“Silos are like houses, no two individuals can agree upon the same plan; for this reason I approach this branch of the subject with no expectation of pleasing all or of giving directions for making a perfect structure. I deem it best to give a description of one way in which a double silo may be built and leave it to the reader to introduce such modifications in the plan as may best meet his particular wants and circumstances. The drawing herewith presented shows an ideal two-room silo 16 feet wide, 32 feet long, and 16 feet to the eaves. Built as described each room would have a capacity of over 3,000 cubic feet which would contain about 50 tons of settled ensilage weighing 35 pounds to the cubic foot. We may say then that this figure represents a 100-ton silo. For the foundation of this structure either brick or stone may be used, going deep enough to avoid heaving by the frost and rising 6 inches or 1 foot above the surface of the level ground about it. Upon this wall a sill should be laid which had best be constructed of 2×10 inch plank. One of the difficulties in silo construction is to avoid spreading of the building, which sometimes occurs through lateral pressure of the contents when settling. For this reason the sills must be well tied together at the corners; instead of using square timbers, which are greatly weakened by cutting, plank may be substituted and the corners of the sill constructed as in Fig. 2. If well spiked there will be no danger from spreading at the corners. The plank of which the sills are constructed should be at least 8 inches wide; 10 would be better. By using four of these, lying one on top of another, the sill will be 8 inches thick. Midway between the ends of the building a cross wall should be built, and on this a sill should be laid upon which to erect the partition which divides the silo into two compartments. This cross wall should be so worked into the side walls as to hold them securely, and thus prevent the silo from spreading on the sides. A little ingenuity will make the foundation and sills secure. If possible the sills should be as wide as the wall upon which it rests, but if this cannot be conveniently done the wall of stone or brick should be raised above the ground but a very few inches at most, as the ensilage in settling on the shoulder made by the jutting wall is almost certain to spoil at that point. Having laid the sill upon the wall in the manner described proceed to erect the building by standing 2×8 or 10-inch studding perpendicularly upon this sill, placing them not further apart than every 16 inches, so that a sheet of tarred building paper will lap two studding in each case. The reader is cautioned to measure the building paper carefully, before setting up the studding, as it is sometimes scant in width and trouble will occur when one attempts to tack on the paper. Double the studding at the corners. In the illustration of the building I have not placed the proper number of studding, but the reader can rest assured that once in 16 inches is not too often. Having placed our studding in position and secured them by a plate running around the top we are ready for the rafters. Fig. 3 shows how these rest upon the plates and how they are tied together so as to least interfere with the filling of the silo. For a cheap silo boards may be used, though probably shingles are the cheapest in the end. In the roof upon one side place a dormer window at D in the illustration; this window is immediately over the partition. It is intended that the ensilage carrier shall pass up through the window so that the ensilage will fall over the partition and can be deposited in either one of the two compartments by means of a slanting chute. If one does not wish to undergo the expense of the dormer window a scuttle in the roof is all that is necessary. The roof is the same as for any building.

“We are now ready to sheathe the silo; let us begin on the inside. First of all tack tarred building paper to the studding, running the strips up and down and having them catch on every third studding. Avoid all openings or rents in the paper. Having placed the paper take common boards dressed on one side and sheet up to the top of the studding. When this is completed repeat the operation by placing a second layer of boards over the first, breaking joints. Narrow boards are preferable to wide ones for this work, as they will swell without bulging. We have double-boarded the inside of our silo by this operation, and rendered it practically impervious to the air. I see no reason for using anything but common lumber for this purpose, as upon swelling it will close up tight enough to keep out the air. Upon the outside of the studding tack building paper again, as shown at Fig. C in the first illustration. Over this paper place any kind of boards that the fancy of the builder may dictate, as clapboards, shiplap, or drop-siding. It will be seen that our walls are constructed as follows, beginning at the outside: First, siding; second, building paper; third, a dead-air space of 8 or 10 inches; fourth, building paper; fifth, common boards; sixth, common boards. No sawdust, tanbark, or other filling should be used, as a dead-air space is a better non-conductor for our purpose and less expensive than any of these. The partition can be built of narrower studding than those used on the sides of the building, and one thickness of boards used on each side, together with building paper, as in the first instance, is sufficient. To prevent lateral pressure bulging the silo two iron rods should be run through the partition walls joining the sides of the building, placing one about two feet above the partition sill and the other about four feet above that. Half or three-fourths-inch rods with heavy caps at the ends should be sufficient, and are easily put in place before the boards are tacked to the partition.

