British Silver.— Geokgrj. — Agriculture, &c. 311 



BRITISH SILVER. 

 Tuesday the 1 0th October, a block of silver of the vaUie of 

 1,500/. was saielted at Wheal Rose Mine, iu Neulyu, the sole 

 property of Sir C. Hawkins, Bart. 



' GIIOLOGY. 



Mr. Brongniart has discovered in the recent geological tour in 

 Italy, that great part of the limestone of the Alps is of a much 

 more modern formation than has been hitherto supposed. 



M. Cuvier is preparing a new edition of his Fossil Animals, with 

 many additions. 



AGRICULTURE, &C. 



M. Cadet de Vaux has lately recommended, as an important 

 and usefid innovation, the reaping of corn before it is perfectly 

 ripe. This practice originated with M. Salles of the Agricultu- 

 ral_ Society of Beziers : grain thus reaped (say eight days before 

 it is ripe) is fuller, larger, finer, and is never attacked by the 

 weevil. This was proved by reaping one half of a piece of corn- 

 field, as recommended, and leaving the other till the usual time. 

 The early reaped portion gave a hectolitre of corn more, for half 

 a hectar of land, than the later reaped. An ecjual quantity of 

 flour from each was made into bread : that made from the corn 

 reaped green gave seven pounds of bread more than the other, 

 in six decalitres. The weevil attacked the ripe corn, but not the 

 green. The proper time for reaping is when the grain, pressed 

 between the fingers, has a doughy appearance, like crumb of 

 bread just hot from the oven, when pressed in th^; same way. 



Major General Beatson has proved, on a farm of 300 acres, at 

 Knowle, Tunbridge Wells, since the year 1813, that by light or 

 shallow ploughing, on a stiff ^o\\, with one horse, wit'hout lime 

 or dung, and \\'\l\\o\iX. fallow, he can raise crops of wheat and 

 other grain at the expense of 5/. an acre, ecjual or superior to 

 the crops of his neighbours at an expense of Iti/. an acre in lime 

 and labour of cattle. * 



It has long been believed that leaves of the elder-tree put into the 

 subterraneous paths of moles, drive them away ; but it is not sq 

 generally known, that if fruit-trees, flowering shrubs, corn or 

 vegetables, be wiped with the green leaves of elder branches, 

 insects will not attach to them. An infusion of elder leaves in 

 water is good for i-prinkling over rose-buds, and flowers subject 

 to blights and the devastations of caterpillars. 



If ijieces of woollen rags be placed in currant-bushes or other 

 iljrubs, &;c. it is found that the catcrpillari miiformly take shelter 



Milder 



