tending to improve this branch of the rural economy of our ifland.

Having thus given a connected view of the fubjects treated in this work, we will notice a few mifcellaneous particulars that occurred to us, as we perufed it.

The following kind of cement for building has been difcovered in Cotswold, where it feems lime is exceffively dear, though calcareous matter abounds:

The fcrapings of roads, in this diftri&t,' Mr. M. obferves, namely, levigated limestone, impregnated more or lefs with the dung and urine of the animals travelling upon them, are found to be an excellent bafis for cement. For ordinary walis, the fcrapings alone are frequently used; and from what I can learn, the proportion for the best building is not more than one part lime to three of fcrapings. Nevertheless, I found mortar, which had not lain in the walls more than ten years, of a stone-like tenacity: much firmer than the ordinary stone of this country: probably much harder thah either of the ftones from which the bafis of the lime was made. Similar scrapings might be collected in any diftrict where himeftone is used as a material for roads.'

The following particulars, refpecting barn-floors, that occur in this diftrict, feem alfo to be an important article in rural economy:

Barn-foors are of a good fize: 12 to 14 by 18 to 20 feet. The beft of oak, fome of tone; but a fpecies of earthen floor, which is made here, is thought to be fuperior to floors of stone, or any other material except found oak plank. The fuperior excellency of thefe floors is owing, in part, to the materials of which they are made; and, in part, to the method of making.

The materials are the calcareous earth of the fubfoil;-a kind of ordinary gravel, which is found in different parts of these hills; and the chippings of free ftone (calcareous granate) from the freeftone quarries, in equal quantities.

The method of making is on a principle peculiar, perhaps, to thefe hills. Earthen barn-floors are made, in other places, with wet materials, a kind of mortar, which, as it dries, is liable to crack; and requires fome months after it is made, to dry it hard enough for ufe. On the contrary, the materials in the practice under notice, are worked dry; they of course do not crack, and are ready for use as foon as they are finished. The materials, mixed together, are fifted twice over. The first time through a wide fieve, to catch the ftones and large gravel; which are thrown to the bottom of the floor. The next, through a finer fieve, to feparate the more earthy parts from the finer gravel, which is fpread upon the ftones; and upon this, the more earthy parts; making the whole about a foot thick, and trimming down the different layers clofely and firmly upon each. other. The furface being levelled, it is beaten with a flat wooden beetle, made as the gardener's turf-beater, until the furface become hard as a tone, and rings at every ftroke hike metal. If properly made, they are faid to last a length of years, being equally proof again the flail and the broom.

• Thefe

• Thefe materials, it is true, cannot be had in many districts; but the principle of making barn-floors with dry materials being known, other fubftances than thefe which are here in ufe, may be found to answer the fame purpose.'

We will here alfo fpecify the following fact, as being not only in itself of a nature fufficiently interefting, but as afford ing a fpecimen of that moderation, diffidence, and attention to facts of every fort, which fo generally characterife this author's performances:

A circumftance occurring in this district, relative to the treat ment of farm borfes, is entitled to notice. The idea is not new to me; but I have not met with an incident before, fufficiently authentic, to warrant its being mentioned.

In the livery-ftables in London, HE GOATS are kept for the purpose of preferving the health of the horfes which ftand in them. Many carriers keep them in their ftables for the fame purpose; and I have fomewhere met with an inftance of farmers doing the fame, particularly as a prevention of the ftaggers: but I have always confidered it as one of thofe popular charms, of which wonderful effects are related in every country. Nor have I yet any proof to the contrary all I have at prefent to produce is ftrong evidence: I give it, however, on fuch authority as no one, who knows the author, will difpute.

About fixteen years ago, Mr. William Peacey, of Northleach, loft feveral horfes in the taggers. He was advifed by a friend, whofe experience had led him to believe that he had benefited much by what he recommended, to keep a He-goat in his ftables. He got one, and had not for many years another inftance of the disorder, While the goat lived, his horfes were free from the staggers; but the goat dying, his horfes again became afflicted with this alarming diforder. He procured another goat (which is ftill living), and has not fince had an inftance of the itaggers. He has feldom lefs than twenty horfes in his stables.