“Two doorways should be left by cutting out a single studding in each compartment upon the most convenient side. These doorways reach to within three feet of the ground, and should be about seven feet in height. They need not reach to within five feet of the top of the building. The ensilage will settle in the silo several feet, and when the time comes to pass it out through the doorway it takes but little time to dig down two or three feet to the top of the door and make an opening large enough to pass out the upper layer. Fig. 1 shows one of the ways in which a doorway may be made so that it can be boarded up air-tight. Instead of making solid doors hung on hinges I think it is better to use boards that will fit in crossways, making them double thick, and having the inside board even with the inside boarding of the silo, as shown in Fig. 1. Do not make the doorways over 6 or 7 feet in length vertically, as in all cases they weaken the structure. Endeavor to have the inside of the silo smooth and perpendicular from top to bottom, with no jogs or shoulders upon which the ensilage can catch or drag.

“If built above ground fill the rooms of the two compartments with earth until the surface is three or four inches above the outside level, so that no water will at any time enter to injure the ensilage that rests on the ground. I do not yet know which is the best method of preserving the silo from decaying. This is an important branch of the topic, but it has thus far received little attention. Some have recommended using kerosene for an inside coating. We shall try that this season, and also gas or roofing tar, which I think will be excellent. This roofing tar when heated becomes liquid, and can be applied with a mop to the inside of the silo. As soon as it cools it hardens into an impervious glossy layer that I should think eminently adapted to this purpose.

“Having no ceiling or floor, and being built of common material, there is no necessity for the silo being an expensive structure. Of course the reader will modify the description given to suit his own wants and circumstances, but I can assure him that in some such way he can provide a silo at no great expense.

“After the structures built for the special purpose comes the modification of building already erected. A great many farmers are building over bays in their barns for silos. This is easily accomplished by placing studding all around the bay and double boarding on the inside. If one fears cold weather he can make a dead-air space by using two sets of studding and boarding on the inside of the bay. Stone buildings can be converted into good silos by furring out and double boarding on the inside. In general I am adverse to stone structures for this purpose unless thus boarded. Some kinds of stone seem to do very well, but stone walls carry off the heat and moisture too rapidly to make good silo walls. If one wishes to try preserving corn-fodder and cannot afford a structure of wood, he can excavate a pit in the earth and bury the corn-fodder therein, though I am sure he will soon give up this practice as unduly expensive.

“A word in regard to the location of the silo. It may be built adjoining the feeding barn with the doors so placed that the ensilage be conveyed directly to the cattle, or if that is not possible, place it where the ensilage can be conveyed by a car or cart. Mr. Hiram Smith of this State, who has large silos and uses ensilage extensively, holds that it is not inconvenient to have the silo located a few rods from the feeding barn. The ensilage is pitched into a cart with forks and the cart driven into the feeding barn between the two rows of cows which stand facing each other. The ensilage is placed in front of the animals directly from the cart with great rapidity. In some cases a car can be used which can be run down grade into the barn in front of the cattle. I think either of these methods is preferable to attempting to carry ensilage in baskets any distance.

FILLING THE SILO.

“Probably very few stone silos will be built in the future, for experience shows that a stone wall chills the ensilage during the curing process and if it does not seriously injure that portion next to it to a thickness of several inches it renders it at least less palatable than ensilage nearer the middle of the silo. One reason, in my judgment, that the silo has not won more friends in the Eastern States is owing to the common use of stone in its construction. On our experimental farm at Madison our first silo, built in 1881, was of stone, and our conclusions in regard to ensilage were made up from results obtained with this silo; had we put up a wooden structure I am confident our results would have been worth vastly more to our people than they have been.

“The question of stacking ensilage is sometimes raised, being urged upon our people by the practice of our English friends, who are experimenting quite largely in this direction. It will be no more profitable to stack ensilage in the Northern States than to stack hay, and even less so in my judgment, for the waste would be very considerable and no one would relish the job of handling it during bad weather. Silos built of wood or made by changing over the bays of barns are the proper structures, judging from our present knowledge, for the Northern States; our friends at the South may find stacking successful.

