my improvements, what I claim therein as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is dividing the interior of the furnace stack into two or more compartments, by partitions, which descend nearly to the bosh of the furnace-the bosh being the same as that of the common blast furnace, except the elevated hearth; the whole being constructed, arranged, and combined, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

"I also claim the hearth, raised above the common hearth, and with the bosh, so that the melted metal will fall below the blast, and the fuel be retained up to the blast, as set forth."

AN IMPROVEMENT IN SAW MILLS. Calvin Stigleman and Austin Seely.-This saw is to be worked without the usual sawgate for straining it, this being effected by the elastic force of steam. The two ends of the saw are connected each with a steam piston, the lower one being much larger than the upper one, and the two cylinders in which they work are connected together by a steam pipe, so that the pressure of steam acting on the two pistons strains the saw, and it is carried down to cut by reason of the greater capacity of the lower piston than the upper one.

Claim." What we claim as our invention, and desire letters patent for, is the adaptation and application of the upper cylinder in straining and running of saws without a frame, and for all other purposes for which it can be used to advantage, as represented in the drawing herewith transmitted."

AN IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY SWITCHES FOR RAILROADS. Gustavus A. Nicolls.Claim." What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is a safety turnout switch, embodying the combined use of inclined planes and guides to elevate and slide the wheels on the tracks, and the combination of these planes and guides with the safety bars.'

This improvement, as indicated in the above claim, consists in the employment of two parallel bars attached to, and moving with, the switch; so that when the switch has been shifted and put in connexion with the turn-out rails, they are in line with the rails of the main track; and, in the event of neglect on the part of the attendant to replace the switch, a car from the main track will run on to these parallel bars, which are, at their fixed end, connected with the main track by means of inclined planes and guides, so arranged as to elevate the flanch of the wheels (which are outside the track) over the rail, and guide the whole of them to the line of the track, and thus prevent the cars from running off.

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AN IMPROVED MODE OF FEEDING AND TURNING THE ROD IN NAIL-CUTTING MACHINES. Caleb Isbister.-Claim.-"What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent, is the mode of feeding the nail rod, or plate, to the cutters, by means of a rotating hollow shaft, or tube, operating substantially in the manner described, whereby the rod, or plate, is turned over at each operation. I claim, also, the combination of the parts which communicate the progressive feeding motion to the nippers, by the up-and-down movement of the forward end of the rotating hollow shaft, or tube, as described; and I claim the combination of parts by which the nippers are brought back, and the machine stopped. And, finally, I claim the combination of parts by which the motion is communicated from the nail machine to the rotating hollow shaft or tube."

As all who are acquainted with this branch of manufactures know well, one end of the nail is thicker than the other, it becomes necessary to reverse or change the inclination of the rod at each time a nail is cut, to make the head end from opposite sides at each successive operation. By hand the former course is pursued, which prevents the action of the cutters from bending the rod; but by the machines heretofore employed or essayed for this purpose, the inclination only has been changed; and the object of the present improvement is to effect the presentation of the rod in the same manner as by hand, and thus prevent the tendency to bend the rod.

AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE FURNACE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MALLEABLE IRON DIRECTLY FROM THE ORE. Claude S. Quillard.-Claim.-"I claim the combining of one or more reverberatory furnaces with a chimney, or stack, containing in its lower part a deoxidizing furnace, which I have denominated a crucible, in such manner that the said crucible and the contained ore and carbonaceous matter shall be heated by the flame and escape heat from the reverberatory furnace, or furnaces, by an arrangement and combination of respective parts, substantially the same with that herein made known. Secondly. I claim the manner of agglutinating the mass of deoxidized iron, previously heated in the reverberatory furnace, by submitting the same to pressure within a cylinder, or other formed receiver of any suitable construction, by means of a screw lever, or other press, preparatory to its being acted upon by the hammer, or by rollers. aware that puddle balls, or loops, have been squeezed, and worked, by means of a vibrating lever, upon a flat table; but this is an operation which could not be applied to the iron as prepared by me, as, instead of agglu

I am

tinating, it would separate its particlesits pressure in a contained vessel being an essential part of my process."

