Economy of flour.-Boil 5lbs. of the coarsest flake bean, in rather more than four gallons of water, so that when quite smooth, you will have three gallons and three quarters of bean-water; with which knead 56lbs. of flour, adding yeast and salt as for other bread. Thus 56lbs. of flour may be made to produce as much bread as 67lbs. 4oz. of flour, when mixed with plain water.-Family Hand Book, p. 306. To boil potatoes.-The potatoes should be as nearly as possible of the same size, and the small and large ones boiled separately. Wash them clean, without paring or scraping them; put them in a pot with cold water, but not enough to cover them. If they are large, throw in some cold water when they begin to boil, and occasionally repeat it till they are boiled to the heart, which will take from half an hour, to an hour and a quarter, according to their size; during the boiling, throw in a little salt, the slower they are cooked the better. When boiled, pour off the water, and put the pot once more over the fire for a minute or two. They may be eaten as bread, with a little salt, and the skins on.-Sent by a Correspondent. BENEFITS OF THE COTTAGE ALLOTMENT SYSTEM. These THE result of this system in the village of Fenstanton has been highly satisfactory. The Rev. L. Brown and William Hammond, Esq., by way of experiment, let plots of land for gardens, to about thirty of the labouring poor: these have produced excellent crops of potatoes, &c., which will keep many a family from want. gentlemen naturally feel gratified at having so much promoted the comforts of the poor; and, as the rents have all been paid up, they have not lost a shilling. About twenty fresh applicants have applied for land this year, who will have gardens in the spring. The plan adopted is to place the gardens as near the village as possible, and to charge the labourers the same rent as the land is worth to the farmers to plough. If the proprietors of land in the villages which are about to be enclosed were to direct an allotment of a few acres near their labourers' cottages, in order to its being let for this purpose, it would con 1839.] CLOTHING CLUB. 103 siderably promote a spirit of industry: the children would have employment in weeding; and the condition of the poor would be much improved. If at the time this village was enclosed, the trustees of the parish land had procured allotments near the cottages for this purpose, instead of throwing the greater part of it nearly three miles away, (where the labour is done by men not only out of the town, but out of the county,) the poor rates would many years ago have been considerably reduced, and the poor have been in a state of comparative comfort.-Northampton Herald. CLOTHING CLUBS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHAMPTON HERALD. SIR, As you request to have a little local news, I take leave to inform you, that on Monday last we completed the fifth year of the existence of our clothing club. Many were made happy by receiving a nice parcel of useful articles, which they would not have had, had it not been for the establishment of this club. The poor contributed, during the past year, eighty three pounds ten shillings and eight pence, to which was added a donation of two shillings each to 148 members; making a total of £98 10s. 8d.: and they paid £5 18s. 8d., in order to have more than their money would purchase. Thus the total amount of articles distributed was £104 9s. 4d. I will now state the amount, in cost and quantity, of what has been given in five years : £. S. d Calico sheeting Flannel ...... By this you perceive that eight thousand eight hundred and six yards of useful articles, besides blankets, bed ticks, woollen aprons, stockings, &c. have been brought into this village, at a cost of about £480, in five years. And you will readily conclude, that this hath been a comfort to many. I assure you, that the people confess to me, that they are in no whit the poorer for what they put in; and if they did not receive the clothing in this way, it would not be provided by themselves. So that they account it to be a clear gain. I hope those Clothing Societies will extend far and wide through the land. And so they assuredly will, provided the clergy will take the thing in hand. They need not fear the want of co-operation: the laity, as I know from long experience, will be found willing to assist their minister in "works of faith and labours of love." And all difficulties will be overcome very easily, when once the mind becomes interested. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, RICHD. ASH HANNAFORD. FAT MEAT. THE extreme fatness of the meat, and the quantity of it, brought to the London market this Christmas, are said far to exceed any former year; and a respectable salesman in Newgate-market has been heard to declare, that the quantity of keep, thrown away in over fatting the various animals this year, brought to the London market alone, would suffice to bring twice the number to a profitable and a more wholesome state.-Northampton Herald. We can perfectly agree in the truth of the above paragraph; but the remark does not comprehend the whole of the question. We do not suppose that agriculturalists, who send up their fat specimens of meat to London, ever intend that it should become a custom to fatten the generality of beasts to that extent: their object must be, to show what sort of animal will fatten the 1839.] INSTINCT. 105 soonest; and when this is ascertained, it is not necessary that it be fed beyond the limits at which it is most fit for food. INSTINCT. WHOEVER looks at the habits and manners of animals, and considers them attentively, must be led to admire the wonderful work of God, and the great goodness and mercy to all his creatures, which may be observed in the power which he has given to every animal to provide for his own wants, and for those of his offspring. This is not reason; not that which man possesses, of remembering, and reflecting, and considering; it is something short of this, but is quite as useful for the purpose for which the power is given. This power, which is called instinct, seems, in a wonderful manner to instruct the lower animals to produce, and protect, and bring up their young: for instance, the beautiful manner in which birds build their nests, sit on their eggs, and watch over their young, as long as the little ones require a parent's care; for, after this, they seem to know nothing about their own offspring. Similar observations may be made in the case of beasts and fishes. Beyond what particularly concerns the protection of themselves and their young, there seems such an absence of consideration and reflection, that we cannot help perceiving a marked difference between "instinct," and "reason." Yet it must be acknowledged, that there are so many instances of extraordinary acuteness in some kinds of animals, that we are almost tempted to think, that they can meditate and reason. There seems to be different degrees of intelligence in animals;some appear only to exist,-merely to show signs of animal life,-being very little above the vegetable race; whilst the stories of dogs, of horses, and of several sorts of birds show something very like reason. The sagacity of the elephant seems almost allied to reason, "How instinct varies in the groveling swine, Pope's Essay on Man. The beautiful contrivances of the animals for the support of themselves, and their progeny, and their wonderful skill, has frequently afforded to man a pattern for his most useful works; his reason has shown him that he was acting wisely in imitating the instinct of the inferior animals. "See her from reason rising slow to art! To copy Instinct then was Reason's part; Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale." Essay on Man. THE NAUTILUS. THIS is a very curious shell-fish. The shell is so formed that it serves all the purposes of a boat to the animal that inhabits it. In calm weather, the Nautilus rises to the surface of the water, and spreads its arms out of its shell, and makes them answer the purpose of oars, the two hinder ones serving as rudders: it then lifts up a sort of double thin membrane, which Providence has given it; and this answers the purpose of sails. It can turn these sails in whatever direction it pleases, and thus catch the advantage of the wind. In this way, the extraordinary creature is sent forward by the breeze, like a ship under sail. When it perceives any danger nigh, it immediately_draws itself up in its shell, and sinks to the bottom. The manner in which it sinks or rises is truly beautiful and wonderful. The shell is very thin and light: and, in the sort of Nautilus which we are here describing, it is divided into several separate apartments, |