“Having constructed the silo somewhat after the one described, though, be it remembered, large latitude is allowed in this matter, we will proceed to fill it with one of the two crops most suitable for the purposes; clover or fodder-corn. If clover is to be used I would recommend that a hay-loader be tried for the purpose of picking it up just as left by the mower. I have hopes that some form of hay-loader will do this work satisfactorily. The clover, either fresh or partly wilted, in any degree of dryness indeed, may be carried at once and unloaded into the silo, care being taken to fill and tramp down the corners and along the edges so that when all has thoroughly settled there will be no air spaces to favor decay. To fill a silo with clover is indeed a most simple process. By having two divisions the pits can be filled alternately, each layer of material heating up to the required temperature before the next is placed over it.

“For fodder-corn the processes are a little more complex, though in reality very simple. The fodder-corn should be allowed to approach maturity, the best point for cutting being not far from that at which we would ordinarily cut any shock. By this I do not mean to allow the leaves to become dry and crisp, but rather that they show a change from deep rank green to that yellowish tinge indicative of maturity, though with still an abundance of moisture in them. Formerly ensilage corn was cut shortly after the tassel appeared. Without doubt very considerable loss was incurred by such a practice.

“It is evident that if we cut our fodder at the time the corn is glazing our practice is as near correct as the present stage of investigation points out. Since the period of filling the silo will occupy several days, or even a couple of weeks, we must gauge the date of commencement to strike the best average conditions. For cutting the fodder some parties recommend the use of the reaper, but I judge from what I have been told that a good many rakes have been broken in attempting the work, and that many have given them up and gone back to the use of the corn knife. Such must be the case usually, at least where large varieties of corn are grown. The stalks should be cut close to the ground and thrown into bundles or gavels. If the weather is at all threatening I think it proper to cut and shock, since the fodder will dry off much more rapidly if rain falls, and it will not be so muddy and disagreeable to handle as when laid on the ground.

“Last season the writer urged that the fodder be wilted before it was put into the silo, and his own experience, with that of many others, corroborates this method of procedure, which has the additional advantage that less water is handled in the operation. If it is intended to allow the fodder to wilt the corn had better be cut and shocked, after which it may stand from three to ten days, depending upon the maturity of the stalks at time of cutting and the weather. If the fodder dries out rapidly, from four days to a week is amply long for it to stand in shock, while if the weather is somewhat damp or the fodder quite green it may even stand ten days with no loss. One of the advantages of cutting and shocking is that when it is over the force of men employed in this operation can be changed to filling the silo. If the corn is cut and placed in the silo at once quite a force of hands is needed, but by cutting and shocking first we can avoid this double force.

“For drawing to the silo truck wagons are better than ordinary ones, since the fodder is more easily loaded upon them. The common practice is to attach a plank to the rear of the wagon, up which the men can walk with their arms full of fodder, which should be placed with tops all one way for ease in unloading. If the fodder is to be put through the feed-cutter the cutter should be placed so that the carrier will deposit it in either of the two pits as required. Formerly the carriers were so constructed that they would not work ad­van­tageously at a much greater angle than 45 deg., but now I note that some manufacturers have them arranged to carry almost vertically.

“In regard to the kind of feed-cutter to be used, it may be said that there are several valuable machines before the public, any one of which will prove satisfactory if properly managed. The only point I desire to urge is that a large machine be purchased, one having about double the advertised capacity. Small cutters are a nuisance; hand-power cutters are out of the question. The cutter should be driven by three horses on a sweep power or two on a tread, or by a steam engine. Many farmers delay ordering the cutter until within a week or two of the time to fill the silo and are obliged to wait weeks until it is received, thereby suffering great inconvenience and loss. As soon as the question is settled in favor of having a silo a cutter should be selected and ordered, and it should be set up and run in a test trial not less than a week before actual filling is contemplated, so that repairs or changes can be made. To run a feed-cutter properly requires considerable experience and some knowledge of machinery, and many persons have suffered serious losses by not giving this side of the subject due attention.

“This brings me to a point in the discussion of considerable interest to many persons who desire to have silos but dread the experience and expense of machinery. Corn-fodder may be preserved in a perfectly satisfactory manner without running it through the feed-cutter, and may be drawn from the field and deposited directly in the silo. The expense of putting corn-fodder through the feed-cutter, first and last, is not far from half of all that incurred from the time of cutting the fodder to closing the silo. To fill the silo with long fodder let it be drawn in the usual manner and lifted at once into the pit, which can be accomplished in several ways, either by hand or the horse hay-fork carrier and slings. In the silo it should be distributed evenly and probably had better be placed in regular layers, lapping “shingle fashion” so that it will settle evenly.

