pose, may be used. The only thing which I claim as new, is the form given to what is usually denominated the cylinder, by making it smaller at the centre than at the ends, as herein described; the effect of which, it has been experimentally proved, is to prevent that annoyance from the current of wind and dust, produced in other machines for thrashing grain.

"Although I have spoken of the revolving body as formed by the union of two truncated cones, the effect will be similar if, instead of using the double cone, as described, the cylinder be made concave, in a regular curve, reducing its diameter in the middle, so that it shall be an inch, or upwards, less there than at the two ends.-JOSEPH Ross."

MACHINE FOR CLEANING CLOVER AND OTHER SEEDS, Joseph Ross, Boundbrook. -"I construct a frame to sustain a horizontal cylinder, and other parts of the apparatus, to be presently described. The cylinder may vary in length and diameter, according to the power by which it is to be driven. The cylinder is to be set with teeth of two kinds; one set of teeth may be from one-fourth to half an inch in length. These form circles round the cylinder, the circles being an inch, more or less, apart. Between these, rows of long teeth, wires, or sprigs, are driven, which could not stand out more than one-sixteenth of an inch, their office being to rub the seed from the husk; a similar effect may be produced by covering the cylinder with punched sheet iron, or in other well-known ways.

"I use a concave which surrounds the cylinder for about three-quarters of its circumference. The part directly under the cylinder, extending about one-quarter of its circumference, may be of punched sheet-iron, or of wove wire, with meshes of such size as will allow the seed, but not the chaff, to pass through. The remaining part of the concave, extending up to the apex of the cylinders, may be left smooth. The distance between the cylinder and the concave must be sufficient for the passage of the larger teeth. "The seed to be hulled is put into a hopper above the cylinder, the opening through the bottom thereof extending the whole length of the cylinder. In front of the cylinder I employ rubbers, which are made by taking wide strips of sole leather, the length of the cylinder, there being three, four, or more, such strips; these I confine between pieces of thin board, one piece being placed between each strip. The edge of the leather, where it touches the cylinder, projects beyond the thin boards, so as to give it the necessary play; each piece of leather is so notched as to allow the longer teeth to pass. The leather rubber, thus formed, slides in against the cylinder, and is, therefore, capable of be

ing adjusted so as to press against it with greater or less force.

"When the seed has passed the leather rubbers, the greater part of it falls through an opening on to the floor, whilst the chaff and the remaining seed are, by the action of the longer teeth, carried immediately over the perforated iron, or the meshes of wire-work, of which the lower part of the concave is formed.

"At the point where the smooth part of the concave commences, an opening may be made by lowering the bottom part of the concave, which is hinged in front for that purpose. Stones, or other hard substances, may be thus readily removed. A strip of leather is fixed along the edge of this opening, which extends to the cylinder, serving to check the too free passage of the seed round with the chaff, whilst, by its elasticity, it will allow the long teeth to carry the chaff beyond it. The back edge of the hopper has also a similar piece of teether upon it, which extends to the cylinder, and arrests the chaff, causing it to be blown out through an opening immediately behind the hopper, whilst that whieh contains seed will, from its greater weight, be retained, and pass the leather, to be again rubbed.

"What I claim as new in the foregoing machine is the combination of long and short teeth in the cylinder, operatinr in the manner, and for the purposes, set forth. I also claim the leather rubber, constructed and acting in the manner described; not intending, by these claims, to limit myself to the precise arrangement set forth, but to vary the same in any way, whilst I produce the same effects by machinery operating substantially upon the same principle.-JOSEPH Ross."

IMPROVED PLOUGH, Nathan Robinson, New York." The body of the plough is best made of cast-iron, as such instruments are now usually made, but the improvements which I have made are independent of the material, consisting of such alterations in its form and relative dimensions as are calculated to obviate the objections most commonly made to the ploughs now in use, namely, their running hard, and their liability to become choked with dirt. The principal alterations I have made in the plough, to effect these objects, are by giving greater length to the body of it, and less curvature to the mould-board, than have usually been given. In describing these improvements, I shall set down certain precise measurements and proportions; but it is to be distinctly understood that I do not intend thereby to limit myself in these particulars, but merely to exemplify the principle upon which I proceed, and to give information to those who might otherwise be at some loss in carrying my plan into operation.

