them a brilliant display of flowers may be produced. When the space will admit, hawthorns may be introduced, both for their flowers in spring, and their berries in autumn. It is, perhaps, not generally known that there are no less than seventy species of thorns which will grow well in the open air in this country. Of these the tansy-leaved and the sweet-scented, both having downy pale green leaves, are very handsome; one of them bears a large yellow, and the other a large scarlet haw. The common pink hawthorn is well known, as is the cockspur; River's scarlet is extremely beautiful. Crætagus lucida, or the shining thorn, has a deep green glossy leaf, something like that of a pear or apple tree. Mr. Beckford, when laying out the grounds at Fonthill, planted a thornery, in which he included all the sorts then known, but it is now gone to decay, as well as all the other parts of the grounds of that once fine place. The design, however, is worthy of imitation, where there is space sufficient for the trees to grow.

Waste of Corn in Agriculture.—It is estimated, that only one-third of the seed-corn sown on the best land grows; the other two-thirds are destroyed. The number of cultivated acres in Great Britain and Ireland amounts to 47,000,000; 30,000,000 of which are under the plough. Twofifths of the latter, or 12,000,000 acres, are annually under the cereal crops. The average allowance of seed for the three kinds of corn may be stated at four bushels and two-thirds per acre. The quantity of seed annually sown thus amounts to 7,000,000 quarters. If two-thirds of this quantity are rendered unproductive by some agency which has hitherto been uncontrolled, then 4,666,666 quarters of corn are annually wasted! The quantity thus lamentably wasted would support more than 1,000,000 of human beings.Quarterly Journal of Agriculture.

USEFUL ARTS.

National Gallery of Practical Science.-Akin with the salutary results that must necessarily be produced by competitive exhibitions of the useful arts, another great feature of the intellectual progress of the age to feelings more consonant with a great manufacturing community, in which the applications of science constitute the main-spring of vitality and prosperity, are those which must be produced by exhibitions, of which popular demonstrations of the objects of practical science constitute the leading feature, whether by making acquainted with the wonders of the microscopic or the heavenly world, tracing the chemist through the very elaborate, and almost magic, changes of his science, or familiarizing with those sources of the gigantic strength of our country to which we are indebted for our present proud superiority over every other nation on the earth. Amongst such exhibitions, the National Gallery of Practical Science unquestionably stands forth the most prominent; and from the very interesting nature and great variety of its objects, extending, as they do, to all purposes of utility and comfort in life, there is little doubt, not only of its continuing to meet with the highest degree of public support, but that it will revolutionize the present age to feelings of sterner and more apposite character than has distinguished any preceding.

It is truly indicative of the growth of these feelings that they are rapidly diffusing their taste throughout the whole community. The crowds that may be seen surrounding our print-shops,—not devoted to survey the licentious or vulgar prints which have been considered, and too truly, the characteristic of the taste of the lower orders of the English people,--but to view and criticise the highest efforts of the art, shows that the taste for the fine arts is most rapidly extending. The crowds which surround those itinerant astronomers who ply with their telescopes at all parts of the metropolis, or

who, by the same media, are making themselves acquainted with the wonders of the microscopic world, are at the same time a criterion that the taste for science is becoming equally extensive. In our walks through London, we have wondered as we witnessed the many real objects of scientific merit that are to be met with in those exhibitions which are, at their price, devoted especially to the amusement ot the lowest orders: we have there met with some of the finest specimens of modelling in wax, beautifully illustrative of the elaborate structure of the various portions of the human frame, and even specimens of the art of embalming, not exceeded in our largest and most costly collections. Even exhibitions of models of machinery, and demonstrations of chemical and electrical science, are taking the place of the mummeries of our most vulgar fairs.

The growth of such a taste is most pleasing, in whatever light it may be viewed. Its immediate tendency is the encouragement of pursuits, and the fosterment of tastes, enabling every one to fulfil better his relative, as well as individual, station in society. The shrine of science can perform more miracles than the most holy-sainted shrine; before it the conflicting passions -the depraved and enervating desires-of man fall. The industrious artizan, who can regale his mind with these intellectual tastes, has little time to devote to sedition, or inclination to pursue illegal combinations; whilst in his endeavours, by habits of increased industry and sobriety, to foster these tastes, he cannot be led astray by the political or religious incendiary; there is no fear of his becoming an anarch or an infidel. To descant on the individual, as well as relative, benefits that might be derived from familiarity with scientific objects, would be to recall from the grave the thousands who lie there, whose lives might have been prolonged had the balm of science been applied. We recognize the deficiency of such, as well in the sacrifices to mistakes in the exhibitions of domestic medicine, or in other casualties of poison or accident, as in the many innocent individuals sacrificed to their country's sanguinary laws; for it were, indeed, too easy to invoke the manes of many thus immolated upon the altar of popular ignorance.

