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^.aronilturr an* ^ortitititmi.
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^.Aronilturr An* ^Ortitititmi.
^ . aronilturr an * ^ ortitititmi .
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AGRIGCLTUItAL INSTRUCTION . SECOND 1 ECTCKE BY 1 'KOmSOR JOIIXSTOX . We give the second lecture of Professor Johnston , as promised , which he delivered the day after the one ve reported in our last number . The Professor ro e and said—Gentlemen , at the close of my address to you yesterday , 1 to ! d you that I thought that what 1 said would not possess tiic same weight , cr appear to Lave the same importance to you as to the practical agriculturist ; and that you could not by any means feel the like interest that I feel , because / in all probability , most of you are unacquainted with the w . -iy in which agricultural cheinistry bears upon , and is advantageous to the practical agriculturist of the country . It was for that
reasonthat 1 offered to give you an expositioifof most of the important points in the science—to give you a short sketch , a sort of bird ' s eye view , of that interesting branch of knowledge , to induce you to teach which I presented to von so many considerations yesterday ; and I am confident , that -niieu you Ji ' thas formed an idea of the subject , you wiJl find itmost inferesiingi and one which trill yield you great satisfaction and pleasure to become acquainted with . Gentlemen , there was a time when this hill upon which we now stand was nothing but a naked rock of lava . That old Java gradually decayed , as modern lavas do , and crumbled down , and formed loose
matier on the surface , in which seeds of plants grew died , and left their remains . Thus , by degrees , the soil accumulated to such as you now see on tflesurace of this rock on which plants now grow . Sueh is t&e history of nearly all the soils on the surface of globe . Suppose you take a portion of any one sou , and pnt it upon the end of a piece of metal * and * f ? oilSii « 1 hat j ] afikncs < i wn « disappear , and TCesoUwi ]! as 5 ume aco-our more or Ws d-irk nr iSi ^ ssaS
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that iafter it is exposed to the fire it is not so heavy as before . That portion of the soil which , has burned away consists of the remains of , those vegetables of which I have spoken ; of those animals who have died and been deposited in the soil ; and of the manures which have been applied by the farmer . Thus vegetable matter forms what is called the . organic , and the other portion of the soil the inorganic matter . The quantity of organic matter varies very much—in some soils it exists to the . extent of two per cent ., in other * fifteen and twenty per cent ., and in peaty soils sometimes as high as seventy per cent . If you take a piece of vegetable matter and burn it , such as this piece of wood , you will find here also that a largeportion will hot burn away , but remains , forminsr wood-ash . It is the same , then , with
regardto the plant as to the soil—a part burns away and a part remains ; - If you look at the tables you will see that different plants have different proportions of inorganic matter—thus , meadow hay leaves nine , or ten per cent , of incombustible matter . Again as to animal substances , take a piece of muscle , dry , am burn it , and you shall find that the greater part of it will burn away , which , is the organic matter , ' the remains being , as in the soil and in the plant , the inorganic and incombustible matter . Now one hundred pounds of fresh muscle contains phosphate of lime and other saline substances to the extent of one per cent , of incombustible matter . Thus , the three different substances , soil , Tegetable , and animal matters , consist of organic and inorganic matter ; out there is this difference , that in the soil there is a
larger portion of inorganic matter than in giants and animals—in the latter the greater portion burns away . I shall call your attention now to the inorganic portion of soil . By looking at the table you will observe that the inorganic matter COUSlstS Ot different substances , such as silica , which forms a very large proportion of flint ; alumina , a substance which forms a very large proportion of pipeclay ; oxide of iron , which is the rust of iron ; potash , of which the potash you get from tue shopsmay serve to give you an idea ; " chlorine , which is a kind of air ; and then there are manganese , phosphoric acid , - anc carbonic acid . These substances are found in all soils , but not in equal proportions . You will see in the table before you the details of the constitution Of a Boil which would yield good crops for perhaps a
hundred years . Were you to possess such a rich soil as that , aadsEch soils are to be got in the virgin land at the Cape of Good Hope , on the banks of the Ganges , and the Mississippi , you would always nnd that it would contain a notable quantity of all these different elements . In the second column . of the table you have a list of the quantities of the different Bubstancesofasoil capable of yielding good crops , but which would require to be regularly manured . You will observe that opposite three of the substances the word "trace" is put , which means that though the substance was not absent altogether , yet it existed in so small a quantity , that it could not be weighed . In the rich , virgin soil stated first , you observe that there is of lime fifty-nine per cent ., while in the second column there is only nineteen . Of phosphoric
acid there is four in the one , and only two in the other . In the third column of the table is the constitution of a soil so ban-en , that though- manured , it could not produce a crop . You see that there are many gaps in the list ; in short , there arc only five substance which exist i » i anything like quantity . So much for the substances which exist in all good soils ; and you may be sure that if any soil does not produce a good crop , some one or other of these substances are wanting . The question 'then arises , —how do soils come to have such different compositions as these ? I stated to you how the crumbling of rocks formed the soil along with the accumulation of organic matter in it ; and . if I had had time , I should have directed you to a geological map , and shown you that in erery country the rock on which the soil rests is different , and if it be true that the crumbling down
of rocks forms the soil , you learn at once how soils must differ very much in their composition . In feldspar soils , of which rocks principally consist , you will observe only silica , alumina , and a few others . A soil formed from this , must therefore contain a large quantity of these 3 iibstances which are in all soils , while it would be deficient in many others . As soils differ in this way , we aro led to this practical question—how can we make this soil to be like that soi ! , or how can a bad soil be made equal to a good one ? The answer is simply that you mustsupply those substances which arc wasting in the soil—you must supply as much potash or lime as are wanting in the third or poor soil—ami as much lime and phosporie acid as are wanting in the second , to make up all the constituent elements which exist in the first or rich
virgin soil , and which are necessary to enable the soil to produce a good and profitable crop . This shows you the benefit of an analysis of the soil , by whicu a farmer is enabled to decide what the soil requires , and proceed accordingly . I shall next speak of vegetable substances ; and first , as to the inorganic part of them . If you take the ash which ' remains behind when a plant has been exposed to the fire , and analy > e it inthe samway as with the soil , you will come to this result , that i ! ie inorganic part of the plant contains precisely the same substances as the inorganic portion of the soil . In the table on my _ right hand , you see the composition of i . OOOlbs . of Lay . The different kinds of hay have different quantities of the same substance , which substance is tiie same as in the soil . In reference to the ash
