104 
Mr. Sibbald on the Trottel-Plant. 
If the part marked A, fig. No. 1, is 
horn, it is most probably a deer’s head. 
Grove Park, (Lord Dormer’s,) where 
deer are kept, is about a mile from the, 
spot where it grew. 
The Rev. Thomas Cattel, of this 
borough, in whose possession this asto¬ 
nishing natural production now is, and 
to whose liberality my brother was in¬ 
debted for an opportunity to take the 
drawings, kindly informs me he in¬ 
tends getting a buck's head, and after 
boiling the desk off, means to have it 
sawed down and matched with the ori¬ 
ginal; by that means he will most 
likely be enabled to judge whether it 
is a deer’s or not; if he should not be 
enabled to come to a correct conclusion, 
I think it will puzzle an experienced 
comparative anatomist. 
W. Goodman. 
Warwick , March 28, 1S21. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HAVE been a constant reader of 
your widely circulated and exten¬ 
sively useful journal for twelve years, 
and among the benefits of useful know¬ 
ledge, animated patriotism, moral in¬ 
struction, and innocent amusement, 
which I have derived from its pages, 
there is none which I prize more than 
that which I have received to my health, 
that most inestimable blessing, from 
the hints on that subject, and on several 
branches of domestic economy, which 
your correspondents, but more espe¬ 
cially your own experience, have con¬ 
tributed. 
I first from necessity, but of late 
years, from principle, had recourse to a 
vegetable diet, before which, in conse¬ 
quence of continual ill health and con¬ 
sequent misery, I was perpetually in 
the hands of the apothecary, who drug¬ 
ged me almost to death to no purpose. 
In selecting proper nutritious and 
agreeable vegetables for my table, 1 was 
often at a loss at different seasons, for a 
variety, and while in this situation a 
friend, who commands a Clyde ship, 
sent me two plants of the Trottel- 
root, which he had brought in with 
him to Greenock, from the Labrador 
eoast,and which, he assured me, if they 
would agree with our climate, would 
prove to be a valuable addition to our 
garden and field supplies. This I have 
found to be the case beyond what I had 
anticipated, and think the least return 
I can make to you for the advantages 
I have received from your rules of 
[Sept. 
living, is, at least, to communicate the 
discovery I have made, and to inform 
you ef other particulars about it. 
The Trottel root (or Trottel plant) 
is but little known in this country, al¬ 
though it is the chief subsistence of the 
Squee Indians, on the coast of Labrador. 
It withstands the most severe frosts, 
and bears, even in the depth of winter, 
curled thick crisp leaves, which are as 
tender as asparagus, and somewhat like 
our sea kale. The root, which propagates 
in the manner of potatoes, or sun-flower 
artichokes, is shaped like a 'Windsor 
bean, and is generally from eight to ten 
ounces in weight. When boiled, it is 
yellow-coloured, and although consi- 
rably drier, much resembles the carrot, 
I plant the roots, cut into small pieces, 
in rows, two feet asunder, three inches 
deep, in the months of August or Sep¬ 
tember, and as the plant is of rapid 
growth, I begin to top the herbage in 
winter (December and January) and in 
the spring months, when vegetables are 
rare, I dig up a plentiful crop (from 
ten to twelve at each plant) of a deli¬ 
cious vegetable, which is also most nu¬ 
tritious and keeps well. 
I have extended the cultivation of it 
a good deal in this neighbourhood, and 
especially in Greenock, and lately sent 
specimens to the Caledonian Horticul¬ 
tural Society. I hope it may prove to 
be a common benefit, and in order to 
accomplish this would like that it be 
universally known. 
The nurserymen of Greenock and 
Paisley are supplied with it, and a 
quantity has been sent to Bristol, where 
it is much thought of. 
James Sibbald. 
Buck Grove , near Paisley , 
May 21st, 1821. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OME incidental remarks of mine in 
a paper I sent you in May last, have 
caused the Mackadamites to throw some 
of their spare dirt about.— 
Stung’ to the quick, they rage and writhe 
with pain, 
And howl the more, because they howl in 
vain. 
I have no objection to their toads— 
all I object to is, that men should be 
rewarded by Parliament with £4000 
for exercising, for their own emolument, 
the inventions long practised by others. 
In common justice it ought, there¬ 
fore, to be known, that the modern 
method of road-making was invented, 
and 
