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THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR NOVEMBER 1809.

Explanation of the MAP, with Statis- gross. We shall however lay before

tical Tables.

HIS map includes all the territotories which belonged to the Emperor of Austria previous to the late The coloured portions exhibit the districts ceded by the treaty of Vienna.

war.

The parts coloured BLUE exhibit the territory ceded directly to the French emperor, and to which he has given the title of Illyrian provinces.

Those coloured YELLOW exhibit the territory ceded for behoof of the Princes of the Confederation of the Rhine. It is expected to be given to Bavaria.

Those coloured RED exhibit the territory ceded to the King of Saxony.

As the limits of the part of Gallicia ceded to Russia have been left undetermined, we could do no more than indicate the quarter in which they are situated.

Our readers will no doubt be curious to know the precise value of these different cessions. This is attended however with considerable difficulty, as they consist, in a great measure, of mere portions of territory, the population and revenues of which, in statistical works, are estimated only in the

our readers the best estimate which we have been able to form.

1. Illyrian Provinces. The circle of Villach, in Carinthia, contains, according to Kuttner, from an enumeration in 1793, Carniola, according to the

same author,.......... Austrian Istria, Trieste, &c. about,......... Croatia, according to Cox,

....

120,000

420,000

120,000

contains in all 400,000; the part ceded comprehending more than half of its extent, we shall suppose,.. 240,000

900,000

2. Cessions to Bavaria. The Archbishoprick of Saltzburg,.......

.... 250,000 A small part of Upper Aus

tria, which from its extent
we should suppose may
contain about...150,000

400,000

3. Cessions to Saxony and Russia. The Cessions in Gallicia we are inclined

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When these are deducted, there will remain, according to the calculation of Mr Cox,

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For Hungary and its ap

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13,500,000

About £1,200,000 Sterling, or nearly a sixth part of the Austrian revenues. It may be proper to observe, that the estimate given by the prince of Lichtenstein is about double that of Mr Cox. Should this be correct, we must probably double also the loss.—. In this case, however, the Emperor Carinthia,..................1,100,000 will still retain a revenue of about twelve millions Sterling.

pendages,..... .........9,300,000 Archduchy of Austria,.....1,400,000 Interior Austria, now redu

ced to Styria and part of

Bohemia,..

..2,700,000

Moravia and Austrian Sile

*

sia,............. ..........1,300,000 Remainder of Gallicia,about 2,000,000

17,800,000

These numbers however are chiefly founded upon the enumeration of 1792, since which time it is probable that a considerable increase has taken place. The Prince of Lichtenstein reckoned the population previous to the present war at twenty-four millions. In this case, as the augmentation would doubtless extend also to the ceded provinces, we may estimate them at four millions, and the present population at twenty.

A recent article in the French papers reckons the Austrian population previous to the treaty of Presburg at twenty-five millions, and as reduced by that treaty to 22,300,000. It increased, during the peace, to 22,600,000. The cessions made by the last treaty are there calculated at 3,430.000, which will bring the present populations to somewhat more than nineteen millions. We think it very probable that these numbers may be correct.

The revenues lost by Austria, ta

In estimating the number of geographical square miles, of the ceded territory, a similar difficulty occurs.— The following estimate, chiefly drawn from Clark's Statistical view of Germany, may however be of use: Carinthia,...... Carniola,...

......

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100

.... 214

Istria, Trieste, &c...... 69
Croatia,....

300

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Which, deducted from about 1 1,000 of which the Austrian territories formerly consisted, will leave scarcely 9000. This loss, in point of extent of territory, is greater than either in population or revenue. The reason is, that a great part of the territory ceded in the south of Germany consists of wild mountainous tracts, that are comparatively very ill inhabited.

The two powers chiefly aggrandized by this treaty are Bavaria and Saxony. Bavaria, as above stated, appears to have gained only about 400,000 inhabitants, which is certainly

less

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for the encouragement of Gardening, on a sufficiently broad and liberal principle, has yet been adopted in this part of the United Kingdom.

Some Gentlemen in Edinburgh, in imitation of the Horticultural Society of London, have an intention of forming themselves into an Association for improving the Cultivation of the best Fruits and of those Vegetables which are most useful in the Kitchen. For this purpose, they intend to bestow, annually, a certain number of Prize Medals, or small Sums of Money, on such operative Gardeners or others as shall be declared by proper judges to be entitled to the preference, in the investigation, by experiment, of subjects proposed by the Society,

For conducting the business of this Society with due regularity, the following regulations have been proposed:

1. The Society shall be denominated the Horticultural Society of Edinburgh, and shall consist of three classes of Members,-Ordinary, Honorary, and Corresponding Members.

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2. The Ordinary Members shall not exceed Fifty in number, and shall each pay One Guinea annually to the funds of the institution, or, in their option, the sum of Ten Guineas at their admission, as a composition for annual payments for life. They shall consist chiefly of intelligent practical Gardeners, and Amateurs of Gardening, who reside in Edinburgh or its neighbour

hood.

