The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-23 00:00:00

extends their utility Ihr beyond the class able to
command the entire encyclopaslia. The large heart
of Coleridge would have dilated meld he have seen
the work in whi,h he felt so much intereq so
th wor-
thily brought before the wiin. 1
The " Early History of tin ece " just published in
the second edition appears under the care of Mr. ,
Poeocke, one of the original contributors, and in-
cludes lalfourd's Life of Alcibiades, and his beautiful
'papers on the Grecian painters and sculptors; Mr..
; Ottley's amusing account of the social life of the '
ancients; and his lives of Lyeurgus, Dram, and Solon.
The volume opens with an examination of the strange
influence of a wild mythology over a race so man- ,
culine in intellect as the Greeks. The legends of the
gods and heroes, so intimately mingled with the
traditions of the Hellenic nation, are next eloquently '
and simple related by the aid of the Homeric poems.
Upon this portion of the work Mr. Pococke has
brought to bear the inferential results of German
philology, and throws great light upon the origin
of the Greeks by identifying their myths with the
remote Indian theogonies. In execution this chapter
is as skilful as it is unpretending, and it may
be usefully contemplated as an instance of learning
without pedantry, and a criticism which knows when
to believe as well as when to doubt. The history,
properly so called, succeeds ; then the aesthetic and so-
' ctal chapters already mentioned; and an ample chro-
' nology closes the work. The engravings, which are
of the first order, are one hundred and forty in
' number. We can only, in conclusion, express our
gratification that the " Paievelopiedia Metropolituna"
I has fallen into the hands of men able and willing to
' make not only the most, but the best of its capabili-
s lities ; for under no other circumstances could such
; a volume as this be offered to the public under double
the price.

for distinguishing these two gentlemen we have not
met with before, :mil believe it to be original Ile
tinyn fisappointed indeed a ill the public
be if the government do not recommend her
I Majesty to he graciously pleased, as a special mark
of national favour, to cooler on them, as an heredi-
tury boon of honour to their respective families, the
dignity of a baronetcy. The addition of Crystal le-
fore their respective surnames, thus—Sir Joseph
Crystal Paxton, Bart.; Sir Charles Crystal Fox,
Bart.—would, probably, not be too great a distinctive
mark of honour, in order to associate their 1111111C9
with the Exhibition." Titles and names are so much
matters of taste, that we can give no opinion upon
this matter, though, if Messrs. Paxton and Fox do
not object to the proposition, we du do not see why
;the world should.

THE
AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS.

EXPERIMENTAL FARMING.-RURAL
PROSPEC7S.

