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MEATS, VEGETABLES, AND FRUITS

IN SEASON FOR JULY.

SOUPS.-Turtle, mock-turtle, green peas, gravy, and veal.

FISH.-Skate, mackarel, salmon, cod, haddocks, soles, carp, tench, pike, eels, flounders, plaice, lampreys, lobsters, cray-fish, sturgeon, prawns, and shrimps.

FLESH.-Buck-vension, veal, lamb, beef, mutton.

POULTRY.-Turkey-poults, greengeese, ducklings, fowls, chickens, pullets, and young rabbits.

GAME.-Wild ducks, called flappers, or moulters, young partridges, and pheasants.

VEGETABLES.-New potatoes, summer cabbages, sprouts, young turnips, carrots, cauliflowers, Windsor and other broad beans, green-pease, kidney beans, endive, celery, small salad, lettuces, young radishes, turnipradishes, cucumbers, parsley, and all

sorts of sweet herbs.

FRUITS. Cherries of various sorts, wood and other strawberries, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, Orleans' and other plums, white genitings, grapes, figs, summer pearmains, pommes de bombom, codlins, young walnuts (for pickling), samphire from the rocks for ditto, young nasturtiums for ditto, oranges, nuts, and French preserves.

ADVICE TO GARDENERS.

Prepare ground for the reception of succession crops, and some main crops for autumn and winter, and sow turnips, &c. as at the beginning of the year.

The common radishes

sown now, will be fit to draw the beginning of September; and the cauliflowers sown in May, must be planted out in spots where they are to remain. The beds of carrots sown now, will be fit to draw early in April. Spinage for winter may now be sown, and onions taken up, if the leaves wither. Those who are fond of green cole, may, by sowing the seed now, transplant in August, and thereby secure a strong growth; but this may be done with equal success next month.

ANNALS OF GULLING. N°. VII.

MAD BAKERS!!!

To the Editor of The Economist. SIR;-In No. V. of "The Economist" I find a most base, illiberal, malicious, wicked, and injurious statement, respecting bakers and the making of bread, which forces me (almost against my will) to take up my pen and endeavour to prevent the prejudice and tendency that such a statement is likely to have the upon public mind. Were we to let this pass unnoticed, the public might justly conclude, that what you there state was true. You say you have it from authority, that we use 2 lbs. of alum to one sack of flour. This from authority! What authority? Such I should suppose as you received concerning W. Bond and Co., and W. Mather and Co.; but I am happy to find they have made you contradict your statement. I suppose you thought they would bring the rod of the law upon you. Your informant I should imagine was an old woman, who resides in some of the miserable hovels of Shoreditch, St. Giles's, or St. Catherine's; but even in these places I am positive there is no such thing as 2 lbs. of alum used in a sack of flour, and never six pounds of salt. As to rice, plaister of Paris, and chalk being used, I deny (without fear of contradiction) that such articles are used. Your informant surely must have thought she was covering an infant in a cradle, when she said the sponge was covered with cloths: she will next make out that we put rags into the bread. You "To be continued." What! continue to publish infamous falsehoods! to scandalize a large part of the community to fill your purses with paltry trash! My friend, take care what

say,

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To the Editor of The Economist.

SIR;-I read in The Examiner of last Sunday a paragraph headed "Bread," and which, it appears, was copied from your publication; the aspersions it contains against the bakers are of such a foul nature, that I am induced, as a memper of that class of tradesmen, to send you a few lines, and request you will permit their insertion in your publication. You assert, that in order to make the bread look white, "the most unjustifiable means have been employed: regarding the use of potatoes and rice, there can be no possible blame attached to them; but when plaister of Paris, ckalk, and alum, are resorted to, the trade of a baker may be justly denominated the trade of a poisoner. We have it from authority, that the bakers put regularly two pounds of alum to each sack of flour.' These assertions, Sir, are very easily made, and no doubt will be believed by a number of credulous persons, who are ever ready to lend a willing ear to any charge, however ridiculous, that may be brought against the bakers; but from my experience in baking, having been employed in some of the first bakehouses in London, and being now a proprietor of two shops, with an extensive business to each, I can assert, without fear of contradiction from any one who is the least acquainted with the London mode of baking, that there is not a word of truth in the above assertions; and really, Sir, I cannot imagine what could induce you and the editor of The Examiner to give insertion to such gross charges against so respectable a body of tradesmen as I conceive the bakers to be.

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To the Editor of The Economist.

SIR;-At present there is circulated widely about the town (principally at oil-shops and stationers), an article bearing the title of " Thomas Reeves' Durable Ink for Marking on Linen without Preparation." I was induced the other day to purchase a bottle, and, independently of the article being excessively dear, the writing entirely disappeared on the linen when under the hands of the washerwoman. Each bottle is inclosed in a case, bearing the name, "Thos. Reeves, from 80, HolbornBridge."

Now, Sir, you will render the public a service, by inserting this in your respectable Journal; and in case "Thomas Reeves" thinks proper to make his appearance, I must request you will refer him to me; also any one else, who may wish for further particulars.

P. S.-I inclose my name and address.

CHEESE-VENDING IMPOSTORS.

