MATHEMATICKS. WHEN the dimensions of the mason-work of a nouse are required, the different parts of the building, which require separate calculations, as the sidewalls, the end-walls, the gables, the chimney-stalks, &c., should be separately delineated; and if such delineations are not found in the books where the questions are stated, the pupil, before proceeding to his calculations, should be desired to sketch a plan of the several dimensions which require his attention, in order that he may have a clear conception of the operations before him. Such questions as the following should be illustrated by diagrams. "Glasgow is forty-four miles west from Edinburgh; Peebies is exactly south from Edinburgh, and fortynine miles in a straight line from Glasgow.-What is the distance between Edinburgh and Peebles?" This question is taken from "Hamilton's Arithmetick," and is inserted as one of the exercises connected with the extraction of the square root; but no figure or explanation is given, excepting the following foot-note: "The square of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, is equal to the sum of the a window thirty-three feet from the ground on one side of the streets; and by only turning it over, without moving the foot out of its place, it will do the same by a window twenty-one feet high on the other side. Required the breadth of the street?" The foregoing is the representation that should be given, which, with a knowledge of the geometrical proposition mentioned above, will enable an arithinetical tyro to perform the operation, and to perceive the reason of it. By this figure, the pupil will see that his calculations must have a respect to two right-angled triangles, of which he has two sides of each given to find the other sides, the sum of which will be the breadth of the street. DRUMS. Dick. THE drum is an instrument which produces sound by means of a tightly-extended skin; they are common in almost every part of the world. The tambarine is found among most nations; the ancients called it tympanum. All these instruments are used both for profane and sacred purposes. But the peculiar use of the drum for military purposes seems to have been introduced among the Europeans in the time of the Crusades. The kettle-drum, the base-drum, tambarine, and other kinds, are all common in the East. The drum, as a military instrument, is used both to beat the march and to give signals. No man, who had not experienced it, can imagine the exciting power of the drum. The fatigued and exhausted soldier is at once animated by its sound; and in battle it preserves order, and inspires courage in a body attacking en colonne. The French drummers perform admirably, and, under Napoleon, a great number were attached to each battalion. A drum which has acquired historical celebrity, is that which, by the order of Zisca, was covered with his own skin, that he might still aid in battle, where he had so often commanded, even after he had become blind. In cases of doubtful morality it is usual to say"Is there any harm in doing this?" The best method of answering this question by the genuine dictates of the conscience, is to ask another: viz., "Is there any harm in letting it alone ?" or, "Is it good and proper to be done?" AMERICAN COMMERCE. ROCHELLE. LA ROCHELLE is a commercial city of France, in the department of the Lower Charente. It stands on the shores of the Atlantick ocean, one hundred miles northwest of Bourdeaux. It is well built and strongly fortified, (by Vanban,) and contains many handsome squares and fountains. The harbour is safe and commodious, but is accessible for large vessels only at high water; and the Place d'Armes, or du Château, is one of the finest in France. Glass, stoneware, and refined sugar, are the principal articles manufactured, and it has a considerable commerce with the United States; sending to our shores in the course of the year, many cargoes of brandy, wine, &c. Rochelle is chiefly remarkable as the stronghold of the French protestants in the times of the house of Valois, and the first Bourbons. In 1627, it was besieged by Richelieu, and was reduced by famine, after a heroick defence, in which fifteen thousand of the besieged perished. A great number of the inhabitants fled to North America. La Rochelle has a population of rather more than eighteen thousand persons. Longitude 1° 9' west, latitude 46° 9′ north. ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS. [Temple of Concord.] THE above cut represents the temple of Concord, one of the most perfect ruins now existing on the site of the ancient Agrigentum. pius; the latter, which vied in size and grandeur of design, with the finest buildings of Greece, is said by Diodorus to have been three hundred and forty feet long, sixty broad, and one hundred and Agrigentum was much renowned among the an- twenty high, the foundation not being included, which cients. Different stories are told of its foundation; was itself remarkable for the immense arches upon among which is the fabulous tale, that Daedalus, who which it stood. The temple was ornamented with fled to Sicily from the resentment of Minos, erected admirable sculpture. But a war prevented the comit. Its situation was peculiarly strong and imposing, pletion of it, when the roof only remained unfinishstanding as it did on a bare and precipitous rock, ed. Near the city was an artificial lake, cut out of 1100 feet above the level of the sea. To this mili- the solid rock, about a mile in circuit, and thirty feet tary advantage, the city added those of a commercial deep; from which fish were obtained in abundance nature, being near to the sea, which afforded the for the publick feasts. Swans and other water-fowl means of an easy intercourse with the ports of Afri- frequented it. Afterward, the mud having been ca and the south of Europe. The soil of Agrigen- suffered to accumulate in this basin, it was turned tum was very fertile. By means of these advantages, into a remarkably fruitful vineyard. Both the temthe wealth of Agrigentum became very great. It ple of Jupiter Olympius and the lake were the work was therefore considered the second city in Sicily, of a number of Carthaginian captives. The people and Polybius says that it surpassed in grandeur of Agrigentum were noted for their luxurious and exof appearance, on account of its many temples and travagant habits. Their horses were also famous. splendid publick buildings, most of its contempo- After the expulsion of the Carthaginians from Sicily, raries. Among the most magnificent of these it fell, with little resistance, under the power of the buildings, were the temples of Minerva, of Ju- Romans. Diodorus states the population, in its best piter Atabyris, of Hercules, and of Jupiter Olym- days, to have been not less than 120,000 persons. VOL. IV.-59 MANAGEMENT OF CANARY-BIRDS. sand. This should be done every day, or at leas THE plumage, pretty form, and docility; the several times a week. These tender birds, being charming familiarity which disposes it to nestle natives of a warm climate, and becoming more deliwithout fear or reserve beside us; and, above all,cate instead of hardier from being kept in the house, its melodious song, have long introduced the canary require a temperature analogous to that of their native to all classes of society. climate. They must be protected from the cold, and never allowed to remain in winter in a cold room, which would occasion many diseases, or even death. But, in summer, it is proper to place them in the open air, and they enjoy it very much. Never do they sing so gayly as on fine days, and their cages should therefore be placed at the open window, that they may have the advantage of the light and heat of the sun, which is particularly serviceable to them while bathing. "Their food is an important point; for, in proportion as it is simple and natural, it will be wholesome; and, on the contrary, the more it is mixed and rare, the more injurious and productive of disease will it be. What we have found the best is summer rape-seed; we mean that which is sown at the end of spring, which is small and brown, in distinction from the winter rape-seed, which is sown in the autumn, and which is large and black. This seed alone agrees with canaries as well as linnets; but, to give them the pleasure of variety, a little bruised hemp, or canary, or poppy seed is added to it, especially in the spring, when they are intended to breed. Indeed, a mixture of rape-seed, oatmeal, and millet, or canary-seed, may be given them as a great treat. But whatever seeds they may have, they equally require green food, as chickweed in spring, lettuce and radish leaves in summer, endive, Buffon, speaking of this beautiful and universal favourite, says: "If the nightingale is the chantress of the woods, the canary is the musician of the chamber; the first owes all to nature, the second, something to art. With less strength of organ, less compass of voice, and less variety of note, the canary has a better ear, greater facility of imitation, and a more retentive memory; and, as the difference of genius, especially among the lower animals, depends in a great measure on the perfection of their senses, the canary, whose organ of hearing is more susceptible of receiving and retaining foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame, and familiar; is capable of gratitude and even of attachment; its caresses are endearing, its little humours, innocent, and its anger neither hurts nor offends. Its education is easy; we rear it with pleasure, because we are able to instruct it. It leaves the melody of its own natural tone, to listen to the melody of our