The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-02 00:00:00

A NEW INFERNAL MACHINE.

M. Henri de Parrille, in • scientific article in the
Bulletin Francais, mentions a curious product:—.l.
America billiard balls a artificial ivory are made ed
remarkable hardness and of • perfect iambi/mice to th
natural substance. Jewels made of the same materiejsm
been quite in vogue for some months. The new
lately -been introduced into England and France. Leti;
in London, it so happened that a player in little's
cigar, let a match fall on the ball, which at once use
a to the crest stupefaction of all present. ft bans
with a smoky Game, like sealing wax. Mods were mate
to extinguish it, but unavailingly, and it had to be left
, until it was completely consumed, which took • qua...
of an hour. The explanation of this strange phenomse.
was sought, this being the first time a billiard ball Lad bee.
known to act in such a marvellous manner, the curiosity
of the spectators being-naturally excited. An Auntie,.
chymiat explained the secret of that unexpected cce.h.e,
tion. The substance with which the new ivory made it
called celluloid in the United States, It is • mixture of
guncotton and camphor, compressed and &..l t forn.
a hard, elastic material, which. when Polidmi, se, es
absolute resemblance to iron'. Every one knows thit
camphor burns readily, with a blue flame. Guncou..
does better still, it explodes. The two combined sod con,
pressed! Think whether the inflammability of the ...h.
is astonishing."

AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR HAMPSHIRE.
Our last report exhibited an exceptional state of Musa
in regard to the weather and its effect upon the mood.
tural affairs of our country, and the season up to the me
sent time has continued very adverse to ths tillage as
seeding of the land. The prospect bra wheat crop is very
poor: the seed time throughout was so difficult that a
large area intended for that crop was not sown, and much
that was sown hu failed in plant, more particularly where
sown out of clover lea, for in many instauces it Was quiet
impossible to give the land sufficient tillage, owing to the
succession of heavy rains. In such cues the land is light
and hollow, and as the wheat plant requires a solid and
firm bed, much land has lost plant, and some considerahle
breadth has been ploughed and re-sown with Lent corn,
still leaving a Urge portion looking very thin and unpin.
noising for an average crop.
The season for Lent corn and pulse has been quite as
difficult, or even more so, for large breadths of sprier/corn
have been seeded under most unfavourable circumstances
in fact, a large portion of the heavy land* are not seeded
up to this date, and so small a part of the land net out for
barley has been seeded in condition and hi proper time.
that it cannot be expected to yield a sualtiug quality.
This season, however, appears to pronibe • great gree.
crop, both of the artificial grasses and pasture produce,
and' although rather late, yet the clovers, together with.
the fodder crops, such as tares, rye, trifolenm, and Italian
rye grass, have seldom looked better, yet, in, it often
happens, we may get a deal of good grass and but litchi
good bay.
The value of straw seems much higher than we have
been accustomed to, and points to • state of thing, which
ought to be taken advantage of by the farm .r. seeing
that straw and hay are almost the only produce selling at
a remunerative price.
We hear of no cues of foot awl mouth dimes,.. le the.
cattle at present in any part of the county, and, as it is.
called the same disease which the sheep suffer from. how
comes it that the sheep are so had whilst the cattle are
free? We are very sorry to say that we have sr.-in-ch.
ever known the lameness amongst sheep more serious.
than at present. Since our last report, at the conclusion
of the lambing season, at which time we estimated the
number of lambs saved as under the avers4e of the
Hampshire down breed, a most serious loss of lambs haa
occurred, and even continues up to the prosient time. The
reporta front the Hill Farms and breeding flocks induces
us to believe that thousands of iambs have ihol in the
North Hants district within the past few weeks. How
is this? What can be the cause of it We have no
reason to believe that flockmaaters neglect their stock
more than usual, or feed them worse: but some f the
; most thoughtful men and best muggers of the Hamp-
shire down breed of sheep are beginning to think that
they have continued too long breeding from animas of
the same blood, and ao long affected by disease, and that
they cannot hope to have in the future good numbers of
healthy lambs without crossing, and it is considered that
the best plan to pursue will be to select for use rams
which will maintain the Hampshire down colour, give •
larger number of lambs, of better constitution, and yield
more wool, general opinion pointing to the Oxford, or
Shropshire down, as lost adapted for crossing with the
Hampshires to attain these objects.
The tillage of the land is very much in arrear, caused
by so long a period of unfavourable weather. The seed
time for inangel is close t.on us, and the land in only a
i few instances s ready. The fellows intended for other
root crops are also in • backward state. The planting of
potatoes ha* been greatly delayed, and the usual quantity
of the early sorts have not yet been set. We bolts-
tending potato planters more than ever inquiring for
newly imported early • arieties, the hest being from
America. For the later sorts sonic are looking for im-
portations from France and Scotland.

Store cattle, and sheep free from disease, are oelling
freely, in consequence of, the prospect of an abundance
of grave, and have Lately men in price.
April 26. JOSEPH BLUSDZIA, SOUthaillyton

DEATH oe AN ECCE.NTRIC tiara.
of St. Patrick Minor, Cornwall, who lusty Adler.
deed that be would reject all letters addressed to him
as " Hey.," and would only be styled G. W. Manning,
P.P., died on Saturday. He had his coffin made years
ago, and has slept either upon or in it for many
months. It is fitted with mattress and pillows, and
lately he employed a carpenter to alter it so LI to
make it more comfortable. For several weeks he has
slept within the coffin. The walls of his bedroom
were papered with letters respecting his assumption
of the title, and with notices of the steps to be token
In the event of his being seized with illness. Amon;
other eccentricities he, frosi the pulpit on Sunday,
gave his domestic servant notice to leave hi 4 employ.
Although thus peculiar, he has continued to I, duty
in church until now.