pofing the plants on the top of one-bout ridges, and fubfequently horfe-hoeing the intervals backwards and forwards; and it is remarkable (notwithstanding he informed me, from the little experience he has had, that he believes the plant will be found to fucceed beft on land rather loomy or heavy) that on a plantation of eleven acres of a ftony foil, light in an almoft unparalleled degree, I was enabled, through the difficult feafon of the laft fpring, to fuftain and preferve, in the moft defirable manner, two hundred and ten ewes, with two hundred and twenty lambs, for a month; alfo with the refufe or bottoms, fuch as the ewes and lambs left, I kept one hundred and eighty tegs, or one-year old fheep, during the space of fix weeks. How ever, it must be acknowledged, and is indeed proper to intimate, that although during their ftay thereon, I gave them no hay, I nevertheless found it eligible to let the ewes and lambs have a backward run on a fmall adjoining field of rye-grafs; for from the time of their being brought on I had obferved, that although the ewes appeared to increase in flesh, the lambs were rather behind in that refpect; and herein I was happy in the concurrent opinion of Mr. Tugwell, who from his last year's experience had hinted to me, that he thought the plant in its nature rather tended to fatten animals, than to fupply milk; it is true, my rye-grafs was very trifling in refpect of quantity, having been fed the preceding winter; however it had a very defirable effect, and from the time of their being introduced thereto, the lambs were observed to recover. Previous to my fetting out the plants, the field had, the fame feafon, been under vetches, which were foiled, or fed of, with fheep. I then ploughed it, gave it fome dung, and threw the land into its proper form for planting. At Midfummer, the plants were fet out, at about eighteen inches afunder in the rows, and the rows, or ridges, about thirty-fix inches apart. As foon as the weeds began to fpring up, and I obferved the plants to want fome affiftance, I had them hand-hoed. Some time after I fent my ploughs to throw up a ridge in the intervals, which, after remaining as long as was neceffary, was thrown back again to the plants. I fome time after gave them another hand-hoeing, by which means my land was put in the finest tilth ima ginable, and the plants had all the affiftance requifite. In the fpring, intending to fow the land with barley, I was necef fitated to haul off feveral loads of the roots, and although my feed was not committed until the 14th of May, and the feafon proved remarkably dry after, it is an indifputable fact, that I reaped near three loads from an acre, which ex. traordinary increafe, as I impute it to the fuperior mode of cultivation, would, with me, always be fome inducement to the propagation of this most valuable vegetable, even if I had no further views therein. I am, Sir, Your's, most respectfully, &c. THOMAS ROBINS. P. S. P. S. I have the pleafare to inform you, that the cultivation of this most excellent plant bids fair to become general in this part of the country, as many of our principal farmers have fome of it growing This year; and after giving it a fair trial, I prefume they will be fully convinced of its utility, and continue, the culture of it. Beverstone, March 3, 1779. SIR, YOURS of the 1ft of February I have now before me, with the queries relative to my laft year's Turnep-rooted Cabbage. The feeds fown the preceding fring were not committed (occafioned by an accident) until the 9th of May, a period, as I then confidered it, a fortnight too late; but, for reafons that will occur in anfwering the other queries; it is now a maxim with us, that in fuch fituations as ours, if no accident forbids it, they fhould be fown before the middle of April. As the earth of the feed-bed ought to be good, and as free from feed weeds as poffible, I have for thofe reafons, and for fecurity againft caíual depredations, ufually fown my feeds in a garden, but not on a hot-bed, there being always time enough in the fpring for raifing the plants to a fize fufficient for fetting out from the natural foil. However, with fome in our neighbourhood, an eligible practice has taken place, of throw ing off the mulch, together with an inch or two of the furface mould, from fome immediately prior winter fheep-fold, in a warm corner, in or contiguous to the field to be planted with the Tur nep-rooted Cabbage; the under mould is then, with the fpade or plough, moved to the depth of three or four inches, and the feeds being committed thereto, the plants foon make their appearance, and generally grow away in a manner fcarcely, by any other method, to be paralleled. If, through prudent forefight, care has been taken previously to have conveyed to the aforefaid fheep-fold, fraw, ftubble, fern, or whatever may be attainable, fufficient and proper for making a compoft for the whole plantation, there will not only be found a great faving in the most expenfive part of