MANUFACTURES OF TIN, LEAD, copper, &c. whose history is of course amply sufficient to till some twenty or thirty pages of amusing narrative. Take a short anecdote as a specimen : "The goldsmiths of this country had considerable reputation in the middle ages. Anketil, a monk of St. Alban's, about the beginning of the 12th century, was so famous for his works in gold, silver, gilding, and jewellery, that he was invited by the King of Denmark to superintend his works in gold, and to be his banker or money-changer. A pair of candlesticks, made of silver and gold, and presented by Robert, Abbot of St. Alban's, to Pope Adrian IV., were so much esteemed for their exquisite workmanship, that they were consecrated to St. Peter; and were the principal means of obtaining high ecclesiastical distinctions for the abbey. According to Muratori, the English works in gold and silver were famous so early as the eighth century, even in Italy."-p. 376. It might be observed, however, that the Pope alluded to had some natural predilections in favour of Anketil's workmanship, he having himself been born within the domains of St. Alban's Abbey, in whose favour he behaved so liberally: he was, in fact, the only Englishman who ever attained to the papal chair, and might naturally be expected to look with partiality on the production of his countryman. This says nothing, nevertheless, against the rest of the anecdote, as to the "Majesty of Deninark." The manufacture of plate supplies the material of a chapter, which is about as good as any in the book. We can spare room only for a quotation relating to one of the most beautiful processes in the art : "One very ingenious department of the plate-working manufacture consists in what is called chasing or embossing; these terms being used respectively as the work is superficial or deep in the execution. To this practice the gold and silver smiths of antiquity are much indebted for the perfection of their wares; it is, indeed, a process which, next to the art of engraving, and with much greater effect, exhibits in wonderful perfection the designs of the draughtsman. It embodies not merely outline with bold relief but superadds diversity of texture, surface, and even colour; and some pieces wrought, of the precious metals, ornamented in the first style of the art, are of extraordinary value, and justly command universal admi 127 ration. Those who have seen the superb table services of the British Sovereign, or those of some of the other princes of Europe, as well as many in private hands, and especially the plate repositories of the celebrated house of Rundle and Bridges, on Ludgatehill, will be able to judge of the truth of these remarks. The method of performing the work is very simple as to the details. The article being finished from the brazier, the design is, in the first place, delineated upon it in a very slight way; or, if it be not original, by means of red chalk and tracingpaper, as is done by engravers. The work, if at all hollow, as a tea-pot or a mug, and if the figures project considerably, is held upon a sand-bag, and the body of the design is bulged from the inside by the application of a hammer upon a knobbed rod, called a snarling-iron; the vessel is then filled with a composition of pitch and ashes from the grate, and rested upon the sand-bag during the operation on the outside, where the work is perfected. If it be a salver, or other flat article, it is imbedded upon a quantity of the composition laid on a board of the proper size, and having a hemispherical underpiece resting in a cavity on the work-bench, by which contrivance it is readily turned about by the chaser, so as to suit his convenience. The lines are then sunk by striking down upon and indenting the metal with little blunt steel punches, of shapes adapted to the figure. It would surprise a stranger to see with what facility a workman, by means of a small hammer, and about a score of simple tools, will bring up in bold relief the most elaborate designs."-p. 370. Plate" disposed of, the remaining pages of the volume are appropriated to the highly-contrasted subjects of "Button-making" and "Coining;" incongruous as they appear, we believe many a practitioner of the former has suffered the last penalty of the law for dabbling in the uter mystery,-so closely do the working parts of the two trades assimilate. The description of the operations of the Mint brings the history to its conclusion. Taken altogether, we are inclined to think that this volume is the best of the three devoted to the Metal Manufactures: it is free from any of the glaring fauls which, in parts, disfigure the History of Iron and Steel," while it possesses many recommendations of its own, besides the great one of the extent, variety, and importance of the subjects it embraces. LIST OF NEW PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 24TH OF APRIL, AND 24TH OF MAY, 1834. Ernst Wolf, of Stamford hill, Middlesex, merchant, for an improvement in steam engines, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. April 26; six months to specity. John Christophers of New Broad-street, London, merchant, for an improvement on anchors. April 26; Fix months to specify. William Gittins. of St. Pancras, Esq., for an improve i mode of applying the water used for the purpose of condensation in marine and certain other steam-engines to the condenser. May 6; six months to specify. William Alfred Noble, of Cross-street, Cherry Garden-street, Bermondsey, Suney, engineer, for certain improvements in pumps, engines, machines, or