Domestic Notices. — - Scotland. 



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129 



Be obliged to any of your correspondents who could state the particular 

 merits of C. fragrans, flava, and grandiflora. The best agricultural and 

 gardening news of this neighbourhood you will find in the Scotsman. 

 (J.B., Edin. May 10.) 



Blasting Granite Rock. — Dr. Dyce of Aberdeen has communicated to Dr. 

 Brewster's Journal, an account of a cheap and effectual method of blasting 

 granite rock, which deserves the particular attention of the owners and 

 workers of quarries. Beautifully scientific as it is, we can only spare room 

 to extract an outline of the process, which may be summed up under the 

 three following heads, viz. 1. To ignite the gunpowder at the bottom of 

 the charge, by means of sulphuric acid, charcoal, and sulphur. 2. To take 

 advantage of the pro- 

 pelling power of gun- 

 powder, as is done with 

 a cannon ball, only, in- 

 stead of a spherical ball, 

 to employ one of a co- 

 nical form {Jig. 129. a), 

 by which the full effect 

 of the wedge is given 

 in every direction at 

 the lower part of the 

 charge, but particularly 

 downwards. 5. And, in 

 the last place, to add to 

 the effect of the whole, 

 to insure a fourth part 

 of the depth of the bore 

 at the bottom (b) to be 

 free from the gunpow- 

 der ; so that, when in- 

 flammation ensues, a 

 red heat may be com- 

 municated to the air in the lower chamber, whereby it will be expanded to 

 such a degree, as to have the power of at least one hundred times the 

 atmospheric pressure, and thereby give this additional momentum to the 

 explosive power of the gunpowder. (Br. Brewster's Edin. Jour. Oct. 1826, 

 p. 545.) 



Pearl Barley as a substitute for Rice. ■— As it is equally advantageous to 

 the public to learn the use of a known substance as the discovery of a new 

 one, I am sure the application of barley to another branch of domestic 

 cookery will not be disregarded by some of your readers. I can assure 

 them, that they will find it an excellent substitute for rice. It has been long 

 used in this country in broth ; and, when boiled with milk, sometimes called 

 Scotch rice ; but by far the best way of using it is by pounding it in a 

 mortar. In this form it fairly rivals mannacroop, tapioca, or ground rice, 

 and can be easily procured at one twelfth of the price of the first, and one 

 third of the price of the last substance. It was resorted to as a change of 

 food for my children's breakfast ; and the great similarity to mannacroop 

 induced us to try it in a pudding for them, and, I can assure you, I think it 

 one of the best of the kind — same management as with either of the others, 

 milk, eggs, &c. &c. What we call pearl barley is the kind used ; but, I dare 

 say, any of the kindswould answer. (W.M., Argyllshire, Jan. 28. 1827.) 



A grocer in London (Robertson) has obtained a patent for preparing 

 barley in the manner of ground rice, and we believe it is very generally used 

 in hospitals, and as food for children. (Cond.) 



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