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Mortar for Building.

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The notion used to

What towns, what villages, what pastoral the crowds, the wealth, the prosperity, the wealth will be added to those it already poss-national supremacy that this road will give esses, and out of these what new free States birth to, overpower the most lively imaginawill emerge into life and greatness! What in- tion. numerable auxiliary lines will branch off from the main trunk to newly discovered and fertile plains, to happy valleys, and to the exhaustless mineral wealth which lies yet" In common practice, the cohesion for mortar "unprospected" in the teeming Sierras and the gorges and is greatly impaired by using too large a progolden sands of the rivers which sweep their portion of sand; it should never exceed two bases. What is to prevent millions of oppress-parts, by measure, to one of lime paste. A ed Europeans from abandoning their ties to cask of lime weighing 280 lbs., made into eight the soil which gives them black bread for their pubic feet of lime paste, should be mixed with daily food, and demands all else for their rul-16 bushels of damp sand. ers; what is to prevent them from a general be generally entertained that the longer lime hegira to the regions of gold, when the transit be the mortar made of it. This, however, is was slaked before it was used, the better would will be so safe, easy, and economical, and wages may be earned at every mile of the way? not the case with our common fat lime and sand mortars. The sand should be mixed with In the direct advantages to ourselves, we may estimate the time saved in crossing to the Pa- the slaked lime as soon as the latter becomes cific Ocean and going to the Eastern world, the cold, and no more water should be employed saving of expense in freights, in insuranc, in than will reduce the lime to a thick paste. In labor, the increased supplies of gold, the shift-preparing mortar, the unslaked lime should be ing of capital from Europe to the United States, the general distribution of means to live and to enjoy life, the advance of the useful and rafined arts, the closer connection of the States,

the consolidation of the principles on which our political fabric rests, and our entire independence of the effete European systems under which man has so long been kept down and

"made to mourn."

All these results we may safely anticipate. The present troubles we are encountering, will prove blessings in disguise. In all ages and countries, principles important in their day bring forth their fruits at maturity. Waters long undisturbed become stagnant, and we should lay these trials to heart like philosophers, or what is best, like Christians. Many of the best elements in the American character, hitherto dormant and unvalued, are coming forth with an unsurpassed splendor. Fortitude, courage, persistency, self-denial, generosity, patriotism, ability, these have at last come to the front, where, I trust in God, they will remain, not again to be driven into the shade by political managers, who are forever "purring and mousing after petty schemes of political advancement."

Its

Some of these qualities of the American character are showing their power in the development of this work we have in hand. We are to lay out and construct the longest continuous line of railway in the world. milestones, if I may be allowed an Irish license of speech, will be set along the parallels of longitude, which will be hourly passed by the trains, at a speed proportioned to their distance apart. Those travelers going west will enjoy a prolonged twilight, those coming east will have an earlier day. The journey will not be more than we shall have taken, who come hither from New York and are about to return. Finally, the revenve, the commerce, |

placed on boards and sheltered from the sun
and rains; it should be open above and sur-
rounded with some sand. The water necessary
to slake lime should be poured upon it with
any suitable vessel, and care should be taken
to stir the lime so as to bring the water into
contact with every portion, when it may be
The
left until all the vapor has passed off
sand may now be incorporated with the lime
by means of a hoe or shovel; and, if necessary,
a little water may be added to produce a homo-
geneous, consistent paste, when it is ready for

use. Sand from the sea-shore should never be

employed for making mortar without being first washed with fresh water, because the salt left in such sand is liable to absorb moisture and prevent the mortar becoming hard. In putting up walls of brick or stone, care should be taken that the stones or bricks be moistened before they come in contact with the mortar. Every brick and stone should be laid in a good bed of mortar, and should receive a blow to fix it firmly. The bricks should not be laid merely, as is the common custom, but forced down so as to press the mortar into all the pores and crevices. The superintendent of a building should give his personal attention to the vertical joints in the walls, as the masons frequently neglect to fill them up with mortar.-Scientific American.

The Atlantic Telograph.