At

"From the point, or nose, of my plough, to the junction of the shank and mouldboard, it is formed to a radius of about 72 inches, keeping the same curvature, or nearly the same, through to the hinder part of the mould-board, this being about the medium convexity which the under side of the furrow slice naturally takes in being raised and turned over. From the commencement of the circle at the point, or nose, I sweep up. till I have raised the share of my plough about 10 inches from the bottom of the land side, this being the seat, or junction, of the stem to the mould-board; presenting a thin, flat wedge, and a nearly straight ascending plane, of about 20 inches to the earth. this point the furrow slice lies on an angle of 31° from the surface of the earth from which it is raised. From the junction of the shank to the mould-board, I run back on a straight line about 28 inches, and on an angle of about 400 with the land side, inaking my plough about 21 inches wide at the hind part. My share I proportion in length to the other parts of my plough; commencing about 2 inches above the point, I draw a line back on about the same angle with the land side that the upper edge of the mould-board has, till I kave obtained a sufficient width from the land side, which is about 12 inches. The long edge, which is thus presented to the furrow slice, separates it readily and evenly from the solid earth. At the termination of my share, which is about 16 inches from the startingplace, at the point, I turn an angle in the lower part of my mould-board, in the usual manner; but I carry the bottom edge of the mould-board back even with the bottom edge of the land side, leaving the heel thereof as many inches from the land side as the share is at the widest point; these three points then stand at right angles with each other. The bottom of my plough being about 30 inches

long, I make the hind end of my mould board to slope back sufficiently to give to my plough a length of about 47 inches from the point, or nose, to the extreme point of the mould-board.

"I will now give some further particulars respecting the relative dimensions of my plough, taken from one which I have made, and the operation of which I have tested by satisfactory experiments. Share on an angle of 310 with the bottom of the land side; the upper edge of the mould-board is at an angle with the land side flat-wise, 40°; the edge of the share with the land side, 32°; length of the plough on the bottom of the shank to the point of the mould-board, 30 inches; the edge of the share, 17 inches; from the termination of the share to the heel of the mouldboard, 13 inches; cutting width at the point of the share, 11 inches; parting off width on the bottom, 11 inches; circle of the shin, 72 inches radius; circle of the concavity of the mould-board, nearly the same; from the nose to the extreme point of the mould-board, 46 inches; width of the mouldboard, 13 inches; overjet, 74 inches.

"It will be manifest to any person that these measurements may be departed from, to a certaint extent, without thereby essentially altering the character of my plough; and it will also be evident to those who are ac quainted with the construction of ploughs in general, that the form which I have given to mine, by proportioning the different parts to each other, is such as impresses upon it a character by which it will be readily distinguished from others. What I claim, therefore, as my invention, is a plough formed upon the principles, or in the manner, herein set forth, by which it is made to run more easily and cleanly than those now in uses.NATMAN ROBINSON."

Sir,-Next in importance to the security of a ship's windlass, which is now

so completely effected by the patent pall and riding chock, of which you have

given place to a description in your last magazine (page 41), are improvements by which a greater power can be given to its action, than by the common application of the handspike. For, however well adapted it may be, when the resistance to be overcome is much less than the power which can be so applied, it is a fact, well known to seafaring men, that there are times when the utmost exertions of the whole ship's company, by such means, are unequal to purchasing the anchor. And it still more frequently happens, that by their long repeated efforts, they are unable to advance the pall cylinder even one tooth in its revolution, that is, to bring in about two inches of the cable, until aided by some lucky wave or changed position of the vessel: consequently, in such cases, much time and strength are expended before a vessel can be got under way, merely for want of additional power. This has led to various mechanical contrivances, most of which have been modifications of the cogwheel and pinion, but which have severally proved defective and unfit for the causualties to which they are exposed on ship-board, particularly from the changes which take place in the distances of the centres, by the straining of the windlass, bits, or timbers, whereon they may be fixed. Complicated machinery, however powerful, is decidedly objectionable. Indeed, any apparatus to be applied to a ship's windlass should be simple in its construction, direct in its action, compact, strong, and not liable to be deranged, and withal, not too expensive. That Young's patent purchase, of which I herewith send you a description, combines these properties, will be readily admitted by those of your readers who are particularly acquainted with the working of a ship's windlass, as it is also by those who have adopted it in its present complete state.

