THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



343 



TO THE COUNCIL OF THE ROYAL 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Gentlemen, — We, the undersigned exhibitors of steam- 

 ploughs at Salisbury, are of opinion that the trial of those 

 machiues at that meeting was of an unsatisfactory character, 

 and not such as was calculated to develope their merits, but 

 rather, by putting them into exceptional circumstauces, to 

 injure them in the eyes of the public, and was not consistent 

 with the importance of the subject, or a fair return for the 

 large outlay incurred by us in exhibiting them there. 



As the third offer of the Society's premium has again brought 

 the 8ul)ject under our notice, and as we cannot but think that 

 the withdrawal of those schemes at present most prominently 

 before the public from competition would be prejudicial to the 

 progress of the invention, and would greatly detract from the 

 interest of the Society's meeting at Chester, we would respect- 

 fully request that the Council would consider whether such 

 terms and conditions of trial could be arranged and published 

 previous to the day of entry as would enable those intending 

 to exhibit to judge of tlie advisability of their incurring the 

 heavy expenses necessary to such a competition. 



As we observe ^that the judges, in their report of the trial at 

 Salisbury, express tiie opiniou that " the wording of the pre- 

 mium can never justify a judge in giving a prize whilst a 

 plough is used," it ia, we think, essential that it should be 

 clearly stated whether any or all those plans which we repre- 

 sent are excluded by the wording of the offer of the premium 

 from competition. 



We would also suggest that to ensure such a trial of these 

 machines as the importance of the subject deserves, a much 

 longer time is necessary thau can be given during the show 

 week by judges who have a great many other diities to atteud 

 to, and that it would be of great importance that the judges 

 of this department should have their whole time at their dis- 

 posal for this subject, as no fair comparison with horse labour 

 can be instituted except by lengthened trial. 



The length of time tliat elapses before the publication of 

 the judge's report and the adjudication of the prize also exer- 

 cises a very prejudicial effect on the business to be done at the 

 meeting. So much so, that, in our opinion, a machine known 

 not to be competing for the premium, stands a better chance 

 of obtaining orders on its own merits than one upon which a 

 report is expected in a few mouths, and for which the public 

 are likely to wait. 



As, in the opinion of the editor of your report on Salisbury 

 k meeting, no adjudication need necessarily take place for some 



years to come, we would submit that there is not much in- 

 ducement held out to us at present to compete at the next 

 meeting. •• 



If the Society would conclude not to oflfer the prize, but to 

 expend a portion of the sum offered in a careful investigation 

 of the individual merits of each machine, to be published in a 

 report previous to the meeting, we should hail such a result 

 with pleasure ; but failing this, we would very respectfully 

 request : 



1st. That an explanation be given of the wording of the 

 prize. 



2ud. That arrangements be made for an extended and care- 

 ful trial, aud au immediate publication of the report of the 

 judj^es. 



3rd. That the adjudication of the prize should be fixed to 

 take place, if possible, at a special council meeting during the 

 week of the show, or at latest at the meeting of the council in 

 August. 



CoLLiNSON Hali/, Sen, Priuccsgate, 



Navestock, Essex, 

 John Fowler, Jun., 28, Cornhill, London. 

 Charles Burrell, Thetford. 

 John A. Williams, Baydon. 



INFLUENCE OF EDUCATION UPON THE 

 CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL. 



Sir, — What sculpture is to a block of marble, education 

 is to the human iniod ; the figure lies hidden iu the stone, aud 

 the sculptor finds it : out of the rough stone he cuts a hand- 

 some figure. Education to the British farmer is a great 

 accomplishment, useful, profitable, and ornamental; it teaches 



him how to calculate and to think for himself how he is to get 

 his land the best cultivated at the least expense, and to know 

 the value of labour upon a farm ; nay, what ought to be per- 

 formed by a certain number of men, horses, and oxen, in a 

 given time. The more you educate the farmers the better the 

 soil in England will be cultivated. Education leads a farmer 

 to make hot land colder, cold land hotter, light land stiffer, 

 aud stiff land lighter; as in the Lincolnshire peat or fen land, 

 for instance, where they mix the peat with clay, to make the 

 peat stiffer. Education has brought forward all the new agri- 

 cultural machinery, which has struck every enlightened farmer 

 with admiration, and amazement to think what will follow. 