I of vegetables , 100 lbs . of wood irould leave behind not I more than half a pound of ash . Perhaps you may be ' inclined to ask why , seeing that out of 100 lbs ., one half pound only is ash , can that half pound be necessary for tiie existence ofthe plant , or is it rather merely accidental , and in no respect making any difference to the plant ? No such thing , gentlemen . Thai half pound of ash is jusfc as much an essential part of the plant as the 00 A lbs . which burned away . The same is the case with wheat , which leaves 2 lbs . of ash . I state these facts , in order to bring you along with me in my exposition of the principles of the science—that you may sec how I come to the conclusion , nnd which must bo truo , that the plant could uoi live—that it could not fulfil the purposes of nature , unless it contained this small quantity of
inorganic matter . If you look to the table on the ash of kiiy , yeu will find there is an analogy between it f . iid the soil . Red clover contains in 1 , 000 lbs ., 31 lbs . of potash ; rye-grass as little as nine pounds ; Of phosphoric acid , rye-grass contains one-third of a pound ; red clover less tiiau 1 lbi . ; white contains 5 and lucerne ISlbs . ; We learn , then , that these substances are present in different proportions in the ash of diiibrait kinds of hay , and from that we draw several important practical deductions . Let us inqnire whence do the plants derive the organic and inorganic parts of which they consist ? Tfiey derive the organic , part-iy i ' roui the soil and partly from the air—tue inorganic , solely from the soil . In the air iluat certain proportions ot all those substances which cuter into the inorganic part , but none of those which
enter into the organic part of the plant . Now , the different kinds of plants in the soil will materially effjct its constitution , and have a remarkable influence upon that constitution . Suppose I grow Jueerne upon the very fertile soil detailed in the table , as the lucerne lakes out a large quantity of lime and of phosphoric acid , you would see that the crop would rob the soil of a large proportion ' of lime and of phosphoric acid , and that therefore it would not grow the same crop with that luxuriance which chataettrised . it at first , because it could not supply with the same ease and abundance those peculiar substances upon which lucerne lives more than upon any other . Take the ash of the different kinds of graiu , and you will find that each in its own way aitocis the soil . Wheat , oats , and rye require a large
quantity of phosphoric acid , and so if you grow wheat a- long time in The same soil , it will draw out this phosphoric acid among other things , and thereby reduce its quantity . This is what is meant by exhausting the soil . If rye-grass is the plant used , it will exhaust the soil generally , because it docs not take away a great portion of any one ofthe substances . In the same way , different crops make the soil poor ; ' out if I take the sams crop , say IS or 20 times— -a practice which , as is well known to the most of you , existed not many years ago—it would by that time producc . no crop at all . The land , then , may be exhausted in two ways , generally of all the substances , and specially , of particular substances ; and from this circumstance we are enabled a ^ ain to make t \ yo or three practical deductions . In the first place ,
inasmuch as the soil contains a limited quantity of these substances , and inasmuch as different crops carry off different portions , you at once sec why it is judicious to have a rotation of crops—that the longer the time is which elapses before you take a similar crop , the longer will the soil last and continue productive . A soil may produce one crop , when it cannot produce another . Let us enquire n-.-xt why land is manured . The composition of the soil would tell you in the first instance , for it is obvious that manure is applied to restore those thi ngs which are wholly or comparatively wanting . Chemistry tells practical men how to renew their exhausted soil . Suppose that lo crops of oats had been taken off a piece of land , it will lose a large quantity of lime , phosphoric acid , and potash , and in order to restore it you must supply the soil with those ingredients of which it has been robbed . Manure being composed of the remains of vegetables taken off the land , and containing all those things of which
the plant consists , the farmer , generally speaking , is enabled by its application , to retain the fertility of the soil . Em , then , observe you , he adds all those things which arc required for a fertile soil , which may he a great deal too much , and may not ; supply an adequate abundance of that particular substance which the j land actually requires , and thus a great expense is entailed which he may not be able to undertake , and thus the land falls short of that richness which he wishes , and which , at a less expense '; he might be able by other means , under the guidance of chemical knowledge , to provide for his land . If the farmer knows chemistry , he will , at far less cost , and far more effectually * secure good crops . I come next to ' the organic part of the plant . Ton observe , when 1 take this wheat flour dongh , and wash it in water , it diminishes in bulk , and the water becomes milky . Thepoitioa that remains , forit will not all wash away , is a sticky substance , arid this is called gluten . If the water is allowed to stand , a short time , tiie white will fall to the bottom and form starch . The flour
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is thus easily separated into two parts , the starch and the gluten . If lint or hemp-seed is put into a press and squeezed , a large quantity of oil will come , out , but not the whole that the plant contains ; and this is the case with all seeds , more or less , though the fatty matter may not be so abundant perhaps as to produce by pressure merely . . Wheat contains gluten tcHbe extent of from ten to thirteen per cent ; meadow . ' hay of forty per cent , of starch . Of fat , wheat contains from two to four per cent . ; straw , sometimes three percent . ; oats , six per cent . ; Indian corn , nine per cent . ; ' and meadow hay , from two to five per cent . Thus the organic part of vegetable matter contains gluten , starch , and fat . I shall now make a few observations on the composition of the animal . Of what does the ash of animals consist ? The body ,
you know , is composed of various parts—of muscles , fat , bone , and other elements which I need not detail . Let us examine the composition of the muscle , and we shall find that it contains two and a half per cent , of posphate of lime , and a third per cent , of other saline matters . In bones you do not have all the substances which exist in wheat , but you have some of them , such as lime , majnesia , jfec . In ten gallons of milk there is thfee-tourths of a pound of saline matter ; so that if you take the composition ofthe muscle , ofthe bone , arid of the milk together , you will find that animals contain the different substances which are to be found in the soil . Thus it is we learn the intimate connection between tne composition of the inorganic matter of the plant , of the animal , and of the soil . But where does the animal
get this inorganic raattor ? They obtain it from the plants . In bone six-tenths of the whole consists of phosphate of lime and magnesia . Now , an animal could not support itself or walk about without soine bone or firm substance to uphold it . It feeds upon herbage , which it must have , in order to obtain those different substances of which it is made up . . But if the plant has no soda or magnesia , the bone could not be built up , no more than the walls of this house could be erected without lime , stone , and other substances . It is necessary , then , that the plant should have all these substances , in order to supply them to the animal creation—a purpose which it could not fulfil unless it contained all that is necessary to build up their bodies . And where does the plant get these substances ? It sets them from the soil , nor can a
plant live without them ; and here we have a beautiful example of the provisions of nature , for a plan cannot grow , it cannot live , it cannot appear at all unless it can acquire those elements ; and that , too , just because if it did live it might indeed deck the surface of the earth , but it would not be able to feed animals , which is its great purpose in the creation . Thus a beautiful thread of philosophy pervades and connects all those different substances . Of what does the organic matter consist in animals ? It consists of two parts , the muscle and the fat , and you will remember we have three things in the plantfat , gluten , and starch . If I take a piece of muscle and wash it , I shall wash out the blood and make it like the colour of fat , and upon tearing it out it will be seen to be fibrous . When the fibre is analysed it
