Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

the throat, or stiffness of the neck, put a piece of flannel round the neck, and sleep in it; and in common cases, the pain will soon be removed from that part, even though the cold continues. If there is pain about the chest, and the cough seems to come from the lungs, our old prescription is the best that we know of; it is nothing more than a piece of wash-leather, not too thin, but soft, and of a substance enough to keep well in its place. This after being well warmed by the fire, that all dampness may be driven away, must be laid across the chest, and worn day and night. It produces a warmth, that in a short time, drives away the cold from the chest, and prevents many of the bad consequences which may arise from the cold settling on so dangerous a part. Some people recommend a piece of thick coarse brown paper, to be worn next the skin. This is easily got at by every body, and there is a vast deal of warmth in it. We know a gentleman who wears this all the winter: he calls it his invisible great coat.

Our hints only apply to the treatment of colds at their beginning, and are indeed more for prevention of serious mischief, than for its remedy.

V.

THISTLES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE COTTAGER'S MONTHLY VISITOR.

SIR, I guess, by some of the papers in your late numbers, that your visits have been in the same parts of the world in which I have myself been lately travelling; and, if the sight of the country has struck you in the same way that it did me, you will not object to put into your book a hint for the Cheshire farmers. I dare say you have found, as I did, a great deal that was good in Cheshire, besides the cheese; and, if I were to pretend to give advice as to the management of a Cheshire dairy, I should only get laughed at for my pains. But what I complain of is the sad slovenly appearance of some of the fields, which to me was particularly striking, after seeing the beautiful corn-fields in the Isle of Thanet without a weed in them. The farmers, too, in Cambridgeshire, and Essex, and other corn countries find that it

1838.]

THISTLES.

393

answers well to have the wheat well hoed and cleaned in its early stage, and cannot bear to see docks and thistles coming up with the corn. Now, Sir, I really saw some corn-fields in parts of Cheshire where there was such crops of weeds that there was scarcely any room left for the corn. It is true that this is not much of a corn country; but yet if it is worth while to grow corn at all, it is worth while to try to manage it so as to have a good crop. This surely may be done: for some of the cultivators of land have their fields in as good order as other people; and it is the more mortifying to see that, in any place, there should be the loss and the waste belonging to bad husbandry. When these slovenly crops were cut down this season, there were more green weeds than stalks of corn in some of them; and these require so much drying, that in a ticklish season the crop is in great danger of being spoiled, by being so long exposed to the risk of rain. The Cheshire farmers, it is true, chiefly depend on their grazing land, where the large dairies of cows enable them to produce those fine cheeses, so well known in the world. But even their grass fields often look very slovenly, sadly overspread with thistles, and other coarse weeds. I understand that an opinion exists, in the neighbourhood, that milch cows do better in this rough sort of pasture, than in a more clean and cultivated field. I do not understand how this can be; but, at any rate, a corn field cannot be better for being choked with nettles and thistles, and all sorts of rubbishing weeds. In travelling along the road this autumn, I saw large crops of thistles growing by the road side, all full of seed, ready at the first high wind, to be blown all over the neighbouring fields, so that, if one farmer had been taking great pains to cleanse his own corn fields, he would soon have a fresh sowing from the roadside to insure him a fine crop of thistles for the next year. Surely this might be easily prevented, and it would be well worth the while of all the landholders to agree each to mow down the thistles adjoining his own field, and thus prevent one cause of the slovenly state of the fields, which has so disturbed my organs of neatness,

I am Sir,

Your constant reader, AGRICOLA.

ANECDOTE OF A PARROT.

A FAMILY residing in the Isle of Mull, on the coast of Scotland, had kept a parrot for many years; it was caught in that part of the Western world where the Spanish language was spoken. In its old age, and shortly before its death, another parrot was brought from the same distant country, and when this stranger spoke, it was in a language different from that which our parrots generally speak. The old bird knew it to be the language of its own early days, the Spanish. This incident, and the end of the aged bird, was put into poetry by Thomas Campbell, Esq., who heard the account in the Isle of Mull, from the family to whom the bird belonged. It is an extraordinary instance of the power of memory in birds.

THE PARROT.

A DOMESTIC ANECDOTE.-BY THOMAS CAMPEEll, Esq.

THE deep affections of the breast,

That heav'n to living things imparts,

Are not exclusively possess'd

By human hearts!

A parrot from the Spanish main,

Full young and early caged, came o'er
With bright wings to the bleak domain
Of Mulla's shore.

The spicy groves where he had won
His plumage of resplendent hue,
His native fruits, and skies, and sun,
He bade adieu !-

For these he changed-the smoke of turf―
A heathery land and misty sky,
And turn'd on rocks and raging surf
His golden eye.

But, petted in our climate cold,

He lived and chatter'd many a day;
Until with age, from green and gold,
His wings grew grey.

At last when blind and seeming dumb-
He scolded, laugh'd, and spoke no more ;

A Spanish stranger chanced to come

To Mulla's shore.

He hail'd the bird in Spanish speech;
The bird in Spanish speech replied;
Flapp'd round his cage with joyous screech,
Dropp'd down and died.

