AGRICULTURAL, EXPERIMENT ON WHEAT,

OBSERVANDA EXTERNA.

AMERICA, SOUTH.

the standard of Portugal, to be borne as aug

BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE. To the Editor of the Literary Panorama. Sir Sidney Smith's Entertainment to the Sir,-Observing an account of the produce Portuguese Royal Family-Brazil. On the of a single grain of Wheat, in your number 14th of June, Sir Sidney Smith gave an enter for October, p. 154, I send you the process tainment to the whole royal family and court, and result of an experiment made in the Botanic Garden at Cambridge, by Mr. Charles quitting the ship, the Prince Regent presenton board his majesty's ship, London, 98. On Miller, then the Curator, under my inspection.ed to the rear-admiral, with his own hands, A few seeds were sown on the second of June 1766. The most thriving plant was selected on the 8th of August, and divided the revival of the order of the sword, insti mentation to his coat of arms, and declared into 18 plants. These were again divided and tuted by Don Alfonso V. surnamed the Afri transplanted between the middle of September can, in 1459, of which order Sir Sidney Sunith and the middle of October, making 67 plants. is to be created grand cross. All the English These were divided a third time from the mid-captains before the Tagus, under his command dle of March to the beginning of April, and made in all 500 plants, which produced as follows.

The number of Ears was.......21,109 The number of Grains............576,840 The Measure....34 pecks, and I quart The Weight...... ..47 pounds 7 ounces An account of this experiment was printed in the 58th volume of the Philosophical Transactions, but not having that volume at hand, I cannot say whether it agrees with the above. My memorandum was taken at the time upon

the spot.

The division might have been carried much farther, but we were cautious of weakening the plants too much. The sample was tolerably good, but rather light; 'owing, as I conjecture, to the ground being over-rich with

manure.

I have by me the produce of a single root of the common red Wheat grown in this parish. It consists of 83 cars, 49 of which are very large, and near 6 inches long, the remainder are smaller, but all perfect. The grain was by some accident cast out of the land and lodged in some rich earth, where potatoes had been set.

I am, Sit, your obedient humble servant,
THOMAS MARTYN.

Pertenhall, near Kimbolton,

Nov. 20, 1808.

and the first lieutenants of each ship, knights
on the 29th of November, to be commanders;
of the same; also Mr. F. Hill, his majesty's
secretary of legation to that court. His royal
highness has conferred medals on the four
captains composing the squadron detached by
fleet to Brazil.
Sir Sidney Smith to accompany the Portuguese

AUSTRIA.

Transit Duty on Cotton.-Vienna, Oct. 6. this day, states, that in consequence of the The edict of the Emperor of Austria, dated present uncommon state of commerce, thể duties on goods intended for home consumption, as cotton, raw and spun of all kinds, shall continue, as heretofore: but a duty shall be paid, on the transit of these commodities, of five Horins per cwt. payable in cash, and not in paper, at the usual custom-houses. As a particular favour to the commercé of Trieste, cotton imported into that port pays only half this duty. Great expectations of profit to the amount of many millions of florins are formed from this new duty. [Compare Panorama, Vol. IV. p. 1003].

CHINA.

Rapid Cultivation of Fruit Trees.-The Chinese, instead of raising their fruit trees from seeds or grafts, as is the practice in Europe, adopt the following niethod :—they Experiments like the above, recorded by our select a branch fit for the purpose, and round valued correspondent, are capable of furnish- it they wind a rope made of straw besmeared ing advantageous information in several ways. with cow dung, until a ball is formed five or They shew the astonishing powers inherent in six times the diameter of the branch imme the vegetable world, to multiply their species, diately under this ball they divide the bark for the purpose of ensuring that supply of food, down to the wood, for nearly two-thirds of on which so great a portion of animated life the circumference of the branch-a cocoadepends. A handful of corn may, in no great nut shell or small pot is hung over the ball, length of time, become capable of supplying a with a hole in its bottom, so sinall that water province: and if we rightly recollect, the first put therein will only fall in drops; by this, rice that was planted in the Carolinas was a few the rope is kept constantly moist, a circumgrains shaken out from the bottom of a supstance necessary to the easy admission of the posed empty bag: this, in a few years, multiplied so abundantly as to supply the colonists, and yield an overplus for exportation.

young roots. In about three weeks, it is supposed that some of the roots have struck into the rope, when the remainder of the bark is

Leipsick, Oct. 24.-The first of a magnificent suite of engravings entitled "Scenes from the Theatrical Works of Schiller," has lately appeared here. This work is intended to rival in Germany, the " Shakespeare Gallery" of England.