manuring (the carriage) but the materials lying on the spot, much more will be executed in any given time, when the feafon, or weather, or both, fhall arrive most proper for the bufinefs, and that at a time of the year, when labour in husbandry is alway's very valuable. The plants too, fituate in or near the field, when drawn, will not lye fo long out of the ground before they are replanted, and therefore be the lefs liable to injury from their removal.. The excrementitious exhalations arifing from the earth, and com poft heaps adjoining, will alfo prevent the depredations of the fly; however this fpecies, it is obfervable, is feldom fo obnoxious thereto, as any other of the Turnep or Cabbage kind. In whatever fituation we perceive an attack made on thefe or any others, if wood afhes are to be obtained, we always find a preventative in fcattering them lightly over the plants in the dew of the morning. Some have had recourfe to the tedious maxim of dipping their roots, when firt drawn, in a prepared mud, or mixture of earth and water, to preferve them from the injuries of the external air, but, from experience and repeated obfervations, we find the fpecies fo hardy, that, if when replanted the earth is well closed about them, there is certainly no occafion for it. However, when first fet out, it is neceffary for a boy to defend them a few days from the crows and rooks; the fagacity of these creatures (from feeing the plants in a withered state) leading them in queft of a fuppofed deftructive infect at its root, they will frequently, without the aforefaid precaution, draw them up again much faster than they were plant ed. In regard to tranfplanting from the feed-bed before we fet out for the last time on the ridges in the field, I at first had recourfe to that method; but finding it tedious and expenfive, have not practifed it fince. However, if no remedy can be found, I must foon return to it again; for the plants ftanding too near together on the feed-bed, together with feed-weeds, which it is frequently difficult to prevent, they are generally drawn up in a trunk, or ftalk, fo long and weak, that when planted out, they never regain their natural fhape. I intend this fpring to fow in drills, about a foot apart, whence by the action of the external air, with the hand-hoe occafionally moving among them, I apprehend the I apprehend the above mentioned evil may be ob. a frequent removing the earth of the intervals, and of the roots growing therein, will pro bably, in effect, be a partial tranf VOL. XXVI. planting. My crop of laft year was planted out on the ridges about three weeks after Midfummer; but, as an inftance of the impropriety of being too late, I have a neighbour who, in his first attempt, has this year feven acres that were planted fome time before Midfummer; I have alfo upwards of fourteen acres, which, as I waited for rain, were not planted until fix or feven weeks after his; and as the drought continued with us till near the equinox, the confequence is, mine on an average are not more than a pound and a half in weight, while his are probably nearly five pounds. Situated high and cold, with lands none of the richest, if we were fure of weather proper for the bufinefs, Midfummer might notwithstanding be foon enough for tranfplanting to the field; but as that is precarious, we ought at all events to get the plants fet out, rooted, rooted, and growing, by that time. The average weight of my last year's crop was probably about three pounds; fome few amounted to fix, feven, and even eight pounds each; and it was obferv able, that on part of the field planted three weeks before the other part, the roots were much the largeft. The ewes and lambs were turned in upon them the 9th of April, and drawn off the zd of May. The one year old fheep were introduced April the 13th, and taken away the 18th of the following month. The glass-plat on which the ewes and lambs were occafionally fuffered to pafture, is about eighteen acres, half of which however would have been very fufficient; for after all, a great deal confifts in their having G a turf a turf to enjoy themfelves on. and other arts, have been found Young lambs, in whatever cafe, confined with hurdles on an arable field, are feldom known to do well. The most eligible method of any I have an idea of, would confift in hauling the roots, fome time in April, entirely off from the field whereon they grow, and throwing them promifcuously about on fome adjoining pafture, or field of rye-grafs, clover, &c. (to be fown with wheat the enfuing feafon); in either of these fituations to let the fheep be regularly introduced to them, with hurdles, as they would otherwife have been on the arable. The On by chance to be neceffary, yet fufficient pains have not been taken to afcertain the principles upon which they act of this number is verdigris; and as this article was imported to us, at a very great expence from France, I was induced fome years ago to undertake a courfe of experiments to