Intelligence may be expected at any moment from the British steamer which was dispatched from St. John some months ago to take a new line of soundings along the coast of Newfoundland, and half way across the ocean, where she was to meet another British steamer (the Porcupine) which had been assigned to a similar duty along the Irish coast and the other half of the Great Atlantic Cable route. The Admiralty having ordered each steamer to re

turn to her starting point, the results of the SCIENCE, ART, STATISTICS. exploration of the western half will be first reported from St. John. The object of the new survey is to find the best places for the shore cable, and to ascertain, if possible, a still better range of soundings for the main line than the one determined on at the first

survey.

The Porcupine, we learn, has already returned to Plymouth, and the Liverpool Mercury gives the following as the result of its labors: "Some of the soundings extended to a depth of 2,500 fathoms. The visit of the steamer to Rockall, on the 14th of August, seems to have been prompted by a desire on the part of the Lords of the Admiralty to be able to judge, by a knowledge of its depth and character, of the expediency of dropping a cable across this bank, for the purpose of connecting Ireland with Iceland and America. On the ridge of the banks, soundings varied from 90 to 160 fathoms; fish were most abundant; the bottom consisted of mud and sand. The diagrams, returns, and reports from the officers engaged on board the Porcupine have been sent to Whitehall for the consideration in the first place of the Lords of the Admiralty, after which communication will be made by their lordships to the directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company."-Merchant's Magazine.

New Telegraph Lines.

RUSSIA. Accounts from St. Petersburg state that at the end of August there were in Russia 33,104 versts of electric telegraph (24,000 miles.) The number of stations was 150. An additional length of 10,335 versts is in course of being established.

IRON EXPERIMENT.-A simple illustration will serve to show two facts connected with iron; the first is elasticity, and the second the power exerted by pressure of the hand of any person. Make a hoop of one-inch square iron about the size of a man's hat, let the inside of the hoop be made quite smooth and true. Such a hoop being examined, it would appear that the power even of a horse could in no way alter its shape or form, provided the strain be put to it fairly and equably. Now make a rod of iron of the thickness of a lead pencil, that shall exactly fit the diameter of the inside of the hoop, so that when placed in the hoop, it will not fall out unless the hoop be altered in shape. If, acting in a similar way, we took a child's wooden hoop with a stick across it in the center, and then pressed it at the sides opposite to that of the cross stick, the hoop would assume an oval shape, and, of course, the cross stick would

fall out.

Just so does the iron hoop described act; when any one presses it, the iron rod falls out, showing clearly the elasticity of the iron. The hoop will become oval shaped with a very little pressure, not greater than that which can be exerted by a young girl.-Septimus Piesse.

HOW TO TAN SKINS.-1. Take two parts of saltpetre and one of alum; pulverize finely, mix them and sprinkle evenly over the flesh side of the skin; then roll the skin tightly together. and let it remain a few days, according to the weather, then scrape the skin till it is soft and pliable. I have tanned skins in this way so that they would be as soft and white as buckskins.

NEW YORK AND LONDON.-In July last com2. A reader" wishes to know the mode of munication by electric telegraph could be made tanning coon and fox skins with the fur on. I between London and Tumen, in Siberia, 4,039 will give him my mode of operation. If the miles distance. It is expected that the wires skin is green from the body, scrape all the flesh will be extended to Nikolaivski, on the Pacific, from it, then pulverize equal parts of saltpetre by the end of this year, and that there will be and alum and cover the flesh part of the skin telegraphic communication with New York, via with it; put the flesh in such a manner as to Siberia and California, by the end of 1863. hold the brine when dissolved, then lay it away SWITZERLAND AND BAVARIA.-The cable in- in a cool place-say the cellar-and let it lay tended to establish a direct telegraphic com- four or six days; then cover the flesh part with munication between Bavaria and Switzerland, soft soap and wash off clean with water. Dry was submerged on the 4th inst. The total in the shade, roll and pull occasionally while length is 70,000 feet, and its weight 280 quint-drying; then roll and pull until soft and pliaals. According to the soundings which have ble.-N. E. Farmer. been made, the greatest depth of the Lake of Constance, where the cable will be placed, is 300 feet.

Pins were worth a dollar a paper in 1812, and were poor at that. Then it took 14 processes to make a pin: now only one, by a machine which finishes and sticks them into the paper. Saving pins half a century ago was as important as saving cents, and hence the habit thus formed sticks to many elderly gentlemen whose coatsleeves are ornamented with rows of them, rescued from loss.