Col. Massembach is publishing three works on Prussian history, the first entitled, "Historical Memoirs of the Decay of the Prussian. Power:" the second, "6 Memoirs to explain

my connection with the Prussian monarchy:" the third, Recollections of Great Men."

Congress at Erfurth.-The congress at ErAlexander and Bonaparte each of them paid furth lasted nineteen days. The Emperors 50 guineas per day, for the houses that they respectively occupied at Erfurth and during is calculated at 1,500,000 rix dollars: about. their stay in that town the sum spent in cash £250,000.

We understand that this is the last remain of that République which has done Decree relating to Persons arriving from more injury to liberty, to property, to huma-lowing notice has been issued by the minister England. Amsterdamn, Oct. 3. The folnity, to morals, and to social order, in less of justice and police:-The minister of justice than twenty years, than the Empire François and police hereby informs all whom it may

and on their return from the ships they are sometimes thrown with such violence against the shore that if they did not by their singular construction yield to the shock they would be dashed to pieces. The steersman stands on the stern of the vessel, and the rudder is an par simply. The dexterity with which he balances himself in the heavy sea is perfectly astonishing. The number of boats used is 120, and they furnish occupation for upwards of 1000 natives.

concern, that in pursuance of a decree of his majesty, dated September 2, 1808, No. 44, he is charged in the first place, either by means of gens-d'armes, or such other as he, the minister, shall think proper, to cause to be conveyed beyond the frontiers of this kingdom, all passengers without distinction, who shall be landed here, out of vesscis proceeding from England, or from any colonies or territories occupied by the British power, and who cannot be sent off again in the vessels by which they may have arrived; which Tiger and Wild Boar Hunt.-April 6, measure will be carried into execution at their 1807. The following is extracted from a own expense, if they are in any respect in a letter from Kishenaghur: "Our neighbourcondition to defra it; and they are seriously hood is rather more gay than it is in general. admonished carefully to avoid again entering No less than three hunting parties are now on upon this territory, on the pain of being more the plains. I have just had a note from one rigorously dealt with. Secondly, to burn or of the gentlemen mentioning their having destroy all letters arriving from England, or this morning killed an enormous royal tiger, any of the territories occupied by the British but I am sorry to add, not before he had power, or going to the said countries, in all carried off the mohout of the elephant, on cases where they are intercepted by the mi- which Mr. Mundy and Captain Shairp were nister of justice and police, without any dis-mounted; and they had, in consequence, nearly tinction as to their being addressed to persons resident within or without the kingdom."Another decree to the same effect, but still more severe, has since been published.

INDIES, EAST.

met with an accident, as the elephant ran away and shook off the howdah in his flight; but they were neither of them hurt. This is probably one of the many monsters, that has lately committed such depradations in the vicinity of Huraah, and we are already inIndian Castes. The Abbé Dubois, who debted to the gentlemen for having destroyed was so fortunate as to escape from France it. The wild boars have been considerably during the horrors of the revolution, and has thinned near Huraah (where the sportsmen since resided in the Mysore country, has are encamped); no less a number than 30 are completed a very valuable work on the various usually killed every morning before breakfast. Indian Castes. It has been inspected and highly approved of by Sir J. Mackintosh and other literary characters in India, and by them recommended to the notice of the government, who have agreed to purchase the manuscript of the Abbé, and to publish it at

The translation from

their own expence.
the French is entrusted to a military officer of
consequence and ability.

French Embassy to Persia.-The French embassy, which has arrived at the Persian court of Taheran, is said to consist of a suite of three hundred officers of infantry and cavalry, and as many artillery; they are all most inagnificently dressed.

ITALY.

Prize Questions.-Padua, Aug. 2, 1808. The academy of sciences, belles lettres, and arts, of this city, after a long suspension, has again resumed its sittings. The academy has, according to ancient custom, proposed several questions for the ensuing year: among them are the following: "How far is that opinion founded, which maintains, that the taste for letters must diminish according to the progress

Massoolah Boat.-The Massoolah boat is one of the most extraordinary inventions that navigation has to boast. To all appearance, any other kind of vessel would be safer on the water; on the contrary no boat of any other kind dare venture over the violent surf, which breaks along the sea shore at Fort St. George. It is unique in its construction; equally unlike the solid canoe, and the Eu-made in the sciences?" ropean invention of caulked vessels-It is flat-bottomed, and the planks of which it is composed are literally sewn together with the fibres of the Kyar rope, made from the cocoa tree, and the stitches (if they may be so called) are so little connected that it should seem there could be no security against its leaking so much as to injure its safety-to prevent any accident of this nature, each boat is always provided with a baler. These boats are used to convey goods and passengers to and from the ships in the Madras roads,

Another question is: "What improvement can be made in the ploughs at present made use of in this country, and by what means may they be rendered more useful in labour, better adapted to the circumstances of the place, and the quality of the different soils?"The prizes are each 16 Napoleons d'or. The answers must be written either in Italian or French.

