MR. COBBETT'S METHOD OF MAKING ENGLISH GRASSES ANSWER FOR FINE STRAW HATS. (From the Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts.) MR. COBBETT has received the large silver medal of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, for a method of bleaching English grasses, so that they may be substituted for Leghorn straw, in the manufacture of hats. There seems so many advantages in spreading a knowledge of this useful method, that we shall here transcribe as much of his own account of it as may serve to make our readers acquainted with the process. Mr. Cobbett, it appears, was induced to turn his attention to the subject by hearing that grass was dried in America. He accordingly got some information concerning it from his son, who was then in that country, and who also sent him over some specimens of the grass. When he saw these and some Leghorn straw, he was convinced that both were made from two or three sorts of our common grasses, and of oats, wheat, and rye. He had at first some doubts whether it could be bleached in this country, but he immediately set about trying. He then gives the following account of his proceedings: 66 First, as to the season of the year: all the straw, except that of one sort of couch-grass, and the long coppice-grass, which two were got in Sussex, were got from grass cut in Hertfordshire, on the 21st of June. A grass headland in a wheat-field had been mowed during the fore part of the day; and, in the afternoon, I went and took a handful here and a handful there out of the swarths. When I had collected as much as I could well carry, I took it to my friend's house, and proceeded to prepare it for bleaching according to the information sent me from America by my son; that is to say, I put my grass into a shallow tub, put boiling water upon it until it was covered by the water, let it remain in that state for ten minutes, then took it out and laid it very thinly on a closely-mowed lawn in a garden. But I should observe, that before I put the grass into the tub, I tied it up in small bundles or sheaves, each bundle being about six inches through at the butt-end. This was necessary in order to be able to take the grass, at the end of ten minutes, out of the water, without throwing it into a confused mixture as to tops and tails. Being tied up in little bundles, I could easily, with a prong, take it out of the hot water. The bundles were put into a large wicker-basket, carried to the lawn in the garden, and there taken out one by one, and laid in swarths as before-mentioned. "It was laid very thinly, almost might I say that no stalk of grass covered another. The swarths were turned once a day. The bleaching was completed at the end of seven days from the time of scalding and laying out. June is a fine month. The grass was, as it happened, cut on the longest day of the year; and the weather was remarkably fine and clear. But the grass which I afterwards cut in Sussex, was cut in the first week in August; and, as to the weather, my journal speaks thus: August, 1323. 2nd. Thunder and rain. Began cutting grass. 3rd. Beautiful day. 4th. Fine day. 5th. Cloudy day. Began scalding grass and laying it out. 6th. Cloudy greater part of the day. 7th. Same weather. 8th. Cloudy and rather misty. Finished cutting grass. 9th. Dry, but cloudy. 10th. Very close and hot, Packed up part of the grass. 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. Same weather. 15th, Hot and clear. Finished packing up grass. 66 The grass cut in Sussex was as well bleached as that cut in Hertfordshire; so that it is evident that we never can have a summer that will not afford sun sufficient for this business. ** The part of the straw used for platting is that part of the stalk which is above the upper joint; that part which is between the upper joint and the seed branches. This part is taken out, and the rest of the straw thrown away. But the whole plant must be cut and bleached; because, if you were to take off, when green, the part above described that part would wither up to next to nothing. This part must die in company with the whole plant, and be separated from the other parts after the bleaching has been performed. "The time of cutting must vary with the seasons, the situation, and sort of grass. The grass which I got in Hertfordshire, than which nothing can, I think, be more beautiful, was, when cut, generally in bloom; just in bloom. The wheat was in full bloom; so that a good time for getting grass may be considered to be that when the wheat is in bloom. When I cut the grass in Sussex the wheat was ripe, for reaping had begun; but the grass is of a very backward sort, and besides, es, grew in the shade, among coppice-wood, and under trees, which stood pretty thick. to "As to the sorts of grass, I have "Cynosurus cristatus; or, crested dog's-tail grass. "Anthoxanthum odoratum ; ́or, sweet-scented vernal grass. "Agrostis canina; or, brown bent grass. "These names are those given at the Botanical garden at Kew. But the same English names are not, in the country, given to these sorts of grass. The fiorin grass, the yellow oat-grass, and the brown bent, are all called couch-grass; except that the latter is, in Sussex, called red-robin. It is the native grass of the plains of Long Island, and they call it red-top. The raygrass is the common field grass, which is all over the kingdom sown with clover. The farmers in a great part of the kingdom call it bent, or bennet-grass; and sometimes it is called darnal-grass. The crested dog's-tail goes, in Sussex, by the name of Hendon-bent, for what! reason I know not. The sweetscented vernal grass I have