[blocks in formation]

GENERAL MAXIMS FOR HEALTH.

RISE early. Eat simple food. Take plenty of exercise. Never fear a little fatigue. Let not children be dressed. in tight clothes; it is necessary that their limbs should have full play, if you wish for health.

Avoid the necessity of a physician, if you can, by careful attention to your diet. Eat what best agrees with you; and resolutely abstain from what hurts you, however well you may like it. A few days' abstinence, and cold water for a beverage, has driven off many an approaching disease.

Wear shoes that are large enough. Tight ones not only produce corns, but make the feet mis-shapen, and cramp them.

Wash very often; and use a great deal of water, so as to act like a bath; rub the skin thoroughly with a coarse towel.

As far as possible, eat and sleep at regular hours.

Clean teeth in pure water two or three times a day; but above all, be sure you have them clean before you go to bed.

Have your bed-chamber well aired; and be clean as to linen but do not have the wind blowing directly upon you from open windows during the night. It is not healthy to sleep in heated rooms.-Mrs. Child.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

A death from fighting lately occured at Witham, near Abingdon, which originated in a drunken squabble between two labourers, on the subject of mowing. The combatants adjourned from the tavern to a field, both being very drunk, and after fighting two rounds, one of them declined fighting any more till the morning. He had not, however, gone a hundred yards, when he staggered and fell to the ground insensible. He was placed on some straw in a barn, and when his companions returned with assistance, they found him dead. The surgeon who examined the body, stated that the immediate cause of death was a rupture of the blood-vessels near the brain. A verdict of" Manslaughter" was returned by the Coroner's Jury against the survivor, who has been committed to Abingdon gaol, to abide his trial at the next assizes for the offence. The Jury expressed themselves in strong terms against the system of drunkenness in which many of the peasantry indulge, and, at their request, the witnesses, companions of the deceased and the prisoner, were called in by the Coroner, who, in an impressive manner, admonished them as to their future conduct, and the serious consequences that would inevitably result from the baneful effects of intoxicating liquors, and bound them over to give evidence upon the trial of the prisoner, at the next assizes. The deceased has left a widow and four helpless children.-Salisbury Herald.

Savings Banks.-As a proof of the increasing wealth of the labouring classes of this metropolis, and the utility of savings banks, a reference to the Farringdon-street Savings Bank, which was established in June, 1837, by the Bishop of London, Sir Charles Price, and Mr. Alderman Harmer, will prove interesting. Since the commencement of the bank up to the last return the sum of 11,6431 7s. 1d. has been paid in, and the sum of 2,8721. 5s. 9d. drawn out, leaving a balance in favour of the bank of 8,7717. 1s. 4d. The number of depositors has increased from 315 to 4,915.—Herald.

In his late Charge to the Grand Jury, at Carmarthen Assize, Sir John Gurney made the following striking statement-" In the course of his experience in criminal judicature, he was confirmed in the opinion that nearly every crime was either originally or immediately attributable to the prevalent vice of drunkenness."

At the recent Assizes for this county, a presentment on the subject of the Beer-shop nuisance was made by the Grand Jury to the Judges on the circuit, of which we subjoin a copy :

"To the Right Hon. Sir James Parke, Knight, and the Hon. Sir Thomas Coltman, Knight, Her Majesty's Justices of Assize for the Western Circuit. "MY LORDS,-Understanding that the Legislature is at present engaged in some measures for the suppression of Beer Houses, We, the Grand Jury assembled at the Assizes at Dorsetshire, on the 19th of July, 1838, are most anxious to avail ourselves of this opportunity of again expressing our unanimous opinion,-which the lapse of time has only more strongly confirmed, of the very great evils which have arisen in all parts of the county of Dorset, from the provisions of the Acts of Parliament which authorize the licensing of such houses;-an opinion which we humbly request your Lordships to represent in the proper quarter, and to express on our parts also an earnest hope, that whatever may be the enactments of the Bill which is contemplated on this subject, they may be such as, without interfering with the comforts, may tend to the sobriety and good order of the labouring classes, and may facilitate the conviction of all persons who may wilfully transgress or covertly evade the law in this particular.

(Signed,) "JOHN FOX STRANGWAYS, Foreman.

Effect of Salt on Animals.—In visiting Mr. Alderman Farley's Salt-works at Droitwich (17th August, 1817), I was struck with the appearance of an old black horse, that worked the machine for raising the brine. He was in very good condition, and his coat was like the finest black satin. I asked the old man, named Twigg, who had the care of him, what made the horse so sleek and plump; his answer was that he had regularly given him a little salt in his chaff three days in the week, about four ounces on each of the three days; or, if he was not very stout then sometimes a little more; but that in general the horse was very well, and did his work well. He said he did not give him the whole four ounces at once, but at several times, about a table-spoonful each time. The horse had been purchased by Mr. Farley about four years ago, being then about twenty years old, and his health and appearance, though he had constant work, had been since very much improved; the salt, he added, had made him eat his food, and work better.Anecdote told by Sir J. Bernard.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of "a Correspondent;" E.; J. C. W.; a Friend; F.; Y.; E.; and Author.

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »