1810.] : 
Mr. W. Sattspury has published the 
following observations on the probable 
cause of the destruction of a large pro- 
portion of the plane trees in this country 
fast year: : 
** There are three different species of 
Platanus commonly cultivated in this coun- 
try; two are natives of the Levant, and the 
other of the Northern States of America: 
those of course differ as much in their habite 
of growth, as the seasons in the climates 
which prodace them. It is well known to 
all cultivators of exotic plants, that such as 
are natives of the colder climates are the 
earliest in vegetating, being most sensibly 
acted on and forced forward by the mildness 
of the weather, commonly in February and 
March; and are oiten checked or killed by 
the return-of frost and cold after that periud ; 
and this has been evidently the case with the 
Platanus Occidentalis, American Plane, the 
one which has suffered.s0 much of late, the 
other kinds remaining without any injury 
having occurred to them. The time these 
trees received their death-blow, was in the 
Spring of 1809, when it will be recollected, 
that we had a dreadful flood ali over this 
kingdom ; and that, during March and, April, 
we had very. mild weather, during which 
time these trees were greatly forwarded in 
germination (as were many oher kinds from 
the same cause, and which suffered consider- 
ably at the time); this was succeeded by a 
very severe frost, whicli appears to have rup- 
tured the sap vessels, su that the greater 
part of these trees ‘have since died in conse-. 
quence. In’such an extraordinary season as 
this was, it would almost appear presumptu- 
Ous in any persons attempting to explain the 
real cause of so mortifying a phenomenon 3 it 
is therefore only a matter of opinion. | That 
the extreme moisture had been in a great 
measure the cause, I was firmly persuaded ; 
but there is, mereover, proof that the.cold 
had been a principal agent: «for sinail trees 
of this kind have escaped, where they have 
been in thick plantations, protected by otlyer 
kinds; whilst these growing nearly in the 
same spot, and not having the same protec- 
tion, huve been completely killed 5 and this 
has been the case with several in my garden: 
Iam now speaking of smali trees, uncer 90 
feet high, of which I have fost many hun- 
dreds ; but those or larger growth are,’ I be- 
lieve, generally destroyed all over the coun- 
a try ” 
Mr. Dumeent, in his extensive linen 
| works, Vauxhall-road, Liverpool, has 
Hrought to great perfection a new species 
of lint, which in quality, price, and 
snovelty of inveation, attracts at this 
*momeit the notice of the medical world. | 
When we consider that this useful article 
has lain dormant without ‘improvement 
Aeramany years, and that we are almost 
Literary and Philosophical Tateligence. 
355 
wholly indebted to foreign countries for 
the rags of which the lint hitherto used 
Js made, we rejuice to find that this subs 
ject has engaged a proper attention in 
an establishurent where it-promises to 
be carried oa with spirit and science; 
and the more so when we reflect that 
some of those rags have been Jast te- 
nanted by nothing short of the dead 
bodies of the victims of some loathsome, 
epidemic, or pestilential disease, from 
the contagious influence of which a 
simple washing may. not have cleansed 
them, or from the continuance of which, 
a new disorder may be unknowingly 
inoculated, er rashly implanted from’ 
this lurking-place, more deadly than the 
wound it is :neant to curé. We undera 
stand that Mr. .Dumbeli’s process is 
(something like hat-making) by felling, 
inacerating, and bleaching Hoglish-growa 
flax, with simple water; whereby not 
only every noxious ingredient is rejected, 
but that venomous mixture of cotton, with 
which almost all English rags abound, 
is avoided; by which cotton, wounds are 
retarded in. their cure, festered, and 
made virulent. The process is worked 
under the protection of letters patent; 
but the patentee’s object, we are told 
from good authority, is to acquire profits 
by the very great extent of his sales, and 
not by any unfair usé of his monopoly; 
and we understand he is now bringing 
into the market, in very large quantities, 
the best lint at four shillings and six- 
peice per pound, which is about one-half 
the price a. very inferior article has 
hitberto been sold at. Icis got up in, 
two different states, thin and firm, for the 
spatula; and soft, sponzy, and porous, 
for absorbents, lotions, embrocations, 
cataplasms, dossiis, pledgets, &c. To 
the philanthrophic mind it is no little 
gratification to fiad, that whilst our gale 
lant heroes by sea and land are bleeding 
in their country’s cause, our fellow sub- 
jects at home are emloyed in rendering 
their suiferings less poiguant, and in 
causing their wounds to be sooner heal- 
ed: we accordingly ‘hail this discovery 
most thankfully, aud wish it that success 
and countenance from medical men, 
which the liberality of their education, 
and the progressive improvements in 
science, will best insure. 
Mr. Wurtmore, of Dudmaston Hall, 
Shropshire, whose mechanical abilities 
are well known, bas recently obtained a 
patent for a toy, which appears to carry 
With it @ considerable improvement in 
the 
* 
Ped 
ee, 
