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them; and by endeavouring to avoid them destroy many of the tares, treading them under foot: therefore, on that plan they cannot be grown to so great advantage as might be hoped for. If it had been considered that air is the most essential means of the life both of the animal and vegetable creation, a different plan would have been resorted to. It is well known, that fares grow so close together at the tops as to exclude all the external air from the bottoms; and although they keep green at the tops where they receive the air, they continue rotting at the bottoms for want of it. When they are cut for soiling, the stock refusing to eat the decayed part, destroy a great deal of the sound food: the loss to the growers of this plant therefore is not to be calculated! My first attempt of improvement was on two roods of ground for the soiling of two horses, sown as first stated, and ploughed into four-furrow ridges; they continued growing with rapidity to the height of near five feet, clinging to the wheat. A high wind took them about Midsummer, and bent the all down, but not close to the ground; some yards might be seen up the furrows, which appeared like an arch. These furrows admitted the light as well as the air, which is also a means of preserving the plants green; for if air is admitted, and light taken away, they may continue growing, but they will lose their colour. These two roods produced more than my two horses could eat; after Midsummer the remainder were cut, and produced half a load of excellent hay. This land is a sandy soil upon a gravel; six loads of farm-yard dung were ploughed in with the tares. Last year and the preceding year, I had two roods on a black gravel, sown on this plan, had no other ma

nure than a thin covering of mould from an old bank in the same piece; the first crop was but middling; I gave it another thin covering of mould from the headland of the same piece last year, as the ground was weak. I sowed six pecks of tares, and three quarters of a peck of wheat; this proved a good crop, and after soiling two horses with them from the end of May till the middle of August, half a load were cut for seed. I have always found that two roods of tares sown on this plan were more than two horses could eat. I am well convinced from my own practice, that tares sown on poor land will improve it, if repeated a few crops; they may also be grown to great advantage, if sown on this plan, as the food will not only be sound and sweet, but also much greater in quantity. It has been supposed that they would be inconvenient to cut on the ridges; but, I

believe, they may be cut better than when they are fallen close to the ground and rotten. The reasons for my sowing wheat among the tares are, the stems of the wheat are not only strong, aud hold the tares up, but they are also so sweet that the stock will eat them with as much avidity as they do the tares, and to as late a time as the tares are proper to be cut for soiling.

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covered with heath, and not exceeding two shillings and sixpence per acre, on an average value. The number of Scottish acres contained in the ground, which consisted of two plots or divisions, the Tor-hill, and the Law-park, was sixty one. According to the measurement of Mr. Oman, land surveyor, the medium elevation of the Tor-hill, from the water-level to the top, is four hundred and twenty-two feet. The ascent in a right line continues at an elevation of twenty-five degrees, to the extent of two hundred and sixty-four feet, from which it continues to the distance of one thousand and eighty-two feet, at an elevation of seventeen degrees. The quantity of ground reduced to a state of culture during the first year, was fifteen acres; during the second, twenty-five; and during the third year twenty-one. The ground was ploughed at intervals of leisure during the summer months, and suffered to remain in that condition till after the harvest, when it was manured with lime, in the proportion of twenty bolls of shells to the Scottish acre. The boll of lime contains six Winchester bushels. From the situation of the ground, it was ploughed with a single furrow, in an oblique direction, from right to left. Small's plough, drawn by two horses, was employed; but in the most elevated parts, where the soil was light and shallow, the small Scottish plough appeared preferable. Shell lime costs 1s. 2d. per boll, at the lime-works; but as these are sixteen miles distant, the expense of carriage may be estimated at 1s 11d. per boll. Lime was preferred to dung as a manure, from the superior facility with which, on account of its inferior weight, it could be carried to so great a height, and spread over the ground. It was brought in carts

