American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-06-29
rilE LOCUST TREE.

| Locust in beauty and foliage, and none are more
valuable for timber Its durability and hardness
rcnderlt particularly suitable fnr application to the
purposes of the arts in ship building and machine
! ry, and for the uses Of rural economy in tie
construction Of fences. Unlike most other trees,
| it invites the grass to grow under It its small
and rounded leaves afford shade from the seOrch-
lng rays Of the sun, retain the moisture OF show
ers and dew in summer and by their annual de-
post in autumn enrich the ground. The mello-
rating effect on the most barren soil, the clothing
of sandy and almost desert knobs with luxuriant
heritage by the cultivation OF Locust groves is ex-
empllfiel in almost every spot where they grow
Alter few trees have been planted little care is
required for their propagation. Shoots are con-
stantIv sent up from the roots, young trees rise
from the seeds, and in few years arrive to matu-
Irity.-Thc winds of the northern winters, it must
be confessed, often impair the symmetry OF form by
breaking the branches, and the value OF the timber
is injured By worn,s-but loss from the first cause
can be prevented by proper pruning, and the des-
tructon of the snawng enemy effected BY reason
able care. But although our climate is not most
propitiuus for the growth Of this tree, it IS suf-
ciely favorable to allow Of its attaining good size
with soundncss.
The price at which the timber has been purcha
sed BY the Government for building vessels of war;
is stated at rs cents the cubic foot. and supply
has been procured with difficulty. The profit which
would result from the cultivation OF the Locust
for the market would be very great. The value
| it possesses is increased from the circumstance
that it may be made the means Tor the improve
ment Of barren soils and that the waste places
may be covered not Only with groves but with lux
lriant vegetation beneath them.
Forester .Egis.
From the " r. Commercial advertiser, June I6.
FLAX SPINNING MAcHIsE.-We had intended
at an earlier day 10 have noticed machine for spin
ming flay, which has lately been exhibited at the
Exchange. Linen is an article OF very general
use, but as yet little progress has been made IN its
manufacture in this country. Nor in any country
has human ingenuity produced machine Tor SPIN
ming the raw material. The consequence is, that
hard labor can alone be applied, and in this coun
try labor is yet, and for ii long time will Dc. 'oo
ear to enable US to compete with foreign hax-
rowing natious, which have redundant popula
ton. IN tie manufacture Of linen fabrics apole
-. we believe. offered a premium ~ million oil
francs, Tor The invention OF a machine tor spanning
lax, but without success In tic mean time Van \
kee ingenuity has often been directed 10 the same
thing IN tins country. and the machine now Under
consideration is the most successful one that has
vet been produced The difficulty las been in iii I
PRODUCING the tax to the spindle IN regular man
ner, and in such uniform quantities Is 10 produce l
ears since, which separated The flores and broke
them to pieces 50 that they we're carded aud made I
IN some measure to resemble The texture OF cotton
ana the process OF sp lning it thus prepared, was
attempted on principles similar to the spinning of
cotton; but this DESTROYED in some measure the
>moothness and beauty Of the thread and made tie
cloth Of the resemblance Of that manufactured from
tow. The machine which we have examined is 7
INTENDED to preserve the hbres unbrukcn, and al !
IN m dali N.
parallel position, by means of what is termed /
feeder, This is SO cuntrivcd as to pick UP from
the mass OF fiax lying in proper position, small
parcels anu bring the same forward to the spindle
the evenness OF the thread must OF course depend
upon the same quantity Of the material being tax
en- forward uniformly in given time, while the
motion OF the spindle continues equable If the
lbres we're all alike, and adhered alike and if tn
machine could be made to pick up at every move
eeSaeuy me same quantity. perfect thread would
be formed. How nearly this may be approximated.
and thereby rendered practically useful in spinnin
common max, must depend upon experiments On a I
more extended scale than this machine exhibits.
~ ne cohttiSance Tor carrying forward the flax by
'ne leeoer, Is ingenious, and NAV afford to skfnl
af's'' hiht Tor constructing machinery on al
ger scale, upon that Or similar principle, which
may De rendered useful and profitable.
Isaset.-somc Of the farmers IF Willan.sburrb
Massachusetts, have undertaken the culture Of thr
teasel, or uers' hstle--and il i. estimated. thai
t'ds plant now occupies about fifty acres in that
town. 1t IS gratifying to see the attention Of far.
mers turned to new articles Of agriculture, which
promise to reward their labors
:, ihe tcasel IS cultivated, il England and France,
ilo'an'i' oerman,y &c. for the purpose Of raising
inc hapupon wooden cloths. The following remark
upon i,S culture are extracted from Mr.. Loudon's
Encyclopedia:
me feasel grows stronger on deep. loamy CLAWS.
not over rich The soil should be poughea deem
and well palverised. In England, it is frequcntl,
soW broau cast, but it is better to SOW it IN rows
with intervals NJ Is to "a inchns antn.nA.. 49,.