clay capable of being handled and dried, a process that requires much care and a powerful heat. The residue of the corn is used for feeding hogs and other domestic animals. This is a new use of Indian corn, but one, we hope, that will prove profitable to the manufacturer, and induce a very large consumption of this grain, and thereby increase the practice to the grower. We should like to have some statistics of the other corn starch manufactories in the country for the purpose of noticing them as being intimately connected with the interest of the agricultural community, and the object of our journal. [American Agriculturist. IMPROVEMENT IN TANNING. We copy the following from Cist's Advertiser. If the discovery be all that is claimed for it it is destined, we think, to produce a complete revolution in the business of tanning, and also in the leather trade throughout the Commercial World. "REVOLUTION IN TANNING.-Among various remarkable inventions exhibited at the recent Ohio State Agricultural fair in Cincinnati, was a new process of tanning leather which is thus described in the Statesman of the 12th ult: Mr. Ansel Frost, of Rochester, N. Y., created more sensation on the minds of all true lovers of science and improvements, than any other person on the ground, by exhibiting specimens of tanned leather, in whole sides, and made into boots, shoes, gloves, &c., which were tanned in the almost incredibly short period of ten minutes, by a process discovered by his fellow-townsman, Mr. Harmon Hibbard. By this mode of tanning, a composition is prepared that acts directly and rapidly upon the grease, &c., in the skin, opening its pores, and preparing it at once for the tannin, which being a part of the constituent property of the composition, passes instantly in the skin, and there unites with the gelatine at once, all of which is done as if by magic; making stronger, softer, and more valuable leather than can be produced by the old methods, and at a much less cost. Hides or skins of all kinds, may be tanned with the hair, wool or fur on, with equal facility. Sheep skins, by this process, it is said, 'will compete successfully with calf skins tanned by the usual method. It certainly does appear from all the evidence furnished, that this new discovery is destined to work an entire revolution in the business of the manufacture of leather. To show the confidence Mr. Frost has in the efficacy of the composition, he places the value of his county rights pretty high in the figures, and when a party represents that he is ready to close a purchase, he very quietly and coolly turns around, with a significant business-like turn of the side face and eye, and declares he will sell no rights to parties unless they first go to Rochester, and examine for themselves the whole process. [From the Scientific American.] FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC MEMORANDA. GOLD AND SILVER GLASS. A new method of manufacturing ornamental glass has lately been discovered, which presents the brilliant appearance of highly polished gold and silver. This mode of "silvering" glass is a new invention, which is now being carried on by a company in London. The various articles are blown of two different thicknesses of glass throughout, and the silver is deposited upon the two interior surfaces of the double hollow glass vessel. The silver is deposited from a solution of that metal by the reducing agency of saccharine solutions; in short, the process is entirely a chemical one. The double hollow vessels are hermetically sealed, and thus the silver deposit is protected from wear and from atmospheric influences. The brilliant silver deposit being seen through the colored glass, communicates to that substance, in a curiously illusive manner, the appearance of being entirely formed of gold and silver itself. When the glass is cut, the brilliancy of the silver is heightened; and, on the other hand, when the glass is groundthe effect of frosted silver is produced. By staining, and the employf ment of variously-colored glasses, the effect is modified in a variety o; ways; thus, with certain yellow glasses, the effect of gold is produced, with deep and ruby glass, colored metalic lustres, equal in the effect to the plumageof birds, are obtained. As every form into which glass can be blown is silvered with facility, the extent to which this beautiful invention can be carried is perfectly unlimited. The new process extends to flower vases, chimney ornaments, and in fact, to every article usually made of glass. For ornaments it presents all the lustrous brilliancy of highly polished gold and silver, at a great reduction of cost, and for imitating jewelry and illuminations it will far surpass anything known. In fact, the invention is at present quite in its infancy, and promises soon to fill the houses of the middle classes, usually destitute of brilliant ornaments, with cheap articles presenting all the striking appearance of costly plate, &c. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING FOR THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION OF 1851. We are indebted to the kindness of a friend for an English paper containing a description and perspective view of the building for the great industrial exhibition of 1851, in London; from which we have taken a few facts for the purpose of affording our readers some idea of the extent of the preparation which is going on for this, perhaps, the greatest exhibition of the works of art that mankind have ever witnessed. "The building will be 1,848 feet long (why not three feet more, that it might have symbolized in its figure the great year to which the event will give its name?) by 408 feet broad and 66 feet high-and another of its peculiar features (and a comfort for the alarmists) is, that it can be entirely prepared away from its destined site, and will want merely putting together on the ground. The long line is crossed ed by a transept 108 feet high, which will inclose a row of elm trees now standing