subsided, it is only necessary to lift up the fallen panels, and the fence will be as firm as when first erected. — Albany Cultivator.

WAGONS AND CARTS.

A FARMER in England, named Edward B. Liddington, has produced a prize-essay on the comparative merits of wagons and carts, which should arrest the attention of our farmers; for if he is right, our farmers in general are wrong. After five years' experience with wagons, and nearly the same with one-horse carts, on a farm of one hundred and seventy acres of arable and eighty acres of pasture land, he came to the conclusion that the carts were of the greatest advantage. As our farmers all use wagons, let them pay some attention to his statement. He says, "I have no light ploughed land, nor have I more than twenty or thirty acres of very heavy land. I will, therefore, relate my actual experience. In the employment of wagons and the old broad-wheeled dung-carts, I required one wagon, one cart, and three horses, to every fifty acres of arable land. I also kept a light cart for general purposes. Now that I am employing carts, I find that I get through my work much more easily with two horses and two carts to fifty acres.

In the calculation of items, his saving was nearly four dollars on the cultivation of one acre, in the year. Again he says, it is admitted that one horse attached to a given weight will move it more easily than two horses attached to double that weight. This arises, not only from the advantage gained by having all the power of draught close to the work, but also all the power applied at the same moment, which is almost impossible where two or more horses, having different wills and steps, are attached to the weights; and for the same reason, one horse will travel more quickly.

When a cart is filled, there is no delay in attaching the trace-horses, during which operation one horse would be two hundred yards on the road. I know this might be done more quickly by having men ready to change the horses, as in the practice of opposition coaches; but I am speaking of the matter-of-fact working of the system. Then, again, when the load is deposited, the one horse turns in much less time than the two or three. These facts are too self-evident to admit of their contradiction; indeed, I believe the economy of carting manure with one-horse carts is generally allowed, but the employment of them in harvesting is much objected to. In this respect, however, I find them equally expeditious and economical. My actual experience is, that three carts, with the harvest-frames attached, will convey as much hay or corn in the straw as two wagons, and that they are bound with the ropes in the same time; therefore no time is lost in the binding. They are easier to pitch into than wagons, and not more difficult to unload; and all the advantages are gained of speed in travelling.

My attention was first drawn seriously to the subject, from hiring a man to draw some stones for draining. He came with a horse only fourteen hands high, and a small cart, when the work he accomplished so surprised me, that I at once decided to try two light carts,

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which, after succeeding well in all other operations, I employed in the harvest-field, and being fully satisfied with them in this capacity, I soon discarded every wagon from the farm. — New York Farmer and Mechanic.

LONDON COAL EXCHANGE.

THE desiccated floor of the London Coal Exchange consists of upwards of 4,000 pieces of wood, of various kinds and qualities. The great feature of the affair is, that the whole of these pieces were, only a few months since, either in the tree in the growing state, or cut from wet logs, and were prepared for use in the course of a few days, by a new method of seasoning. The names of the woods thus introduced are black ebony, black oak, common and red English oak, wainscot, white holly, mahogany, American elm, red and white walnut (French and English), and mulberry. It is mentioned as a proof of the rapidity of this mode of seasoning, that the black oak is part of an old tree which was discovered and removed from the bed of the Tyne River about the latter end of last year. The mulberry-wood, introduced as the blade of the dagger in the city shield, is no less than a piece of a tree which was planted by Peter the Great, when working in this country as a shipwright. The patentees state that no one piece of the 4,000 occupied more than ten or twelve days in seasoning. The Builder.

FIRE-ANNIHILATOR.

A NUMBER of experiments have been made at the London Gas Works, with “ Phillips's Fire-Annihilator." These were preceded by an explanation from Mr. Phillips of the manner in which he was led to the discovery, and of the principles upon which its success depends. He stated that, while watching a volcanic eruption in the Mediterranean, he observed that the huge column of water which was discharged from the crater did not extinguish the flame which accompanied it, while the smoke of a brushwood fire swept by the wind put out another brushwood fire near it. He then introduced the "fireannihilator," which at once extinguished very large fires fed by the most combustible materials. The extraordinary speed, ease, and certainty with which the invention acted, excited the surprise and admiration of many scientific gentlemen who were present, and there can be little doubt that the "fire-annihilator" is a very valuable addition to the discoveries of the age. In construction and application, it has the great advantage of being extremely simple, and it is quite portable, and capable of being placed where it would be most accessible when needed. The gases which it evolves, and which are found so efficacious in extinguishing flames, are produced from a compound of charcoal, nitre, and gypsum, which is ignited by breaking a bottle containing sulphuric acid. The acid drops upon chlorate of potass and sugar, and instantly a large body of vapor is evolved with great force from a tube connected with the metal chamber in which the whole materials are inclosed. This vapor extinguishes the flames with a rapidity which is truly marvellous. — London Athenæum, Sept.

VALUABLE DISCOVERY IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER.

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A GREAT part of the usefulness of India-rubber depends upon the process known as vulcanizing," whereby textures of which it forms a part are exempted from the action of heat and cold. This process has hitherto been performed by the mixture of sulphur and lead, or of sulphur alone, with the rubber. A discovery just made in England, by a Mr. Burke, will put an end to the contests between patentees of various processes in this country, by introducing a new process, which is simpler and cheaper than the old ones, and, dispensing with the use of sulphur, as it does, avoids the unpleasant smell caused by that substance. Though patented in England, this new process has already been employed in this country, so that it cannot now be monopolized here.

The discovery may be succinctly described as follows. We condense from the language of the inventor.

Mix 15 parts of golden sulphuret of antimony with 100 parts of India-rubber, and when thoroughly "masticated," as known to manufacturers, the articles are to be made up and then submitted to heat in a boiler under pressure at a temperature varying from 260° to 280° Fahrenheit.