is found to be the same thing as the gluten in wheat . If you take the fat of animals and compare it with the fat in plants you will find a remarkable analogy to each other , though they are not absolutely identical , and I believe they could very easily be converted into each other . The organic matter of vegetables contains the same substances as the muscles of animals . Vegetables contain a large proportion of that which will very readily form the fat of animals , the only difference being that animal matter contains no starch . Let ' us now see what is the purpose for which the animal eats its food . Unquestionably for the support of the different parts of which it consists . You see again what a beautiful connection exists between the organic part of the plant and that- of the animal . The
animal eats gluten in order to form the nure . When I eat rolls to breakfast I eat a quantity of gluten and starch , and that gluten saves the digestive organs the trouble of manufacturing gluten for the frame . Out of those rude elements which constitute the soil and which float in the air it is the duty of the plant to prepare those substances—those bricks , as it were , to be carried away by the builder to fill up the different gaps which are continually made in the body . There is a great difference between starch and gluten . That substance called nitrogen exists in the latter , but not in the former ; in the fibre and not in the fat of animals . Thus nitrogen is obtained wholly from the soil , therefore it is necessary it should be in the soil . In beans gluten exists to the extent of twenty-eight per cent . If
therefore you or I eat beans , we eat that which is capable of building up a much larger proportion of muscle in the body . Again , if the soil contains a larger proportion of gluten , beans will grow when ' no other plant would . Some animals lay on the fat very abundantly , and some like myself lay it on very sparingly . If you have an animal inclined to lay on fat , feed him with Indian corn . There is an important different between the . . composition of the vegetable and that of the animal : but in the former there is gluten , starch , and fat , in the latter muscle and fat only . The . lungs are a tort of carbonic acid manufacturers . The starch we throw off to the air the plants suck in , and thus it is the leaves are continually in motiop , beating against the air , forming a thousand little
mouths which perpetually suck-in the carbonic air which forms starch . A man throws off about seven ounces per day of carbonic acid . Thus it would not be enough to eat merely of fibre and fat , but we require to eat the vegetable suls ' ancea which contain starch , gluten , and fat , because the general purpose of nature is to save the stomach the trouble of manufacturing these substances for itself . The lungs might suck in the same as plants do , but such is not the order of nature , and it falls to ' plants to . supply the deficiency . The stomach can build more easily from carbonic acid than it could from muscle . In feeding young stock , the fanner must give as much as will not only supply the daily deficiency , but also supply an increase of muscle and bone . You all know that every part of our body is continually undergoing
a change , and that a certain quantity of gluten must be eaten every day to supply it ; and it is the same with young animals , and therefore they require an extra supply of the elements of muscle and bone , in order that they may increase in size . You may by attending to the different qualities of the kind of food , make your animals either very fleshy , very bony , or very fat ; animals eject in dung and other excrements a great many substances : and as the plants contain substances which are soluble with water , it is of great consequence to take care of the liquid excrescences , and to mix it with the solid , so that the whole of tiie animal matter may be preserved , which , being taken back to the soil , it is provided with the same substances almost for ever . If you allow the liquid to run into the rivers , then you bare the land of what the plant gets from the soil ,
and which the animal gets from the plant . When the animal dies , all those things which it got is returned to the soil , and thus the same revolution goes on from the soil to the plant , and from the plant to the animal . These are some ofthe points , gentlemen , by relating which I wish to interest you , which demonstrate the over-ruling presence ef one Mind , directing practical operations te the same end . If there was not the same spirit and intellect pervading in the nature ofthe soil , ihe plants , and the animals , there would be some confusion ; but as they do exist , there is manifested the presence of one mind and of one principle , directing the whole cycle of animal and vegetable life , as there is to be scenj in all the cycles and motions of the planetary bodies . In wishing to teach those under you the elementary principles of
agricultural chemistry , I don't wish yon to leave out of view the beantifnl and powerful evidence which it affords of the existence of a Deity , who is present at all times , and regulates in his infinite wisdom all our affairs and intercourse . I , therefore , concur entirely in the remarks of Mr . Pypcr , that moral training is above all things necessary for the young . Moral training comes first , intellectual next , and practical last of all ; but yet all are here combined , for by this practical knowledge you can give the young mind a new view of natural 1 theology . It is not merely chemistry or phisiology , but this seems to be one of the most beautiful pictures of natural theology . I might tell you there is a great deal of poetry in the sketch I have presented to you . The whole planetary system in
dead masses float in space , and the dead earth forms the subjects which geologists contemplate , but on the surface of this dead earth , you have a soil , avegetablc and an animal life , subject to changes which must interest and concern every enquirer . Suppose the soil contained no seed—that no vegetables grew , and no animals existed—still no doubt the other parts of the creation would go on ; and this subject of ours is just one idea , an episode , as it were , in connection with the planetary system . And this little episode in the mighty poem of nature presents to us the Divine bounty , goodness , wisdom , forethought , benevolence , and the exalted intelligence of the Divine mind How beautiful it is indeed ! What an ineontestibl manifestation ofthe existence of the Deity is to be
found in this episode , planted on o » r own globe ! I have no doubt , gentlemen , that in imparting this branch of knowledge to those under you , you will enjoy an agreeable , an entertaining study yourselves . I came among you an entire , stranger , and therefore I have not been able to speak with . the freedom and ease which , perhaps , I ' otberwise would have done , but I hope the kindness you have shown to me , and the attention you have paid to my explanations , will in some measure , at least , have made ap for my deficiency . If you do me the honour to ask me again before you , I trust I shall be able to address you in a better manner than I have been enabled on this occasion to do . The learned professor resumed his seat amidst groat applause .
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• . THE PAUPER AND THE FELON . One of the most startling and : appalling ftfcts brought forth by the inquiry into the operation ofthe old Poor Law was , that convicted felons were better fed and provided for than the poorin the workhouses . This fact was displayed at the time in beautifully printed octavo boqks . sent forth by the Poor Law Commissioners , followed by innumerable speeches , essays , Ac , all in condemnation of such a system ; and the impression thus made on the public mind prepared the way for the New Poor Law , which was to raise the . labourers' wages ; elevate them : above a state of pauperism ; teach , them to depend on their own resource >?; and surround the farmer with a happy , contented , well-paid peasantry , instead o crouching bands' of turbulent , fierce , ignorant , and vindictive desperadoes , kept at the parish expense .
