On the Silk-worm of Florence, called Bacco di Trevolte. By M. le Président de la TOUR D'AIGUES. Containing fome obfervations on the rearing of filk-worms, worthy the attention of those who think of introducing that branch of manufacture into this country.

On the culture and ufe of the greater Sunflower; by M. CRETTE' DE PALLUEL; who recommends this plant to the notice of culti vators, as one that may be reared to advantage in the fields. The feeds, he obferves, are converted into bread, in Virginia, and make an excellent pap for children. It is alfo good food for fowls, and other domeftic animals. The quantity of feed reaped from fix perches, was twenty-two bufhels; which is equal to 360 bushels per arpent. The ftalks are feven or eight feet high, and may be converted to various economical purposes; and its leaves, which are large and fucculent, afford a wholefome and abundant green food for cows in fummer, which may be eafily gathered without hurting the crop.

M. FOUGEROUX de BONDAROY has an article defcribing a particular kind of hot-bed, which he thinks may be employed, with profit, in rearing, tender plants. Its only remarkable peculiarity is, that it admits of having the dung renewed, fo as to keep up the heat, without affecting the frame, or the plants growing in it. This is effected by having an iron grate laid above the dung, which fupports the earth, and the pots or plants in it, while the dung may be entirely drawn out and fresh dung put in its place. We have doubts of the fuccefs of this operation; but experience will determine.

On the Hyacinth; by M. le Marquis de GOUFFRIER. One peculiarity of this plant is, that it grows in water, with its head undermoft, and in that pofition extends its leaves and flowers in the water, without fending forth any roots. A plate of this natural curiofity is annexed.

Concerning the oxen of Camargue; by M. le Préfident de la TOUR D'AIGUES. The ifles of Camargue are low, marshy grounds, formed by the mud washed down the Rhone, at its confluence with the fea. In these marshes are bred a great many oxen, which are moftly allowed to run wild till they are fit to be trained to the plow. It is the dangerous diversion of catching and taming thefe oxen, that is the subject of this memoir.

Obfervations on a large tree of Chili; by M. D'AUBENTON, We are not told what name this tree bears in Chili, among the natives, but the Europeans have called it the Chili Pine. It feems to grow very flowly, and has a fingular appearance, But as none of the plants have been yet introduced into Europe, we learn very little of the ufes that might be made of it.

Rs 4

The

The volume is concluded by georgico-meteorological obfervations, made at Saint Maurice le Girard en Bas Poitou; by M. GALLOT; and in the Boulonnois, as ufual, by M. le Baron de COURSET; for the months of January, February, and March, 1787.

On the whole, this number of the Parifian memoirs of agriculture contains a confiderable variety of observations and facts relating to agriculture, many of them new, and fome of them very interefting.

ART. VII.

Mémoires d'Agriculture, &c. Trimestre de Printemps, or Spring Quarter; for the Months of April, May, and June, 1787. 8vo.

HIS number of the Parifian Memoirs of Agriculture,

THE like all the former, confifts of two parts: 1. Extracts from memoirs communicated to the Society. 2. Memoirs, complete. Among the extracts of memoirs in this number, the only particular of importance is an abridgment of feveral memoirs by M. de CHANCEY, on the culture of potatoes, addreffed to M. PARMENTIER, containing the refult of many ufeful experiments, which we could have wifhed to fee detailed at large; for we confider experiments as the principal fource of knowlege, when conducted with accuracy and related with precifion.

The first experiment was made with a view to afcertain the difference between the produce of potatoes from a field dunged, or undunged, worked with the plough or fpade, or trenched. Without fpecifying the ftate of the ground before working, the refult is given as under:

The arpent, ploughed and dunged, yielded
The arpent ploughed and not dunged
The arpent dug with the fpade and dunged
The arpent dug with the fpade and not dunged
The arpent trenched and dunged
The arpent trenched and not dunged

French Behels.

501

450

650

458

753

633

No fpecification is here made of the kind or quantity of the dung; nor are we diftinétly told what is the precife quantity called a bufhel (Boiffeau). It is ftrange that in a matter of fo much confequence, where the fame word denotes fuch dif ferent quantities in different places, authors fhould fo generally neglect to define their terms. Every day we meet with valuable experiments which, from a difregard to this circumftance, are rendered in a great meafure ufelefs. How eafy would it be to afcertain the weight of any meafure, and specify it in fome well

known

known denomination of weight! English authors are as inexcufable for this neglect, as others.

We are told that M. de CHANCEY next endeavoured to afcertain what kind of manure beft promoted the growth of potatoes; that the experiments were conducted with accuracy; and that all kinds of dung were nearly of an equal quality. This is a manner of abridging experiments, without specifying particulars, which we confider as a method of unfairly depriving the republic of letters of their most valuable rights.

From these preliminary obfervations, M. de CHANCEY proceeds to the examination of feveral queftions relative to the culture of potatoes, confidered in all points of view. Ought potatoes to be planted by fmall cuttings or entire? Ought the large, the middle-fized, or the fmall, to be preferred? Should the mode of culture vary according to the fpecies and the foil? Experience should anfwer all these questions.'

These are interefting queftions indeed, and we should have been glad to fee, at full length, the answers which experience has given. This, however, is denied; and the public is only favoured with a few abridged remarks, which (from the want of proper explanations) are, in a great measure, ufclefs.

Many other objects of importance have attracted the attention of M. de CHANCEY, but which are alfo loft to the public, in M. PARMENTIER's abridgment of thefe memoirs and we must again lament that a course of actual experiments on a fubject of fuch very great importance, fhould have been curtailed and mutilated, to make room for fpeculative effays of inferior value.