aparatus for drawing, raising, forcing, or propelling water and other fluids. May 6; six months to specity. Alexander Beattie Shankland, of Egremontplace, St. Pancras, Gent., for a machine or engine for cutting or fashioning wood into certain defined shapes or forms, to fit the same more readily to various purposes and uses, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 6; six months to specity. Louis Brunier, of Vineyard-walk, Clerkenwell, architect and civil engineer. for an hydraulic machine or apparatus (of a centrifugal force), applicable to the raising or foreing water. May 8; six months to specify. John M Dowall, of Johnstone, near Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland, mechanist and engineer, for certain improvements on metallic pistons, pump buckets, and boiler steam engines. May 12; four months to specify. James Dutton, of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester, clothier, for an improvement in dressing or finishing woollen cloths, and for the method of, and apparatus for, effecting the same. May 13; six months to specify. NOTES AND NOTICES. The Drummond Light.-In the article on the comparative intensity of different lights (page 57), it is stated, that Lieutenant Drummond's was seen at the distance of ninety miles!! Now this I think very improbable, if not impossible; for to see an object at a distance of ninety miles, would require, that either the light or the observer should be elevated more than a mile above the level of the highest land between them; or, if seen at sea, the light must have been a mile above the level of the sea, after making due allowance for refraction. If, however, we suppose that both the light and the spectator were on elevated situations, still those situations must have been at an elevation of 1,500 feet above the highest intervening land. If true, the atmosphere of the Emerald (isle) must be equal in refractive power to the diamond. A. MACKINNON. A new steam-carriage has just entered the field, constructed by Mr. Redmund, who, some time ago, advertised that he was willing to furnish locomotives to run on common roads at any required speed, although he had never tried the experiment! The public will now, therefore, soon be enabled to judge whether he was justified or no in his extraordinary confidence. As yet the carriage has only been on a few private trips, which are said to have been quite satisfactory. Publicity is, however, the only test in such matters. A Correspondent at Brighton states that, in consequence of seeing, in some of the public journals, that cotton wool had been found to be a curative for scalds and burns, a friend of his, who was very severely burnt, had recourse to this means of relief, but that the wool produced a very violent inflam mation and swelling of the parts burnt; and that, On the medical atten lant causing the whole of it to be taken off, its adherence to the skin and flesh was so tenacions as to put him to the most excruciating pain. "I have my self," he adds, " used for many years with invariable and never-failing success, for all burns and scalls, line water and linseed oil mixed, and applied until all pain was removed. My plan is to send to the druggists for twopenny-Worth, leaving the proportions to them. The mixture should be fresh when applied.” The Guernsey Star, which has of late been advocating, with great earnestness and ability, the project of forming a breakwater in Portland Roads, so often recommended in our pages, has discov ·red an a ivantage in it, not (we believe) nitherto noticed "The stone-trade of orand," it observes, “is by no means to be overlooked in the investiga tion of the merits of this undertaking.uring the prevalence of easterly winds, and more especially during winter, it is obvious toat under the existence of the present system, the loading of lighters and vessels, employed in the exportation of stone, is considerably impeded, and sometimes totally suspended. This, however, would never be the case if the proposed breakwater were once carried into effect. The dispatch of business in its various branches would be greatly facilitated, and the business itself, commensurate with such advantages, would also rapidly increase. In the year 1823, it appears that 23, 197 tons of stone were exported in 333 vessels; and it is probable, that the greatest export in any one year never exceeded 30,00 tons. Upon a fair calculation, therefore, it is inferred, that the shipment of stone, by the coinpletion of the breakwater, would be augmented at least one-third." The following is an extract of a letter from a correspondent at Glasgow, dated 15th May: The Steam-Carriage Company of Glasgow have stopped running; from what I have been able to learn respecting the affair, I believe their carriages will not do." Mr. Hancock's "Autopsy" was seen, on Saturday last, in Cheapside, wending its way with the greatest adroitness amidst the multitue of carriages with which that thoroughfare is constantly crowded. A stronger proof of its manageableness could not possibly have been afforded. We understand that it was on its way from Stratford to its old quarters in the City-road, preparatory to its being again started to run for hire, in conjunction with two or three other carriages, between the City and Paddington. Mr. Squires has, we are informed, sold out, and left Colonel Macerone sole proprietor of the steamcarriage prodigy, which did the 1700 miles without requiring a shilling for repairs, &c. &c &c. We can give a "Victim to the Law's Delay" no hope of any alteration being made in the Patent Laws during the present session of Parliament. The assistance he requires might very probably be obtained by means of an advertisement. We think Mr. Blackett in error, and shall write to him on the subject in a few days. Communications received from Mr. Ennis-Mr. Rutter G. A. W.