AVe fear that few of these anticipations . have been fulfilled ; butwe have again before us the fact that convicted felons , now working ( if easy labour can be called work ) in Portsmouth dockyard are much better fed than the poor in the same county . Four days a week the felons are supplied each with 14 oz . of beef a day . By the dietary of the Poor Law Commissioners for Andover Union , the poor are' supplied with " cooked meat" onjy two days a week . This cooked moat includes bacon for one of the days ( Saturday ) , and certainly is neither so wholesome nor nutritious as the felons' beef . But , by the Union , dietary , the poor man has not 14 oz ., but only 8 oz ., and the poor woman but Ooz . Of bacon , the value of which depends so much upon its Quality , the men
have 5 oz ., the women 4 oz . The term " cooked meat " -is an ambiguous phrase . It may mean a very inferior description of meat from that implied by beef . ' But , waiving that , we have the fact , as it has been published by the Government itself , that the felons have eacli SGoz . of nieab per week , whilst the pool' man has only 13 oz . per week , and the poor woman only 10 , oz . per week . Now , there is probably no person who has thought or paid attention to these matters who does not know some aged pauper , 70 or SO years of age , pressing towards the house prepared for his abode . Look at that bent but stalwart frame . "His sinews and his mind , —for it is a . gross mistake to supposo that no skill is required in the agricultural labourer , —have contributed towards the enormous wealth of his
country for upwards of half a century . Time at last has takep all the work out of him , though the wealth ho has assisted to accumulate remains ; and we ask , is not such a man justly entitled to a comfortable existence in his latter | days ? Humanity , justice , Christianity , can give but one reply to the question , lhat man is entitled to a fair proportion of the accumulated wealth of the community of which he has been all his days a valuable member ; and yet . we turn to the dietary tables and find this man infinitely worse off than he who for his crimes has been expel ed troni society , and is kept in safe custody , like a wild beast , because he cannot be trusted atlarge . Let us not , however , be misunderstood , we do not want to reduce the felons' allowance , They have
probably no more than nature requires to keep them in health ; but , if so , in what state must h e the poor , whose allowance is miserable even as compared with that of the convicted felon ? We do not want , we repeat , to reduce the felons' allowance ; butwedo wish to see that of the poor increased . This , it may be replied , would increase pauperism . Granted tor a moment : hut will not the tact of a far greater amount of food being given to the convicted felon than to the pauper inevitably increase crime ? Is it not offerings premium to crime ? . Does not such a system as this belong to that category of errors committed by Governments ? If , it is said , the poor are kept too well , they will consume all the rents of the land . In this brief sentence are contained two grand errors . One of fact ;
the other of theory . Those who have any practical knowledge of the poor know how reluctant they are to go into the workhouse under any circumstances . They will sell or pawn every thing they have before they will enter those real prisons , but nominal places for relief to the poor , lialt-a-century ago the same repugnance was felt by them to receive parochial aid ; but the times compelled thousands to submit to it , and it is true that a race of paupers was reared ; but even those , —and there are no worse characters generally than those raised in the workhouse , —will not apply to them if they can get employment out . What , then , is the remedy ? A fair day ' s wages for a lair day ' s work . This , could it bo accomplished , is the only real cure for the evils of pauperism , and te this
the country must come sooner or later . Why is it not done at once ? it may be " . demandcd . The reply is , that the farmer has so many demands upon him that he is compelled to pinch his labourer . What are these demands ? - 1 st . Rent , four or five times higher than before the American War of Independence ^ 2 nd . Taxes ; increased from five millions a-year in the reiffll of Aline to fifty-five millions a-year in the reign of " Victoria . 3 rd . County rates , ; as poverty is the mother of crime , the county rates increased to Diinish the poor as criminals . 4 th . Tithes , increased in the same proportion as rents . Gth . Then come wages ,
with other burdens , all of which the farmer must pay ; , and having paid , finds that enough money is not left in his purse to pay the labourers properly . A family raised upon 10 s . or 12 s . a-week must end in the greater portion of them becoming paupers or something worse . Yth . Then come the poor-rates ; and we have the fact , in the Governmental dietaries , that to keep down the expense of pauperism the invaluable poer man , who has given the labour of a whole life to increase the wealth of the country , is served with but 13 oz . of meat per week , whilst the unprincipled convicted felon rejoices on SOoz . per week . — Brighton Herald .
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ExrEniMEKTAk Tiurs o ? f HiB Ckotdon Atmospheric Railway . —On Friday ( says the Morning Herald ) we had the satisfaction of witnessing several experimental , and as far as we are able to judge , we may add successful , trips on thatfportion ofthe Croydon line of railway which has been laid down upon tke atmospheric system , of which Mr . Sannula and Mr , C'lcgg are the inventors and patentees . These experiments were instituted with the view of getting the apparatus in good working order , and arranging the mode of working prior to the line being thrown open for the use of the public . They may aiso be regarded in some degree as tests of the objections to the atmospheric principle which , during the last session , were urged upon more than one committee of the Houses
of Parliament in cases , where the principles ol locomotive and of atniosphcrictraction entered into competition . The portion of the Croydon line upon which the atmospheric apparatus has been completed extends from the Croydon terminus to the Dartmouth Arms station , a distance of rather more than live miles . It runs parallel with the locomotive line , and connected with it three pairs of engines for exhausting the tubes have already been erected ; the first at the Croydon station ; the second at the Norwood station , a little more than two miles from Croydon , and the third at the Dartmouth Arms , three miles from the Norwood station . The engines are of 50-horse power each . From Croydon to Norwood . the trains arc propelled by the Norwood engine , which exhausts
the first two miles ol pipe , and atterwards tne duty ot exhaustion for the remaining three liiiles is taken up by the Dartmouth Arms engine , which actuates the train to that station . On returning from the Dartmouth Arms the vacuum is created for the firstthree miles as far as the Norwood station by the engine at that place , and for the rest ofthe distance to Croydon by the engine fixed there . In passing we may observe that tlio engine houses are beautifully constructed edifices , adorned with many architectural embellishments , and a short way off have nothing about them to denote that there resides the gigantic power of steam . The vacuum tube is 15 inches in diameter , and the ruling gradient on the line ia 1 in GOO , except where it passes over the Brighton Railway
by means of a viaduct , at wmeli place the inclination for abeutja quarter of a mile is 1 in 50 . Friday ' s cxperireents were made with a traiaofsix carriages , including the piston carriage , the aggregate weight of which , and the company in . them , was calculated ; at upwards * of 30 'tons , and the first trip was from the Croydon-. station , shortly after two o ' clock . This- trip , however , could not be considered in the light of a "trial , " inasmuch as , great delay ei » ued at the two intermediate stations— -viz ., the Norwood and ! the Anerlej Bridge stations , for the purpose of avoiding inconve ^ liieBce to the ordinary traffic on the locomotive line . StilL the result ' was sufficient to indicate that the
iraetive power was under the most cosiplete control , ani that there was every facility fos . arresting the progress of a train at the Tarious stations , in order to se& down or take up passengers . Oa this occasion tlae train was started wh « n the vacuum in the tube vlas ' only 12 itiehcs : but the five ratios , exclusive of flu ; stoppages alluded to , were aceamplished m 19 aiinutes , being on the average about 16 miles aa hour . 'i"he train left the Dartmouth Asms station .,, oa its return , at a period when it could aim through without interruption , the vacuum in tke pipe 214 inches . V / e now seemed almost to realise-the idea of the poet , who make&one of t ! se glorious , stations , of his imaginations ,
" Glide thrasgh the « ea 0 a a sunbeam swift as a , shooting star , " for tho four and a half miles , to the summit sf the viaduet , where the breaks -were applied to bring the train to a state of rest before arriving at the Croydon station , were performed in five minutes and fifteen seconds ; and the last quarter of a mile ofth . it distance , up tho incline , at the rate of C 5 miles an hour . The result of this trip showed that a speed of 60 miles an hour could be attained at the end of 3 miles from the point of rest , with a train of thirty tons ; a fact to whiclvgrcat weight is attached by Mr . Samudain
, comparing atmospheric with locomotive traction . It is proper to observe also , that , even at the highest velocUy ,. not tho slightest oscillation was perceptible that the noise was no more than might reasonably bo expected , and that the application ofthe "breaks " was most effective . The third trip from Croydon to the Dartmouth Arms was made with similar success ; the only observation necessary to make is , that the intermediate engines at the Norwood stations were not at work , and that the exha ustion was performed BO . ely by t £ e Dartmouth . Arms engines , five miles in advance of tb . 9 starting point ! Oa the train aga ' u
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MB distance to Croydon wasarrosted , jioweVeiy -uponus SfssasSf ^* ! ! 2 ^ r £ TKhnsr «« ¥ 3 DOnentS . and as exceeding even their own ^ most KgXe 5 * One material point to U UM ^ uned wa £ whether , under all the circumstances , a useful rate of speed could be attained , the adversaries of thesvstein contending that the friction of air through . the tube would be so great as to prevent the possibility miles
of attaining a velocity of more than 15 an nour when the process of exhaustion was going on W means of an engine three miles in . advance . - ilie above experiments showed , however , that the train acquired a rate of CO miles an hour , when full'that distance from the exhausting engines . And the promoters of the atmospheric system further , regard these experimental trips as conclusive evidence ot the truth of their position , that after having travelled one three miles ' section of pipe the tram can enter another section and be propelled through it with an equal velocity , and that a line of 300 miles in length , would in fact be merely repeating one hundred times the same operation , without in any way extending the amount ofthe experiments . Upon this sulijecfi we do not feel called on to give an
opinion—unscientific people will be better able to judge ot it , when tuo whole line from Croydon to London , the works on which are making rapid progress , are completed , and the system is in full operation . We understand that several " trial" trips were made by Mr . Samuda and Mr . Clegg , who were both present , on Thursday last , with trainsof 18 carriages , containing a large number of persons , and weighing 90 tons . A speed of 30 miles an hour was then attained for a short distance ; and the viaduct over the Brighton line , where the inclination is 1 in 50 , was surmountfid at 20 miles an iour .
