The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-13 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON IN A NEW

CHARACTER.

An article on " Sand-drift," in the 52d number
of the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, just
published, places Lord Palmerston in a new light,
and shows that his Lordship does not allow his
foreign policy to divert his attention from a sys-
tem of agricultural improvement alike calculated
to benefit himself and the country. Saud-drift,
it is well-known, causes great destruction of pro-
perty on many parts of our sea-coast, covering
arable land sometimes for miles together, and
even burying whole parishes. On the east
coast of Aberdeenshire a deplorable event
of this kind occurred some two hundred
years ago; the sand swept over a space five
miles in length by a mile and a half
broad, along the coast, and nearly the whole
parish still remains covered with enormous sand-
hills liable to be affected by every strong wind.
On Lord Palmerston's estate in the
wept of'lre-
land there formerly was a tract of similar sand-
hills which, by a very simple .process, has been
reclaimed, and so well has the plan succeeded,
that an extensive waste, which in 18:29 would
scarcely have supported a goat, now grazes 112.
cattle and 200 sheep. This has been accomplished
by planting tufts of bent (areedo arenaria),
a species of grass, or reed, generally fbund in
abundance in such localities. The plants are
cut up into bunches of a pound and a half each,
the roots being carefully preserved, then placed
in holes in the sand, of a rectangular form, and
firmly beaten down with the foot so as to resist
the wind. They should be placed about three feet
asunder, on the side of the sandy hillocks neXt
to the point from which the wind blows most
prevalently, so as to arrest its drifting power over
the rest of the ground. When the bent spreads
it effectually checks the sand-drift, and the na-
tural grasses, such as white clover, bird's-foot,
and trefoil, come'up in great profusion. In this
way has Mr. Lynch, his Lordship's resident factor
at Cliffonz, reclaimed about 800 imperial acres.
Lord Palmerston, however, proposes to carry the
improvement still further, by planting belts in
different places, with a particular kind of fir, im-
ported from the south of France. Along the Bay
of Biscay, and particularly at the embouchure
of the Garonne, sand-drift, like a pestilence,
swallowed thousands of square miles of the coast
lands of France, about the beginning of the last
century. The calamity arrested the attention of
Government, and was ultithately stayed by one
of its most eminent engineers, who, with the aid
of troops, succeeded in planting a great belt of
this fir (Plaits maritima major), which has ever
since checked the progress of the sand-drift, while
it has clothed the desert with wood highly useful
for many purposes. The Foreign Secretary,
therefore, impressed with the importance of this
subject, has imported a considerable quantity of
the cones of the maritime pine from Bordeaux,
which are
,now preparing in his nursery near
Ballyshannon, and it is to be hoped, adds the
writer, " that bar the patriotic exertions and ex-
ample of his Lordship, the extensive sand-drifts
which are every where to be met with, may be
exchanged for grass lands or thriving wood." In
the same Number there are two interesting ar-
ticles on similar subjects, " The Importance of
Agriculture," and Sir A. Fitzherbert's " Boke of
Husbandrye" and the early English Farmers.

IRON MANUFACTURE IN PBNN-

SYLVANIA.

(TROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

The several Pennsylvania furnaces in' blast with an-
thracite coal have continued to answer the most san-
guine expectations of their owners, improving both in
the quantity and quality of the metal. The first fur-
nace built at Pittsville, for the purpose of testing the
experiment, has changed hands, and is now in success-
ful operation, using only the coal and ore of that region,
and, which is exceedingly interest ing to me, she is real-
ising all the calculations as to the quantity of the raw
material and the quality of the metal produced I havo
hitherto made. Several puddling furnaces are also in
operation, giving great satisfaction to their proprie-
tors, and particularly to the labourers who are em-
ployed to work them. The saving in the various
processes of refinement is about 25 per cent., though
an exact estimate cannot be made, in consequence
of their recent construction. The fact, however,
is, that wherever the coal can be procured the proprie-
tors are changing to the new plan ; and it is generally
believed that the quality of the iron is much improved
where the entire process is effected with anthracite coal.
The state of our monetary affairs, and the excitement
anterior to our Presidential election, have retarded the
operations we anticipated in the beginning. The sus-
pension of our banks, the non-payment of dividends,
with the necessary curtailment of all trades and pro.
fessions, have so locked up our capitalists, that they
are really unable or unwilling to look at any project,
however brilliant or clear, until the vexed ques-
tion is settled, and the banks have again resumed
their business. This event being now certain, we
have every day strong evidences of realising our hopes :
and, from the report of this morning, the belief is that
the business has begun in earnest. By letters it ap-
pears that large purchases have been made in that re-
gion, where furnaces and rolling mills are to be imme-
diately commenced, and that the parties have all the
experience and capital necessary to the prosecution of
the work. This, if true, will turn all eyes to the spot ;
and, as we have no business that presents so many ad-
vantages, we may look for immediate and large opera-
tions. The subject of iron already occupies the attention
of a very large portion of our citizens ; and everyday some
r.ew object to which it can be applied beneficially, or some
new development, is presented to their notice. Yesterday
I witnessed an experiment in casting butt hinges, in
which the operator made two per minute, and in ap-
pearance and strength much superior to the imported
article. The importance of this discovery may be in-
ferred from the fact that we import about one million and
a half of dollars' worth per annum, and that the work-
man can produce fifteen to one over the old mode ofeasting
in the sand. He also exhibited sash weights, waggon
boxes, &c., which will interfere with if not drive out all
that are made on the old plan. By a somewhat similar
invention door-locks are made, which promise to supply
a large portion of the demand in the United Stites.
But this interference with the imported article is not
equal to the many new objects to which iron, when re-
duced in price, will be applied ; and in renewing the
subject 1 am strongly impressed with the belief that
the recent developments in the iron trade of our country
offer the safest and most sure objects for investment
that have yet been presented.
Philadelphia, Nov. 24.