The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-02-25 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC. •

ECONOMICAL APPLICATION OF SeAmami:L-0n
Wednesday, at a meeting of the Society of Arts, Mr.
Edward C. C. Stanford, F.C.S., reed • long and
interesting paper "On the Economic Applications of
Seaweed." Re said that sixty years ago it would have
been difficult to persuade a botanist to include one of
the marine alga in his herbarium, so worthless and
insignificant were they then esteemed; now they are
numbered amongst the choicest dried oollectiens from
the vegetable kingdom. It had been said that Dr.
Johnson bad included them in his " plants ' that are
noxious and useless." The first important application
of seaweeds was made about the middle of the WS
century, it consisted in burning them for the ash as I
souroe of soda; but barilla from abroad entered our
market, and the tall chimney of the &limit
works roes up in competition against them, and
seaweeds fell to • discount. Then the discovery
of iodine was made, and the burning of
seaweeds became • necessity, and at the present day we
are mainly indebted to this humble source for the means
we possess of borrowing the sun's light to paint his own
image. Seaweed was the raw material whichataddj
enabled photographers to satisfy hundreds of thou
of Englishmen who longed to preserve the likeness of
the illustrious deemed, whose sudden call to another,'
Crown bad plunged the whole nation in sorrow and
mourning. Nevertheless seaweed hai been but im-
perfectly studied, and the rich wreck of marine veer
tation annually deposited on "our shores" remained
unappropriated. Under the term seaweed, he in-
cluded all plants growing in the sea and thrown up on
the &hem The principal eeonomic applications of sea-
weed were as food or medicine, as manure, and it
the manufacture of kelp. The algal possessed nn-
tricions and demulcent properties; they contained •
peculiar gum, and sugar, starch, a little albumen, and a
comparatively large proportion of nitrogen. The value
of seaweed as manure was appreciated most in the
Channel Islands, the ram, or orate, as the weed is con-
sidered so valuable, that special laws are en.
forced for its regular collection and fair dis-
tribution amongst the sgriculturiats, many of

thousands+

I that

whom use no other manure. About 30,000 loads of
vraic of all kinds were annually obtained from the rocks
and bays of Guernsey and the adjacent small islands of
Harm, valued at £3,000, or two shillings per load; and
that collected in Jersey was probably quite as much.
The manufacture of kelp, or the burning of sea-weed
to obtain its ash, was carried on for the value of the
carbonate of soda contained in it: but when the high
war finites were taken off fereign barilla and salt, kelp,
for which the demand had been very great, deteriorated
in value, and was scarcely worth making.

BREACH OF PROMISE EXTRAORDINARY
In the Court of Exchequer, on Friday, was tried
(Marsh v. Driffield,) an action for breach of promise of
marriage, brought by the plaintiff's next friend,
plaintiff being in the 21st year of her age. Plea.:
denial of promise, that a reasonable time for
performing the promise had ' not elapsed,
that plaintiff was not ready to marry defendant, that
plaintiff had been unchaste, that she had exonerated
the defendant from the promise, and that • written
agreement under seal had been made between both
that the marriage was to take place after the death of
defendant's mother, who is still alive, and that defen-
dant had paid a sum of money which plaintiff had
accepted in satisfaction other claim upon him.
Mr. Huddleaton, for the plaintiff, said she was the
daughter of a farmer at Beacon-house, Great Tatham,
Essex. The defendant was son of • clergyman in the
neighbourhood, farming 170 acres of land. They became
acquainted in 1857, courtship followed, and • promise
to marry in June, 1858. About that time he wrote to
her as follows
"My dear little love, my deer little duck (laughter), I
hope you are alive and kicking (roars of laughter). and
looking as well, as fresh, and as pretty as you always
do. I shall be delighted to hear from you, but much
more to see your lovely countenance."
In Autumn, 1858, after his introduction to her family
he seduced her, and afterwards be promised to marry
her immediately. A day WAS named, and everything
was provided, but he did not keep his promise, alleging
that he was too nervous (laughter.) She was afterwards
confined of a child, now living. In December, 1860, he
said he could not marry her tillafter his motbees death.
Afterwards he arranged to marry her immediately, and
the marriage was fixed to take place in London. A
license was procured. Be tame to London, saw her at
his sisters, and promised to be early to breakfast next
-morning to be married. Next morning came, but be
again excused himself on the ground of nerrousneas,and
sent a hitter att folioed' :
"MT DEAREST, DEAREST Loo.—Heap, if you like,
10,000 curses on my head. I had a fearful night, sad
never dosed my eyes. My lift. to me truly and really
a hell upon earth. lam again in this fearful nervous
excitable state. I thought I should have cut my throat
last night. I do, indeed, love you and your heavenly
babe, though not lawfully begot. I do, indeed, truly
love it: Kos it for its father's sake. Now do, pray,
my dear girl, wait till my mother's death. The poor
old lady won't, in all probability, live very long. You
have my word and honour, and every surety of my
marrying you then Nothing
on earth prevents me having you now but my mother
and the losing of £3OOO or £4OOO. Take care of my
carpet lbag and the things in it, great coat and bine
rug, for me, and I will either send for them at Beaton
Hesse or call for them when better. Now, do not form
a wrong opinion of me. One day I will have you.
God, I believe, has ordained it, but not yet. First kiss
Chicky and your old mother, and a thousand for
yourself. Believe me one day your future husband and
devoted and attached: C. J. DRINTIELD.
Mr. Baron Martin: Isn't there a postscript? (laughter).
Mr. Huddleston : Yes, my lord, (renewed laughter).
P. 8.—1 am afraid it is the mind, lordly, my dear old
mother (laughter).
After this a day was again fixed for the mar-
riage, but defendant again put it off. The defen-
dant was stated to have £3OOO in -the funds. Wit-
nesses were then called for the defence, bet the
proceedings were interrupted by an announcement that
the parties had come to an arrangement, and a verdict
was taken by content for the plaintiff. Damages—
£2oo.

