AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 239 



his wine-stores, pointed out in some casks that were beinc; bioken 

 up, a mineral incrustation about as thick as half a crown and as 

 brittle as glass, which he calhd tartrate of lime, adding that it 

 was commonly deposited by the Avine, especially when new. I 

 afterwards ascertained that potash and soda existed in the deposit. 

 Now these minerals are very deficient in the soil of the islands. 

 Here then was good reason for deep trenching. The vine, to sup- 

 ply its mineral wants, robbed the soil so fast of what little alkali 

 it contained, that nothing but the opening of a great depth to the 

 roots, would keep. up the supply for many years; for the roots of 

 delicate plants will not travel through earth that has never seen 

 day -light! 



The vegetable gardens which supply Covent Garden, and the 

 other markets of the Metropolis, we all know are not only pro- 

 fusely manured, but are deeply tilled; and in many cases the sub-, 

 soil has been dug up in the gradual course of time, no less than 

 four or five feet deep! to supply the waste of mineral matter to the 

 soil above! 



In some parts of Flanders they gradually deepen the staple by 

 spade trenching, gradually deeper by about two inches, until the 

 land is brought to uniform quality to a depth of from eighteen to 

 twenty inches. 



Scripture says " the ploughman opens and breaks the clods of 

 his ground." Dr. Clarke says " the frost is God's plough, which 

 he drives through every inch of soil, pulverising and fructifying 

 all." 



WOOL TRADE OF ENGLAND. 



In 1820, the iniport from abroad was only 16,000,000 lbs., 

 while our woolen goods exported required 32,000,000 lbs. of wool. 

 "We commenced raising wool in Australia, and in 



-1816, we received from there, 13,611 lbs. 



1S21, do .: 175,433 



1826, do 1,106,302 



1831, do 2,541,205 



1836, do 4,996,645 



1841, do 12,899,062 



1846, do .... 21,789,346 



1851, do 41,810,117 



1853, do 47,075,812 



The climate of Australia appears to be peculiarly adapted to 

 the breeding and rearing of sheep, as well as preserving if not im- 

 proving, the staple of the finer descriptions of wool. In the inte- 



