Aural grtotontg. [COMMUNICATED.] CLIMATE AND EXERCISE. MESSRS. EDITORS :—ln your excellent Fam ily Paper I sometimes notice half-truths on various subjects, original and selected, and though not, of course, endorsed by you, yet admitted for the sake of "giving all . a hear ing" for truth's sake and for the general good. I scan your Agricultural columns too with some interest, from having been brought up amid the operations of draining and subsoiling and the entire routine of farm life on two continents. Arid what brings me out now is an article in your space of " Ru ral Economy " of Nov. 22, 1866, under the heading, "Heavy-soled Shoes for the Ladies," from Moore's Rural. It is, I think, one of those one-sided, wretched half-truths which we now and again "hear promulgated by those of whom we might expect better. We all know the healthful value and influence of out door exercise in pure air—the necessity of suitable clothing for the body and feet, according to the season; but the entire arti ticle in question is by fact and implication, though unintentionally, a reproach and libel upon the women of America! If England and America were in all respects alike, there would be force in the advice of your co temporary, but there is little parallelism be tween the two countries on such a matter. It may be, as alleged by Mr. Rural, that the "fine color, clear complexion and superb busts" of the English ladies are kept up by out-door exercise, but that does not prove that the same sort and degree of exercise would create and Maintain such physical perfevtion in America. Undoubtedly, there are causes " of the rich blood of the English women, and their almost universal fine looks and matronly beauty at fifty, when at that age American women are pale, sallow and wrinkled ;" but these are not merely out-door exercise. Take a dozen emigrants newly landed on our shores from Britain—they are farmers, or farm-laborers, and intend to follow that occupation still, in this the land of their adoption. See them after a year's residence in the country. They,haVe had nothing but out-door labor ; remember their robust ap pearance when they landed a year ago and compare it with their now altered and com paratively bleached looks ! The first winter they ridiculed the idea of' buckskin mite for a frosty morning—true they had seen frost, and curling clubs' and curling matches for Beef arid Greens, and deep snows, too--deep enough.to " stop the mails ;" but—pshaw ! We don't want mits—a clap or two round the shoulders is all we want to keep our hands warm. But another year causes a change, and in a few years more (they don't know hardly how it's come—but) they are compelled to say that ten years ago' they could stand more in their shirt sleeves than they can now .with an over-coat. Has it been a want of out-door exercise that has caused all this breaking down ? No It's the climate, Sir I Its the climate that is the cause of all this, and not in the out-door ex ercise taken by the ladies of England does the " secret " of their physical superiority lie, but chiefly and essentially in the temper ate climate and atmosphere in which they live. There are other minor causes for this: their insular position, surrounded by the briny ocean, good roads and foot-paths from one end of the land to the other, town and country, for pedestrians—all encouraging to walking exercise, but the grand cause of superior strength and constitution is the healthy climate. So, Mr. Rural; it is not, by any means, the out-door walking that is the Alpha and Omega. of English beauty, sym metry and perfection, but the natural result and the product of a climate. comparatively free of those atmospheric vicissitudes that undermine and bring to premature . decay the human constitution. CLYDE. CLEANSE YOUR CELLARS. Now is the time to clean your collars.— You should not only clean them, but cleanse them; To be sure, no one ever seen the cel lar, and some people seem to clean only for "some other people to see." It is far more important that the pantry and cellar should be thoroughly neat and free from ill odors. than that the "best room" should be swept and garnished. In the first place, half the so-called cellars are unworthy the name; they are only pits digged neath the kitchen floor, and only a sand or clay bottom. It is of course for more difficult to keep such a one neat and sweet than one with a hard cement floor, with boxes and bins for storing vegetables separately, and shelves for fruit, and cup boards for all sorts of things, of which house keepers have such a great supply. Of . course,. there should be windows on every side to secure a free circulation, and consequently free ventilation. Then every scrap of refuse should be removed, and, as far as possible, all vegetables which will keep just as well out of as in the cellar had better be