“The use of long fodder for the silo has been urged with considerable vigor by Mr. I. J. Clapp of Kenosha, Wis., one of The Breeder’s Gazette’s correspondents, and I think much good has resulted from his advocacy. There is no doubt but that long fodder will keep just as well as that which is cut up, and I am not at all certain but such ensilage is even better in some cases than that made by cutting up the stalks into small pieces. When cut into small pieces the fodder is considerably bruised, and there is much more exposure of the juices to the air than there is where whole fodder is used. My attention was called to this point by a recent letter from Mr. Clapp, and I hope we can make some observations on the subject in the future. At any rate let those parties who either from choice or necessity do not wish to use the feed-cutter hesitate no longer in regard to the silo if they wish to try it, but go ahead and place the whole fodder in one, and I am confident they will not be disappointed in its feeding qualities. The only difficulty with long fodder comes at the time it is to be taken out for feeding purposes; then if large varieties have been used the man who attempts to get it out of the silo will need strong muscles and a large degree of patience to enable him to tug at the compact mass, which is quite difficult to manage. Twenty-five cows will eat up the ensilage about as fast as one man can get it out. It may be just as economical, however, to put two men into the silo for an hour or two each day during the winter, when labor is cheap, to get out the ensilage as it is to use more expensive labor in the fall to accomplish the extra work of running the feed-cutter.

“Slow filling is without doubt the best method for securing good ensilage, no matter what material we are using, be it clover, long fodder-corn, or fodder cut fine. When the pit has been filled three or four feet deep no more should be placed within it until this layer has heated to the neighborhood of 125 deg. Fahrenheit. Mr. John Gould of Ohio, who has been a deep student of this subject from the practical side, I believe holds that the ensilage should be allowed to pile up as it falls from the carrier, and after the pile has heated to the right temperature it should be distributed evenly over the silo, throwing that which is hottest to the corners and along the walls. It is certain that ensilage usually heats up easily and rapidly except in the corners and along the walls, where we find the temperature does not rise so rapidly nor to the same degree as it does in the body of the silo, and anything that will help us overcome this lack will improve its quality, and I deem Mr. Gould’s suggestion a valuable one. No packing down is needed except in the corners and along the walls; at these points we endeavor to firm the ensilage just as much as possible. I wish we could avoid this operation, and in the future we may do so. I believe the ensilage would be better without any tramping and packing if we could only get it to settle uniformly without. We should endeavor to secure an elevation in temperature of from 120 to 140 deg. uniformly throughout the mass of material. If the contents of the silo heat up to different degrees in different places we cannot expect them to be uniform in quality, though all will be eaten by the stock. The theory advanced by Mr. Fry of England that a temperature of 122 deg. Fahrenheit destroyed the ferment that produced the temperature seems hardly correct, for we find that the temperature goes on beyond this very rapidly—indeed, it is often very difficult to hold it below 140 or 150 deg., while in other cases I have known silos in which I could detect no faulty handling of the crop that would not heat to 120 deg. A case in point occurred last season; while we were busy filling our silos at the experimental farm I was called to the telephone by a young farmer living some thirty miles away who asked several questions about temperatures. I answered him to the best of my ability and the matter dropped from my mind. A couple of hours afterward, however, the party himself appeared on the scene in a troubled state of mind; he said he feared that he could not make his case plain through the telephone, and so had come on the first train to consult personally. His ensilage would not heat up to 120 deg., but was moulding badly instead. I advised that he go on filling the silo, ignoring the temperature question entirely. He did so, and in the winter reported satisfactory results. In my opinion we have much to learn in regard to this ferment, and that very close, patient study will be required to bring out the scientific side in a satisfactory manner. Fortunately we do not have to be very particular in our practice to obtain a very good quality of ensilage. I would advise, therefore, that a person allow the temperature to run from 120 to 140 when the thermometer is buried a foot deep in the fodder; but when these conditions are not obtained, no matter whether the degree be lower or higher, to go right on without feeling anxious in the matter. If the contents of the silo do not heat at all, or if the temperature gets up to 160 deg., the cattle will still eat the ensilage without complaint and relish it better than average dry fodder. I speak pretty positively upon this point because novices find it difficult to get over it and become quite excited and nervous if they cannot attain the exact directions given by most writers on this subject. The best rule is to go ahead, do the best one can, and the cattle will be very well satisfied with the result. Remember that the experience of a single individual or a single season may be no criterion for other cases. The reasons for these great variations are not yet apparent.

