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incidentally mentioned by Mr. Jofeph Webb, who contents himself with defcribing a very fimple mode of proofing his feed potatoes, to know whether they will have that disease, or not. He justly obferves, that if the difeafe depended on the foil, it would be equal in the fame field in different parts of it; but it is well known, that if feed has been got from different places, one part of the field fhall be much infefted with this diforder, while another part fhall be entirely found. Of this fact the writer of the prefent Article has the cleareft proof at prefent under his eye, the whole of a field very near him being entirely found, except two patches in different parts of the field (where the feed was of another fort), in which every third potatoe is curled. It also happens, that in fome extenfive diftrics the difeafe has not yet obtained a footing and is entirely unknown. From confiderations of this nature, Mr. Webb is convinced, that the difeafe in all cafes originates from faulty feeds, and therefore concludes that the fafeft method of avoiding the evil is to try each parcel of feed as here directed: • Soon after Chriftmas,' fays he, I made a hot-bed in the following manner; I laid horfe dung, &c. (as is generally used in making hot-beds) about 18 inches think, over which I fpread a layer of fine rich mold about 4 or 5 inches thick; upon the top of this I laid in different divifions a certain number of potatoes of various forts, and covered thefe lightly over with more mold; they foon came up; I then obferved which was freeft from the blight or curl, for if there were not more than one of 40 or 50 defective, I concluded 1 might fet them with fafety, &c.' This method may be practifed at a very small expence. We fhall only further obferve on this head, that we have been affured, by perfons well fkilled in this article, that potatoes produced from a curled plant never fail to be of the fame fort; that these potatoes are in general of a small fize, and therefore many of them may be feparated from the ftock by paffing them through a very wide fereen, rejecting for feed all the fmall; that this kind of potatoe has befides a fickly colour, and warty skin, so that a quick eye will readily perceive them among others fo as to admit of being feparated from them. Too much caution cannot be taken to guard against a difeafe which sometimes diminishes the crop to less than one tenth of what it otherwise might have been.

CARROTS.

The culture of this valuable root does not feem to gain much ground, and we here meet with little new on the fubject. Mr. John Kirby of Ipswich obtains ufually from 200 to 500 bushels per acre, which he fells at 6d. per bufhel. This feems a very low price. The Rev. Mr. Onley thinks an acre of carrots will afford double the quantum of food for horfes that an acre of oats can be made to produce. We are forry to find that so few

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of the Bath Correfpondents have turned their attention to this article, the culture of which feems not to be as yet fully underfood an indication that agriculture is carried to perfection but in very few places; for as foon as the neat garden-like culture comes to be univerfally practifed in the fields, carrots must become a very general crop; but never till then, for obvious reafons.

(To be concluded in our next.)

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ART. XI. Obfervations on Live Stock; containing Hints for choofing and
improving the best Breeds of the most useful Kinds of domestic Animals.
By George Culley, Farmer at Henton, Northumberland. 8vo. 35.
Robinson, London.

TH

HAT the ftudy of agriculture is lefs in vogue at prefent than it was fome years ago, is a fact that we Reviewers have reafon to acknowledge with pleafure: for, at the time when every man wished to be accounted a skilful farmer, the rage for books on that fubject was such as to tempt many anonymous fcribblers to write treatifes on agriculture, which had nothing to recommend them but their title page; all of which we were under the difagreeable neceffity of perufing, to our no fmall mortification and difguft. But the cafe is now happily altered, with regard to us at leaft. The Public, by being often imposed on, have become more cautious; and anonymous performances on that fubject are so little in request, as to deter ignorant writers from attempting it; and we have the pleasure of meeting with treatifes, from time to time, written by actual farmers: which cannot fail to advance the knowledge of an art that ever must be held in a very high degree of eftimation by the difcerning part of mankind.

