"In a letter from BARON BORN, dated the 28th of July, "he mentions having fent me 'La defcription du cabinet "de Mademoiselle de Raab.' The fecond volume will be '' ઃઃ printed in two or three weeks; in this last volume you "will find the defcription of the regulus of terra ponderofa, or barytes, of magnesian earth, and of the calcarious "earth; for all these hitherto accounted earths, are nothing else but metallic calces." 66 The publication here mentioned has not yet, that I know, reached this country; when it arrives, further intelligence respecting thefe fubftances fhall be communicated to our readers. On permanently Elaftic Fluids. THE difcoveries of Dr. Priestly refpecting permanently elaftic fluids, AIRS or GASES, as they are generally called, has opened a wide field for experimental enquiries, and has produced a great revolution in the ideas of philofophers refpecting the original and component parts of bodies, and given rife to a new language in chemistry. This last alteration originated in France, and discovers much ingenuity; but being liable to great objections, it has not been implicitly adopted. Hitherto our philofophical chemists have been chiefly employed in differencing these Gases, and in feparating them from each other; fo that they are now become extremely numerous. The time is not yet arrived for fimplifying this branch of fcience, and reducing this chaos into order. In the mean time, various interesting difcoveries have owed their rife to the researches concerning thefe fluids. The art of aeroftation, which made so much noife for fome time, was the most confpicuous of thefe; but as it has not yet been found that any useful purpose can be effected by thefe aerial voyages, they are now no longer attended to. The cylindrical lamp, though its principle depends upon properties of common air that were known of old times, yet owes its origin to the enquiries respecting air that have come into fashion of late years. The art of engraving on glafs, by means of the fluor acid; that of forming artificial fire-works in imitation of flowers, and other brilliant objects, by means of differently coloured inflammable GASES; the art of whitening linen in a fhort time by means of diphlogifticated muriatic acid; and feveral others; owe their origin to thefe enquiries: but as thefe difcoveries are already known to our philofophical readers, they need not here be particularly defcribed; and though to explain them to others in a more detailed way than could be done in this article, will form the fubject of detached articles in this mifcellany, as occafion fhall serve, yet it would be improper to enlarge upon them at this time. It is to be regretted, however, that while the philofophers of Britain keep pace with others in their phyfical refearches, and in the ingenious fpeculations of the philofophy of chemistry, they fhould continue to be fo backward in their practical operations and experimental elucidations in chemistry: When the time fhall arrive, that in Britain practice fhall be as generally united with fpeculation, as it is upon the continent, it is to be hoped that he will no longer hold the fecond place among nations in this very important branch of fcience. The Root of Scarcity. Burif Britain be in fome refpects inferior to other nations, she undoubtedly holds the first rank with regard to agriculture, and mechanical improvements, as applied to useful arts. In agriculture, every year adds to the lift of her ufeful difcoveries: but in thefe her numerous attempts, fome of them must prove abortive. The root of fcarcity, a species of Beet, which was much vaunted at firft, has, upon trial, been found not to anfwer the expectations that were formed of it; and the culture of it is now in general abandoned. American Grafs. THE new American grafs, which was laft year praised as poffeffing the moft wonderful qualities, the feeds of which were fold at the enormous rate of 68 1. Sterling the bushel, has upon trial been found to be good for nothing. Of the feeds fown, few of them ever germinated; but enow of plants made their appearance, to afcertain, that the grafs, in refpect of quality, is among the poorest of the tribe, and that it is an annual plant, and altogether unprofitable to the farmer. Swedish Turnip, or Ruta Baga. ANOTHER plant, however, was introduced into Britain about the fame time, that promifes to be a very valuable article to the farmer. This is a fpecies of turnip that was difcovered in Sweden by Linnæus; but the feeds of it only reached this country of late. It has been fold here by its Swedith name of Ruta Baga; and fometimes it is called Swedish turnip. Its appearance is not the most promifing. It does not, on ordinary loamy or light foils, grow to fuch a fize as the common kinds of field turnips; fcarcely perhaps does it equal in fize the yellow turnip: but it feems to be better adapted to ftrong clay land, and thrives better in damp foils than any other kind of turnip. Its