KARELIA' A LA MOD6.--CORIOTIS WATS= Liti.—
Old Sheriffs Court —Before Mr. Kerr and a Common
Jury.)—Mylett v. Wltite.—This was • writ wet down
from the Superior Court, and plaintiff sought to reamer
£lO 10s. for necessaries supplied to defendant's wife.—
Mr. Turner was °mewl for the plaintiff, and Mr:
O'Connell for the defendant—Mr. Turner having
briefly stated the case, in which defendant was described
as • wealthy farmer in Kent, called Mrs. White, who
said she was defendant's wife. She had left him in
consequence of his continued ill-treatment, which
commenced before she had been • wife a month.
(Laughter.) He used very bad language, and often
knocked her about. She left him, and was allowed •
separate maintenance; bat upon his promise to amend
she returned. One morning after that return, she was
assisting the wife of • labourer who was confined, and
she went indoors with that labourer's child.
Defendant was drunk and asleep on the sofa.
She woke him up, and he commenced using
foul language, and finally Wrack witness
under the ear, inflicting • severe bruise. She took us
• chair and be seized the poker. He struck at her right
and left, and broke the chair, and she made her escape,
and then left him. She went in fear of his violence and was
obliged to leave him.—Cross-examined : I was not vio-
lent to him. He was often tipsy. I never knocked
him down, nor did I ever jump upon him or attempt to
injure him in a tender part. I did not even try to jump
on him when he was down. I never tried to stab him
with a swordatick. When I left him before I signed a
deed, and was tricked into agreeing to take 225. a
month, whereas it ought to have been 22.. per week. I
have never been tipsy. I never take anything stranger
than beer. Never anything hot. (Laughter.) It is
quite enough for me to see Mr. White tipsy without
getting so myself. (Roars of laughter.) He turned his
daughter out of doors, and I nursed her when she was
ill. He was informed of her illness and came to see her,
and so I agreed to go home again. I positively swear
that I never ill-used him. He was very fond of his
drope—(laughter)—and was always very violent when
in liquor. —lnspector Webb proved seeing the
bruise on Mrs. White's neck. Mr. O'Connell then
culled defendant, who, having apparently bottled
up his story, said I shall begin at the beginning.
(Laughter.) When I married Mrs. White she
would have an Irish wedding—(great laughter)—
▪ we had plenty to drink..(roars of laughter)—and
Isouldn't get her to go home. She was a very violent
woman, and we quarrelled almost as soon as we were
I maried. (Laughter.) We both drank and pitched
I info one another. (Laughter.) lam pretty fair when
I have a drop, but Mrs. White—ah !—(a deep
bet when she has • drop she is tremendous strong.
(At this the Court fairly broke down, and the examina-
tion came to • standstill, the witness being desired to
" begin at the end.")—Witness : Why, we spent £3O •
week upon pleasures, and I couldn't stand it.
(Laughter.) The witness had deposed to many sets of
violence on the part of his wife, and declared that she
once tried to stab him with a dagger-stick. She reused
hie daughter to leave home, and used very foul
language. On the hist occasion she it was who com-
mewed the attack, and she broke the chair over witness,
covering him with bruises. She liked her drip', and
they both drank. She used to go at night and get
drank, and then, lying in bed all day, nisi to pretend
she was afraid. Witness was • weak and ailing man,
but sometimes there was a mutual "pitching in, custo-
mary in such cases." Witness had not L'WO at his
banker's, or a quarter of that sum. He paid 2200 per
annum` for his farm. Buisness now was very bad, The
whole fault was with Mrs. White,—Cross-examined: I
have been in the hospital for delirium tremens, but that
I was through eating • mackerel. (Roars of laughter.)
Yes, • mackerel poisoned me. (Laughter.) It was
not from drink. lam • weak man, and suffer
from a bad complaint, and she is mach stronger
than I am, so she knocked me about. She would have
an Irish marriage—(great laughter)—and I had the
greeted difficulty to get her home. When I did get her
to go home, we got in • cab, and when we got to
Temple-ter she jumped out and called "Murder
murder! (laughter,) he is going to murder ma!" I was
dressed in • mock frock, and the people said,
"Countryman, if you don't get her away you'll both be
locked up." (Great laughter.) All the way home she
played up games. I did not take up the poker to her,
but she broke the chair over me. It was the mackerel
that caused me to have delirium tremens. (Laughter.)
—The Judge (laughing): The first time I ever heard of
such • thing—Witness: My daughter was • fine gal—
(laughter)—and she (Mrs. White) drove her away.—De-
fondant's son deposed to his step-mother listing very
violent, and knocking about defendant, who was • weak
man, having • complaint "that belonged to
him." (Great laughter.) John Hassey said he
was • labourer on defendant's farm, and though
he had seen no fighting, he had heard foul
language. He heard Mrs. White call defendant • " worn-
out old man." (Great laughter,).—The Judge: A very
grave eherg•e that. (Renewed laughter.)--W ess : She
said be was "so old mekold"—(rears of laughter)—and
that she- esUd go'lo GrevaeM any night and get his
master. (Renewed laughter.)—The Judge: And I
suppose his language was equally flattering I—Witness:
Yes.— A fir driver was then called as to Mrs. White's
intemperate habits, but not only was his evidence
Unsatisfactory, but Mrs. White /Milted to be recalled to
contradict it.—The Judge then summed up, and the jury,
after • brief deliberation, found for the plaintiff, for the
amount.—The Judge certified for costa.