Some men are travelling about Sussex with cheese for sale, for which they obtain a good price by the following stratagem:-Into each cheese a small piece of exquisite flavour is curiously dove-tailed, and from which they invariably draw their tasters, while the article itself, upon being afterwards cut, is found to be scarcely worth two-pence per pound!!!

Of all the petty impositions that abound in this land of wealth, we do not know any thing so annoying as the price exacted for what is called "tea for one"-a traveller comes into an inn, calls for tea, puts about twopenny worth of tea in the tea-pot, of which he drinks two cups, and eats two or three slices of bread and butter; and for this repast (value intrinsically 44d.) he pays one shilling, one shilling and sixpence, or perhaps two shillings! - When we take up the subject or inns, we will dwell a little more upon this abuse.

BENEFIT SOCIETIES.

Although Benefit Societies have stood their ground for a great num

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ber of years, and have been found, in many instances, to answer the purpose of those connected with them, yet the system must, for many reasons, be objectionable to the domesti cated and sober man. It is pernicious, as it tends to promote and encourage those qualities which are incompatible with the enjoyment of domestic life (drunkenness, absence from home, &c.), and because the security it affords has been frequently found insufficient against injustice and fraud.

A Society of this description is necessarily held at a public-house, where a proportion of each member's subscription must of course be spent, in order to remunerate the landlord for the use of his premises. Persons who have no other dependence but the produce of their own laborious exertions, are naturally desirous to provide against the arrival of sickness, to which all are alike liable, and likewise to secure the means of a decent interment at their decease. They, therefore, become members of a benefit club, which appears to them the readiest means of obtaining the desired object. Besides the subscription

neces

sary for this purpose, they are compelled to pay an additional sum to be expended in drink, which their habits and inclinations prevent them from wishing to partake of; and as a certain sum must be spent for the purpose above stated, their portion is of course added to the share of those who feel a gratification in degrading themselves to a level with the brute. The club-room thus becomes a scene of drunkenness, confusion, and immorality of every description, and the more virtuous and sober members are compelled to contribute to a system of debauchery which they detest.

By far the greater number of members of a Benefit Society prefer the payment of a trifling fine to the inconvenience of serving the office of steward, &c. and these situations fall into the hands of a very limited number, who frequently erect themselves into a kind of junta, and manage the concerns of the Society

at their own will and pleasure. This junta generally contrive, by their manœuvres, to secure a majority of the members who are in the habit of attending the club-meetings, and the greatest injustice is by this means practised upon the most respectable and deserving. Should a member be afflicted with sickness, against whom these worthies entertain a prejudice, every shuffling evasion is resorted to, in order to evade the payment of his weekly allowance; although the sick person may have been for years subscribing for the relief of which he is thus unjustly deprived. Many instances of the most flagrant injustice might be produced in support of this assertion, but one will be sufficient to prove how easily a just claim may be resisted with success. A person entered one of those clubs at the age of 24, and being of a good, constitution, continued to subscribe towards its funds for 19 years, without having occasion to demand relief; he was then afflicted with a severe illness, and was advised by his medical attendant to try the benefit of the air of his native place. Calculating, of course, on the assistance for which he had been so long paying, he gave the necessary information to the Society, and proceeded to his destination. For the first fortnight his allowance was regularly remitted, upon his furnishing what he conceived to be the requisite attestations of his state of health. With the third week's remittance, however, came a note from the Secretary, stating, that in consequence of a statement made by one of its members, the Society entertained strong suspicions of the truth of his illness, and that no further supply would be sent unless he immediately came to London, to be examined by a doctor appointed by themselves. With this requisition he was unable and unwilling to comply; and after unsuccessfully protesting against the injustice of this mode of proceeding, he received an intimation, that in consequence of his noncompliance with the just and necessary rules of the Society, he was no longer to consider himself one of its members. The unfortunate invalid was

thus deprived of the benefit for which he had been subscribing for nearly 20 years, and at a time when his advanced age prevented the possibility of his gaining admission to another Benefit Society. The amount of his contributions, &c. to the Society during this period, upon the lowest calculation, was 55l., which was irrecoverably lost by this unjust proceeding. An application was made by his friends to a magistrate, and he then discovered, for the first time, that the Society was not regularly enrolled, according to Act of Parliament; and even if this had not been the case, it is very unlikely that he could have successfully rebutted the assertions of those who were opposed to him. Similar instances of injustice have occurred in almost every Society of this description, and in nine cases out of ten no redress has been obtained, even when the Society has been enrolled, and the aggrieved parties upon the spot.