The work now before us is of this fort. It treats of a fubject that has fcarcely ever yet been touched on by preceding writers. For, unless it be fome hints on this head thrown out by Mr. Arthur Young in one of his Tours, and a few detached remarks by Mr. Lifle, we do not at prefent recollect any other attempt to illuftrate this branch of the bufinefs of the farmer, that deferves notice, though it must be allowed to be one of very great importance, and well deferving the attention of every actual farmer.

The animals our author treats of from his own knowledge, are horfes, neat cattle, fheep, and fwine; with regard to which he delivers many judicious obfervations, the refult, feemingly, of his own experience, and strict attention. It is not, however, to be expected, that, in a first attempt, the author fhould be able to attain perfection, or that he will not fometimes fall into mistakes, which his own future obfervations, or those of others, will correct. The man who first sketches the outlines of a chart of an unknown REV. Aug. 1786. country,

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country, ventures on an arduous and useful undertaking; for which he is entitled to much praife, though perfect accuracy in every particular is not to be expected.

Mr. C. is an admirer, and in fome measure an imitator, of Mr. Bakewell; of whom, in feveral parts of his work, he fpeaks with the highest respect; regretting that Mr. B. has not attempted the tafk on which he himself has ventured.

Our Author begins with the horfe; his account of which he very ingenuously introduces with the following remark: As I do not profefs any great fhare of knowledge in regard to horfes, I fhall confequently fay lefs concerning them than the other kind of ftock, with which I have been more converfant, and to which I have paid more attention, particularly sheep. However, as horses are univerfally allowed to be among the most useful animals of the creation, we fhall give them the first place in our narration.'

He recommends for the road, horfes that have, what is called, a little blood in them, that is, a fmall ftrain of the running breed, as fuch a horse, he fays, will ufually perform a pleasanter day's work than one that has little or none of the racing breed in him.' -This is an opinion very generally admitted; though we are difp fed to believe that it applies only in certain cafes, and is by no means univerfal. The large soft breed of horses to be found in many parts of England, as being naturally unfit for any continued active exertions, are without doubt improved by that means; but it does not follow that other breeds of horfes, that are naturally active and hardy, would be improved by the fame means. The writer of this article knows feveral facts that ftrongly tend to confirm this opinion. Our Author recommends croffing the breed of horfes, as being in general productive of great benefit.

Of cattle he enumerates, as diftin&t kinds, 1. The long horned, or Lancashire breed; 2. The fhort horned, or Dutch kind; 3. The polled, humbled, or Galloway breed; 4. The kiloes, or Scotch cattle; 5. The Alderney, or French breed; and, 6. The wild breed, which are ftill preferved by fome of our nobility in parks; concerning each of thefe he makes feveral pertinent obfervations, to which the breeders and feeders of cattle will do well to attend.

His remarks on fheep are ftill more particular and importBut the fcanty limits to which we must confine ourselves," prevents us from attempting any analyfis of this part of his work, or of that relating to fwine, which alto confifts chiefly of original obfervations drawn from his own experience; for a knowledge. of which we must refer the curious reader to the eflay itself. — He lays but little of the other domeftic animals; and as thefe few

remarks

remarks are confeffedly 'not the refult of experience, we much approve of his brevity with regard to them.

Although we rank this effay in the ufeful clafs of rural performances; yet, in the conduct of the work, we remark several improprieties that forbid us to affign it a first place among them. It is written in a careless defultory manner, which will prevent it from being eafily confulted occafionally, as it must be difficult to find the obfervation wanted. The ftyle is too florid and declamatory, and the reafoning in many places inaccurate; fo that the conclufions he draws do not neceffarily refult from the premifes. We think too, that we perceive fomething like a quackish fpirit pervading the whole, that rather tends to recommend particular noftrums than to advance general knowledge. But here we wish to speak with caution, as it is poffible we may be in this refpect mistaken. The ingenious Author deferves at least much commendation for thus openly communicating his fentiments to the Public; and we hope he will be encouraged, by the fuccefs of his work, to continue his researches in this branch of rural economics. And-n.

