fpringing blood: I know they give it in March to cure hories of coughs, and to help the broken winded. I am informed by a good author, that the herb called fickle-wort, felf heal, or carpenters-herb, has actually cured confumptions, by taking the juice of it for fome time; and tho' that cannot be had a good part of the year, it may be made into a fyrup, and fo pre ferved. The fame perfon said, the blue flowered bugle is good for the fame pur pofes, used the fame way; and this laft may be had fooner in the year; fo one may be taken till the other is ready. It is beft to take them both as foon as they begin to bud for the bloffom, they are then the ftrongest, and fo continue till the flowering is over, for then the virtue is over.: .. I know an eminent physician, who prescribes scabious dried and powdered, and mixed with honey, for confump tions, to be taken as oft as their cough is troublesome; gather it when in bud for flowering. From the COMPLETE MAGAZINE. knowledge, and of course have acknow ledged, that the fource of their own private emolument has been materially prejudicial to the kingdom. These reflections are occafioned, by an article which appeared in the papers fome time ago, fetting forth, that two hundred weavers intended fpeedily to transport themselves for Italy and Spain, as they were utterly deftitute of employment at home, and confequently incapable of fupplying their families with bread. The intimation, I must own, affected me ftrongly, and worked upon my fpirit as a Briton, and, upon my humanity as a man. I felt the strong eft indignation against thofe enemies of their country, who either imported or encouraged the importation of French and Italian filks, and reduced fo valua ble a fet of men, as our own manufacturers, to poverty and diftrefs, I looked upon it, however, as the work of fore private adventurers, and never thought that the greatest of our trading companies would be inftrumental in oppreffing the public, till, turning to another part of the paper, I found that the Ofterley Indiaman only had brought home, but a day or two before, no less than 133,224 pieces of various stuffs for the use of Remarks on the Trade carried on by the both fexes in various articles of drefs, Eaft India Company. TH HE generality of people, by a ftrange infatuation, imagine that Great Britain is immediately interested in the prefervation of the Eaft India company. Perhaps it would not be difficult to prove, that, however profitable the Eaft India trade may be to individials, it is, in reality, far from advantageous to the kingdom.... 'Tis a very easy matter to know, whether the ballance of any trade is in our favour or not; to be rightlybinformed -in this, we need only examine the exports and imports at the custom houfe, and if the latter are fuperior to the .former, the conclufion is evidently a gainst us. Now, that the imports from the East-Indies are confiderably fuperior to the exports, is what the company themselves have never fcrupled to ac at prefent the fummit of fashion in this kingdom... I now no longer wondered at the distresses of the English manufacturers, when I faw the Ealt-India company fupporting the produce of foreign dooms, I knew it would be in vain for the unhappy weavers of this kingdom to contend, and could not help confeffing, that they were right to feek for that fubfiftence in any other country, of which they were fo barbarously plundered in their own. The original defign, which all the European nations had in planting fettlements in different parts of the world, was to fupply themselves, at an eafy rate, with the various commodities of traffic, in order to carry on an advantageous commerce with their neighbours: they never intended to give those fettlements a preference above themselves, or or to purchase from them, at a great In reality, the nation has a right to expect different returns from the hands of the East-India company; we have a fleet conftantly stationed at a great ex pence upon their coafts to protect their trade, and a body of forces befides to defend their settlements up the country. -We have paid immenfe fums to fight their battles with the Nabob of this place, and the Subah of t'other, and have constantly supported them in every quarrel that arofe, either from their arrogance, their avarice, or their caprice to a fine purpose truly.-We have given them millions that they may injure the national trade, and thed a torrent of our best blood, that they may beggar the most useful artizans in the kingdom. most every body is fenfible, yet no one attempts a cure; nay,fo far are we from trying to remove it, that too ma ny,by an'ill judged tenderness of nature, perpetually promote its continuance, by always relieving these unlicensed plun derers of the public. Thus, in reality, they contribute to the fupport of idleness, and confequent. ly of every vice amongst us; for we often find that what at first appeared to be diftrefs, is in reality a craft and a trade, and may not improperly be called the trade of idleness... It is not to be doubted, that these drones, who are fo great a nuisance, might be rendered really beneficial to fociety, were but a proper means fuggefted for employing them. We hear lately frequent complaints of the scarcity of hands, in the cloathing countries, by which one principal branch of that bufinefs, the fpinning, is greatly incom moded, the confequences begin already to be seriously felt; the clothiers on this account talk of advancing their cloth another fhilling per yard; and what is worse, if a remedy be not foon applied, our being underfold may greatly lessen, if not wholly destroy our trade in foreign countries: what I