FARMERS' REGISTER— PIT COAL TAR— COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



289 



open upon him from the station he has assumed. — 

 The completion of these v/orks he proposes imme- 

 diately to undertake. 



The present book presents itself, as a spot of se- 

 rene repose, between these rcfi^ions of severe labor. 

 It is the result of a backward glance at many liy- 



fone days and long terminated connexions. Sir 

 ohn thinks justly, that it would lie a pity to with- 

 hold so many important relations of his long and 

 active life, (his friend Bishop Gregoire called him 

 tlie most indefatigable, and extensively acquainted 

 individual in Europe,) from the preservation to 

 which, the mere names of the parties concerned 

 entitle them. He has therefore made his selection 

 from his extensive collection of letters and other 

 documents, a gallery, w Inch makes us thoroughly 

 acquainted with his own cliaracter and many other 

 matters of importance. We will not blame him 

 for assigning places to several unimportant notes, 

 nor for much that is unimportant, and a little that 

 is contradictory, in the remarks appended to some 

 of his documents. In com})any witli so gallant a 

 veteran, we are charmed with his benevolent and 

 amiable loquaciousness, and the importance which 

 he attributes to every thing. And, indeed, the 

 standard of importance differs with everj^ reader : 

 we confess, that a few 'lines from Nelson, were, 

 for the name's sake, most interesting to us, and 

 other readers, who will feel a like predilection for 

 scraps, which have little attraction for us. Other 

 articles again, contain more explicit intelligence ; 

 as, for example, that concerning Washington, 

 whose pure and lofty character, is beautifully ex- 

 pressed in a whole series of letters and illustrative 

 anecdotes. The variety too, is so great, that it 

 must satisfy every expectation. The greatest con- 

 trasts, the most remote extremes, lie here jieacea- 

 bly together as in a traveller's album. That the 

 eminent men of Sir John's own department, i\r- 

 Ihur Young, Pictet, Adam Smith, Say, Rumfbrd, 

 Thaer, Baron Voght, Fulton, &c. should be all 

 here, w as to be expected : but in addition to these, 

 we find besides, Madame de Stael, and tlie Coun- 

 tess de Genlis, — the excellent Ilannali Moore, — 

 Field Marshal Romanzow Sadunaisky, and the 

 tragedian Kean, — Count Bernstorff and General 

 Paoli, — Jefferson and Count Zenobio, — Prince Po- 

 lignac and General Lafayette, beside Bishop Gre- 

 gorie ; the two last, on account of tlieir philan- 

 thropic principles, peculiarly dear to Sinclair. As 

 an Englishman, Sinclair is accustomed to tolerate 

 every political party, to stand true to hisov.n, and 

 attack his antagonist with eagerness, yet without 

 personal animosity. Tins is not the case in other 

 countries, where the contest has not yet been reduc- 

 ed within the bounds of law, and where tlie antago- 

 nists have not yet acquired the habit of regarding 

 each other like the officers of two opposing armies, 

 who do their best to v.cund and kill eacli other, yet 

 "all in honor." 



For llio Farmers' Register. 

 TAR FROM PIT COAL, A CHEAP SUBSTiTtTTE 

 FOR PAINT, FOR THE ROOFS OF HOUSES. 



I applied to a painter in Richmond last summer 

 to furnish me a bill of paints, &c. for a small build- 

 ing then erecting, who advised me to use what he 

 called coal pit tar, for the roof, instead of paint. — 

 I have followed his advice, and am very much 

 pleased with the result. The color produced from 



Vol. I.— 37 



the tar is a beautiful glossy dark slate. Time only 

 can determine whether it will be lasting; but I see 

 no reason to doubt it. The tar is obtained from 

 the pit coal in its process of distillation for the pro- 

 duction of gas. It cost me in Richmond $5 50 per 

 barrel of 33 gallons. In Baltimore, where it is 

 manufactured, the cost would probably be much 

 less. F. H. 



Frederickshall, Louisa, Sept. 20, 1833. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



The prosperous state of commersial affairs which 

 I mentioned in my last communication, has suffer- 

 ed no diminution ; and the complaints of dull times, 

 low prices, losing business, and scarcity of money, 

 is not now lieard either from the farmer or the 

 merchant. 



It is true that the crops of grain, tobacco, and 

 cotton are smaller in quantity tlian would have 

 been produced had the seasons been favorable ; but, 

 with the exception of the great deficiency in wheat, 

 the prices compensate for the diminished quantity. 



The wheat crop has been much less productive 

 than for several years past — the price has not been 

 under 105 cts. and generally 115 to 120— now 112 

 to 118 cts. The mills will cease their operations 

 earlier than usual for want of grain. 



An unusual prevalence of cold weather during 

 a part of August and Sej)tember, and an aliiiost 

 continual drought during those months, has dimin- 

 ished the product of cotton very considerably, none 

 of the latter blooms having matured — but the ear- 

 lier ones produced a very fine crop, and new cot- 

 ton already appears at market in considerable 

 quantity, and commands from 15 to 16 cts. Whe- 

 ther this high price will be maintained, must chiefly 

 depend on the productiveness of the western crops, 

 which cannot yet be ascertained — nor indeed can 

 those of the Atlantic states, with any tolerable ac- 

 curacy. 



The business of extracting oil from the cotton 

 seed has considerably enhanced llie relative values 

 of cotton in the rough and clean or ginned state, in 

 the vicinity of the oil mills. Formerly one tenth 

 was exacted for toll — now, the seed is considered a 

 compensation for the labor of ginningand packing. 



The result of the tobacco crop is not yet well as- 

 certained. On the waters of Roanoke a very short 

 crop is expected, but on .Tames River an average 

 one. The export from Kentucky has been very 

 deficient, and that from Virginia not large. The 

 stocks in all foreign markets are reduced, and there 

 can be little doubt that the new crop will command 

 very good prices. 



The most important articles of foreign produce 

 have advanced in price beyond the reduction of the 

 duties on them, and the consumer has to pay more 

 than he did under the high tariff. The West In- 

 dia question has affected some articles, and increas- 

 ed consumption has enhanced others. X. 



GERMIKATION OF SEEDS. 



The presence of oxygen gas being the principal 

 requisite for germination, and chlorine the most 

 powerful agent for developing tliis gas, it has been 

 found that healthy seeds, steeped in the chlorine 

 fluid, are accelerated in their germination ; and that 

 others, which appeared to have lost their faculty of 

 germination, have recovered it by the same pro- 

 cess. — Humboldt. 