Despkiutb Suicidb dt a Yousa Gentleman . —On Thursday afternoon a long inquiry was opened before Mr . G . I . Mills , deputy coroner for Middlesex , and a jury , at the . Marquis of Hastings , Ossulston-street , Somers Town , on the body of a gentleman at present unknown , who committed self-destruction under the very singular and unaccountable circumstances subjoined . Harriett Mayne said that she lodged at 26 , Aldcnham-street , which house was kept by a female named Bryan . Shortly after twelve o ' clock on the night of Tuesday last , she met deceased , whom she had never seen before , at a concert at the Garrick's ilead , in Bow-street , where she partook of a part of pint of sherry with him and a tall young gentleman , iiis friend . The deceased told her he had previously
been to Evans ' s Grand Hotel , and had partaken of two bottles of wine and some rum punch . Shortly before three o'clock on Wednesday morning the deceased bid his friend good-bye , left the Gar * rick ' s Head , and accompanied witness in a cab to her residence . At two o'clock en Wednesday afternoon she invited him to pai « take of breakfast , but he refused , and said ho would rather have a glass of wine . He gave witness half-a-crown to send for a pint of sherry , and on her calling Margaret Bryan , the landlady's daughter , to go for it , deceased added , " Stay , I will send for something else that will do mo good . " Deceased then asked for a pen and ink , and wrote a prescription in Latin , telling her to send it
to some chemist , giving her 2 s . to procure it . Margaret Bryan went to the shop of Mr . Wakcjield , and on her return with the wine said that Mr . Wakeneld said he had not got any , and that it was poison . Witness told deceased , who said , " Nonsense , it is no such thing ; it is only to enliven up low spirits ; send to another doctor . " Margaret Bryan then went to the shop of Mr . Rentmore , in Clarendon-square , and brought back a phial about three-parts full of si tiff smelling like almonds . Deceased was then lying on the sofa in the parlour , and appeared very cheerful . Witness left him to get her breakfast , leaving the phial and the wine on the table . She returned in about five minutes , and on entering the room asked the deceased how he was . He replied he felt better ,
but his stomach began to pain him . At that moment he turned over on the sofa and appeared f aihtiug , and made a gurgling noise in the throat . J 3 he called for water , and sent for a doctor . Mr . Wakcnekl came and said he was dead , and had taken poison . By the Coroner . —I had never seen deceased before . I had not the slightest idea that he had sent for poisun ; and I intended to have taken a portion of what he sent for had he left any , as he said it was for low spirits . I should say he was not moro than twenty years of age . When alive he appeared of rather sallow complexion , and had dark brown hair . Iiis dress consists of a black frock coat , black satin waistcoat , javendcr-coJourcd striped trousers with straps , the whole quite new ; a blue striped silk
neckerchief , white stockings , yellow kid gloves , and short boots ; anew hat , maker's name " Townsend , Cheapsiile and Uegent-strcct . " lie had with him a small yellow stick with the handle much bitten , and his linen was marked " G . Oklficld , junior . " On his person were found two handkerchiefs , one white muslin , with the name " G . Oldfield" on it , the other silk ; a cigar case , a green purse studded with steel beads and tassels , with two shillings in it ; and on his finger a gold ring with a green stone . Deceased did not give witnesss any other money than for tho wine and the stuff . Margaret Bryan proved having gone with the prescription first to ti . e shop of Mr . "Waketield and then to that of Mr . Rentmore , where she procured the stuff for deceased ,. and paid
Is . 9 d . for it , and that , she was served by a young man . Mr . llcntiuore ' s brother . The witness having identified the prescription , the Deputy-Coroner said it was in Latin , and was "half an ounce hydrocyanic acid , " and at the bottom was written " For flavouring soups , " nnd it was signed " G . O . " Mr . Wakefield proved that when he was called to sec deceased ho was quite dead . The Deputy-Coroner animadverted on any cnemist selling so " large a quantity of poison to a stranger , and called upon Mr . llcntmore ' or an explanation . Air . llcntmore , jun ., who served it , said he understood that the girl who fetched the poison canie from the pastry-cook ' s in Seymourstreet , and knowing oil of almonds was used in the trade , he served it . The Deputy-Coroner said the circumstances of the case were so strange , although there was no reason to believe that the witness Maync had connived at the deceased poisoning himself , tiiat
ho felt it necessary to adjourn the inquiry for further evidence , and to have the body opened . The inquiry was ultimately adjourned to Monday , and alter the post mortem examination the body will be removed to St . Pancras ¦ workhouse for identity . —On Monday the inquest was resumed , when Mrs . Emily Oldiield , repemaker , Sonthgatc-road , Ball ' s-pond , Islington , stated that the deceased was her son , and that he was warehouse-clerk in the employ of-Messrs . Warwick and Sons , wholesale druggists , * Garlick-hill > Last Tuesday morning he left home for Iiis oflii- 'ff , and told witness that he would , if allowed by Iiis employers , go with some friends to Gravcsem / ^ * day . Site gave hm 8 s . Cd ., but did not know vl p other money he had . She never afterwards saw h » n alive . Her impression was that he had been dnisg c " in the house , Aldenham-strcet , and then nwrdemi . The coroner assured Mrs . Oldficld that both llU and
the jury were fully convinced by the evidence given on the first day that her son had not been drugged . On the contrary ,, they felt that the circumstance was unfortunate for ull parties , and tkat every attention had been paid to him . Frank Merrick , a youth about eighteen-years of age , depossd that on T uesday night he accompanied deceased to She Adelphi theatre ; and afterwards to the Garrick ' s Head , Bo . w-stn . et > where they had between them a glass of gin «| ul water . Aiteu soma delay there ,, deceased-left lum and joined a- female in the room . Deceased , who
was not dnink , left the Garrick ' s Head about one o ' clock on Wednesday morning , but with whom witness did net know ,, nor did he- afterwards see lii ( HOn two previous occasions deceased slept with Iiini at his lodgings , Cloak-lane . Mr . llentinore , brother and assistant to Mr . Rentmore , surgeon , said that he sold to the seavant of the- house , . No . 15 , AUlenham-street , half an ounce of the essential oil oj almonds , in an oanee and a half bottle , lie imagine that it was required by a soap-makes !) , or a pastiv * cook . It was usual with druggists to sell as lnucu . as an ouHce of it to persons in . those trades . The boitlo