I do not mean to recommend, in general terms, the keeping of goats in farm ftables; but if this terrible difeafe can be prevented at fo trifling an expence, what farmer in his fenfes would be in want of a goat? In the midland counties, three years ago, many farmers loft all their best horfes in the staggers. Lofs to the amount of feveral thousand pounds was fuftained in Staffordshire alone.

I dwell the longer on this incident, as it appears to me probable, that the influence of the goat is not merely that of a charm. The ftaggers appears evidently to be a nervous disorder. Odours are found in many cafes, I believe, to act beneficially on the human nerves; and, poffibly, the ftrong fcent of the goat may have a fimilar effect on those of the horse. The fubject is certainly entitled to inquiry.'

We agree with Mr. Marshall in thinking, that this cannot be admitted as a proof of the beneficial effects of the goat, but as a prefumption only, that well entitles it to demand the attenti of the farmer. Many facts that appear like proofs, are often let afide on a more careful investigation,

We

We could, with pleasure, have added more extracts from this inftructive performance; but other works claim our notice. To our country readers we warmly recommend these volumes, as highly worthy of their attention. The ftation here exhibited affords more original matter than that of Yorkfhire; and Mr. Marshall has difcovered his ufual ingenuity in the felection of facts, and the arrangement of materials.

We could not help remarking, however, with fome degree of furprife, that though he, feveral times, incidentally speaks of water as a mode of improvement in this diftrict-he no where, in this work, defcribes the practice, as fince mentioned in Mr. Wright's Account of watering Meadows, which lately fell under our notice *. Poffibly Mr. Marshall may reserve what he has to fay on this head for fome of the other works which he has in view; but even if this fhould be the cafe, he certainly ought to have mentioned the practice here. We know not how to account for this omiffion; but, notwithstanding this, and several other flight imperfections, which we have remarked, we cannot help confidering this work, on the whole, as a very valuable performance.

P. S. Our defire to obtain information refpecting the disease called curled tops affecting potatoes, induced us to notice fome obfervations made by Mr. Marshall on that fubject, in his account of the Rural Economy of Yorkshire. To these observations we fubjoined fome remarks, evidently tending to guard the reader from, forming erroneous notions concerning that difeafe; but without the fmalleft defire to criticife the author. We are forry, however, to find that inftead of being perfectly fenfible of the benevolent object which we had in view, Mr. M. has confidered this as an attack on himself. In a note, Pref. p. xix. of this. work, he says:

The loose hints on curled topped potatoes, thrown together in a note, with (as I conceived) every mark of diffidence, which words and printing could give them, are not furely fair objects of criticism.. What motive could induce fo very able a pen to condefcend to treat them as fuch, is to me altogether inexplicable.'

We are not accuftomed to affign any other motive for our conduct than the true one; and, had Mr. Marshall paid the attention to our obfervations, to which every writer is entitled, before his remarks are answered, we think he would not have been at any lofs for the motives of our conduct. So far were we from being difpofed to criticife (by which expreffion we must suppose he means to find fault with) Mr. Marshall on this head, that we introduced our remarks with this apology for him, viz. that though, like all who have yet written on that

• See Rev. vol. lxxx. p. 335.

Subject,

fubject, he is unable to account for the malady, or to prefcribe a particular remedy, yet as he hazards fome remarks on the fubject, we will mention them, for the obfervation of others. For as as we confider the general introduction of the potatoe culture as one of the greateft modern improvements in agriculture, and capable of being much extended, could this diforder be obviated, every thing that tends toward that point is doubtless of great national importance." M. Rev. Feb. 1789, p. 104. Such were our words; and if, after this, the motive for our conduct appears to be inexplicable, the fault cannot, we think, remain with us.

