wheat may be sown this month, although the general wheat sowing rarely takes place before October.

In this short summary of agricultural operations throughout the year, although much is omitted, and what is given is necessarily very brief and imperfect; it is yet hoped that the farmer may find something that is useful, and that will serve to remind him, generally, of the work to be performed at each season.

DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS.

We will now direct attention to some of the domestic and household arrangements, which more immediately concern the personal comfort and convenience of yourselves and families.

ON HEALTH.

The possession of health, is one of the greatest blesssings that can be bestowed upon man, whatever be his rank or station in life; and to you it is so essential, that your very existence depends upon it. Without health, you will be unable to pursue your labour, or obtain the means of supporting yourselves and your families. You cannot, therefore, be too careful to preserve it as far as possible unimpaired.

Under ordinary circumstances, the preservation of your health will depend upon your own habits, your food, your clothing, and habitations. Each of these will be separately remarked upon hereafter; and we will now only offer a few general recommendations, by attending to which you will, it may be hoped, escape the visitation of sickness; whilst by neglecting them, you will too probably be the sufferers sooner or later.

In the first place, we would recommend the avoidance of every excess, whether in eating, or in drinking. The appetite satisfied, anything beyond what is necessary for that purpose, is injurious; and numerous diseases

spring from excess in this respect. In case of any illness, which will not yield to the application, in the first instance, of such simple remedies as are within every person's reach; it is always safest, and in the end the best economy, to seek the aid of a competent medical adviser, whose directions should be strictly adhered to. This applies no less to your wives and children, than to yourselves.

Prevention is, however, always better than cure; and as much illness may certainly be prevented by avoiding excess in eating and in drinking, so may it often also be avoided by due care with respect to your clothing. Nothing is more likely to occasion chill, and produce fever, than wet clothes. Whilst working, or taking violent exercise, the body is generally enabled to resist the effect of wet garments; but to sit or lie down in wet or damp clothes, is almost certain to produce cold, and most likely fever, rheumatism, or other serious ailments. You should therefore endeavour to be always provided with a change of clothing, so as to have dry garments to put on, in case of your getting wet. Wet clothes, and particularly wet feet, are the cause of many severe illnesses.

With respect to your habitations, you might generally do much for increasing their comfort and convenience, as well as for rendering them more healthful. You should carefully avoid having any staguant pools about your dwellings. The exhalations from these and from dungheaps, and collections of vegetable and other matter in progress of putrefaction, are at all times pernicious, especially in hot weather, inducing fever and other illness. The ground immediately round your cottage, should be kept as dry as possible; and the manure and offal of every kind should be removed to such a distance, that no offensive exhalation may reach your dwelling.

The interior of the house is the wife's peculiar province, and her character and estimation, not only with her husband but with her neighbours likewise, will mainly depend upon its order and neatness; and when it is remembered that the comfort and health of her family will also greatly depend upon her activity and good management in this respect, no other incentive

can be required to stimulate her to the careful and active performance of her duty.

The rooms, however small, should be kept dry and clean in every part, and the walls be white-washed as often as they require it. No wet clothes should be permitted to hang in the room you inhabit. The floors should be swept, and the dirt and rubbish of every kind removed to the dung-pit. Pigs and poultry should not be admitted into human dwellings, but have suitable places separately provided for them.

Care should be taken to have the rooms duly ventilated, and especially in the morning, when the doors and windows should be opened, and the fresh air freely admitted. In case of illness, particularly fever, this is of the greatest importance; for without such precaution, infectious fever is sure to spread, and attack every one within its reach. Be assured that you cannot too carefully attend to the cleanliness and ventilation of your dwellings, as a means of preventing the occurrence of illness, and of lessening its ravages, in case it should unhappily break out among you.

On personal cleanliness, your comfort will in a great measure depend, and even your success in life will be considerably influenced by its observance; for where there is an habitual want of cleanliness in any family, it is certain that the indolent, reckless, slatternly habits in which it originates, will influence every family arrangement; whilst the same attention, activity, right judgment and forethought, which produce cleanliness and good order in a dwelling, will assuredly extend to other matters.