was not labelled . Mr . G . WakeficW , surgeon , sa ' he had exainbied the body ,, which frsaithc £ Csonliai ; u 3 downwards , gave cvklenco- of tlio destructive pr esence of prussic ae-id ; and which , no doubt , was thc _ t a " ^ of death . Tlac quantity sold to deceased was suih ' C'K' "" to kill four persons . Mrs . Oldfield having sta'eu that 2 s . worth of brandy had bes-n sent for after "" son entered the bi-otliel ,. Alice Bryan , the Janula" ? ofthe hoase , ker daughter , astl the woman w > ° » deceased accompanied home , distinctly proved l « » such was not the facfc , and that all that was brougiw in was a Dint of sWrv Tim invv . after ban-ftU *
hour ' s deliberatioa , returned a verdict "That Gcor .- o Oldfield , jun ., died by taking essential oil ofalnjo" " with his own hands , but that there was no csw ^ of Iiis state of mind at the time . " Tho jury accompanied the verdict with a censure upon Ml ' . Wc " more , jun ., for having so incautiously sold tho iiOi *" AxornEn Colliery Explosion . — On Tuesday i" ? . last the inhabitants of the village of Abcnlare , » have hardly had sufficient time to recover iron 1 » excitement produced by the late dreadful catastrop » were thrown into a state of . great consternation - ^ an explosion in Blaengawr colliery , the propi " - , - Mr . Diivies , of Ilirwain . The violent conclusion air consequent upon the explesion had the eim „ an earthquake in shaking the whole district , appeared that the accident was occasioned in = " ; quenccofsomeof the workmen having , conti . " the positive instructions ofthe master , got an ground door placed in some portion ot tiie « .-, whifih hmi thn nflW « P nlwtMintinff a CUri'ClH' / ,
There were happily not more than » vc . . " , vC ,-o pit at the time of the explosion , three ot fflio » t ( J dreadfully : schorched ; they are , however , nwi $ eovei \_ Catti 6 nan .
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five acres each , by ( x- Harris . Second . Two private farms , of five or six acres one worked by Jesse Piper , the other by John Painbrcll—the- former at Eastdean , the latter at Jevin"ton—all of them within a few miles of Eastbourne . Third . An industrial school farm at Slaith-TOute . Fourth . Several private model farms near the eameplace . Theconsecutiveoperationsinthesereports ifill enable the curious reader to compare the climate tad agricultural value of the south with the north of England . The Diaet is aided by "Notesand Observations " from the pen of Mr . Kowejl , calculated for ihe time and season , which we subjoin .
conducted Cruttenden and John * * FIELD-GAKDEN OPERATIONS . J&r tie Week « m **»* v . X » J *» . Se l * - 18 th > 18 rErfraeted fromaBiABT Cfilcluai ^ eratfons on five L allformson the estates of the late ftrs . D . Gilbert near Eastbourne , in Sussex rand on several model ^ s on the estates of the Earl of Dartmouth at laithwaite , in Yorkshire * ****** by Air AoweU , of Farnley Tyas , near Huddersfieli in order to guide other possessors of field gardens , by showing them ¦ what labours ought to be undertaken on tkeir own lands The farms selected as models are—First Two " school farms at Willingdon and Eastdean , of
" The culture of the ground is thy happiest state , O man 3 Envy not tne possession of gold " , silver , or fine raiment—their joys may cot be so great as thine ; for these things lead unto sloth , and a life of slothfulness is prone t » vanity and imaginings of evH . " Note . — The school farms are cultivated by boys , w 7 i « in return for three hours' teacMng in the morning , give three hours of their labour in the afternoon for tie master ' s benefit , whicli renders the schools selfsotportisg . We believe iltat at Farnly Tyas sixteventJis of the produce of the school farm will be assigned to the hoys , and one-seventli to the master , who will receive the usual wftwZ / € « , htlp the boys to cultivate tlidr land , and teach them , in addition to reading , writing , d-c-., to convert their produce into bacon , by attending to pig-keeping , which at Christmas may be divided , after paying rent and levy , amongst them , in proportion to thdr services , and lemdetimsindirectly to reach tfieirparents in a way the most grateful to their feelings . ]
SUSSEX . Mosdat— WttUnqdm Sdiool . Boys carrying out solid . Diamirc for winter tares after rye , for spring fow L Eastdean School . Kine boys digging and picking stones , rest gleaning with the farmers . JPiper . Digging up potatoes , and preparing ground for wheat . JhtmbreU . Stacking stubble , hoeing turnips , thrashing wheat . Toesdat— Willingdon School . Boys carrying manure out . Eastdean School . Boys gleaning the stubbles , diggiiig-the ground where the tans were grown . Piper . Digging up potatoes . Jhunbrcll . Carrying dung with the heifer , hoeing turnips , tlirashinji
wheat . Wednesday—Willingdon School . Boys digging up early potatoes . Eastdean School . Boys emptying the portable pails , and breaking leaves from the turnips . Piper . Hoeing turnips . LumbreU . Raking stubble , thrashing and winnowing wheat , carrying dung with the heifer . Thursday—Willingdon School . Boys digging up early potatoes . Easidean School . Boys emptying the pigstye tank , carrying contents to the . wheat stubble . riper . Digging up potatoes , mixing up manure . JJumbrdl . ltalung stubble , thrashing wheat , digging and carrying potatoes , and dung with the lieifer .
xbidat—Willingdon School . Boys digging up early potatoes . Eastdean School . Boys picking weeds from potatoes and earrots , and carrying them ' t&e pigs . Fiper . Digging wheat stubble , for rye and tares . Dumbrell . Stacking stubble , thrashing wheat , digging potatoes , carrying manure . Satebdat—Willingdon School . Boys thrashing peas for the pigs . Eastdean School . Boys holyday , master digging up potatoes for the pigs " < fcc . I'ipe ' r . Digging up potatoes . DumbreU . Mowing stubble , carrying dung .
COW-FEEDIXG . Willingdon School . Cows fed on clover , white turnips , and a little chaff . Diutrfircll . One cow grazed in the day , stall-fed room and even with mangel wurzel leaves . One cow and Jieifer stall-fed with tares . N . B . Look carefully to your stock all this month and next ; if you do nbt they will get low in condition . JiAKLT Batilkt for Pigs . —Get some of ycur early barley ground for the pigs as soon as thr ashed , ant ! mix It well with boiled potatoes ; one bushel now will do them as much good as two in cold weather ; be very careful to smash all your potatoes , and let them be given onlv just warm .