taken out, as the oder from most of them is far from pleasant. Sweep down all cobwebs, and whitewash overhead and everywhere, finally, where a brush can go. Lime is a powerful disinfect ant, and you can't make too free use of it. A foul cellar will poison the whole house. The light gasses will find their way up to the rooms above, and persons inhaling such a vitiated air may . be seized with terrible illness, and yet be in total ignorance as to the source of trouble. A yearly cleansing is not sufficient ; it should be looked after weekly. Look at the pork and beef, to see if covered with brine, and if it be sweet and good. if you keep milk or butter in the cellar, there ought not to be any thing else kept there. Butter is so easily tainted with ill odors . ; one night's time being sufficient to spoil the best and sweetest. Pine vessels should never be used in the dairy. Do not THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1867. put your butter in a pine pail to carry it to market; even in No short a time it will con tract a taste of the pine, which will spoil it for all purposes.. MRS. J. T. EARTH WORMS-HOW AND WHAT THEY MESSRS. EDITORS :—I see that you have published an article about the habits of earth worms, which useful little creatures seems to be much underrated. They may eat earth, as your author asserts, but I have never seen them do it, although I have seen them eat other things with great voracity, and have also seen them reject particles of earth which adhered to their proper food, such as dead spears of grass, roots •and leaves. I have watched them feeding for hours at a time, and retain a lively recollection of several rheumatic attacks, resulting from the wetting I got while so watching them: • They feed at the surface only when the .withered vegetation is wet. with rain or dew and is in a soft .and pliable state.. Then their food found at the surface is dry and too harsh for their mouths to manage; they retire to the congenial depths or the ground, delighting in heaps of "long'! manure, which they reduce to a homogeneous mass of.corn post with great rapidity'by consuming the vegetable, and uridigested_ parts, thereof, thus transforming the latter matter from' a vegetable to an animal , character,leaving the . mass at its lowest chemical . status,and so fit for the food of plants. Indeed I dolibt if any atoms, of vegetation can decay . atid be again fit food for other vegetable organ isms without intervening decomposition:in animal digestive apparatus. At all events, it is easy to prove that earth worms are compost makers, and if we do not give them time to properly manufacture their I" pro duct " while the manure is in the compost heap, they . will appear in the fields and then complete the job, and further, their work in the fields yields another benefit by their boring and opening of the soil. Their manner of eating is worth noticing. If you seat yourself upon a grass-plat Or be side the strawberry bed, during a light rain in warm weather, and have the patienceto sit perfectly still for ten or fifteen minutes, you will see innumerable worm heads. protruding cautiously from . the ground, and 'feeling around until a spear of soft and recently killed grass is found. The worm touches it first with the extreme point. of the head, and then the point retracts inward, much like the toe of a stocking when you touch it with your finger to commence turning it: then the worm shortens its length, the other end being fast anchored in the hole; this ac tion makes a bight in the spear of grass, and then the worm crawls along the outside of his supper until the parts diverge, too much, when he takes another pull, and so on until the grass is loosened from its own roots - and.safely swallowed. I have •observed that if a particle of earth.adhere co the food it is shoved along as the swallowing pro gresses, and not allowed to enter the.mouth. The final act of swallowing the end, and biting off the lump of root' which is some times attached, I have never seen, as that is performed within.thc hole; but ,I have fre quently seen the. worm re-appear with a pellet of earth loalanced upon its head, or it may be only the piece of root-if his supper was clean, which he deposits at the surface beside his hole, when he prowls around for more food while it is good. When two worms seize opposite ends of the same spear, the pulling and hauling is most comical, reminding one strongly of his early days when he strung grains of corn on opposite ends of a string and fed two rival gobblers. The worm fight gene rally ends by the breakage of the grass, but if too strong for their strength they both swallow until their heads touch each other, when they both get," leaving the morsel, . which they will not touch again. I have often:seen these worms breaking off the dead parts of strawberry leaves, rejecting the living parts, and have also seen them apparently sucking the pollen- from straw berry flowers. In. the fall large tufts of dead leaves may be seen drawn partially within the worm holes, possible by way of stoppers to keep out the cold.