-Mr, Ward-Dr. Udney. The Supplement to Vol. XX., with a Portrait of William Symington, is now ready, price 6d. also Vol. XX., complete, in boards, price Ss LONDON: Published by M. SALMON, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, No. 6, Peterborough Court, between 135 and 136, Fleet-street. Agent for the American Edition, Mr. O. RICH, 12, Red Lion square. Sold by G. G. BENNIS, 55, Rie Neuve, Saint Augustin, Paris: M. SALMON, Printer, Fleet-street. 130 THE ART OF WINE-MAKING. THE ART OF WINE-MAKING. Mr. Booth, whose treatise on the Art of Brewing we lately noticed, has just produced another Treatise on the kindred Art of Wine-making;" or, to speak more properly, a volume suppleThe general mentary to the former. principles, and many of the manipulations of the two arts are so similar, that the business of this new treatise consists inainly in pointing out those peculiarities by which the manufacture of wine differs from that of beer; and the two treatises are so intimately connected, that the one cannot be profitably perused without constant reference to the other. As Mr. Booth himself observes, "the four parts of the Art of Brewing and these two of Wine-making, with the Appendix on Cider and Perry, may be considered as one continued work, embracing a general system for the manufacture of vinous liquors." Mr. Booth, in his present work, treats, first, of" Wine-making in Warm Countries," and next of" Wine-making in Cold Countries;" or, in other words, of Foreign and Home-made Wines in all their numerous varieties. He gives, under both these heads, a great deal of very useful (though not often very novel) information, derived from the most authentic sources, and interspersed with much shrewd observation and judicious We may take this opportunity of doing an act of justice to a highly respectable body of brewers, who are thought by some persons to have been rather unhandsomely dealt with, by our manner of quoting Mr. Booth's observations respecting them. We allude to the Burton ale-brewers. Since writing our critique on Mr. Booth's book, we have made inquiries of our, own into the modes of practice by which this justly celebrated beverage is produced--inquiries addressed not only to various scientific men, who have carefully analysed specimens of the ale in question, indiscriminately selected at different periods, but to persons who are practically conversant with the brewing business, and who, from being rivals in trade of the Burton gentlemen, cannot be supposed to have any bias in their favour-and we are now perfectly satisfied that there is not the slightest ground for imputing to them the use of any deleterious or prohibited ingredient whatever. The Burton ale is indebted for its acknowledged excellence partly to the quality of the water employed, which happens to be largely impregnated with sulphate of lime, but in a still greater degree to the brewers using the very best of malt, and plenty of it-brewing only at the most fitting seasons of the year-brewing slowly, and in (comparatively speaking) small quantities at a time. The Art of Wine-making in all its Branches. By David Booth. To which is added, an Appendix concerning Cider and Perry. London: F. J. Mason. 123 PP 8vo. advice. One of his best chapters relates to the much-contested point, whether open or close tuns are best suited to the process of fermentation? The ancient practice of the wine provinces of France was to leave the tuns open, or, at least, to cover them very slightly; but at the beginning of the present century, a Mademoiselle Gervais introduced a close fermenting apparatus (afterwards patented in Great Britain by Messrs. Deurbrouck and Nichols), which having the good luck to be patronised by the celebrated Chaptal, has become all the fashion among our French neighbours. According to the partisans of this new method, it serves not only "to condense, and to return into the fermenting fluid all the aqueous, spiritous, and balsamic vapours, which are usually carried off with the carbonic acid gas, and thereby to enrich the wine, by preserving entire its spirit and perfume," but actually augments the quantity of wine obtained, by from 9 to 15 per cent. Mr. Booth does not altogether dispute these conclusions, but he insists that they are prodigiously exaggerated. He maintains that the increase of volume is " not above one in two hundred ;"-that" this increase is caused by the condensation of all the gas that is evolved during the whole progress of the fermentation ;"and that the proportion of this condensation, which is spirituous, is probably "very small." We shall leave Mr. Booth, however, to speak for himself. He commences very properly by describing what the Gervais apparatus is, and how it has been proposed by M. Dubrunfaut to free it of its more striking defects. "ZZ, AA,* is the perpendicular and central section of a fermenting-tun, with the apparatus affixed to the close head Ž Ž. B is a cone of tinned iron-plate, communicating at bottom with the tun, by means of a hole in the cover Z Z. "CC is a small channel extending round the interior base of the cone, being adapted to receive the condensed alcohol and essential oils;' from whence they are conducted, down the small pipe D, into the