will,  and  upon  the  assorting  and  sifting  depends 
tlio  fineness  of  each  grade. 
In  some  sections,  during  this  manipulation  by 
the  largo  dealers,  artificially-flavored  teas  are 
produced.  In  Oanton  wo  saw  a  largo  quantity  of 
tea  of  ordinary  quality  being  soentfsl  by  flowers 
gathered  from  n  variety  of  jasmine,  which  pro¬ 
duces  a  white,  deliciously  fragrant  blossom.  A 
layer  of  tea  is  plceed  in  the  bottom  of  a  large 
basliet  and  a  few  flowers  scattered  upon  it,  then 
another  layer  of  tea  and  another  layer  of  flowers, 
extremely  rapid  condensation  is  the  source  of 
all  steam  power. 
TEA  CULTUEE  IN  CHINA 
THE  WEALTHY  APPLE 
SOMETHING  ABOUT  STEAM-POWER.-No.  1 
Any  information  about  an  article  so  extensively 
used  as  tea  is  always  more  or  loss  interesting. 
Hundreds  of  different  stories  have  been  told 
about  tho  method  of  gathering  and  preparing 
tea  for  market,  tho  greater  part  of  which  were 
long  hiiico  proved  to  be  erroneous,  but  since  tho 
Tms  comparatively  new  apple,  has  become 
exceedingly  popular  in  tho  Northwestern  States 
during  the  past  few  years.  It  was  first  noticed 
in  the  RunAO  Naw-YonKER  in  1869,  an  outline  of 
a  R]>oeimen  of  tho  frnit  accompanying  a  brief 
description.  Since  that  time  this  variety  seems 
to  have  continually  gained  friends,  and  is  now 
being  exteiiHivoly  planted  in  the  West.  It 
originated  near  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  from  seed 
brought  from  M.iine,  soniowhere  about  tho 
year  18C0.  Tlie  tree  has  proved  to  be  very 
hardy  and  vigorous.  The  friiii  is  medium  to 
large,  the  accompanying  illmdralion  may  be 
oonsllered  to  fairly  reiireeent  an  average  of 
well-grown  specimens.  Tho  form  is  a  roundish 
oblate,  tho  color,  whitish-yellow  ground,  shaded 
with  deep  rich  crimson  in  tho  sun,  with  obscure, 
broken  stripes  and  mottling  in  tho  shade. 
rie.=ih,  while  lines  grained,  stained  with  red, 
tender,  juicy,  vinous  subaeid  ;  season,  December 
to  February.  A  moat  excellent  variety  for  cold 
Northern  localities. 
WHltR  Ui©  liiHtorical  critics  of  the  day  are  iu- 
dustrlouHly  robbing  antiquity  of  the  intereat 
attached  to  legends  of  heroism,  prodigy  and 
sentiment,  dear  to  tho  credulous  hearts  of  our 
forefathers ;  writere  of  jumthor  class  are  oqually 
zealous  in  gifting  those  remoto  ages,  with  a 
barren  knowledge  of  most  of  the  inventions  and 
diHCovoriea  commonly  eulogized  as  exclusively 
modern.  Even  5f  we  credit  tho  rosearches  of 
these  praiaers  of  the  past,  however,  surprise 
that  tho  anci'/nts  shoulil  have  possessed  an  ink¬ 
ling  of  BO  many  recent  arts  and  revelations  is 
lost  in  astoulshmeut  at  their  lack  of  ingenuity  to 
turn  their  meagre  information  to  any  practical 
use  or  benefit. 
Among  the  latter-day  discoveries  with  which 
they  are  credited  is  an  acquaintance  with  steam 
as  a  motive  power,  and  iu  support  of  this  asser¬ 
tion  reference  i.s  ma<]o  to  a  few  insignifleant  con¬ 
trivances,  imperfectly  described  by  u  braes  of 
obscure  authors,  as  intended  for  ninusement  or 
deception.  It  was  only  iu  oiir  great  gi  atidfathers’ 
day#  however,  that  this  janver  was  rediscovered 
and  utilized,  and  a  large  share  of  the  mechanical 
and  Bcientittc  Bldll  of  the  last  three  or  four  gen¬ 
erations  liiis  been  busily  engaged  in  perfecting 
machinery  for  11.H  emifioymcnt  and  in  studying 
its  properties  and  capacity. 