inveftigate the manner of its ope ration, and from thence to find, if poffible, an effectual substitute, cheaper and nearer home. adding verdigris to the common ingredients of the black dye, (viz. aftringents and martial vitriol) the first thing remarkable is, that a quantity of iron is precipitated; for the pieces of verdigris will be covered over with the crocus of iron, almost inftantly, and a quantity of the copper of the verdigris is at the fame time taken up by the difengaged acid; as appears by the copper coat a knife receives on being held in the liquor fo that the vitrolic acid leaves the iron, with which it was combined in martial vitriol, and unites with the copper of verdigris, and again leaves the copper to unite with iron in its metallic ftate. The fame decompofition happens with lead, if faccharum faturni be made ufe of inftead of verdigris, though lead, according to the received doctrine of elective attractions, has a ftill lefs affinity with iron, than copper has. In fact, I find that jaccharum faturni will anfwer nearly the end of verdigris, and though, as a fubftitute to it, we could reap no advantage from it, yet I think it gives us an infight into the principle upon which ver. digris is of ufe in the black dye, ANY articles which are in viz. by uniting with part of the roots, 1 humbly conceive, would be much the better for fuch management, in that they would be prevented from throwing out their juices into leaves and branches, and the land whereon they grew, might in confequence, in the proper feafon, be fown with barley, the wont of which, I am perfuaded, may otherwife prove the most infurmountable obftacle to the general cultivation of this moft opportunely ferving and valuable plant. I am, Sir, Your moft obedient humble fervant, LEWEN TUGWELL. Difcovery of a Subftitute for Ver digris, in dying Black. The Silver Medal and Ten Guineas were given to Mr. Clegg, for his Discovery of a Substitute for Verdigris, in dying Black, 1782, of which the following is an ccount, drawn up by himself. From the fame Work. : Madaily articles which artying acid of the vitriol, and giving the aftringen aftringent matter of the vegetable an opportunity of forming an ink with the precipitated iron in greater abundance, and more expeditiously, than it could otherwife do. Believing this to be the true manner of its operation, I went to work upon this principle, and substituted alkaline falts in the room of verdigris, as I imagined thefe would be a much more innocent as well as cheaper ingredient; for the acid, or the corrofive metallick falts, are the only hurtful ingredients in the dye, and the alkali in proper proportion will unite with the fuperabundant acid, and form an innocent neutral falt, vitriolated tartar. Upon the first trials, I was fatif. fied of the truth of my conjectures; for in all the experiments which I made in the final way, the afhes anfwered at least as well as the verdigris: but in real practice, in the large, I found my. felf deceived; for upon dying a kettle of hats of twenty-four dozen, though the colour came on furprizingly at first, yet the liquor foon became weak. I made many experiments, which it is useless here to relate, until I united vitriol of copper with the alkali, which, upon repeated trials, has been found to anfwer perfectly the end of verdigris. The following, I believe, will be found to be the juft proportions, though there is fome difference in the practice of different dye houfes. Saturate two pounds of vitriol of copper, with a strong alkaline falt (American pot-afhes, when to be procured, are recommended). The vitriol will take about an equal weight of dry afhes. Both the vitriol and the afhes are to be previously diffolved apart. When this proportion is mixed, well ftirred, and fuffered to ftand a few hours, a precipitate will fubfide. Upon adding a few drops of the folution of afhes, if the mixture be faturated, the water on the top of the veffel will remain colourless ; but if not, a blue colour will be produced; upon which add more afhes; there is no danger in its being a little over faturated with afhes. Take care to add the folution of afhes to that of vitriol by a little at a time, otherwife the effervefcence which enfues will caufe them to overflow the veffel: these four pounds of vitriol of copper and afhes, will be equal to about the fame weight of verdigris; and fhould be added to the other li. quors of the dye, at different times, as is ufual with verdigris. The black, thus dyed, will be perfectly innocent to the goods, rather tending to keep them soft, than corrode them, particularly hats, in which there is the greateft confumption of verdigris. For thofe who are conftantly ufing verdigris, it would be proper to have a veffel always at hand, containing a faturated folution of vitriol of copper; and another, with a faturated folution of afhes, ready to mix as they are wanted; for I find they do not answer fo well if long kept. JAMES CLEGG. Manchester, Dole Fields, January 14, 1782. |