Carlisle Journal, 04 Nov 1815 - Natural History
Petra Mitchinson
Saturday 04 Nov 1815 (p. 4, col. 5)
NOTICES IN NATURAL HISTORY.
Mr. Robert BARNES, of Sebergham-hall, Cumberland, has a duck now laying. One of the eggs contained an entire potatoe-crab, with the fibre attached, projecting a little through the shell; and on the crab being plucked out, it appeared both in colour and consistency, to be perfectly in its natural state.—The egg, in other respects, was exactly like the rest.
A few days ago, a silver-white hare was ****d by A. J. STOKE, Esq. at Milford.
William CARTNER, Field-head, parish of Hesket-in-the-Forest, Cumberland, a few days ago dug up a potatoe of the species of Scots Grey, which weighed 3lb. 8½oz.; and another of the Calico, or Highland Early, weighing 2lb. 9oz.
A potatoe was last week taken from a field on the farm at Langrig, on the estate of John CARRUTHERS, Esq. of Denbie, the weight of which (after being washed clean and dried) amounted to 4 pounds 2 ounces: its length is 10 inches, and its greatest girth, without following the irregularities of its figure, is two feet four inches. This remarkable potatoe was raised without dung, on a lea field, the soil of which was so extremely rough and ill broken, that it was not thought expedient either to plow or hoe it after the c** was set. Many other potatoes were found in this field of nearly equal dimensions.
There was raised, this season, in an open field on the land of West Nunholm, near Dumfries, belonging to Mr. William HENDERSON, two common white potatoes, growing at one stem , which weighed together 5lb. 1oz. The largest weighed 2lb. 15½oz.
A carrot, of extraordinary dimensions, was lately raised in the garden of the Rev. John MORGAN, of Graitney, which did not attract the notice of the family till after it was cleaned for the pot. In this state it was put into a scale, and its weight ascertained to be fifty-six ounces.—Add to that the weight of the shaw, which amounted to * ounces, and it appears that the whole carrot did not weigh less than five pounds!
Lately was plucked in a field belonging to Mr. Thomas HOLLIDAY, of Fangs, in the parish of Loweswater, Cumberland, nine strong stems, the produce of a single grain of oats, averaging 113 grains each; making the astonishing number of 1017 grains.
An onion grown at Jesmond, this season, measured 14 inches in circumference, and weighed 15½oz.