EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 5, 16 August 1842, Page 3

EXTRACTS.

Ploughing jiy Steam. —At a meeting of an agricultural society at Mclwick, Mr. W. Blurton made the following remarks : —“ In trying an experiment a short time ago, I discovered that ploughing might he as effectually, and quite as easily, performed with the power behind the plough, as by the usual' method of dragging the plough after the power ; therefore I conceive that four or five ploughs might he arranged, and he propelled by a locomotive steam-engine, so that poaching the land in wet seasons might be entirely avoided. As the calculations and deductions made in an ‘ Essay on Steam Ploughing,’ published more than twelve months ago, were derived from the most authentic sources, I will, therefore, take them, as far as they go, as the basis on which I have founded my present, scheme. I trust that f have satisfactorily shown in that essay, (pages 11 and 12), that steam power equivalent to 0.94 11)., would he sufficient either to drag or propel a double plough, at a proper width and depth, 21 miles an hour, leaving an excess of power of 356 lb., which latter power may be applied, os will be subsequently shown. It is a well known principle in mechanics, that by decreasing the speed, you may thereby increase the power; therefore, agreeable to that principle, viz., by reducing the speed to one-fifth of 2|- miles, or to half a mile an hour, five double ploughs may he propelled at once, which decrease of speed will render the ploughs much more manageable, and the necessary number of turnings at the extremities of the furrows will, consequently, be reduced in nearly the same proportion. There are various means by which increased power may be obtained by decrease of speed, and I will instance one familiar to almost all, viz., the common crane, which may be seen in most of the wharfyards in great varieties. An eight-toothed castiron pinion working in a 48-toothed wheel, will, by a common windlass and the power of one man, lift from the ground to the height required much more than half a ton. I will suppose, for instance, that only four double ploughs are arranged, and that two of them shall turn the furrows in the usual method towards the right hand, and the centre of the land or butt, and the two other ploughs with the mould

hoards reversed turn the furrows to the left hand, also towards the centre; these altogether propelled forward by the engine, would complete what is uow called a four-bout land or butt at once. It will, therefore, he obvious to

every practical farmer, that by such an arrangement the ploughs will leave two open furrows, both of them solid and even at the bottom, which, for all the purposes of steam-ploughing, will serve as a railroad for the driving wheels of the locomotive engine to move along, and therefore much less propulsion will he recpu'red than if the wheels of the engine had to act on a soft or even surface. You will perceive that, in the arrangement previously made, four double ploughs were mentioned, and the consequence of decreasing the number of double ploughs from five to four, will amply compensate for, or overcome, any difference in draught caused by the nature of the various tenacities of soil, or other circumstances. The excess of power before mentioned, of 356 lb., acting on the foregoing principle of decrease of speed, will, I consider, be sufficient to overcome the power necessary to move the engine alone. Four double ploughs moving at the slow speed of half a mile an hour, and ploughing furrows ten inches wide, would plough an acre in two hours, allowing a reasonable time for turning at each end of the furrow; and I take leave to state that I have, in the foregoing observations, derived from the sources be-fore-mentioned, endeavoured to he much under the real efficiency of the power of the locomotive engine that I should recommend to he employed.”—Edinburgh Evening (hit,rant. A Swiss journal entertains its readers with the two following singular narrations : —A traveller going towards St. Maurice, by the Bois Noir, was suddenly surprised by perceiving that his steps were followed by a wolf. ITc stopped and turned round; the animal quietly seated himself on its haunches, and remained gaizing at him as long as he stood still, but when lie moved forwards his terrible companion pursued the same track, until the bridge at Mauvoisin was reached, when the wolf quietly turned round and galloped off to the mountain. The second story is:—That about eleven o’clock one moonlight and clear frosty night, this person, .returning from Martigny to his own house in the country, along the St. Maurice road, perceived at some distance from him, in the Avenue d’Ottan, by which he was to pass, a wolf seated on its haunches, and watching his approach. The traveller endeavoured to scare tlic beast away by shouting, hut, instead of producing this effect, the noise brought another wolf over the hedge, which placed itself by the side of the other, and in the 3ame posture. To face two such redoubtable foes would have been fool-hardy, and our pedestrian turned and retraced his steps. After walking about a hundred yards he looked back to sec whether the enemies had retired, but found them both trotting a few paces behind him, one a little to the right and the other to the left. Thus they continued to within a short distance of the farm, where the person, who, notwithstanding the extreme coldness of the air, was streaming with prespiration from fright, met several men going to St. Maurice. On the arrival of this reinforcement he recovered his courage, hut his pursuers, it seems, lost theirs, for they immediately turned round and ran howling to the mountains. —Morning Chronicle.