An incident of thepast fortnight in the rural world
has been Mr. Meches yearly gathering together of
guests at Tiptree in Essex, to view his farming
establishment and his crops, and to witness Home
trials of foreign agricultural implements, or at least
implements of foreign origin. The reported trials of,
implements arc interesting, so fur as they relate to'.
novel mechanism. In trials of American ploughs
against English ploughs, the result is, us every agri-
culturist who has even the transatlantic implement,
and knows aught of the state of husbandry in the
United States, would expect, namely, that the Ame-
rican plough is of light draught and performs its
work roughly, and in a way that no English flintier
would think of ploughing his own land. This merely
proves that the American implement is adapted to
the actual state at which American husbaudry has
arrived, which does not require the deep ploughing
and elaborate cultivation which are the only means
of successfully managing an English farm. How
far it might be better for the American farmers to
adopt our more efficient tillage is a matter for their
sown consideration and experiment, and will, we
doubt not, receive ample attention from the intelli-
gent American agriculturists who are now in this
country. It is mere pedantry to institute compari-
sons between implements of different countries, or
even different localities, and to determine on their
absolute merits, without reference to the local pecu-
liarities to which they have been adapted. It is to
trials of implements which circumstances render
likely to prove useful additions to our own agricul-
tural machinery that the practical fanners of thin
country will look with most interest; and such a
trial is that of the reaping machines made at
Mr. Mechi's farming feast. The reaping ma-
chine which proved successful, that of Mr.
M.Connack, of the United States, is said to be ca-
pable of reaping 20 acres of corn a day ; and assum-
ing that to be a correct statement, the subject of
reaping by machinery becomes one of great interest
to our farmers. Ner is this machine, should it
be found successful in constant WW, s, costly as to
prevent its general adoption, the price being about
gat. or 30/. Many circumstances concur at this time
to render it important to the advancement of hus-
bandry, to expedite and cheapcin the getting in the
harvest. In the first place, there has always been
difficulty in obtaining hunds entmb, the lahour of
the several districts being seldom sufficieet for the
purpose, so that most of our corn-growing comities
have depended upon strangers, chiefly on Irish la-
Isimera, for housing their groin. Recent events in
Ireland have greatly lessened the supply of Irish la-
bour, and there seems to be every probability that
henceforth we shall year by year receive less assist-
ance from that qearter in harvesting the grain
grown in England and Scotland.
If grain can be reaped by machinery, it will
greatly lessen the pressure upon the flamer in the
mummer season, when everything wants immediate
attention ; and one most valuable result of releasing
his labourers from the toil of reaping by hand will
be the greater force he will have at his disposal for'
hoeing the root crops. In the southern parts of
' England, where, from the nature of the climate,
turnips cannot be sown so early as in the north, tur-
nip hoeing is almost invariably interrupted by hea-
ve:sit work, and is thus either performed imperfietly
or left altogether undone. And root cropping must
necessarily he extended as farmers become, as they
are rapidly becoming, alive to the necessity of in-
creasing the bulk of their grain crops, which can
only be done by improved tillage and addit• I
manure, to be obtained mainly by more root and •
green cropping.
We do not see any statement of the debtor and en:-
ditor account of his farming operations, which, under
the taunts of his rural critics, Mr. Mechi is under-
stood to have promised to the world, but that per
I imps is necessarily postponed until a later periml of
I the year. That experimental farming should be
profitable farming is by no means necessary to en- •
!title men, who undertake to try new plans :it'd prac-
tices, to the thanks of the agricultural community.
Their efforts arc like those of the experimental
chemist or met:ha:list, they educe principles, they
show what may be done by means of mound agents
or new machinery, arid it is the business of the
! practical :farmer, knowing what can be done, to lOW
' whether he can perform it profitably. This should
be kept steadily in view, as otherwise the often
'sanguine expectations and partial failures of,
the rural experimentalists are as likely to
bring really useful and new practices into disrepute
with prohssional fanner', us to induct them to vary
their established routines. Of this Mr. Meehi is an
