are practical-science becomes a fit handmaid of Christianity in extending civilization, in purifying and developing the human mind, and in spreading over the world the blessings of industry and peace.

DIAMOND CUTTING.

By cutting, the peculiar brilliancy of the diamond is brought out, and its value fixed. Then the jeweler adds new beauty by tasteful setting. His skillful combination of various kinds of precious stones, so that the one may impart splendor to the other, makes the starry rays of the diamond sparkle with glory in the tiara, brooch, or necklace. During the last twenty years great progress has been made in the art of setting, of which splendid exhibitions were exhibited both at the London and Paris exhibitions. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, are now formed into anemones, roses, carnations, tuilps, convolvuli, lilies, and other flowers. Probably, the idea originated with the glory which is seen, early on a summer morning, when the rising sun shines on the dewy flowers. The revolution in France, at the end of the last century, nearly ruined the jewelers of Paris, and for a time gave a check to improvement. Under the imperial government of Napoleon I., some progress was again made, but the art only began to flourish after the restoration. At first, they worked with stones of the second class, such as topazes, amethysts, and aigue-marines, with which trinkets of more appearance than value could be made. Afterwards, it was found that by imitating flowers, the number of precious stones, in proportion to the size of the jewel, could be reduced without injuring the effect; while diamonds of less purity, such as those of Bahia, could be more freely used. The practice of setting diamonds in silver, and rubies in gold, so as to impart an apparent increase of size to the one, and splendor of color to the other, became more general; and the most beautiful designs have been wrought out with the greatest neatness and taste. At no period in the history of the world have so fine specimens of the jeweler's art been produced as during the present century by the artists of London and Paris.

MACHINE-MADE WATCHES.

It is not more than twenty years since clocks were exclusively furnished to us by European countries, and their manufacture here, with very few exceptions, was almost unknown Now, however, they are daily manufactured here by thousands, through the instrumentality of machinery, which enables them to be constructed not only in a much superior and correct manner, but at one-twentieth the price originally demanded for them when manufactured by manual labor. The most ingenious machinery is now in operation for this purpose. The manufacture of watches is also now carried on upon the same principle, and by somewhat analogous machinery to that employed for the manufacture of clocks. Dies of the most exquisitely-delicate formation are employed for cutting the various wheels, as well as other intricate parts, and lathes and polishing-wheels for reducing the pivot-jewels to the proper size, and giving them the proper finish. And while the simplicity observed in the construction of the watch lessens its liability to stop or otherwise get out of order, any cause of disarrangement is more easily detected.

MINES AND FACTORIES OF PRUSSIA.

From official sources we gather that the entire mineral (iron) production of Prussia amounted last year to 18,064,326 cwt., being an increase of 1,030,490 cwt. compared with the figures of the year preceding. The production of cast iron rose from 7,072,768 to 7,721,833 cwt., of iron in bars from 5,333,730 to 5,494,100 cwt., of steel from 440,352 to 449,158 cwt., of zinc from 766,521 to 872,221 cwt., of gold and silver from 55,052 to 59,025 marks, (a mark, 8 ounces,) of lead from 245,719 to 265,678 cwt., of vitriol from 42,694 to 47,406 cwt., whereas copper experienced a decline of from 34,251 to 31,946 cwt., and the total value of the metals produced had fallen from 79,598,610 to 74,457,965 thalers. The number of laborers employed in the mines had increased to 59,198, being an excess of 1,000 against the previous year. At present Berlin is the great emporium of Germany for engine building, machinery, and iron works of every description. Orders are received not only from all parts of the interior, but also from abroad, especially from Russia, where everything appertaining to railways is now in great demand. The machine building factories of Berlin may be divided into two classes, the larger and the smaller establishments. The more extensive of them construct locomotives, steam engines, machinery for miners and furnaces, tubular bridges, iron steamers, and so forth; those of the second class furnish iron pipes for gas and water works, apparatus for heating greenhouses, saloons, &c., and many other articles. In spite of the flourishing state of our engine building trade, several establishments, particularly the smaller ones, suffered not a little from the effects of the crisis, but unlike most other branches of industry they soon recovered from the shock, and are now in full employment again. In a factory for building railway cars and wagons, belonging formerly to Herr Pflug, which has been purchased by a joint-stock company, no less than 3,702 workmen are engaged, so that, including the members of their families, 10,892 persons are maintained by this single establishment. The extensive works that owe their origin to the late John Frederick Borsig, I have adverted to in a former letter. Of the iron foundries-fifteen in number--which are mostly connected with machine building establishments, one belongs to government, and fourteen to private persons. In 1857 the royal iron foundry produced 29,623 hundred weight of cast iron articles, to the value of 168,253 thalers, and employed 176 workmen, whose families numbered 394 individuals. At the private foundries the castings amounted to 360,983 hundred weight, the value being 1,775,602 thalers, and occupying 740 workmen, whose families comprise 2,180 members. These figures will give some idea of the scale on which this branch of industry is carried on in our capital, and which must be considered very creditable to the enterprise of its inhabitants, when it is recollected that twenty-five years ago there was hardly a single private factory of the kind in all Berlin.

STRUCTURE OF ANTHRACITE COAL.

It has been ascertained that anthracite coal is susceptible of division into very thin laminæ, all of which, examined under the microscope, give evidence of their vegetable origin. During combustion in an ordinary coal fire the cinders which fly off are very good for these examinations; they easily split into thin layers and show vegetable tissues of various kinds. Even completely decarbonized coal shows this origin. The little white spots are the vessels. It is more difficult

to examine soft coal, as the bitumen swells and obscures the vegetable forms. The principal forms observed are thin layers of elongated cells, scutariform ducts, flattened tubes, arranged in spiral lines, large rectangular cells, the charcoal-like

masses.