“Silo filling may go on for two or three weeks, or until the pits are filled, when they should be covered after standing a day or two to allow the last layer to heat. For covering material there may be placed over the ensilage building paper upon which may be placed sand, earth, chaff, cut straw, marsh hay, long straw, sawdust, or almost any material which will help keep out the air. If one wishes the pits may be left uncovered, in which case something like a foot of the ensilage will decay and form a covering and protection for that beneath. The practice of weighting the silo is now largely abandoned, though I am not certain but what some heavy material along the edges and in the corners will aid in saving the ensilage at those points, since it is here that the contents do not settle so well as does the body of the material. For a few weeks after filling the sides and corners should be tramped down occasionally to aid them in settling.”

PLANTING, CUTTING, FEEDING, ETC.

The following extracts from “Bulletin No. 2,” Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, by Thomas F. Hunt, answers some important questions in regard to planting, etc.:

“The filling of the silo was practically continuous, and was done in three days, Aug. 20 to 22, 1887, with 54,525 lbs.—twenty-seven and a quarter tons—of green corn. About twenty tons of this consisted of a medium sized, fairly early yellow dent corn (Murdock), which had been planted May 4 to 6, in rows 3 feet 9 inches apart, with two to three kernels dropped every 9 to 12 inches in each row. At the time of cutting the stalks had well-formed but small ears, the kernels of which had largely passed the milk state; that is, the kernels were mostly glazed. The lower leaves were yellowish, and some had begun to dry. The growth, though not large, was thought satisfactory, considering the long-continued and severe drouth that had prevailed here. The yield was not more than seven tons of fresh fodder per acre. Seven tons consisted of a large, late maturing yellow dent corn (Leaming), which had been planted May 28, 1887. The kernels were in the milk and the leaves were entirely green. No marked difference was noted between the ensilage from this and that from the other corn. * * *

“Feeding the ensilage was begun March 10, 1888, by mixing it with twice its bulk of dry, cut corn-fodder, not corn-stover, which our stock had been chiefly fed during the winter. The cattle soon learned to like the ensilage, and after the first week it was fed without mixing with any other substance and was eaten rather better, on the whole, than corn-fodder had been previously.

“Dairy weights of ensilage fed to the stock were not taken. From what weighing was done it is estimated that from March 17 to April 30 700 lbs. on an average were fed daily. During this time the following cattle were given ensilage: March 17 to April 30 two aged and five yearling bulls, one heifer, and one dry cow were fed ensilage, hay, and grain; eight milch cows, ensilage, straw, and grain; ten dry cows and five heifers, ensilage and straw. March 17 to April 16, three steers were fed ensilage and corn. April 13 to 30, four heifers and two dry cows were fed ensilage and hay. It will thus be seen that for 45 days 37 head were, on an average fed 700 lbs., about 19 each, daily. Of these 15 had ensilage and straw only; 8 had ensilage and straw with grain, usually four quarts of bran added daily; and 9 ensilage, hay, and grain. All thrived exceedingly well considering the amount of food eaten.”

For information as to the results of future experiments with ensilage we refer the reader to the various State Agricultural Experiment Stations and the authorities here quoted.

PART II.—STAGE ILLUSIONS.

In the booths of the market fairs at Paris and its suburbs (for example, at the “Gingerbread” Fair, at the Féte of St. Cloud, etc.), and in the tricks of jugglers, etc., who operate in the street, café concerts, or circuses, we find phenomena that have a true scientific interest, ingenious applications of different sciences, or simply tricks that puzzle the spectator. Since, in general, people like to know the secret of what has surprised them, it may not prove uninteresting to devote a few articles to what may be called “side-show science.” We will first speak of the process employed to produce the “three-headed woman.”

The exterior of the little booth in which this phenomenon is exhibited is covered by a large painted canvas representing a three-headed woman in evening costume in a richly decorated drawing-room along with a few persons. For better convincing the curious a photograph taken from nature exhibits the phenomenal woman as she appears in the show; and every now and then the showman stops his drum to cry, “She is living, ladies and gentlemen, she is living!” If we allow ourselves to be persuaded to enter the booth we shall find ourselves separated from the stage by a balustrade—a sort of screen, behind which is the curtain. In a few moments the latter separates and there is distinctly seen a woman’s body, the lower part of which is hidden by a basket of flowers. This body has three heads; one in the middle and two others grafted at the base of the neck of the first. These three heads move their eyes, answer together a few questions put by the showman, stick out their tongues, sing a few snatches of a popular song, and finally salute the audience, when the curtain closes and the show is over.