ART. XII. The Recefs; or the Tale of other Times *. By the Author of the Chapter of Accidents. 12mo. 3 vols. 10s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1786.

ATILDA and Ellinor, the heroines of this ingenious and

Maffecting Novel, are the daughters of Mary Queen of Scots

by the Duke of Norfolk. They are brought up in ne RECESS, adjoining to St. Vincent's Abbey, under the fuperintendence of Mrs. Marlow, fifter to Lord Scroop. In the early part of life, they were totally unacquainted with the fecret of their birth. It was at length difclofed by Mrs. Marlow on her death-bed; and The refigned her charge to her brother Anthony, under whose protection they continued, till Lord Leicester, purfued by ruffians, found refuge in the Recefs; and having been ftruck with the beauty and manners of Matilda, gave her his hand in marriage. On this event, the removed with her fifter to his Lordship's Country-feat at Kenelworth.

Elizabeth paying her favourite Leicefter a vifit, faw the Princeffes (whofe quality fhe knew not, nor was by any means able to difcover), and fufpecting they might draw off from herself the affections of Leicester, artfully makes them her maids of honour, and takes them with her to court.

The Queen not long after makes Leicefter an offer of her hand, which his embarraffment would neither fuffer him to accept or

* The first volume appeared in the year 1783. See Rev. Vol. LXVIII. p. 455**

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refufe. The perplexity and confufion obfervable in Leicefer is attributed by the Queen to her unexpected propofal, and the warmth of his paffion for her; and orders him to retire and prepare for the celebration of their nuptials.

But, to avoid the certain deftruction to which the jealousy of the Queen (from the difcovery of his real fituation) would have expored not only himfelf but his Matilda alfo, he makes a precipirate retreat from court, and pafles over into France, whither Elizabeth immediately difpatches her emiffaries in pursuit of him. They overtake and affault him at Rouen, commanding him to yield to the Queen of England. Inftead of yielding, he makes refiftance, and is flain in the rencontre. The diftrefs of Matilda for the lofs of her husband brings upon her a delirium; and, in a state of infenfibility, the is conveyed from Rouen to St. Vincent's Abbey, under the conduct of Lady Mortimer. But gradually recovering her fenfes, and apprehenfive of the danger of her fitua tion, fhe at laft prevails with young Mortimer (who had conceived a paffion for her) to favour her efcape. He eludes the vigilance of his mother; but artfully gives orders, when under fail, to make for St. Jago de la Vega, inftead of the original place of deftination. There he receives a juft reward of his perfidy; for, almost immediately on their landing, they are attacked by fome refractory flaves, who kill Mortimer, and take Matilda prifoner.

The inhabitants of St. Jago de la Vega put themfelves immediately under arms, and attack and defeat the rebels; from whom Matilda is retaken, and fecured in prifon many years. There the experiences a fad variety of misfortune; but the governor dying, fhe is at laft fet at liberty, and fails for England (with a daughter he had had by Leicester), under the expectation of feeing happier days; as her great enemy Elizabeth had been fome months dead, and her brother James was become the fucceffor to the

throne.

In the mean time, the precipitancy of Leicester's flight having obliged him to leave Ellinor behind him at court, he there undergoes the continual fcrutiny of Elizabeth; who at laft extorts from her the fecret of her birth, the knowledge of Leicester's marriage with her fifter, and even her own attachment to Lord Effex, who had but newly fucceeded Leicefter in her favour. Stung with rage and jealoufy at this difcovery, and to cut off all poffible means of a future intercourfe between Effex and Ellinor, the fends her, by a fecret conveyance, to the politic and crafty Lord Burleigh, who, under the Queen's directions, compels her to accept of Lord Arlington's offer of marriage, though the held

him in utter deteftation.

Lord Effex, ignorant of the ftratagems of the artful Elizabeth, attributes the marriage of Ellinor to a capriciousness of difpofition, and, in a fit of rage and jealousy, gives his hand to Lady Sidney.

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