Frenchman. But a stomach which has been accustomed to be wound up by the double stimulus of astringents, and alcohol also, will not be content with the latter only, especially if that be in less quantity, as it is in the Italian and French wines, which, therefore, for the generality of Englishmen, are insufficiently ex citant. He who has been in the habit of drinking porter at dinner and port after, will feel uncomfortable with home-brewed ale and claret. A respectable chemist analyzed some port and sherry of the finest quality; the port yielded 20 per cent, and the sherry 19.25 per cent, of alcohol of 825 specific gravity, i. e. the strongest spirit of wine that can be drawn-full double the strength of brandy, which seldom has 40 per cent, and common gin not more than 30 or 25. Some people have a notion that if they go to the docks, they can purchase a pipe of wine for twenty pounds less than they must pay to a regular wine-merchaut, and moreover have it neat as imported, as if all wines of the same name were of the same quality. Fort varies at Oporto in quality and price as much as porter does in London; it is needless to say how difficult it is to obtain the best beer at any price; it is quite as difficult to obtain the best port wine at Oporto, where the very superior wine is all bought up at a proportionately high price by the agents for the London wine-merchants. Brandies and wines vary in quality quite as much as they do in price; not less than twenty pounds per pipe in the country where they are made. The only way to obtain genuine wholesome liquor is to apply to a respectable wine-merchant, and beg of him to send you the best wine at the regular market price. If you are particular about the quality of what you buy, the less you ask about the price or the measure of it the better; if you are not, bargain as hard as you please. A WAY TO MAKE CHEAP, YET GOOD PORT WINE. (By a Wine-Merchant.) To three parts of genuine old port add one of Benecarlo (Spanish) wine. This will stand you in only 27s. per dozen, after deducting all expenses of bottling, corking, &c. and be a wholesome and excellent wine. If wine-dealers would do this, instead of using drugs, we might then buy cheap port with confidence. Let half a dozen families club together, buy three pipes of port and one of Benecarlo wine mixed and apportioned equally-they shall procure a supply of a good article very cheap. Next week we will give directions for improving Cape wines. Can our correspondents furnish us with a good receipt for removing ink from ivory? We at present prefer a solution of sulphuric acid and water, increased in strength until it has the effect. R. Eagle-Eye's favour will be gladly received; the subject is good. L. W. cannot expect us to step out of our course for a subject which every body is acquainted with. Razors are like wives-nothing but the proof can determine upon their qualities. A Friend to Industry very soon. A. L.-Manus-John-and A Subscriber, have come to hand. Our correspondents who have been disappointed in obtaining some of our back Numbers, are informed that they are now reprinted. Communications (post paid) to be ad dressed to the Editor, at THE PUBLISHERS, KNIGHT AND LACEY, 55, Paternoster-Row, London. T. C. Ilansard, Pater-noster-row Press. AND General Adviser. ........ Behold, the earth has roots! THE MARKETS. CORN-Greeting in the marketplace; broad brim and sober drab salutations in Mark-lane; racy faces smiling congratulation, stiff sellers, and ready buyers; but our advices from the country premise a re-action, and we question if November will bring any advance on September prices. Already barley is dull of sale, and oats just keep up last week's prices. The very best flour 60s. per sack; very good 55s.: a sack of flour weighs 280 lbs. This cold weather improves the appearance of the butchers' market; the meat looks firm and wholesome, and, indeed, its use may now be more freely indulged in than in summer. PRIME BEEF, roasting and boiling together, sixpence halfpenny the pound; a fine cut from the ribs, or sir-loin eight-pence; a buttock pence; a flank, five-pence. pigeons (honestly come by*) sixpence each; eggs, ten shillings a hundred; rabbits, one shilling to eighteen-pence each; butter, best fresh, fourteenpence the pound; hares, four shillings and sixpence to six shillings each. Caution is necessary both in buying and selling; there are, however, a great many at market. FISH-Very fine cod two shillings to seven shillings each; soles, eigh teen-pence to three shillings and sixpence the pair; haddocks, nine-pence each; whitings, four a shilling; herrings (fresh) one shilling a dozen; red-herrings (Scotch) four shillings a hundred; the very best, real Yar mouth, or rather Lowestoft bloaters, seven shillings the hundred. POTATOES, 35. to 4s. per cwt. whole sale; families supplied at 4s. to 5s. the cwt. BREAD-Eight-pence to nine-pence six-halfpenny the four-pound loaf. MUTTON is dearer in proportion than beef; prime mutton fetches sixpence per pound by the carcase; a prime thick Kentish or Leicestershire leg (now may be hung a week) is worth eight-pence; the loin (very unprofitable) cut in chops, ninepence; the shoulder, sixpence halfpenny; a breast, five-pence. VEAL (not much in demand) varies by the carcase from five-pence to seven-pence the pound. PORK (now in season), the very best at market, is worth seven-pence halfpenny the pound by the whole pig: a butcher expects to make a penny