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|MISCELLANIES. ------

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MISCELLANIES. A pedestrian, of the name of Daniel Gil- bert, a t urner at Harlowe in Somersetshire, is performing a task, which will, if coinplet- I ed, far exceed all other pedestrian exploits f he has made a fict of 1000 guineas, that he will perform 1000 miles in i5 days which is at the rate of between 60 and 70 miles a.day. He is a stout athletic man, and commenced his labour on Saturday last from Newbott, Wills. He had done 215 miles ou Monday night, without much fatigue Time is hacked at g-rcat odds. There is a gentleman (Mr. Thomas Nelson) now living at Moriand, in Westmorland, the place of his nativity, who, although 103 years of age, (the oldest inhabitant in the diocese of Carlisle) rides generally every Saturday to Appleby market, which is a distance of seven miles; and sometimes to Penrith, which is much f,-trtlier.-Ile was parish clerk of Mor- -la!yfl.uijw,lf-(Is #f 70 vears, htdned the omco a!Mmt live years since, l'be gistiot) would have permitted him to appoint a proxy, but the conscientious vetei-ait declined the offer, determined totally to relinquish a sta- tion, the duties of which he was iio.k>ng'ef able to discharge in the way he wished. On Saturday se'nnight, Sir John Sinclair arrived at Dundee, with a view to inquire into the state of agriculture in that district, and we understand that he means to prosecute his inquiry through the whole of Scotland. He had a meeting at Few-House with a num- ber of intelligent practical farmers, from whom he received, and to whom he in return communicated, a variety of important in- formation relating to improvements in Hus- bandry. He presented to each of them a let- ter detaiiiii,, tise objects of his research, and requesting their answer to a series of queries. The letter is to the following effect .— "Several of my most respectable friends in the agricultural line, and Sir Joseph Banks in particular, have strongly inculcated the idea, that it is a duty incumbent on a Scottish pre- sident of all English hoard, to draw up a trea-ise on the system of husbandry adopted in Scotland, by means of which, the farmers of that country arc enabled, in extensive tracts, to pay double the rent for the land they cultivate, compared to laud of a similar 'quality and description .in England and iu his communication to me UP(1) that subject, Sir Josepii adds, that agriculture has deriv- ed, is deriving, and will derive, more-benefit from Scottish industry and skill than has been accumulated since the days when Adam first wielded a spade." When thus called upon, in a manner so flattering to the agricultural skill and indus. try of my countrymen, it is impossible for me not to obey the summons mors especial- ly as 1 am deeply impressed with the idea, that the introduction of the simple, economi- cai, audjurlicious system ofimsbandry adopt- ed iu Scotland, would double the vallie of many districts in England, and would render the British empire independent of other coun tries for food, and for a variety of other most essential articles. "i have to request, therefore, that you will have the goodness to favour me with your assistance in carrying on so useful'an undertaking; and for that purpose, that you would he pleased to transmit to me, as speedi- ly as the circumstances of the case ill admit of it, (ilie sooner the more desirable,) full answers to the subjoined (itieries. As si)oii as the treatise which 1 propose to draw up is printed, I shall have ihe pleasure of transmit- ting a copy of it to you, with many thanks for your friendly and public spirited assist- ance, in the prosecution of so important an inquiry." Spansih DieL—" Nothing can surpass the want of comfort or misery in will( ii the people of this country live, or, I should sxy, exist, if I may be allowed to judge from what 1 have seen since i left Salamanca. Their cloathes and linen ragged and threadbare; their persons shockingly fi thy; houses nearly unfurnished | windows without glass; uiel dJar and scarce I and their food cousisling almost entirely of an j --=-==!> excrable mess, called gaspacho, which they eat thrice a day. This is made of a mixture of vinegar, garlic, lamp oil, and Cayenne pep- per, mixed with boiling water, poured over a dishful of bread. Once a week (on Sundays, that is) they allow themselves, as a rarity, a bit of bacon or a sausage; aud in this way they subsist all the year round. Their winters i -a as cold as their summers are dry and soifiy. Their chief fuel consists of chaff or chopped straw, thrown over a few twigs; and, as they are unacquainted with the luxury of a pair of bellows, they are obliged to be eternally oii their knees, blowing up the embers, if they happen to have any pot or jar on the fire for they have almost no cooking utensil that i» uot of earth. Now and then you see a copper ladle, which is scoured very bright, aud huoV; against the wail as an ornament. Knives, forks, and spoons, are rare articles; conse- quently, they make use of their fingers, and clapping their mess on a low stool, round which they assemble like a set of Hottentots, they endeavour to satisfy the cravings of nature It is melancholy to contemplate these extraorl dinary repastsin a country which theal: boun- tiful Creator has distinguished by so much fer- tilily.