would propofe therefore is, that these vagrants in our streets, fhould be by law compelled into the parish work-houses (or other places appointed for the purpose) and be there employed in fpinning for the clothiers: by this means, this reproach would be removed out of our streets, and the public be greatly benefited by hav ing fo large a number of useless hands thus turned to a good account. Was this scheme once thoroughly established, what a benefit would it be to the nation in general, what a bleffing XXXXXXXXXXXXX to the individuals themfelves, who being fo fortunately employed, and fo happily rescued from idleness and all its fatal confequences, would probably in many cafes, be alfo preferved from total deftruction. I moft heartily wish there was a proper fine inflicted by law upon all who relieve them; that profefled beggars not finding it altogether fo easy to vantage to this kingdom; and enabled us, at different times, to relieve the diftrefs of the inhabitants of many parts of Europe, and enrich ourselves by that to fubfift upon the general credulity, might turn their hands to fome useful employment, and earn that livelihood by their industry and labour, which is now extorted from the mistaken tender-happy commerce. And we should renefs and ill-directed bounty of the pub lic. I am the more confirmed in wishing for the execution of fuch a fine, as I fee it is recommended by the fenfible Dr. Burn in his late eflay on the poor laws; the really poor and neceffitous would be in no danger of fuffering from fuch an establishment, since I would willingly have them taken much better care of than they at prefent are, by a larger number of the most fubftantial inhabitants of every parith, being appointed officers for that purpose. From the ROYAL MAGAZINE. Reflections on Agriculture. SIR, F EW popular prejudices are more univerfal than that against the exportation of grain, which the wisdom of the legiflature hath instituted, encouraged and promoted by a bounty, in order to engage landholders to grow valt quantities of corn, and excite landowners to expend large fums of money in the cultivation of poor and waste lands, in order to increase the growth of all forts of grain: and it hath anfwered the most fanguine expectation; for by that prudent method of advancing agriculture, we have not only been happily preferved from famine, to which we were formerly fubject, but it hath reduced the price of corn, and thereby enabled the poor (in moft years) to purchafe at a moderate price, the principal fuftenance of life. It has alfo been the political means of employing thousands of poor, in digging, enclofing, fencing, plowing, reaping, building of barns, ftables, &c. and making the various implements used in husbandry. So that it hath not only been of private emolument, but of extenfive benefit and adVOL. III. member, that it is more blessed to give than to receive charitable affistance. As every expedient fhould be tried, every probable experiment made, and every means which has been used to enrich fterile lands, made universally known, to promote and carry on fo noble, ufeful, and benevolent an undertaking. I have tranfcribed part of a letter concerning the manuring of land with foffil fhells, publifhed in the Pirlofophical Tranfactions, No. 474. prẻfuming, that a periodical pamphlet may fall into the hands of farmers, who cannot be fuppofed conversant in books of philofophy; and by that means give fome of them an opportunity of advancing their own fortunes, and increasing the wealth of the nation. Camden gives an account that, at Cavenfham near Reading, there was discovered a large ftratum of oyfter-fhells, lying on a bed of green fand, and extending to five or fix acres of ground; and undoubtedly there are vast quantities of fhells under the furface of the earth in many parts of this kingdom, and which the hand of industry may cafually dif cover. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. George Pickering, concerning the manuring of land with fossil shells, read before the Royal Society. "At Woodbridge in Suffolk, in a farmer's ground, there are some pits, in depth equal to the ufual height. of houfes, confifting of feveral strata of fhells from the bottom to within about nine feet of the furface, where the natural foil of gravel and fand begins. "The man contented himself in the old beaten track of the farmers, (a behaviour which does infinite prejudice to the improvement of natural knowledge in agriculture) 'till a happy accident forced him upon a bold improvement. He used to mend his cart-ways, when С сс broken 7 ing when fown but of an ounce, broken up by harvest-work, with thefe The following account concerning the furprizing vegetation of that most falutary root the turnip, which is of fuch important fervice for the advancement of agriculture, &c. cannot fail of being acceptable to the curious reader. At Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire, a peaty ground near a pool (of which it was formerly a part) was fown with turnip feed, on of 1702. In fers than three days time, the turnips were feen above ground; at three weeks end the roots were in bignefs equal to a walnut; within less than five weeks, as big as large apples; at the end of fix weeks, viz. on the 12th of Auguft, a large turnip was plucked up(tho' probably not fo big as feveral others then grow. ing upon the fame ground) which, together with its top and long defcending part of the root, weighed above 2 lb. 14.02. At the fame time was weighed an ounce of the fame fort of turnip feed that the gardener had fown his ground with, and it was found that the whole ounce contained above 14,600 fingle grains; which