Page images
PDF
EPUB

EDITOR'S NOTE.

We have received the following articles, but too late for insertion in the present number. They will have a prominent place in

February:

1. Diversity of the Human Race, by Dr. J.C. Nott, of Mobile.-This elaborate paper, which reviews with a master-hand the late work by Dr. Bachman, of Charleston, upon the Unity of the Human Race, we regret cannot have a place in the present number. Few men in the country are so able to discuss this subject as Drs. Bachman, Morton, and Nott, and the world will be much indebted for their scientific labors. In re gard to what we have previously published upon this subject from Dr. Nott, a distinguished gentleman of the West has lately

written us:

"I am glad to see that you are bringing that important question, 'is the African and Caucasian of common origin?' before the public. Had it only been mooted ten years ago, and as well undersood as I am pursuaded it will be five years hence, much mischief and disadvantage to the South would have been avoided. Keep it up, I intreat you, and much good may be done."

2. Butler's Review of the Spanish parties in the West. This is a reply by Dr. Monette, author of the History of the Valley of the Mississippi, to an attack made upon him last summer, through the pages of our Review, by Mann Butler, author of the History of Kentucky.

3. Sketch of a Proposed Act of the Legis. lature of Louisiana, in relation to guarding the Levees during the prevalence of high waters, by Alfred Stein, of Mobile.

4. Supposititious Reviews, by James W. Legare, Esq.-(concluded.)

5. Bessemer's Patent Improvements in the Manufacture of Sugar, with engravings. This is an elaborate description of a patent, we will publish in our next, taken out last year in England, for a Cane Press of great power and efficiency, and of which we understand Messrs. Addison & Co., of this city, have been appointed agents. The following notice of it is taken in the London Standard:

INTERESTING TO SUGAR-PLANTERS.

"This morning a meeting took place at Baxter-House, Old St. Pancras-road, to witness an experiment, the result of Prince Albert's offer of a gold medal for the best improvement upon sugar cane mills.

"The meeting consisted of a strong muster of planters from the West India Colonies, several distinguished scientific men, and a special deputation from the Society of Arts. "It appears that the most improved mode hitherto used for expressing the juice from

the sugar-cane is an arrangement of rollers worked by a steam-engine, through the forjuice is abstracted, but from the porous namer of which the sugar-canes pass, and the ture of the cane fibre much of the juice is reabsorbed after the cane has passed through the most improved roller machines do not the rollers-the practical result being, that whereas there is 90 per cent. in the cane, produce more than 55 per cent. of juice, evidently leaving great room for improve

ment.

made, the engine was set to work and the "The necessary preparations having been first experiment made, which resulted in completely extracting the juice from 100 lbs. way, was not an exhibition of the uttermost sugar-cane in 63 seconds, which, by the

of

power of the engine, inasmuch as the fourth tube, being out of working order, could not be used; consequently, only three-fourths of the actual power was exhibited. The second experiment was to test the amount of juice the engine was capable of abstracting from a given amount of cane; this was also performed under somewhat disadvantageous circumstances, as the canes having been cut upwards of four months since, much of the juice had evaporated. Nevertheless, the lowest figures that could be placed upon the result were 654 per cent.-that is to say, 65 lbs. of juice was extracted from 100 lbs. of cane, leaving but little doubt but that, under more favorable circumstances, the new engine would realize 75 or 80 per cent., instead of the present average of 55, already ed and entered into, of great magnitude and mentioned an improvement, when examinimportance. Besides this, it was distinctly shown, that while the new mode of pressure abstracted so completely the juice of the interior of the cane, its knots and rind were left completely untouched-a most important advantage, as it is there that the green wax and other objectionable matters are tained; and it is there that the old roller machine unfortunately pressed—a difficulty insurmountable in the roller system, yet effectually obviated by the new process.

con

"The engine throughout was completely under control, and worked well; and the greatest interest and excitement was evinced in the experiment-one certainly of great importance both to the West India interest and to the public at large."

6. Overflows of the Mississippi-This is a proposal to obviate the dangers of crevasses by preventing the Arkansas and Red Rivers from overflowing the Mississippi at the time of the rise of that river. We hold it over to the next number.

[graphic][merged small]

engraved by Ilman & Sons expressly for De Bow's Review New Orleans

[blocks in formation]
[graphic]
[ocr errors]

but with inches, that 1.
Nive 40 other scieves, rodea y a 5.
many netale rathe in this weld. Its
of the sited, as in that of the body: mere
kind by attending to the large,
open, and per
studying too much such finer nerves and v
and uses of which will for ever escape our

a of man in the abstract as he has viewed
s of Pope,

uite fr o'er all this pens

[graphic][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »