the land already in tillage; hence a fertile wam, eighteen inches or two feet deep, is now seen where the farmer originally found a soil not exceeding three or four inches in depth." To do a little constantly, and to do that little well," has been the profitable maxim of the Fleming; by acting steadily on that invaluable principle, this industrious race have converted the most barren tract in Europe into the most productive land in the world.—Quarterly Review.

EXPERIMENT ON THE RAPID INCREASE OF POTATOES.

EARLY in December, three large potatoes were put into a cellar, in a small cask; March 10th, fifteen shoots were taken from them and dibbled like cabbage plants, fifteen inches apart; April 16th, twenty-one shoots were taken and planted; May 22nd, twenty-five further shoots were taken from the three potatoes in the cellar and planted as the former-these three potatoes were afterwards eaten. From the above sixty-one shoots, ninety-two pounds weight of large and excellent potatoes were dug up. To procure potato shoots for the purpose of carrying out this experiment, grounds which have yielded potatoes the preceding year should be examined in the spring; and if the winter has been mild, the potatoes left in the ground-and numbers do remain, however carefully the land may have been cleaned-will be found covered with shoots, which on being planted in the manner described, will produce an excellent crop of potatoes.-Mag. of Domestic Economy.

DISTRIBUTION OF COALS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE COTTAGER'S MONTHLY VISITOR.

SIR,-Having been indebted to your excellent publication for many hints which have been most useful to me, in the management of some charitable institutions, and have, in fact, been almost my sole guide in cases where, from the want of experience, great difficulty would have attended my own efforts, I have always consulted your little work for information on all such subjects, and with this view, have studied the plan recommended by the Rev. W. Dalby, for the cheap distribution of coal, published in your March number.

I should have felt strongly tempted to adopt this plan, had not a similar attempt in my own neighbourhood been attended with the following results. A benevolent lady, who devotes her time and property to charitable objects, issued to a certain number of friends who had subscribed to her fund for the purpose, tickets for enabling the poor to purchase coals at a cheap rate. On the ticket was written one shilling, the sum to be paid by every poor person who received it. The consequence was, that a system of begging was encouraged. The applicants spent whole mornings, often days, in going from one house to another, to find out the ladies who possessed these tickets-having obtained them, they were still in want of the shilling; and accordingly, a second or third morning was devoted to begging from house to house for a shilling, to render the ticket available. Now had the time been spent in working, a sum far greater than the value of the coal ticket might have been obtained-added to which, I regret to say, several instances have been detected, where the applicants obtained more than the allowed number of tickets. I fear I must also add, that more than one application for the money to pay with the ticket was made; and that a system of imposition was thus, unconsciously, cherished-while the industrious, and hard working wives and mothers, who would not waste their time, or neglect their families in order to obtain this relief, had no benefit from a charity which was intended to be as extensive as possible. To remedy this evil, we have been induced by a clergyman, who is much experienced in the "best mode of assisting the poor," to encourage the poor to lay by during the summer months, by weekly payments of sixpence, or one shilling, a sufficient sum to entitle them to a supply of coals, which will last during the winter. Last year one hundred families availed themselves of this method, and deposited 84. 11s. 6d., which, with the benefit of threepence in each shilling, gave each a very considerable stock, which they might claim as their own. The gratitude and satisfaction they expressed when they found how much had been thus accumulated, will, we hope, induce others to follow their example. The payments commence

on the first Monday in April, and cease the first Monday in December, when the orders for coals are given out. In this plan, you will observe, the poor have nothing to pay when work is scarce and coals dear, whereas in the other, supposing them to obtain a ticket, and not to beg for the shilling or tenpence, they must provide that money at a time when they are least able to do so. The careful and industrious alone are benefited by the interest given upon the money they have paid in, and no fraud can be practised upon the benevolent.

As you have always been an advocate for "helping the poor, by teaching them to help themselves," I make no apology for the above observations, the insertion of which, in your useful publication, may be instrumental in checking the injudicious exercise of charity, and in encouraging habits of honest independence.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

A CONSTANT READER.

I enclose the rules of the club above described, the members of which may, if they choose, allot a portion of their deposits to the purchase of bread. Orders are given for a weekly supply of bread or coals, or bread only, or coals only, at the option of the members.

BREAD AND COAL CLUB RULES.

