Saccharine Aliment-Port Wine-Consumption of Wine, &c. cipally derived from the vegetable kingdom, and being at the same time alimentary, Dr. Prout considers the terms Saccharine principle and Vegetable aliment as synonimous. The following, showing some of the results of Dr. Prout's experiments with various substances, great care being taken in every case to obtain these perfectly pure, will interest many of our readers, as showing the comparative nutritive properties of each. SUGAR. Pure Sugar Candy contains Carbon. East India Refined Sugar may Port PORT WINE.--The eulogists of pure Wine be a little startled at the following official statement of the entire amount of wine exported from Oporto : In 1818, the Factory wine exported from Oporto amounted to 32,843 pipes; of this quantity 32,465 were consumed by Great Britain and her dependencies, leaving 378 pipes to supply all the rest of the world with pure port wine. In 1819, the total quantity exported was 19,502 pipes, of which nearly the whole was for the supply of Great Britain. In 1820, the quantity exported was 23,740 pipes; almost the whole went to supply Great Britain. ⚫ In 1821, 24,641 pipes; nearly the whole to Great Britain. In 1822, 27,758 pipes; of which 27,470 were consumed by the English, leaving 288 pipes for the supply of all other nations. In 1823, 23,578 pipes were exported; of which 23,208 were for the supply of England, leaving 370 for other nations. In 1824, 19,164 pipes were the number exported, the same proportion being consumed by Great Britain. 47 277 were for the supply of Great Britain, and 247 for other nations. In 1826, 18,604 pipes exported; 18,310 to Great Britain, and the remaining 314 to other countries. CONSUMPTION OF FRENCH WINES BY FOREIGN NATIONS.-According to M. Paguirre, England uses less of the French wines than almost any other nation, if we except Sweden. In five years, 6,681 tons of French wines were admitted into England. Hamburg alone takes about eight times, and Holland upon an average twelve times as much. CONSUMPTION OF WINE IN FRANCE.-In 1821. the quantity of French wines retailed in France, and of course chiefly consumed by the poores classes, amounted to more than 335,000,000 gal lons. In 1826, it exceeded 400,000,000 gallons The quantity sold wholesale, and consequently consumed by the families of the opulent, or at : least those in easy circumstances, amounted in 1826 only to 69,314,650 gallons; in 1828, to 136,869,438 gallons. CONSUMPTION OF BEEF IN FRANCE.-According to M. Lullin de Chateauvieux, it appears that the consumption of Beef in France, in proportion to the population, is only one-sixth of what it is in England, notwithstanding that during the year 1826 no fewer than 36,518 oxen During the same period the importation of and cows were imported from foreign countries. sheep and lambs amounted to 200,000. According to M. Dupin, there is consumed in England three times as much meat, milk and cheese, as in France. - Four pounds of beef lost by boiling one pound, the same quantity lost by roasting one pound five ounces; the same quantity lost in baking one pound three ounces. Four pounds of mutton lost in boiling fourteen ounces; the same quantity by roasting lost one pound six ounces; by baking, the same quantity lost one pound four ounces. LOSS OF WEIGHT IN MEAT DURING COOKING. PORT WINE OF THE SHOPS.-The following is stated on unquestionable authority to be the composition, detected by analysis, of a bottle of the ordinary port wine of the shops. Spirits of wine, three ounces; cider, fourteen ounces; sugar, one and a half ounce; alum, two scruples; tartaric acid, one scruple; strong decoc In 1825, 40,524 pipes exported, of which 40,- tion of logwood, four ounces. STAKE FENCE. It is often said that the expenses attending houses and fences make slaves of many farmers. The Genesee Farmer recommends the following kind of fence as economical, and which is often seen in various parts of the country: In making stake fence, the timber for stakes should be cut seven feet and a half long, and split to about the size of common rails; they should be set in the ground about eighteen inches, and each pair of sufficient distance the one from the other to admit a rail between them. When the stakes are thus placed, a stone of sufficient size to raise the lower rail from the ground should be placed between them, on which to place the bottom rail, and proceed to fill up by placing the ends of the two adjoining rails alternately. After the fence is about four rails high, a hole should be bored through the two stakes with an inch and a quarter augor, and a pin of good oak, or some other durable wood, drove through it, and the smaller end made fast by wedging. This pin should be placed so high, that as the stakes at the top of the ground will first fail, their length will be sufficient to allow them to be re-set; and the lower hole bored in them should be at such distance from the ground as will pre>vent its being brought to the surface on the second setting. There should be two of these pins put through the stakes, the upper one only calculated to support the two ends of the upper rails, which may be raised a little above the other, and thus a fence with six rails may be made the height of seven, when allowed to rest upon each other. Such fence requires less labor for making than post and rail, by about the amount required to hole the post and sharpen the rails-is equally as durable as post and rail, and not more liable to be blown down by high winds. RAILROAD SURVEYS.