JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURES AND IMPROVEMENTS.

PROGRESS OF MANUFACTURES IN ST. LOUIS

UNION FOUNDRY.

Whilst on a visit to the southern part of the city, a few days ago, we called at the Union Foundry, on Third street, between Hazel and Lombard; and finding the operations of the establishment on a scale far more extensive than we imagined them to be, we solicited the proprietors, Messrs. PALM & ROBERTSON, to furnish us with such facts, touching their works, as would enable our readers to appreciate their extent and importance to the community.

The machinery is propelled by a high pressure steam engine, of about 24 horse power; and the operations of the establishment embrace the manufacture of almost every article that is usually made at a foundry and machine shop. Among the leading articles produced here are steam engines; railroad car wheels, and axles; hydraulic and screw presses; store fronts and columns; tools of various descriptions; waterpipes &c., &c.

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The daily consumption of raw material is, of pig metal, from 16,000 to 18,000 lb.; of stone coal, about 70 bushels of anthracite coal, about 1200 lbs. ; of Pittsburgh coal, about 1,200 lbs. Besides these articles, there is consumed a large quantity of bar iron, steel, brass, copper, charcoal, oak wood &c., &c.

The number of hands employed is between 70 and 80; at wages ranging from $2 per week for the youngest apprentice, to fifteen dollars per week for a foreman.

Much the larger portion of the pig metal consumed at this establishment, is from the Pilot Knob Iron Works, Mo. This looks well; but we fear that many years will elapse before Missouri will supply the demand for iron in this market.

The manufacture of iron in all its varied forms, may now be regarded as the most extensive branch of industry in our city; and we should be under obligations to all those engaged in this pursuit if they would furnish us with such facts as would enable us to make up a complete account of it for the January number of the "Western Journrl."

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INVENTION IN THE SUGAR MANUFACTURE

The Sun" gives a description of a new invention for graining sugar, which has been purchased by Messrs. Howland & Woolsey, (the latter a well-known sugar manufacturer,) and is thus described:

"The sugar is taken in its black, dirty state, just as it comes from the planters' boilers, thrown into the machine, and in a twinkling the refuse stuff is separated from the mass, leaving the clean, white, sparkling sugar alone by itself, ready for family use. In two minutes the refining is completed, which, by the usual mode, required three weeks of time, the employment of many hands and the consumption of much fuel. In this new process no heat is required,

The invention is one of remarkable ingenuity and certain in its operations. The sugar to be refined is mixed with molasses until it is of a semi-fluid consistency. The mass is then placed within a revolving sieve, the wires of which are so fine as to retain the sugar but permitting the exit of the liquid parts. By means of steam power the tremendous velocity of two thousand revolutions in a minute is given to the sieve, and so great is the centrifugal force thus applied to the mixture within, that the molasses and impurities instantly fly off, leaving the sugar behind, purified, white, and, what seems singular, perfectly dry. The article thus produced is what is generally known as refined brown sugar. It resembles powdered loaf sugar, and needs but one more operation to convert it into the loaf. The entire machine occupies but little more space than a good-sized washtub.".

The first of these machines ever produced on a practical scale in this country, has recently been constructed at the large machine works of our old friend Mr. G. B. Hartson, Nos. 58 & 60 Vesey street; it is of a capacity to refine 200 lbs. of sugar in two minutes.

The idea never would have struck us, that, by giving sugar syrup a rapid centrifugal motion, the moisture alone would be thrown off, and the grain crystalised and refined. We do not yet see how it can be purified by this operation. A machine for drying and depurating sugar by steam and centrifugal motion, is illustrated and described in No. 41 Vol. 5, Scientific American. Centrifugal motion and its virtues were first displayed in a revolving machine for drying cloth, (one was patented by Mr. Nelson Chaffee, of Connecticut, two years ago,) it has been applied to moulding metal pipe, and now it is applied to the manufacture of sugar.

ATLANTIC AND MISSISSIPPI RAILROAD.

We are informed by Wm. S. Wait, Esq., president of this company, that a survey of the route, commencing at the eastern terminus of the Terre Haute and Richmond railroad, on the Indiana State line, and terminating at Illinois-town, opposite to this city, will be completed in a few days, under the direction of W. H. Morrison, chief engineer. Mr. Wait has accompanied the engineer on the route, and has obtained the right of way from a great number of those through whose land the road has been located. He states that the people residing near the route, manifest the most lively interest in the work; and he appears quite sanguine that the legislature of Illinois will sanction and confirm the location of the road as made by the company.

Looking forward to the completion of this great enterprise, as we feel authorised to do, it is natural to enquire in what way and to what extent it will affect the city of St. Louis?— That the termination of this and other important lines of improvement opposite this city, will tend to strengthen and establish this as the great commercial point in the valley of the Mississippi, there can be little doubt; but, that it will also be the means of transferring a large portion of the business to the eastern bank of the Mississippi, is, in our opinion, quite cer

tain.