ELECTRICITY, MAGNETISM, AND LIGHT. The following letter from Sir James South, appeared in the Times of Wednesday last.

Sir,-With great pleasure do I communicate to you, that in addition to other scientific discoveries of the highest order made during the last 40 years in the laboratory of the Royal Institution, which have greatly exalted the scientific glory of our country, and have entitled that institution to the gratitute of mankind, Mr. Faraday, its Fullerian Professor of Chemistry, yesterday announced to the members present that in the prosecution of his researches in electricity and magnetism, he had succeeded in obtaining experimentally what he had long sought for-namely, "the direct relation of electricity and magnetism to light."

The details of his experiments, which exhibit the magnetization of light, the illumination of the lines of magnetic forces, and a new magnetic condition of matter, will be presented to the Royal Society immediately; but the public illustration of the several phenomena will be deferred till the approaching evening meeting of the members of the Royal Institution.

Knowing that you will be proud of first promulgating these important facts in the columns of the Times,

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. SOUTH.
Observatory, Kensington, Nov. 4.

NOTE ON THE HISTORY OF ELECTRO-
CULTURE.

[From a Letter to the Editor of the Edinburgh Courant, by A. Coventry, Esq.]

To Dr. Forster's experiments at Findrassie we may trace all the present excitement; and it will give some idea of its extent when I mention that, besides a great number of trials now making in Scotland, in England there are 700 acres, and part of the Chiswick Gardens, under experiment. But Dr. Forster's idea of applying electricity to vegetation was far from being a new one, although it was hailed by many as something unheard of. In truth there had been a very great deal written on the subject. Beginning with a person of the name of Maimbry, in this town, in the year 1746, it had engaged the attention of Jallabert, Sennebier, Bertholet, Du Hamel, Nairne, Van Marum, Muschinbrock, Carmois, Ingen

houz, Cavallo, De Candolle, Davy, Pouillet, Ellis, Becquérel, Noad, and a dozen more whom I could mention. The result to which it was generally understood that they had come was, that electricity of moderate force exercised no influence on vegetation, and that a strong charge was fatal. No doubt the Abbé Bertholet (who wrote in 1783) had taken a different view, with the support of Nollet, Jallabert, Muschenbrock, and Du Hamel. But the opinions of Ingenhouz and Cavallo, and more lately of Pouillet and Becquérel prevailed; and these were, that "the most impartial, diversified, and conclusive experiments have shown that electrization does neither promote nor retard vegetable life." I quote the words of Cavallo, (vol. iii. p. 357;) but the same sentiment is to be found in Becquérel, the highest of all authorities; and in his fourth volume, p. 185, he explains that the action of galvanism, if it be energetic, cannot but be injurious, since it must destroy the tissues, and alter the natural constitution of the juices. He had formerly shown that whatever the influence of electricity may be o animals, the tissues of plants are unlike the nerves, and will not, like them, contract, and they are besides bad conductors of electricity, as a dead leaf shows. If, therefore, it acts in their case at all, it must be me

chanically, by affecting the capillary action, or chemically, by changing the juices; and much change either way would appear to be hurtful.

THE LEVEL OF THE SEA.

It has been customary for seamen and others to estimate and establish the height of objects above the level of the sea; but a moment's consideration will show that the said level is rather a difficult

datum to get at. Owing to the resistance offered by the shore, together with the angle at which the current impinges on the land, the rise of tide in ports is mostly in excess of that in the offing. Now it is true that the usual method of arriving at a mean level by the method called the halftide mark, if deduced from the averages between the highest and lowest spring-tide, is the most obvious for relative purposes; but an absolute and permanent level of the sea is still a desideratum. There are large seas, where the waters hardly rise, and others where they flow to a height of 60 or 70 feet, as in the Bay of Fundy. On our own coasts we find a rise of 45 feet in the estuary of the Severn, and at Lowestoffe only 5; at London it is 20 feet, at Portsmouth 18, at the Needles 9, and at Milford Haven 30; while across the Channel, we have 22 feet at