to the most accessible part of the ground, and dragged up the ascent by doubling the number of horses, or yoking the horses of two carts to one. It was then brought to the steepest parts of the ploughed ground in a sledge without poles, moved by dragropes, and termed a slipe. The lime was laid upon the ground during the winter, and in the spring the land was ploughed a second time from left to right, and then sown with oats. After being ploughed from right to left, as at first, a second crop of oats was raised upon it. The next crop was of pease, raised after ploughing in a straight direction down the hill; and in 1801, the same piece of ground was sown with rough barley, or big, and grass seeds, in order to convert it into pasture. In the oat crops, Mr. Allan sowed at the rate of one boll to the acre, and reaped at an average seven bolls. In the pease crop, he sowed three firlots and two pecks on the acre, and reaped at an average eight bolls. The average expence of manure and labour may be estimated from between three pounds fifteen shillings to four pounds the Scottish acre. By a similar process, Mr. Allan intends to convert the whole piece of ground into pasture. After two crops of oats, divisions of between thirteen and fifteen acres may be sown with turnips, broad-cast, and eaten on the ground by sheep; by which the process of conversion may perhaps be accelerated. The average value of the laud in this state of improvement, is estimated at the rate of between fifteen and twenty shilings per acre.

The land (sixty-one acres) which Mr. Allan thus first brought into culture, has ever since remained in grass, and maintained its estimated value.

Mr.

Mr. Allan has continued to prosecute the same plan of improvement on the ground adjoining to the parks already mentioned, which, although they appeared equally discouraging, from the ruggedness of the surface, and their being covered with strong heath, promise a more ample remuneration to his industry, from the circumstance of the declivity being less abrupt, and the soil, on being cleared of stones, proving consider ably deeper. He has already broken up a greater extent of this kind of land than what is contained in the Tor-hill and Law-parks; and, with that spirit which characterises all his improvements, he has, by way of experiment, sown an acre with wheat, which now (end of June, 1806) promises equally well with most of the wheat on the lower grounds in that neighbourhood.

Method of curing damp Walls, by the Application of a Composition invented by Mr. Charles Wilson, of Worcester-street, near Union Hall, Borough.

[From the Transactions of the Society of Arts, &c.]

I beg leave to lay before the Society of Arts, &c. a cement, which, I trust, will be found of great utility in curing damp walls, in flooring damp kitchens, and for various other purposes, where the prevention of wet is necessary.

This cement, when put in water, will suffer neither an increase nor diminution in its weight; and it has the peculiar advantage of joining Portland stone, or marble, so as to

make them as durable as they were prior to the fracture.

Receipt for making the Cement.

Boil two quarts of tar with two ounces of kitchen grease, for a quarter of an hour, in an iron pot. Add some of this tar to a mixture of slaked lime, and powdered glass, which have passed through a flour sieve, and been dried completely over the fire in an iron pot; in the proportion of two parts of lime and one of glass, till the mixture becomes of the consistence of thin plaster.

The cement must be used immediately after being mixed, and therefore it is proper not to mix more of it at a time than will coat one square foot of wall, since it quickly be comes too hard for use, and continues to increase its hardness for three weeks. Great care must also be taken to prevent any moisture from mixing with the cement.

For a wall which is merely damp, it will be sufficient to lay on one coating of the cement, about oneeighth of an inch thick; but should the wall be more than damp, or wet, it will be necessary to coat it a second time.

Plaster, made of lime, hair, and plaster of Paris, may be afterwards laid on the cement.

Mrs. Ann Kemmish, King-street, Borough; Mr. Boone, Gregory. place; and Mr. Thomas Cannadine, Hook's Gardens, Tooley-street, bave certified that Mr. Wilson's cement has been used with effect, on damp walls belonging to them.

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Method of cleansing Silk, Woollen, and Cotton Goods, without Damage to the Texture or Colour. By Mrs. Anne Morris, of Unionstreet, near Middlesex Hospital.

[From the same. ]

Take raw potatoes, in the state they are taken out of the earth, wash them well; then rub them on a grater over a vessel of clean water to a fine pulp, pass the liquid matter through a coarse sieve into another tub of clear water; let the mixture stand till the fine white particles of the potatoes are precipitated, then pour the mucilaginous liquor from the fecula, and preserve this liquor for use. The article to be cleaned should then be laid upon a linen cloth on a table, and having provided a clean sponge, dip the sponge in the potatoe-liquor, and apply the sponge thus wet upon the article to be cleaned, and rub it well upon it with repeated portions of the potatoe-liquor, till the dirt is perfectly separated; then wash the article in clean water several times, to remove the loose dirt; it may after wards be smoothed or dried.

Two middle-sized potatoes will be sufficient for a pint of water.