' example. Ile has adopted and advocated many
plans which he has subsequently found it well to
abandon, and while stimulating, to a certain extent,
- the spirit of inquiry amongst the farmers of his dis-
trlct, he has also excited not a little acrimonious
opposition. With one exception, however, there is
POSTAGE ON BOOKS TO NOVA SCOTIA.— nothing more in Mr. Meehi's farming than Ilia of
General rust-office, August, 1/431.—The Lords of her Ma- many others who have not sought or obtained noto-
jetty'. Treasury having authorises!, by warrant, the eaten- . '
sacra to Nova Scotia of the reduced rates of postage, and the n"Y• Ile drains deeply; he deepens his soil, than
regulations recently established for hooks trsinsm:tted by roughly cultivates it, and supplies it largely with
the Post to the British colonies in the West Indies, &c., in manure of the best quality ; and all these things an
future all printed books, lIIBBBZi/WB, reviews, and pamphlets constant) and quietly done by hundreds and thou-
(whether British, colonial, or foreign), may be sent by post I sands of farmers, who make no noise, and are in-
between the United Kingdom and Xuva Atone, at the bil-
lb rat, portage, t.ed, ihieket hot auenced only by the natunsl motive of making their
lowing
exceediug lb. in weight, rid. ;ditto, exceeding ; and business pay. The novelty in his system consists of ,
not exceeding I lb., ; ditto, eaceeding l lb., and not cx- rearing sena feeding cattle, and feeding sheep and
seeding 2 it., 2s. ; ditto, exceeding 2 lbs., and not exceed- pigs on boards, that is, on a sort of train:
lista 3 11/9 , 3,. ; and so on, increasing one shilling for every work over a vault, into which their drop-
additional pound or fraction of a pound ; provided, how- .
full and remain, until the accumulation of
ever, that the following conditi,ms be carefully observed : Pmg%
1. Every such packet must be sent without a cu- three or four months is removed. The objects of,
ver or in a cover open at the ends or sides. 2. It must this plan are to avoid the neceseityof using the straw
contain a single lomat only (whether printed book, of the farm for litter, and to apply it, when cut up
magazine, review, or pamphlet), the several. sheets into chaff, to the feeding a much larger number of
or parts thereof, where there are more tnan one, animals than could otherwise be kept from the pro-
being
sewed or hound together. 3. It must not exceed two
feet in length, breadth, width, ur depth. 4. It must have duce of tee farm. But even this does not enable such
no writing or marks upon the cover, or its contents, except a quantity of live stock as Mr. Mechi feeds to be kept I
the name and address of the person to whom it msy be sent. without large purehases of meal and similar food. It
3. The postage must be prepaid in full, by affixing outside merely saves the purchaing of straw for litter, which,
the packet or its cover, the proper number of stamps. If after
asaniyitlhl,in-g
ellsestasbychfaermapl(Lanuell,c,onk%,...tenpienrnt'bostuott
charges)
4otif thsehaablzotte,ae:annddititomresubt.dva.ialoautcedh,inthaellpare,kpie,ctinsust
Te.be
prevent any obstacle. to the regular trahismis.ion of letter., than their own straw will provide litter for. Who-'
any officer of the Post-office may delay the transmission of tier this plan, of which Mr. Huxtable was the first I
say such picket fur a time not exceeding 24 hour from the modern exponent—fur the plan is not new —will an-
time at which the sum', would otherwise have been for-
swer th.e.urrat: of individual..farmer,ii is a subject
warded by him. As no book 01:18 be sent by any route
which would entail an expense transit postage on the for intlivi uu calculation ;it is simply a question of
department, these regulations apply only to hooks, &c. sent pounds and pence. But that it is a Plan which will
by the British contract packets direct to Halifax. The be extensively adopted we do not believe; and there i
above instructions are not to extend to or interfere with the are various objections to it. One reporter of
transmiscion of printed votes and proceedings of parliament, Mr. Needs meeting sap, " Some difficulty /•8 still
or of printed pepsin allowed to pass by the post under the '
newspaper privilege, all of which will continue subject to found in fixing the ammonia evolved from the pig-
', the existing regulations. genes;" and this we believe to be an insuperable ob-
Barret oe Poaeolseti aT PLYnoette—On Fri- jeetion to this plan, and will effectually prevent all
day morning information was given that seven on eight who wish to see their stock living in comfort from I
porpoises which had come up Lora on the previous night at
adopting it. High keep—and r. Meal** scale of
eleven cl, kk, had remained there in a deep pit just above •tig is very high—will doubtless counteract the •
M
o'
the iron bridge, during low water. and were at that tinte