Wealth op tite late .Duice op Cleveland. —lt is said that by the late Duke of Cleveland’s death, his eldest son, the present Duke, succeeds to £BO,OOO a year. Lord William Poulctt has a legacy of £560,000, and Lord Harry another of £440,000. There is a legacy of £200,000 to a grandson; the Dowager Duchess has the Yorkshire estates, the house in Grosvenorsquare, and immense amount of plate, jewellery, and furniture. A large portion of the unentailed estates in Durham goes to one of his daughters. His grace, it is said, had £1,250,000 in the Thrce-and-a-Half per Cent Consols, besides plate and jewellery to the value of a million sterling.— lbid. End op a Rich Pope. —Clement V., cl urine: his feeble and profligate reign; amassed enormous riches by the sale of ecclesiastical benefices and by other scandalous means. He had enriched Ids relations and dependents, hut lie had not secured their gratitude. The moment that his death was announced in the papal palace, all its inmates rushed upon his treasures as if they had been their lawful booty. Amongst his numerous household not a single servant remained to watch the dead body of their master. The wax candles that lighted his bed of state fell upon the bed clothes, and set them on fire. The flames spread over the whole apartment, but the palace and wardrobe were so plundered that only a miserable cloth could be found to cover the Half burnt remains of one of the richest popes who had ever governed the church. — Campbell's Life of Pelrareh.

The Estimation of an Englishman in Turkey. —Our old friend Mustapha reposed so much confidence in the honour of an Englishman, that this morning lie offered to lend me any sum I wished, with no other security than my simple word. In order to convince me of his ability to make good his promise; after removing a stone from the floor, he unlocked an iron trap-door, and showed me a mine of gold pieces concealed below. He was delighed with

a rough sketch 1 made him } indeed, many circumstances go to prove that the fanatical aversion of the Turks to portraits and pictures is much on the decline, notwithstanding all representations of the human figure are strictly prohibited by the Mahoiiiedan law. The Sultan lias had his likeness taken twice already, and he is going to sit a third time to an English artist of the name of Atkins. —Extract from. Auldjo’s Journal , %

Swindling in Paris. —We find the following in the Droit: —“ A. swindler in high life,, who called himself a prince of the Roman empire, and assumed the title of Count S., has just been arrested by the Police, charged with a series of frauds upon several jewellers and other tradesmen. It appears that this person, who lived in a handsome house in the Champ Elysees, and always went out in a handsome carriage, some time since ordered from a tailor of the Palais Royal a chamherlaih’s costume, saying •that he was one of the chamberlain’s of the Grand Duke of Lucca, and having paid for it punctually, he obtained the confidence of the tailor, who introduced liifci to a neighbouring, jeweller, the soi-dislant prince wishing to purchase some jewellery. He made several small purchases at this and other shops, and paying for them regularly, and calling frequently to get bank notes exchanged, captivated the confidence of these tradesmen, who naturally concluded that lie was a rich man, and readily executed orders to the amount of 70,000 francs, which he has not paid for. Recently some of the diamonds sold to him by one of these tradesmen having been offered to another who recognised them, suspicion was entertained, and the count was eventually taken into custody. At the time of his arrest he was so reduced in circumstances that his wife had been compelled to borrow 15 francs of the porter of the house where they lived, and to whom they already owed 6*oo francs. It appears that the count was in the habit, as soon as he had exchanged a note at a jeweller’s, of taking the silver to a money changer, and obtaining another note. In this way he was able to return frequently with notes, and to establish a belief that he was very opulent.” — Morning Chronicle. Supply op Meat for Paris, —The commission appointed by the municipal council of Paris for examining the questions as to the regulation of the butcher trade, having heard the representations of the feeders, butchers, and different agents of the administration, has proposed an ordonnance to the following effect:— “ No butcher shall have more than one shop or stall. There shall he one butcher for every 2,200 inhabitants. .All shops and stalls exceeding this number shall be repurchased by the syndicate. A shop or stall rnay be sold by a .butcher to one of his relations. In case of death, the widow or children may succeed. Every butcher must make a deposit of caution money. The members of the syndicate are to be elected by a majority of the votes of the butchers. Every shop or stall which shall remain three days without a supply of meat shall he closed for six months. No sales or purchases shall be made, except in markets duly licensed for this species of provisions. The trade called d la cheville (carcase butchers), in which rich butchers kill cattle and sell the meat to others of the trade, is suppressed after the tolerance of four years. Country dealers, as well as the butchers of Paris, are authorised to sell meat in the markets.” The amount of the sales in the poultry market of the Quai des Augustins, during the last year, exceeded those of 1840 by nearly 2,000,000 f American Drollery. —Why is a flourishing field of corn like a jackass ? Because it hath long cars. —“ J come oil'with flying colours,” as the painter said when lie fell- from the ladder with the palette o’er his thumb.—A young lady in Albany was lately married to a- Mr'. W. Tongue. Isn’t she Tongue-tied? We hope she will be happy and hold her Tongue for many a long year.—“ I’m in liquor,” as the mouse said when, he fell into a cider barrel.—“ One word to the wise is sufficient,” as the owl said when he hooted over the traveller’s head.—“ I’m tired, of the world,” as Atlas said when he stopped to rest himself.—The only friend in adversity, who never forsakes his master when all the world has forsaken him, is his dog. —“ I’m bound to you for ever,” as the cover said to the book.— A citizen a few days ago accosted the secretary of the Chartered Gas Company with the common salutation of “ How d’ye do ?”’ “As well as canbe expected,” was the reply of the secretary, “ considering I am a liver upon lights.” — lbid.