The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-18

and rcjoiccd in the idea that great leak
in our domestic economy was at length
But we did not rejoice in the
matter Of the labor. The odors were not
Of "Araby the blcst;" Coleridgc's cxper-
fence in Cologne was triflc to it.
In our extremity we saw in the Coun-
try Gentleman, our monitor and guide,
the advertisement of Earth Closets The
better type was adorned, like Egyptian
temples, with winged globe, an emblem
no doubt Of something. The Tribune too
endorsed the pamphlet. So we sent for
it, and gave it to our carpenter to study.
He is studying it yet. lie says there is
a pin somewhere between the hopper and
the dumping box on which it all turns
and Of whose proper position he cannot
exactly satisfy himself. He desires a
fuller description of the mechanism, and
that the Tribune should issue
another edition Of the phamphlet more
fully explained.
Meanwhile time and tide and necessity
wait for no man. So we impovish box
of earth, and by means of coal shovel,
whose market val ue may be twenty-five
cents, we deodorize, competently, salts
factorily pro re nata, and infringe on no
mans patent The results is kind of
poudette or "ta feu," which after being
dried, is inodorous and inoffensivc. 1t is
an exceedingly stimulating food for plants
holding too we presume something
of the same relation as molasses candy
does to the juvenile portion of the human
family, and so we allow the Chinese ap-
pellelation to degenerate into tafy
But we must insure the proper desc-
cation and seasoning of this plant food !;
for, like all other manures, this is better
to be at least one year old To effect
this, the basement of the building is dou-
BILE, consisting of two compartments, over
one of which the building stands while
the contents of the other are digesting and
drying. Two sticks of square timber,
twice as long as the building is wide, form
the sub-sills and sides of the two reser.
voirs. When the building is over the
back one, the front one is covered with
plank, which forms a convenient platform
step. When the building is over the
front one, the same plank are used to
protect the rear deposit from rain. Thus
in the garden, where we wish to use it.
we have source of revenue in what was
formerly an incumbrance, simply by
adopting the idea that this variety OF
plant food, like beets, carrots and turnips,
is essentially biennial in its habitudes-
requiring two years to develop, not only
its fullest capacity for benefit, but also
its greatest facility for use.
Delavare Co., NY. Il. L. WATERBURY,.
Where Wood Comes From.
If we were to take up handful Of
soil and examine it under the microscope,
we should probably find it to contain a
number Of fragments Of wood, small bro
ken pieces of the branches, or leaves, or
other parts of the tree. If we could ex.
anime it chemically, we should find yet
more strikingly that it was nearly the
same as wood in its composition. Per-
haps, then, it may be said the young
plant obtains its wood from the earth in
which it grows. The following expert.
ment will show whether this conjecture is
likely to be correct or not. Two hun.
dred pounds of earth were dried in an
oven, and afterward put into large earth.
en- vessel the Garth was then moistened
with rain water, and willow tree, weigh.
ing five pounds, was planted therein
During the space Of five years the earth
was carefully watered with rain water OF
pure water. The willow grew and -four.
ished, and, to prevent the earth being
mixed with fresh earth, or dirt being
blown upon it by the winds, it was GOV.
cred with a metal plate full of very mi.
mute holes, which would exclude every.
thing but air from getting access to the
earth below it. After growing in the
earth for five years, the tree was remov.
ed, and, on being weighed, was found to
have gained one hundred and sixty-foul
pounds. And this estimate did not in.
clude the weight OF the leaves or dead
branches which in five years fell from the
tree. Now came the application Of the
test. Was all this obtained from the
earth ? 1t had not sensibly diminished
but, in order to make the experiment
conclusive, it was again dried in an oven
and put in the balance. Astonishing wa
the result-the earth weighed only two
ounces less than it did when the willow
was first planted in it yet the tree hat
gained one hundred and sixty-four pounds
Manifestly, then, the wood thus gainet
in this space Of time was not obtaneC
from the earth we are, therefore, com
PEELED to repeat our question, "Wher
does the wood come from 2" We are lief
with only two alternatives the waite
with which it was refreshed, or the air il
which it lived. 1t can be clearly show
that it was not due to the water we arc
consequently, unable to resist the per
picking and wonderful conclusion-it wa
derived from the air.
Can it be? Were those great ocea
spaces of wood, which are as old as men
introduction into Eden, and wave in thei
vast but solitary luxuriance over the fei
tile hills and plains of South Americ,
were these obtainnd from the thin air
Were the particles which unite to forr
our battle ships, Old England's walls {
wood, ever borne the world about, nc
only on wings of air, but actually as al
themselves ? Was the firm table on whic
l write, the chair on which | rest, tn
solid floor on which tread, and much {
the house in which dwell once in
form which could not as much as la
my finger on or grasp in my hand
Wonderful truth all this was air
! GREAT IMPORTATION OF HIGH-BRE
Domestic ANIMALs.-The ship Hudson
Capt, Pratt, just arrived from Euglan,
has on board 4 fine short-horn cows
, Jersey COWS and heifers, selected fro