a pound profit of the leg, the loin, and spare-rib, and is contented to make stock or cost price of the hand, &c. LAMB-a greater supply than there is a demand for; early in the season it was not uncommon to pass off mutton for lamb; now it is not uncommon to pass off lamb for mutton: it may be quoted at mutton prices. POULTRY-Turkeys, five to nine shillings each; geese, five to eight shillings each; capons (scarce and dear), six to seven shillings each; fowls, six to nine shillings the couple; ducks, one shilling and nine-pence to two shillings and nine-pence each; RAW FAT fetches 2s. per stone, that is, 3d. per lb.; candles sell for seven-pence the pound, viz. 3d. the material, 1d. excise duty, 1d. cost of manufacture, and 2d. profit; but all candles are not made of beef and mutton fat. COALS Best Walls-End 478.; Hartly's, a very good coal, 36s.; lowest price coal (Hetton's) 28s. 3d. per chaldron: twelve shillings must be added to these prices for merchant's profit. TRADES. NO. II. Engraving. (Continued from p. 340). Next in point of talent to engraving designs by the methods before mentioned, is writing-engraving, titlepages of books, and copies intended for the instruction of those learning to write: engraved specimens of penmanship, bankers' notes, &c. exhibit this art, and prove the high degree of perfection to which it has arrived by the practice of many eminent artists, amongst whom, perhaps, Mr. Ashby now stands at the head. Sir Gilbert East, and many other gentlemen, have lately had their dovecotes plundered. .t. Writing-engravers have perpetuated the beautiful calligraphy of a Tomkins, a Langford, a Genery, a Perry, and we hope soon to be able to add a Paton. Few persons, however great their talent, can, by their own individual labour, realize a fortune, and indeed are seldom enabled to gain more than just a competence; a man in almost any profession, to get rich, must deal in human labour; that is, he must employ others, and gain a profit upon their labours: thus, Josiah Boydell, who was himself but an indifferent engraver, rose to be an alderman of the city of London, the patron of the arts, and a wealthy citizen; and thus, the present Messrs. Ashby, and other writing-engravers, not only practise the art themselves, but employ other good hands to execute their orders. Engraving on wood is a process exactly the reverse of engraving on copper. In the latter, the strokes to be printed are sunk or cut into the copper, and a rolling press is used for printing it; but in engraving on wood, all the wood is cut away except the lines to be printed, which are left standing up like types, and the mode of printing is the same as that used in letter-press. The wood for this purpose is box-wood, which is planed quite smooth. The design is then drawn upon the wood itself with black-lead, and all the wood is cut away with gravers and other proper tools, except the lines that are drawn ; or sometimes the design is drawn upon paper, and pasted upon the wood, which is cut as before. This art is of considerable difficulty; and there are, comparatively, few who practise it. But of late years, the art of cutting designs upon wood, has arrived at a vast degree of perfection, especially under the celebrated Bewicks, of Newcastle, who have carried their execution, in this respect, • Rare specimens of this gentleman's talent may be seen at the windows of many shop-keepers in Fleet-street, near the Royal Exchange, Aldgate Highstreet, and many other parts of the town; we think he is at present unrivalled.-EDIT. to a pitch of elegance, rivalling, and in some instances almost surpassing, copper-plate engraving; which, be fore their time, was believed to be utterly unattainable. Amongst the most exquisite specimens of this art, are those from the graver, or rather chisel, of Cruikshank; his workmanship is exquisite and unequalled. A journeyman engraver, according to his abilities, may earn from one to four guineas a-week. Apprentice fees vary from twenty to three hundred guineas. A youth to be apprenticed to an engraver, should be possessed of a good sight; he should have a taste for drawing and design, quick imagination, and be of studious habits: closely pursued, it is a wearisome pro fession. ADULTERATED BREAD. The difference between bread made as it should be, and such as is now sold, is obvious to the senses; and a few rules will serve to show when it is more, and when less adulterated. Pure bread is of a clean colour and mellow texture; the crust is brown, the crumb soft when moderately new, the smell is fresh, pleasant, and wholesome, and the taste sweet. On the contrary, the crumb of adulterated bread is harsh, and the crust pale; the smell is raw and disagreeable, and the taste has nothing of that sweetness; neither has the crumb at any time the due consistence, for it is made up of ingredients which will not mix with the yeast and water in the manner that flour does. The paleness of the crust is one great test, and it depends upon this plain cause: flour when burnt becomes brown; but the ingredients added to bread by those who adulterate it, remain white in the fire. Whiting, lime, alum, and ashes of bones, are alike in this respect; they will continue white when burnt; and therefore, the more there is of them in the bread, the paler will be the crust. There cannot be a more obvious way of discovering the fraud, than by comparing the crust of an honestly made loaf with that of one of the others. |