With these views, it is with feelings of the highest satisfaction that we record the very successful results of this exhibition, a fact thoroughly demonstrated by the very great support which it meets with from the public. It is impossible for us to pretend to an enumeration of objects so promiscuous or extensive as it embraces,-from the steam-gun, destined to deprive war of its horrors, by rendering it an object too expensive even for the most powerful king to play at, down to the more peaceful subject of bee-management, which, under the improved and very valuable system of Mr. Nutt, has gladdened the heart of many a peasant, and augmented the comforts of many a British hearth. We are presented with a series of the most interesting experiments in magnetism and electro-magnetism, developing the identity of these matters, and raising the very probable opinion that these are but peculiar modifications of one series of emanations, constituting the great agent by which all nature is animated, invigorated, and kept in being. To the man of science these form, unquestionably, the most interesting part of the exhibition; and in this respect it supplies a hiatus of communication long wanted in the world of science, familiarizing the different cultivators with the discoveries in philosophy as they are progressively developed, and thus enabling them to obtain, at the small charge of exhibition, information difficult of attainment even to those possessed of the most recent published details. The popular observer, as well as the juvenile mind, may be gratified by the applications of science in its infinitude of details, presenting varied objects for every intellectual taste, as excited by the displays of models of steam-boats in operation, chemical experiments, optical illusions, &c.

To such objects it is impossible but to express our most cordial assent. To the proprietors the reflection must be most gratifying of having put themselves at the head of the public taste. The exhibition was an object which grew out of public feeling, and it is conducted upon the surface of

public opinion; but a strict adherence to these principles cannot be too strongly impressed, that the details shall, in every essential, fulfil the objects of the establishment. Whilst, as a school of science, it becomes the regenerator of the public mind, we doubt not but it will become the foster parent of many other local institutions, and a nursery for men of science to become future teachers on these subjects-a want which such an institution will necessarily bring into being.

Steam Carriages on Common Roads.-It has been very generally believed, particularly among horse-coach proprietors, that the public would be prejudiced against this new mode of conveyance; and in entering into arrangements for running steam-carriages, this objection has been raised as a reason for reducing the premium required by the patentees, it being stated that steam-carriages would run for a length of time at a loss before the public would venture regularly to travel on common roads by steam. Sir Charles Dance, at the time of running between Gloucester and Cheltenham, had never discovered that such a prejudice existed, but that the contrary was really the case, every one appearing anxious to become a passenger. This point has, however, been further set at rest, by the same carriage having run for eight successive days from Wellington-street, over Waterloo Bridge, to Greenwich three times a-day, starting regularly at eleven, half-past twelve, and two o'clock each day, a distance, in the whole, of about 250 miles, at an average running of ten miles per hour.

In order to call forth as little opposition as possible, from the coachmen and their attendant imps, at the same time to shew that the public mind is by no means against the introduction of steam-carriages, Sir Charles Dance determined not to run for the ordinary charge, but the coach was advertised to run for two shillings and sixpence each person, to or from Greenwich, or the sum of four shillings to those who were desirous of going and returning by such a course it was evident that curiosity would be the principal motive for going with the carriage. We are informed, that, on an average, fourteen persons accompanied the carriage each trip. Such has been the interest displayed, that crowds of persons lined the road; and at either end of the journey, so dense were the crowds, that but for the command over the engine, and the accuracy of the driving, some serious accident must inevitably have occurred. In some of the journeys, the steam-coach was accompanied by many of our most scientific men, amongst others Mr. Telford, Mr. Macneill, and others of our best engineers, who expressed themselves so much gratified with the success of Sir Charles Dance, that they have determined on running the carriage a journey between London and Birmingham, the more fully to demonstrate the practicability of using the power of steam on common roads; and the carriage has been taken off the Greenwich road for this purpose.