1.-THE object of this Club is to induce Cottagers and Labourers to save something from their weekly earnings, when work is more plentiful, in order to provide a weekly supply of coals and bread in the winter.

2. Persons of sober, industrious, and respectable habits to be admitted by recommendation from Honorary Subscribers. Only one person in each family can be recommended as a Member.

3. Each Member to pay a weekly subscription of not less than sixpence, and not more than one shilling, between the hours of eleven and one, every Monday during the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November.

4. Upon all sums so deposited a benefit of not less than twopence, and not more than fourpence, on each

shilling shall be allowed, according to the funds of the Institution. If any member fail to pay the weekly subscription at the appointed time, the benefit on the subscription not to be allowed.

5. Each Member to give notice to the receiver, the first Monday in December, whether the amount of deposits shall be given out in coals only: and the delivery of bread and coals will take place weekly, in the months of December, January, February, and March, as long as the funds will allow.

6. The tickets for bread and coals may be presented to any Baker or Coal-vender, but each Member must give in to the receiver, on the first Monday in December, the names of the tradesmen who will supply them.

N.B. No ticket can be issued by the Treasurer till these rules, five and six, have been strictly complied with. 7.-Persons who cannot obtain recommendations, may deposit sixpence or a shilling weekly, and receive the amount in bread and coals, with a benefit of not less than a penny, if the funds will permit.

8.-The subscriptions to be deposited in the Savings' Bank, and an annual statement of the accounts to be made to the Honorary Subscribers and Members.

Number of depositors, 100.

Benefits allowed-3d. and 1d. on each shilling, according to the (late) rule respecting the delivery of coals.

Treasurer in account with Benefited Members.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

A VETERAN TOPER.-A correspondent sends us the following for teetotalists. An old man, seventy years of age, acknowledges himself, that since he was twenty years old, he has drunk on an average, four glasses of whisky a day-say 18,250 days, at four glasses each, making 73,000 glasses, at three halfpence per glass, or 456l. 5s.- —a goodly sum truly to be thus squandered away ?—Inverness Courier.

WASPS. It is not generally known that the large wasps, which are seen flying about in the months of April and May, are Queen wasps, and that, therefore, the destruction of them is the prevention of the birth of myriads of wasps. These powerful enemies of the honey bees are eagerly sought after at this season by apiarians, by whom they are mercilessly destroyed. Earl Fitzwilliam gives a shilling for each wasp brought to him, “ dead or alive," in the months of April and May; his lordship pays more than five or six pounds a year in this way, which he considers a very profitable expenditure as regards the protection of his fruit, and honey bees.-Northampton Herald.

AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRAINING RASPBERRIES.-Cut out all the weakest shoots, so as to leave only about six on a stool; then twist the point of one shoot from one stool with one shoot from the stool adjoining, so as to form an arch. Do the same with two other shoots of each plant, so as to form a triple arch between plant and plant, in the direction of the rows, all through the plantations; the space between the rows being left open as usual. The plants should be six feet apart every way. The fruit produced by the trained canes will be fully exposed to the direct influence of the sun, and to the air, and there will be more room for the suckers.Flor. Cab. Vol. ii. p. 11.

HINTS TO GARDENERS.- -At a meeting of the Entomological Society on Tuesday evening, Mr. Fennell communicated a new method of preventing the destructive ravages of caterpillars and earwigs on fruit trees, which he had practised with much success. He employs Indian rubber submitted to the action of heat, till it has lost all its solidity, and becomes a viscid juice. With this he saturates twine, which is twined round the stem of the tree in various parts, and effectually prevents the insects getting up

The value of threepence is sufficient for the protection of twenty fruit trees.—Northampton Herald.

THE word "teetotal" originated with a Lancashire working man, who being unused to public speaking, and wishing to pronounce the word "total" in connexion with "abstinence from intoxicating liquors," hesitated and pronounced the first letter by itself, and the word after it, making together t-total. This fact it is well to be acquainted with, because it sufficiently refutes the vulgar notion that tee has reference to tea. Teetotallars do not recommend tea in preference to any other beverage. They say, of every beverage, the use of which is unconnected with danger, let every one drink what he pleases: the use of intoxicating liquors is not unconnected with danger, either to yourself, your family, your friends, or your neighbours. The danger is great-it is incalculable-not only as regards time but eternity; therefore, abstain.-Bristol Temperance Herald.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of D. I. E.; Y; L. S. R.; Edith; J. U.; and H. B.