—Sci. Am. * * * gritittiftr. [COMMUNICATED.] SWISS MANUFACTURES Our sister Republic of the Alps displays ingenuity, energy and industry, that will compare with those of the most favored por tions of our own country. Its productive in dustry is equaled by that of no people in Europe. Some claim for Switzerland that its inhabitants produce more than those of any other country on the globe. Its exports amounted last year, to nearly $33 per inhabi tant. These statements will appear the more remarkable, when it is recollected that Switzerland is almost bare of raw material; but notwithstanding this, and its remote position inland, its wares come into successful competition with the manufactures of every other country, not only on account of their cheapness`, tut for the superior skill and in tegrity of their workmanship. Our own country imports largely from Switzerland. Who has not a Swiss watch in his house ? We receive from this country watches, mu sic -boxes, mathematical instruments, silks, ribbons, cheese, straw-ware, spirits, wines, jewelry, cigars, &c. Much of the prosperity of the country, is, no doubt, due to the superior intelligence of the people, and the general diffusion of edu cation among the masses. Care has been taken to allow the children time to acquire at least the simple rudiments of an educa tion, before being placed in constant employ ment. This contrasts strongly with the system pursued by England, where children of very tender years, are employed constant ly, and no opportunity given of acquiring any information, except that necessary to perform some simple mechanic.lal opera tion. The effect has been to lower the con dition of the laboring classes, while among the Swiss and in other continental coun tries, where a more enlightened policy has been pursued, they are constantly becoming more skilled and intelligent. It is to be re gretted, that in our own favored country, there are places where children of tender years are kept constantly employed in manu facturing establishments, without an oppor tunity being given them to embrace the ad vantages of our free schools. S 9 far as,this is persisted in, it will lead to the satne_prOeess of degradation as in England; and Will- re sult in giving 'us a class of worktnen , not only deficient in skill, but incapable of ad-1 vaneement. Among the 20,902 persons be tween the ages of 6 and 18, engaged in re gular employment in this pity, there are no doubt many - who are deprived of every 'means of procuring an education,' unless it bo in the Sunday-schools. The above remarks, do, not apply_ to all of Switzerland, but only to the Protestant can tons and cities. - Away from these, all is ig norance-and stupidity. No greater contrast can be imagined between people inhabiting the same country, than exists between the Protestant and the Catholic Swiss in this particular. The liberal form of government of Swit zerland is productive of a better understand ing between the ,employer and employed; there is a feeling, of common brotherhood , , and common interest, which binds them to & z? ether 'not the repelling influence of aristo cratic pretensions which leads to constant misunderstanding, strikes and lock-outs. The ingenuity of the people is remarkable and' the careful and economic Manner, in 'which 'they conduct their business, more than compensates for the want of raw ma terial, their distance from the seaboard; and 'from the great commercial centres. As almost all manufacturing operations are now done by power produced by steam or - water motors, the question of the expense of procuring power, affects the location of, industrial establishments. One of England's great advantages lies in the abundance and cheapness of coal, by which power, is pro duced. In Switzerland, advantage is taken of the numerous streams flowing from the mountains, fed by melting snow and ice, and equalized in their flow' by the numerous lakes. These are made to give motion to the establishments scattered through the valleys. As the water power is not always found at the most desirable place to loute works, numerous ingenious arrangements are made to convey the power from the - wheels or other motors. In one instance, where the wheel is placed in a narrow gorge, 180 feet deep, the power is conveyed by a line of shafting, 380 feet, to the manufactory. Another novel mode of transmitting:power, is by wire ropes. The most remarkable in stance is at Schaffhausen, on the Rhine. Here is a considerable water power, a por tion of which has been Utilized by wheels placed on the mine side of the river as the ;town, but