point, and formed an ample collection of prints and original drawings, he spent three years in travelling in England, Flanders, Holland, part of Germany, and Italy, accompanied by artists, who made drawings under his own eye, of every thing he thought necessary for his purpose; and in 1780, fixed his abode at Rome. There he composed his work, and there all the plates have been finished. It is to be published in 24 parts, making 6 vols. folio. The price of each part 30 francs, (17. 5s ) or on vellum paper 60. francs.

These will contain 73 plates of architecture, 48 of sculpture, and 204 of painting. The subjects will exceed 1400, of which upwards of 700 have never been published. The first plate of each series will exhibit specimens of ancient art; and the last, specimens of modern; by way of comparison. A part was to appear every month or six weeks. The first three parts of this work are already imported by De Boffe, London, who sells them to subscribers at £2. 2s. and £4. 4s. each part.

On Artificial Meadows, and the Use of plaster of Paris, or Gypsum,

as a manure.

IN

N the proceedings of the Society of Agriculture of the department of the Seine, the following observations occur: they may afford useful hints to our experimental farmers. We have not heard of gypsum being tried as a manure in this country, yet the experiment may deserve a trial, as gypsum, or alabaster, is found in several parts of the county of Antrim, especially in the hills near Belfast. Some years ago it was found at Mullicarton Hill, in the parish of Magheragall, in the vicinity of Lisburn.

The French Report thus proceeds:

We find under, the head of artificial meadows, that in 1789, there was not a single artificial meadow; and yet such has been the rapidity with which they have been introduced, that in 1808, there were no fewer than 390 in the department of the Upper Saône alone. In Cham

pagne,

until lately, clover, saintfoil, and lucern, were never heard of: in the department of Gard, white and green crops are recurred to alternately, and for this purpose, artificial meadows are used instead of fallows. In the departments of Isere and Drome, the beneficial effects of artificial meadows have been obvious to every one, according to the account of the Senator Count Dedelay d'Agier more especially since the introduction of plaster as a manure. Perrin Dulac, sub-prefect of Sancerre, thus expresses himself on that subject: "I am not afraid to assert," says he, "that if a new Epimenides, after a sleep of forty years, were to cast his eyes on these countries, he would neither be able to recognize men or living creatures, or even the soil itself. Anterior to that epoch, there was no other manure than the dung of animals, no artificial meadows, no canals for the purpose of irrigation. The houses appertaining to the cultivators were so many huts, where the labourers

mingled with their cattle, took shelter from the rigours of the season. The instruments for the purpose of agriculture were rough and unshapely, while their enormous weight was such, that animals badly fed, were almost unable to drag them alone. One and some times two years of fallow generally succeeded to a harvest, which was far from being abundant. Few men of any information then resided in the country; and those whose education proved superior to that of the vulgar, would have been ashamed to inhabit it, or to employ their knowledge for its melioration. Since that period what an astonishing difference! By means of plaster, the most powerful mineral compost known at this period, the artificial meadows have become more abundant than the natural ones; the canals for the purpose of watering the latter, carry fertility every where, or at least so far as they can be introduced. The country itself possesses a greater number of houses, and they too of a better quality, and more commodious in respect to their structure and arrangements: the animals are more vigorous, because better fed; the instruments of agriculture have become more perfect, and fallows are no longer known. In short, men of distinguished talents preside over their own agricultural experiments, and instruct the people, by means of new processes, directed to their proper objects with equal care and economy. Such

then is the difference between the ancient and present state of agriculture in the department of the Isere.

This happy metamorphosis originated with the discovery made by M. Moyer, relative to the qualities of plaster employed as a manure.

"The numerous quarries with which Dauphine abounds, will soon

enable the principal proprietors to derive similar advantages; and the benefit resulting from the employment of their plaster, will soon surpass all their expectations. It is to the cultivation of artificial meadows in particular, that this compost ought to be applied; its effects in respect to them are such indeed, that they may be considered as marvellous. The number of animals is every where augmented, in the express ratio of the quantity of fodder, and the nccessary consequence of the increase of the former, is an abundance of manure; which is the true source of all the grand results of agriculture. It is certain, that several communes at this day, feed ten times as many animals as before the discovery of plaster. Hence we have an increase of both produce and population; an increase so great, that on looking back to ancient calculations, one is tempted to doubt their authenticity, when compared with new ones.'

Observations-Unhappily the two nations are at war with each other, but the peaceable cultivators of the fields, may rejoice in the others mu tual prosperity, without being themselves impoverished, for thus the arts of peace differ from the destructive energies of war. When will nations learn, that their greatest advantages are derived from peace! We, in the mean time, may he nourably profit by the example of our neighbours, and we trust a simi lar account may be justly given of our improvements in agriculture, within the last thirty years. Yet much remains to be done, and probably it might be worth attention to make trial of gypsum as nure, in the places contigious to the quarries where it is found. America, it has been tried, and great praises have been bestowed on its good qualities as a manure

a ma

Some allege it acts mechanically, by pulverizing the soil. Others as sert its efficacy, by promoting ve getation by the high excitement it affords.

On Hay-making in general, and particularly in wet weather. By Mr. James Milner, of Scortan, near Catterick, in Yorkshire.

THE various treatises that are extant on this subject, seem to be written by gentlemen farmers, who have not had sufficient manual practice in the art, or by practical farmers, who are in general deficient in writing in a clear and scientific manner on the subject, though very conversant and knowing in practice.

As I have had very extensive practice for near fifty years in the art of hay-making, and have paid great attention to the various methods made use of in all the northern counties, in some of the midland ones, and also those near the metropolis, I may lay a claim at least to experience resulting from a variety of observations, trials, and comparisons.

