Experiment on discoloured Barley. 229 



hiained at the bottom of the shaft, and clogged every moment 

 the buckets and suckers of the engine, lasted till Wednesday ; 

 but tliis being accomplished, at twelve o'clock at noon they be- 

 gan to break through the level. At half a yard below the shaft 

 v.e found a lively coppery ore, with its particles of silver. This 

 bronze-coloured ore indicates that the veins of Yauricocha and 

 San Diet>o mines incline to the west, or towards the Santa Rosa 

 mine. The mines in the vicinity of this pit are all dry. Same of 

 them, at tlie distance of 30i) yards, in the riiige of Santa Rita, 

 have al«o felt its effi^cts ; and even as far as the territory of Caya, 

 behind our stea!n-work«, the waters have falleu in several mines. 



" Dr. John V'avas has begun to work in Sau Diego mine. 

 They are also going next Mondav to begin working in several 

 points of the Santa Rosa mine. They are aheady eight yards in 

 depth, and we are proceeding with the greatest activity. The 

 workmen are relieved every two hours ; and as they go out they 

 give up their tools to those who succeed them, by wliich means 

 not a minute is lost. Continuing thus, in the course of a month 

 we shall be at more than twenty yards depth, and have many 

 mines in full activitv. The winding engine raises a basket (which 

 is a load) in two minutes ; the draining or steam-engine, with 

 two strokes per minute, keeps th.e surface always dry. Both work 

 with the greatest ease, certainty, and regularity. 



" By dint of searching after a vein of coal, we have at last 

 found one near at hand, of excellent qualit)-, and of great rich- 

 ness. The pit which we now work is at the distance of a quarter 

 of a league from Rancas, and at the same distance from Vista 

 Alegre which the Cerro is from these works. We have likewise 

 found a vein of plumbago, whicli was an object of search, on the 

 supposition that it was coal. This substance, of which much is 

 consumed, mixed with grease, to soften the friction of the piston, 

 &c. we have now here, and thus the necessity of sending to Lima, 

 or perhaps to Europe, for it, is obviated." 



EXPERIMENT ON DISCOLOURED BARLEY. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 

 "Sir, — The report in your last number, of experiments on black 

 barley by a noble earl, whose exertions in promoting the prosperity 

 of the agricultural interests of the nation caimot be too highly 

 commended, deserves great consideration. But I beg leave, with 

 much deference, to suggest, tluit from the various condition in 

 which barley was last year harvested in different districts, as well as 

 by different persons in the same district, one or two experiments 

 ought not to be relied upon as sufficient authoiity for general 

 practice. I have myself made the following: — On the 4th of 

 February I planted, in a warm aspect, 100 kernels of black bar- 



V 3 ley, 



