62 L iter a ry and Philosoph ica I Society. 



ammonia enough to increase our crops by eight milHon 

 pounds sterling in value. If we were to treat all the coal 

 used in the country in the same way, we should have above 

 six times as much ammonia, which would be capable of 

 increasing our crops by fifty millions sterling of value. The 

 proposal to burn gas and coke instead of coal has been a 

 frequent subject of discussion ; it may be difficult to treat 

 all the coal so, but if coke can be manufactured as well by 

 the Besseges plan of distilling as by our non-distilling pro- 

 cess, then the application to the fifteen million tons is cer- 

 tain, and it is well that some are trying it. But if we are 

 amused at the anxieties of Dr. Percival, we may be more 

 amused at some of our own cures and innumerable pro- 

 posals. One is to buy land for parks to which the people 

 may go and recreate themselves. A few people go into 

 our parks, and it is well, but of the six hundred thousand 

 in Manchester is there ever one per cent, in all the parks 

 put together in the best weather and in the brightest 

 season .-* The parks we want are such as allow the wind 

 to blow around us during the day, and to supply us also 

 during the night ; for although we may not allow as much 

 air to enter at night as during the day when we have fires, 

 we want it to be good. We want the children to play 

 before the doors in good air, and not to be taken once a 

 month for an hour or two, or once a year at Whit-week, 

 to see grass and to feel the pleasure of breathing the winds 

 of heaven, instead of that which has swept the streets. 

 Parks are good, but they must not be merely outside but 

 inside a town. This, it is said, we cannot afford. You 

 will afford it some day. Delenda est Carthago, An enor- 

 mous part of Manchester and of all our great towns must 

 come down before we have comfort. This cannot be 