number, multiplied by 46, (viz. the number of ounces that the turnip weighed) produceth 671,600, viz. the number of fingle grains of feed required to equal the weight of the turnip. From whence may be gathered, that, (fuppofing the increase of the turnip was all along uniform and equal, from the time it was fown, to the time it was plucked up) the grain of feed it fprung from, weigh Week Day 671,600 111,933 timesits ownweight Another turnip of the fame crop was plucked up on the 21st day of October, and weighed above 10 lb. 8 oz. The gardener neglected to thin his turnips in due time, otherwife their growth had, in all probability, been more confiderable. See Philofoph. Tranfact. No. 360. A. Z. XX*X*XXXXXXXX From the COURT MAGAZINE. On the Neceffity of breeding Colts from found Horfes. T is a pretty general rule, that be Iginning well is a likely in tant te wards obtaining the defired end; but this maxion is too frequently unobserved with regard to that useful animal, the horfe; I mean, in the propagation of the fpecies. It is true, a long pedigree of famous fires is much attended to; and frequently the atchievements of the creature from which we propagate speak much in his praife, whether it be on the course, or in the field; thefe, added to a well proportioned make with respect to ftrength and fize, induce many to look no farther, but conclude a colt from fuch illuftrious family cannot fail to answer every defired end, and fo, without any farther thought, bring the mare to be covered by fuch a horse; and many fuch are difperfed about the country, in the hands of Inn-keepers, or Jockeys, who can talk much about racing and hunting, and by publishing a high premium for a ftint, make their hortes very famous; when, rather than lofe any grift which may come to mill, they will take a very trifie for a leap, or the the ftint; but then with this caution. "It is a favour to you as a friend; but I must infift on its being kept se-. cret." Now it is well known, that rarely any famous horfe can fall into fuch hands, except he be deemed unfit for any further fervice on the turf, or in the chace, by being blind, having fplints, fpavins, ring-bones, broken wind, foundered, or fome fuch chronical difeafe; which in its nature is liable to be communicated to his offspring; by which means he is become useless to his mafter, who frequently beftows the crea ture, thus difabled, as a gift to his Groom, or Jockey boy: thefe, well knowing the keeping fuch a horse will be little advantage, therefore fell him to the first who may bid any tolerable fum for him; whereby this (once) fo famous (but now useless) creature becomes the property of some one of thofe men aforesaid, who have many tolerable good mares brought to them by unthinking people; and by which means a confiderable number of well-made colts are procured, and from whom the expectation of many are raised, but often greatly to their disappointment, or more often of those who have too eagerly purchafed fuch colts while fucking; because their colts, we frequently fee, have, at two, three, four or five years old, splints on their legs, spavins on their joints, ring-bones in their pasterns, or are foundered in their feet, at fix years go blind with a cataract, and at feven become broken-winded, through the unproportioned make of the thorax and its contents; and are thereby rendered unfit for any service suitable to their make, but are put to mere drudgery, or condemned to die, unless it happens to be a mare; and then the frequently is turned out in fome common, or on some poor land; just barely to get a living and breed a colt, which colt, it is an hundred to one, is begotten by a horse subject to some of the aforefaid maladies: hence in their off fpring we may, and often do, see these difeales complicated. From the BRITISH MAGAZINE. Abort Defcription of the City of Florence. THE fruitful valley on the river Arno, in forty-three degrees forty minutes north latitude, thirty-fix miles to the eastward of Pifa, about as many to the northward of Sienna, and 120 north of Rome; in a most defireable fituation, encompaffed with beautiful hills on fides, full of villages, country-seats, gardens, groves and woods of olives rifing gradually, till they join the highest mountains of the Apennine and towards the west, lies that rich valley wa tered by the river Arno, which extends as far as Pifa, abounding in corn, wine, and oil, and all manner of delicious fruits. The town is of a round form, about fix miles in circumference, encompaffed with walls and other fortifications, and defended by three citadels. The tiver Arno divides it in two parts, which have a communication by four bridges, of which two, the old and the new, are admired for their ftructure. The streets are strait and well paved, in imitation of the old Roman highways, with great flat ftones, larger than our common pavement ftones, but much thicker, which are so hollowed in their joinings, that the horses find fastening for their feet. There are a great many statues and fountains in the streets, and we meet with agreeable objects, which way foever we turn our eyes. Their privatè buildings are tall and fair, their palaces numerous and exquifitely contrived, their churches but little inferior to those of Rome, and there are no less than seventeen fpacious fquares; infomuch that this city has obtained the title of Flo rence the Fair, which all travellers agree it well deferves. In two things only they think it defective; the first, that they have no glass in their windows, but their finest palaces are often difgrac ed with tattered paper; and in the econd place, the streets and courts in Ccc 2 their |