prove a nuisance to the neighbours, or the public. In addition to the situation of a cottage, the tenant's character and circumstances should be well considered. Where it is not convenient or adviseable to let him have land enough for a cow, he may have a large garden, and the necessary and pig-stye should be so placed, that the soak from them may be directed to manure the soil. The pig-stye should have a small court to open into the garden only. When a pig is bought it is small, and can be carried to the styc, where it may remain. I have found this the only way of preventing a labourer's pigs from wandering about a village. If the stye, opens to a road, it will never be so well guarded as when the first act of trespass must be in the owner's garden. I am truly anxious, however, under all proper restriction and limitation, of advancing and recommending the practice of setting some land to labourers and country mechanics. It appears to me important, both in a moral and political point of view. Let us consider, in the first place, the probable effects of such situations being more easily attained. Would not farming-servants, both men and women, have an additional motive to be careful, and seek after matrimonial,instead of illegal engage. ments, if they knew, that when they could save money enough to buy a bed, a pig, and a cow, they might settle, and have a house and land, for which they could afford to pay rent, and from which they could hope to maintain themselves, and rear a family? Or, if they have not money enough to buy in all their stock at first, they may raise potatoes in one year sufficient to increase their capital. Let us now consider them

placed in their cottage. The care of the land is not sufficient to take the labourer off from a single day's work; but when it is six o'clock in the evening, he has an interest in going directly home, to see that his fences are in repair, or to dig a part of his garden, &c. he knows, too, that when he has done this, (or if the weather is too bad for him to remain out of doors, still he knows) his house is warm, and that his supper is preparing; for his wife has been at home the whole day, looking occasionally after the cow, feeding the pig, weeding in the garden, or spinning in the house. As her family grows up, she can put the elder children to do some of these things; but if the woman goes out. to work, the children are neglected, and the house is cold and comfortless, and the husband has a temptation to go to the ale-house, (though this evil is much lessened from the high price of necessaries, and, in some districts, from the reduced number of public houses.) Before men can be made good, they must be made serious; and this is best done by giving them an idea of property. From being serious, there is a chance of their becoming good members of society through princi ple; but if not, they may be harmless through interest; and we cannot conceive a stronger support to the police of any country, than the housholders of it having business of their own to mind, and property of their own to defend. Though the rent of a cottage is generally an inadequate interest for the money spent in building or repairing it, yet the tenant is frequently willing to pay a higher proportionate rent per acre for land than the farmer does, and he is also frequently the most. punctual

punctual in paying his rent. But, however the balance may be in other respects, one considerable advantage will always be derived from the extension of this plan, in the reduction of the poor's rate. If, indeed, the 31 Eliz. c. 7, could have been acted upon, or modified, rather than repealed, it might have prevented the expence of poor's rates in country, parishes. It prohibited the building of any cottages in the country, unless there be set four acres of land lying near the same, to be continually occupied therewith, &c. &c.

I have the pleasure of adding the following extract of a letter, written to me Jan. 29, 1796, in answer to an inquiry, by the rev. Archibald Alison, rector of Kenley, in this county, the facts of which will best bespeak the merits of its author: "With regard to the experiment in this parish, it is much too trifling and too recent to deserve any attention. Thirty acres, you know, were allotted to me in the division of the common, and they were divided into ten shares, to accommodate the poor people of the common, who had the largest families, at the same rent that was paid for the other part. It is only three years since this took place, and I can say little, therefore, with respect to the effects I most wished to follow from it. That it has added to the comfort of the people in that time, I have every reason to believe, both from their own acknowledgments, and from the anxiety of the rest to possess the same advantages. I think I may say also, that it has added, in some measure, to their industry. land in general is in a better state than any of that which was inclosed at the same time. The poorest among them have all carried lime, VOL. XLVI.