voices and instruments. It applauds, it accompanies us, and repays the pleasure it receives with interest, while the nightingale, more proud of its talent, seems desirous of preserving it in all its purity, at least it appears to attach very little to ours, and it is with great difficulty it can be taught any of our airs. The canary can speak and whistle; the nightingale despises our words, as well as our airs, and never fails to return to its own wild wood-notes. Its pipe is a master-watercress, and slices of sweet apple in winter. As piece of nature, which human art can never alter nor improve; while that of the canary is a model of more pliant materials, which we can mould at pleasure; and therefore it contributes in a much greater degree to the comforts of society. It sings at all seasons, cheers us in the dullest weather, and adds to our happiness, by amusing the young, and delighting the recluse, charming the tediousness of the cloister, and gladdening the soul of the innocent and captive." We think we shall be rendering an acceptable service to many of our readers by giving a few plain directions for the treatment of these pretty warblers; for which we are chiefly indebted to a useful, though little appreciated work, entitled " Cage Birds," by Dr. Bechstein, and which our own experience has shown to be judicious: to that whimsical and complicated mixture, prescribed and used by many people, of rape, millet, hemp, canary-seed, whole oats and oatmeal, poppy, lettuce, plantain, potentilla, and pink-seeds, maize, sugar, cake, hard biscuit, cracknels, buns, and the like, so far from being wholesome, it injures the birds in every respect. It spoils their taste, weakens their stomach, renders them feeble, sickly, and incapable of bearing moulting, under which they most frequently die. It is true, that they may be accustomed to eat every thing which comes to table; but to teach this habit is also to prepare a poison for them, which though slow is not the less sure, and brings them to a premature death; while every day we see bird-fanciers, who are poor, who hardly know the names of those delicacies, rear, on the simplest food, a considerable number of the healthiest, cleverest, and "Except in the breeding season, the male cana- strongest canaries. We must, however, be guided ries should be kept alone in separate cages, which, in a great measure by the constitution of the birds. whatever the shape, ought not to be less than eight They should be daily supplied with fresh water, as - inches in diameter and a foot in height, with two well for drinking as bathing, in which they delight. sticks placed across for the bird to perch on. The In the moulting season, a nail or bit of iron should be females may be allowed to range the room with one put into the water, in order to strengthen the stomwing clipped, or, what is better, kept in large cages; ach. Saffron and licorice are in this case more where, from having plenty of exercise, their health hurtful than useful. Grains of sand, with which the and strength are better preserved. In the small ca- bottom of the cage is strewed, afford the birds a help ges, glass vases should be placed on the outside, at to digestion." the extremities of the lower stick, to hold the food and water. These may be surmounted with a cap of tin, or something of the kind, to prevent the seed from being so easily scattered. Cleanliness being a great preservative against most of their disorders, the bottom of the cage should be made to draw out, that it may more easily be cleaned and covered with AVARICE is a passion as despicable as it is hateful. It chooses the most insidious means for the attainment of its ends: it dares not pursue its means with the bold impetuosity of the soaring eagle, but skims the ground in narrow circles like the swallow. FARMERS' DEPARTMENT. THE APPLE-ORCHARD. tages which they are capable of affording to the farm, contain, or the specifick gravity of their juice; and IN a mistaken zeal to eradicate the seeds of intem-pend upon the quantity of saccharine matter they perance, we are afraid that some, by destroying their apple-orchards, are not only diminishing their innocent family comforts, but are seriously impairing their means of honest farm profits. We do not advocate the orchard on account of the alcohol its fruit affords in distillation-such a practice we deprecate; nor will we urge tetotallers to cultivate the apple for cider, if they deem this liquor hurtful-though we still adhere to the "steady habits" of our New England ancestry, in taking a glass of this racy beverage with our dinner-we will not advocate the orchard for the liquor it affords, but for the food--the beef, pork, milk, &c., into which its fruit can be readily transformed. For the family, apples may be made to contribute alike to health, to pleasure, and to