The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-06-20
Necessity and Invention.

The halfeultiyated plains Of Southern
Russia are Of unlimited fertility. No ma
nure Is required, the process of agriculture
being to raise a crop one year, and for the
next two years to permit the land to lie
fallow. Men are scarce, and steam has
been tried as means to save human labor.
But unfortunately the country produces
no coal, and trees arc even scarcer than
men. Even scrub and brush-wood are
often wanting A rude way Of meeting
the difficulty has been to dig vast pits, into
which the straw was thrown and fired, and
the heat utilized by side funnel, over
which the fre-box Of the engine was placed.
This awkward arrangement destroyed the
engines in few years, and was, moreover,
subject to the difficulty that the wheat to
be threshed had to be transported for long
distances to the pits. Immense quantities
of straw were burned to accomplish but
small results.
The continued ingenuity Of two engi-
neers, one an Englishman, the other
Russian, seems to have solved the Difficult
ty. The engine Of their construction was
among the articles exhibited at the Vienna
Exposition. The Car of Russia has had
an opportunity, during his visit to England,
to inspect the practical working of the
machine. The straw is passed by simple
machinery to the action of the FIRE, the at
tention of only one man Is necessary to
tho feeding of the fuel, and the consulnp-
ton of straw, as fuel, is reduced to about
four times the weight that would be re-
quired Of coal. The price of coal, deliver
cd by rail, amounts to prohibition of its
use, for, even after il reaches the stations,
there are many miles Of wagon transpor-
tation required The Russian Emperor
and his party, the Queen Of England and
her attendants, watched the recent trial in
England, and we venture to say that the
Russians, at any rate, found the practical
business more interesting than their Estate
engagements. The machinery promises
to be a success, and il it so prove, may
produce effects far beyond the Russian
stcppes, and outside Of the Russian ex
chequer,
II is said that the Khedive of Egypt
has introduced the improved machine into
that country, for the purposes Of irrigation
Coal and other articles ordinarily used a,
fuel are scarce, or wanting entirely, in thai
country also. The new machine will dis
pose Of cotton stalks, "cane-trash,' oil
"bagasses," from crushed sugar canes, al
well as Of straw; and this rubbish, now Blu
partially utilized as fuel, may be brough
to the highest utility Of which il is capable
The new invention has great interest TO
this country also, if it prove to be sue
cess. Thousands of tons of useless straw
rot on the rich soils Of the west and south
west, where it is as little desired for ma
nure as in Russia. No doubt the ingenu
ity Of inventors may devise some mode b,
which the straw, or cotton stalks, or brush
wood may be used in combination will
coal or other strong fuel. The utilization
Of waste is the source of wealth. TIL,
cane-stalks in the limited sugar area of thi
country are now, we believe, used as fueI
for boiling the syrup. But the day ma,
come when other vegetables as well as can,
may be used for the manufacture Of sugar
The same means which are employed b,
make straw and other light matters avail
able for steam threshipg machine ma,
probably be made available in other sta
tionary engines. Thus, even in our cite
and other manufacturing centres, tn
steam engine may become an ally Of th'
street cleaning and sanitary departments
In many branches Of industry, and NOR
especially in such as work up wood, tn
steam machinery may be made to clea
away the daily rubbish of the establish
ment, and thus convert trouble and vast
into useful article. Probably some o
our ingenious machinists have alread,
taken note of these new movements, an,
In due time the results of these expert
ments will give the world another me,
departure in labor saving appliances
Good hopsekeepcrs, by the way, have al
ready tested the usefulness Of fire in clear
ing away household garbage in cities an
towns. The furnace in the cellar is
capital scavenger