350 Obfervations on the Advantages 
A friend of mine had a {mall piece of marfhy 
ground, the produce of which never made him 
a fhilling for many years. He had fome thoughts 
of draining, and endeavouring to improve it for 
meadow land (the fituation being favorable); but 
on my recommendation he planted it with Alder 
The extent of it was fomething lefs than an acre, 
and the whole expence of planting coft him no 
more than twenty fhillings. The plants did not 
coft any thing. He had fomedand over-run with 
young feedlings ; two men were employed, who 
drew them and planted the whole in one week. 
In five years he cut them over, taking down 
every third or fourth plant, and thinning 
them judicioufly, to afford room for the moft 
thriving trees to expand in. ‘Thefe poles pro- 
duced 
« dextroufly by means of fharp ftones. They then few up 
“ the fkin into the form of a bag, turning the hairy fide 
“ outward; in this bag they pour a ftrong decoétion of 
‘¢ alder-bark, leaving it in this fituation for fome days, after 
© which they hang it upon a tree, and beat it with iticks, 
* until the colour has penetrated quite through the fkin, 
« fo as to tinge it equallythroughout, They then rip open 
« the bag; and, ftretching out the fkin, leave it in the air 
«until it is quite dry, after which they rub it with their 
« hands till it becomes foft, and fit for ufe. They alfo dye 
« the hair of their feal-fkins a fine bright red colour, with 
“a decoftion of red wortle berries, alder-bark, alum, and 
&¢ Jac lung.” 
Museum Ruflicum, 
A 
