the islands in the British Seas, 19.6: making the increase for the whole of Great Britain 14 per cent., being less than that of the 10 years ending 1831, which was 15 per cent.

ORIGIN OF GLASS.

IN the neighbourhood of St. Jean d'Acre I passed the river Belus, and here it may be remarked, how often do we find from the most trivial circumstances discoveries have arisen of the very highest importance. Some Sidonian merchants carrying nitre, happened to stop at the mouth of the stream, and not finding stones to set their kettles on to cook provisions, piled up sand and nitre for this purpose, when by the action of the fire on these ingredients a new substance was discovered, namely glass, which has added so much not only to the comforts of life but to the progress of science. The sand of this wall continued for ages to supply the manufactories of Sidon with materials for that beautiful production; and, in the seventeenth century, vessels were employed at St. Jean d'Acre to remove it to the glass-houses of Venice and Genoa. It may be added, that the emperor's windows were constructed of a certain transparent stone, found in Carmel, which is close to Belus, and might be split into thin leaves like slate, but not above five feet in length. -Rae Wilson's Oriental Travels.

MANAGEMENT OF FARMS.

THE subjoined is a statement of the system pursued by a farmer who had been the winner of a prize for the best cultivated farm, both from the Liverpool and Manchester Agricultural Societies. The farm is 160 statute acres, and, when we inspected it, was bearing the following crops -viz., Six and a half acres in pasture, twenty-four acres in meadow, forty-eight acres wheat after potatoes, six and a half acres of oats, six and a half acres clover and vetches used for stall-feeding, thirty-five acres potatoes, two acres turnips and carrots, one acre mangel wurzel, three and a half acres orchard and gardens. This claimant's customary rotation is potatoes, wheat, and clover; turnips are sown after vetches taken off in stall-feeding.

This claimant has twenty-eight and a half acres clover, which he has mown for hay; the same land he intends mowing a second time for hay also. The stock on this farm consists of twelve farm-horses, and in summer these are kept in the stable on green food, and employed for no other purposes but cultivating this farm, carrying to market, and bringing manure. Claimant's other stock are seven colts, six dairy cows, four heifers, and eleven pigs. This farm is a light soil, approaching to peat, and nearly

acres of it have been reclaimed from a bog; within the last twenty years the whole farm has been effectually drained with tiles and bricks at claimant's own cost. Claimant marls ten or twelve acres every year, and buys never less than 1000 tons of horse-dung, 1000 tons of small dung, night soil, &c., besides boiled bones ten tons; these manures he mixes together, and applies to different crops, except meadow land, which is covered over every other year with another compost, to improve the light texture of the soil. The wheat we saw growing is all as good as could be, and these observations apply to his potato crops, his clover, oats, &c., indeed to every other description of produce on his farm. The ditches and watercourses are cleaned out annually, and the fences trimmed in the neatest manner. The roads, gates, stiles, orchard, and garden, attracted the inspector's notice particularly, on account of their excellent condition. Taking claimant's farm altogether, it is highly complimentary to the industry, sound judgment, and enterprise of its tenant; and we beg further to observe, that, in our opinion, this land does not admit of further improvement.-Doncaster Chronicle.

SPRING FODDER FOR CATTLE.

In the report given in the Newry Commercial Telegraph, of the Agricultural Annual Dinner at Market-hill, the following plants are strongly recommended :

Purple prickly Comfrey Woad, or Pastel.-Already known as valuable for dyeing. It is a month earlier than rye, and is not affected by frost; grows well on the poorest lands, whether sandy or chalky, though of course more abundant on good land; yet thriving on inferior soils, even

:

without the help of manure. It is biennial, and may be sown from March till the end of June. The first year it' produces only leaves, and forms its stalks in the following March at the middle or end of April it has yielded its full crop, and the ground may be cleared for any spring produce. If sown in spring, it may very well be put in with oats or barley. The quantity of seed allowed is from 8 to 9 pounds of seed per acre.

Heracleum, or Siberian Cow Parsnip.-This thrives in Scotland, and grows luxuriantly at Gosford in Ireland; being a most valuable spring food for cows, giving no bad taste to the milk, and producing an early and more abundant spring food than any other plant we possess. Cattle soon eat it with avidity, but it must be first offered in April, when they are on dry food, and a very little at a time, as they inevitably refuse it when upon grass. It was sold (it is believed in the neighbourhood of Ayr, N.B.) last Nov. at 10s. per 100 plants. It grows very freely in any kind of soil, and does not require any particular treatment. See at length, Newry Commercial Telegraph, Dec. 4, 1841.

