436 
Separation of Nitrogen from the Atmosphere. 
The garden-farmers send their own men with the waggons to 
sell their goods in open market, instead of consigning them to 
salesmen. The cost of carrying goods to market, of baskets, 
packing, and market dues is estimated at 50s. an acre on large 
.garden -farms. 
The customary prices of Task Work in the Essex district (day 
wages 155. a week) are : — Hoeing per acre — cabbages at 2 feet by 
15 inches, 1st and 2nd time, 5s. each ; 3rd, 4s. 6(/. ; potatoes 3s. 
-or 4s., and afterwards chopped over by the day previous to 
earthing ; carrots broadcast, 3Z. ; onions, 4/. Lifting early 
potatoes by fork, sorted into firsts, seconds, and chats, placed in 
sieves of 56 lbs., or baskets of 1 cwt., covered with haulm and 
weighed in the field, 8s. per ton for a crop of 3 tons. Picking 
peas, from 4^/. to 6d. per bushel. Pulling, bunching, washing, 
and loading early carrots, 7s. per 20 dozen bunches, 
A sieve is a basket holding 56 lbs. of potatoes, or 5 pecks of 
peas when heaped, wholesale measures being liberal. A small 
sieve, such as is used for French beans and fruit, holds about 
half a sieve. A prickle is a conical basket, equal to a half 
sieve. A punnet is a round open basket holding 10 or 12 
apricots, made of the same light material as the conical straw- 
berry-pottle. 
In collecting materials for this article, I was much aided by 
introductions kindly given to me by Mr. James Howard, M.P., 
Mr. J. C. Morton, Mr. H. M. Jenkins, and Mr. VV. Hope, and I 
"gratefully acknowledge their assistance. 
XV III. — On the Possibility of separating Nitrogen from the 
Atmosphere bg Percussive Compression, and rendering it avail- 
able for Agricultural Purposes. By James Nasmyth, C.E, 
With an Introduction by James Caikd, C.B. 
In a conversation I lately had with my friend Mr. Nasmyth, 
the eminent mechanical engineer, and inventor of the steam 
hammer, I mentioned the existence of a floating idea in the 
brain of more than one man, that it might yet be possible so to 
•decompose the atmosphere as to be able to appropriate its 
nitrogen for the purposes of agriculture. Mr. McLagan, M.P., 
1 mentioned specially as having turned his attention to the sub- 
ject. Mr. Nasmyth said the idea was not new. Many years 
ago he felt convinced that some great discovery was yet to be 
made in this direction ; he had so far thought it out as to have 
designed an experimental trial, and, when pressed by me to 
make it public, he very kindly placed in my hands for publica- 
