press be vertical; and, if the lever-press be used, that the pressure may act exactly on the centre. With regard to the duration of the pressure, M. Van Bell's method differs entirely from that of the English, who leave the cheese under the press for a very long period, sometimes even three days, whereas M. Van Bell does not allow it to remain even so long as is the custom in Holland. He diminishes the duration of the pressure according to the warmth of the temperature, in order that he may be able to put the cheese more speedily into pickle. In truth, nothing produces the putrefaction of the cheese so easily as the acetous fermentation of the milk. Now, it is conceived that this fermentation is only increased by allowing the cheese to remain long in the press, especially during warm weather; while, by the method of M. Van Bell, the curd frees itself rapidly and effectually from the whey, and the cheese may be sooner put into the pickle, which acts in such a way as to prevent the fermentation. When the cheeses are removed from the pickle, they must be placed upon boards in the usual manner, which is well known to every experimental cheese-maker. M. Van Bell advises the uses of pickling-troughs, of a depth sufficient to allow the cheeses to float, in order that the pickle may penetrate them equally on all sides. This precaution preserves the shape of the cheeses, and prevents them from bulging out, or shrinking, which usually happens when they are allowed to rest upon the bottom. But however important it may be that the cheeses should float, they ought not to be kept in this situation more than two days, in case the under part should get out of shape. Cheeses of twelve kilogrammes may be allowed to remain in a strong pickle for from five to six days, the surface being covered with a good layer of salt, which serves to nourish the pickle. The pickle ought to be strong enough to float an egg. It is observed that the pickle loses its strength when it becomes muddy or slimy.-Journ. Agric. des Pays-Bas, Nov. 1830, p. 195. 7. Adulteration of Coffee.-Persons desirous of ascertaining whether coffee is pure, or whether succory has been mixed with it, will find the following an infallible test :-" Let a small glass vessel be filled with cold water and a pinch of the coffee thrown into it. If the water remain transparent, and be not in the slightest degree discoloured, the coffee is pure; but should the liquid become tinged with red, and red particles fall to the bottom, as in the case of sugar when being dissolved in water, it is a sure proof that the coffee has been adulterated with succory.-Journal des Connaissances Usuelles.-[This notice may be of considerable use in detecting and defeating the practice now becoming very prevalent of adulterating coffee with succory. It has been clearly ascertained, that succory contains no nutritious properties that should make it a substitute for coffee; although it is quite true, that a small tea spoonful of succory, if added to an ounce of coffee, will improve the flavour, and render the liquid clearer and of a more bright colour.]-Mechanics' Magazine. 8. Tea Plant-Nothing seems more extraordinary than that we should be dependent upon one country, and often upon the will of a capricious government, for a production which may now be considered as a necessary of life in Great Britain. It does not appear that the tea-plant is altogether the production of a low latitude. On the contrary, various species of the Camellia or tea-plant seem to be cultivated in China far to the north, and at considerable elevations. Why, then, might not the tea-plant be cultivated to an unlimited extent in Europe; or why might we not produce it in our numerous colonies, possessed of every variety of climate? In Prince of Wales' Island it has been long introduced, and it is known that there is no difficulty whatever in raising it. In almost every part of Hindostan, therefore, the tea-plant could be grown. Nay, there is reason to believe that species of it might be grown in Great Britain as easily as some of our most common shrubs. It is said that the Camellia viridis, or green tea-plant, has been recently successfully planted by Mr Rootsey of Bristol, in a part of Breconshire, near the source of the Usk, about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, and higher than the limits of the native woods, consisting of alder and birch. It endured the winter, and was not affected by the frost of the 7th of May, and it has now made several vigorous shoots. QUARTERLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. OCTOBER 15. 1831. AT the period of our last report, we remarked on the great losses sustained on the importation of foreign grain. Since that period, the state of this trade has been still more disastrous to those engaged in it. The early maturity of our own harvest, and the necessities of the growers which brought large quantities into the market, have considerably depressed prices since the supplies of the new harvest became available. Previous to this, the speculators in foreign grain, in the expectation of relieving their shipments at the nominal duty, urged forward supplies to an unusual extent, which, added to the effect of the early home supply, reduced the averages, and occasioned a corresponding rise of the duty. So sanguine were speculators at one period of an advance of prices, that their orders in many cases were transmitted to the Baltic ports unlimited; and many of these orders were executed at prices not under 60s. per quarter on board, and, after paying duty and charges, amounting to nearly 20s. per quarter, the imported grain was sold here under the shipping rates abroad. This circumstance, and the scarcely less heavy losses sustained on considerable investments made on home produce of an inferior quality, are