((ten, a.m.) to be seen rolling about just below Rahn= injurious tendency of the bad atmoaphere in which
Point. Two spurting gentlemen immediately went afloat, the animals live : it Ls certain that for that purpose
and with the aid of three other boats, were enabled by extra food must be given, which is so far a dedue-
"libelling occasionally with their oar., to keep the don from profit.
• porpoises from going down with the tide, until about nen it is, to sat the least, doubtful whether ar
, one o'clock, when the water had so (Sr receded that
'the depth under the bridge did not admit of their large a proportion of feeding stock is the most profit-
passing until the tide again Sowed. The tort* of boats able mode of raising grain. The question the pro*.
was
now considerably augmented, and spectators and tical farmer asks is, what does each two-year-old
shooters crowded the bridge and neighbouring quays with
every description of fire-arms that could be obtained ewer,
reared and fed in this way coat ? and the an-
at the momeht. The word was now given to row up et, when given, will probably show that there is a
in line, and commence the attack—bullets, marbles, and loss on feeding each animal which must be carried
Snggethoni /we to Reward a!? th. EsAibitore. By STEY/11111 shot flew about as thick as hail ; and as often as one took to the account of the grain. 'I his is the main de-
tit ay. Adams. effect, it was followed by loud cheers, until up turned feet in the system of many of our best far-
The writer of this pamphlet, foreseeing that to dis- i one of tke laze" porpoocs in its last struggle, which, men of the eastern counties and elsewhere, who
miss all the exhibitors in good humour to their homes I tared by d
us ialliet.em,Ltid , oh
nf a i'
earlf.rns n
pot fmnuf:l7, regard their animals as manure-making machines,
next October, will require much tact and delicucy,l„,„n,n)::„lt„:: ashore. Hoetamee werenow m. 0.. merely, and are content to feed them at a loss, or at
has come forward, like a man of public spirit, with his Imerited, and a. (Attu as any of these monsters showed their all events with no profit, for the sake of the manure.
quota of advice. He sees that the M.LO2 difficulty dorsal him and huge hacks above the water they disappeared The stock; of fat steck is relatively lower than that of
will be with that great body who cannot be claosed as quick:, after receiving two or three additional bullets; store the farmer who louisahead will inquire
then,,t returning tide
more pritad
„enendiati,od f.riurr.riisgost,
amongst the most mentoriuus, and thinks that their but whether he cannot by keeping a breeding stock
e
patriottsm and loyalty in coming forward on the first others took the adv."e of the Keg of water, and meth secure all the advantages in the way of manure he j
proposition of the commissioners ought not to go un- their escape. Their length eras as follows lift could obtain by feeding seek. This he will ea sly,
rewarded. He therefore proposes to consider the ! 2iu. ; second, 11 ft. lin. ; third, lOn. pia. The weight of do by keeping hie breeding stock in high condition,'
lath of October as the morrow of a at battle whoa No. 2 was within a few pounds of b cwt.; and the girth be-
tween eight and nine feet. The skin is thick, tough, and whiCh is the true way of making it profitable. By
the spoil is distributed. Of course Prince Albert, as Mr. Medd'', plan, and inde'e'd by any system which
soft, mach resembling India rubber, and makes, when
cotnmander-in-chief, should take the largest share; manta, sertioeable overcoats; inside there is a coat- adopts house feeding exclusively, the farmer ignores
but as, in Mr. Geary's view, he can receive no more' iwg of blubber about two inches deep, which, when boiled, the advantages of manuring his land by means of
than he already possesses, Albert-gate might be con- =Oil* excellent W.l.—Exeter paper. folding his sheep upon the land, and this has been,'
stituted an ornamental commemorative arch, and, Cohoxi.u. WOOD GLIODS.—So large a quantity of and is, one of the main elements of agricultural im-
be surmounted with a statue. The rank and timber and wood goods generally has been unloaded in the provement in this country. On the light soils sleep
wood i, that
exertion, arrived from British North
file should receive a medal, to be made of cry's- can be folded and fed on the land throughout the
tallised saver, in a star-like form. To the °arm:mnnow
muisoritio
have
bees onAmuttbe prmartshiteof theindoecrdkerantt
.vear, and on the stronger soils they may also be so
and staff special rewards should be given, especially, obtain the measurement and Arial mem= of the goods in rowed and fed during the summer and autumn
to Mr. Paxton sad Mr. Fox. Mr. Geary's propose) Mae to meet the requirements of the trade. months. And a breeding flock well fed will be of

FINE ARTS.

THE New REMORANOT AT TILE NATIONAL
LEltY.—The trustees of the National Gallery seem to
be thoroughly following out the Scotch principle that
" every little makes a mickle." By slow degress,
and at protracted periods, insignificant additions are
made to the too scanty store of the national collec-
tion. We have naught to say against the snail's
pace at which the advance is made; on the contrary,
the slower the speed in the present direction the,
better. The fact is, we have quite as many Dutch
and Flemish pictures as we want just now. The
only reason which can be given for the late purchase
I -
'poems to be that an over-anxiety exists to have
in time a round dozen of Itembrandts, without
much care whether they are imitortant or valuable.
If we were to have an old Jew staring at
as uncomfortably out of a canvas, why not have
done the thing handsomely, and have acquired
the Turbaned nubbin sold last year at the King of
The World in its Workshop ; a Critical Examination of Holland's sale. There was something unequivocally
Me Fabrics, Machinery, and Works or Art contained In fine in his swaggering gait, and sparkling in his
the Great Exhibition. By JAMEY WARD. W. S. Orr puckered visage. Something of the kind is doubt-
and Cu. less still to be traced in the portrait which has just'
This volume is a second edition of one lately pub- ousted
lished under the title of " The Wealth of the World the
its companion . from its wonted nook in
1 pant
the collection. But, even in the comparison here
in its Workshops." It is not without difficulty that challenged, the advantage is decidedly in favour of
we have gathered from the somewhat vaguely- our lira[
worded and uninethodical, although rather clever, acquaintance. In Jew nailer one, the Co.
is clear, mellow, and done, if the expression
i
intreduction, written for the present edition, the fact allowable,
ht at one go; Hebrew number two,
that this is an attempt to aid its readers—whether tin over-
the manufacturer, the artisan, or the consumer— t • contrary, is obscure, smudgy, and
scumbnal. Evidently the painter himself was
to gain some actually available benefit from dissatisfied with the result ; the head seems
their visits to the Glass Palace; for, maintains Mr. to be a fixture to the wall, against which
Ward at the outset, "take the mass of what are according to the shadow, he, was nin
g.
called, practical, minds, as a body they are nearly Beneath the grey splotch which surrounds the yellow
as inapt to appreciate and apply improvements as the toque, is still visible the form of a head-dress, ori-
mere loungers and idlers who saunter through the chiefly much larger. And finally, Rembranes 'round-
, treasure-stored avenues of the building. They will hand hignature, which seems generally with him an
look with perhaps a shrewder eve at the several ob- exulting flourish, is omitted as well as the date. 3001.
jests upon the production of which they may. have is, it is said, the figure at which this picture was
been partially engaged; but the result, in a majority knocked down to the trustees. Let us hope that the'
of eases, will prove little more than a negative; they little portrait of Van Eyck, which is also announced
must wait for the thinking few to lead them, front 114 a p.urchaw, is on the. whole a less. rash bargain.
whom all practical know:edge of a valuable nature is
derived." Having premised that we are not Ramat:me Caerooxs.—A Russian gentleman,
answerable for the construction of the preceding M. Louchinanoff, has just opened to the public, at the
sentence, which is copied rerltatim front tztge Music-hall, Store-street, a series of pictures, said to be
2 a the "Introduction," we cannot but think the original sketches of the cartootibut lampton-court.
that this book is not eminently calculated to Like oar precious cartoons in composition, and
attain the object in view. Useful it may, and we identical in number, these certainly are, but
hope will, prove to many ; but front the frequent use beyond this all similarity ceases. The de-
er the term " practical' in the introduction, the . signs are feeble, the colouring flimsy, and
reader is naturally led to expect something more of i the expression null. Every one who more or
method—something more "practical" in the book less frequents places where art is gathered,
itself than is to be found there. To give an Inatome like any other matter of merchandise, knows how
—Where little more than 100 pages are divided glowingly. are described the beauties, imaginary
• into 13 different chapters, one objects to be retold or otherwise, of the wares. M. Louchmanuff has
(in that beaded " Plate, Sheffield plate, electro- i gone a more round-about way than usual, not only
plate-) what Homer relates as to "the ships of !enlisting Vasari and de Quincy, whose names are
Tyre" being "in the habit of visiting the Isles of I whimsically Itussianised to Veisari and Kensy, but
Greece, in order to seduce or kidnap young Greeks. also pressing into service Professor Sheviroff himself.
whom they sold in the Asiatic market as slaws,. Suffice it to say that we know of no more uuintelli-
or to be told, in " the words which the poet puts intoigible medley than that which is supposed to
the mouth of Eumams," that these " Phenician I enlighten one on the subject of these paintings. The
pirates effected their purpose by exhibiting !canvasses themselves only serve to puzzle one MOM.
a gold chain, Or some other costly and The space's, and iu some Pleasure the spirit of the
Wring toy, before the wandering eves of the I general composition, in the originals may yet be
simple and unwary Greeks." But it IM a more !found here, but the drawing of the heads and limbs
grateful tusk to show the reader some of the merit, r herders on the burlesque. The figures stand ill at
of the book, which are not few. In answer to the ease, though cuiioudy in !OHM parts imitating the
(injection that the Exhibition, however calculated to 'true posture Raphael gave them. On a careful re-
bring about beneficial results had its opening been view it is discovered that each canvas has been
delayed until the times were ripe to take advantage in the first instance cut up into narrow slips,
thereof, ispremature,MnWard asserts hisopinion that like the original cartoons, which have bete isubse-
"lt has taken place at precisely the right time; it is quently sown again. Instead of the illustrated
a natural consequence of a preceding cause. The border, there is a tasteless, ochre-coloured pattern,
error on the part of several of its opponents consists evidently of' a date posterior even to the figures. On
in mistaking it for a cause instead of a consequence. ' the whole, the impression they leave is that they have
The elements to produce such a result have been long been executed by some descendants or scholars of Ber-
at work, and something of the kind has been quietly ' nardVon Orlayur Michael Coxis,the masters who were
and gradually developing itself in the practical and originally entrusted with the tusk of transferring the
calculating mind of the world for these years past, , designs of Raphael to the arras-tapestry. 'I heat the
although the latter may be, in some degree, • present designs originate in some tracerypattern
startled at its peculiar aspect and bearing. In seems to be the only probable explanation of their
fine, I view the Exhibition as a natural compliment origin. The canvas, which is neither sized nor primed,
to the preceding movements of material industry." seems to be of that coarse description still in use
Having compared the Exhibition and the cutnpe. 'ltaly, and employed for canvas manufacture. The
!Pion raised by it to a field of battle and the move- !derider coat of colour of these cartoons scents fast
ments of armies, he says:—" It is simply a trans-' fading from its coarse-grained texture.
fer of skill and industry—from bullets of lead I
to bales of cotton, mail lieu of conflict-

