiled 
and useless, inay be restored to their original state. 
Daylight Reflector.— The New York Journal 
of Commerce says that the Metropolitan Bank, of 
that city, is having Stater and Wyherd’s “ patent 
diffusive day-light reflector” affixed to the win¬ 
dows of that fine edifice. They do not seem to 
This novel contrivance 
damage its appearance, 
is about half the size of an ordinary window, made 
of glass, with its upper surface corrugated, so 
as to collect and concentrate the rays of light. 
One edge is hinged on to the building horizontally, 
about midway between ibe top and bottom of the 
window, and the outer edge is ordinarily elevated 
so as to form an angle of forty-live degrees. It 
seems to be coming into very general use for light¬ 
ing dark apartments. 
- 4 ^-- 
Hi ok CiOCK. —The dials of the English Parlia¬ 
ment clock are twenty-two feet in diameter, and 
are the largest in the world with the minute hand. 
Every half minute the point of the minute hand 
moves nearly seven inches. The clock will go 
eight and a half days, and strike only seven and a 
half, so as to iudicate by its silence any neglect in 
winding it up. The mere winding of each of the 
striking parts will take two hours. The pendulum 
' is fifteen feet long; the wheels are of cast iron, the 
hour bell is eight feet high and nine feet in diam¬ 
eter. weighing from fourteen to filtecn tons. The 
weight of the hammer is four cwt. 
Fig. L Fig. 2. 
Let the pruning knife be judiciously applied. 
Remove all suckers, and have a clean stem from 
a pretty round head, 
six to ten inches high and 
(like tig. 2,) with the branches kept sufficiently 
thinned out to admit light and air freely. Then, 
every year give a good dressing of well-rotted 
manure, and you will have plants that you will 
have good reason to ho proud of, and fruit that 
your friends will mistake for grapes. 
The shoots of the previous year’s growth should 
be shortened-in every spring, as this will induce the 
formation of fruit spurs. The black currants, 
however, bear principally on the wood of the pre¬ 
vious year’s growth. 
We would recommend the training of the cur¬ 
rant on walls or fences. The finest fruit we have 
ever seen was raised in this way. Thus cultivated 
they occupy no room in the garden, give no shade 
to injure any other plant, but make beautiful the 
ugly fences and walls that disfigure even the best 
kept American gardens. Those who have traveled 
Carpet Sweeper. —The Scientific American 
describes a carpet sweeping machine, exhibited at 
the fair of the American Institute in New York.— 
It consists of ;t small box in which there is a re¬ 
volving l’an. That sucks up all the dnst and dirt, and 
carries it into a small compartment containing 
water. The woolen fibres and larger particles are 
deposited in a drawer. The sweeping is done by 
pushing tbe box along over the surface of the car¬ 
pet by handles. The whole apparatus is light and 
simple, and will outlast a thousand brooms. No 
dust is created, and the sweeping is most thorough¬ 
ly done. 
Recipe to Cirie Hams. — As soon as the hog is 
cold enough to be cut up, take the two hams, and 
cut out the round bone, so as to have the ham not 
rub them well with common salt, and 
Paper kkosi Hops. —The use of the hop plant in 
tbe manufacture of paper is uow proposed. Im¬ 
mediately after being cut, the stalk or vine is tied 
up in bundles, if possible the whole length of the 
plant, and these bundles are immersed in water 
pits, similar to those employed in operating on flax 
and hemp, or in a running stream, and are kept 
there until a slight fermentation ensues, sufficiently 
to partially detach the fibre, the pithy and woody 
portions oV the stalk. The separation may be ef¬ 
fected by hand, or by passing the stalk between 
rollers with or without teeth, the woody or pithy 
•natter being picked out or washed out afterwards. 
After separation, the fibre may be again steamed, 
aiul rolled, if required to bo very fine, but care is 
keep the fibre wet until it is cleaned 
too thick, 
leave them in a large pan for three days. When 
the salt has drawn out all the blood, throw the 
brine away, and proceed as follows: 
Have two barns, of about eighteen pounds each, 
take one pound of moist sugar, one pound of com¬ 
mon salt, two ounces of saltpetre, then put them 
into a vessel large enough to contain them in the 
liquor, mueuiemberiug always to keep the salt 
over them; after they have been in this cute three 
days, throw over them a bottle of the best vim-gar. 
One mouth is requisite for the cure of them; dur¬ 
ing that period, they must be turned often in the 
brine; when you take them out, drain them well; 
powder them with sonic coarse flour, and hang 
them in a dry place. The same brine can serve 
again, observing that you must uot put so much 
salt on the next hums that you pickle. T his meth¬ 
od has been tried and pronounced far bettor than 
■Homestead. 
Premium Offered. —A prize of 10,000 francs is 
offered by the Duke of Luynes to the photograph¬ 
ist who shall discover a means of fixing sun pic¬ 
tures and making them durable. Artists of ail na¬ 
tions are invited to compete. The award will be 
made by a committee of the Photographic Society 
of France. 
necessary to 
from gummy and resinous matters, by repeated 
steaming and washing. The fibre will now be in 
the condition of half stuff, and fit, after further 
bleaching, for the manufacture of paper, paste¬ 
board, Ac. 
The New England Pin Company, at Winsted, 
which is prevented from using the patented ma¬ 
chine for sticking pins, has got a contrivance tor 
sewing them on to the papers. 
the Westphalia, 
