43 
munications published by the Board, far 
exceeds what is generally apprehended. 
Dr, Coveutry, professor of agriculture 
in the University of Edinburgh, who, 
from his situation, is led to examine 
every work connected with the subjects 
en wnich he lectures, has recently decla- 
ted, “‘ that in these late reports and pub- 
lications, there is detailed more useful 
and distinct’ information, ‘on yarious 
branches of agriculture, and on rural con. 
cerns in geneyal, than was in print before 
these were drawn up.”* What then ma 
not be expected, when all these reports 
are completed, for little more than one 
half of them were printed, when this 
idea of their merit and utility was form- 
ed by Dr. Coventry! 
II. Machinery.—There is no object to 
which the Board can direct its attention, 
of more importance than to improve the 
machinery employed in agriculture. In 
many cases, by such improvements, the 
Same quantity of work can be better exe- 
cuted, or can be performed by fewer 
horses, and consequently at a cheaper 
rate. By such means, therefore, the 
increasing price of human labour, and, 
as ai necessary, consequence, a higher 
price for’human food, can best be coun- 
teracted. The improvements in machines 
tratismitted to the Board, withii these 
few months past, are numerous and im- 
portant. Among these are to be enu- 
merated, 1. Mr. Andrews’s Expanding 
Axle-tree, by which the breadth of va- 
rious descriptions of carriages employed 
in husbandry, may be altered at pleasure ; 
also a waggon invented by the same me- 
chanic, so well constructed, that it can 
turn in almost any situation, and can be 
drawn in any direction; consequently, 
is peculiarly well.calculated for narrow 
lanes, for drawing timber out.of forests, 
and would probably be of singuiar utility 
in another department, namely, in con- 
veying artillery. 2. An Auger, said to 
have been invented in North America, 
on an ingenious principle, which clears 
itself, and which will probably be found 
applicable to Mr. Elkington’s mode of 
draining, and other agricultural purposes, 
3. Garnet’s Patent System, made at Bris- 
tol, by which the friction in churns, and 
other agricultural instruments, is greatly 
reduced.t 4, A Gorse*Mill, used “on 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
. 
a rs nn 
* See Discourses explanatory of the Object, 
and Plan of the Course of Lectures on Agri- 
culture and Rural Economy, by Dr. Coventry, 
1 vol. octavo, printed at Edinburgh, 1808, 
p- 187. 
+ A churn thus improved, may be seen 
‘at the Board of Agriculture, 
[A uge ? r 
the late Lord Penrhyn’s estate in Wales, 
by which furze is bruised in such a man- 
ner, that horses and cows can eat it with 
pleasure; and with such a machine, 
where furze can be had from waste 
grounds, it must be a valuable resource 
for cattle, more especially in- times of 
scarcity. 5. An Improved Thrashing- 
mill, invented by Mr. Moodie, an inge-" 
nious mechanic near Edinburgh, at a 
price which will not exceed 60/. which is 
uncommonly strong, will require but lit- 
tle repair, takes up but little space, and 
by means of which, two horses will thrash 
a considerable quantity of any species of 
grain, without working harder than if 
they were at plough: and, 6. A Swing 
Plough, made on the principles recom- 
mended by Mr. Jefferson of America, by 
the late Mr. Macdougall, whose merits, 
in the department of agricultural me- 
chanism are so universally acknowled- 
ged, and which bids fair to bring that 
valuable instrument of husbandry to all 
the perfection of which it is capable.* 
' TIT. Domestie productions.—The poli- 
tical situation of Europe at this time, the 
convulsed state of its commercial rela- 
tions, and the general combination of 
the Continent against these kingdoms, 
must necessarily be productive of cir- 
cumstances, in some respect unfayourable 
to the agriculture, and in other respects 
to the commerce, of the country. Among 
the Agricultural’ productions which the 
war has tended to depreciate, that- of 
long wool is one of the most important, 
and the fall in its price has been consi- 
derable. An ingenious. farmer, (Mr. 
Whitworth, near Doncaster), was thence 
led to try, how far such wool might 
be made applicable to the making of 
sacking, of ropes, and a variety of other 
articles, and the plan is likely to be suce 
cessful ; in particular there is reason to 
believe, that wool will be found peculiarly 
well adapted to be employed in making 
cots or.hammocks for our seamen, not 
being so liable to take fire. Tents made 
of wool, also, must be better calculated 
for resisting wet, than when canvas is 
used for that purpose. By these means, 
SO Mieke tered clita Newell Seer Sn 5 oes 
* Under this general head may be mene 
tioned, the whalebone sieves, and nets for 
confining sheep, invented by Mr. Bowman, 
which are evidently much more durable, and 
“fn-other respects are greatly to be preferred, 
to any article of the same sort in now in use. 
It is certainly desirable alsoy by increasing 
the consumption of whalebone; to plomote 
our fisheries, which, like other branches of 
domestic industry, cannot be too much incou- . 
raged. 
a double 
—_ 
