i94 IJi7its relative to Dotnestic Economtf. 



SincI, altliotij^li much in dcmaud, arc not 

 to l>e pui'cliiised in lliis country. 



'J'here is no de])artincnt in the Iius- 

 tandry of this country, in which we are 

 so dclicicnt, as in having selected seeds 

 of our grasses, for improving; and laying 

 down land to meadow and pasture; 

 such being in great dcinand, both by 

 onr own farmers and persons abroad. — 

 A man gathered as nmch of eoek-foot 

 grass, and also of fescue grass, on a piece 

 of waste land last week, in three hours, 

 as was worth nearly four shillings. 



Many wild plants j)roducc iicmp and 

 texture of a similar kind, and whicii, if 

 more generally known, might become a 

 source of wealth to the poorer classes, 

 ■who could turn it to advantage. — liop- 

 Linds, nettles, bean-stalks, and a large 

 •\ariety of wild plants, produce this arti- 

 cle; anil, if not in such great quantities 

 as the hemp plant, yet it would afford 

 so\ncthing towards the maintenance of 

 persons in time of need, like the present. 



The article Tannin is also to be found 

 in consideiable quantity in many plants 

 that arc abundant on common heaths, 

 &c. Oak-bark is almost the only thing 

 employed for this purpose ; many other 

 vegetables arc known to contain this 

 principle in considerable quantity, and 

 only requires labour in its {^reparation. 



Dijciitg Drugs arc mostly brought 

 rom abroad ; we have nearly fifty plants 

 {^rowing wild tiiat arc known to contain 

 line colouring properties. Weld and 

 "Woad are the only two plants of this 

 description used in the dyeing trade; 

 yet the country people who dye their 

 own yarn, &c. find many plants from 

 \i liieh they obtain the finest colours they 

 want. 



Mcdiciiuil Plants. — These are now 

 becoming very scarce in the ncighhour- 

 bood of London, and would therefore be 

 a subject very well worth the notice of 

 persons who reside w here they are to be 

 found.— 'Hiese arc in considerable num- 

 bers, and would no doubt be used in 

 preference to many foreign drugs, if they 

 were both collected and better prepared 

 than they usually arc. 



Hushes for making CmtrUeuicks may 

 be eollccled in large (jnanlities on the 

 waste lands near London, the prepara- 

 tion of which is very simple. These 

 grow on land that is of little value to 

 tiie proprietor, yet this article, so noNious 

 to t!ie land, is rendered by labour alone 

 worth 2s. 6d. j)er pound, and the article 

 is in great demand ; this would afford a 

 source of immediate employmeut. I 



[Nov. r, 



have some fine samples already j)rc- 

 jiared, from Wimbledon and other 

 commons. 



Several sorts of small woods are capa- 

 ble of being converted intff baskets, and 

 other things of a similar nature. Some 

 families, who have left their homes from 

 distress, have taken up their abode on 

 111* commons near to London. I have 

 a basket made by a woman under such 

 circumstances, which she sold forSs. 6d. 

 and it was made out of a piece of stick 

 which was cut from the common, not 

 woith more than one halfpenny for any 

 other purpose. 



The cultivation and collecting of 

 leeches is also a subject that will bo 

 worthy attention. Leeches are now 

 imported from abroad ; this useful ani- 

 mal, owing to its being so much in de- 

 mand, is almost extinct in this country. 



Hushes for matting and packing- 

 baskets are common in this country, but 

 these articles are generally imported 

 front Holland and other countries. If 

 these were collected in the autumn, they 

 would atl'ord labour and profit to many 

 hundreds of people, even during the en- 

 suing winter. 



In the year 1815 rushes were import- 

 ed to the amount of near ten thousand 

 pounds. 



1 have samples of matting made both 

 of the imported rushes, and also of some 

 of English growili, and the latter w ill 

 prove eqtially good. Of the articles that 

 malting is made, 1 have found one that 

 is belter than the rush imjxirted, and 

 have a specimen to pro<luee for compa- 

 rison ; the substitute is to be met with 

 in such quantities as to supersede the 

 necessity of the imported rushes altoge- 

 ther, and thus might the money bo 

 wholly saved to the country. 



If the cottager were instrucled in the 

 art of gardening, ho might nitich im- 

 prove his means of living ; a few cab- 

 bages or potatoes are generally the 

 whole of the produce of such pieces of 

 ground ; when, if five shillings was laid 

 out annually in garden-seeds, properly 

 selected, and given him with the neces- 

 sary instruction for their mauiigemenr, 

 it would jield him many dainties, which 

 would be worth as many pounds, but to 

 which those useful people are in general 

 strangers. 



Bees would also prove a v.nhiable 

 source of profit if they were instructed 

 in the management of them. I knew a 

 man in Sussex who used to keep stocks 

 of bees at cottage-gardens, by paying 

 ^ smaH 