According  to  tlio  latest  scientific  revelations 
steam  is  tho  vajior  of  water,  or  water  converted  by 
heat  into  a  non-jiermanent  gas.  This  gas  is  per¬ 
fectly  colorless  and  transparent,  and  therefore 
invisible,  and  it  is  only  when  a  part  of  it  has  be¬ 
come  condensed  into  a  mist  or  cloud  that  it  is 
seen. 
Tho  gasification  of  water  takes  place  even  at 
low  temix-ratures,  astlie  surface  continnally  gives 
off  vapor  which  mingles  readily  with  tho  air. 
The  tension  or  expansive  force  of  this,  however, 
is  low,  but  it  increases  with  incroaMcd  teiniKira- 
toro  until  the  boiluig  point  is  reached,  when  it  is 
equal  to  the  pressure  of  tho  atmosplierc,  which 
is  forood  aside  and  tho  wleam  escapos  in  a 
body.  At  this  tenqioraturo  steam  is  formed 
rapidly  within  the  niass  as  well  as  at  the  surface, 
and  ebullition  is  caused  by  tho  efforts  of  this 
internal  vapor  to  esoape. 
The  temperature  of  the  boiUng  point  varies 
with  the  ])m’ity  of  tho  water  and  the  pros- 
Bure  upon  it.  With  water  perfectly  pure,  at  the 
sea  level,  and  under  atmospheric  jircsHtire  only, 
ebullition  takes  place  at  a  teinporaturo  of  212-’. 
With  sea  water,  at  tho  bottom  of  a  deoj)  mine, 
or  under  artificial  proBSUro  a  liighor  temperature 
is  needed,  while  at  an  aceeBslhle  mountain  ele¬ 
vation,  or  wlieii  jdaced  In  a  receiver  from  which 
the  air  has  been  partly  exhausted,  and  atmos- 
pboric  pressure  thus  reduced,  water  boils  at 
a  temperature  bo  low  that  neither  eggs  nor  meat 
can  be  cooked  by  it.  The  temperature  of  boil¬ 
ing  water  is  constant  under  a  constant  pres- 
Buro  and  can  only  be  inci'oasod  by  incroa«ing  the 
pressure  upon  it,  as  any  additional  boat  applied 
to  it  is  employed  in  converting  tho  liquid  into 
vapor  with  greater  rapidity. 
To  effect  tliis  vaporization  from  water  at  a 
temperalnre  of  212®,  into  steam  at  the  same  tem¬ 
perature  about  hj-a  times  as  much  heat  is  re¬ 
quired  as  to  raise  tho  same  weight  of  water  from 
tho  freezing  to  tho  boiling  point.  This  heat  re¬ 
ceived  constantly  from  the  fire,  after  the  water 
has  attauied  the  temperatnro  of  212-’,  was  sup¬ 
posed  to  combine  with  the  water  and  steam  with¬ 
out  raising  the  temperature  of  either,  and  has 
therefore  been  called  latent  heat,  in  contradis¬ 
tinction  to  the  heat  used  in  heating  water  to  the 
boiling  iwinl  which  has  been  styled  HCiisiblc  heat. 
The  built  of  this  latent  heat,  however,  is  ex¬ 
pended  in  overcoming  tho  cohofrion  of  the  liquid, 
and  a  part  in  forcing  aside  the  incumbent  atmos¬ 
phere  Bo  as  to  make  room  for  tho  Bteam,  and 
only  a  small  ITactlon  of  it  i)or forms  any  of  tho 
work  of  steani- 
By  confining  the  vapor,  its  pressure  upon  tho 
water  is  increased,  so  that  the  boiling  point  is 
raised,  and  with  it  tho  temperatnro  and  tension 
of  the  pent-up  steam  are  both  augmented.  The 
density,  temperature,  and  pressure,  of  steam 
A  NEW  APPLE-COX’S  RED-LEAF  RUSSET, 
Dr.  Hogo  who,  as  our  readers  weli  know,  is  a 
high  English  authority  in  Pomology,  says  of  the 
above  apple : — “  Fnait  round,  inoluiing  to  oblate 
in  appearance,  very  like  Golden  Knob,  skin 
entirely  covered  with  bright  cinnamon-colored 
msBot  which  is  thinner  on  tho  shaded  side 
where  it  exposes  a  little  of  the  yellow  ground. 
Eye  set  in  a  pretty  wide  and  deep  saucer-iike 
basin,  stalk,  pretty  stout,  set  in  a  round  cavity. 