-The Board of Internal Improvements has made its report to the legislature, covering the report of Mr. Rawle, of his surveys of the Central and Yadkin railroad, which we will take an opportunity hereafter of presenting to our read ers. We confess ourselves disappointed at the result which Mr. R. has come to in his estimation of the expense of constructing a railroad between this city and Beaufort. The citizens of Raleigh have just completed an Experimental Railway from the -city to a Stone Quarry in the vicinity, which will not cost more than $2,500 a mile, and ཝཱ we had believed that the country through which the Central Road would pass is fully as favorable for such a purpose as that between this city and the Stone Quarry, yet Mr. R.'s estimate is upwards of $5,000 a mile. The expense of constructing the proposed Yadkin Railroad is estimated at be. tween 8 and 9,000 a mile. And we presume, had Mr. R. continued his survey of the Central Road westward, the estimate would have been still higher. We fear that if the Central Railroad cannot be àccomplished at a much less sum than Mr. Rawle' sestimate, it will not, at present, be effected. Would it not, in the mean time, be desirable, if a sufficient subscription can be obtained for the purpose, to continue our ex. perimental Railroad to some point on Neuse River, from whence good boat navigation could be had at most seasons of the year? The Road thus made might hereafter form a part of the Central Road.-[Raleigh, N. C. Jan. 4, 1833.] SISAL HEMP. Under date of Nov. 13, 1832, from Port Sisal, Yucatan, Dr. Perrine says: 1 I am at this moment engaged in making confirmatory experiments with the Agave Sisalana. It is even much better than I sta. ted in my paper on the Sisal hemp. There is a field of 5000 plants at only two yards apart, within three hundred yards of this table, in a very flourishing condition, although planted in the dry sand of the sea-shore, within two hundred yards of the water, which it is asserted will give at least three pounds each, annually, and need but one cutting; but as it makes very little difference when, a large plantation will supply work for dressing every day in the year. Heretofore it has been thought that the plant would not do well at less than 15 to 30 miles from the ocean, but this experiment shows that it will bear the sea air; and although its growth may be much slower, yet it produces sufficiently to stimulate cultivation in the worst places. Calculate for yourself 1210 plants to the acre of sandy sea shore, giving three pounds of Sisal hemp every year, after the first three or four, or we will even say five years, for ever and ever. Farewell at present, as I must see the Indian scrape six leaves of Cheloin, to compare their fibres with that of six leaves of the Saoqui. H. PERRINE. Paper Ploughing and Stamping Machines. By Mr. WM. REED. [From the London Mechanics' Magazine.] Peterhoff Paper Mill, near St. Petersburgh, August 23, 1831. I now propose to give a description of a machine for ploughing five reams of paper at a time, which has been at work here nearly ten years, and is an invention entirely my own. I am not aware of there being any thing of the kind in England, owing, I believe, to the excise not allowing any paper to be ploughed at the mills, so that the sta. tioners are obliged to get it ploughed by hand. In places where there are no such vexatious regulations, this machine will be found of great use. Two boys suffice to manage the working of it; and those here have got exceedingly expert in placing in and taking out. I shall begin with first describing the prin cipal working parts of the machine. Two riggers, A, are driven from below off one of the engine-woolers; and on the shaft there is a sliding clutch-box with a lever, marked B, for instantly stopping or starting the machine. From one of the riggers a strap proceeds, which sets in motion the rigger C, with a fly-wheel and arm D, which being connected with the head with the knife, or cutter, E, causes it to slide along the bar F, which is of a triangular form, as represented in the section F'. G is a handle, by turning which, with the help of two pair of mitre wheels, fixed on a shaft, and the vertical screws attached to the bar F, the knife, bar, &c. is made to descend. The mode of operating is as follows: On the machine table or platform, we place each ream on its beech-board, for the ploughing knife E to cut down to. We then lay on a sheet brass gauge plate, and