lower part of the liquor in the vat. "EE is a cylinder of the same material as the cone which it surrounds, and containing See fig. 1 on our front page. THE ART OF WINE-MAKING. cold water for the purpose of condensing the vapours which rise into the cone during the efermentation. F is an egress-pipe, communicating with the interior of the cone; its extremity being immersed to the depth of six inches, at least, below the surface of the water in the small tub G, from whence the incondensable gases are permitted to escape into the atmosphere. "H is a cock to draw off the water from the reservoir E E, when it becomes warm and requires to be replaced with cold water; as is the case in high fermentations. "It is asserted by the French chemists, and conceded by Messrs. Deurbrouck and Nichols, the English patentees, that the vinous fermentation will not commence without the access of atmospheric air or of oxygen; but after it has once begun, the further exposure to the air is unnecessary; and the quantity contained in the empty space (left in the tun to prevent the head from rising into the cone) is, they say, perfectly sufficient to originate the fermentation: but, they add, as soon as carbonic acid is evolved from the fermenting gyle, the atmospheric air, being lighter, is driven out from the upper part of the working tun; and, as no air is permitted to enter afterwards, all the subsequent carbonic acid gas emitted diminishes the quantity of oxygen contained in the gyle, by the oxygen uniting with the carbon as fast as it disunites from the saccharine mat. ter during its decomposition, and thereby secures a soundness and peculiar mildness not to be procured by any other mode.' "Never having seen the effects of fermentation in tuns thus, as it were, hermetically sealed, we cannot personally join in their praise; but we apprehend that there is one, inherent defect, which will always prevent their general adoption in the British brewery;- -we mean the tardiness of the progress of the fermentation. From fifteen to twenty days, which, it is granted, would be requisite for the fermentation of table-beer, is a sufficient bar to its adoption. On this principle, we suppose that the Scotch alebrewers, who, even with open tuns, often take three or four weeks to a gyle, would require the whole of their brewing-season for a single operation. "It will be observed, in the preceding description of the Gervais apparatus, that the extremity of the egress pipe F is immersed in water to the depth of six inches at least. These six inches impose an additional pressure upon the surface of the fermenting fluid, equivalent, at an average, to the sixtyfourth part of the whole weight of the atmosphere; and, in consequence, has a material effect in preventing the escape of the carbonic acid, thereby retarding the attenuation. 'In fact,' says M. Dubrunfaut, the 131 gas, meeting with a powerful obstacle, which opposes its passage through this condensing apparatus, forces its way by other issues, which it finds in the pores of the wood, and the fissures of the lutes which are recommended to close the joints of the cover of the tun. The portion of the gas which thus escapes, by openings that can never be kept closed under such a pressure, subtracts, the alcoholic vapours from the refrigerator, and is a fundamental error in the construction of the Gervais apparatus.' We may add, that had it even been perfect, it was not new it was nothing more than a combination of two principles which had been long known-the condenser of Jean Baptiste Porto, a Neapolitan, which was described in a work on Distillation, published by him in 1609; and the hydraulic valve of M. D. Casbois, which was announced in a French Journal of Sciences and the Arts in 1783. "It will naturally be asked, in this place, whether or not the rise in the barometer, to the extent of about half an inch, would not have the same effect on the vinous fermentation as the Gervais apparatus? We say, that it would have more: for, in the case of an increased weight of the atmosphere, the pressure all around the tun would be equal to that upon the surface of the liquid. One marked difference would be, that there would be no exit through the pores or chinks of the tun; for these fissures would be equally pressed upon by the external atmosphere. We have been long aware that the variations of the barometer are indicative of alterations in fermentative processes of every kind; and we doubt not that a time will arrive, when that instrument will be considered as a necessary appendage to the other instruments which are now consulted by the manufacturers of vinous liquors. Persons who have not attended to this particular subject (and there are few who have), can have no conception of the effects of at mospherical variations. Wine-making is confined to a certain season, and to countries where the variation of the barometer is comparatively small: it is the regions of the north that those effects are more particularly worthy of observation. On this subject we have made many experiments; but what might be useful as suggestions to a scientific manufacturer, would be here out of place. As long as the mind remains doubtful of the facts, they ought not to be given to the world as knowledge. "The author last quoted has proposed a mode of close fermentation, which is free from the errors and absurdities that attach to that of Mademoiselle Gervais; and as it may be useful in the vinous fermentations of this country, and does not interfere with the English patent above mentioned, we |