Flesh  yellowish,  lender,  crisp,  very  juicy  and 
sweet,  with  a  rich  flavor  and  j)leaHant  aroma. 
An  excellent  dcsBcrt  apple  in  use  from  December 
till  February.” 
111’.  Cox,  the  raiser  thus  writes  of  it  •  It  is 
ostensibly,  according  to  my  own  manipulation,  a 
cross  between  the  Golden  Knob  and  Golden 
Harvey ;  but  there  is  a  possibility  that  I  was 
anticipated  by  the  bees,  us  a  tree  of  tho  Old 
Nonpareil  grew  near  by;  and  I  am  the  more 
convinced  of  this,  because  the  fruit  possesses 
three  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Old  Nonpan  il 
viz.,  shape,  long  stalk  and  tenderness.  When 
in  perfection,  the  flavor  is  most  dclieious  and 
peculiar  to  itself ;  and  it  may  be  coiiKidcred  In 
perfection  from  February  until  the  end  of  May 
after  which,  althongh  keeping  sound  until  the 
end  of  July,  the  flavor  gradually  doteriorates.” 
It  has  received  a  first-class  certifieato  from  the 
Royal  Hort.  Bocioty. 
Wji.  Paul  A  Son  of  London  have  the  entire 
stock  of  this  now  apple,  and  we  have  given  the 
above  description  in  order  that  our  nurserymen 
may  dotermino  wliethor  it  is  worth  tiieir  while  or 
not  to  Import  it  with  a  view  of  testing  its  merits 
in  this  country. 
TITF,  TTEALTHT  APPLE. 
and  BO  on.  until  the  basket  is  full.  The  fiowers 
are  generally  placed  in  the  tea  in  the  afternoon, 
and  allowed  to  remain  there  over  night,  when  it 
iH  found  tiiat  the  tea  has  absorbed  most  of  the 
fragrance  from  the  flowers,  and  is  certainly  very 
much  improved.  Tho  flowers  ore  then  removed 
by  sirUng,  and  tho  tea  reilred  to  drive  off  tho 
moiRtnro  that  It  may  hat©  gathered  from  the 
bloRBoms,  and  is  then  ready  for  packing.  This 
is  done  both  with  black  and  green  teas,  but 
probably  to  a  greater  extent  with  the  varieties 
known  as  “Scented  Caper”  and  “Flowery 
Pekoe,”  which  go  mostly  to  England,  where 
they  are  used  for  mixing  purposes. 
CHARCOAL  FOR  REMOVING  HAIR 
Tue  Panama  Star  reports  what  it  calls  a  very 
hnportant  discovery  that  charcoal,  animal  or 
vegetable,  is  a  better  agent  than  lime  for  tho 
removal  of  [ho  hair  from  hides,  preparatory  to 
tanning.  An  excliange  assures  ns  that  the  dep- 
llation  of  hides  with  charcoal  appeal’s  likely  to 
Rnpersedo  altogether  the  usnal  lime  process.  As 
is  well  known,  charcoal  has  the  property  to  take 
up  large  quantities  of  oxygen  from  the  atmos¬ 
pheric  air,  and  the  oxyge.i  iu  this  form  fleems  to 
exert  a  chemical  influence  on  the  fatty  substance 
present  iu  the  neighborhood  of  the  glands  of  the 
hair  roots.  An  oxidation  takes  place  iu  the 
]wires  of  tho  skin,  which  destroys  tho  glands  and 
loosens  tho  hair.  Finely  powdered  charcoal  is 
mixed  witli  sufficient  water  to  make  a  thin  paste, 
and  tho  hides  immersed  for  four  or  five  days  and 
weU  turned. 
