260 Sketch of the present State of [Aprils 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE IV 



A B, the boiler ; C, the furnace ; F, the ash-pit ; E E, the 

 vent for the (escape of smoke. The bottom of the boiler is set 

 solid in a stiff puddle pf fire-clay, and supported by a course or 

 two of brick-work on the ground to the depth of the dotted line 

 ]B. The flue which surrounds die boiler is built no lower than 

 B5 nor higher than A, where it is closed in : the reason of this 

 is evident, because if the flue was lower than B, the deposited 

 salt would not remain in a state of rest ; and if higher than A, 

 the boiler might be endangered by the adding of fresh cold 

 liquid for further evaporation. 



The fire-place, C, is arched over with fire-brick above the 

 dotted line ; hence the fire is allowed its full force on the boiler 

 which it surrounds, until it makes its escape through the vent 

 E E. 1, is the door of the furnace with the bars of the fire- 

 place between C and F. 



Note by the Editor.— The probable reason why the 

 method recommended in this communication answers so well, is 

 that the temperature of tliat part of the vessel where the salts 

 lodge, never can rise so high as to produce steam. I conceive 

 it to be steam formed between the salts lying at the bottom and 

 the vessel that occasions the tremulous motion, which cracks the 

 cast-iron. Mr. Ramsay, by obviating this, has devised a con- 

 struction which must be of singular utility to the manufacturers 

 of salts. 



Article IIL 



Sketch of the present State of Agriculture in Berwickshire. 

 By the Rev, James Thomson, Minister of Eccles, in that 

 County. 



Berwickshire is bounded on the north by East Lothian; 

 on the east, by the German or British sea ; on the south, by the 

 river Tweed and Roxburghshire ; and on the West, by Rox- 

 burghshire and Mid Lothian. According to a late survey, its 

 greatest length is 31^ miles; its greatest breadth, 19^ miles; 

 its mean leijgths 26i miles; and its mean breadth, 17 miles. 

 According to the estimate of the same surveyor, Mr. Black- 

 adder, it contains 285,440 English acres. 



Berwickshire may be divided into two great districts : the 

 Merse and Laramermuir ; and two smaller, Lauderdale, and the 



