ANECDOTE. THE baron of Hægi was a gentleman of the territory of Vinterthur in Switzerland; he was pofsefsed of several fiefs, and had his castle near the city. This gentleman, who lived about the year 1300, made agriculture his ordinary occupation. His plough was drawn by fine horses. His son, who was a handsome young man, drove them with the whip in his hand, while the father, with grey hairs, opened the bosom of the earth, and traced the furrows. A duke of Austria, going on horseback from Rapperschweill to Vinterthur, was surprised at the distinguished air of the labourers, and the beauty of their horses. He stopped, and turning towards the grand master of his household: I have never seen, said he, so handsome peasants, and horses so well fed, labour the fields. Do not be surprised at it, my lord, replied that officer; these are the baron Hægi and his son. There is the ancient castle of their family, at the foot of the hill; and if you doubt it, you may convince yourself of it to-morrow; when you will see them come and offer you their services. In fact, the next day, the baron of Hægi, accompanied by seven of his horseback, came to Vinterthur to pay his duke, who did not fail to ask him if it was him he had seen the day before, following a plough superbly equipped. Yes, my lord, replied the baron with dignity; after a war for the defence of one's country, I think there is no occupation more worthy of a gentleman than that of cultivating his own lands, and I give the example of it to my son. The duke could not but admire the old man; he gave him the most flattering reception, and loaded his son with carefses. The ancients had the same idea of agriculture; omnium rerum ex quibus aliquid exqueritur, nihil est agricultura melius, uberius, homine libero dignius. people, all on respects to the REMARKABLE TREES. [Extracted from Sir John Sinclair's statistical account of Scotland.] Afh tree in the parish of Bowhill. THE ash tree in the church yard of Bowhill, deserves a particular description, being no lefs remarkable for its uncommon size, than for its extensive spreading, and the regularity of its branches. The trunk is nine feet in length; the girt, immediately above the surface of the ground, is twenty-five feet; and about three feet above the surface, it measures nineteen feet and a half; and, at the narrowest part, eighteen feet. It divides into three great branches; the girt of the largest is eleven feet; of the second, ten; and of the third, nine feet two inches. The branches. hang down to within a few feet of the ground, and, from the extremity of the branches on the one side, to that of those on the other, it measures no less than ninety-four feet. Another. There is another large afh tree in the parish, though it is greatly decayed, only the trunk, and part of some of the branches remaining. The trunk is about eleven feet in length; the girt immediately above the surface of the ground, is thirty-three feet; at the narrowest part it measures nineteen feet ten inches. The proprietor has lately fitted up a room in the inside of it, with benches around, and three glass windows. The diameter of the room is eight feet five inches, and from ten to eleven feet high. Parish of Defkford, county of Banff. In an orchard adjoining to an ancient castle there is particularly an ash tree, which measures in girt twentyfour feet five inches and a half. It is called St John's tree, from its vicinity to a chapel of that name. There is a nother ash tree in the same orchard, which measures in girt twelve feet three inches and a half, having a fhank twenty feet high, of nearly the same dimensions; this afh is called young St John. Holly tree in the same parish. There is also a holly, perhaps the largest of its species in this country. It measures, at the distance of two feet from the ground, eight feet four inches and a half in girt. In several places of the parish, hedges have been planted; and they also thrive amazingly when they receive proper care and attention. Yew tree in the parish of Ormiston in East Lothian. In lord Hopeton's garden at Ormistonhall there is a remarkable yew tree. Its trunk is eleven feet in circumference, and twenty-five feet in length; the diameter of the ground overspread by its branches, is fifty-three feet; and there is about the twentieth part of an English acre covered by it. This tree is still growing in full vigour, without the least symptom of decay in any of its branches, which increase yearly in length about an inch. There is no tradition that can be depended upon for exactly ascertaining its age; but from the best infor. mation it cannot be under two hundred years old. It seems rather more probable to be between three and four hundred years old. A CHARADE WRITTEN BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES JAMES FOX, ADDRESSED TO LADY SPENCER, Communicated by a respectable correspondent. PERMIT me to intrude for once, uncalled, into your ladyhip's presence, and, by dividing myself, add greatly to my consequence. So exalted am I in the character of my first, that I have trampled on the pride of kings, and the greatest potentates of the earth have bowed down to me; yet the dirtiest kennel in the dirtiest street is not too foul to have me for its inmate in my second what an infinite variety! I am rich as the eastern monarch, yet poor as the weeping object of your benevolence; I am mild and gentle as the spring, yet cruel and savage as the wintry blast. I dare pronounee myself from the ablest, your ladyship's superior, though few are the instances that prove it, and ten thousand are the proofs against it. I am young, blooming, and beautiful; yet old, deformed, and wretched. I am, but your ladyship is tired, or wishes my re-union,it is done, and my consequence is lost. And I have no merit left but that of remaining, as before, your ladyfhip's very obedient servant. SIR, A solution of the above is requested. QUERIES RESPECTING FRUIT TREES. readers a parti Ir would be doing me and many of your cular favour, if you, or any of your ingenious correspondents, would furnish an answer to the following queries : What is the most effectual way of preventing young fruit trees running too much to wood? What is the best method of forcing (in the natural ground,) fruit trees to bear early? It is a pleasant thing, Mr Editor, to reap the fruits of our own labour. I wish to do so; and sincerely hope you will those of your very useful and entertaining miscel lany. I am your Old Mm. 20th July 1792. } CONSTANT READER *. The Editor wishes it were in his power to give satisfactory answers to those queries; all he knows of the matter is, that some kinds of fruit trees naturally begin to bear at a much more early period of their life than other kinds; and that whatever tends to make them grow very lux NEW DISCOVERIES. The following three discoveries were transmitted to the Editor by a gen tleman who had purchased them at a considerable price, who now pubs lishes them for the benefit of the public. First, The artifi ial manure. For every acre take, Dregs of lamp or train oil, eight gallons, lb. about Plaister of Paris, Nitre, Common salt, Directions. and POWDER the nitre, mix the salt and plaister of Paris with it. Take sixteen bushels of dry light earth, lay some of it half a foot thick, then sprinkle on plenty of the mixture, Lay another inch of earth, ten more of the mixture; so on, alternately, till the whole is laid together. Turn it, and mix it. Lay the top flat, but with a little ridge all round the edges, and then pour on the oil, so as to cover the whole top. After lying a we k, le it be turned and well mixed; after another week turn and mix it again; and a in at the end of the third week. It is then fit for use. uriantly rather retard their fruiting. On his principle, much pruning is in general perni. ous; and over luxuriance of soil wil, on many occasions, retard the commencement of frui. ng; but where the soil is not rich, though the trees may bear so ner, they will not afterwards eid ear so much fruit as if they be nourished better. ز A man who wishes to have fruit soon, ought to pick out the kind of trees that come soon inte bearing, which a skilful nurseryman o ght to know. These should be interspersed with other good sorts that will come in time to yield fruit, |