Hides  treated  with  charcoal  require  no  other 
oiKiration,  as  in  the  case  of  the  lime  process,  and 
after  being  washed  with  water,  tJioy  are  ready 
Animal  or  vegetable  charcoal  can 
ORANGES  IN  CALIFORNIA 
Orange  culture  iu  some  parts  of  California 
appears  to  have  been  so  successful  that  hereafter 
this  fruit  may  be  considered  one  of  the  fixed  and 
certain  products  of  tho  State.  The  Pacific 
Rural  Press  says  on  this  subject  : 
Dr.  Strontzel,  who  is  a  pioneer  in  orange 
culture,  has  eighty  acres  in  tho  choicest  of 
fruits — oranges,  lemons,  pomegrauates,  cherries, 
pnmoH,  plums,  almonds,  peat  s,  peaches,  quinces, 
apples  and  grains.  We  saw  oranges,  lemons 
and  ijoinegranatcs  in  all  stages — from  tho  blos¬ 
som  to  ripe  fruit  on  the  same  trees.  Tho  doctor 
has  the  usage  orange  growing  thick  and  tall 
aiound  his  ranch,  as  a  wind-break.  His  Ccntcu- 
nial  orange  grovo,  of  eight  acres,  sot  out  this 
year,  has  blue  gum  planted  around  it  as  a  witid- 
bieiik.  The  proprietor  gave  us  much  valuable 
informatiou  on  orange  culture.  We  have  st<aco 
for  Home  snggestions.  They  will  need  a  protec¬ 
tion  of  brush,  old  sacks,  etc.,  for  Beveral  ycura ; 
should  be  ra-ado  to  branch  at  the  groilod  to 
protect  the  stand  from  the  sun ;  havo  abundanoo 
of  water;  plaiit  close  to  shad©  the  ground— say 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  apart.  Plants 
raised  iu  tho  house  never  do  any  good  iu  the 
open  Iground.  Belter  plant  the  seed  in  open 
ground,  water  well,  and  protect  with  brush,  etc. 
He  says  tho  cold  of  our  winter  nights  does  not 
hurt  oranges  ;  it  is  the  morning’s  sun.  He  also 
Bays  they  have  to  protect  oranges  from  the 
winter’s  sun  in  Ttaly.  His  Irnit  was  delicious, 
oranges  never  better,  his  wife  a  charming  lady, 
and  hia  daughter  a  line  colloquist  and  flor  - 
oultiu’ist. 
I  for  tanning, 
bo  used  in  any  ijuantity,  having  no  deleterious 
projiej’ty  whatsoever.  For  each  hide,  nix  or  ten 
pounds  with  necessary  quantity  of  water  are 
suilicient,  and  tho  temperature  to  he  maintained 
is  01  or  70  degrees  Fahr.  This  information  may 
bo  of  great  value  to  tho  people  in  the  interior  of 
the  Btnte,  who  occupy  tliemselvos  in  the  tanning 
of  tliat  common  leather,  [known  in  America  as 
xiu  ki.  There  is  always  a  great  demand  for  tliis 
leather  in  the  manufacture  of  saddles  and  ao- 
conti’Oiuents  for  tlie  cattlo-meu  and  travelers, 
also  for  trnnkH,  shoes,  chair  bottoms,  and  other 
urticlcB  of  utility. 
Tho  demand  is  so  gi’cat  that  the  suelas  have, 
most  of  thorn,  to  ho  brought  from  Guayaquil, 
P.ayta,  and  other  foreign  places,  where  it  Bcems 
they  can  bo  irrcparcd  more  cheaiily  than  by  our 
native  worluueti.  By  the  use  of  charcoal,  which 
is  much  cheaper  and  more  readily  obtained  than 
lime,  tho  tanners  will  ho  placed  on  a  more  ad¬ 
vantageous  footing  for  producing  the  auelas  at 
a  considerably  less  cost  tbau  hitherto.  They 
will  then  bo  able  to  sell  the  article  at  a  cheaper 
price  and  yet  Heciiro  quite  as  much  profit  as  be¬ 
fore.  It  is  a  matter  for  surjirisc,  that  so  remun¬ 
erative  a  trade  as  the  tanning  of  hides  into 
leather  bus  not  yet  become  a  loading  industry  in 
tliis  State.  Hides  can  be  had  in  great  abundance 
for  this  parpoBO,  and  the  bark  for  the  conversion 
of  hides  into  leather,  can  bo  obtained  all  along 
the  sea-Bhore,  and  of  the  best  quality.  The 
mangrove  or  mangle  plant,  the  hark  of  wliich  is 
thus  used,  is  present  everywhere  on  the  coast.  * 
TAR  ON  FRUIT  TREES 
According  to  the  experience  of  Mr.  Henry 
Reynolds  of  North  Carolina  as  given  in  the 
Semi-TropicaJ,  tar  is  a  perfect  remedy  for 
Bcarred  and  sun-cracked  apple  trees.  He  says, 
that  by  coating  with  new  tar  the  trunk  of  a 
favorite  fruit-hearer  that  was  cracked  and  so  de  ■ 