economy, and greatly to diminish the consumption of more costly food. As dessert fruits, they are surpassed but by few in quality, and by none in durability; while in the culinary department, they afford a grateful repast, baked, boiled, roasted or fried, and to borrow terms from the cook's book, may be served up with rice, flour, &c., in black-cap, charlotte, cheese-cakes, compotes, cumplings, fritters, festoon, floating-islands, fool, fraze, glazed, in gelly, marmalade, pancakes, pies, puddings, preserves, poupeton, soufflet, in water, à la Turque. In all these forms, we believe the apple is perfectly guileless, and in most of them may be indulged in by the robust and the delicate, and by rich and poor. THE DAIRY. THE properties of a good milk-house are, that it be cool in summer, and moderately warm in winter, so as to preserve a temperature of about fortyfive degrees throughout the whole year; and that it be dry, so as to admit of its being kept clean and sweet at all times. A butter-dairy should consist of three apartments-a milk-house, a churning-house with a proper boiler, and other conveniences for scalding and washing the implements, which should be dried out of doors when the weather will permit The cheese-dairy should likewise consist of three apartments-a milk-house, a scalding and pressinghouse, and a salting-house. To these should be added a cheese-room or loft. A dairy for a small family may be formed in a thick-walled dry cellar, having windows on the north and east sides, which In the economy of the farm, apples are no less ser- are preferable for ventilation. In winter these winviceable. Every kind of farm stock feeds and fat-dows should have bauble sashes, and in summer, a tens upon them. They serve as a substitute for corn fixed frame of close wire netting, or hair-cloth, to in the piggery, for oats in the horse-stable, and for exclude flies and other insects. slops in the cow-stall. They were evidently destined for the comfort of man; and because they are capable of being converted to a bad use, shall we, for this reason, reject the many benefits they are calculated to afford us? Because bread corn is convertible into alcohol, is it less worthy of our care and culture as an article of food? Those alone who abuse the gifts of Providence, are obnoxious to publick morals. Our orchard, though a young one, is of great value to us. The early droppings of fruit were gathered by our pigs, and they contributed much to fit them for the fatting pen; and subsequently by boiling them with small potatoes, for fattening hogs, they have enabled us to save a good portion of our soft corn, which in ordinary years has not suffered for finishing our pork, say forty or fifty bushels, to deal out to our store shoats. Our orchard has enabled us to dispose of some fifty barrels of choice winter fruit, and to manufacture nearly as many barrels of cider, and it is now in the form of pomace, adding greatly to the products of our diary. On the first of December, we began to feed the pomace to seven milch cows, and have continued to feed them with a common wheelbarrow full per diem, and the effect has been to increase the quantity of milk nearly fifty per cent. The pomace has not undergone but slight if any fermentation. The great indifference to orchards, we have no doubt, arises from an ignorance of the many advan In most places cows are milked twice in twentyfour hours, throughout the year. Where quantity of milk or cheese is an object, three times milking must be preferable, but as twelve hours are necessary for the due preparation of the milk in the cow, it must be inferiour in quality if drawn more than twice a day. Whatever be the times of milking, the milk should be drawn off clear, otherwise, what is left will be reabsorbed into the system, and no more be generated than is requisite to supply the quantity actually drawn. The milker, whether a man or a woman, ought to be mild in manners, and good tempered. If the operation is performed harshly, it becomes painful to the cow, who, in this case, often brings into action her faculty of retaining her milk at pleasure; but if gently performed, it seems rather to give pleasure. When cows are ticklish, they should be treated with the most soothing gentleness. and never with harshness or severity; and when the udder is hard and painful, it should be tenderly fomented with lukewarm water, and stroked gently. by which simple expedient the cow will be brought into good temper, and will yield her milk without hesitation. Whenever the teats of cows become scratched, or wounded, so as to produce foul or corrupted milk, it ought on no account to be mixed with the sweet milk, nor carried into the milk-house, lest it should taint the atmosphere, and this prove injurious to the rest of the milk. Cows should be milked as near the dairy as pos |