The

collected road-stuff, burnt weeds, &c. and some of them have certainly manured higher than any of the farmers in our parish. Two of them have built cottages at their own expence, and shewn a little disposition to ornament, by white-washing them, &c. In so short a time, these are at least not unpromising appear ances. With regard to the quantity of land which may be allowed to cottagers, without diminishing their industry, as day-labourers, it will not be easy to determine. If I were to judge from this parish, I should be disposed to think, that more than three acres might very safely be given. The most decent, industrious, and well-doing of the lower people among us, are four or five families, who have from five to eight or ten acres a-piece. They have brought up their families without any parish assistance, and their children are in general better educated, better behaved, and set out better in the world, than any others of the same rank among us. These little farms, indeed, are always in grass, as I apprehend they will al ways naturally be when not exceeding these limits. The smaller farmers with us, of from 20 to 30 acres, who are induced to keep something like a team, are much the poorest and most wretched people among us."

To this account I must add, what Mr. Alison's delicacy has concealed, that in setting these allotments at the current price, viz. seven shillings per acre, he promised not to raise that rent in consequence of any improvements the original tenants may make, which would have the operation of a lease for the time of his incumbency. A farther promise also was holden out,-that a jury of

farmers should look over the ten allotments annually, and he who had improved the most, should be excused paying rent for that year. It should be noted also, that lime is within a few miles of these cottages.

I have the advantage of a further communication upon this subject, from Edw. Harries, esq. of Arlescot, in this county.

Mr. Harries's experience, as an active and attentive landlord, of very considerable property, makes his observations on husbandry very vaJuable; and they have peculiar weight on this part of the subject, from the kindness and consideration with which he treats his labourers: "The building should be of a dimension to allow two separate chambers. An acre of ground annexed to it would admit of half being annually sown with wheat, the other half with hemp, potatoes, cabbages, and beans; these would be a great assistance to the labourer, in the support of his family, and would enable him to keep and fat a pig. His situation would be still more comfortable, if five acres of land were added to it, as he could-then keep a cow, and somewhat increase his quantity of grain. A double cottage I would generally recommend there is some saving in the erection, and they may mutually assist each other; for though violent quarrels sometimes arise between such near neighbours, yet reciprocal interest soon occasions a forgetfulness of past offences. There should be at least two cottages to every 100 acres; the situation open to a pub

lic road, dry, and south or southeast."

The Dutch Method of curing Herrings; extracted and translated from the German of Krünitz's Economical Encyclopædia (Occonomische Encyclopädie) Article Häring. By J. Hinckley, Esquire, F. S. A.

The vessels employed in this fishery, commonly called herring-busses, from the Dutch name, are generally between 48 and 60 tons burthen, though some from 40 to 80 and 100 tons are used. The largest of all carry 120 tons, are threemasted vessels, with one deck, and a cabin at each end; that a-head serving as a kitchen. Of the larger, the crews are 24 men, those of the smaller, 18. They carry a few small guns and musquetry.

Their nets are dipped, or cast out, in the evening, and drawn up in the morning. It requires thres hours to wind them on board.From the not, the fish are immediately put into baskets, while others of the crew are occupied till evening in gutting, salting, and packing. But, although from 10 to 15 last are sometimes taken at a draught, the twelve persons usually employed for the purpose cannot complete more than five last in a day.

During the three first weeks, from the 25th of June to the 16th of July, all the fresh caught herrings are thrown into casks, without picking. and conveyed to Holland, in the jagers, or yatchs*, that accompany the

herring.

herring-busses. But, after this period, immediately on being got on board, and gutted, they are assorted into three qualities full herrings and shot herrings. The first of these are those taken earliest, and without roe or milt, but which, though well flavoured, do not keep. Full herrings are those taken at Midsummer, on the point of spawning, from which the brand herrings, so called from the barrels being marked with a hot iron, only differ in being caught later, repacked immediately on arrival, and so close and hard pressed down, that they do not require repacking at other places, but only new pickle, and are immediately expedited, or may remain on hand; whereas the other two sorts, not being so closely laid, must absolutely be repacked. Shot herrings are those which have spawned, or are taken in the act of spawning, in consequence of which they are thin and lean.

With the last two sorts the busses themselves return (as soon as they have got their loading, or find no more fish) one after another, to port, where all three sorts, except the brand-herrings, before being expedited, are opened, salted anew, re-packed, and so heaped up, that fourteen casks are re-packed in twelve, which make a last. By a regulation of the states-general, this re-packing must be performed in the open air, where strict watch is kept that the spoiling fish be carefully separated from the good, and the latter properly laid in the barrels, and strongly pressed down.

