The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-10-26 00:00:00

BLANDFORD.

LITERARY INSTITUTE. —J. Tell Topham, FACIo
delivered a lecture on the "Mast Remarkable
Literary Man of the 18th Century—Dr. Janson,"
at the Assembly-rooms on Monday evening week.
Boswell has told 11l so much about this remarkable
man, and told it so well, that Mr. Topham bad little
more to do than reproduce.
Tows( PUMP. —The restored bit of architecture
over the town pump is now exposed to the public,
and the inhabitants of Blandford have to thank Mr.
T. H. Bastard for wholly defraying the expense of
giving freshness and stability to one of the most
attractive architectural ornaments in their market-
place.
New CORN EXCHANGE. —This building is rapidly
progressing, and, as its shape and proportion are
increasingly defined, public opinion is more and more
approvingly expressed in its favour. The comis g
Mayor for 1859 will have honour upon honour
"thrust upon him" in presiding on the occasion of
its opening, and at the banquet proposed to be
given when the long-hoped for railway between this
town And Wimborne is first opened.

YEOMANRY DINNER. —The members of the Bland-
ford troop of the Dorset Regiment of Yeomanry
Cavalry having arranged to give their officers—
Captain Henry Farquharson, Adjutants Memel and
Parke, and Cornet ffambro'—a dinner, assembled on
the Race Course on Friday afternoon last, and from
thence adjourned to the Crown Hotel. Quarter-
master Tett presided, and the evening was agreeably
varied by friendly and complimentary speeches and
toasts, well executed pieces of music by Eyera' band,
and songs sung in capital style by two or three red-
coated vocalists. The dinner was even superior to
those good ones ordinarily supplied by "mine host"
of the Crown Hotel on similar occasions.

VESTRY MEETING. —The rate payers met on
Thursday, the 21st inst., for the purpose of devising
the beet mode of disposing of the old workhouse.
Mr. Atkinson, as Clerk to the Board of Guardians,
laid before the meeting the course the law directed
to be pursued in such a case, and read an order from
the Poor Law Commissioners having reference to
the matter. The meeting, thinking the interest of
the parish would be best promoted by a committee
of ratepayers being formed for the purpose of mak-
ing inquiries and arranging the preliminaries of sale,
appointed Mr. A. S. Hodges, Mr. S. Groves, Mr.
S. Pond, Mr. H. Durden, and Mr. Henville such a
committee. The meeting was adjourned to Thurs.
doy, the 18th of November, to receive the report of the
committee.

THE BLiNDII`ORD FARMIRS' CLUB, having through
their oommittee invited W. C. Spooner, Esq., of
Southampton, to 4ive a lecture on chemistry in rela-
tion to agriculture, that gentleman chose for his
subject "Nitrogen and Phosphorus; and the info-
sloe of these compounds on vegetation." About 40
formers assembled at the Crown Hotel to hear the
lecture, and to pick up bits of chemical information
by discussion and questions subsequent to it. deli.
very. The lecturer handled the subject i.e prao-
Eitel chemist and manure manufacturer, He pointed
out the singular properties of nitrogen, its neutral
iniluenoe in the atmosphere, the fewness of It. own-
ponds, its presence in nitric acid and ammonia,
Showing how, in these forms, it is valuable to agri-
culture, particularly to cereal crop.; also, its pre.
setae in flesh, to which it was suentioJ, as well so to
all food which nourished animal bodice. This part of
tho subject WU illustrated by various experiments.
HS then pointed out the power of soils to retain
ammonia, and their disposition to allow nitric) acid
to peas through, drawing attention to the relative
importance of ammonia to corn crops and to roots,
showing the lees necessity of supplying the latter
with this element; but the importance of furnishing
the compounds of phosphorus. After delivering an
oral address of considerable length with an evident
desire to render the subject matter dear by using Si
!swot the technicalities of the science ea possible, he
refund to a pamphlet lately published entitled
'Commercial Superphoephates," pointing out oer-
Vain statements made init 1111 erroneous in relation to
proved solentillo facts; but, in a measure, agreeing
with the reasoning and conclusions of the author.
A ordial vote of thanks wee given to Mr. Spooner
for the information he had afforded, It is no longer
a sestet that the author of the pamphlet reforred-to
is Mr. George Summers, of Houghton.

MIAMI. OAK AND SNOW. -It may be ton.
venient to many of our readers to know that the
next dividend meeting, and consequently time for
proof of debta, is the Ord of November. It may be
as will to add, the solicitor in the bankruptcy is Mr.
M. K. Welch, of Poole.

COUNTY COURT, —JURY CA6ll.—On Monday, the
18th Inst. before E. Everett, Esq., James Beard
sued his late muter, Captain Frank Corbel Smith,
for £ll 91. 10d. being the balance of amount for
board wages, money paid out and wages due ; and
also al month's wages and board wages in addition,
for an unlawful discharge from tho service of the said
Captain Smith. Mr. Atkinson appeared for the
plaintiff and Mr. H. Moore for the defendant. The
plairtiff's solicitor produced a duly signed and wit-
nessei document not only proving the fact of an
agreement having been entered into between the
parties, but setting forth the nature of the service
for which the plaintiff was hired, and the amount of
£4O ea the wages which he was to receive. The
claim for board wages, in addition to the £4O, was
disputed on the ground that board and lodging were
included in the £4O, but evidence was adduced
proving that the defendant had constantly advanced
sums whilst travelling to the plaintiff in payment of
these necessaries and had done so but a few days
previous to the discharge. The most important
point for the consideration of the jury was, whether
the discharge was lawful or unlawful. It appeared
in evidence that Captain Smith had required his
servant to accompany him in • walking expedition,
and it was sought to be proved by the defendant's
solicitor that the plaintiff had refused to obey his
master's orders by turning back after following him a
mile or two. The evidence, however, on the other
side clearly proved that the man Beard, was suffer-
ing at the time from an inflamed leg which rendered
it impossible for him to follow at the Captain's racing
pace. The jury found • verdict for the plaintiff
of £6 13s. 10d., being a less sum than that sued for,
the Judge directing that board wages could not be
lawfully claimed after dismissal. The verdict ap-
peared to give great satisfaction to a crowded court,
the case having excited more than ordinary interest
on account of the defendant, Captain Smith, having
during his stay here attracted much of public atten-
tion by the social &Mamas he has formed, his mmeu-
trio habits, and the novel and varied costumes with
which he has decked his person.