never, amongst the farmers, heard any name for." He then goes on— Having thus given you an account of the time and manner of cutting the grass, of the mode of cutting and bleaching; having given you the best account I am able as to the sorts of grass to be bserve, generally, that in pro- employed in this business; and as the colour of the grass having, in my former communicais deep, that is to say, getting fur- tions, given you specimens of the ther from the yellow and nearer to plat wrought from the several sorts the blue, it is of a deep and dead of straw, I might here close my yellow when it becomes straw, letter; but, as it may be useful to hose kinds of grass are best which speak of the expense of cutting and are point of colour nearest to bleaching, I shall trouble you with that of wheat, which is a fresh pale a few words relating to it. If there thing is the qua- were a field of ray-grass, or of Be the straw as to pliancy and crested dog's-tail, or any other lity toughness. Experience must be good sort, and nothing else growour guide here." ing with it, the expense of cutting would be very little indeed, seeing that a scythe would do the business at a great rate. Doubtless there will be such fields; but, even if the grass have to be cut by the handful, my opinion is, that the expense of cutting and bleaching would not exceed fourpence for straw enough to make a large bon: net. I should be willing to con Mr. Cobbett has found the following species of grass answer :906 Wheat. A "Melica Cærules; or, purple mélica grass. "Agrostis Stolenifera; or, Fiorin grass; ss; i. e. one sort of couch-grass. Lolium perenne; or, ray-grass. Avena flavescens; or, yellow oat-grass. tract to supply straw at this rate for half a million of bonnets. The derable part of the expense; because there must be fresh water for every parcel of grass, that you put in the tub. When water has scalded one parcel of cold grass, it will not scald another parcel. Besides, the scalding draws out the sweet matter of the grass, and makes the water the colour of London porter. It would be very good, by the by, to give to pigs. Many people give hay-tea to pigs and calves, and this is grass-tea. To scald a large quantity, therefore, would require means not usually at hand, and the scalding is an essential part of the business. Perhaps, in a large and very convenient farm-house, with a good brewing-copper, good fuel and water handy, four or five women might scald a waggon load in a day; and a waggon would, I think, carry straw enough (in the rough) to furnish the means of making a thousand bonnets. However, the scalding might take place in the field itself, by means of a portable boiler, especially if water were at hand; and, perhaps, it would be better to carry the water to the field, than to carry the grass to the farm-house; for there must be ground to lay it out upon the moment it has been scalded, and no ground can be so proper as the newly-mowed ground where the grass has stood. The space, too, must be large for any considerable quantity of grass. As to all these things, however, the best and cheapest methods will soon be discovered, when people set about the work with a view to profit." : 66 1 Here there is no power of machinery or chemistry wanted. All is performed out in the open fields, or sitting in the cottage. There wants no coal mines and no rivers to assist, no, water-powers nor powers of fire No part of the kingdom is unfit for the business. Every where there are grass, water, sun, and women and children's fingers; and these are all that are wanted. But, the great thing of all is this: that, to obtain the materials for the making of this argay, so 6 useful, and, in some cases, so 5 expensive, there requires not a penny of capital. Many of the labourers now make their own straw hats to wear in summer; poor rotten things, made out of the straw of ripened grain. With what satisfaction will they learn that straw,~ twenty times as durable, to say nothing of the beauty, is to be got from every hedge! In short, when the people are well and clearly in formed of the facts which I have, through you, Sir, had the honours to lay before the Society, it is next to impossible that the manufactory should not become general throughout the country." In every labour-! er's house a pot of water c can be boiled. What labourer's wife can not, in the summer months, find time to cut and bleach grass enough to give her and her chil dren work for a part of the winter There is no necessity for all to be platters. Some may cut and bleach I only. Others may prepare the P straw, as before mentioned in this letter. And, doubtless, as the lo farmers in Hertfordshire now self their straw to the platters, grassƒ collectors, and bleachers and pre parers would do the same; so that there is scarcely any country la T bourer's family that might not de rive some advantage from this disque covery; and, while I am convinced P that this consideration has been s by no means soverlooked by the di Society, it has been, I assure you, ɩd the great consideration of all with ds me." # „bine & 16d) bagol 7 Б of All travellers have observed of and we ourselves have witnessed 3 the truth of the observation, that si there is no part of Italy where the peasantry are so well provided for, ou none where they are so cheerfapda and happy, as in that large andido fertile district, the Vale of Arne012 where most of the straw is prebac pared which is known in all Eug of rope by the name of Leghorn platim The contrast between this district as and other parts of Italy is tooOE striking not to have been noticed.492 T 3 There, and perhaps there only, in C or 31 accordance with political and civil wisdom. It may, therefore, be wished that women should not be compelled to contribute towards the subsistence of a family more than those domestic cares which double a man's money, and mul-' tiply his comforts beyond calculation. If they must contribute towards the subsistence of their families by labouring for hire, then surely it may be wished that most of them may find employment in that health bringing occupation, for the introduction of which the country is indebted to Mr. Cobbett. CHEMICAL SOCIETY. OR AL The following letter was accompanied by the real address of Luzitanus.