_ ltrE Sowing , jlxd qcaxtitt of Seed . —Isojr is agood time for sowing rye . It is frequently sown in August , and the later vow sow , the more seed you must use ; two and a half bushels pc-r acre is the quantity oi seed generally sonn at an caily period , but ; deferred sowing , may make three bushels , or more , lsecessary It may be sown in drills or broadcast , as at Eastbounic ; in the former case three bushels of seed will be sufficient , in the latter , it is usual to sow four bushels per acre . Sow thus plentifully , that the crop being thick it may be cut the sconcr . iVorfc your manure as fine . is possible , and put oh five bushels to the rod of stable dung , before the sround is dusj over ; or twenty-Jive gallons of liquid to the roil . Then soir the seed aad civer more slightly than for ¦ wheat . In manuring for rye , or indeed any crop whatever , do not bun * the manure too deep " ; just cover it up , and no more ; for every shower that falls has a tendency to carry down the soluble part of it still deeper .
"VVimei : Take Sowixo , ssn qcastitt of Seed . — Always strive to sow early , particularly for your iiisr . crop of tares , which may either be in drills or broadcast la Ihe former ease yon may keep the emiy clean with the hoc , and by stirrim ; the soil improve the growth of the plant . At Easibonmc , both methods are practised . Tho distance ofthe rows in tiic drill method is about six inches , and the quantity of seed two and a-half bushels per acre , while four bushels is the quantity used wlion sown broadcast . The drills are formed with a wheat hoe , and the seed deposited at a depth of about two inches . In bath cases they add . either by digging in broadcast , or by placing upon the seed in the drills , as much fine worked mouldy manure as cnu be spared from their wheat mixen . " There is probably no crop that will pay the farmer bi-Ucr , for t' . sc manure he may add , than the vetch . It not onlv increases tiie bulk ' of iiis
-crop , but pushes and brings it forward , at the very time when food is scarcest , and if the tares are , as they always shoulil be , succeeded by turnips , the land will be more ready for them . " It is customary , in most places , to mix about one quarter , by measure , of rye , with seeds of the winter tare . The rye supports the tare piant , and is not- often rejected by the cattle . The writer may be allowed to add , that the present year his produce was , in a crop of this kind , after the rate of icn and a-half tons of green food per acre , or when dried , after the rate of two tons and tbrce-qaartcrs of vctc-h-hay . Theory informs us that this two tons and three-quarters should be equal in su * tami ! ig power to more than six tons suid threoqttarters « jf the Lay of the natural grasses . Veichhar is porhajs Joo toarso to bo relished as dry fodder , but chopped up and steamed with turnips into mash , it would doubtless f / rore ray cxceileni food for cattle
Stekp for Lecoiixous axd oinE . n Seeds . — The following method for steeping has been found to answer wcJl for tare , rye , or other seeds . Jt tends to start the young plants into quick and vigorous growth , upon which frequently depcmls the success of the future crop . Mix in your sleeping vessel equal parts of tank liquid and urine ; dissoiveor macerate in it a few pounds of pigeons' du :. >! r , « r the disiii ^ oi fowls , or guano , weli pounded , and an equal quantity of common salt ; stir well togct ' ier ; put your seed in a wicker kiskct , and pour the fluid through itseveral times , letting it drain back into the vessel , for future application . Use gypsum , not quick lime , to divide the seeds , and sow immcdiatelv .
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A SiBONa Breejui among tiie Holt Friars . —A student belonging to the Convent of St . Augustine ( one ofthe wealthiest , monasteries ) , was sontenced last week to two months' imprisonment , by the Judicial Court of Police , for havinp given a severe thrashing to the prior or abbot } of his convent . It is fortunate for the culprit it did not happen in a country where the convents exercise their own jurisdiction , otherwise he would have fared much worse —Malta Tines . . ... .
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Exthaohdinary Balloon Ascent prom Cremorxe Gardens . —On Monday evening , Mr . Green . made another ascent in his Nassau Balloon from the gardens of Cremorne House , and it being announced that ho would bo accompanied by a lady and a leopard , a very large company were assembled , there being nearly 12 , 000 persons present . At ha ! f-pasfc six , a female , together with a young male leopard , tho property of a Mr . White , a trainer of » beasts , and the keeper , made their appearance upon the grounds . A car had been prepared for tho occasion , and attached beneath the regular one ; the three
having entered it , Mr . Green placed himself in the upper ; car , when they proceeded to make several ascents ' to the-height ofthe trees , at the conclusion of which the seronaut made preparations for hia final ascent with . Mr ? . Green , Mrs . C . Green , Mr . Salter , Mr . IIardwicke ( the magistrate ) , Mr . Littlejolm , &c , in all eleven persons . The balloon having bsen released , took a south-westerly direction , in -which course it proceeded for some timo , when entering another can-cut of air , it returned tswards the gardens , over whicli it hovered for some tiime , and finally it descended at Notting-hill , about half-past eight , and Mr . Green roturned to the gardens , it being , by reason of the various currents into which the balloon cntemi , one of the- most extraordinary ascents made
lor many years . Child Murder . —BiniiiNGirAMi . Saturdat . —Buring the week a child murder of considerable atracLty has been brought to light by Mr . Da ? is , the town , coroner . The- circumstan « e » , as elicited at the coroner ' s inqu ' iFj , may be related briefly . At SpringliGath live a hard-working eouplc named ; Jenkins , and ! during the latter part ef'the week the wife had a quarrel witft a woman aa-aied Marsh , who manife&feeii a great degree of splean .- in the course of the altercation . This day week a fine little girf belonging , ta Jenkins ( fifteen months old ) , after toddling ab ' ouifeom house tpi house , was . suddenly missed . Every search wasmade in the ricinity for it ,, when it was at last ascertained that thtrpopr liiile creature- was seenta ester IWarsb / s- house , with , two other ' eirildren , and isas not afteswards . notice ^ until discmred dead ! by its father in , tho evening * in the cesspool attached to
i the water-cleset . It appears , a few minutes afte ? it \ was missed ) , the father " went to Marsh ' s house for the purpose of ascertaining whether the . eh . ild was there , when Marsh assured him it was not , and gave'him a light t » satisfy himself . An inhabitant , however , named Mullins , deposed that a short time before the father went to look for the deceased he saw Marsh take a child by its hand to the water-closet , and / return ¦ without Jt , at ' which time she was drank . The jury ,, however , believing that the child might have fallen in accidentally , returned a verdict to that effect . But subsequent important disclosures coming to the ears of the" corone ^' a * fresh jury was empanelled at the Turk ' s Head ' on Friday , when it was satisfactorily explained that the child could not have fallen throngh the scat , and that Marsh had been frequently heard to say that she would serve the parent out before the week was out . The j nry , after sitting until a late hour last evening , returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder . " against Marsh , who was fully committed , ' ' ¦ . ^
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""'"" ..: TEN HOURS . TO TI 1 E EDITOE OF THE NOBTHEKK S 7 AB . . Sib , — Having long laboured with the immortal Sadler and the indefatigable Oastler , in the endeavour to achieve ' the emancipation of tne factory workers froin their rroxse than Egyptian bondage , I ' always feel nninterestin every--thing mooted on that important question , which Mr . O'Connor has most appositely described as " one of the essential nidiments of the Charter . " -If gave me much pleasure to-learn . from the . Star . that Mr . Gardner , of Preston , had adopted the , Ten Hours' plan in his
establishment , V > y which he . has earned tho respect and esteem . of . the operatives of- that town . But , sir , why are most of the public journals silent on the subject ? Is an aristocrat ' s fall from his horse , or her ' Majesty ' s trip to the Continent to spend other people ' s money , of mor « ¦ fital importance than the disinterested , " benevolent , and humane act of Mr . Gardner ? [ Xn , sir ; with hired scribes and fawning sycophants . such . nonsense is the culminating point of their " public instruction / ' white they feel it profitable to blink everything having a tondency to benefit the working class . -
I thank you for giving publicity to the noble example set by Mr . Gardner to his brother ' millowners ; but allow mo to say , I do not thank you for giving the echo to a Mercurial paragraph in last week ' s Star , without a word of comment . I allude to the following : — Factory LAiioim . —An Example worthy of Imitation . —Messrs . Norris , Sykes , and Fisber , have verv kindly reduced the hours of labour at their establishment , Newtoii-iiiill , lluddersiield , from twelve to eleven hours a day . This arrangement frill give the younger portion of their hands the opportunity of attending an evening school , where they will be able to receive that instruction necessary for after life . Tho men also will have the pleasure of enjoying more . domestic comfort with ' their respective families at home . We hope that their labours may in an especial mannev ue crowned with success , in return for this noble and praiseworthy example , and that it will induce other masters to adopt the same system . —iced * Mercury .