Mr. Van Buren was the last of the old succession of Presidents, nearly all of whom attained to an unusually ripe age. If we except Washington, who died at the age of 67, all those intermediate reached to within a year or two of four score; while John Adams attained to the age of 91; Jefferson to 83, and John Quincy Adams to 81. During the last 30 years, our Presidents have died considerably younger. Mr. Polk was but 54, Gen. Harrison, 63; Gen. Taylor, 54; and Mr. Tyler 71 years old at the close of their respective lives.

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EDUCATIONAL.

The Agricultural College.

Thanks to the late liberal Congress and to the wisdom of a President capable of appreciating the wants of the industry of the country, we are able thus soon again, after the disappointment consequent upon the veto of the original Morrill bill by Mr. Buchanan, to resume the discussion of Agricultural Colleges with a prospect of securing positive results.

We take it for granted that every intelligent farmer is prepared to admit that the Natural Sciences are applicable for the improvement of the agricultural art. We shall not, therefore discuss that question.

GAS WORKS ON THE AMERICAN CONTINENT.The American Gas Light Journal, edited by Prof. C. Elton Buck, presents in its first January number interesting tables of gas works on this continent, from which it appears there are 420 American gas works, representing............$51,620,940 A grant of 240,000 acres of land has been 23 British colonial gas works, 22 Cuban and S. American, 66

465 gas works.

66

2,112,040

6,350,000 made to the State of Wisconsin for the estab-|| ..$60,022,980 lishment of an Agricultural College, and it will

Total capital,.. Showing a grand total of sixty million twentytwo thousand nine hundred and eighty dollars, being an increase in this country since the date of the last tables, July 16, 1860, of thirtynine gas work, and of capital, three million six hundred and forty-nine thousand seven hundred and twenty-five dollars.

NAVAL INVENTION.-An invention is claimed

to have been made by a person near Rochelle, France, who, it is said, has been engaged ten years in perfecting it. He claims that, by an application of electric power, he can concentrate at the moment of discharge all the guns on the side of a vessel upon any given point on the enemy's vessel or fortifications, and that no iron plates, however thick, could resist the terrible effects of such a converging fire. The Emperor has sent the inventor a flattering letter, and conferred upon him the decoration of the Legion of Honor.

SLAVES IN THE SOUTH.-Should the rebellion continue in its present shape until the 1st of January next, the number of slaves which will on that day be emancipated, under the proclamation of the President, will be

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not avail us to show that the act making the grant was not as wisely framed as it ought to have been-that the Western States are not equal sharers in the bounty of the Government with the older and more populous States. The point to be settled is: How shall the grant be so received and disposed of as to secure the largest benefit to the industry of the State?

The amount of land received, though well sold and the proceeds carefully husbanded, will not be sufficient for the great work of establishing a school of the highest grade, unless the State shall also contribute something towards the enterprise. It is highly important, therefore, that the next Legislature take steps immediately for fulfilling the conditions of the grant.

The first step is the formal reception of the grant. Of the propriety of this, there will, of course, be no question, as the State will thereby acquire the source of a fund which cannot fail to contribute largely to the im462,232 provement of our industry, and the consequent 533,010 increase of the wealth, intelligence, and social

.435,132 ......111,104

01,753

.436,696

.331,081 happiness of the people.

.402,541

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in five years from date of the passage of the act, and that no portion of the endowment may be used for the erection of the buildings. Indeed not more than ten per cent. of the proceeds of the sale of lands may be used for the purchase of the Experimental Farm. But it

Education of the Farmer.

The following extract is from Mr. Greeley's late address before the Vermont State Agricultural Society:

I

No man can afford to bring up his children in ignorance of the principles and facts which underso happens that, in our case—and in this re-truth is yet accepted by the great body of your lie successful farming. I do not know that this spect the older States have the advantage-the farmers; if not, must try to make it so. "scrip" will not be issued, allowing the pur- hear complaints that our cleverer farmers' sons chaser to locate in any of the Territories, but dislike their fathers' vocation, and I am not surprised that it is so. The father has unconour own lands must be sold, whether valuable, sciously taught them to despise it as the least and readily marketable or not. They should, intellectual and most stolid of all pessible pursuits. He never brought home a book that therefore, be accepted, and put into market at treats attractively, wisely, enthusiastically of the earliest possible moment. Agriculture. He has, as a general rule, never considered an Agricultural journal worth tak

But, if we do the best we can, it is question-ing. He has not deemed it important that they able whether a sufficient amount could be realized in time to purchase the Farm, erect the buildings thereon, and get the College into actual operation within the next four years.