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4. The Corresponding Members shall consist chiefly of intelligent practical Gardeners, whose usual residence is at least six miles distant from Edinburgh, but who, there is reason to hope, may occasionally favour the Society with useful communications.The number of Corresponding Members shall not be limited. They shall not pay any annual contribution or admission-money. They shall have no voice in elections or respecting prizes. But when they accidentally happen to be in Edinburgh, they shall be entitled to attend all the ordinary meetings of the Society.

5. The Ordinary Members shall possess the sole power of admission in to the Society. All admissions shall be by ballot, and the votes of twothirds of the Members balloting shall be required for the admission of any new Member. If, however, there shall, at any time, be more candidates for ordinary seats than the number of vacancies, those candidates shall be declared duly elected, in whose favour there is found to be the greatest number of votes.

6. Candidates, whether for the rank of Ordinary, Honorary, or Corresponding Members, must be proposed by one Ordinary Member, and seconded by another. The fate of the proposal shall be determined at the meeting succeeding that at which it is made.

7. A meeting of the Society shall be held Quarterly on the first Tuesday of March, June, September and December, at Seven o Clock in the evening, to transact all the ordinary business of the Society, and to hear such papers read as may be transmitted to the Secretaries during the course of the preceding month.

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President, shall be Ordinary Members. But the President may be chosen either from the list of Ordinary or Honorary Members. One Vice-President and two Counsellors shall be changed every year.

9. These Office-bearers and Counsellors shall make all the arrangements respecting prizes, papers, publications, and other business of the Society.But the proposals made by them shall be submitted to the consideration of the Quarterly meetings, Ordinary Members only being entitled to vote.

10. All future regulations to be enacted by the Society, for promoting the objects of the institution, shall be proposed at one ordinary Quarterly meeting, and discussed at that immediately succeeding; to be then adopted, rejected, or altered, as a majority of the Ordinary Members present shall decide.

The projectors of this design propose to hold a Meeting in the Hall of the College of Physicians, on Tuesday the 5th of December next, at One o'Clock Afternoon, to give a beginning to the institution.

The following gentlemen have been chosen as a Committee for forwarding the plan; Messrs Walter Nicoll and Thomas Dickson; Dr James Home; Alex. G. Hunter of Blackness, Esq.; Dr Andrew Duncan; and Mr Patrick Neill.

Letter to the Earl of BUCHAN on the Properties of Ragwort.

Chesnut Walk, Walthamstow, Nov. 16. 1809.

MY LORD, THAT Ragwort, and a variety of

plants growing by the wayside, and in waste places, were intended for other purposes than those to which they are generally applied, must occur to every one that in the least reflects. It was by thoughts of this

kind, that I was some time ago induced, during my leisure hours, to investigate the nature and uses of some of our common, but neglected plants, and broom among the rest; and the consequence is, that I find on the upper branches of broom, of all kinds, a considerable quantity of flax, of which the inclosed are specimens, in a rough State*.

Το procure flax from broom, one has only to steep the twigs, or last year's branches, for two or three weeks, according to the heat of the season, in stagnant water; or boil them for an hour, or thereby, in water. This done, the flax in general comes freely from the twigs; and, where there is not machinery for the purpose, may be easily peeled, or stripped off, by children or others at any time, if not quite dry, in the same way as hemp is peeled from the stalks. And "what adds to the value of the discovery of broom flax is, that on being 'cleared of the flax, and steeped some time in boiling water, the twigs, or wood, become tough, and beautifully white, and will fetch from one shilling to eighteen pence per lib. for making carpet brooms, &c.

When stripped from the twigs the flax only requires to be washed in cold water, then wrung and shaken well, and hung out to dry, previous to its being sent off to the paper manufacturer, and others, where it will be sure to meet a ready market.

Though the discovery of broom flax, and experiments respecting it, have occupied a good many of my leisure hours for some time past, and been attended with considerable expense; yet, if the procuring and manufacturing of broom flax shall be the means of bettering the situation of the poor in those places of Britain and Ireland where broom is to be found, it will give me more real satisfaction

than if I had taken out a patent and made a fortune by it. I have sent specimens of broom flax to the Board of Agriculture here, to the Society of Arts, &c. for their inspection, and have troubled your Lordship with the inclosed specimens, that your Lordship may give the discovery publicity, in so far as you think it deserves.Not insensible of your Lordship's hospitality and attention to me when at Dryburgh Abbey,

* Some of these specimens may be seen at our printing office.

I have the honour to be,
My Lord,

Your Lordship's

Most obedient, and
Very humble Servant,
JAMES HALL.

Monthly Memoranda in Natural History.

Nov. 1.-16.THE weather has hitherto continued open and pleasant. The song of the blackbird and throstle was resumed, in this neighbourhood, in October, and has cheered the first half of the gloomy month of November. The mild weather which has prevailed for the last six weeks, has brought some fruit trees to expand their flower-buds, the newspapers have announced different instances of jargonelle trees being covered with a second show of blossom, and of full-blown roses being gathered in the second week of November.We have reason to believe, however, that these roses were not of the common kind, Rosa centifolia, but the Rosa Indica, or semperflorens, the flowers of which are produced at all seasons of the year. This beautiful shrub is found to withstand the ordinary cold of our winters, and forms a most valuable acquisition in ornamental gardening,

-18. In the evening a pretty hard frost commenced. Till now have India cresses and love apples, in sheltered places, withstood the cold.

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