Collections and Recollections. 
231 
Preserving the Wood op Wheel-work.—.4 Member of the Royal Academy 
of Sciences of Stockholm, in a memoir read to that Academy, states that wood 
for the use of building-, may bo rendered incombustible by letting- it remain 
some time in water, in which alum, copperas, or any other salt which contains no 
iuflummable matter, has been dissolved. He likewise states, as his opinion, that 
wood rubbed over with very warm alum or copperas water, will by this process be 
secured from decay, dry rot, or injury from moisture, mushrooms, &c. Also that 
boiling for some hours the spokes of wheels in vitriol water, will secure them from 
rotting in the places where they enter the stocks or hubs. After they have been 
thus boiled, they are to be dried as perfectly as possible,'and then may he painted 
any colour. 
To Restore Sour Wine.-:—T ake dry walnuts, in the proportion of one to every 
gallon of wine, and burn them over a charcoal fire; when they are well lighted, 
throw them into the wine, and bung Hp; in forty-eight hours the acidity will have 
been corrected. 
Preserving Fruit. —In Japan, fruit is preserved by dipping it in yeast; the 
fruit, if very large, is cut in slices, if not, it is dipped whole into the yeast. It 
derives some taste from the yeast, but fruit preserved by this method, will keep a 
year or longer. The same method prevails also in C\\\ndi..—Thutibei'g’s Travels. 
Hollyhocks. —It has been discovered that the Hollyhock, (^Althwa rosed) is an 
excellent substitute for flax.—Several individuals have embarked in the manufac¬ 
ture of it, and at present, it holds out every prospect of fully answering their 
highest expectations. 
Tree Mallow. —It is known that most of the plants of the Mallow family are 
capable of producing a considerable quantity of flax. M. Lecoq, supposing that 
the Lavatera arborea, ought to contain a many filaceous fibres, caused a quantity 
of it to be stripped of its bark, and steeped and prepared in the same manner as 
hemp. After this operation the bark produced 2^ ounces of extremely beautiful 
flax, and 1^ ounces of tow. The ropes which were manufactured from it were of 
excellent quality, more white than those made from hemp, but not quite so strong. 
M. Lecoq, thinks that on this account they could not be put to the same use as 
hempen ones; but as tho plant is extremely abundant it could be prepared for 
other purposes, particularly the manufacture of paper.— Quarterly Journal. 
Extraordinary Oats.— In a field at Hornsea, near Hull, during the late 
harvest, an ear of oats, of the Tartarian sort, of most extraordinary dimensions, 
was gathered. 'The stem was within two inches of six feet in height, and in cir¬ 
cumference, at one of the thickest joints, upwards of three quarters of an inch. 
The ear was fifteen inches in length, and contained 132 grains. This plant was 
gathered nearly at random, and many others were to be seen equally as fine. 
Cheese from Potatoes. —It is reported by the Bullet, de le Society d*encovraf^e, 
for September, 1829, page 393, that Cheese, of an extremely fine quality, is 
manufactured from Potatoes in Thuringia, and part of Saxony. After having- 
collected a quantity of Potatoes, of good quality, giving the preference to the large 
white kinds; they are boiled in a cauldron, and after becoming cool, they are 
peeled and reduced to a pulp, either by means of a grater or mortar.’ To 5 lbs of 
this pulp, which ought to be as equal as possible, is added a pound of sour milk, 
and the necessary quantity of salt. The whole is then kneaded together, and the 
mixture covered up, and allowed to lie three or four days, according to the .season. 
At the end of this time it is kneaded anew, and the Cheeses are placed in little 
baskets, where the superfluous moisture is allowed to escape. They are then al- 