ing armies we arc destined, fur some time
at least, to endure conflicting tariffs. The move-
ments of the industrial and military forces of the
world have, therefore, &en in nearly parallel lines;
and there is this condition attached to the movement,

that those who wish to do justice to themselves and

to their fellow-members of the community must
become thoroughly prepared fur the industrial
conflict, or they will be thrust to the rear, or
trodden down by their more disciplined competitors."
The following passage as to the use to be derived
from the exhibition of row muterials is of interest :
Another feature equally titeerviug of notice, however, is
the coutrihutious of raw materiel,. As the hater compose
the of all our nnoutsctures, it ie iudi:pentsl;a; that we

should forma correct jud2meutOf their relltive excellence,
and not depend upon caprice or secident for our supplies.
Hitherto this has been the case, for the merchant has made
the latter dependant spoil Lis exports, and not shaped his
exports so as to bring back the best specimens of the raw
material. Fur in,tance, we export a great quantity of ma-
nufactured articles to the Brazils, and to secure a return

cargo our ship, art laden, perhaps, with ro‘twood, although
a finer quality of that material say Ix found elsewhere,
which w•mld prove highly adfillatagtOttbV our cabinet-ma-
kers. The same remark .partially applicable to the bulk
of raw materials, which materially retards the excellence of
eau general industry. The Exhibition has evoked from
every quarter of the globe th,.• finest special, ns of it- raw
productions, and has afforded an uppununity of examining
them •• cheek by jowl,' —an opportunity of immense utility
to the industrial interests of tue country. The coneumer
now will nut content Liuntlf with receiving comparatively
bad timber from Caned s, inferior bark from France, and
mediocre linseed from Prno..ia ; but u he ranges his eye
round the Exhibition, he will intro .-cliately detect the where.
&bouts of the flout qualities of each of these important ar-
ticles. The same remark may be applied to the iron, the
lead. the copper, the UM the mineral., and, indeed, to the
whole range of our eintriloutiuus.

Having thus glanced at the aim and purpose of
Mr. Ward's production, we have only to observe that
this is but the first inbtalment, unit is devoted to

metals, maChinerv, and glasa„ Containing articles un
the following subjects, wlycb, as;couneeted with the
Exhibition, bare from time to time rteci%ed notice

in these columns :—Steel, auords, guns, and pistols,
percussion caps, copper, brass, and mixed metals,
steel pens, pm-making and wire-drawing, needles,
buttons, plate, Shetfield plate, and el(etro-plate. typo-
graphy, lithography, stereotype, machinery, &e., ag-
ricultural implenu:nts, glass.