A manufacturer of this city has shown us specimens made by mixing a much larger portion of golden sulphuret of antimony with the same quantity of rubber named above. The product is exceedingly elastic, tough, and beautiful in appearance, while it is perfectly free from the smell of sulphur. At the same time, it has no appearance of bloom, which is a point of the first importance.

The heating of compounds of rubber in a boiler under pressure was first introduced from England into the United States some three years ago. Since then, the manufacture of rubber goods has more than doubled in amount. This new discovery, by which antimony takes the place of sulphur, will extend still further this branch of American industry, than which none has received more attention from scientific

men.

The same inventor describes a new kind of cloth in these words: "The second part of my invention refers to the manufacture of water-proof cloths or garments known as single textures, and consists in removing the shiny or polished appearance of the surface thereof, which is very generally objected to from its resemblance to common oiled or painted cloths. In order to effect this improvement, I mix with caoutchouc, either prepared as above or not, from ten to fifteen per cent. of ground silk, cotton, or wool (after the manner of flock), and dissolve it in a suitable menstruum, or I mix the flock with the caoutchouc when dissolved. With this solution I coat the surface of the cloth, which has previously been prepared with the water-proof composition in the ordinary manner of such manufacture, and thereby impart to the water-proof surface an appearance greatly resembling woollen cloth. This cloth may be afterward put through the heating process, and another cloth or fabric cemented thereto as a lining, if required."- New York Tribune.

NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

MUCH has been said and written upon the application of the powerful light produced by artificial electricity to the purposes of illumination. Many varieties of apparatus have been invented, to all of which there has hitherto been some great objection. Perhaps the greatest difficulty to be surmounted has been that of rendering the light steady and permanent by mechanical means, so that it shall not require any attendant. This difficulty, at least, seems to have been obviated by the invention we are about to describe.

The light is called "Staite's Patent Electric Light," after its inventor. It is produced from a galvanic battery of moderate size, embracing in its construction and elements several features, which are claimed to be improvements, whose object is to render the battery constant, continuous, and regular in its action, and economical in its cost. By means of solid copper wires the electric fluid is conveyed to the lamp, which may be placed on a table or suspended from the ceiling. In this lamp are two cylinders of carbon, which are used as electrodes, that is to say, the current of electricity is passed from one to the other as they stand end to end, there ends being separated from one twentieth to one half an inch, according to the power of the current applied; and these cylinders are moved by a clock-work arrangement, in proportion as they are consumed, at a speed which is regulated by the currents. To render the light continuous, it is necessary that these two pieces of carbon should first be brought into actual contact, so that the current may pass and then be separated to a short distance. This is accomplished, and here is the grand feature of the invention, by the current itself, without manual aid. As the carbon gradually wears away, at the rate of about an inch in two hours, the same regulated distance between the two electrodes is preserved by like means. The apparatus for effecting this self-regulation is an elctro-magnetic instrument, placed directly under the plate of the lamp, through which the current of electricity is caused to pass. The principle of this instrument is very ingenious, in some degree resem

bling a galvanometer; the galvanic current, passing through a coil of wire, magnetizes a bar of soft iron, which is passed through the coil; and in proportion as the current is strong or feeble, the magnetized bar rises or falls. When the current is in excess, it actuates an escapement, and the two electrodes are drawn to the required distance apart; and when the current passing is less than the regulated quantity, the motion is reversed, and the electrodes are drawn nearer together.

Thus the light is rendered steady and constant, while no more of the fluid is allowed to pass than is developed in light, effecting a great economy of battery-power. To prevent injurious vibrations or sudden movements of the iron bar, it is provided with a rack, wheelwork, and fly. Another improvement consists in giving the upper electrode the form of a circular disk made to revolve slowly in contact with a fixed scraper, which keeps the edges clean and free from the particles of carbon projected upon it from the lower electrode. The carbon is prepared by forming a powder of charcoal into paste with melted brown sugar, pressing it into iron moulds, and baking it in the moulds at a red heat, and afterwards in a crucible at a white heat.

There have been several public exhibitions of this light, all of which have been successful. In one case it was exhibited in the large rooms in Hanover Square, London. The rooms were, as usual, lighted with chandeliers of wax candles, with a considerable number of oillamps; the total amount of light being considered to be equal to 200 or 300 wax candles. On the lecture-table was the light apparatus, covered with a tall glass shade. All things being made ready, the galvanic circuit was completed, and in a few seconds the whole apartment was filled with such a blaze of diffusive light, as caused the now dimly burning candles and lamps to assume the muddy and lacklustre aspect they bear in ordinary sunlight. Every object in this large room was brilliantly illuminated, and as an assistant turned the light on and off at pleasure, the transition was as violent as from broad day to evening twilight. The paintings on the ceiling were finely displayed; and, what was very remarkable, the tone of the colors was precisely similar to that which they are seen to possess in real daylight. All the delicate intershadings of the yellows, grays, flesh-tints, and even of greens and blues, were brilliantly defined, and in all respects conveyed the daylight impression to the eye. The light was about equal to that of 700 or 800 standard wax candles, yet a lady's bonnet might have covered the entire apparatus; and the actual source of light did not occupy an area of more than an inch in every direction, if so much. The rays were then concentrated by a powerful lens, and directed upon some pictures, which were placed for the purpose on the side of the room, and the colors could be as clearly seen as by the light of the sun.

By means of a glass prism, a spectacle yet more beautiful was shown this was the display of the prismatic spectrum, the entire number of the rays being present, and in brilliancy not to be distinguished from the same as shown by the decomposition of the true