200 Analyses of Boohs. [March, 



is exposed to sale in the Company's warehouse on the first 

 Monday of every month. 



The great consumption is in the manufactory of black lead 

 pencils. Many of these are made at Keswick ; but the makers 

 are obliged to bring all the black lead from London. Great 

 improvements have been introduced into the manufactory of 

 these pencils. A method of hardening the black lead has been 

 discovered. This, according to Mr. Otley, consists in reducing 

 the l)lack lead into slices about -^'-^th of an inch in thickness, ana 

 then keeping it for some tune in melted sulphur. 



XII. Account of a White Solar Rainbun\ By the Rev. K. 

 Smethurst. — This rainbow was observed on Nov. 28, 1816, 

 about two, p.m. There was a considerable fog on the surface 

 of the earth, which was clearing away in the higher regions of 

 the atmosphere. There were no visible drops of rain. The sun 

 was visible through the fog ; but its ra3s were not sufficiently 

 powerful to occasion sliadows of objects. The whole rainbow 



Was very well defined, except a small portion at the centre. The 

 distance seemed 100 yards, and the span of the arch about 120 

 yards. Its breadth was about twice that of an ordinary rainbow; 

 its colour grey ; near the ground the colour was brighter than 

 towards the centre. In each leg, about an equal distance from 

 each edge, was a streak of white, reaching apparently to the 

 height of 16 or 18 yards, of peculiar brightness. 



XIII. llenwrks (cbiejlij agricullural) made during a short 

 Eicmsion in Westmoreland and Cumberland, in August, 1815^ 

 By John Moore, Jun. Esq. — This is a very amusing and interest- 

 ing account of the objects which struck the attention of the 

 author during an excursion to the lakes. It will repay the 

 perusal of the agricultural reader. But from the nature of the 

 details, they are scarcely susceptible of abridgment. Fron't 

 Bolton to Blackburn the soil seems to be poor, and the farming 

 bad. The author thinks that too much of the soil has been 

 ploughed up, and informs us that it is difficult to recover the 

 grass after it has been once destroyed. He considers the planting 

 of whole potatoes a bad practice ; and thinks that in 30 years 

 the growth of the oak overtakes tinat of the larch. Hence, in 

 his opinion, oak is a more profitable tree for planting than larch. 

 He was surprised to observe promising crops of oats and barley 

 growing upon Latrig, at a height, according to Mr. Otley, of 

 1100 feet above the level of the sea; but he doubts how far the 

 spirited experiment will remunerate the farmer. He recommends 

 bringing the seed corn rather from a colder than a warmer 

 climate ; because it ripens much sooner. The wheat straw near 

 Lancaster was of the same beautiful colour as on the chalk lands 

 ■of Bedfordshire. But it does not appear that this straw is put to 

 the same use as at Dunstable, where it is not unusual for a crop 

 of wheat straw to sell for more than the grain. 



XIV. A Tribute to the Memon/ of the late President of the 



