Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-11-05

MUS Smith communicates to the Journal of
Commerce another article on the culture of the
tea plant, at the Goldengrove Plantation, in
s. c. He says:
1t is a philosophical speculation of my own
that the pestiferous atmosphere of the plains of
India combine, in some degree, with the atmos-
pheric air of the hemountins, and produce an effect
upon the tea plant adverse to its perfection
and repugnant to the production of the finest
quality Of the tea leaf We are not so cramp-
ed in this country for the want of frosts and
SHOWS and strong winds, that we cannot find
ample space this side of the clouds of Heaven
for tea plantations to meet exactly the wants
Of the plant. Wecan run to the north or south,
to the east or west, and plant our foot upon the
exact parallel adapted to our wishes, and leave
the lofty mountains undisturbed.
Although my beginnings were and are small
and feeble, and not sustained by affiuence or or
dinary and pecuniary aid, so essential to
great national undertaking, yet / am thankful
for the continued enjoyment of health and
strength, and for a certain progressive advance
ment, which leaves no grounds to apprehend
any adverse result in tea cultivation. The tea
seedlings which have germinated this summer,
and are now from s to 10 inches in height, are
far more numerous than have had them at any
former period. The excessive drought and heat
have no doubt, been prejudicial to the vegeta-
ton of the tea nut, rs well rs to the growth
and vigor of the tea plant. The absolute ne
cessily of more thorough irrigation isquite
apparent My older and larger plants now stand
heat and cold, and have grown finely since they
were transplanted from the village in March,
Most of them are covered with blossom buds.
The first blossom appeared yesterday. Num-
bers of others are just ready TO open out. The
autumna planting of tea nuts have germnated
more generally than those planted in the spring
and summer, but they appear in May, and con-
tinue during the summer in lesser numbers
The nuts which | have just received from China
of this years growth, are in sound condition, 4
small quantity Of which will be spared, for
those desirous of planting, and will be of the
best that can be obtained, | am aware that far
mers, as well as others, are apt to be impatient,
and grudge the long time they must wait for
the latter harvest. Many of them, doubtless,
with me, can remember when there was not a
bale of cotton grown in the United States nor
a steamship floating upon the ocean.
WONDERFUL MEcHANIsM.-One of the most
ingenious and singularly exact pieces ofmechan-
ism is the famous clock in the Cathedral Of
Strasburg. Every day at noon, cock on its
summit flaps its wings and crows, and then the
figures of the twelve apostles, one by one, pass
by the figure of the Savior, who imposes his
hand upon each in blessing as they move. Not
for this exhibition, but for the wonderful aecu-
racy with which this clock records many astro-
nomical phenomena of difficult calculations is
it world-famous.
The following account of the late remarka-
BILE eclipse of the sun as it appeared in this
al Of oh,r ic frop cnta frnn ho (op
rier des EtatS UniS:
Upon one of the dials of this clock is little
moon. of diameter about the size of a pea.
On the 2Sth of July, at the very minute, at
the very second predicted by the astronomer
Finck, this little moon was seen to approach
the disc of the sun about the same size, stua-
trihing portion, then larger one-then it reach
ed the opposite limb in perfect and absolute CO.
incidence with the phases of the real eclipse.
From the many curious persons crowding the
aisle of the Cathedral could only be heard ex-
pressions of surprise and joy at this wonderful
result of mechanical skill. Strangers rushed
towards M. Schwilque the maker of this won
derful clocl,) overwhelming him with their con-
gratuations, and one Swedish lady, unable to
restrain her enthusiasm from what she had heard
and what she saw, could not but crafty her
feelings by covering him with kisses of admi-
ration, the hand of that man, os wise as he is
modest, who has bestowed upon Strasburg this
incompatible work of art
CRYSTAL PALAcE.-The Atlantic brings the
intelligence that the Crystal Palace has been or
dered taken down, and its removal is no doubt
now going forward. The Chief reason seems
to be that the funds for keeping it up were not
forthcoming. According to the Times it will
probably be set up again at Battersea for win
ter garden.
AMERICAN AND ENGLISH TELEGRAPHING.--In
the way of telegraph lines Michigan alone has
now already more miles completed than has the
whole of England From Detroit there are six
lines, and in the State thirty stations, and the
whole number of miles in operation in the State
is $685. Pretty well for one State so far west!
Det. Trib.
"Sonny, what is your fathers name?" 81
don't know what it is now--use TO be Smith,
but he's got married That is, suppose Smith
was his maiden name' "Yeth um."
Smart boy-we should wonder if he bought
lot of oxen some day, and opened dry dairy.
According to the Albany Dutchman, Miss
o.thore rouot bova , ofbar dion b1a 1ovor