Natural Gas

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The "Holmes County (Ohio) Farmer" states that a wonderful natural curiosity has been discovered in that county, in the shape of natural gas, The discovery was 'made on the farm of a Mr. Purdy, some eight or ten rods south of the house, in a curious kind of earth resembling dark sawdust, The owner, for some years, has been aware qjf the existence of some wonderful phenomena. The place on which the discovery has been made has been cultivated for a number of years, and it has been observed that, in a number of places, every thing planted or sown, and all kinds of vegetation, would dwindle and die, and seemingly turn up, After the late rains the water was discovered to be agitated, and to bubble up in a number of places, which led Mr, Purdy and others to experiment, by collecting a bottle of this gas, and setting it on fire, when, the instant a lighted match was touched to it, the vapor ignited, and sent the bottle whizzing through the house, How have the Chinese managed to keep their lands in a productive condition for su many centuries, with so few cattle, and without, the usual facilities for prodncing manures, which are su common to all other highly cultivated regions 1 A sort of prepared linen is now used in Germany to print youngsters' books on ; it is ::::er than paper, but the youngsters cannot tear it.

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