^3 Singular Ph/snomenon at Colnehrooi Dale. 



has a larger lot than a fingle perfori; or one who has only two 

 or three children, allowing about five perches (of i6i feet 

 fq^jave) to each in a familv': they then plant it, and put over 

 their potatoes what manure they have collected the year pre- 

 ceding (for evorv cottager has more manure than neceiVary 

 ibr this from their fins, and a variety of other things); and 

 during the funmicr, after their day's labour is done, they and 

 their wives hoc them; and as every man works more cheer- 

 fully for himfelf than for another, they do not fufler a weed 

 to grow. In 06lober they dig them up; and it is the molt 

 pleafant thing imaginable, toffee the men, their wives and 

 children, gathering the produce of their little farms, which 

 is to fcrve them the enfuing winter. Was this plan gene- 

 rally adopted, the labourers would confume but little corn ; 

 which would fupply the manufafturing towns, and we (liould 

 have no occafiou to import. As four acres are fufikicnt for 

 thirty families, it would lake but a fmall quantity of land 

 from every farm in the kingdom. The way practifcd here, 

 is to plant the potatoes in furrows, eighteen inches apart, 

 and a foot apart in the rows. The land about me is of dif- 

 ferent qualities: on the hills, rather light; in the vale, near 

 the parifli, inclining to clay ; but all fit for turnips : the po- 

 Tjtoes are planted in the low land, behig nearer home. The 

 poor, at prefent, will not live entirely without brtad, as many 

 do in Ireland, though potatoes daily get into uie more and 

 more; and I am pcrfuaded, was my plan generally adopted, 

 in two orthree years the labourers in the country would con- 

 fume but little or no corn. Thirty years ago, the poor in 

 this part of the country would not eat poJatoes, if they could 

 ffet other roots or vegetables. 



SIXGULAK PH^KOMENON AT COT.NEBROOK DALE. 



On Sunday, the 7th of September, a moft tremendous fall 

 of rain, accompanied with thunder, raifed the river Colne 

 to fuch a height, as to make it reach one of the blaft-fur- 

 naces, belonging to the Colnebrook Dale company, by the 

 overflowing of the dams. The inllant the water entered the 

 furnace, a dreadful exniofion took place, and a column of 

 melted and red-hot mineral was difcharged into the air, in a 

 perj^ndicidar direftion^-upwurus of 150 feet. The explofion 

 was repeated at intervals for two or three times, accompanied 

 each time by an extremely brilliant column, the heat of which 

 was fo intenfe, as to be felt feveral hundred yards diftant. 

 The roofs and floors of the contiguous buildings were dif- 

 placed by the concuffion. It is remarkable, that the pro- 

 digious quantity of matter, upwards of 3000 cubic feet of 



iron- 



