1852 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
it. A ridge of land on which the wheat had been uni¬ 
formly killed, was treated in this way, and excellent crops 
of wheat the invariable result. 
Reaping Machines.— The English agricutural jour¬ 
nals abound in conflicting accounts respecting the merits 
of the American machines. The Gardener’s and Far¬ 
mer’s Journal, speaking of the most important trials, 
says—“ The first was at Tiptree, uuder the auspices of 
the jury of the Great Exhibition. There McCormick’s 
machine carried the medal. A second trial followed at 
Middlesboro’, and the jury unanimously reversed the de¬ 
cision and awarded it to Hussey. The Yorkshire Ag. 
Society tried it at Sheffield, before highly compentent 
judges, and again reversed it, giving the prize to Mc¬ 
Cormick. The Driffield Farmer’s Club had another trial, 
in a district, of all others, favorable to the reaping ma¬ 
chine, and again confirmed the decision in favor of Mc¬ 
Cormick. The Highland Society threw out both, and 
decided in favor of one of Bell’s; while the Cleveland 
Ag. Soc., after a very patient trial, gave again their ver¬ 
dict at Guisboro’ in favor of Hussey’s machine. Who 
can yet say which of them is the best?” 
A New Lamp. —The New England Farmer for Oct., 
contains an article from Dr. Siedhof, a German Pro¬ 
fessor, announcing the invention of a lamp, for which a 
patent has just been issued. The inventor claims the 
following advantages. It has no machinery about it, 
any wick can be used,—it consumes exactly as much oil 
in a given time as a glass lamp,—it produces two and two- 
thirds as much light as the glass lamp. The light burns 
equally well till the oil is consumed—it burns the poorest 
oil as well as the best—it can be be made in any form, 
used with any shades and any number of burners—and 
it is very good looking. Should this lamp prove upon 
experiment to be all that is claimed for it, it will come 
into extensive use. 
The Carbon Engine. —The Plough, Loom and Anvil 
for Oct., gives an account of the invention of new mo¬ 
tive power by Prof. Salmon, who has after long experi¬ 
ment and discouraging hindrances perfected, as he 
thinks, the carbon engine. The power is obtained by 
the generation and expansion, by heat of carbonic acid 
gas. Common whiting, sulphuric acid, and water are 
used in generating this gas, and the boiler in which these 
components are held is similar in shape and size to a 
common bomb shell. A small furnace not larger than 
a hat, with a handful of ignited charcoal, furnishes the 
heat requisite for driving an engine of twenty-five horse 
power. This engine with a heat of 80° gives greater 
power than the steam engine with 452°, a heat which no 
engine can bear. The expense of driving a boat from 
Cincinnati to New-Orleans with steam is stated to be 
over $1,000; with a carbon engine, it would be only $5. 
Farther demonstrations soon. 
Washing Clothes Wholesale. —The Ohio Cultivator 
informs us that at the great wash-houses in London, 
(connected with the public baths) there are at one estab¬ 
lishment 84 apartments, each furnished with tubs, fitted 
lyith cocks for hot, cold, and waste water, baskets, and 
a steam-boiling apparatus. Mangles are at hand, and a 
389 
drying machine supplied with hot air. A smart woman 
will do the washing, drying, and ironing for her family 
[of how many persons?] in two hours, at a cost of two 
pence. To stimulate her, she pays double after the se¬ 
cond hour. Over 1,000 poor women wash here weekly. 
The receipts exceed the expenditures. 
Silk and Beet Sugar.— According to the IJ. S. 
census, the quantity of silk produced in this country in 
1850, was less than a fourth the amount of 1840—a sur¬ 
prising decrease, and only accounted for by the fact, long 
since established by many, that silk culture here is liable 
to too many disasters and drawbacks for carrying on pro¬ 
fitably. Such pursuits will find their own level. We 
also observe that the quantity of beet sugar is gradually 
diminishing in France. Its unfitness for manufacture in 
this country was established many years ago, by the fact 
that beets must be raised at about six cents per bushel, 
to pay expenses, saying nothing about profits, while they 
would be worth far more than this for cattle food, at the 
present prices of other food, and of butter, cheese, and 
beef. --- 
Tobacco. —We observe that the amount of tobacco 
raised in the United States has decreased about ten per 
cent in the last ten years. So says the census. However 
profitable it may be to individuals, we cannot but strong¬ 
ly doubt whether the large use of this vegetable contri¬ 
butes to national prosperity—more smoke than substance. 
We are much pleased to learn tjiatthe quantity of Indian 
corn has increased in the same period about 60 per cent, 
wool 48 per cent, and market garden products about 100 
percent. Tastes, we know, differ greatly; but for us, 
we decidedly prefer a good, well ripened, rose-cored, 
Imperial watermelon, “ to take” as the doctors say,— 
to a concrete dose of tobacco juice. 
Plaster on Wheat. —An experiment is stated in the 
Michigan Farmer, by Isaac. Elliott, performed on 
“ sandy and gravelly loam,” by turning under a five 
years sod of clover chiefly, for wheat. The plowing was 
deep, and after thorough harrotving the wheat was sown 
and grew well in autumn. The spring was cold, and the 
young wheat turned yellow. Towards the close of four 
mo., (April) 80 lbs. of plaster were sown upon it, “and 
in a few days it turned a very dark green color.” It 
yielded 28 bushels per acre, except on small portions not 
plastered, where the crop was about 18 bushels per acre. 
Guenon’s Mode of Examining Cows.—C. Harvey, of 
Delaware Co.. Pa., says that this mode of determining the 
milking properties at a glance, and even in a young heifer, 
is extensively adopted in that region, and is perfectly re¬ 
liable. Several dairymen got hold of it about the same 
time, and ascertaining its correctness, were very careful 
to conceal it from each other. One farmer selected an 
excellent herd of cows by buying them of drovers when 
two-year heifers. 
Certificate. 
We, the undersigned, certify that we have sold to Mr. S. W. Jew¬ 
ett, of Vermont, America, of pure blood Merino Ewes, of our own 
raising, much more in number, and for a mucn greater vaiue in money, 
than to all other American purchasers. GUERIN, 
CUGNOT. 
Poissy, France, April 7, 1S52. VICTOR GILBERT. 