Becquired conte

Brest, 45 at Jersey, and 54 at Mount St. Michael. Such monstrous inequalities show the difficulties to be grappled with; but still we think the object far from unattainable; and the circum-establishments, or stations, recently planted around Ireland, offer the means of solving this important practical question. The phenomena should be watched for on the various coasts of continents and islands, with a view of detecting the cause of the perplexing anomalies observed. We have as yet no absolute cognition as to why high water is attained at noon every day in several places in the Pacific, nor why the ebbing and flowing occurs in three hours at Panama. The north coasts of the SouthShetland Isles, Van Dieman's Land, New Ireland, and the Gulf of Tonquin, offer the phenomenon of but one flood-tide in twentyfour hours; while, as they tell the story, in the Strait of Euripus, which separates Negropont from Greece, the tides, during the first eight days of the moon, as well as from the fourteenth to the twentieth day, ebb and flow regularly four times in twenty-four hours; while during each of the other days, they ebb and flow with great force from eleven to fourteen times a day, though with but slight elevation and depression. Other records state the Euripus to have had seven tides in the twenty-four hours; and they further tell us that Aristotle, chagrined at being unable to divine the cause of so striking a singularity, leaped into the stream, and was drowned, exclaiming, "You shall contain me, since I cannot comprehend you." This, if Procopius speaks truly, was a sad mishap, since, had he cleared up certain irregularities dependent upon the winds and the conformation of the Euboean gorge, he would have found that the stream in question only ebbs four times a day; but we own that we place no greater belief in this story, than we do in that which makes the Stagirite poison himself-he always branding suicide as a shameful and cowardly act.*

The Tonquin tide above alluded to was communicated by Mr. Davenport, in a letter which is inserted in the Philosophical Transactions, Vol. XIV., page 677, together with

Aristotle had retreated from Alexander's court in his old age, to avoid the consequences of offending a son of Jupiter-Ammon. Few sovereigns would choose to write the following missive in the present advertising days :-" Alexander to Aristotle, wishing all happiness. You have done amiss in publishing your books on the speculative sciences. In what shall I excel others, if what you taught me privately be communicated to all? You know well that I would rather surpass mankind in the more sublime branches of knowledge than in power. Farewell!" This letter on the acroatic works was written in the turmoils of a stirring campaign; for it was soon after the battle of Gaugamela, and while the pursuit of Darius was hot.

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a theory upon it by Halley. Newton's explanation of the phenomenon consisted in supposing that the tides at this place are compounded of two tides, which arrive by different paths, one six hours after the other. But there is no end of singularities. Within the Strait of Magalhaens, westward of the Second Narrow, it is high water-according to Capt. Fitzroy-at about 4" 40", and the tide rises six feet; but eastward of the First Narrow it is high at 1 30m, and the tide rises forty feet: in one case the sea being twenty feet above its natural level, and in the other only three!

The difficulties and apparent inconsistencies here enumerated have furnished many addle-headed theorists with froth to bespatter the Newtonian doctrine of the tides; and they have mistaken the applause of others still more sciolous than themselves as a confirmation of merit. We are too charitable to mention names; but to the two or three choice philosophists who still remain, and trouble the gentle public with their nonsense for the plaudits of a few dunces, we recommend the golden lines of Churchill:"While such sad mongrels hold the moon at bay, Apes grin, wolves howl, hogs grunt, and asses bray."

-United Service Magazine.

In regard to the fourth and fifth points of inquiry, in addition to his own oath, showing his receipts and expenditures on account of the invention, by which its value is to be ascertained, the applicant should show, by the testimony of disinterested witnesses on oath, that he has taken all reasonable measures to introduce his invention into general use, and that, without default or neglect on his part, he has failed to obtain from the use and sale of the invention a reasonable remuneration for the time, ingenuity, and expense bestowed on the same, and the introduction thereof into use.

The report of the examiner upon the novelty and utility of the invention, will be ready fifteen days before the day appointed for the hearing, which will be open for inspection at the Patent Office; copies of which will be furnished to all parties interested, if desired, on payment of the usual fees for copies.

In case of opposition by any person to the extension of a patent, both.parties may take testimony, each giving reasonable notice to the other of the time and place of taking said testimony, which shall be taken according to the rules prescribed by the Commissioner of Patents in cases of interference.

All arguments submitted to the board must be in writing.