Produce brought on the railroad, except that designed for consumption here, will not cross the river. It will be received, stored, and forwarded from Illinois-town as cheap as from St. Louis; and we cannot suppose that the owners will pay the charges of transporting their commodities across the river, when nothing could be gained by it. The advantages of a location on the east bank of the river, cannot escape the accute vision of the merchant; and, he will be found there ready to receive and forward the produce of the country, by the time the road is in a condition to bring it in. Nor is there any reason that his business should be limited by that of the railroad; for, stationed on one side of the St. Louis harbor, he comes in fair competition with the St. Louis merchant for the produce arriving on steamboats. Nay, more-when we reflect that a much larger amount of produce will arrive at Illinoistown than at St. Louis, by land carriage, and that rents, and perhaps taxes will be lower there than here, it must be admitted that the mercantile advantages are in favor of that place. Again, St. Louis must rely chiefly on the Illinois coal mines for fuel; and the low price of this article on the east side of the river, will operate as a strong inducement to the location there of all manufacturing establishments which require great mo

tive power. Indeed the price of ground is now so high on the Missouri side, that manufacturers cannot afford to build in situations convenient to business; and this cause alone will, in time, transfer the larger establishments to the Illinois shore.

In view of these facts, we are persuaded that the construction of the Atlantic and Mississippi railroad will materially affect the value of real estate in St. Louis; it may not depreciate its present value, but it will prevent prices from advancing as they otherwise would.

We know that the opinion prevails that the depressed situation of the American bottom, will forever prevent the building of a city on it; and this would be the case under almost any other state of facts, than those which exist. Nearly every large city with whose history we are acquainted, has extended its limits by reclaiming land as difficult of improvement as the American bottom; and, indeed, the improvement of a considerable part of the city of St. Louis, will have cost as much when completed, as will an equal arrea in Illinois-town. Less than one-fifth of the present value of ground fronting on the St. Louis levee, will raise a levee on the opposite side of the river, above high water; and we are persuaded that before the lapse of twenty-five years, there will be little difference in the value of real estate on the east and west sides of the St. Louis harbor. And should the Atlantic and Mississippi railroad terminate at Illinois-town, and a railroad connection be made between that point and the southern States, we venture to predict that it will be, in time, the largest city on the eastern bank of the Mississippi.

GRAPE GROWING IN ILLINOIS.

We are truly gratified to learn that our neighbors in Illinois are beginning to turn their attention to the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine. This branch of industry has been too long neglected in the valley of the Mississippi; but the success that has attended the experiments of our German citizens, wherever they have planted the vine in this region, is calculated to extend its cultivation until it shall be classed amongst our leading staples.

No reasonable man can desire a more profitable pursuit than grape growing, and surely none could be more pleasing and agreeable to one of intelligence and taste.

Our correspondent, Mr. Hilgard, is entitled to the gratitude

of the community in which he resides, for his labors in esta blishing the fact, that grape growing may be relied on as a certain and profitable employment.

Messrs. Tarver & Risk:

BELLEVILLE, Ill., Nov. 10, 1850.

Gentlemen-You invited me several times to make you some communications about the success or failure of the attempts made by myself and others, of raising wine in the neighborhood of Belleville, Illinois. I heretofore declined doing so for want of sufficient experience in this new and rather delicate matter; but I am able now to give you some facts which may deserve notice.

One of these facts, and indeed an important one, is, that all those species and sorts of grapes which are generally raised in Germany, and especially on the shores of the Rhine, do not grow well here, and absolutely fail from year to year (whatever may be the prevailing character of the weather and temperature), by rotting instead of ripening. This fact is confirmed by more than ten years experience, and has been observed as well by myself as by many other persons, and at various places. It seems evident that our climate and soil do not suit those species of grapes-and there is nothing surprising in this, since in Germany itself, different species of grapes are raised in different localities, and entrely fail in 'others very little distant.

Seeing this, I began about four years ago, to plant the Catawba vine, on a fine elevated ground, or little hill, with a southern slope. The vines, as usual, began to bear in the third year, and in 1849, I made two barrels and a half of very good wine, from between 400-500 vines. The year 1849 being a very bad one for grapes, and indeed the worst in these last ten years, I was surprised at this result, and still more at the quality of the wine, which was judged by all connoisseurs who tried it, to be equal if not superior to the better sorts of Rhenish wines.

Encouraged by this success, I bestowed particular care upon the culture of the vine, and I made this year, (1850), twenty barrels of wine from about 2000 vines, more or less, though some of the grapes, say one-sixth, had perished by rotting in the month of August. The grapes ripened perfectly well; they were, indeed, delicious-and the wine they gave is far superior to that of last year. It has a dark yellow colour, like Madeira-and is sweet, strong, and of a fine and excellent flavour, though still in an imperfect state---the fermentation being hardly over. $1 25 is readily offered per gallon, even now; but I do not intend to sell it for less than $1 50.