On almost every occasion some ingenious person is heard to express pity for this unfortunate person, who has no legs and three heads. This is the best praise that could be bestowed on the trick—for naturally it is only a trick. Moreover the showman is ready, for money, to explain how it is done. If we allow ourselves to be tempted, and enter the side-scene, we perceive on the little stage where the phenomenal woman just appeared nothing but a large plate of glass, slightly inclined toward the audience, and its edges hidden by drapery. Behind the mirror there is a recess whose sides are covered with a dead-black fabric. In front of the mirror, on the stage, sits the basket of flowers from which issued the woman’s body. Then on an inclined board a little above the ground lie three young girls. One of these, the middle one, is clothed in a brilliant costume of silk of a light color, and it is she who, in the exhibition, makes the trunk, arms, and the middle head. Her legs are covered over with a black fabric, and she is supported by a cushion so as to permit the two other girls to place their necks closely against hers. The bodies of these two girls at the sides are completely covered with a fabric of a dead-black color. In front of these three young women are placed a dozen strong kerosene lamps provided with reflectors.

The heads, hair, and arms of the “body” are covered with powder, so as to present completely white surfaces. Such is the secret as revealed from the side-scene, and it will now be understood how the phenomenon is produced. All the white or light-colored surfaces being strongly lighted by the lamps that reflect the light, their image is sent by the glass toward the spectators, who perceive then the body of the female, her two arms, and her three heads. All the portions covered with black are, on the contrary, absolutely invisible in the glass, and the spectators cannot see that they exist. The phenomenon is, on the whole, a curious application of the effects of reflection which were in fashion some twenty years ago under the name of “living ghosts,” and by means of which it was possible in theaters to cause the apparition, alongside of living persons, either of undecided forms or of bodies not resting on the ground.

The “Gingerbread” Fair this year showed a two-headed woman produced by a slightly different process, the body and head of the woman being seen directly, and the second head alone being seen by reflection from a glass. This phenomenon may be varied to infinity, so to speak. To cite only a few examples, there may be produced by the same process a decapitated person who talks; a decapitated person who holds his head in his hand, and a Judith and Holofernes, the head of the latter being held by the hair by the former.—La Nature.

The Mysterious Voice.

“Some time ago,” says a correspondent of La Nature, “I was walking around in a side show in which were exhibited mechanical portraits, when I was surprised to hear myself called: ‘Monsieur! Monsieur!’ * * * I discovered that the voice came from a tin trumpet, which was held in the mouth of a negro’s head made of wood, and suspended by a small brass chain from semicircles of iron supported by a wooden frame” (Fig. 1). The effect produced on the spectators by this speaking head was one of universal astonishment, and no one was capable of solving the mystery. The arrangement for producing the illusion is very simple, however, and is thus explained by the writer above referred to:

A person hidden behind the scenes speaks into a tube two or three centimeters in diameter which runs from that point to the wooden frame, and in the interior of the horizontal and upright pieces of which it passes till it reaches the suspended head at A, as shown by the dotted lines, E, D, C, B, A. The voice thus transmitted is reflected from the sides of the trumpet, H, to the person holding a conversation with the head.

This experiment, which is analogous to the one that precedes, was explained by Nicholson, in 1832, in his Journal de Physique. Although at first offered as a physical experiment, under the title of an “experiment in acoustics,” it has since changed name and master, and is now dignified by the imposing name of “invisible girl.”

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the original apparatus, which consisted of a glass case, X, about four feet long by about one in height, suspended from the ceiling by four chains at a distance of a foot from the window frame. From the extremity of the case projected a speaking trumpet, and the entire apparatus was surrounded by a latticework of iron wire to prevent its being touched by the hands of the curious. The phenomenon, although a puzzling novelty at the time, did not attract much of a crowd, as it was not managed with sufficient address, and the surroundings were not of a nature to please fashionable people. This apparatus was improved upon and rendered more elegant in appearance by Prof. Robertson. Fig. 3, copied from an old engraving, shows this latter arrangement. A globe, A, made of glass or enameled sheet iron, and to which are attached four trumpets, is suspended from the middle of the room. This globe is not necessary for the experiment, but is only an accessory to impose upon the imagination. Around it is placed a framework, B, which is very necessary, for it is hollow, and it is through it that the voice of the invisible person is heard. A tin tube passes through the upright C and then runs to D, where there is a small slit or aperture opposite the trumpet. This tin tube passes under the floor of the room, and runs into the neighboring room, whence the pretended invisible person speaks, and sees everything through the keyhole or through an aperture in the wall. This is all there is of the mystery.

