The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-21 00:00:00

THAMES HAVEN DOCK AND RAILWAY.

The works at the dock are in active progress, the excava-
tion having gone as deep as 6or 7 feet. Cottages have been
built on the spot for the navigators by the contractors, and
Mr. Amsinck has been in Belgium, where the most active in-
terest is being taken in the company, as likely to be highly
beneficial to that country in general; particularly with its ex-
tensive and well-laid railways passing through the principal
towns, and reaching from Ostend to Liege. As it is the inten-
tion of the Belgian government to commence carrying goods
upon the railway, it is of the highest importance to this coun-
try to be so intimately connected with that, as to render un-
important the passage of the Rhine, the Elbe, and the Sound,
and to create a constant and facile communication for our
goods into Germany and Eastern Europe. The Thames
Haven Railway, reaching the mouth of the river within an
hour by the fast trains, will make a constant daylight voyage
to the Continent from London, which will thereby not only
render comfortable and convenient the passage of people, but
reduce the fare and the freight. Mr. Amsinck has laid these
matters personally before his Majesty King Leopold, who not
only expressed himself in the highest terms of the great po-
litical and private importance of the undertaking, but recom-
mended it to the especial notice of the chief of the principal
bank in Brussels, who, seeing its value in all its larger rela-
tions, as well as in its assurance of a profitable return, will,
there is little doubt, take the remaining shares of the origi-
nal capital. The dock itself at Thames Haven will be the
only tide dock of its size in the world; and as it is proposed
to lay four sets of rails for the benefit of fast and slow trains,
this work will probably stand unequalled in its railway as
well as its dock, the more particularly as the company, not
being able to arrange terms with the Eastern Counties, will
be compelled to bring their line straight into London. We
are happy to find that this important and most useful under-
taking is about to be fully appreciated, even though it is to be
by foreigners; still we should have preferred seeing so splen-
did a dock and railway, on which locomotive power is to be
applied at its proper strength and in its most beneficial man-
ner, carried into effect entirely by English capital; but so
important is the undertakingconsidered in Belgium, that the
minister of public works has officially placed in the hands of
each of the senate and the deputies a prospectus with an en-
graving of the dock. In our next number we hope to give a
more detailed account of the plans of this company, particu-
larly as to the proposition of the application and division of
the locomotive power.—Railway Magazine.

THE MIsTLETou.--The mode of propagation of the mistletoe
was long a subject of controversy. It was formerly considered
to be an excrescence from the the tree on which it grew, and
consequently produced without seed. In these days, however,
we are in no danger of being led astray by the idea that it is
a spontaneous production. The fact of its propagation from
seed has been long established by conclusive experiments.
Seeds inserted in the bark of the white poplar have germina-
ted, and produced the plant ; and in some experiments made
in a garden at Knaresborough, by Mr. Collins. large plants
were obtained upon dwarf apple-trees, by rubbing the full ripe
berries upon the smooth bark of the shoots. By this process,
which may be performed upon the smooth bark of almost any
tree, the seeds adhere closely by means of the glutinous pulp
in which they are imbedded, and will produce plants the fol-
lowing winter. We are informed by Mr. Lees, that he has
attempted, without success, to plant the mistletoe on the oak
in this country; but he attributes his failure, and probably
with justice, to having selected a tree, the bark of.which was
tugged, fur his experiments. Mr. Dovaston has lately suc-
ceeded in producing it upon the oak, in a neighbouring
country, under more favourable circumstances.—The Analyst.
SPATE OP 'TRADE.—The near approach of Christmas, and
the uncertainty of the cotton market, have this week operated
to prevent any active demand for yarn, which remains nomi-
nally at last week's prices; but transactions are exceedingly
limited. In manufactured goods there is not much change,
except that 7-Bth calicoes are not quite so brisk as for some
weeks past, the demand running more upon 9-Bth cloth.—
Manchester Guardian.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.—We are happy to learn
that the indisposition of the gallant duke is of the most trivial
nature, proceeding from a slight cold. His grace is at
strathfieldsaye, and willshortly proceed on his visiting tour,
intending in the early part of the ensuing month to partake
of the splendid hospitalities of the Duke of Rutland, at Bel-
voir Castle, Numerous inquires were made yesterday at
ilvpsley Honsc—Morning Harald.