calculated to influence the state of prices for some time to come. They are calculated to repress for a period that reckless spirit of speculation by which the capitalist, as well as the native grower, has often been so deeply injured. In the present paralysis, if we may so speak, of trade of every kind, and the want of confidence, and the consequent distress, which prevail, we ought not perhaps to look to any great reaction of prices. But we do anticipate, coupling these things with the now ascertained state of our own crop, somewhat higher prices than exist at the present time. We referred in our former report to the state of the wheat crop as it then appeared. The result pretty nearly accords with the opinions we expressed thus early. The crop of wheat is universally admitted to fall short of an average one. It never recovered, on the inferior soils, the early deficiency of plants. In the southern counties, too, of England, it has been partially affected by mildew, though this having for.. tunately occurred at an advanced season, the injury has perhaps been less than was at first anticipated. It appears that the deficiency is greatest in the southern counties, and that the crops improve to the north. Within the range of our own observation, we should certainly state the wheat crop to be deficient, though not to the same degree which it appears to be in some of the principal wheat districts of England. The quality of the grain, as generally happens in dry seasons, every where allowed to be good. is . With respect to barley, this appears to be also somewhat short of a full crop; in several parts of England considerably so. The grain is somewhat coarse, but heavy. In Scotland it is finer than it has been known for many years. Oats may be stated to be an extremely short crop, but to give well in proportion to the bulk. Accounts concerning the quality are very different in different parts of the country; but upon the whole, the reports are not favourable of this crop. Pease and beans, with a few remarkable exceptions in particular districts, have proved extremely unproductive. With respect to Ireland, the accounts as usual are so vague and contradictory, that no safe conclusion can be drawn. It is known, however, that the parcels of Irish wheat and oats that have appeared are of very fine quality, though accompanied with the complaints of the Irish growers, that the oat crop is, like that of England, short in the straw and deficient in produce. Turnips are a very abundant crop; and notwithstanding much partial injury from the disease called fingers-and-toes, the produce is much above a medium one. Potatoes, too, are happily also a very productive crop. Store stock is in great demand. Fat beasts are scarce. Butcher markets are comparatively high, and still show a tendency to increase in price. Wool, for some time past, has been declining in price. The importation lately from Van Diemen's Land, New South Wales, and the North of Germany, has been very large. We have for a period past had the gratification of referring to the state of the Revenue as an indication of the undiminished resources and reviving industry of the country. We are grieved to say that we must refer to the same test as showing a commencing deterioration in the state of the nation. From the abstract of the produce of the revenue given in our tables, our readers will perceive that, in the customs, there is a deficiency of L.848,055 upon the year ending the 10th of October 1831, as compared with that of the preceding year, of which no less a sum than L. 729,608 arises upon the last quarter. In the excise the diminution upon the year is L. 2,037,056, of which L. 748,038 arise upon the last quarter. The deficiency on the whole revenue for the last quarter, as compared with that preceding, is L. 1,590,808, and the deficiency on the whole revenue of the year is L. 3,072,201. Although the defalcation in the excise is sufficiently accounted for by the large remission of duties made by the late government in 1830, yet unfortunately not so is the deficiency of L. 729,608 in the customs; in which department there has been no reduction of duties to account for any such diminution. The fact is to be regarded as an indication of falling off for the present of our foreign trade. At this time last year, when referring to this subject, we had the satisfaction of pointing out an increase in this branch of the revenue in place of a decrease; while with respect to the excise, we showed that, with an apparent decrease of L.149,602, there was a real increase of upwards of L. 300,000. But in the present case, although the deficiency of L. 748,038 in the excise of this quarter can be accounted for by the remission of duties, we find that, after making all the corrections necessary on account of these, the present quarter differs from the last in this, that there will be no increase. Date. TABLES OF PRICES, &c. The Average Prices of the different kinds of GRAIN, per Imperial Quarter, sold at the following Markets : TABLE showing the Weekly Average Prices of GRAIN, made up in terms of 7th and 8th Geo. IV. c. 58, and the Aggregate Averages which regulate the Duties payable on FOREIGN CORN; the Duties payable thereon, from 1st July to 1st October 1831. 15.64 1166 8 20 22.64 366 3 20 29.64 663 821 Aug. 5. 65 365 221 12.64 664 10 22 19.64 364 7 22 26.61 964 1 22 Sept. 2.64 264 122 9.63 463 10 23 16. 63 763 723 837 4 32 23 62 963 4 23 30.61 762 11 24 8 38 8. 1831. 10 26 11 d. s. 826 77 1 26 5 7 831 8 32 11 13 10 27 0 26 5 7 936 829 9 32 3 13 10 25 6 26 3 7 9 34 830 9 31 815 425 9 26 17 9 35 829 631 0 15 4 26 6 26 17 9 37 832 230 9 16 10 25 5 26 17 935 833 4 31 2 15 4 24 5 25 9 9 3 38 3 36 2 13 10 24 2 25 3 9 338 636 5 15 838 433 7 12 4 23 825 0 9 3 39 2 34 10 10 10 22 11 24 6 10 9 39 737 414 d. s. d. s. 615 |