PREFACE.

THE Society instituted for the Encouragement of ARTS, MANUFACTURES, and COMMERCE, have usually prefixed as a Frontispiece to each of their Volumes, the Portrait of some one of their distinguished Officers; but on the present occasion they have been induced to deviate from that rule, by paying their tribute of respect to the Memory of the late Dr. WM. ROXBURGH, who was, for many years, the Superintendant of the Hon. East India Company's Botanic Garden at Calcutta, and an Honorary Member of this Society, whose volumes have been frequently enriched by his communications.

It would have occupied too much space in this Preface, to have given even a brief account of the great exertions which he made for the improvement of Natural History, and its application to the useful Arts, a more detailed view of them

will be found at page 156, of this vol. under the Class of Colonies and Trade.

The arrangements in the present Volume have been made in the usual order, commencing with the Class of AGRI

CULTURE.

The unremitting endeavours in that department, of John Christian Curwen, Esq. of Workington-Hall, a Vice-President of this Society, deserve the most unqualified praise; he has lately added to his extensive farms near Workington, above four hundred acres of land heretofore waste and uncultivated; the whole has been well inclosed, sown with red wheat and oats, and afterwards with clover. He has manured the land upon a new principle, with burnt earth-ashes and lime, a system likely to be attended with the most beneficial results; he has detailed the method by which this is effected, and has furnished valuable information upon the fattening of cattle, with a view to prepare them for the market in less time and with less expense than has been heretofore required. He has been honoured by the Society with a Gold Medal.

To Backe Thornhill, Esq. of Stanton, near Bakewell, a Gold Medal has been awarded, for planting one hundred and sixteen acres of land with Forest Trees; besides which, he has since proceeded in planting other barren parts of the late

common

common of Stanton, to an extent of 270 acres, which is now thriving wood land, well inclosed, and intersected with carriage roads. By this improvement, in addition to the usual advantages of ornament and profit, good shelter is procured to the adjoining land, which peculiarly wanted such pro

tection.

A Gold Medal has also been given to Henry Coape, Esq. of Gloucester-place, Portman-square, for gaining from the river Crouch, in Essex, 110 acres of Land, by means of Embankments, which he has made sufficiently strong to secure the land from the highest tides, and is likely soon to be valuable and productive.

The Pruning Shears for cutting Wood, invented by Mr. James Ogden, of Duckinfield, have great merit, from the ingenuity of their construction and powerful effect; in using the common shears employed for such purposes, the pressure upon the wood being made forward, occasions it, if elastic, frequently to elude the cut, and requires the operation to be renewed; whereas, in using Mr. Ogden's implements, the wood to be cut is drawn within the blades, so as to render the effect certain. The Society have presented him with the sum of Ten Guineas,

When the inconvenience experienced in a Country Residence where a vicious Bull is in the neighbourhood, and the dreadful wounds and other fatal accidents occasioned by

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such an animal are considered, much satisfaction must be derived from the invention of a simple and efficacious apparatus, by H. J. Nicholls, Esq. of Wood-House, for preventing such accidents, and hindering the Bull from lifting up gates or destroying fences. The principle upon which it is constructed, is by occasioning such acute pain to the nostrils of the animal in attempting to use his horns, that he is only relieved by desisting from his purpose, finding himself at ease except when such attempts are made. The Society have presented to Mr. Nicholls their Silver Medal.

The preservation of Vegetable Food for Men and Cattle, during the winter months is of considerable importance. Mr. H. B. Way, of Bridport Harbour, has proved, by the judicious application of a small portion of sand to carrots in air-tight casks or close vessels, that putrifaction is prevented, and the carrots preserved perfectly sound all the winter months. A communication from Mr. Whitlow, upon the preservation of Potatoes for exportation, which will be found under the Class of Colonies and Trade, confirms this principle. The Silver Ceres Medal was presented to Mr. Way.

In order to prevent the loss arising to Farmers in bad seasons, from Grain or Pulse being housed wet, Mr. William Bowler has exerted his ingenuity in contriving a portable Stove to dry and preserve it, for which he has been rewarded with Five Guineas. This Stove seems more parti

cularly