INDIANA   FARMER.
VOL   II.]
Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, Mechanics and the Useful Arts.
[NO. 18.
W. T. DcmiU,      j  Editors,   j
IND., Mil 15,
llollotrar dr.  G • . ,
PUBLISHERS.
Mendenhall's Hand Loom.—We copy from
the Pittsburgh Post, the following notice of S.
C Mendenhall's Hand Loom:
."Another most beautiful and truly valuable
t)ew invention that I examined with soma care,
is a Hand Loom, which has very lately been
patented by S. C. Mendenhall, of Richmond,
Indiana. This loom is constructed, as are almost all other really meritorious invention?, in
the most simple manner. It is light, and very
neat in its appearance; and may be easily
Worked by a child of ten years old. It is work-
fed without cams or gear-wheels: the ells are
raised and the shuttle thrown at each movement of the beam; and in less than five minutes
a change can'be made on the same warp from
a twill to plain goods—from sattinet to flannel,
or from either of these to any other goods that
are woven on a common loOm. This invention
is peculiarly adapted t6 the newer settlements
of our country, where manufactories have not
been started; and if extensively introduced
may retard the advance of manufacturing establishments, (which I should look upon as a great
blessing,) because of the cheapness of the machine, the ease with which it may be worked,
and the increased arriojnf of cloth that may
be made in a given time: for I am told that on
this loom one man may weaVe thirty yards a
day of Any common ctothi
Water Proof Paints.
We suppose, that all paints are water proof,
to a certain degree, for the oii of which they
are composed in part, repels water: If, however, a paint is required to turn or repel water
merely, it should have a heavy body, as painters say, or in other words,' there should be
substance enough to resist the water, when it
comes in considerable abundance.
The Ohio Farmer, while speaking of this subject, recommends tar as a good substitute for
linseed oil as an ingredient for waterproof pairit.
In the old colony, it used to be a custom, (and
perhaps it is so now,) to take tar, add a certain
proportion of rosin to it. Melt them in a kettle,
and when the heat has made them quite thin,
add a quantity of Spanish brown, and then,
after stirring these ingredients intimately together, apply them while hot, by means of a
"pitch mop" to the roofs of buildings. We do
not know the proper proportions of the ingredients, in making this species of paint, but after
it had hardened or dried, if. not only prevented
water from soaking into the shingles, but it preserved them for years. ,i
The writer in the Ohio Farmer says, that
common tar, or coal tar, may be made thin with
spirits of turpentine.
Let this be used instead of linseed oil to form
the body; add fine earthy matter, such as dried
clay,.«r soft burnt bricks ground fine in a plaster
mill;.. '. .
The soft shaly slates of different colors, also
answer a good purpose when finely pulverised,
to form the body of the paint. For the coarsest kind of work, dry fine Sandy loam may be
used as a body.
Any of these earthly bodies, when made sufficiently fine,, can be used to good purpose in
painting either with the tar mixture or the oil.
Plastered jvalls on the outside of buildings,
may be tlius'rendered water proof and lasting,
by Using the above cheap paints, and after one
or two coats, it will take but a small quantity
of oil paints with lead, to make a finish with ft
single coat of any desired color. Wherever a
surface thus rendered impervious by this cheap
means, is painted over with oil and lead, a single coat upon the surface, instead of being absorbed, will dry in a thin tough film on the surface, and be more effective than three coats of
the same paint, put upon an unprepared surface, which like that of common woodwork absorbs the oil from the lead.—Maine Farmer.
The Largest Gyp3um Field in tho World.
Dr. George G. Shumard, formerly of this
city, but now a citizen of Arkansas, recently delivered a speech upon railroad matters at Fort
Smith, Ark., during which he made known the
very important fact of the existence of an immense field of Gypsum which had lately been
discovered in that region. The following notice
of the speech we find in the Fort Smith Herald:
"Dr. George G. Shumard, in his speech before
the railroad committee, stated that the largest
gypsum field in the world, lies about three hundred miles west of this place, in the plains, explored by Captain Marcy last year, extending
over an area of three hundred miles North and
South, E*st and West. The strata, in some
places; is twenty feet thick, of the purest kind,
white, and in some instances transparent. He
said that there is a sufficient quantity of it to
supply the whole world, and would employ a
railroad in its transportation, one hundred years.
Gypsum, when burnt, becomes what is known
by tho name of plaster of Paris—a very valuable article. Dr. Shumard was with Capt. Marcy last year in exploring the head wa'ers of
Rud river, acting in the capacity of physician
and geologist. The railroad to the Pacific,
through from the Mississippi by Fort Smith and
Albuquervue, will pass immediately through
tliis great field of gvpsum._ One important
item in favor of the Fort Smith route. A few
more items of the same sort will be mentioned
in due time, and we hope the public will take
due notice thereof."