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The Country Gentleman s Magazine 



ul valleys ; and some of the slopes rising on 

 their sides are not much inferior. Some of 

 the hilly lands, particularly on the Silurian 

 formation, are clothed with grass of superior 

 quality; and on the mountain limestone the 

 herbage, though rather short, is so sweet as to 

 support large and productive dairies. In 

 conclusion, if what I endeavoured to sketch 

 out could be realized, by the larger 

 and best adapted portion of the arable 

 lands of these western counties becoming pro- 

 ductive pasture and meadow, varying on the 

 different farms according to the nature of the 

 soils, and reserving such a portion for tillage 

 as would be required for the management of 

 the farm in the production of roots, corn, straw, 

 and clover, in rotation ; the result must be 

 more numerous and improved herds and 

 flocks, more productive dairies, and a much 

 greater part of the animals reared being sold 

 off fat. I , say herds and flocks improved in 

 size, form, and quality ; for although breed 



does not go in at tiie mouth, as it is sometimes 

 said, no improvement can be efiected or 

 maintained without corresponding improved 

 feelings, protection, and attention, which in 

 effect means the improved cultivation of our 

 grass lands. The stock reared on the farm 

 will always be of the same character as the 

 farm and the farming. I have seen a herd 

 of our native black cattle on a well-managed 

 farm, that for beautiful symmetry and uni- 

 formity throughout, it was a pleasure to look 

 at. And I have also seen on a poor, badly 

 managed farm the same native blacks almost 

 as small and meagre as Shetland cattle. Now 

 that a special interest has at length been 

 raised, for which I believe we are mainly n- 

 debted to Mr Bowen, of Llwyngwair, it would 

 be interesting, and no doubt exceedingly use- 

 ful, if a treatise or essay on the origin, his- 

 tory, and improvement of our native cattle 

 could be procured from a pen qualified for 

 the task. 



DISEASES IN TURNIPS. 



WE publish an article, page 27, on that 

 insidious disease — Finger-and-toe 

 in turnips, from the pen of Mr Murray, 

 Nethermills, in the county of Aberdeen. 

 Mr Murray, having long taken a deep in- 

 terest in this matter, ought to be well ac- 

 quainted with the literature of the subject. 

 It is with astonishment, therefore, we see 

 him writing that " it is remarkable that so 

 little attention is given to this subject by any 

 agricultural society in Scotland, and certainly 

 no premium has been offered, even to the 

 extent of half-a-crown's worth of a bronze 

 medal, for any treatise on the subject." So 

 far from this being the case, up to the end of 

 1865, no fewer than eight articles on Finger- 

 and-toe had appeared in the Trafisaciio?is 

 of the Highland and Agricultural Society. 

 As long ago as 1852, that Society submitted 

 a series of queries to the principal farmers of 

 Scotland, with a view of eHciting all the in- 

 formation that it was possible to obtain on 



the matter, and at the same time gave in- 

 structions to Professors Anderson and Balfour 

 to report thereon. 



The results of the collective information 

 obtained, and from the reports of the learned 

 professors, were briefly and concisely summed 

 up at a meeting of the Banff and Turriff 

 Agricultural Association, more than ten years 

 ago. They were these : — 



1. That the variety of turnips most liable to 

 suffer from this disease is white globes, but that no 

 variety is altogether exempt. 



2. That it prevails most extensively on light 

 gravelly soils, while there is almost no instance of it 

 on heavy clays. 



3. That the treading of land by cartage, or other- 

 wise, especially when wet, increases its virulence. 



4. That the mode of manuring and the variety of 

 manure employed, has no influence either to increase 

 or diminish the evil. 



5. That no precise time can be fixed as that at 

 which it makes its appearance, although it is generally 

 seen after the turnips are thinned. 



6. That the frequent repetition of turnips on the 