We accordingly suggest that the site for the College and the Experimental Farm should be contributed by the locality where the institution may be established. Or, in other words, that the College be offered to that county or town which will make the most advantageous offer of a site and land for the Farm. And secondly, that the buildings be provided for by the State at large.

should be instructed in the natural sciences which underlie and elucidate his own vocation. He never made the latest improvements and discoveries in aid of agriculture the subject of inquiry, of study, and of fire-side discussion. In his daily life and thought, farming is as dreary and mindless a drudgery as it can be to a horse in a bark-mill, How, then, can he expect his sons, if they have any aspirations beyond hog and hominy, to like farming? He has given them every possible negative reason to detest it.

Now I do not hold that every man, or even every farmer's son, should be a farmer. There are other pursuits equally important, laudable, honorable.

But I do contend that every farmer should so instruct and train his children, that they shall at least respect his vocation, This would leave the entire grant to be conthough they should not follow it, and understand its laws and processes so thoroughly that verted into an endowment fund, and thus the they will never forget them. I would have better insure the upbuilding of such an in- every farmer's son feel that, if defeated in his stitution as would be an honor and great ad-ics, or whatever it may be he can, at any chosen pursuit-law, medicine, trade, mechanvantage to the State.

We have our eye on sundry desirable localities which, in doing themselves the honor of donating the requisite lands, would at the same time so far enhance the value of surrounding property as to become pecuniary gainers by their liberality. The site for the College, and the land for the farm once secured, we are prepared to guarantee that the funds for the buildings shall be forthcoming.

moment, return to the vocation of his youth, and earn therein an honorable and adequate subsistence. He is morally certain to prove more upright and independent in whatever pursuit, if he enters it with this well grounded confidence in his ability to live without it.— But I still more urgently insist that each farmer shall so honor and esteem his own vocation, shall so render it and respect it as an intellectual and liberal pursuit, that his better educated and mentally developed sons shall not despise and reject it as fit only for oxen."

Farmers, and friends of Industrial EducaIn our reference to the Madison Normal tion, turn this matter over in your minds, and and High School, in the Oct. No., we greatly so be prepared to act with promptness and en-understated the success of Prof. Allen. Instead ergy when the time comes for worthy and gen- of "75 or 80," he has 150 pupils in the several erous deeds. departments.

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Pleasant School Houses.

It is not always in the power of a people just establishing themselves in a new country, with every thing to be newly done, and but little capital to do it with, to make the SchoclHouse what it ought to be-a model of taste and neatness. But there is nothing like having a true ideal to work up to as fast as we can; and it is on this account that we have so often called the attention of our readers to this subject.

Pleasant as were the days of our childhood, we remember the old log school house where the work of study was commenced, with a kind of grudge against the clever but ignorant and prejudiced old fellows who resisted every attempt of the better informed men of the district to supersede the old hut with a respectable and inviting little structure. The old house stood on the brink of a hill without inclosure or shelter. Its floor was of loose, clattering boards; the windows high and prison-like; the seats, slabs of logs, warped, rickety, and so high that our feet dangled most painfully in mid air; the desks, rough boards supported upon long pins driven into the wall. True, we lived through that period of penance, and made progress in our studies, but it was only because we were ambitious and determined that noth

ing should hinder us; and, but for a pleasant grove a quarter of a mile distant, to which

"We loved to steal awhile away,"

and where, by permission of a kind teacher, we spent the most of our time on pleasant summer days, the memory of the old school house, which ought to have been made dear forever, would be perfectly hateful.

Had it been our good fortune to have had a neat little school house, like the above, to learn our primary lessons in, how much more rapid would have been our progress-how different the memories which would have illumined those early days of familiar childhood.

Parents, remember that the hearts of your children are affected and their character moulded by all the circumstances that surround them at this most important period of their lives. Learn to treat them less like young colts and calves, destined merely for drudgery or the shambles, and more like wonderfully endowed, immortal beings, whose great future is to be determined by the shaping of the present. If you are about to locate a school house for your district, give it the pleasantest locality that can be found. If your house is already built, and its surroundings are not what they should be, set about the work of making them so by every improvement within your power.

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