In conclusion, the undersigned would remark, generally, that a monopoly of his invention is secured by law to the inventor for the term of fourteen years. This is done with a view to compensate him for his time and expense in originating and perfecting it. At the end of the time for which his patent runs, his monopoly should cease, and the invention become public property, unless he can show good reasons to the contrary. The presumption is always against his application; and if he cannot show that his invention is novel, useful, valuable and important to the public, and that, having made all reasonable effort to introduce it into general, use, he has not been adequately remunerated for his time and expenses in discovering and perfecting it, the board cannot grant an extension.

JAMES BUCHANAN, Sec. of State.
EDMUND BURKE, Com. of Patents.
F. BARTON, Sol. of the Treasury.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Diagonal Skinning.-The Teazer, steam-vessel, building at Chatham, is completed in her frame, and the shipwrights are about commencing the planking of this vessel. The skinning of the vessel is diagonal, with three thicknesses of oak, the outside fore and aft being two inches thick, and the inner skinning one and a half inch. This system

of skinning diagonally is the first of the kind done in any of the yards.

New Fire-engine.-A new fire-engine, made by Mr. Farmer, of Birmingham, was exhibited at the Fire Police station, Temple-court, Liverpool. The engine, which is very simple in its construction, is capable of throwing eighty gallons per minute to an altitude of forty feet; six men are required to work it. It consists of a cistern about four feet long and two wide; the water is drawn from the cistern by what the inventor calls the rotatory engine, which is simply a wheel of four fans, made to revolve in a circular box with great rapidity; the water is by this means drawn from the engine by one pipe, and delivered through another simultaneously. It will be useful for fires in hay ricks or houses; it would also be of use in cooling salvages, for which a rose-headed pipe is provided, distributing the water extensively; but it appears to want power for such fires as occasionally happen in this town.-Liverpool Courier.

A Geological Curiosity.-There is now in the possession of John Dimmock, Esq., a curiosity in the shape of a mass of manufactured Coral limestone, several inches in diameter, in which are firmly imbedded several Spanish dollars. It is a specimen of a treasure found by an American company, organised in Baltimore, on the wreck of the San Pedro, which was burnt and blown up Feb. 11, 1815, near the island of Cocho, on the coast of Venezuela, Central America. It is supposed that the ship had on board, when she was destroyed, several hundred dollars, a portion of which has been found by our enterprising countrymen, and brought away. They will probably become in good time, masters of all the treasure. Only thirty years have elapsed since the vessel was sunk, and the specie which she contained scattered over the coral reefs and sands; yet the formation of the rock is perfect, consisting of coral, sand, and shell, in which is also a piece of the wood-work of the ship. In this respect it will possess great interest for the geologist. -Boston Journal.

The Clock Manufacture in America.-The great extent to which this is carried, may be judged of, from the fact, that one single establishment, Jerome's, of Newhaven, turns out 50,000 clocks

every year.

Deep Well.-The American papers mention an extraordinary spring of water in Missouri, about 50 miles north of Bateville, which has been sounded to the depth of 500 feet without reaching its bottom. The water flows with but little variation in quantity all the year. The quantity is estimated to be from 20,000 to 30,000 cubic feet per minute. The fall is rapid, amounting in distance of half a mile to 12 or 13 feet.

Air Churn.-The Bishop of Derry has invented an atmospheric churn. Instead of the present unscientific mode of making butter by churning, his Lordship accomplishes this measure by the simpler manner of forcing a full current of atmospheric air through the cream, by means of an exceedingly well devised forcing pump. The air passes through a glass tube connected with the air-pump, descending nearly to the bottom of the churn. The churn is of tin, and it fits into another tin cylinder provided with a funnel and stop-cock, so as to heat the cream to the necessary temperature. The pump is worked by means of a winch, which is not so laborious as the usual churn. Independently of the happy ap plication of science to this important department of dome ti economy in a practical point of view it is extremely valuable. The milk is not moved by a dasher, as in the common churn; but the oxygen of the atmosphere is brought into close contact with the cream, so as to effect a full combination of the butyraceous part, and to convert it all into butter. On one occasion the churning was carried on for the space of one hour and 45 minutes, and 11 gallons of cream produced 261b. of butter.-Globe.