The white fecula which separates in making the mucilaginous liquor, will answer the purpose of tapioca, will make an useful nourishing food with soup or milk, or serve to make -starch or hair-powder.

The coarse pulp which does not pass the sieve is of great use in cleaning worsted curtains, tapestry, carpets, or other coarse goods.

The mucilaginous liquor of the potatoes will clean all sorts of silk, cotton, or woollen goods, without

hurting the texture of the articles, or spoiling the colour.

It is also useful in cleansing oilpaintings, or furniture that is soiled,

Dirty painted wainscot may be cleaned by wetting a sponge in the liquor, then dipping it in a little fine clean sand, and afterwards rubbing the wainscot therewith.

Various experiments were made by Mrs. Morris, in the presence of a Committee, at the Society's house: the whole process was performed before them upon fine and coarse goods of different fabricks, and to their satisfaction.

MISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

A cheap Substitute for Tea, more particularly recommended to the poorer classes of Society.-White Pease, baked in an oven till they are brown throughout; grind and boil them as you do coffee, or rather more. The person who recommends the above considers it his duty to make it more public, as it has been highly approved of by many of his friends, who declare they cannot find any difference between this and real coffee.-N. B. When they are warm, a small piece of butter is necessary to mix with them, to prevent their burning.

Substitute for Barm, which may prove generally useful.-To a pint of fresh beer, or porter, put a table spoonful of brown sugar, and as much flour as will convert it to the consistence of a batter; put the mixture into a small jar or bottle, corking it close, as it is apt to fly. Shake it well twice a day, for six days, it will then be fit for use. The

above will work 14 pounds of flour: -leave about a tea-cup full in the bottle, and add the same quantity of beer, sugar, and flour; it will be fit for use in three days. Leave the barm to spunge with the flour some time in the day, make the bread at night, and bake it early next morning. The barm is to be beaten up with a little warm water, to spunge in the flour as soon as it is out of the jar, and left for about six hours before the bread is made.

A receipt for curing Butter, preferable to the common method, communicated by a Gentleman of veracity, who has used it for some length of time.-Take one half ounce of common salt, one fourth ounce of saltpetre, and one fourth ounce of moist sugar; pound them together, and use them in the proportion of one ounce to the pound of butter. On trial, it will be found that butter thus prepared will keep any length of time, and have a much finer flavour than butter salted in the usual manner.

Milk.-Among the modern improvements in farming, the dairy has, of late years, been very much neglected. So much of the profit of breeders depending upon the facility with which the milk of the cow may be reserved during the suckling-time of the calf, the following substitute, used in Germany, for the natural food of the young progeny, may be acceptable to our country readers. Let as much water be heated on the fire as the calf would be disposed to drink; and, when it boils, throw one or two handfuls of oatmeal into it, and after continuing in that state for one minute, take it off, and let it be cooled to the temperature of new milk, when one or two pints of skimmed

milk are to be added to it. With this beverage, the young animal will fatten and thrive prodigiously; the milk of the parent will be applied to the dairy, and the intelligent farmer will immediately discover the great advantage to be derived, in the produce of the dairy, from such an expedient.

Horse Chesnuts.-In Turkey these nuts are ground and mixed with the provender for horses, particularly for such as are broken-winded or troubled with coughs. After being boiled a little to take off the bitterness, bruised and mixed with a small quantity of barley meal, they are good food for rearing and fattening poultry.

Oil Cakes given to milch cows, add considerably to the quantity and richness of the milk, without affecting its flavour. Mr. Curwen grinds it, mixes it in layers, and boils it with the chaff; by which means half the quantity answers better than as much more given in the cake.

Culture of Potatoes.-A member of the Agricultural Society of Greenock made the following expe riment:-The first year," he says, "I cut the potatoes in three pieces, the top, the middle, and the bottom parts, and planted these in three rows. The top plant was ten days earlier than the middle plant, and a much greater crop; the middle plant was earlier than the bottom and a better crop; the bottom produced but a very indifferent crop. For some seasons past I have only set the top eyes, and I believe have the best crop and driest potatoes in the country; nor do I think there is any waste in doing so; for I find the potatoe keeps the better by having a cut taken off it."

Parpoutier, a celebrated French 3 K 4 chemist,

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