-Sticil, however, is the lot of the un- fortunate Spaniards." Dr. A rale's letters. •>quare-eavd brcnch Wheat.—A gentleman having read in. Herodotus an extraordinary account of the fertility of the soil of Egypt, (which returned in wheat 1,200 for one,? was indticed, about four or five years ago, to note fhe greatest produce from wheat in his uei«Ii- bourhood, about six or seven miles from Bath; the soil being a thin reddish limestone brash. For this purpose he sowed in the corner of a ploughed ground, four grains of the wheat called the square-eared French wheat;" each of which produced five or six staikt, each having a ear which contained from 116 to 124 grains, the average belfl 120. The produce therefore was manifestly such as to give probability to the report made by He. rodotus of the produce from the rich soil of Egypt.—The author of the remark is induced to make it public, because he has htelv he trd a still more encouraging account of this wheat from farmer William Bullock, near Philip's Norton, who first brought it into this imme- diate neighbourhood, andwho had a remaik- able proof of its value, Having procured four ears of it, he sowed all the grains; and the folllowingautumnhegaveto a friend one quarter of the produce.* the remainder he sowed, and for five years Ire continued to sow the whole of his crop; at the end of tive years lie sokf ten sacks of the wJkeajfcf He observed one eaivto contain iTO Ri'aiiwh and se-vehdr fftd ,140. The flour from this wbeat is not unlike that called Cone or hard wheat, of which most people are particularly foud, because, whtnt mixed with other, it communicates a peculiar sweetness to thtpbread but it is no favourite with the baker, because it does not absorb so much water as the flour of more coirjmou wlieat.-Bath Chron. Vulture of Hemp.—Mr. Thomas Herod of North Creek, has very laudably recommended- the increased culture of hemp at this crisis when foreign Sul) plies of that necessary article are so difficult to be obtained:- } Many very able pens (says he) have been employed on the best plan for relieving the poor, and maintaining them at the least ex. pence. It is well known the major part of the paupers in this kingdom, are capable of maintaining themselves, if they could be em- ployed. I need not observe that the poor's rates are now become serious ird and the first object that offers itself should he attended to, towards their reduction. The manufactory of Hemp would employ some thousands, the cnltivaiioil of which may be introduced into Norfolk and other counties to great advantage. Be assured that almost every parish iu this county might grow enough to employ its inhabitants. It is a general mistake that Hemp cannot he grown to advantage but upon a peculiar kind of soil, and that made very rich by mauure. certain it is, that Hemp, like corn, will be the most abundant on the best land. Let not any gentleman be discouraged from trying I have grown twocrops upon a light soil"; lie sold at 6s. Gd. per stone, and paid better than corn; the other is growing this year (about two acres.) I have had two machines work- ingupon iI, by women, all this winter, wh6 would not have had means of earning a shif_ ling any other way. Hemp at this^lhr.e is worth 12s. per stone, ready sale; if GO I v 30 stone per acre (a little more tha-n haIr an average crop) is produced, it will leave a great profit after paying all and the land will be iu a line state for a succeediri" crop of wheat. It is by no-means an exhaust- ing crop; it has a tap-root, and o-ains its succour some inches below the surface. ? had better than nine combs offbeat, .per acre after my first crop. Wheat-is this vear sown after,my last.—The land designed for Ff.-mp should be well manured with' long i,-sh d- and ploughed in as deep as the lalld will admit ol, as soon as possible. This mauur ing will be sufficient for the following wheat Cl-ol) Sporting.—The following communication copied from the York Herald of Saturday we presume, will prove peculiarly seasonable to 5!e our Sporting Friends, and Sportsmen iu ene. i-a ,I, One of the most eminent ounstl in this kingdom has given it as hiS iiear,-and dC4 cided opinion, that unqualified persons may very safely sport with a qualified .nan, with- out being subject to a pe ^lty and tli.st it ¡¡:fs.- I r!ki. been judiciously tied, a magistrate is even liable to all informal ion, *vho couvici* a person participating in tbe spoil, in aid, and uuder the protection of a qualified mm."