THE FARMEll»S MAGAZINE. 



99 



as lie should wish. He then thoi!Kl»t lie was entitled to receive 

 some conjpeusatioa from the laudlord for his outlay, and he 

 kindly handed bim a cheque on that account. If they could 

 secure such landlords as that, tliey would not require long 

 leases; but if he had died, what would have become of his 

 farm ? for here he had buried, as it were, his property iu the 

 soil. When he took the next farm he began to be a little 

 wiser, and had it upon a lease. He took it u,ion the followin;^ 

 terms — either for seven or fourteen years, to be at his option 

 to leave at the end of seven if he felt inclined. After some 

 further remarks, the speaker proceeded to say that he was very 

 glad to find Mr. Reader had brought forward something on 

 the rab jit system. He thought the farmers of England were 

 very remiss in not coming forward in a body against it — he 

 did not mean against the landlords. He had the honour of 

 introducing the subject at an agricultural meeting some little 

 time since. Sir E. B. Lytton occupying the chair; and he was 

 gratified to hear the tables ring, and the hands clap, when he 

 spoke against the game laws. If, however, Mr. A. was run- 

 niUK with the stream, and Mr. B. was rowing against it, one 

 had better be out of the way altogether (Hear, and laughter)^ 

 He did not say this for the purpose of setting the laudlord and 

 tenant at variance, for he wished them to go on hand in hand; 

 but depend upon it as long as the gamekeeper stood between 

 them, they would never get on (loud applause.) 



After a few observations from Mr. Reader, and others. 

 The Chairman having expressed himself in favour of the 

 long lease system, offered a few remarks on the rabbit system, 

 remarking that it was a subject between laudlord and tenant ; 

 the matter ought to be laid before the landlord, who must be 

 told that the rabbits are a nuisance. It was quite impossible 

 to farm well when they had a lot of these abouj; them. He 

 then proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Reader, for the able 

 manner in which he had brought forward his subject. 



Mr. Fowler said there was one part of the subject he 

 should like to notice, and that was with regard to the vast 

 amount of waste land in certain parts which might be brought 

 into a state of cultivation. It had occurred to him that if they 

 had the advantage of a long lease, trouble might be taken to 

 make it productive. Let them look at the heath-lands, for 

 instance ; but if they had not length of time given them, it 

 was impossible to do anything with it. With regard to the 

 inexhaustible improvements upon their farms, he did think 

 that it would be of great advantage, both to the laud- 

 lord and tenant, if compensation were allowed. He concluded 

 by seconding the proposition of Mr. Damen. 



Mr. Reader, iu returning thanks, referred to what had 

 fallen from Mr. Fowler respecting the cultivation of waste 

 lands, and observed that if, as he had shown them, such a 

 thing could be done iu Scotland under long leases, surely it 

 might be done in this country — for what would apply to Scot- 

 laud, would in some degree appl}^ to England. He thought 

 there was a great deal of waste land in this country that could 

 be made to produce good crops, provided the system of long 

 leases was adopted. He hoped he should live to see a different 

 system iu the holdings of land iu this country than at the 

 present time. He then moved the following resolution : 

 " That this club would strongly recommend to the notice of 

 the landholders and tenants the necessity there exists for im- 

 proving the cultivation of the land, so as to develope its re- 

 sources to its full extent, which cannot be carried out under 

 the present tenure, more especially grass land. They would 

 recommend leases of 21 years, determinable at the end of 14 

 years, bj either party giving two years' notice ; and at the 

 expiration of the term a fair and equitable sum to be paid for 

 unexhausted improvements." 



The resolution having been carried unanimously, the pro- 

 ceedings terminated. 



HADDINGTON AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



The monthly meeting of this Club was held in the George 

 Inn, Haddington, on Friday, Jan. 8, Mr. Samuel Sheriff, Salt- 

 coats, in the chair. There was a large attendance of members ; 

 and, after dinner and the usual loyal toasts, the subject before 

 the meeting was, " Reports by Members of Experiments with 

 Artificial Manures." 