[Some seeds having been sent from Petersburgh, said to be "of the same family as the valuable Prangos Pabularia of Ladakh," so strongly recommended by the late Mr. Moorcroft, as well suited to this country, but of which no seed has yet vegetated here, the Heracleum may be supposed to be the same plant as the above seeds, which however, having been very long kept, failed."Transcriber's Note.]

MOST EXTRAORDINARY CROP OF POTATOES.

A PLOT of ground in the occupation of Mr. Adams, of Kidderminster, consisting of only twelve yards, has this year produced the extraordinary quantity of five bags of potatoes, of the sort termed " Old Blues." It will be at once computed, that at a fair and moderate market-price, the produce of one acre of an equal crop would have realized the large sum of four hundred pounds. We hope the case may not be lost sight of as illustrating the advantages of spade cultivation, and persons devoting any little leisure-time they may possess to so praiseworthy a pursuit.

EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS, &c.

PRUSSIC ACID.-A servant girl, aged 15, was ordered to destroy a cat with prussic acid; she according purchased half an ounce of that deadly poison, and proceeded to administer a part of it to the poor animal, which it instantly killed. But the effects upon the girl were almost fatal, the inhalation of the vapour of this very volatile poison having given rise to sudden stupor, which was followed by delirium, and a most frightful degree of prostration of the vital powers. She was immediately placed under the care of Mr. N. Smith, by whose exertions in the course of a few days she was so far restored as to bear removal to the infirmary, where she now lies in an improving condition, under the care of Dr. Prichard.-Bristol

Mirror.

Loss OF LIFE TROUGH READING IN BED.-Between two and three o'clock in the morning of Oct. 29th, the inmates of 8, Hereford-terrace, Mile-end-road, were roused from their beds by the screams of a female, and a strong suffocating smell of fire, when flames were observed coming from under the door of a back bedroom inhabited by a widow lady, named Sarah Ashton. The landlord having procured the assistance of a neighbour named Barnet, the bedroom door was opened, when a horrid spectacle presented itself, the poor woman being seated on the edge of the bed with her night clothes all in flames, which had communicated to the bed clothes and curtains. By the courage of the landlady, who burnt her hands severely in the act, the lady was dragged out of the room; when water having been thrown on the flames, her person was found to be in some parts almost burnt to a cinder. She was instantly conveyed to the London Hospital. The fire was extinguished by the inmates and the neighbours. The unfortunate woman lingered only about three hours after being conveyed to the hospital. It appeared that the deceased, being a lone woman, was much addicted to reading, and particularly when the other inmates were retired to bed, of which she had been cautioned by the landlady; and as the remains of a book were discovered, it is extremely probable that the fire originated through this dangerous custom.

AN INFANT POISONED BY A STUPID NURSE. - Mr. Baker held an inquest at the London Hospital on the body of Emma Cable, aged two days, the child of Mary Cable, of North-street, Mile-end-road. From the evidence it appeared that the mother, at the birth of deceased, was ordered to take a medicine prepared for her by Mr. G. Everett, a surgeon in Bedford-street, Commercial-road. The child (deceased) was very restless, and the nurse, Eliza Mountjoy, with the object of relieving it of the pain under which it appeared to be labouring, administered to it some of the medicine intended for the mother, saying, that what would cure the parent would cure the child. Deceased died the same day that the medicine was given it. Mr. Everett, surgeon, said the medicine consisted of opium, and that deceased died from drinking it. Verdict, "Died from the effects of a narcotic poison administered by mistake."

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the Communications of J. M.; G. B.; M. de Castille; M. D.; and some Anonymous Correspondents.

THE doctrine of Scripture and of our Church is, "by faith we are saved." The work of salvation is accomplished for us by Christ; but its benefits are to those who are willing to accept the offered mercy. Those who refuse the offer cannot expect to receive the benefit of it. The blessing belongs to believers, to those who have faith. Some would say, that when we thus speak, we are setting up faith against works, and are affirming that it is of more consequence to believe faithfully than to act uprightly. This is not the meaning of the doctrine; for a true faith leads the believer to think on all that Christ has done and suffered for his salvation, and to ask how he shall show his love and gratitude for such great mercies. Faith, then, is to lead to practice; and it is, in truth, the only motive which does lead to an anxious desire to serve God, and to do his will. Let a man then examine himself; and if he find that his conduct be not VOL. XXII.

H