-ED. wel vooed bik To the Editor of the Chemistr SIR, I have seen with sincere pleasure the suggestion of your correspondent, A. W. (published in No. XI, of your valuable Jour nal) regarding the establishment of a Society for the instruction of young Chemists. I enter so much into the views of your correspondent, that I think it would be de sirable immediately to call a meeting of the friends of the Society, for the purpose of preparing its regulations, and doing whatever may be necessary to lay its foundation on a solid basis. The first establishment will necessarily require 12 a fund to defray the expenses, and f for this purpose I am ready to contribute the sum of five guineas. I shall also be happy to lend to the Society all the works on che mistry that my library contains, is until the funds will admit the purchase of them for the Society amongst them I have Parkes, Acei cum, Mackenzie, Chaptal, Cadet, 10 Herpin, &c. Iam,Mr. Editor w to Your obedient servant,28 31st May, 1824, us, ** LUZITANUS.. of A note from this gentleman informs 13 that we have made a mistake in his uit signature, notative and that it should be A. M... ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. (Continued from p. 140.) ANNALS OF PHILOSOPHY. THIS scientific journal is extremely uninteresting this month. Mr.Baden Powell continues his lucubrations on solar light and heat, the tendency of which we are scarcely acute enough to discover. The heating effect of light is described in the next page to that in which we are cautioned not to assume any posi tion till it has been proved by experiment. As if light were not the unknown cause of vision; as if heat meant any thing more than the unknown cause of the sensation of heat; and as if it were distinctly proved, that the proximate cause of both were known, and the same, or had some close and intimate connexion with each other. We say there is no proof whatever, that these two unknown causes are the same; and we add, that their effects, one producing sensations of heat, the other producing sensations of vision, are so different, that there is every reason to believe them to be totally different. While learned men continue to talk nonsense, and we are afraid they are ever the last to abandon it, there cannot be much progress made in accurate theoretical knowledge. Professor Henslow's remarks on Dr. Berger's reply, relative to the geology of the Isle of Man, may be amusing to those who like bandy ing hard words, but cannot add much to the general stock of knowledge, and are therefore useless, as far as we are concerned. The remaining articles are nearly all éxtracts. There is an account of the LOGAN Rock, which some sailors recently "toppled from its base," taken from A Guide to the Land's End." Then comes M. Gay Lussac's and M. Liebig's article on Fulminate of Silver,which appeared in our Journal a fortnight ago, taken from the Annales de Chimie et Physique. Afterwards, there is an extract from the "Medical Jurisprudence of Dr. Paris, and Mr. Fonblanque;" and also an article from the Transac tions of the American Philosophical Society. There are three more original articles: one entitled," Speculations and Inquiries respecting the Action and Nature of certain Compounds of Sulphur;" having a close relation to the doctrine of atoms, which is to chemistry what the ancient doctrine of universals was to metaphysics, viz. its alloy of nonsense: another is, a Review of the London Pharmacopoeia, by Mr. Phillips; which shows, that even the learned College of Physicians are not over wise, and may yet be improved by that collision of intellect, which only dolts (for wise men know it is the source of excellence,) by charters and privileges to secure a monopoly of the rewards of skill seek to avoid. We presume, however, some little feeling of rivalry may enter into the composition of this article, for the chemical part of the London Pharmacopoeia is the work of another chemist and another lecturer. We shall extract the only article of the least value in the Annals of Philosophy, and that is, An Analysis of the Argillaceous Iron Ore, by R. Phillips, F.R.S. &c. It is well known that the greater part of the immense quantity of iron yielded by the mines of this kingdom is obtained from what is called the argillaceous iron ore. A specimen which I analyzed was of that variety, which is called at Low Moor Iron Works, near Bradford, Yorkshire, Black Iron Stone. Its colour, as its name imports, is nearly black; its specific gravity 3.055; it yields easily to the knife, and becomes magnetic when heated by the blowpipe. a. 100 grains of this ore reduced to powder, and moderately dried on a sand-bath, lost one grain, which was evidently mere hygrometric moisture. b. As it effervesces strongly when put into an acid, 100 grains were put into a vial containing sulphuric acid, the weight of which, and its contents, were together noted. After the effervescence was over, which took place slowly, it was found that 29-3 grains of carbonio |