Coming , an the above does , from the oracle of the capitalists and profit-mongers , it ought to be received with suspicion . Do you find Mr . Baines following up the pnragraph by another " example" MORE " worthy of imita . tion , " viz ., the example of Mr . Gardner ? No ; the crafty journalist knew " a trick worth two of that . " He , no doubt , knew that in his own native town the Ten Hours ' system was in practice . He knew the operative factory workers woro elated at the prospect of their wishes being consummated , and he also knew that tho Miinclieeter Central Committee were again at work to accelerate the overthrow of Moloch ' s away . Hence appeared the paragraph you copy , without a word of comment .
Sir , —I am sure you have not forgot that the Eleven Hours' plan is the spawn of Hobhouse , the Whig—that it was handed orcr to old Damo Baines to nurse as soon as it came into tho world , and that the old Dame has always held it up when the factory workers' iwn has publicly appeared . ' In short , the Eleven Hours' plan was projected for no other purpose but that of frustrating the objects of the operatives and their friends . This fact is well known , and ths Whig bantling is still as hideous in the eyes of the workies as ever ; and Baines and Co . will find to their discomfiture that old birds are ' not to be caught with chaff . They know that the most eminent of the faculty have declared that Ten Hours' daily labour is the utmost that human nature can sustain with impunitythat it is enough for man , leaving the immature portion of our race out of the question .
They know , also , that a living philanthropist , practically acquainted with the factory system in all its ramifications , and one who has spent a long life in the study of human nature and the position of society , has , after years of observation , pronounced eight hours' daily toil a sufficient burden for the human frame . I allude to Mr . R . Owen , whose knowledge of society none will dispute , however much they may differ with him on the conflicting points of religion . Sir , I am afraid of trespassing too much on your space , but I sea a motive in Baines inserting the paragraph at this juncture . Perhaps the Huddersfield firm are " experimentalits" to subserve that motive . Yet , depend upon it , it will be " no go . " Ten hours' men know the enemy's engine of warfare . They know the opposite side of Boar-lane end very well , and they will keep an eye on the movements in that quarter , while they will , as they ever have done , repudiate the Eleven Hours' system .
No concession ! No compromise ! No fulsome adulation for Eleven Hour tricksters ! Yours truly , 61 , King-street , Long Acre , War . Rideb . Sept . 9 , 1845 . [ Our friend is wrong . Mr . Gardner has not adopted the " Ten Hour System . " He used to run his mill twelve flours , like the rest of the millowners at Preston . He reduced the hours of working to eleven , and the result , in amountofprodufitionamlincreasedcomfortto the "hands " employed , induced him to make another reduction to ten and-a-half hours a-day . The last account wo saw stated that Mr . Gardner tlowjU of trying the Ten Hour plan ; hut as yet we believe the hours worked are ten anda-half . Then for the Huddersfield case . Before Mr .
Gardner made any reduction at all , the Messrs . Stavkey , of Iludaersfield , " had reduced their working hours to eleven , paying the same amount of wages as for twelve , while all the rest of the mills in the neighbourhood were running twelve . The result , extended over a space of now upon two years , has been so satisfactory both' to ; employers mid employed , that the example set by the Messrs . Starkey has been followed by the Brooks at Armitagebvidge ; by the owners of the Meltluim mills ; and tiie Messrs . Armitago , of Milnes-bridgc ( we believe , though of the two latter we are not sure ) ; and noio by the firm of Messrs . Norris , Sykes , and Fisher , of Newtown , Iluildersficld . It was to record this last fact , so honourable to
the parties concerned , that the paragraph in the Mercury appeared , which bears all the marks of having been furnished by the Huddersfield correspondent , and inserted just as sent . We do not ' think that the Messrs . Baines had any other " motive" in giving it insertion than to record a fact' worthy of imitation by all ill IIMdOl'Sfield who still run their mills liwtoehours , when theiruciglibours show that it is possible to live , and even TiiniVE . by only running eleven , even when they pay as much wages for eleven , as they did for twelve . We trust a few more will " experimentalize ; " and that the Messrs . Starlsey and Mr , Gardner will UadVte way to the whole Ten Hour plan . —Ed . K S . ]
[< £ & Since the above was in type , we have received the ( to us ) pleasing information , that the firm of the Messrs . Shaw , of Steps Mill , ITonlej-, near Huddersfield , have followed the example set them by the Messrs . Sturkey , and have commenced to run their works only eleven instead of twelve hours- daily . In accovdiug all pv . iise to the Messrs . Shaw for thus voluntarily adding six hours weekly to the life of the workers in their establishment , uithout any abridgment of their means , we do not think that we are guilty of " fulsome adulation ; " and we apprehend that both the Messrs . Shaw and the Messrs . Noi'i'is Sykes and Fisher , are deserving , in these instances at least , of a better name than that of " tricksters . " At all events , we would cheerfully refer that question to the " hands " they employ , at the end of their week ' s work , when they have enjoyed the comforts of " home" for six hours longer than they used to do ! If this be the result of " elevenhour ., trickery , " we trust that the other employers in the Huddersfield district will turn " tricksters" too . — Ed . N . S . )
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Sept. 13, 1845, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1332/page/6/
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