Fig. 1, is a back elevation of a ship's windlass and bits, fitted with Sowerby's patent pall and riding-chock in the middle, and Young's patent purchase at each end within the garrick bits.

Fig. 2, shows a section of the windlass body, and an end view of the purchase and starboard garrick bits.

The patent purchase consists of a strong cast-iron wheel, firmly wedged upon the body, with semi-elliptic cavities

in its surface, adapted to hold the sides of the link of a chain which embraces it, and a pinion with similar cavities in its surface. The pinion is keyed upon an iron axle, working in a carriage placed on the deck, aud bolted down to a beam abaft the windlass. Ratchets are also keyed upon each end of the axle, and worked by a palling box, from which a socket arm is continued for receiving the handspike. The two ends of the chain are connected by a shackle made on the segment of a link, so that it also fits the cavities in the wheel and pinion. The chain may be tightened or slackened by means of adjusting wedges, which are fitted on the carriage. The drawings represent the handspikes in their places, which, on being depressed, bring the pinion round, and with it the windlass body, with a power proportioned to the size of the wheel to that of the pinion. The usual proportions adopted are about four to one; consequently, one man using the purchase, is nearly equal to four men applied to the windlass in the usual way. Hence, with it, a small number of hands may get the anchor, when the whole ship's company would be unable to do so without it. In addition to its great power, it possesses other important advantages, a few of which I shall briefly enumerate as follows:-It is not liable to be injured by the heaving or pitching of the vessel in a heavy sea; the endless chain which embraces the two wheels fixed upon the windlass body and axle not being tight, but passing easily and loosely round them, added to the peculiar form of the wheels, renders them incapable of being thereby deranged or broken. The men can with the same handspike, at pleasure, use the common windlass, or take advantage of the patent purchase, their faces being always towards the ship's bow. The handspikes not requiring to be taken out (as they fleet themselves by the ratchets), no time is lost in re-inserting them, as with the common windlass alone. Should the cable ride, or a handspike foul, it allows the windlass to be turned backward. It is a considerable security to the windlass necks, as its pull is in an opposite direction to that of the anchor, and when riding, it answers as an extra riding-chock. It offers no obstruction to the free use of the windlass, having no spindle passing

from bit to bit; no wheel projecting beyond the bits, and preventing the weather-bitting of the cable-no cog machinery to be deranged-whenever the windlass requires to be unshipped, the chain may be taken off in a few minutes. It may be fitted to one or both ends, or to the middle, even in a few hours, if necessary. It is admirably adapted to large vessels, as the chains may be carried to any convenient distance; and, if required, the speed of the windlass inereased, by adopting a larger pinion. Its construction and action are so simple, as to render it unnecessary to eneroach further upon your valuable pages, unless it be to say, that it is also the cheapest purchase which has hitherto been applied to a ship's windlass. Yours respectfully,

T. SOWERBY.

Patent Windlass Works, near Shadwell Dock Basin, London, Oct. 21, 1835.

WAXING MARBLE.

Extract from the Evidence of Mr. John Henning upon the Committee of Arts and Manufactures. What means were used to preserve the frieze of the Athenæum and Hyde Park-corner from injury from the atmosphere of London ?-It was waxed.

