Description of the annexed View.

WE have this month given a view of Hartree, the seat of Col. Alexander Dickson-with the village of Biggar, and the ruins of the castle of Boghall, seen in the distance.

Hartree is a handsome, modern house, built by the present proprietor, who, most usefully to the neighbourhood, has spent much of his life there. It lies close to the site of the old mansion-house of Hartree, which was one of the fortified stations running along the line of mountains that divide the middle country from the borders. We somewhat regret the removal of this old place: for though aware that it. was by no means beautiful, we know that a fine effect must always be produced by a ruin seen among trees; and besides, we have an instinctive veneration for walls that are eight feet thick, not to mention towers, which always with us are inter sacra. These remarks we make with much submission to the worthy Colonel, whose public spirit and urbanity of manners have secured for him a very general respect and regard.

There are, in this neighbourhood, the remains of several encampments, which, if history supported our conjecture, we should imagine to be Danish, from their circular form. The high Iand above Biggar is the traditionary ground on which the English army lay, the night before its defeat by

Wallace, in the battle which bears the name of this place.

The castle of Boghall, once situated in a marsh, and defended by a moat, though now approached on all hands by corn-fields, was anciently the seat of the, noble family of Wigton, and now belongs to that of Elphinstone. It is in a state of rapid decay, which, we are ashamed to understand, was accelerated some years ago by the appropriation of a part of its materials to the erection of a dog-kennel! It is still, however, a ruin of considerable interest; and we would entreat the proprietor to save it, and adorn the spot, by surrounding it with planting. It appears to have been one of the strongest and most extensive fortresses in the south of Scotland.

The town of Biggar, which lies very prettily, has the aspect, at a distance, of an English village. But its connexion with the parent country is fully vindicated on a nearer approach, by numerous objects both of sight and smell, which leave no room to doubt of its true geography. It enjoys every facility, however, for cleanliness; and the people alone are to blame, if it possess a different character.

The church, which was collegiate, and richly endowed, was dedicated to "the blessed Mary of Biggar," and is by no means a contemptible building. Its appearance is considerably injured by the whitewashing of one of the wings. Besides this, the village contains a Relief and Burgher church; the latter under the direction of a man, whose eloquence and learning entitle him to a more important charge.

This whole neighbourhood-fertile in agriculture, yields ample matter for the investigations of the antiquary: but our limits forbid us from entering farther on this extensive field.

On the Processes of Wine-making. By Dr MACCULLOCH, Woolwich. From Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultu

ral Society, No. VI.

A MONG the many important subjects to which the Horticultural Society have directed their attention, there is none which, both in a national and economical point of view, can come into competition with that of Dr Macculloch's Essay. The production, within ourselves, of a commodity which we have so long derived exclusively from abroad, would certainly be a most useful and patriotic achievement. Nor would the convenience be less, of obtaining at a cheaper rate, an article of which fashion has spread so widely the use, and of which the price has become so enormous. There are few, therefore, who will not heartily wish success to the laudable efforts of the writer: nor can we resist the opportunity of employing what means we possess to diffuse more widely the knowledge of his plans.

The object of Dr Macculloch is to reduce to regular principles an operation which has been hitherto a mere mechanical routine - a series of receipts founded upon no principle.

Dr Macculloch begins with analysing the constituent parts of the fruits commonly used for this purpose.

'The constituent parts of the fruits used in the experiments now under

consideration, are malic acid, either in a state of purity, or one of combination with potash (a circumstance not yet perfectly ascertained); vegetable mucilage, or extractive matter; supertartrite of potash; sugar; water; the sweet principle; the colouring principle; tannin; super-oxalite of potash; and the principle of flavour. The proportions of these, vary much in different fruits, and it sometimes happens that one or more of them is entirely absent. In the white currant, for instance, the colouring sub. stance is often deficient, whilst it abounds in the elder-berry and red grape. So the super-oxalat of potash is rarely found; and, on the contrary, those salts to which the tartarous, or malic acid appertain, are more frequent. So likewise, the sugar is much less abundant than the sweet princi. ple, which is indeed the general cause of the sweetness of the greater number of our fruits. The vegetable mucilage is, if any, the only principle whose presence is invariable; and this principle is one of the most essential in the fabrication of a vinous liquor, as we shall see hereafter. The main diversities of character, in the products of the various fruits, is owing to the varying proportions of the several ingredients which they contain. It is true, that difference of management may produce different effects; but no contrivance can give to the gooseberry the constituent elements of the grape, nor can any mode of procedure extract the flavour of champaigne from the juice of gooseberries, although many, who have not been much accustomed to the flavour of the foreign wine, have been deceived by that made from our humble fruit.

' Among the principles enumerated, tartar, water, sugar, the sweet principle, and the vegetable extract or mucilage, are the most essential in the conversion of fruits into wine. Colour and flavour may be considered as

adventitious; and the principles which yield them are in nowise essential to the process of wine-making. The effect produced by the super-oxalite of potash is unknown, as it has not been the subject of experiment.'

Tartar is considered as one of the objects most essential to fermentation, and as one the presence of which most strongly distinguishes the grape from other species of fruits. Dr M. has found the best effects from mixing Tartar with those native fruits from which wine is usually made.

The malic acid abounds. in all our native fruits, and its presence is considered as one of the most irremediable obstacles to the forming of these into perfect wines.

Sugar is the most essential of all the ingredients, since it is upon it that the strength of the liquor depends.Our fruits are eminently deficient in it-but this is a defect which can easily be remedied, by adding the produce of the sugar-cane.

Vegetable extract is supposed to be the leaven upon whose action the process of fermentation depends; or that by which the sugar is rendered capable of undergoing this process. It is therefore the ingredient for the production of which fruit is indispensable. Colour and astringency are not essentials of wine, and may easily be supplied by artificial means.

Flavour is a principle so uncertain and fugacious, that it is difficult to establish any general principles respecting it. When the fermentation is perfect, the original flavour of the fruit is entirely obliterated. The only mode of communicating this principle is to throw in some portion towards the close of the fermentation.

Dr Macculloch observes, that the quality of the wine depends most essentially upon the proportions between the leaven and the sugar. If the former is deficient, a part of the sugar will remain unchanged, and sweet

wine will be produced. If, on the contrary, the leaven is in excess, the fermentation will be too great, and vinegar will be the result. Imperfect fermentation and consequent sweetness is the defect to which British wines are most liable. This can only be remedied by some mode of increasing the leaven. Dr M., however, deprecates the use of the yeast of beer, which communicates a bad flavour. If any leaven is necessary, it should be drawn from the lees of foreign wine, or from the fermentation of former parcels of domestic wine. The parpose, however, may be sufficiently answered by agitating it in the manner which is called breaking the head, thereby re-exciting the languid fermentation.

Besides sugar and leaven, tartar appears to form an important principle; and one of the greatest defects in domestic wines arises from no attempt having ever been made to supply it. The wine of the grape seems saturated with tartar, so that no precise limit seems assignable to its use.

Dr Macculloch has taken a very extensive survey of all the fruits used in this country for the purpose of making wine, with a view to ascertain their respective merits; and as this is so universally interesting a subject, we shall endeavour to give it in his own words:

'The fruits chiefly in use are the quince, cherry, strawberry, sloe, elder-berry, damson, mulberry, black or bramble berry, raspberry, orange, lemon, gooseberry, and the three varieties of currant. Dried raisins, although not ranking among our fruits, are extensively used, and require also to be noticed.

'A wantonness of experiment seems to have, in some measure, led to this great and superfluous number of articles as the nominal bases of wines, although the practices have also been, in a great degree, founded on falsé