mark off with a pencil how much of the three external sides are to be cut away. The paper is then put on the machine, which has a sort of parallel ruler back, worked by two pinions and racks. The handle H is now turned towards the work. man, and the pencil mark brought level with the front of a double iron straight-edge. The lower edge is fixed firm and level with the table; and at each end there is a 1 inch cylindrical pin cut, with a double screw (for dispatch) and two brass nuts, of which the lower one is round, and works slack, being intended merely to hold the upper straight edge, while the reams are put in and taken out. When the paper is in its place, the under or counter nuts are run down an inch or so; the upper nuts, which are six-sided, are screwed down tightly, by two short span A Glossary of Mechanical Terms. ners, on the five reams of paper, care being taken to screw both ends of the iron straight edge down at one time. The lads broke three cast-iron straight-edges before they got well used to the machine, by not screwing down equally. The last one I backed with two half-inch bars, clamped on edgewise, and it has lasted years. It sometimes happened that one ream of paper was rather thicker than the others; but by slackening the bar, and putting two or three sheets of paper on the thin ream, the inequality was easily remedied; now such a thing seldom occurs. After one face has been thus ploughed, the clutch is detached by the lever B, and the handle G being quickly turned the reverse way, brings up the bar with the knife or cutter E. The upper nuts are then slackened, and the parallel back, by moving the handle H as required; after which the reams are turned, and again brought up to the straight-edge. The table and sliding-back are made of mahogany, the frame I of fir. The frame which carries the fly-wheel and rigger C, &c., is of cast iron, and square at top and bottom, with four hollow fluted columns. The guide-wheel, mitre-wheels, and the sliding parts at the end of the bar and head, are of brass kept clean. The ploughing-knives, when new, are 10 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 3-8ths thick, requiring to be very flat on the face, and stiff. I make them of Eng. lish cast steel, and when worn down to about 7 inches, they are considered as having done their duty, and are then worked up into other tools. Four or five will last a year. It may be proper to add, that the post or framo marked X reaches from the floor to the ceiling, for carrying the shaft, fly, and riggers A, and that the other end is fixed on an iron cradle. The knife makes 25 double strokes per minute of 4 feet 6 inches; if the machine worked quicker, it would heat the knife. I take the opportunity of also sending you a description of a machine for stamping the paper at the corner, in three or six inches at a time, which is worked in connection with the ploughing apparatus. It is of wrought iron, except the wheel, which is cast, and the whole is fixed firmly on a fine beech table. On the top of the frame are two stout iron rods, which help to support it from the thrusts, &c. A tapet on a short crank is put in motion from the shaft and rigger A (see ploughing apparatus,) and with the connecting rod, pushing the wheel to and fro, causes the cylinder (D, front view, fig. 2,) to rise about half an inch, which is sufficient. The peculiarity of this press is, that by one turn of the crank it makes two blows or impres sions 50 times per minute. We before used a small hand press, but this is more expedi. tious, and saves a man, which is an object where men are scarce. In all parts of this machine, the axle and bolts are two inches thick: were they smaller, the great strain would soon make them slack in the joints. The bed-pieces are pewter or grain-tin, three inches square, and 14 inches thick, cast with a pin on them, thus: 7 to chuck them by; because when the die is forced in too deep, it is apt to cut the paper. They are then faced in the lathe, and paste. board washer put under to raise them up to give the impression required. The tin bed. piece is let into a wooden block, that takes in two parts, with feather-nuts on the bolts, as shown in fig. 2. BROOKLYN, Feb. 24, 1833. To the Editor of the American Mechanics' Magazine : SIR,-The announcement of your publica. tion for Mechanics has excited considerable attention from the practical workmen in this neighborhood. I wish you every success. I think if you would insert in one of your early numbers a complete "GLOSSARY OF MECHANICAL TERMS," it would be highly beneficial to many of your readers and sub. scribers. There is one in Mr. Nicholson's "Operative Mechanic," a work of great merit, but of too high a price to be purchased by the mass of workmen. I am, sir, your most obedient, A YOUNG MECHANIC. his suggestion, and most readily adopt it.[We are thankful to our young friend for ED.] A GLOSSARY OF MECHANICAL TERMS. Eolopile-A hollow metallic ball, with Arbor-The principal spindle or axis which |