The first memoir at length, in this trimestre, is not liable to the fame objection. It relates to the Angora goat, and the preparation of its hair for the manufacturer; by M. le Préfident de la TOUR D'AIGUES. It is here proved that the Angora goat is a diftinct fpecies; that it is hardy, and may be reared in Europe with almost as little trouble as the common animal of this name; that its hair does not degenerate when bred in France; and that its milk and carcafe are as valuable as those of other goats. Why does not fome public-fpirited man, or fome fociety of men, introduce this very valuable animal into GreatBritain? Now that it seems to be, in fome measure, determined to extirpate the breed of fine wooled sheep in this island*, would be a proper time to introduce the Angora goat, to encourage, at leaft, one clafs of manufacturers.

On the different kinds of Plane Trees; By M. FOUGEROUX de BONDAROY. Contains a diftinct enumeration of the dif

See account of Mr. Anftie's pamphlet, in Review for May, p. 423.

ferent

ferent trees, of this clafs, that have been introduced into France, with their culture.

Concerning fome Infects that are hurtful to Wheat and Lucerne ; By M. DORTHES. Thefe infects, to the number of eight, are well defcribed, and diftinctly delineated.

On the poffibility and utility of improving the quality of the Wool in the Province of Champaigne; by M. CLIQUOT de BLERVACHE, who, from a few well-conducted experiments, proves, by undeniable facts, that the quality of wool in any diftrict, and in a very short time, may be greatly meliorated; and that the climate of France does not prove a great bar to that melioration. Let those who are misled by the reasoning of fome of our manufacturers, attend to the refult of this experiment, and draw the neceffary conclufions.

On the manner of making Clover-hay; by M. CRETTE DE PalLUEL. Clover is not fo generally cultivated in France as in England; and one great object of the gentlemen of the Society of Agriculture in France, is to obviate difficulties that feem to oppose the culture of plants that are common in England. M.CRETTE DE PALLUEL'S contrivance is to mix ftraw with the clover, while yet green, which he thinks improves the cloverhay, and renders the ftraw nearly of equal value.

On the manner of destroying the Infects which attack Fruit-trees. By M. de THOSSE. Having found that oil of turpentine, when applied to animals which were covered with vermin, destroyed thefe vermin without hurting the animal, the author of this memoir tried it on feveral kinds of tree-lice, and other infects; all of which it killed, without hurting the trees. He then mixed fome oil of turpentine with fine earth, fo as to make it incorporate well; and then added water, ftirring it carefully, till the whole was brought to a confiderable degree of Auidity. In this mixture he dipped branches of fruit-trees, covered with infects, which were entirely deftroyed by it, eggs and all; without hurting the fruit, branch, or leaves. The compofition may be got off by artificial watering; or left to be washed away by the firft fhower. From thefe experiments, he thinks, that oil of turpentine may be as well employed for killing various kinds of lice that infeft domeftic animals, and fometimes produce difeafes on fruit-trees. Experiments will ascertain how far this remedy will prove efficacious in different cafes.

Obfervations on a particular kind of Earth-worms, and the means of deflroying them. By M. le Prefident de la Tour

D'AIGUES.

The worm here particularly treated of is a fmall white one that infefts the roots of hyacinths, ranunculufes, &c. and which the writer of the memoir thinks may be killed by mixing charcoal with the earth.

On the abufe of the custom of gleaning. By M. LE Duc. From this memoir we learn that many poor people in France keep themselves unemployed during the harveft, that they may enjoy the benefit of the custom of gleaning, which the farmers have it not in their power to reftrain, and which is the fource of much abuse and idleness. M. LE DUC thinks thefe diforders might in fome degree be remedied, by prohibiting, under fevere penalties, every one from gleaning who had any bufiness which they could follow, or any property whatever. A fhorter procefs, we think, would be, to empower the farmer to prevent all perfons from gleaning on his fields while any part of the crop remained upon the ground.

On the advantages which the farmer might derive from breeding young Cattle, and on the manner of rearing them. By Madame CRETTE DE PALLUEL.

This is a fenfible treatife on the manner of managing cows and rearing their young, drawn up by an attentive mistress of a family, whofe precepts, the refult of experience, are delivered with precifion and perfpicuity. The members of the Society of Agriculture have done themselves honour by inferting this memoir. One practical obfervation is worth a hundred theoretical plans but unfortunately, in the infancy of agriculture, a thoufand theoretical whims are ufually found for one practical remark.

Analysis of geoponic earths. By M. M. DE FOUR CROY & HASSENFRATZ. Second Memoir.

This is a long chemical procefs, which, in fpite of every attention that can be beftowed, is fo liable to be affected by extraneous circumstances which may affect the result, that, we are fatisfied, little reliance can be had on the conclufions drawn from the analyfis. The academicians feem to be engaged in a feries of experiments of this kind, to all of which, it may be understood, the foregoing obfervation will apply, unless where we fhall think it neceflary to fay otherwife.

On the culture of Potatoes in the Plain de Sablons and de Grenille. By M. PARMENTIER :—who informs us, that two arpents, indifcriminately taken out of a vaft uncultivated waste, in the Plain de Sablons, in the generality of Paris, being, after a very imperfect mode of culture, planted with potatoes without dung or other manure, yielded 520 bufhels. The fuccefs of this experiment induced the Intendant of Paris to plant 54 arpents of the fame plain with potatoes next feafon. We must wait another feason before the fuccefs of this fecond experiment can be known.

We come next to a memoir on the labours of the Society in the course of the year 1786. By M. BROUSSONET: who here gives a particular account, among other things, of the inftitu