An Improved Psycho.

Let me explain to those who have not seen “Psycho” that it consists of a small figure dressed as a Turk, sitting cross-legged (as shown by dotted lines) on a chest; this chest is in turn supported on a glass tube, about 12 in. in diameter and 3 ft. long, which rests on a four-legged stool. The bottom of chest and top of stool are covered with green cloth, so as to make a tolerably air-tight joint. The right arm is extended as per drawing, and a semicircular rack, in which are placed the 13 cards dealt to “Psycho,” is fixed by means of a bracket (not shown) in such a position that the edges come between the finger and thumb, as shown at *. The arm turning horizontally on the pivot A, the hand can be brought over any card, and by closing the finger and thumb and raising the arm the card will be withdrawn from the rack and held in the air.

In Figs. 1a and 1b (elevation and plan) the wheels E and M have each a train of clockwork (left out for the sake of clearness), which would cause them to spin round if unchecked. M, however, has two pins, p p′, which catch on a projection on the lever, N. E is a crown-wheel escapement—like that in a bottle roasting-jack—which turns A alternately to the left and right, thus causing the hand to traverse the 13 cards. A little higher on A will be seen a quadrant B (see plan) near the edge of which are set 13 little pins. The end of the lever N drops between any two of them, thus causing the hand to stop at any desired card. The lever being pivoted at c it is obvious that by pressing the end, N, B will be set at liberty, and the hand will move along the cards; by slightly raising it this motion will be arrested; by raising it still more the pin p is released and M commences to revolve, and by again depressing N this wheel will in its turn be stopped. Near the bottom of the apparatus is a bellows O, which contains a spring tending to keep the lever N, with which it is connected by a rod X, in the position shown. This is connected with the tubular support, which may be connected by a tube through the leg of the stool, and another tube beneath the stage, with an assistant behind the scenes. By compressing or exhausting air through this tube it is obvious that the lever, N, will be raised or depressed, and the clockwork set going accordingly. a is a crankpin set in M, and connected with the head by catgut, T, and with the thumb by S.

At R and R′ are two pulleys connected by gut. Thus if the hand moves round the head appears to follow its motions, and when raised by pulling S the head rises also by means of T. Further explanation seems almost unnecessary; l is a stop to prevent the elbow moving too far, and b b′ spiral springs to keep thumb open and head forward respectively. When N is raised M pulls T and S, the latter closing thumb, and then raising arm by pulley H. If the lever is allowed to drop p′ will catch and keep arm up. On again raising N the arm will descend.

Figs. 2a and 2b show another and simpler arrangement, in which only one train of clockwork is used. On the same axle as H is fixed a lever and weight, W, to balance the arm. A vertical rod, X, having a projection, Z, slides up and down in guides, Y Y, and carries the catgut S and T. The quadrant, B, has cogs cut, between which Z slides and stops the motion of A, which is moved, as before, by clockwork. The lower part of X is connected direct with O. When X is slightly raised, as shown, A is free to move, but on exhausting air and drawing X down Z enters the cogs and stops the hand over a card; continuing to exhaust the thumb closes and the card is lifted up. The details of the clockwork I leave to the ingenuity of your readers. There should be a fan on each train to regulate the speed. The figure should be so placed that your assistant can see the cards in the semicircular rack.—English Mechanic.

Magic Cabinets, Boxes, Etc.

Magic cabinets are much employed by magicians. The following is an example of one of the scenes that may occur with them:

When the curtain rises there is seen in the center of the stage a large dark colored cabinet, ornamented with mouldings, and mounted upon legs that are a little longer than those of ordinary cabinets, the object being to remove all possibility of a communication with the stage beneath. These legs are provided with casters. The showman turns this cabinet around and shows that there is nothing abnormal about it externally. He then asks some of the spectators to come up close to it, and lets them examine its interior, which is entirely empty. There is no double bottom, nor any hiding place. When the witnesses have made themselves certain of this fact they station themselves around the stage, and a certain number of them even consent to remain behind the cabinet and see nothing of the experiment. The cabinet being thus surrounded on all sides, and even one being able to look under it, fraud would seem to be an impossibility.