It was naturally expected, upon the first establishment of the Saving Bank, that a death-blow would at once be given to those falsely termed Benefit Societies. But though some have, in consequence, been dissolved, many still continue to exist, notwithstanding their having been so frequently found prejudicial to the interest of those concerned. On calculating the annual amount of a member's contribution to a society of this kind, it will be found, with monthly payments, extra subscription on a member's decease, fines, &c., in no case to be less than two pounds fifteen shillings. And it should be recollected that the money so paid is irrecoverably sunk, and that the member is subscribing to the formation of a capital, from which there are many chances against his ever deriving any profit. On the contrary, if he places the surplus of his earnings in the Saving Bank, it accumulates at compound interest, and he is creating a capital exclusively his own, and which may not only be the means of preserving him from want in a time of sickness, or scarcity of employment, but likewise secure him a subsistence when old age shall render

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him incapable of exertion. Saving Bank will be found to answer every purpose which Benefit Societies profess, and is at the same time free from the objections abovementioned; the rank and character of its supporters being a security against fraud and imposition of every kind. While the one, from its very nature, must be the means of promoting the degrading vice of drukenness, in the other the hope of increasing the capital will ever be a stimulus to sobriety, industry, and economy. City Road.

66

BETTY BROWN, &c.

(Continued from p. 91).

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S.

The lady's eyes were at once opened. 'My poor girl," said she, do you know that you have already paid for that single five shillings the enormous sum of 7/. 10s. ? I believe it is the most profitable five shillings Mrs. Sponge ever laid out."-" O, 110, Madam,” said the girl," that good gentlewoman does the same kindness to ten or twelve other poor friendless creatures like me." Does she so?" said the lady; "then I never heard of a more lucrative trade than this woman carries on, under the mask of charity, at the expence of her poor deluded fellow-creatures."

"But, Madam," said Betty, who did not comprehend this lady's arithmetic, "what can I do? I now con trive to pick up a morsel of bread without begging or stealing. Mrs. Sponge has been very good to me; and I don't see how I can help myself."

"I will tell you," said the lady : "if you will follow my advice, you may not only maintain yourself honestly, but independently. Only oblige yourself to live hard for a little time, till you have saved five shillings out of your own earnings. Give up that expensive supper at night, drink only one pint of porter, and no gin at all. As soon as you have scraped together the five shillings, carry it back to your false friend; and if you are industrious, you will, at the end of the year, have saved 77. 108. If you can make shift to live now, when

you have this heavy interest to pay, judge how things will mend when your capital becomes your own. You will put some clothes on your back; and, by discontinuing the use of spirits, and leaving the company in which you drink them, your health, your morals, and your condition, will mend."

She

The lady did not talk thus to save her money. She would willingly have given the girl the five shillings; but she thought it was beginning at the wrong end. She wanted to try her. Besides, she knew there was more pleasure, as well as honour, in possessing five shillings of one's own saving, than of another's giving. Betty promised to obey. She owned she had got no good by the company or the liquor at Mrs. Sponge's. promised that very night to begin saving the expense of the supper; and that she would not taste a drop of gin till she had the five shillings beforehand. The lady, who knew the power of good habits, was contented with this, thinking, that if the girl could abstain for a certain time, it would become easy to her, She therefore, at present, said little about the sin of drinking, and only insisted on the expense of it.

In a very few weeks Betty had saved up the five shillings. She went to carry back this money with great gratitude to Mrs. Sponge. This kind friend began to abuse her most unmercifully. She called her many hard names, not fit to repeat, for having forsaken the supper, by which she swore she herself got nothing at all; but as she had the charity to dress it for such beggarly wretches, she insisted they should pay for it whether they eat it or not. She also brought in a heavy score for ⚫ lodging, though Betty had paid for it every night, and had given notice of her intending to quit her. By all these false pretences, she got from her not only her own five shillings, but all the little capital with which Betty was going to set up for herself. All was not sufficient to answer her demands; she declared she would send her to prison; but while she went to call a constable, Betty contrived to make off.

With a light pocket and a heavy heart, she went back to the lady; and with many tears told her sad story.

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The lady's husband, the justice, condescended to listen to Betty's tale. He said Mrs. Sponge had long been upon his books as a receiver of stolen goods. Betty's evidence strengthened his bad opinion of her. "This petty system of usury," said the magistrate, may be thought trifling; but it will no longer appear so, when you reflect, that if one of these female sharpers possesses a capital of seventy shillings, or 31. 10s. with fourteen steady regular customers, she can realize a fixed income of one hundred guineas a-year. Add to this the influence such a loan gives her over these friendless creatures, by compelling them to eat at her house, or lodge, or buy liquors, or by taking their pawns, and you will see the extent of the evil. I pity these poor victims: you, Betty, shall point out some of them to me. I will endeavour to open their eyes on their own bad management. It is not by giving to the importunate shillings and halfcrowns, and turning them adrift to wait for the next accidental relief, that much good is done. It saves trouble, indeed, but that trouble being the most valuable part of charity ought not to be spared; at least by those who have leisure as well as affluence. It is one of the greatest acts of kindness to the poor to mend their economy, and to give them right views of laying out their little money to advantage. These poor blinded creatures look no further than to be able to pay this heavy interest every night, and to obtain the same loan on the same hard terms the next day. Thus are they kept in poverty and bondage all their lives; but I hope as many as hear of this, will get on a better plan, and I shall be ready to help any who are willing to help themselves." This

worthy magistrate went directly to Mrs. Sponge's with proper officers; and he soon got to the bottom of many iniquities. He not only made her refund poor Betty's money, but committed her to prison for receiving

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