until lately,'* large volume of water flowed by, on the opposite' side, unim proved. To use this water power, three large turbines were erected, and the power conveyed from them to the opposite side of the river, a distance of 370 feet, by rope gearing, wire ropes working into grooved wheels of 15 feet diameter. From this point the power is conveyed up the stream, and distributed by rope-gearing to a num ber of establishments throughout the town. The amount of power distributed in this manner is 700 horse, and the distance it is conveyed, over 3000 feet. These works are constructed by a company "Wasserwerk Gesellschaft," who sell or rent out the power to the different works, at a less rate than it can be produced by steam, in the most fa voured location for procuring fuel. The hydraulic motors used by the Swiss are generally good ; almost every known appliance for procuring power being used, from the simple impact or flutter wheel, seen in some of the old saw mills of this country, to the overshot wheel constructed upon scientific principles, giving a co-efft .cient of the power equal to 75 per cent., and the turbine producing even a higher per centage. The greatest economy is practised in the use of fuel, it being scarce and dear. Smoke is not seen to issue from their chimneys. To prevent this no legal enactments are necessary there; such waste of fuel-as is in dicated by large volumes of black smoke is suing' from chimneys would be ruinous to the manufacturers. While iron ore is abundant in many parts of Switzerland, there is not sufficient smelt ed for the use of the country, on account of the scarcity of fuel, and large quantities of iron are therefore imported. The small fur naces they have, are managed with the greatest economy in fuel. The heat, which with us is permitted to escape at the tunnel head, is made to pass through another cham ber, in which the ore is heated:before being charged into the furnace. In some instances, ovens are constructed in the masonry of the stack; in which the bread of the entire neigh borhood is baked by the heat otherwise wasted; and even'around the arches, where the blast enters the furnace, drying closets are formed, in which the 'apples are dried to make "Schnitz," that indispensible article of food, one of the constituent parts of the famous "Dampf Knauf and Schnitz," of the German farmers of our State. The Swiss steam-engines are much thought of; such care is taken in their arrangements that some consume but from 2 to 4 pounds of coal per horse-power per hour. The ma jority of steam engines in operation in this city consume from sto 8 pounds. Some of the establishments for building machinery are very extensive, one employing 1200 hands. From these shops, work is. sent to all parts of the world, and locomotives are now being constructed there to run upon roads in England. Sugar mills, steamboat engines, water motors, and machinery of all kinds, are also manufactured. The comparative freedom from war which Switzerland has enjoyed, has no doubt done much to stimulate its industry and extend its manufactures, There has been no war since 1815, except the difficulties of 1848, which wore speedily terminated by the expulsion of the Jesuits. How soon will it be neces sary for our country to rid itself of these enemies of civil liberty, civilization and pro gress,—these meddlers in the affairs of state in every country in which they have had a fast hold? We were made to feel their in fluence during our late war, in the manner in which they marshalled and voted, the Roman datliolics casting their influence, in every instance, against e government and freedom. • Those of our citizens interested in me chanics or*manufactures, who visit. Europe will do well to pay some attention to the Swiss establishments. P. M. Mifurtionunts. INSURE YOUR LIFE IN YOUR OWN HOME COMPANY AMERICAN Loll a.MN - - .41 z` - - . ig 4. dr.* NO§ 0+ die - - al =4. ir4-11 S. E. Cps. FOURTH .& WALNUT STS Insurers in this Company have. the additional' guarantee of the CAPITAL STOCK all paid up IN CASE, which, together with .GASH ASSETS, Ilow on hand amount to $1,516,461 81. INCOME FOR THE YEAR 1866, $766,537 80- LOSSES PAID DURING THE YEAR AMOUNTING TO $21.1213,000 COCO. Losses Paid Promptly. DIVIDENDS MADE ANNUALLY; thus aiding the insured to pay premiums.' The last DIVIDEND on nll Mutual Polices in force January Ist, 1667, was Fifty = par ce,3t3.t. . i . ~ . 11U~ .