Sculpture.-Rome. The celebrated Danish sculptor, Thorwaldsen, has lately exhibited here a model in plaster of his statue of

"Eimeo, from the Harbour of Obuno, my attendance, at being dismissed, with the ·Dec. 9, 1804.- Sir, From the friendship rest of the congregation, at the close of the you shewed to the late king, my father, and communion service, without any sermon. the expence the English have been at, in I felt the greater regret at this disappointsending missionaries into these parts, forment, from the hope, which I had entertainthe improvement of myself and ignoranted, of hearing a discourse from some other people, I am sure it will give you pleasure, person than the reader, who, by his slovenly to find it has not all been thrown away; as it and indevout manner, had filled my mind has enabled me to address myself to you by with disgust instead of piety. Leaving the letter, what I should have been incapable of church with these sentiments, heightened by but for those gentlemen. The purport of the omission of what I had hitherto considered my letter, is, to inform you that I am build- as an incumbent's duty, and finding, on ening a large schooner for the purpose of pro- quiry, that this was the constant practice on tecting myself and the English from a party every Sunday morning, it will not, I am of my rebellious subjects, who have fre- sure, create any astonishment, that I should quently threatened me with war: for which not again visit the church, during my abode vessel I am in want of two guns, a quadrant in the Isle of ; but not willing to and compass; and as I have no friends but the English, to you I apply, Sir, for those things; and in return will assist any English ship that should happen to call here, with every thing my country affords; or if you please, should your place be in want of pork, will give you hogs in return.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your's most gratefully,

make up my mind on a subject of such ma ment to the church in general, without further enquiry, I learnt that the rector (who was the person I had heard read the service) had disagreed with his curate, (on what account I could not learn) and that, as he could not immediately dismiss him from his office, he had undertaken to qualify himself so to do, by reading the service himself for POMARE, King. time-but from whatever cause it might Sydney.This letter was received by the arise, the effect will be to drive all piously Harrington in March 1805, but as it could not the expiration of that period. For, were the disposed christians out of the church before be conceived to be the genuine production of an Otaheitan native, it was not then esteemed rector even mentally disposed to perform his worthy of remark: but the arrival of the sacred office in a due and proper manner, his Lucy removing every doubt of its being Po. bodily infirmities would in a great measure mare's own, we doubt not the length of prevent him. Hence his necessity for em time elapsed since it was received has consi-ploying a curate. In any office in common derably added to the advancement of this friendly prince, and to the credit of the genthemen who devote their labours to the promulgation of christian, and other useful knowledge.

life, where a person is incapable of perform and another is employed who is competent. ing its duties, he generally waves the exertion, If such be the practice in temporal concerns, how much more should it be observed in spiritual! Such repulsive performance of church duty, empties churches and fills the

▲ PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THE PREVALENCE dissenting meeting houses and chapels. As a

OF SECTARISM ASCERTAINED.

To the Editor of the Literary Panorama. SIR, The prevalence of sectarism has called forth the observations of many writers, few of whom, however, (at least, of those whose remarks I have perused) have, in my opinion, traced this evil to its true cause. As matter of fact statements are generally better understood than argumentative reasonings, I shall relate a circumstance, the truth of which can, I venture to affirm, be corroborated by many hundreds of persons in this metropolis, to their no less disappointment and grief, than to my own.

While I was, with my family, at a cele brated watering place, during the summer, it was my wish to attend the parish church on the Sabbath-day, where I expected, at least, to have been gratified with the usual service; but judge of my surprise, Sir, on the first day of

proof of this to my certain knowledge, persons, who were never before inside chapel, not on the establishment, became frequenters of a chapel of another description at this town, where, but a few years ago, no such chapel existed: but which now boasts & congregation of many hundred persons. To this place of worship I, with many others, afterwards resorted; not because I was a wil ling seceder, but because I was driven from the church by the bad administration of its duties! And that similar capses have pro duced similar effects on other persons, and in other places, is notorious. Having thus, Sir, pointed out the evil and its cause, I hope that those who have both. the will and the power will provide a sufficient remedy, if not to correct the one, at least to remove the other. In which hope, I remain,

Sir, yours, &c.

A CHURCHMAN.