We have very carefully examined the steam-carriage, and observed the ease of its running, and believe that, when Messrs. Maudslay and Field shall have completed a carriage, it may be expected to run on an average fifteen miles an hour, with light weights. It should be understood, that the present carriage was not built by these talented engineers, but that the boiler only is of their manufacture; nor can they venture to use its full power on the engines, as many parts of the carriage are not equal to bear the strain, whilst other parts are too strong and heavy; it may therefore be said, that the carriage, in having performed so much under all the cir cumstances, has the more positively proved the possibility of bringing this mode of conveyance into general application. We hope, in our next, to lay before our readers the result of the journey to Birmingham. We would here observe, that the boiler, on the lightness and strength of which every thing depends, has, after running several hundred miles, proved itself most effective, and may be considered as a very successful invention. The Brighton road was divided into five stages of rather more than ten

miles, at which places the carriage took in coke and water; in running on the Greenwich road, the carriage took in for each journey a small quantity of coke and water, sufficient for the five miles run, the two stations for this purpose being one in the Waterloo Road and the other at Greenwich. The quantity of coke consumed during the whole time that the carriage has been running with the present boiler, averages nearly half a bushel per mile.

Improvement in Culinary Utensils and Vessels.-This consists in protecting or strengthening such vessels, when made or formed of zinc, as are intended for utensils or vessels of capacity, and to be submitted to the action of fire in boiling liquids; or to be used for any other similar purpose where they are likely to be injured by heat. It consists also in casing or covering them, either wholly or partially, with thin sheet-copper, iron, tin-plate, brass, either soldered or riveted to the vessels, and which is done in several different ways. For vessels of small capacity, a shell, or outer casing, from thin sheet-copper, iron, tin-plate, brass, or other thin sheet metals, of the proper size and shape required, is made either by hammering, stamping, or raising, or by uniting the sides and bottom by riveting, soldering, or otherwise; the inside of this shell or outer casing, with tin, is then covered in the ordinary manner of tinning. Into the tinned shell or case a core is suspended, or placed in such a way as to leave a small space all round it, between the surface of the core and the inside of the case or shell, the width of the space being of the thickness of the metal required to form the inner vessel. Into this space zinc, in a fluid state, is cast, which will melt or fuse the tin on the inside of the case or shell, and cause it to solder between the zinc and the shell, and to make them adhere firmly together, and when the zine has become hard, the case is removed and the inside of the vessel tinned to produce a smooth surface in the usual way; the other parts are attached to the utensil in the ordinary manner.

Machine for Pressing Straw and other Hats.-This consists of a suitable block fixed to the frame-work of the machine, and upon which the hat is placed when pressed, which is done by a heated flat iron; to this a horizontal motion is given by a shaft, carrying an eccentric, which acts upon a lever, to the opposite end of which the pressing iron is fixed. By placing the foot upon a treadle the pressure may be regulated.

NEW PATENTS.

H. Davey, of St. Giles, Camberwell, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for preparing linen and cotton rags and other materials used in the manufacture of paper.

A. Smith, of Princes-street, Leicestersquare, for certain improvements in springs for doors and other purposes.

J. W. Lewty, of Lichfield-street, Birmingham, brass-founder, for certain improvements in castors.

M. Berry, of 66, Chancery-lane, civil engineer, for certain improvements in the construction of weighing machines.

T. Welch, of Manchester, cotton-spinner, for a new method of taking up, for power and hand-looms.

W. T. Young, of Liverpool, merchant, for a machine or apparatus for equalizing draft, chiefly applicable to the towing of barges and other floating bodies on water, and moving or drawing carriages on land.

J. Maudslay, of Lambeth, engineer, for an

improvement in the structure of certain boilers for producing steam for the working of steam-engines.

G. Gurney, Bude, Cornwall, Esquire, for certain improvements in musical instruments. R. Stephenson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, engineer, for a certain improvement in the locomotive steam-engines now in use for the quick conveyance of passengers and goods upon edge railways.

R. B. Cooper, of Battersea Fields, Esq. and G. F. Eckstein, of Holborn, ironmonger, for an instrument or apparatus for pointing pencils, and certain other purposes.

S. Hutchinson, of Pall Mall East, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for manufacturing gas for illumination, and in the mode or means of supplying gas to the consumer; and also in the construction of gas-burners, parts of which improvements are applicable to other useful purposes.

R. Barnes, of Wigan, engineer, for a certain

BANKRUPTS,

FROM OCTOBER 29, 1833, TO NOVEMBER 26, 1833, INCLUSIVE.

Oct. 29.-H. DAVIS, Bristol, scrivener. PLANT, Congleton, Cheshire, victualler. KINGSFORD, Canterbury, miller.