vous communique mon opinion, en vous invitant à entreprendre des expériences directes.

Mais si le lavage des semences est insuffisant pour la rouille, il n'en est pas de même pour la carie. la carie. Ce lavage, au contraire, devient très nécessaire pour cet accident du froment. Le champignon microscopique qui le produit, l'uredo caries, n'attaque que le grain, il en reste tout rempli, et sa poussière, qui ne se répand que très peu au dehors, persiste dans le grain récolté et battu. Il faut donc alors détruire ce fungus contagieux par un moyen quelconque, et c'est ce que l'on fait assez bien par les divers chaulâges, ou opérations diverses d'écrites jusqu'à ce jour. Mais d'où vient, me dira l'on, qu'un champ dont les semences ont été bien préparées donne encore quelquefois plusieurs plantes cariées? Je réponds à cette question, que les germes de la carie peuvent, comme ceux de la rouille, se distribuer tant-soit-peu sur la terre dans le moment où l'on coupe la moisson. D'où il suit que la préparation du champ proposée plus haut, seroit encore utile dans ce dernier cas. En résumé, il faudroit donc, selon moi, pour se préserver de ces deux maladies, purger la terre et purger le grain.

La Société des Amateurs des Sciences et des Arts de notre ville, à laquelle j'ai l'avantage d'appartenir, se feroit un honneur, Monsieur, de pouvoir vous nommer du nombre de ses membres correspondans. Dès son berceau ayant toujours cherchée à s'unir aux personnes respectables par leur mérite et par leur talent, elle a droit à la considération publique, et sa haute réputation, justement méritée, lui permet de compter parmi ses associés un grand nombre de membres de l'Institut Royal de France, et des premières sociétés savantes de l'Europe. Tout me fait donc croire, Monsieur le Baron, que vous voudrez bien aussi contribuer à son éclat, en me permettant de vous y présenter, selon les formes proscrites par ses réglemens, dont je vous remets ci-joint une copie, dans l'espérance que vous accueillerez favorablement ma demande.

Dans l'attente de vos chères nouvelles, et en vous souhai

tant tous les succès dus à vos travaux et à votre zèle, je vous prie d'agréer les assurances de mon parfait dévouement. F. DESMAZIERES.

SIR,

The Answer to M. Desmazieres's Letter.

Your letter of the 15th of March only reached me about four or five days ago. I take the earliest opportunity in my power to answer it. I am very glad to hear that you propose writing more fully on the maladies of cereal plants. The "carie" there is no difficulty of preventing; and I am also in great hopes, that a remedy has been discovered for the "rouille." In the printed papers I sent you, you will see that in Cornwall, where the ground is manured with salt, the crop of wheat is never infected with that malady; and I have lately been informed by Mr Silvestre of Paris, that the same circumstance occurs in the southern provinces of France, where they raise the "salicor." The ground of that description being much impregnated with saline particles, the wheat is not subject to rust. Any experiments, therefore, to be tried for purging the earth, ought to be with salt; but I am rather inclined to think, that as salt is an enemy to putrefaction, when used in large quantities, it operates by keeping the plant in a wholesome state, and enabling it to resist the attacks of the fungus.

I hope that you propose soon publishing the result of your inquiries, not as perfect, but with a view of explaining the progress you have made, in hopes that you may thus procure the assistance of other friends to the improvement of agricul

ture.

I have perused "The Rules of the Society for the Advantage of Arts and Sciences at Lisle," and it will give me much pleasure to be connected, as a corresponding member, with so respectable an institution.

With my best wishes for your success in the important pur

suits in which you are engaged, I remain, with much esteem, your faithful and obedient servant,

Ormly Lodge, Ham Common, Surrey,

13th August 1818.

JOHN SINCLAIR.

No. 6.-On the Excellent Conduct of the Highland Regiments in Flanders.

During my residence in Flanders in 1816, I was happy to learn that my countrymen, who composed the Highland regiments quartered there, had conducted themselves in such a manner, as to acquire, not only the esteem, but the affection of the people of that country. My friend, the Viscount Vanderfosse, having expressed, with much enthusiasm, his sentiments in their favour, I was induced to request, that he would briefly state what occurred to him upon the subject; and I received, in consequence, a communication from him, of which the following is a translation *:

You desire that I should commit to writing, the praises I bestowed yesterday on the Scotch regiments, which have so valiantly defended our country and our laws at the battle of Waterloo. I shall endeavour to repeat the words I used, since a Scotchman, enlightened and patriotic as you are, has thought them worthy of remembrance.

Since the arrival of the English troops on the Continent, their discipline was remarked, by all those who had any communication with them, and, in particular, by those who, like myself, had an opportunity of seeing them in this country during the campaigns of 1793 and 1794.

At that epoch your soldiers displayed the greatest bravery; but England had not yet accumulated those numerous laurels,

* The original has, by some accident, fallen by.

acquired under the command of the great and immortal Wellington.

Among these admirable soldiers, the Scotch deserve to be particularly commemorated; and this honourable mention is due to their discipline, their mildness, their patience, their humanity, and to their almost unparalleled bravery.

On the 16th and 18th of June 1815, their valour was displayed in a manner the most heroic. Multiplied, constant, and almost unheard of proofs were given, I do not say merely of courage, but of a devotion to their country, quite extraordinary and sublime.

Nor must we forget that these men, so terrible in the field of battle, were mild and tranquil out of it. The Scotch Greys, in escorting the French prisoners on the evening of the 18th, shewed compassion to these unfortunate victims of war, while as yet the result of that decisive day was unknown, and per-> haps uncertain.

I am not afraid of giving myself up to those feelings of gratitude, which all the Belgians will ever entertain towards those without whom they would no longer have had a country; but even gratitude shall never carry me beyond truth. All that I have now said in praise of your excellent countrymen would, I am sure, be confirmed, if necessary, by all the inhabitants of this kingdom; and the more you inquire into details and facts respecting their virtue and their glory, the more would the reality of what I have now repeated, at your desire, be established.

Receive, Sir, the renewed assurances of my esteem and gratitude towards your loyal nation; and permit me to join in the cry, at the sound of which your excellent countrymen have braved the most imminent dangers, and have triumphed over them, "Scotland for ever."

I have the honour to be, Sir, your very humble and obedient servant,

VISCOUNT VANDERFOSSE,

First Advocate at the Supreme Court of Justice at Brussels.

No. 7.-On the Advantages which Flanders might derive from the Introduction of the Drill System.

The superiority of the drill system over the broadcast, was strikingly exemplified by an experiment made by M. Auguste Weiland of Ostend. He sowed forty" French ares” of beans broadcast, and other forty ares in drills, at two feet interval. The next year the same land was sown with winter barley broadcast.

The land that had been under broadcast beans produced only 512 sheaves, whereas the land that had been drilled produced 580.

The winter barley, on the land that had produced the broadcast beans, amounted only to 580 sheaves, but on the part that had been drilled, 675 sheaves. The soil, when the broadcast beans were removed, was hard, difficult to be worked, and covered with weeds; whereas the drilled part was clean, friable, and in fine tilth.

This important experiment is more fully detailed in Radcliff's Report of the Agriculture of Flanders, p. 7.