To criticife, in the fenfe in which Mr. Marfhall here evidently confiders it, that is, captiously to find fault, merely for the fake of reprefenting an author in an unfair light, is a mode of conduct which we believe ourfelves incapable of purfuing, in any cafe; and had we been difpofed fo to do, we should certainly have affumed a tone of a very different nature from that which we adopted in the paffage alluded to. But if captious criticifm be held unworthy of us, we think it equally beneath our character to flatter any author whofe works come before us. We praise with pleafure, where we fee occafion; and we cenfure with freedom, where there is caufe for reprehenfion. We did not, however, in the inftance before us, prefume to reprehend the author, except in very gentle terms. He hazarded fome remarks on the fubjectto thefe we added a few obfervations; which implied, that we confeffed ourselves no better able to account for the disorder than the author was; but which alfo implied, that we were anxious to obtain farther information, and fincerely difpofed to forward the inquiries of others on this head, as far as it might be in our power,

We hoped thefe remarks might even tend, in fome degree, to enable Mr. Marfhall, in future, to extend his obfervations on this vegetable diforder, by availing himself of fome of the facts which we ftated. Had he done fo, it is not impoffible but he might, even by this time, have been able to furnish the world with fome useful practical obfervations on the diforder. This was the ufe which we made of his remarks. In confequence of them, we tried, laft year, to weed out all the curled potatoes from among a parcel which we preferved for feed; and we are very happy to be able to fay, that in as far as one experiment can be relied on, it has proved fuccefsful. For there were many more curled topped potatoes in the field last year, than there are in it from that feed this year*. The practice of weeding out the curled plants, therefore, appears to be attended with beneficial confequences; and we mention this fact, that others may have an opportunity of repeating the experi

ment.

* This article was written in July last.

ART

ART. II. Elays, Civil, Moral, Literary, and Political, written after, the Manner of M. de Montagne; interfperfed with Characters, Portraits, Anecdotes, &c. By the celebrated Marquis d'Argenfon. Tranflated from his valuable MSS. and never before made public. Svo. pp. 456. 6s. Boards. Walter, Piccadilly. 1789.

TH

HE advantages which are derived from a celebrated name, in the title-page of a new publication, are fo many and fo well known, that we cannot be much furprised if we fometimes find authors affuming fictitious characters, and printing their own productions, as the works of others more known and better efteemed. Neither can it be a matter of wonder if we, on our parts, knowing that we are liable to be deceived, and in that cafe inftrumental in fpreading the deceit, fhould examine with caution all pretenfions by which we may be imposed on, and admit no affertions which appear questionable.

The book at prefent before us bears the refpectable name of the Marquis d'Argenfon: and is tranflated, we are told, from his MSS. written in 1736, and never before made public. This is all the information afforded us. How it happened that thefe MSS. remained so long unpublished, and why they are now brought forward, we are not informed: neither are we told by what means they came into the prefent tranflator's hands; nor is any reafon affigned why effays written originally by a Frenchman, and in his own language, fhould have their first introduction into the world in this country, and in an English drefs.

There is fomething of myftery in all this, which certainly, on our first opening the book, inclined us to doubt whether these Eflays really came from the pen of M. d'Argenfon. As we advanced, our doubts increased. We found different parts difagreeing with others in ftyle and manner of expreffion: the author was at one time writing detached notes for himself, or at moft for his children; and at another, compofing a book for the information of pofterity: in one page, he writes whatever he thinks, because no one will fee his compofitions; and in the next, he juftifies himself to people who had feen his extracts, and reproached him for not having a ftyle of bis own.' In like manner, his fentiments are in a perpetual ftate of warfare: in general, he is a friend to virtue, and praifes the man who honestly oppofes measures which he does not approve; while, fometimes, he becomes the panegyrit of thofe, whofe only rule of conduct is a conftant attention to their intereft. In his own character, he feems a lover of fincerity; and in drawing his father's, an admirer of firmness; while, in the Cardinal de Rohan, he holds up to our imitation, as the moft perfect and exemplary character which he knew, a man whofe principle it was to accommodate

himfelf