The habits of intoxication, which, heretofore, too generally prevailed in this country, scarcely admitted of the necessary attention to the points above adverted to: but the change which has lately taken place, and is still in progress in this respect, affords the prospect of a corresponding improvement in the general habits, and physical condition of the people: and the means which were heretofore misapplied in procuring indulgence in intoxicating liquors, will now, it may be hoped, be appropriated to obtaining additional comforts for themselves and families.

FOOD.

Food is the prime necessary of life, our existence depending upon its supply; and we ought therefore to direct our attention to the best and most suitable kinds, as well as to the most convenient and economical modes of providing it. Without becoming slaves to our appetites, we should endeavour to obtain food pleasing to the palate, as well as nutritious; for many diseases arise from weakness of the stomach, which may be produced by a want of variety of food, or of food sufficiently stimulating.

The cottager's diet will consist chiefly of milk, oatmeal, potatoes, and other vegetables. In naming these staple articles of food, it must, however, be remembered, that there are many additions and changes which it will be in your power to make, to render them both agreeable and salutary. Fish, when within your reach, forms a valuable addition, whilst eggs, butter, honey, cheese, and bacon, may, by care, be had occasionally, in moderate quantities, by every one who has a bit of land in cultivation. Nor should the produce of the garden be forgotten; for supposing that oatmeal and potatoes cannot always be obtained in sufficient quantity for the maintenance of a whole family, the produce of the garden, and an economical use of what else can be obtained, will in general make up for the deficiency.

Many an excellent meal, for instance, might be prepared from cabbages, boiled and chopped small, sprinkled over with salt and pepper, with the addition of a handful of meal, or a slice of bacon-and the entire cost in money of such a meal for a whole family, would not exceed two pence at the utmost; namely, meal, d., pepper and salt, d., quarter of a pound of bacon, if cured at home, not more than 1d.-cabbages from your own garden, water from your own well, and fuel from the bog. Onions and garlic are of great value in cottage cookery, and the Welsh and Spanish people, who consume large quantities of both, are remarkable for their robust and healthy appearance.

Without entering into minute details, it may be mentioned, that oatmeal used as a gruel or porridge, is

more nourishing, and more economical, than when baked into cakes; and that salt, onions, chives or parsley, and a little black pepper, with your potatoes or cabbages when mashed, not only give a relish, but prevent flatulency, and those diseases arising from the too great use of vegetable diet; whilst grease, butter, and the fattest parts of bacon, should be reserved for laying over potato puddings, toasted before the fire, and frying watery kinds of fish eaten fresh, which, if simply boiled, are less nourishing.

A

Meat used cold, is less economical than when eaten hot; and if made into broth or soup, goes twice as far, and proves more nourishing, than if roasted, baked, or boiled. All broths, stews, and hashes of meat, mixed with vegetables, and flavoured with parsley, chives and onions, salt and pepper, are better and cheaper, and more comfortable for the working man, than plain meat. single ox head, which may often be got for a shilling, with a small quantity of meal, groats, or barley, and a few onions, cabbage sprouts, sliced turnips, or any kind of vegetable, will make twenty quarts of good broth. If your fish be salt, rather make it into a pudding, chopped small, and mixed with potatoes, onions or chives, and pepper, then eat it simply boiled; or if a little lard or butter, or any kind of grease, can be spared, and mixed up with it, and it is then placed before the fire till browned on the outside, you will find it much improved. When cod or other white fish is eaten fresh, it should be well cleaned and trimmed, then cut in pieces and put into the pot, and covered with water, some potatoes scraped or peeled should be added, with a little parsley, and chives or onions, chopped small, with pepper and salt; and whilst boiling, the liquor should be skimmed carefully, so that it may be quite clean. This makes an excellent soup, whereas if the fish were simply boiled, half the dish would be lost.

In whatever mode your victuals are prepared, let the utmost attention be paid to cleanliness. Without it, the best food will be rendered unwholesome. The mother or mistress of a family, ought to be aware of the necessity for an abundant use of water, in cleansing the dishes and cooking utensils, on which she cannot bestow