The Chairman said : Gentlemen, we ere met this after- 

 noon to hear " Reports of Experiments with Artificial Ma- 

 nures, by Members of this Club." You will recollect how, last 

 spring, we came to discuss what were the " Best Substitutes 

 for Guano." The continued rise in the price of guano com- 

 pelled us to do this. The results of a few experiments made 

 for this object I have now the pleasure to lay before you. But, 

 gentlemeu, will you beer with me while I introduce the subject 

 by a few observations upon the marked change which has 

 taken place within the last few yearns both in the desire by agri- 

 culturists to give all the information in their power, also in 

 the means of their doing so ? Is it not a startling fact, gentle- 

 men, when we think of it uow, but a few years ago and we 

 had no agricultural newspaper ? All agricultural information 

 was conveyed, and but sparingly, through the medium of the 

 "Agricultural Journal of the Highland Society." Now, through 

 the N. B. AyricuUurkt, we have a weekly record of the agri- 

 cultural practice of Great Britain. What stimulus this gives 

 to practical husbandry ! One great feature of the age we live 

 in is the desire for information ; and this again is met by as 

 great a desire to impart it. Some years ago, I remember 

 (shortly after this Club was formed), we had a serious discus- 

 sion whether our discussions and reports were to be given to 

 the public. Were such a motion to be made now, what would 

 become of it ? It is by this system, and this system alone, 

 that the proper cultivation of tiie soil is to be continued and 

 increased, in order to keep pace with the rapid strides of ad- 

 vance made in every other science. Some very cautious men 

 would argue, it does not do to tell too much. An invention 

 in machinery is patented, and an immediate reward accrues 

 to the inventor. Can you grow 14 bolls of ^fheat or 40 

 toni of turnipa per acre, by following some syatem 



known only to yourself? Do so, and keep your secret. I 

 would compare the mau who would do so " to the servant who 

 hid his talent in the earth." Cultivators of the soil have a 

 heavy responsibility ; besides having their own interests to 

 look after, what countless thousands depend on them for the 

 suhstantial necessaries of life I The more you can make the 

 soil produce the better for the grower, aud the greater the 

 supply the better for the consumer. The only antidote to 

 low-priced grain is to grow more of it, if possible ; or by making 

 an acre of turnips feed two cattle instead of one, you can af- 

 ford to take a cheaper price per stone. Some years ago, when 

 grain was considerably cheaper than at present, this doctrine 

 was both preached and practised successfully. I5ut the means 

 at command were very different. We could procure the finest 

 Peruvian guano at £9 per ton, nitrate of soda at £15, rapedust 

 about £4 lOs. Contrast the present prices of these articles. 

 Why, in guano alone, the farmer using 30 tons, finds an extra 

 charge of £180. Why are these things so? We have it in 

 our power to resist extortion, simply by refusing for a time to 

 use the article. Why have we frequently to take much less of 

 a Friday for our grain ? Just because the buyers refuse to 

 give more. Look at the heavy fall which has taken place of 

 late in the price of almost every marketable commodity — skins 

 and hides especially. All this falls upon the farmer ; and are 

 they going to be so inconsiderate as to give the present high 

 demand for guano ? But this brings me to the subject now at 

 issue. Before laving the results of the experiments before 

 you, let me ask why you try experiments ? Of course, you 

 anticipate the answer, viz., for a two-fold reason— first, to as- 

 certain what is really the most profitable stimulant to apply to 

 vegetation ; and secondly, to detect the weaknesses of the 

 many fertilizers now offered to farmers. There is not a season 

 without something new, and the best ever heard of has not 

 been offered to us. We are asked by some one or other to try 

 his patent improved quintessence of something or other ; you 

 are prevailed upon to try it, and find yourself minus £8 9s. 

 without any benefit — sometimes a loss, because some safer and 

 known stimulant wou d have secured a good crop. 