fkin too is very thick, which is rather an unpromising appearance. Its flesh however, when used at table, is excellent, very much refembling that of yellow turnip; and all kinds of cattle are fingularly fond of it. The leaves too, which exactly refemble thofe of the cole-feed plant, are an excellent green for the table, but are not nearly fo abundant as thofe of other turnips, though more hardy with refpect to froft; nor have we had any opportunity of yet perceiving that the bulbs are in any cafe affected by froft, or the young plant confumed by the fly. It Its excellence however, confifts in two peculiar qualities that it poffeffes one of these is that of admitting of being tranfplanted with the fame facility as a common colewort. may therefore be either cultivated in the ufual way, as turnips, or tranfplanted into the field from a feed bed, as greens, according to circumftances. Experiments fufficiently numerous have been made fully to afcertain this fact beyond a doubt. But the most fingular quality of this plant is one that I should not mention, because it is fo contrary to the invariable experience of men in all cafes of a fimilar nature, were it not upon fuch authority as I confider to be indifputable. It is well known that turnips in general, and all other plants of this genus, when fuffered to run to feed, become dry and fticky; and as the feeds ripen, the heart of the bulb becomes withered and fhrivels up, fo as to leave a dry hollow ball, when the feeds are perfected. But by the information I have received from a gentleman in Norfolk, whofe name is well known, and highly refpected in the li : terary world, I am affured, that after this plant has fully perfected its feeds, the bulb ftill continues fresh and fucculent, and fit for ufe by cattle. On mentioning this fact to another gentleman who had cultivated the Swedish turnip on a large scale, he confirmed this obfervation by the following fact, which accidentally came to his knowledge. He had faved fome feeds of it in his garden and his gardener, as ufual on reaping the feeds of turnips, pulled up the bulbs, and threw them into a waste corner without the garden walls. There they were allowed to remain neglected above ground for several weeks. In paffing that way, he accidentally ftruck one of them with his foot; and finding it firm, he took it up. The weight furprised him. On cutting it up, he found it fresh and fit for ufe. He carried it as a curiofity into the kitchen, where it was dreffed and ferved up to table; and my informant eat of it, and found it very good. On expreffing my surprise at this fingular quality to my Norfolk correfpondent, he writes me of date as late as the 6th December, in these words: "I have nothing to mention to you on the fubject of experimental agriculture at present, except that I have had an eye witness to the foundnefs of the bulbs of the Ruta Baga, after they had perfected their feeds, in a gentleman who is fo near you, that I wish to refer you to him for an account of their appearance on the firft of September laft. Doctor Andrew Coventry, the new agricultural profeffor at Edinburgh, having done me the honour to pay me a vifit, I carried him to the place where they grew, and there finding fome of the roots remaining in the ground, we pulled one or two up, and found them in the ftate I mentioned, not a little to his furprise as well as fatisfaction; as they thereby promise to be a most valuable acquifition to the husbandman." Every farmer will know how to estimate the value of fuch a plant. It promifes to fupply a defideratum in haíbandry that has been fought for in vain, ever fince the introduction of turnips. To be continued. In our next will be given a curfory view of the prefent state of Europe, as an introduction to the Hiftorical Chronicle, which is intended only to begin with the new year, Our lift of books will commence at the fame period. THE BEE, OR LITERARY İNTELLIGENCER, FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1791. On Perfonal Singularity. Foenum habet in cornu; longe fuge. Hor. Sat. IV. Lib. I. To the Editor of the Bee. SIR, Blacklock FROM the title given to your mifcellany, and from the idea I form of it, as delineated in your propofals for publication, I conclude it to be intended as a repofitory of inftruction and entertainment. Hence, its materials must chiefly be drawn from life and nature. At first view, these topics may appear to have been so often handled, that little new can be faid upon them; yet, from a deeper and more minute research, they will appear to be copious and inexhauftible fources of improvement and recreation. But though the fuccefs may be fometimes precarious, ftill the design is grand, and the attempt laudable. I am not an original genius, and therefore muft confine myself to subjects, which have occured to my own obfervation. It is obvious, that fingularity, whether corporeal, intellectual, or moral, is an object of no fmall riofity, VOL. I. 1 |