 Half a century back a vast number of farmers required more 

 cultivation than their ill-farmed lands, many of which grew 

 more weeds than corn ; nay, their laud was half ploughed, 

 half manured, and half cleaned in the weeding season. A nig- 

 gard iu labour is always a bad farmer. For the want of educa- 

 tion agricultural chemistry is so little known amongst farmers, 

 that many are greatly imposed upon by adulterated artificial 

 manures. A more extensive acquaintance with the valuable 

 articles which so frequently appear in the leading agricultural 

 journals would enable every farmer to combine " science with 

 practice." 



Mill Field, Pelerhoroiigh, Feb. 3. Saml. Arnsbv. 



OXFORD FARMERS' CLUB. 



The Monthly Meeting of this Club was held on Wednesday, 

 March 10, in the Committee Room at the Star Hotel, when 

 about fifty members were present. 



The President (Mr. W. Thomson, of Culhaia) occupied the 

 chair, and was assisted by the Vice-President (Mr. James 

 Walker), of Begbroke Hil). 



drill V, broadcast. 



Mr. James Williams, of Northcourt, expressed his regret 

 that he should hnve disappointed the members in not bringing 

 forward hia subject at the last meeting, but at that time he 

 was confined to the house, and could not attend ; he thought, 

 therefore, that the best apology he could make was to intro- 

 duce it at this meeting. His attention had been drawn to the 

 subject of depositing the seed of corn crops in the land in con- 

 sequence of an article in the Mark-lane Express, in which the 

 writer condemned the drill system, and advocated sowing 

 broadcast. He (Mr. Williams) had used the drill for many 

 years, and was satisfied that it wai the best mode of de- 

 positing the seed-corn iu the land ; but, as others might differ 

 with him upon that point, he was desirous of eliciting the 

 opiniou of this Club upon it. Mr. Williams then noticed the 

 difference between the cereal and the leguminous crops, and 

 showed the analogy which exists between the animal and 

 vegetable creation. He then traced the history of the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil, and the modes adopted for depositing the seed 

 in the laud, from the time of the Goths down to the period of 

 Oliver Cromwell, who laid the foundation of a different state 

 of things, aad when artificial grasses and turnips were intro- 

 duced. He then noticed the system introduced by Jethro 

 Tull, aud the success which had attended it. Mr. Williams 

 then entered iuto a variety of details explanatqry of the modes 

 of sowing broadcast, drilling, and dibbling, and said that he 

 could ccme to no other conclusion than " That, as a general 

 rule, the best mode of depositing the seed of corn crops in the 

 land was by the use of the Suffolk drill," which he moved as 

 a resolution.. 



Mr. John Price, of Glympton, seconded the resolution. 



Mr. Wing concurred with the resolution, with some quali- 

 fication. 



Mr. Watson spoke in favour of the drill system. 



Mr. J. P. Field agreed, on the whole, with Mr. Williams, 

 but considered that iu hilly districts the drill could not be 

 applied, and that dibbling by Newberry's drill, a very valuable 

 implement, was preferable. 



Mr. MiDDLETON preferred beans put in by hand to the 

 drill, and said that, as a general principle, the Suffolk drill was 

 the beat, but not as a universal one. 



Mr. CoGGiNS spoke iu favour of the drill over broadcast. 



After a few remarks from Mr. Osborn and the President, 



Mr. Williams replied upon the whole question, aud hii 

 resolution was then carried unanimously. 



The discussion occupied some hours 