~ ~ ~ ~ Its Trustees are well known citizens in our midst, entitling it to more consideration than those whose managers residein distant cities. Alexander Whilldin, J. Edgar Thomson, George"Nngent, lion. James Pollock, L. M. Whilldln, P. B. Mingle, Albert C. Roberts ALEX. WHILLDIN, President. GEO. NUGENT, Vice-President. JOIIN C. SIMS, Actuary JOHN S. WILSON, Secretary and Treaanrer. CHARLES G. ROI3ESON, Assistant Secretary GIRARD FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA CASTE ASSETS, ' $300,000 Office, 639 S. E, Cor. Chestnut and Seventh Streets. DIRECTORS. Silas Yerkes, Jr., Alfred S. Gillett, N. S. Lawrence, Chas. I. Dupont, Thos. Craven, Furman Sheppard, Thos. Mac Kellar, Jno. Supplee, Henry F. Kenney, Joseph Klapp, M. D. Jno. W. Claghorn, Income for the year 1866, Losses paid and accrued, THOMAS CRAVEN, President ALFRED S. GILLRTT, Vico-President. JAS. B. ALVORD, Secretary. STRICT ECONOMY IN MANAGEMENT. PROVIDENT LIFE AND TREST CO., OP PHILADELPHIA. OFFICE No. 111. SOUTH FOURTH - STREET Commenced' business 7th mo. 24,1865. Organized to extend the benefits of Life Insurance among members of the Society of Friends. All good risks, of whatever denomination, solicited. ROWLAND PARRY, . SAMUEL R. SHIPLEY,• Actuary. President. THOMAS WISTAR, M.D., J. B. TOWNSEND, Medical Examiner. Legal Adviser, The Company, in addition to the security arising from the arm mutation of premiums, gives the insured the advantage of an actual paid up , capital. AU the profits of the Insurance are divided among the insured. Life Policies and Endowments in all the most approved forms. Annuities granted on favorable terms. fe2B-ly CLERGYMEN, Wishing to avail themselves of the advantages of LIRE INSUR ANCE, In any of its forms, can obtain special Savors, which will be of great aid to them in securing and maintaining their Policies, by addressing or calling upon the subscriber, Generab Agent for Penn sylvania, Delaware, and .New Jersey, of The Security Life Insurance and Annuity Company, of Nevi York. COMPETENT LOCAL AGENTS and SOLICITORS wanted for this excellent and well-established Company, to whom liberal commis sion will be paid. PERSONS WISHING TO INSURE May find it for their interest to do so through the subscriber, who will give reliable information, and insure in other companies when desired. REV. W. W. McNAIR, OS Walnut Streets, Philadelphia: REFERENCES.—The Secretaries of the Boards of the Presbyterian Church. Feb. 21-3 m. II =II MI rzll air.L'lls Coin-a-I Hair Restorative WONDER OF THE WORLD ! The hair can be restored and scalp cleansed by the use of Bere nice Hair Restorative, manufactured at the Laboratory of H. FRICKE, 930 ARCH STREET No family should be without it. NEW PERFUME. XILOES.OI. O OM 3^lM "lETIC3TOIFILM. For tho Handkerchief. Has no superior. Manufactured by je2o H. FRICKE, 930 Arch Street. • THE WISE. MEN OF THE LAND, The Divine, the Physician, the Judge USE DAILY, IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND' RECOMMEND To all Invalids and Sufferers From Dyspepsia, Sick Headache, Sour Stomach, Costiveness, Heartburn, Indigestion, Piles, Bilious Attacks, Liver Complaints, Gout and Rhenmatio Affections, NATURE'S OWN GREAT AND GOOD REMEDY, TARRANT'S Effervescent Seltzer Aperient, As the BEST AND MOST RELIABLE MEDICINE Ever offered to the people for the above class of diseases. The nursing babe, its brothers and sisters, its parents and grand-parents, will all find this pleasant remedy well adapted for their different complaints. MANUFACTURED ONLY BY TARRANT & CO., VS GREENWICH & 100 WARREN Ste., N. Y. For sale by all Druggists. No. 3.838 Cllaesisttmxt Eltre•et. Curtains and Shades hung in the best manner. Carpets neatly owed and fitted. Furniture repaired, re-upholstered and van ished. Old Mattresses renovated at SOMETHING NEW Prepared Cork Mittresseg, Cork Staffing William J. Howard, Henry K. Bennett,. Isaac Hitzlehurst, George W Hill, John M. Chestnut, John Wanamaker. GEO. W. JENKINS , Manufacturer of choice Confectionery. Every variety of Sugar, Molasses and Cocoanut Candies. ALSO, Wholesale Dealer in Foreign Fruits, Nuts, &c., &c. GEO, W. JENKINS, 1037 Spring Garden Street, Union Square, PHILADELPHIA. $103,934 72 47,09&00 Peter Cooper's Gelatine Will make DELICIOUS JELLIES With great ease. Also, .111.11.NWE, CILIRLOTTE RUSSE, Rte. DIRECTIONS FOR USE WITH THE PACKAGES. For sale by Grocers and Druggists. Depot, N 0.17 MIMING-SLIP New York. mar2S-3m WALL ?AP AND FINE WINDOW SHADES MANIT• FACTORED. Beautiful designs, as low as $1.50, $1.75 and $2, with Fixtures. PAPER HANGINGS, Gold and Plain DECORATIONS, neatly hung, by practical workmen, at JOHNSTON'S Depot. [TheNo. is 1033] SPRING GARDEN Street, Below Eleventh. S T IE. A mc Dyeing and Scouring Establishment. MRS. E. W. SMITH, No. 28 N. Fifth St., below Arch, Phila. Ladies' Dresses, Cloaks, Shawls, Ribbons, &c., dyed in any color, and finished equal to new. Gentlemen's Coats, Pants and Vests cleaned, dyed and repaired. Printed by JAS B. RODGERS, ROBERTSON & CO,'S GENERAL UPHOLSTERY, Hair, Husk, Straw and SpiingMattresses, WHOLESALE OR RETAIL.; .1338 Chestnut -Street. CONFECTION MARBLEO- 1..4 WORK S 1:41. fa EEN li ABOVE 7- 1 MIN 52 eg^ 54 North, Sixth. Street.
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