Were you the author of that mode? -I do not know if any other person had done it, but the first experiment I wade was on a piece of polished marble. I took wax, and made a stripe across it with a hair pencil; I contrived to warm it till the marble had absorbed the wax, and left none on the surface. Then I mixed wax with a little turpentine, and I found that it went in further, but I found that the wax went one-sixteenth of an inch into the marble. I put it on the top of the house for one winter. I found in the spring the polish was all off the marble, except where the wax was; that convinced me it must be of some use; and just about the same time I was employed to do a medallion of my friend, Dr. Adam Ferguson, to be placed on his monument. I asked if the family would allow me to do it with wax. It was a piece of very beautiful statuary marble. I did it in this way, and Lord Burghersh having called on me, and looking at it, he asked where I had got such marble? I told his Lordship that I had saturated it with wax, under the im

pression that it would preserve it in the open air. I showed him the piece of marble on which I had made the experiment-and it arose from that circumstance.

Does it give marble any unpleasant gloss or polish ?—No; it makes it like the finest preserved old marble that ever

was seen.

How do you apply the wax to the marble?-We warm the wax; we have the marble warm also; and I take off any thing that is upon the stone, and leave nothing but what is within the

stone.

You must warm the whole bust or statue?—Yes; and have my wax as hot as I can have it; and take the best means to set off the superfluous matter. I take it off with soft cloth, or with cotton.

You also dissolve it in turpentine ?— Yes; but it goes in so far, the wax, by itself, that it is hardly worth while: believe wax is almost indestructible in the open air.

If it were a large statue, would it answer to have the turpentine wax dissolved and put on the whole statue ?--I would begin at the top of the head of the statue, and have the wax as warm as I could have it, and have heated irons, so that I could, without touching the statue, let it come down to the bottom; and you must have it clean.

Is it fine wax?-Yes; but I suppose other wax will do it very well, for defending stone. The white makes the least change of colour.

What do you consider the great advantage of this application of wax to marble?-It was, as I conceived, the marble getting into the stone, froze and destroyed it.

You consider the great advantage of your discovery is the preservation of the material? That was my impression. I do not know if it deserves the name of a discovery; for any thing that I know, ten thousand may have thought of and done it before me.

Is any other object attained by it?— Not that I know of. It takes away the glaring white of the marble, and gives a softened tone to the whole-much like the best preserved old marbles that I have seen.

How long does marble so coloured

retain the effects?-I think from what I have seen of wax, it is more indetructible in the open air, than any other material I know.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Steam Navigation between England and America, -The contemplated establishment of a line of steam-packets between the ports of New York and Liverpool, has excited a good deal of interest in the former city. The Evening Star, alluding to this subject, says: "If the project formed by Captain Cobb and others, to build steam-ships to navigate between this port and Liverpool, succeed, and they are not apt to abandon a matured project, there will be an end to our splendid packet-ships, so far as passengers are concerned; for although it is somewhat difficult to combat with water, without encountering the difficulties of fire, yet one or two safe passages will so inspire confidence, that the comforts and expedition of the voyage will crowd those vessels with travellers, and, in time, going to Liverpool will require as little preparation as it formerly did to go to Albany. They must, however, be very large ships, say from 800 to 1,000 tons burden, and built with every possible strength, with powerful engines, and room for at least twelve days' fuel, and have first rate captains and engineers."

We beg leave to call the attention of our agricul tural friends to the following section of the Act passed in the late session of Parliament, for regulating Weights and Measures:-Sect. 6. "And be it enacted, that from and after the passing of this Act, the measure called the Winchester bushel, and the lineal measure called the Scotch ell, and all local or customary measures, shall be abolished; and every person who shall se'l by any denomination of measure other than one of the imperial measures, or some multiple, or some aliquot part thereof, &c., shall on conviction be liable to a penalty not exceeding 40s. for every such sale." It follows from this enactment that the coomb, boll, double bushel, load, stack, or any other provincial term, is completely done away with, and it must be observed that this part of the Act comes into immediate operation. The use of the heaped measure is also abolished, and all bargains made thereby are declared void, as well as a penalty of 40s. imposed on the seller.

Telegraph between London and Paris.-The line of telegraphic communication between these two cities is, we understand, in process of completion, for the purpose of transmitting the prices of the funds to periodical times in the different stockmarkets. Mr. Ricardo and a French gentleman are the managers of the undertaking. There are to be nine stations in England-the first in St. George's fields, and the last at Folkstone in Kent; and fourteen stations from the coast to Paris. Although it is first to be confined to transmitting the prices of the funds, it is intended hereafter to apply it to the conveyance of other inte ligence. The news will be conveyed from London to Paris in an hour and a half.

