46G Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. APRIL, 



Master of the Ceremonies, and became the following year, reappeared under the 



one of Napoleon's peers. This conduct title of a" Political Picture of Europe." 



rendered him obnoxious to the ordon- He afterwards wrote " Favier's Politics 



nances of the king, on his final restora- of Cabinets/' with notes ; and also a 



tion, in U>ir>; and, stripped of all his "Collection of Poetical Pieces;" amongst 



dignities, he afterwards lived in a state which was a tragedy, entitled " Corio- 



of elegant retirement, surrounded by lanus," which had been performed at 



many of the leading writers and philo- the Court Theatre of St. Petersburg}), 



sophers of the day. The only public numei'ous vaudevilles, &c. In addition 



distinction he enjoyed was that of mem- to these works, the Comte de Segur 



ber of the French Academy, by a royal wrote " The History of Modern Ku- 



ordonnance of the year 1310. ' rope" "An Abridgment of Ancient and 



For a time, the Comte de Segur was Modern History, for the Use of Youth.'' 



one of the editors of the Journal de Paris, in 38 volumes '"Moral and Political 



In IflOO, he printed his " History of the Gallery," &c. 



principal Events in the Reign of Fre- The Comte died at Paris, on the 27th 



derick William the Second ;" which, in of August. 



MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE variable state of the weather still continuing, much impediment has occur- 

 ed to the Spring culture, which nevertheless generally, will not be very backward, 

 excepting upon the heaviest and wettest soils ; upon those of a more favourable 

 description, a laudable expedition has been used, assuring a somewhat earlv seed 

 season. Here the farmers seem to have profited by unfortunate experience. 

 They have had before their eyes the striking difference between the earlv and the 

 latter sown wheats the one a flourishing and luxuriant crop, requiring a check 

 from cold and drought, the other, in many parts, scarcely visible until ^the com- 

 mencement of the present month, the plants appearing puny and starved, abounding 

 with bare patches, from the depredations of insectite vermin, wire-worms, slugs 

 and grubs. Salt, from six to twenty bushels per acre, has invariably, according to 

 custom on the occasion, during the last half century, been warmly recommended 

 from the press, as the cheapest and most effective remedy, and it probably is so, 

 when sudden rains do not occur to dilute the salt. In February, the uncertainty 

 of the weather occasioned much interruption and delay in getting the Spring whea't 

 seed into the ground, and perhaps entirely preventing the usual practice in some 

 parts, of filling up vacancies in wheat sown before Christmas, with Talavera, or 

 Spanish wheat. We have, indeed, sometimes reaped abundant produce from land, 

 the crop of which in the Spring, had a very suspicious and discouraging appearance; 

 should such good fortune attend the present crop, it may be larger than we have 

 experienced during several past years, since the shew on all dry and good lands, 

 i-s to the full as satisfactory as could be expected, their too generally foul and 

 neglected state considered. At any rate, the corn laws have provided against 

 almost the possibility of scarcity or exorbitant price. In the mean time, these 

 laws are most unpopular among our home growers, more especially in reference to 

 the plan of averages, the managers of which are accused of the' grossest frauds. 

 The corn question, like ail others which involve conflicting interests, we find 

 oppositely determined, in accordance with the peculiar views of each party. Im- 

 partially, the impost was matter of stern necessity, and however defective in form, 

 the legislation may have been, bread corn has hitherto maintained nearly a famine 

 price. 



The slovenly practice of broad-casting beans is at length fortunately giving way, 

 even in the remotest parts; but the dibble, or setting by hand, has ever been a 

 greater favourite than the drill ; the misfortune is, too many farmers will incur the 

 expence and labour of these beneficial practices, subsequently neglecting the very 

 grounds and essence of the benefits they are intended to confer, the inestimable 

 ones of hoeing, aerating and clearing the soil. Beans and the earliest Spring crops 

 were in the ground upon the forwardest soils, by the first week or middle of the 

 present month, where they are at present busily engaged in getting in their barley, 

 which in few parts is entirely completed. The farmers of heavy and backward 

 lands, that have rot been benefited by a due quantity of March dust, will dip too 

 deeply into April, for the sanguine expectations of very abundant spring crops. The 

 winter bean is losing its reputation in many parts, superseded by the white-eyed 

 species, at any rate better adapted to the lighter kind of bean soils: Welch barley 

 also, is getting into vogue, as of good weight and quality and an early ripenef. 

 The young clovers and tares are backward and much deficient in plant, chiefly no 

 doubt, from the imperfect seed of last year. The Tartarian oat is said to have 

 improved much in weight and quality from culture. 



