CLARINET. 



CLAV. 



list of clarifiers is considerable, including albumen, gelatine, blood, 

 lime, plaster of Para, alum, alcohol, sulphuric acid, sugar of lead, 

 nulphate of potash, juioe*, marl, clay, Ac. In clarifying yrups, albu- 

 men or white of egg is very useful; sefiniMli.it it oomUnnwith the 

 impurities when cold, rise* with them when boated, and then forms 

 with them a scum which in easily removed. In clarifying the red 

 wines and many kinds of liqueurs and cordial*, white of egg is exten- 

 -ively used in a similar way. In clarifying white wines, beer, and 

 cider, and several other beverages, isinglass is used instead of white of 

 egg; the difference depending on certain differences in the cl 

 affinity of albumen and gelatine fur the impurities in the two groups of 

 liquids. To give the " sparkling " effect to liquids in the glass, BO 

 much vaunted by the keepers of gin-palaces, salts of lead and of potash 

 are used in a mode not altogether free from poisonous tendencies. In 

 clarifying cider and perry, clay and marl are often used. CVttV-v is 

 "fun cleared by isinglass. Heat acts as a clarifier of certain liquids 

 by curdling or coagulating the impurities, rendering them specifically 

 heavier than before, and causing them to sink ; and the same effect is 

 produced in a modified way by the action of lime, alum, alcohol, and 

 some of the acids. Bullock's blood is a very useful clari&er, because it 

 is cheap, and because it will act as a substitute both for isinglass and 

 for white of egg. Various modes of clarification will be found noticed 

 under BREWIM;, CIDER, SUGAR, WINE, Ac. 



CLARINET, a musical instrument made of wood, similar in shape 

 to the oboe, but of rather larger dimensions, and having a fixed mouth- 

 piece containing a reed, which forms the upper joint of the instrument. 

 It was invented at the commencement of the last century by I Miner 

 of Nuremberg, although many years elapsed before it came into 

 use. The clarinet gives all the sounds of the diatouico-chrouiatic 

 scale, but the same instrument cannot be used in all the modes, or 

 keys; hence in the orchestra three instruments ore employed, of 

 different dimensions, namely, a c, a B, and an A clarinet : that of u is 

 preferred by j>erformers, because it is more mellow in tone, and more 

 manageable as regards fingering. The compass of the clarinet is t'puu 

 }., the third space in the base, to G in altissim' >. 



But in the orchestra it is seldom required to go higher than t : in alt. 



The sounds between the lowest note (E) and B&, the third treble line, 

 are called Ckalii>a<an notes, or notes resembling an ancient rustic, 

 instrument so named, which was formed of reed. 



BASE CLARINET. This was invented, in 1828, by Streitwolf, an 

 instrument-maker of Gottingeu. It is mode of wood, and played on in 

 the same manner as the common clarinet. Its compass is four octaves, 

 and it descends to B t> below the base staff. In length it is two feet 

 eight inches. 



; IIA-B.VSE CLARINET. The same artist subsequently produced a 

 'xije clarinet, which stands in the same relation to wind instru- 

 ment* of wood that the contra-bat*> (double-base) does to stringed 

 iti-t miiK-nt*, awl promises to become very useful in the orchestra. Its 

 form and manner of fingering differ but little from those of the base 

 clarinet : in size it is not larger than the baasoon, and in compass is 

 four notes lower. 



In the Great Exhibition of 1851, M. Boehm's instrument* attracted 

 Attention, and are thus referred to in the Jury Report : " l-'irst, he 

 has brought the acoustical proportions of tubes, and the finger hole* 

 of wind instruments into correct numbers and measurement, liy which 

 means flutes, oboes, clarionets, bassoons, 4c., can be theoretically con- 

 structed. Secondly, he has invented a mechanism for the keys which 

 gives facility and precision to the execution, and by which the former 

 difficulty of reaching or stopping the holes at great distances, or of 

 Urge sixes, is now surmounted. As by these means the holes can be 

 made correct in size and |>sition, M. Boehm has acquired not only a 

 perfection in tone and tuning never before attained, but also a great 

 facility in playing in those keys which were hitherto difficult, and 

 defective in sonorousness or intonation." 



I I.AIUoN, a kiii'l of trumpet, very shrill, and not now in use. 



CLAVICHORD (or, impro]>erly, cluricJiml), a musical keyed instru- 

 ment, much in uc up to the middle of the hurt century, but now only 

 to be met with as a curiosity. Its shape is that of a square pianoforte, 

 though smaller, ami the strings are struck, or rather pressed, by brass 

 pins projecting from the further end of the keys. The tones of tho 

 liord are rendered exceedingly soft by means of pieces of cloth 

 interwoven with the string*. This softness was its great recommend.! 

 the nuns having thereby been enabled to practise 

 without di-amliing others in the dormitory. 



