places with a bill-hook, and asserts that one person may in this manner do more work than ten times the number of hands in the former manner; and that the seeds are more easily evacuated from their cells. But the most convenient and expeditious method is to cut off the poppy heads as they stand in the field; the reapers having an apron before them, tied up at the corners. In this they collect as large a number as is convenient, and empty them into bushel baskets placed upon a cloth, by which a considerable quantity of seed is saved. The heads are afterwards put into corn sacks, in a competent number to be trodden by men or children in sabots, or to be bruised by a mallet or flail: by these means the heads are confined from @ying from the stroke, and the seeds preserved from being scattered, and afterwards passed through a sieve of a proper size.

In extracting the oil, it is of the utmost consequence that mill, press, and bags be perfectly clean and pure. New bags are necessary, as those used for linseed, rape or any other seed, will communicate an unpleasant taste to the oil. It is adviseable to extract the oil as soon after the harvest as possible, as the seeds will yield a larger quantity than if deferred till the spring.

This

The first oil is destined for the use of families. is cold-drawn, as any degree of warmth injures the flaAfter as much is extracted in this manner as possible, a considerable quantity of an inferior quality is obtained by heating the cakes, and pressing them a se

vour.

cond time.

The oil expressed must remain for the space of five or six weeks before it is used, that it may deposit in a sediment a kind of milky substance that is mixed with it. It must then be poured into another vessel; and this

should

should not be perfectly closed at first, but the opening be covered with a linen cloth, or a pricked bladder, that certain exhalations may pass. Nor should the oil be immediately used after the process is finished, as it continues to improve for a considerable length of time.

That which is first expressed is of a pale colour; is peculiarly bland and soft, has a flavour approaching to that of the almond oil. It is used for sallads and other domestic purposes, either alone or mixed with olive oil. Should the latter be stale or rancid, it will be consider ably improved by a mixture of recent poppy oil. It is not asserted that this oil may be placed in competition with Provence or Italian oils of prime quality; but that it is superior to the olive oils sold in shops, being often used to improve their quality. May I not add, that the inhabitants of this country are somewhat prepared for the culinary use of this oil, by being already accus tomed to its taste, though without their knowledge. For since it has long been imported into Holland, and used without suspicion, we cannot suppose that the merchants of this commercial nation are totally strangers to the commodity *.

*We are told by Mr. C. A. Fisher, in his "Letters written during a Journey to Montpellier, in the year 1804," "that the oil of Provence, which, on account of its purity, mildness, and fine flavour, is famous all over Europe, is exported to Italy in large quantities, and was formerly exported to many distant countries. But since the hard winters of 1789 and the following years, so many olive trees have been frozen, and during the Revolution so few planted, that Aix (which was the principal seat of its traffic) has now entirely lost its first and most lucrative branch of Commerce."

Two inferences may be drawn from the above information. Our best oils, though imported from Italy, are probably of the growth of Provence and if is still more probable that the inferior sorts could not be afforded, even at the present price, without a large mixture of the poppy oil.

The

The second-drawn oils are of a deeper colour, and are applicable to all the purposes of the more common oils. This may even be used as lamp oil; and it is alleged, that it does not give off so large a quantity of smoke, and emits a brighter flame.

The oil-cakes are peculiarly serviceable for feeding and fattening of cattle; being deemed equal to linseedcakes. All cattle are very fond of it, and eat it with eagerness. This is the constant use of it in Brabant. The stems are sometimes used for fodder, containing a considerable quantity of nutritive oils; or mixed with stable dung and other manures, they enrich their quality.

Expenses, produce, and profits. Concerning these arti cles it will be necessary to be particular, though it is somewhat difficult from a difference in the current coins, measures, &c. I shall state the result of experiments made on three hundred roeden *, about one acre, of a sandy soil, and three hundred roeden of a heavy peat, made by a claimant named S. N. Van Eys. The peat land being low and humid, he was obliged to make deep trenches between the beds. The harvest on this soil was later, the poppy heads were not so dry when gathered, and they shrunk considerably in drying. There was so small a difference in the quantity of seed from these different soils, that no important preference could be given. The sand ground yielded in this instance rather less than the peat land. As the quality of the seeds appeared perfectly similar, he mixed the whole produce together when he sent them to the oil mills.

The English statute acre is 160 square perches; and the Dutch morge, consisting of 600 rocden, is equal to 300 square perches; so that the difference between a Dutch monge and two acres is as 300 to 320, the former being only 20 perches less than two acres.

The

The produce of the sand ground rather exceeded 13 sacks, that of the veen or peat land was about 12 sacks: together they made 25 sacks 1 bushel of seed. These yielded of oil in the following proportions :

Mingles. Cakes.

23 sacks which were pressed cold gave........271 834

Mr. Van Eys remarks that poppy-oil of a very inferior quality is sold retail at one guilder, or 1s. 10d. per mingle or quart, and that mixed with olive oil at a much higher price. However, he estimates the colddrawn at 16d. only, and the second sort at 14d. per min. gle. The cakes are valued at ten guilders, or 19s. per 100. His receipts stand thus:

Total............F. 366 8- £.33 0 8

Total of Profit..... F. 159 8 0-£.14 6 8

1

This degree of profit upon nearly two acres does not at first appear to be encouraging; particularly if we take into consideration rent of land, taxes, &c, which are not mentioned in the statement. Mr. Van Eys has remarked, that the expenses attendant upon pressing out the oil in this first essay were considerably greater than would be experienced in the usual course of business. We may also notice that the preparation of the ground by manual labour created a difference in expense that would prove an equivalent at least to the value of land and contingent charges. But what is of much greater moment is the very low price of the oil, as stated in the above account. That of an inferior quality being valued at somewhat less than 5s. per gallon; and the superior at less than 5s. 6d. ; whereas common lamp oil is with us sold for 6s. per gallon, and sallad oil

af