Navigation of the Danube.-There seems every reasonable prospect of the difficulties which have presented thamselves in the application to the Danube being speedily overcome. There are now four steam-vessels on that river; one between the Cherdaps and Fetislaw, a second between Orsova and Pesth, a third between Pesth and Vienna, with a spare boat to replace the others in case of accident.

Traces of Ancient Civilisation among the South Sea Islands. Amongst the Caroline Islands, only six weeks' sail from Sydney, is Ascencio (about 11 degrees north latitude), discovered very lately by his Majesty's sloop of war Raven. Mr. Ong, now a resident of this colony, some years back remained there for several months, and we have our informa

tion from a friend, who conversed frequently with Mr. Ong on the subject. On the above-named island of Ascencio, the language of the inhabitants is more harmonious than in the other islands of the South Seas, a great many words ending with vowels. There are at the north east end of the island, at a place called Tamen, ruins of a town, now only accessible by boats, the waves reaching to the steps of the houses. The walls are overgrown with bread, cocoa-nut, and other ancient trees, and the ruins occupy a space of two miles and a half. The stones of these edifices are laid bed and quoin, exhibiting irrefutable traces of art far beyond the means of the present savage inhabitants. Some of these hewn stones are 20 feet in length, by 3 to 5 each way, and no remains of cement appear. The walls have door and window places. The ruins are built of stone, which is different from that occurring in the immediate neighbourhood. There is a mountain in the islan, the rocks of which are covered with figures, and there are far great r ruins eight miles in the interior. The habits of these islanders exhibit traces of a different social system; the women do not work exelusively, as is the custom in the other islands. After the meals water is carried about by servants fer washing hands, &c. Asked about the origin of these buildings, the inhabita ts say, that they were buiit by men who are now above (pointing to the heavens).-Hobart Town Courier.

The mighty chain of the Andes, and the yet more lofty Hamalaya, bear about the same proportion to the earth that a grain of sand does to a globe three feet in diameter.-Mrs. Somerville.

French Carts -After staying a couple of days at Rouen, we proceeded by the same mode of conveyance to St. Germain: we went by the upper road, which is not very interesting, On the way we passed many carts drawn by horses, such as I have described. The construction of these carts struck me as being particularly well adapted to the roads on which they travel. The body is composed of a frame of great length, extending entirely over the shaft horse, and so constructed that, by means of a winch, the frame may be moved backwards and forwards, so as to be balanced on the two wheels which support it. These wheels are large, and stand perfectly upright, with very deep naves, so that they can preserve their perpendicular without difficulty; and the linch-pin is so placed as to allow of considerable horizontal play on the axle, which, on a rough pav, is a great advantage. How much superior is this to the wheels of our travelling waggons, the fellies of which, being frustrums of cones, a good deal of power must neces sarily be lost in keeping them in a straight line, while the grinding motion thus occasioned must be very injurious to the roads! These carts are also fitted with a contrivance for retarding the revolu tion of the wheels on descending hills, by pressure of the circumference, to serve instead of a drag.From Captain Blakiston's new work, " 'Twenty Years of Retirement."

Improvidence of the Poor.-Defoe, the author of "Robinson Crusoe," considered the improvidence of the poor a principal cause of their wretchedness. "We are," says this shrewd observer, "the most lazy diligent nation in the world: there is nothing more frequent than for an Englishman to work till he has got his pocket full of money, and then go and be idle, or perhaps drunk, till it is all gone. I once paid six or seven men together on a Saturday night, the least ten shillings, and some thirty shillings, for work, and have seen them go with it di rectly to the alehouse, lie there till Monday, spend it every penny, and run in debt to boot, and not give a farthing of it to their families, though all of them had wives and children. From hence comes poverty, parish charges, and beggary."-History of the Middle and Working Classes, Second Edition.