''LAY in Agriculture) is an essential component part of all fertile 

 oils. A noil M clayey in prui>ortiou to the alumina [ An MINA] "united 

 to silica of various degrees of fineness which it contains ; these are 

 also often united to a portion of carbonate of lime. When the silica 

 is very fine and intimately mixed with alumina, the clay, although stiff 



in appearance, is fertile in proportion to the humus which it contains, 

 or which is artificially added to it. It then forms that class of rich 

 wheat soils which produce many successive abundant crops without 

 change or manure. It has a strong affinity for w.iter, which i 

 the plants that grow in it being injured* by drought; and it has a 

 sufficient degree of porousness to allow sii|>erl!< ire U) perco- 



late without making it too soft. All that is required for such a soil in 



is substratum of rock or gravel ; and where this is not the cane, 

 sufficient underdraUM must be made to produce the same effect. Tic- 

 clay soils in Britain arc not in general of thin fertile kind. Ti 

 of a compact nature which retains the water ; and the varimi- 

 and salts of iron which they contain are mostly injurious to vegetation. 

 Hence they require expensive draining, and manuring, to render them 

 productive. This has made lighter soils, which are more easily 

 to be generally preferred, although naturally less adapted to the growth 

 of wheat; and the mode of cultivation of the light soils has advanced 

 more rapidly towards jvrfection than that of the clays. Yet the latter 

 will undoubtedly repay the outlay best, when once they ore brought 

 to a certain state of improvement. When clay soils are well drained, 

 and when the effect of noxious salts has been removed by liming, 

 burning, and frequent stirring, it will be found that a much smaller 

 quantity of manure will produce a certain return in grass or com, than 

 on any light soil. The great difficulty is to choose the time when -lift 

 clays are to be worked ; and here it may be observed, that ploughing 

 sometimes does more harm than good. When clay is wet, especially 

 in the beginning of summer, and it is ploughed in the regular process 

 of fallowing, the tough moist slice cut out by the plough is set on edge, 

 and the sun bakes it into a hard mass like brick. In this state it is 

 not improved by exposure to the air, which cannot penetrate this hard 

 substance. It would be much better to plough out deep water-furrow* 

 with a plough made on purpose, and wait until the moisture is reduced 

 by gradual percolation and evaporation; so that the plough should 

 raise a slice ready to break and crumble as it is turned over. This 

 should be done immediately before winter, and then the frost will so 

 divide and mellow the soil that, provided it be kept free from KUJH.M 

 lluoiis water by under-drains and water-furrows, it will have the 

 appearance of the finest mould when worked with the liarrow-i in 

 spring. To plough it again would be to spoil all. It should have 

 received the necessary manuring in autumn, and be ready for the seed 

 to be sown on this pulverised surface. The horses which draw the 

 harrows or the sowing machines should be mode to walk in the fun n\ -, 

 which should afterwords be deepened out with the spade, or by a 

 plough constructed for the purpose. A free course and outlet should 

 be formed for all surface water ; for no maxim is more true than this, 

 that stiff clays are never injured by a continuance of dry weather, 

 unless they were in a wet state immediately before : the great means, 

 however.of iuiprovingclaysoilsis thorough under-drainage | I 

 The dryest clay contains sufficient water to supply the roots of plant- 

 for a long time ; but wet clay in drying and shrinking destroy- tin- 

 texture of the roots by mechanical pressure. This may be of use 

 when weeds ore to be eradicated, and in that case a different mode of 

 proceeding may be recommended ; but when good seed is sown . the 

 clay should be in such a state as to crumble under the harrows, and it 

 should not be too moist. 



Fallow ing for wheat is the old system on clay soils, and continues to 

 be BO in nine farms out of ten; but it often hapjK-ns that in a wet 

 season the whole advantage of the repeated ploughing* w cntin (j 

 the land sown with wheat is neither enriched nor improved by all tin- 

 tillage bestowed upon it, and is as full of weeds as it was wiu-n fir-t 

 broken up from the preceding stubble. The better system is t< > 

 the land well in Hummer, after it has borne a crop <.f winter tares, 

 which have been cut green or fed off by sheep in May or .lime, and to 

 lay it up high and dry for the winter, after having given it the p- 

 liming and manuring; to sow it with oats and gross seeds in spring, 

 keep it in grass as long as is convenient, and break it up in autumn 

 Wheat may then be sown; or it may have the benefit of another 

 winter's frost, and beans may be drilled or dibbled early in spring. 

 After harvest, the l>ean stubble may be cleared with harrows or 

 scarifiers, and the seeds allowed to vegetate; the plough will then 

 destroy them. A good crop of wheat may be depended upon after 

 this, if the land is in good heart; if not, it should have 1 n manurcil 

 for the beans : but if the gross was fed off the preceding year, and th< 

 land well managed before, it cannot fail to be in good heart. Clay 

 land will bear a repent].. u of the same crops much oftener than lighter 

 lands ; but ever}- scientific agriculturist knows the advantage of varying 

 the produce as much as possible, making plants of different families 

 succeed each other. The cereal grosses are of one family, w Inch i- tin 

 reason why wheat, barley, oats, rye-grass, Ac., do not succeed BO well 

 after each other as after leguminous plants or elm IT, and that turnips. 

 besides cleaning the land by the repeated hoeings given them, are so 

 good a preparation for corn. A good rotation for stiff clays is yet a 



itum in agriculture; aad although we will not affirm that 

 fallows can be entirely dispensed with, we ore persuaded that they 

 might be separated by nun h longer interval* than is usually done. 

 And if advantage is taken of early seasons, at least in the southem 

 inrU of the island, most lands may be kept clean by what is called a 

 bastard follow immediately after harvest, without losing a crop. v. . 

 will go farther, and assert that instead of three crops in four years, 