IMPROVED JACQUARD LOOM.

In an improved construction of the Jacquard loom which has been introduced, the object had been to substitute for the heavy cards a sheet of prepared paper, punched with given apertures, like the cards of the old machines; but, instead of being a series of pieces two-and-one-half inches wide laced together, the punctured paper formed a continuous band only three-quarters of an inch wide; thus so diminishing the bulk that the weight of the new band, as compared with that of the old cards, was in the proportion of one to eleven. The method by which this desirable result has been attained is chiefly by an arrangement which permits the four hundred spiral springs on the needles used in the old machine to be dispensed with, when, as a consequence, the force, and the wear and tear due to their resistance is done away with, and the important advantage gained of making fine and light wires do the work of strong and heavy ones.

STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE, &c.

AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION IN FRANCE.

The Paris Moniteur of the 2d October has an ample report of the Minister of Agriculture on the regional agricultural exhibitions in France. The number of them this year was ten, at central places in the great territorial divisions. The report embraces the names of the exhibitors to whom the chief prizes were awarded, and the main results of the convocations and the competitive system. Formerly those divisions of the country entertained mischievous prejudices and antipathies against each other; the peasantry refused to employ new implements of tillage, or to admit any changes in their antiquated husbandry. This evil has nearly disappeared under the influences of the assemblages and the means of comparison. France, says the minister, has at length learned to know herself and her resources; the rural progress, in every particular, surpasses all expectation. Many thousands of people of different provinces have been drawn together; they have parted with mutual cordiality; their only solicitude is how to make the best figure in the shows and intercourse of the next year. The railroads afford them facilities for every purpose, of which their forefathers could have no conception. The departments and the large cities contribute sums of twenty-five and thirty-five thousand francs towards the accommodation and arrangement of the animals and machinery brought to each of the rendezvous. From year to year the numbers of the frequenters and the objects for exhibition and rivalry have signally advanced. The report adduces the statistics. In 1846 wheat was grown on not more than 5,936,908 hectares, (the hectare is two-and-a-half acres ;) in 1856 it occupied 6,468,236 hectares; the increase in the yield is larger in proportion. Special attention will henceforth be paid to the classification of the animals

according to localities, and breeds, and qualities, and of the farming implements in reference to origin and usefulness. From 1860 the number of agricultural regions will be ten or twelve; each will comprise seven departments or provinces, and an exhibition will be annually held in each by turns. The central government and the authorities of the several circumscriptions or demarkations will appoint inspectors, juries to award the premiums, surveyors of the farms in competition, and scientific and practical instructors. The emperor has created five model farms in the neighborhood of the Camp of Chalons, on which the soldiery and corps of engineers are occasionally employed. His chief object is to fertilize for pasture the arid and nearly barren plains; and considerable sums are appropriated from the civil list to carry out his plans. Each of the new establishments has stables for a hundred cows, stables for twenty horses, and folds for twelve hundred sheep. Four hundred cows of the race of Brittany, more than three thousand sheep, rams of the English stock, and thirty choice brood mares are already collected. Five similar establishments are to be undertaken and completed next year.

IRISH AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

The Registrar-General's annual returns of the extent of land under crops for the year 1858, and of the numbers of live stock for the same period, have been issued, and are of no little interest at the present time. In our September No., page 387, we gave the crop statistics; the following are the live stock :

The following is the total value of live stock in each year from 1855 to 1858, calculated according to the rates assumed by the census commissioners of 1841 -viz. -For horses, £8 each; cattle, £6 10s.; sheep, 22s.; and pigs, 25s. each :

From the Volksblatt, published at the German settlement of Hermann, in Missouri, we learn that this year's vintage in the vicinity of Hermann, in spite of the poor prospects in the early part of the season, has been an average one. The quantity of wine produced will reach 25,000 gallons, which is highly satisfactory in view of the fact that last year's yield was enormous, and that the vines seldom yield two consecutive heavy crops. The yield per acre of the different vinyards is variable-three and four hundred gallons per acre being secured in some, while others afforded only fifty gallons per acre. In general, however, the vintners are well pleased with the result, and have no cause to complain of hard times.

WHEAT CROPS OF CALIFORNIA.

The San Francisco Price Current remarks:-We have received returns from the county assessors in relation to the wheat crops. The indications, we think, are fair that the wheat crop of the present year will prove larger than that of any preceding year. The statistics, we think, are more reliable. Formerly, agriculturists were less informed as to the quantity of land they might have under cultivation, and their conjectures were often very extravagant. This probably led to the excessive returns of 1856. Since then, lands have more generally been surveyed, and assessors have become more careful in their estimates. We may also allude to the extravagant ideas in vogue in regard to the productive. ness of the soil. Few farmers would admit that their crop would be less than thirty bushels to the acre, and we have seen statements, apparently on good authority, of from sixty-five to eighty bushels. It is true that in exceptional cases, such large yields might have been afforded; but perhaps the average yield of this, as of most of the best grain-growing States, would not be over twenty bushels, even in favorable seasons. By the subjoined table, it will be perceived that in those counties where wheat has heretofore proven an uncertain crop, the number of acres harvested this year is greatly reduced, showing that the farmers are turning their attention to other branches of agriculture; while in Napa, and in various other counties in different portions of the State, the area of land devoted to wheat has been greatly extended during the past year. The following table gives a comparative statement of the wheat crop in twenty counties for the past three years :—

It will be perceived that Contra Costa has largely increased her area of wheat crop over the two preceding years, while she has apparently fallen below 1856 in productiveness. Perhaps this can be best accounted for by the allusions before made to the unreliable character of the statistics of former years.