Farm produce to the Table of £250 has been destroyed
!IA Tortwortb by fire. The flames were kindled by an
Incendiary, a girl 17 years of age, who has been appre-
hended and committed for trial.
At the meeting of the South Western Railway on
Saturday, Mr Mitchell, a director, proposed an amend-
ment on the report, excluding from adoption the
proposed extension of the line through Somersetshire to
Bristol. The amendment, after considerable discussion,
was withdrawn, and the report adopted. A dividend at
the rata of £5 10s per cent, per annum was declared.
A terrible boiler explosion has taken plat* at the
works of Messrs Lawton, Staffordshire. Four of the
boilers bunt simultaneously, blowing down one of the
fortuities, the chimney stack, and part of the blast engine-
' house, and killing the engineer. The works are said to
be a total wreck, and one of the boilers was blown a
distance of 500 yards. It seems little abort of a mired'
'that no more lives were lost.
SALs or Al ILLVISIeTaD IntwurATlffi..—On Friday
the Queen, an illustrated weekly paper, which was
started about Fix months ago by Mr. 8,0. Becton, the
, well known publisher, was sold by Mr. Hodgson, the
iellencer, of Chancery Lane. The circulation was
stated to-14 about 7,000 weekly, which was sufficient to
cover the expenses of prododtion, The money sunk in
the concern was about £3,500, and £2,000 of that sum
had been paid for wood engravings, which were disposed
of with the copyright. After waiting an hour for a
second bidding the auctioneer knocked down the
lots to Mr Weldon, the publisher, of Paternoster Row,
for £560.

VREDERICK FOOT, AUCTIONF.ER,
-11: GENERAL VALUER, and COMMISSION
AGENT, DORCHESTER.

VALTIATIONS for ADMINISTRATION.