May!. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. G5 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
In 
M 
1 
Weathernbar London in 1853. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
tt. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of j 
Year, j 
MAY 1—7, 1855. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
1 
To 
St. Pii. & Jas. Pr. Artii. b. 
29.192—29.128 
57—42 S.W. 
16 
IV 
VII 
4m2l 
15 
3 
0 
121 
2 
W 
[1850. 
29.467—29.167 
60—41 S.W. 
02 
33 
21 
rises. 
© 
3 
7 
122 
3 
Th 
Colvmbetes abbreviatus. 
29.482—29.437 
60—37 S.W. 
01 
31 
23 
9 a 35 
17 
3 
14 
123 
4 
F 
Colymbetes obscurus. 
29.663—29.540 
65—27 S.W. 
— 
29 
24 
10 58 
18 
3 
21 
124 
5 
S 
Gyrinus marinus. 
29694—29.666 
63—28 S.W. 
04 
27 
26 
morn. 
19 
3 
27 
125 
6 
Sun 
4 Sunday after Easter. 
29.591—29.505 
59—42 S. 
— 
25 
28 
0 11 
20 
3 
32 
126 
7 
M 
Gyrinus elongatus. 
29.598—29.512 
61—44 S. 
39 
24 
29 
1 7 
21 
3 
37 
127 : 
Meteorology of the Week.—A t Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest tem- 
peratures of these days are 62.4°, and 41.1°, respectively. The greatest heat, 
on the 2nd, in 1652. During the period 114 days were fine, and on 82 rain fell 
81°, occurred on 
the 6th, in 1852; 
and the lowest cold, 25°, 1 
1 
There is a well-known narrative of an Oxfordshire 
farmer, who having been persuaded to attend a lecture 
on Agricultural Chemistry, and who, having no ear for 
the aspirate, nor any conception of the difference between 
an Ox-hide and an Oxide, declared that he did not 
believe that the lecturer nor any other human being 
could turn a piece of iron into the skin of an animal! 
Another worthy cultivator of the soil, of whom we 
see no reason for Dorset to he proud, and who can 
draw a straighter line with his plough, probably, than 
with his pen, tells us, in a letter now before us, that 
he wishes for a good agricultural school for his son, 
but “ not one where chemical farming is taught!” 
These worthies of Oxford and Dorset represent a 
large class of the tillers of the soil, who undervalue 
science, either because they cannot comprehend what it 
teaches, or because they have met with teachers who 
ask of their hearers to estimate science at more than it 
is worth to the farmer. 
There is no school in the British islands the master 
of which is so absurdly deficient in judgment as to 
teach “chemical farming.” But at Cirencester College, 
Mr. Nesbit’s, and other places of education, the pupil 
is shown how much light the chemist’s lamp can throw 
upon the path which practice shows he must tread. 
Dr. Johnston, in his little volume entitled, “ Instruc¬ 
tions for the Analysis of Soils,” * very rationally observes 
that “it is often very difficult from an analysis alone 
to explain either the past agricultural history, the 
present money value, or how best to remedy the known 
defects of a soil; yet there are many practical points on 
which analysis does throw light, and modes of practical 
treatment which it serves at once either to discourage 
or to recommend.” 
This very judicious little book, which we recommend 
our readers to read, and not merely to read hut to study, 
briefly proceeds to point out, as follows, what chemistry 
can do for the cultivator of the soil:— 
“ On many accouuts, it is desirable to know how much 
lime a soil contains. Soils rich in lime generally produce a 
sweet herbage, sound and nutritious green crops, and grain 
of a full ear and strong straw. To secure these advan¬ 
tages, the farmer is willing to apply lime ; hut the land may 
contain enough already, and to apply more might only he a 
waste; or it may contain little or none, and he may be 
about to apply too little. A simple analysis settles difficulties 
of this kind, determines the per-centage of lime, and points 
out what in the circumstances is best to be done. 
“ Again, the proportion of organic matter or combustible 
* “ Instructions for the Analysis of Soils, Limestones, and Manures.” 
Third Edition. Blackwood and Sons. 1855. 
matter in a soil regulates, in some degree, the dose of lime 
it is proper to add—the kind of mineral, vegetable, or other 
manure it may be proper to use upon it—and in the case of 
moorish or peaty soils, how far clay or sand would be likely 
to improve it. Hence it is desirable to know what per¬ 
centage of organic matter a soil contains. 
“Again, a poor soil lias sometimes much resemblance to 
clay, and yet, on chemical examination, proves to consist 
mainly of a very fine sand. To ascertain this, is to deter¬ 
mine at once bow the soil may be improved. Or a soil may 
be found, upon analysis, to be too strongly impregnated 
with oxide of iron, or to contain peculiarly noxious combi¬ 
nations of iron, or to be too rich in common salt; and each 
of these results of analysis indicates to the skilful man the 
steps which will most quickly or economically bring the 
several soils into a fertile condition.” 
We have said that we recommend our readers to 
study Dr. Johnston’s volume, and we so recommend, 
because we know in no art or pursuit in life is any one 
of its practices either so well remembered, or so well 
performed, as that practice of which the reasons on 
which it is founded are known, and the causes of its 
results can be defined by the practitioner. 
We have an example ready to our hand. In a very 
fertile garden one portion produced early crops, and 
crops more luxuriant even in dry summers than another 
portion of the same garden, though the aspects, eleva¬ 
tions, drainage, culture, and seed employed, were 
entirely alike. We recommended the portion that pro¬ 
duced the later and less luxuriant crops to be trenched 
two spades deep, and the bottom spit to he brought to the 
surface. It was done, and as we foretold, it produced 
crops as early, and as capable of enduring summer 
drought as were the characteristics of the other portion 
of the garden. Now, why was this? Simply because 
we knew that by such trenching a darker soil would 
be brought to the surface. The darker-coloured a soil 
is, the sooner does it become heated by the sun’s rays. 
Hence its excellence in producing early crops. Again, 
the darker-coloured a soil is, the colder does it become 
at night; in other words, it radiates or gives out heat 
faster than a lighter-coloured soil; consequently, the 
dew and mists fall faster and more abundantly on that 
colder soil; hence, it better preseves the verdure and 
luxuriance of its crops in dry summers. 
THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OF THE 
FRENCH AND THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND 
AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE— April 20. 
I had some thoughts of going to see the Crystal 
Palace at the beginning of April, but the weather was 
No. CCCXLLV. VoL. XIV. 