The Dutch fishery continues generally from twenty to twenty-six weeks, or even somewhat longer namely, from the 25th of June. The Dutch fish only on the Scotch

and English coasts, off Hittland, Fairhill, and Bocken, from Midsummer till the 25th of July; off Bocken or Serenial, from thence till the 14th of September; and in deep water, east of Yarmouth, and as far as the mouth of the Thames, from thence to the 25th of November, when the regular ushery ceases.

But herrings are found not far from Yarmouth till the end of January, after which the fishery is prohibited, as the spawning season then commences.

Herrings, however, are equally good, wherever they are taken, provided they be but caught in the proper season, and well managed. As they die immediately on quitting their element, salting and packing are the circumstances which principally affect their quality. The su-. perior excellence and flavour of Dutch herrings, above those of all other countries, arising from the close attention and indefatigable industry employed. Every thing, however minute, both as to season and management, which can maintain the reputation they have enjoyed for more than two hundred years, is most punctually observed: and above thirty ordinances on the curing and management of herrings are recited by Sir William Temple, in the seventeenth century.

"

Herrings cured with Scotch salt very quickly decay. Those of Norway are cured in the same manner as the Scotch, but with French salt, and packed in fir or deal, in consequence of which they are worse, and less palatable, as they leave a sour taste in the mouth, and soon spoil. In like manner other nations are equally careless in assorting the fish regularly and early off Hittland, from the 25th of June, because they

2 H 2.

are

are then, and to the beginning of July, fattest; after which time, the nearer they approach the coast, the leaner and worse they are.

It redounds no less to the honour of the Dutch than to their advantage, that they pay the utmost possible attention to these rules: according to which the fish must be taken at the proper season, properly salted, well assorted, and rightly packed; to do all which, the cap. tain and sailors are by several laws obliged to bind themselves by oath, before they sail. There are also overseers well paid, that they may not betray their trust, but watch and enforce every the minutest regulation; to which circumstance, also, the pre-eminence of Dutch herrings throughout the world may partly be ascribed.

As soon as the herrings are taken out of the water, they are thrown either upon the end of the deck, which has been cleared and made perfectly clean for the purpose, or into baskets; and then (gipped) the gills and guts taken out with a knife, by some of the crew, who are solely employed therein, having been brought up to that practice.. The milt, or roe, however, is always left in the fish.* What are taken during one night, are, before the following sun-set, neatly and skilfully laid in oaken barrels, coarse Spanish or Portuguese bay salt being strewed between. This the fishermen of other countries either entirely neglect, or less carefully perform, being less scrupulously nice; because they either go out to sea later, or, like the Scotch, commence fishing too soon; or only navigate small boats near the coast; do not kill

the fish with a knife, or gut, salt, or pack them down in a boat, and when fully laden, go on shore, proceed at their leisure, cast the fish on the sea-coast in considerable heaps, where they are even suffered to lie sometimes several days, before they are gutted, salted, and packed, in consequence of which they grow stale and ferment. The Dutch, on the contrary, indefatigably pursue their method day and night, during twenty, twenty-four, or twentysix weeks, be the weather what it may. Hence, their fish are usually more tender, better flavoured, and not so very salt as the English and Scotch.

There are two methods of salting and preserving herrings for a considerable length of time. The one is called white salting, the other red. The former is thus performed.-Immediately on being taken, the fish are gutted, as above described, and washed in clean water; then salt is sprinkled on them, either internally or both within and without, and the fish being thrown into large baskets with handles, are well roused (or shaken about a few times), that the salt may the better diffuse itself, and penetrate: or lastly, which is the best method, they are thrown into a tub filled with strong brine, made with bay salt and fresh water, in which an egg will swim. In this pickle they are left upon deck in the open air, provided the weather be good, during twelve or fifteen hours; but, if circumstances require, a good deal longer, and are well stirred (especially if pickled on shore) with shovels, several times, that the salt may the better and more generally penetrate every where. Lastly,

to