General Notices, 



651 



names of plants and animals were in universal use, there would be to a cer- 

 tain extent a universal language, and this, we think, is one reason why sys- 

 tematic names should be adopted into all languages without altering their 

 terminations. There are few travellers who have not experienced the ad- 

 vantages of belonging to that universal society the Masonic brotherhood ; 

 the Society of Jesus is another universal institution ; and the universal pro- 

 pagation of the Christian religion by missionaries, and of the Bible by the 

 Bible Societies, will tend towards uniting mankind in one family. The 

 probable destiny of the human race, it is not unreasonable to suppose, is ulti- 

 mately to speak one language, to use the same weights and measures, to be 

 governed by nearly the same laws, and to be much nearer an equality in 

 point of knowledge, manners, and even propert)-, than they are at present. 

 The changes required before this state of things is attained may be various, 

 and their accomplishment may be distant ; but they have already been 

 effected to a certain extent : the English and French languages and lite- 

 rature are spreading every where ; and gardeners and naturalists are 

 every where springing up, who all make use of the same systematic 

 names. It ought to be gratifying, therefore, to gardeners to know that, 

 independently of other advantages, in the mere acquirement of the 

 systematic names of plants, and in teaching them to others, they are abso- 

 lutely contributing to the spreading of a universal language, and certainly, 

 though slowly, clearing the way for the greatest human improvement that 

 the mind can contemplate. — Cond. 



Ploughing and digging very tenacious Soils. — It may be useful now and 

 then for farmers and gardeners to turn their attention to the implements 

 with which they perform their principal opei'ations ; the most frequent and 

 important of which, both in the farm and garden, are ploughing and digging. 

 Now, the friction of the plough and the spade are very different in different 

 soils, and in the same soil under different circumstances. The most diffi- 

 cult soils to plough are strong, tenacious, flinty clays, such as those of Kent, 

 when between the wet and the dry. Mr. Finlayson, in his excellent prac- 

 tical work, the British Farmer, observes that, when the clays of Kent, Surrey, 

 and Middlesex are betwixt the wet and dr}', they adhere to the body of the 

 plough like glue, and double or treble the friction that would otherwise 

 take place. Hence the necessity of such clumsy unwieldy implements as 

 the Kentish turnwrest plough, requiring five or six horses to draw them. 

 " Considering the great expense of working land with this plough," says 

 Mr. Finlayson, " I began to consider, that, in place of a mould-board, three 

 or four rods of iron might be substituted. On trial I found it to answer 



the purpose completely ; and I have no hesitation in saying that the most 

 adhesive land may with ease be ploughed with the skeleton plough {^g. 133.) 

 and one pair of good horses. The clay or earth being prevented from 