at a point so near the centre as to divide the length into 948 feet on the one side and 900 feet on the other. In addition to the timber for joists, flooring, &c., the glass and supports of iron comprise the entire structure. The columns are similar in form throughout. The same may be said of each of the sash-bars and of each pane of glass. The number of columns, varying in length from 14 feet 6 inches to 20 feet, is 3,230. There are 2,224 cast-iron girders for supporting galleries and roofs, besides 1,128 intermediate bearers or binders, 358 wrought-iron trusses for supporting roof, 34 miles of gutters for carrying water to the columns, 202 miles of sash-bars, and 900,000 superficial feet of glass. The building will stand on about 18 acres of ground-giving, with the galleries, an exhibiting surface of 21 acres; but provision will be made for a large increase of galleries if necessary. The gallery will be 24 feet wide, and will extend nearly a mile. The length of tables or table space for exhibiting will be about 8 miles. An idea may be formed of the unprecedented quantity of materials that will be employed in this edifice from the fact, that the glass alone will weigh upwards of 400 tons. As already explained, the exhibiting surface will occupy a space of about 21 acres. The total cubic contents of the building will be 33,000,000 feet. The total amount of contract for use, waste, and maintenance is 79,800l.,-or very little more than nine-sixteenths of a penny per foot cube. The total value of the building, were it to be permanently retained, would be 150,000l.,--or rather less than one penny and one-twelfth of a penny per foot cube. * * The provision for ventilation is, according to Mr. Paxton, a very peculiar part of his plan. The whole building, he says, will be fitted with louvre, or luffer, boards,---so placed as to admit air but exclude rain. The root' and south side of the building will be covered with canvas,---and in very hot weather it may be watered and the interior kept cool. In the transept alone there will be above 5,000 superficial feet of ventilators provided,---and it will be found that if Mr. Paxton has erred at all in respect of the means of ventilation, there will be too much rather than too little. By covering the south side and roof of the building with canvas, a gentle light will be thrown over the whole of the building,---and the whole of the glass of the northern side of the building will give a direct light to the interior." This exhibition will constitute a great fact in social history; and will in future be regarded as the era when the useful arts, long degraded, were raised to their true dignity in the estimation of mankind. 1.-LABOR SAVING MACHINERY.-Its effects on the social condi- tion of the age its neutralizing influence on capital; its tendencies to increase the profits of labor, by diminishing the prices of neces- sary and useful commodities. Decline in the prices of the leading articles of consumption attributable to labor saving machinery; dis- coveries in physical science, and improvements in the useful arts.— Review of the prices of leading articles of consumption during II.-MEMOIR ON THE PHYSICS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.—— Rate of fall; mean depth; descent of the low water curve; depth of water; width, velocity; rise and fall; sediment; overflows; mean high water; cut-offs; levees and their servitudes; levee system, &c., By E. B. FORSHEY, Civil Engineer, La. III.-NICARAGUA CANAL-RIVER SAN JUAN.-Length and gen- eral description of the river San Juan; its capacity for navigation, By SQUIER, Eng: Charge d'Affairs to Central America, IV. THE PRECIOUS METALS, COINS, AND BANK NOTES.- The utility of gold and silver, and the properties which fit them for measures of value and for currency, though they do not furnish an invaluable standard of value; the quantity of pure silver and gold, and of alloy, in the coin of the United States and of Great Britain at different periods; Mr. Jacob's estimates of the amount of coin in the Roman Empire and in ancient Europe; production of gold and silver from 1492 to 1840, and Gregory King's estimate of the supply in 1500, 1600, and 1696; the wear and loss of coin; the consump- tion of the precious metals in the arts, in making plate, and for all purposes other than coining; the amount exported to Asia, and the amount of coin and bullion in Europe and America at different peri- V.-GAS LIGHT-PAINE'S LIGHT-ITS VALUE COMPARED WITH COAL GAS.-An account of experiments made to test the effects produced on the illuminating properties of hydrogen gas, by VI.--RAILROAD LAND BILLS-PACIFIC RAILROAD.- Remarks on the provision in these bills, which requires the railroad companies to transport government freight and troops free of toll. These provisions shown to be illiberal and unjust, ACT OF CONGRESS granting land in aid of the Chicago and Mobile railroad, VIII-CANNELTON COTTON MILLS.-Employment of operatives in the east for the mills of the west; refutation of the opinion that manufacturies cannot be established in the west, By the SENIOR EDITOR, Commercial Statistics. COMMERCE OF CINCINNATI.—Imports at Cincinnati for five yea rs 37 45 43 54 54 56 machine shops, cotton factories, linseed and lard oil, soap and can- Commercial Regulations. ACT OF CONGRESS-Concerning mortgages on vessels, steamboats, &c. 55 57-8 57-8 58 Horticultural Department. Culture of native grapes, Grape culture in Iowa, Preserving fruit, Journal of Internal Improvement. Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, Alton and Sangamon Railroad, EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN RAILROAD, BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD-the business for the month of Sept., 1850, compared to the business in the month of Sept., 1849, INDIANAPOLIS AND BELLEFONTAINE RAILROAD.- Opening Journal of Discoveries and Improvements. Coating iron with copper, Starch from Indian corn, Building and proportion for the great Industrial Exhibition in London |