Scientific Intelligence—Geography. 183 
following table, containing the number of acres under cultivation in 
each of the six last years, will shew :— 
Acres. Acres. 
1848 . . 53,863 1851 . . 188,619 
1849 . . 60,314 1852 . . 187,008 
1850 . . 91,040 1853 . . 175,495 
There has thus been an increase of 29 per cent. last year over the 
crop of 1852; and 220 per cent. over that of 1848. The increase 
in the three provinces of Leinster, Munster, and Connaught, of the 
crop of 1853 over that of 1852, has been 22 per cent. ; and over 
that of 1848 no less than 436 per cent.; the number of acres under 
cultivation in these provinces in 1848 being 2,668, and in 1853, 
14,279. Notwithstanding this enormous increase in the production 
of home-grown flax, so rapid has been the development of the linen 
manufacture of these countries, that the imports of flax and tow 
amounted, in 1852, to 70,115 tons, or the produce of about 
280,000 aeres; and during the nine months, ending the 5th Oct. 
1853, the imports reached 62,264 tons, being an increase of 18,677 
tons over the corresponding period of 1852. 
Flax is becoming an article of export from Ireland, and the 
trade will, no doubt, rapidly increase if the cultivation of flax still 
further increase, as Irish flax seems to be sought after for certain 
purposes, not alone in England but on the Continent. Ofthe crop 
of 1852, there was exported 6696 tons of flax, and 2308 tons of 
tow—total 9004; value £392,500. Of this quantity, 413 tons 
were exported to France. The export in 1850 was only 3166 tons. 
In 1852 there was 956 scutor mills, with 5053 stocks in opera- 
tion, 50 being worked by steam. These mills employed about 
15,000 persons, whose agregate wages may be estimated at £160,000. 
Forty of these mills, with 340 scutching stocks, were in the provinces 
of Leinster, Munster, and Connaught. During the year 1853 the 
number of mills has considerably increased, but no return has yet 
been made. 
The Irish farmers are beginning to learn the value of saving the 
seed, as is shewn by the fact, that 20,000 bushels of seed were sold 
during the last year in Belfast alone to the oil mills, or for exporta- 
tion to England—the sum realized being £5000. Three new oil 
mills, on continental principles, have been erected in Ireland in 1858, 
two of them being in the south of Treland.— (Journal of Industrial 
Progress, No. i., p. 28.) 
GEOGRAPHY. 
15. Augustus Petermann on thé progress of the Expedition to 
Central Africa, by Messrs Richardson, Barth, Overweg, and 
Vogel, in the years 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853. 
On the results of the Expeditions generally.—The best and 