A young woman dressed as a danseuse then comes onto the stage and enters the cabinet (Fig. 1), and the doors are closed upon her. In a few moments the doors are opened again, when, lo and behold! the closet is empty, the young woman having disappeared. Then the doors are closed again, and then opened, and the danseuse makes her appearance; and so on. At the end of the experiment the witnesses examine the cabinet again, and, finding nothing changed therein, are justly stupefied.

In another style of cabinet there is no bar in the center, as shown in Fig. 1, but there is observed on one of the sides in the interior a bracket a few centimeters in length, and back and above this a shelf. This arrangement permits of performing a few experiments more than does the one just described. Thus, when the woman has disappeared the showman allows a young man to enter, and he also disappears, while the young woman is found in his place. This is a very surprising substitution.

The box into which the harlequin takes refuge, and which appears to be empty when Pierrot or Cassandra lifts the curtain that shields its entrance, is also a sort of magic cabinet.

In a series of lectures delivered a few years ago at the London Polytechnic Institution, a professor of physics unmasked the secret of some of the tricks employed on the stage for producing illusions, and notably that of the magic cabinet. The lecturer, after showing the cabinet and causing the disappearance therein of an individual while the doors were closed, repeated the same experiment with the latter open. But in the latter case so quick was the disappearance that the spectators could not even then see how it was done.

The illusion produced by these apparatus is the result of a play of mirrors.

In the first cabinet described (Fig. 1), when the exhibitor has closed the doors upon the young woman, the latter pulls toward her two mirrors that are represented in Fig. 2 by the lines G G. These mirrors are hinged at O O, and when swung outward rest by their external edges against the bar P, and then occupy the position shown by the dotted lines G′ G′. When the cabinet is again opened the woman, placed at A, is hidden by the two mirrors; but the appearance of the interior of the cabinet is not changed, since the spectators see the image of each side reflected from the corresponding mirror, and this looks to them like the back of the cabinet.

The illusion is perfect. When the experiment is ended and the mirrors are again swung against the sides, at G G, the spectators see nothing but the backs of them, which are covered with wood; the cabinet is really empty, and no one can discover what modification has taken place in its interior during the disappearance of the woman.

In the second arrangement, which is shown in vertical section in Fig. 3, the young man gets up onto the shelf c n, at the upper part of the cabinet, by the aid of the bracket T, and then pulls down over him the mirror b c, which was fastened to the top of the cabinet. This mirror being inclined at an angle of 45 deg. reflects the top, and the spectators imagine that they see the back of the cabinet over the shelf just as they did before.

The box which the harlequin enters is based upon precisely the same principle. Its interior is hung with paper banded alternately blue and white. When the harlequin enters it he places himself in one of the angles and pulls toward him two mirrors which hide him completely, and which reflect the opposite side of the box, so that the spectator is led to believe that he sees the back of it. In this case one of the angles at the back of the box is not apparent, but the colored stripes prevent the spectator from noticing the fact.

The Magic Portfolio.

This is an apparatus which an itinerant physicist might have been seen a few years ago exhibiting in the squares and at street corners. His method was to have a spectator draw a card, which he then placed between the four sheets of paper which, folded crosswise, formed the flaps of his portfolio. When he opened the latter again a few instants afterward the card had disappeared, or rather had become transformed. Profiting then by the surprise of his spectators the showman began to offer them his magic portfolio at the price of five sous for the small size and ten for the large.

The portfolio was made of two square pieces of cardboard connected by four strings, these latter being fixed in such a way that when the two pieces of cardboard were open and juxtaposed the external edge of each of them was connected with the inner edge of the other.

This constituted, after a manner, a double hinge that permitted of the portfolio being opened from both sides. To one pair of strings there were glued, back to back, two sheets of paper, which, when folded over, formed the flaps of the portfolio. It was only necessary, then, to open the latter in one direction or the other to render it impossible to open more than one of the two sets of flaps.

This device is one that permits of a large number of tricks being performed, since every object put under one of the sets of flaps will apparently disappear or be converted into something else, at the will of the prestidigitator (Fig. 4).

Magic Envelopes.

This trick is a simplification of the foregoing. The affair consists of several sheets of paper of different colors folded over, one upon the other. A card inclosed within the middle envelope, over which have been folded all the others, is found to have disappeared when the flaps are opened again. The secret of the trick is very simple. One of the inner sheets of paper—the second one, usually—is double, and, when folded, forms two envelopes that are back to back. It is only necessary then to open one or the other of these latter to cause the appearance or disappearance or transformation of such objects as have been inclosed within it. (Fig. 4.)