I shall now proceed to give an account of hay-making as it is practised in Wensley Dale, a valley situated about fifteen miles south-west of Richmond, Yorkshire, nearly twenty miles in length, and five or six on an average in breadth, where the soil for pasture and meadows is extremely rich; land there fifty years since let at two pounds a statute acre, though far from any good market town.

Respecting the cutting of grass, the method is nearly the same throughout Great Britain; but good practical farmers prefer cutting it very low rather than highish, because they say it vegetates much sooner, and grows much quicker, afer low-cut grass than high-cut; the crops therefore of both the hay and

BELFAST MAG. NO. XXXVII,

The

after-grass will be greater. day after it is cut in Wensley Dale it is strewed with the hands in such a regular and even manner, that no sops or lumps of grass appear on the surface. Neither forks nor rakes are used in this part of the work, exCept where the grass is very light indeed. This method requires industry and care, but when it is well ex¦ ecuted the hay is half won. The next process, the day after, if the weather be fine, is to turn it with the rake head, in a very neat and regular order. The day after, if the weather be fine, they put it into hand, or lap cocks. One raker, man or woman, for both are expert at the business, goes before a cocker; each cocker takes up about ten or twelve pounds weight of hay, shakes it up very lightly, then puts one hand a little under it, and the other on the side of it, takes it up and sets it down again gently where it is clean-raked, in a neat regular row, leaving an aperture or hole about the middle in the side of the cock, so as to admit air in case of wet weather; always making them even and smooth at the top. Cocks made well in this manner, will, on account of their lightness and smoothness, certainly repel the rain, and throw it off better than any large cocks, heaped up carelessly and hastily, as they generally are, with the rake or the fork; besides, in wet weather they dry considerably sooner, on account of their lightness and good shape, and will stand better than larger made cocks, even in windy weather. This seems rather parodoxical, but it is a certain fact for when the wind takes hold of a larger, badly made cock, it will sometimes hurl it into the air, and perhaps carry it into another per sou's premises, whereas the small, well made lap, or hand-cock, remains in security, receiving very little damage, though it had stood the blasts

of several tempests. This part of hay-making, I am fully persuaded, from long experience, and a variety of observations in different counties, is preferable to any I have ever yet seen. The farmers consider the hay in this state, i. e. in good lap-cocks, as nearly won, and will never venture to spread it about again, though it wants a little drying or hardening, till they see the greatest probability of a fine day, when they again, if the prospect be favourable, about eleven o'clock, spread it cut regularly with the hands in the same manner as strewing it; it is then tedded, or put into rows, and carried in sledges to be stacked. Taking it off the ground in sledges is not perhaps so ready as sweeping, but the sweep injures the hay much more by the different Jumps or rolls of hay that it has collected which very frequently mould, and injure several parts of the stack

or rick.

The Wensley Dale farmers like. wise are superior in point of making their ricks, &c. They seldom make Jong ticks, as in the south, but round ones, nearly cylindrical, till they are about two-thirds of its height; then a conical form takes place; then the rick is carried up to such a regular point, and roped so closely and nicely, that neither wind nor water can penetrate: in short the ricks are Jess injured by time or tempest than those that are covered with straw, which is the common practice in most counties. The reason is evident, because the stacks that are covered with straw are seldom carried regularly to a top; they are generally too broad there, and the straw is then laid on very injudiciously, and without method: the rick, consequently, in time takes water, and a considerable part of it becomes putrified litter By the carelessness of servants, and the want of a judicious and philosophical knowledge in most

farmers respecting the figure and fi nishing of ricks, their losses cannot but be considerable. The true figure of what is generally called a round stack, or rick, is at the bottom part the lower frustum of a spheroid; nearly at the middle the diameter is about one-eighth greater; then it is gradually raised, and finished in a ngat conical manner. Perhaps it may be asked, why the Wensley Dale farmers are so celebrated throughout all the northern counties for haymaking? Wensley Dale is, perhaps, one of the worst situations in England for winning hay soon, being totally surrounded with high hills; that on the south is the noted Penny Hill; and there is another called Wherring-side, at about one mile distance from it, thirteen feet higher, though seldom mentioned in history. These hills powerfully and frequently attract the clouds, which cause considerable more rain to fall there than in a level champaign country. These disadvantages, added to a great desire of winning their hay crops well, as they have very little coin, long since incited the farmers to pursue various methods, and to make comparative trials, till at last they decisively and justly concluded the present method eligible and preferable; and by the invariable practice of which they acquired their acknow ledged and merited celebrity in haymaking. It will be hardly credited, perhaps, when I say, that fifty years back the men received there for their daily labour two shillings and sixpence, the women one shilling and sixpence, and the boys and girls, from ten to fourteen years old, one shilling each, including their victuals, which in the hay-harvest were al ways good, and in great plenty; for they eat no less than five or six times a day; this fully shows their peculiar attention both to their labourers and hay-harvest, and also

their wish to excel in the art. Their working hours in Weasley Dale are certainly longer than in most other places; but when people can and are willing to work long hours, they undoubtedly merit extra wages, and both the master and his labourers are ultimately and mutually benefitted for it is a general and just observation, that if hay be neglected, and not won in proper time, a considerable part of its nourishing qualities will be greatly injured, and consequently incalculable losses sustain

ed. In dry weather, where the grass was very heavy, I have often seen hay, by stowing and cocking it in the above manner, won two days sooner than other farmers have won theirs, who were careless and followed no regular plan in these two principal points, stowing and cocking; and I have moreover seen, particularly in long wet weather, hay made in this regular and, as it were, philosophical manner, won sooner by three or four days than by any other process whatever.

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