THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



356 



NORTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



Report of the Judtjea (Mr. L. Fiirniss and Mr. J. J. Rowley) 

 on the farms which competed for premiums iu October 

 last : — 

 "111 examining the f«rras contesting for the premiums given 

 by Messrs. Henry Rauseley, J. Dotison, and Wm. Staniforth, 

 the judf;ea liad an agreeable and pleasing, yet difficult duty to 

 perform. They had pleasure in witnessing tlie industrial eiforts 

 to cultivate and improve the soil of a district generally tena- 

 cious »nd frequently hilly; and in a sharp contest, they felt a 

 difficulty in adjudicating according to the exact terms of the 

 premiums offered. Having this difficulty before thera — where 

 the merits of each are so nearly balanced — it seems only rea- 

 sonable and fair that the several competitors should have some 

 mark of distinction to show a degree of merit, so that, if one 

 competitor should win (to use a sporting phrase) by half a 

 neck, the judges might have the privilege of placing the se- 

 cond and third in the rice. For the reasons above stated, we 

 recomnieuded this arrangement to Mr. Rangeley, who gener- 

 oiisl}' consented to give us a discretionary power in awarding 

 his premium of £5 to be equally divided between the several 

 competitors — Mr. John Plant, of Birley ; Mr. William West, 

 of Windy House ; and Mr. Thomas Parker, of Bowshow. 



" AVe commenced the inspection of these farms on Tuesday, 

 the 13th day of October, 1857. There had been a similar in- 

 spection in the previous year, and the system of cropping and 

 general husbandry on these farms having been already de- 

 scribed and published, it does not appear necessary on the pre- 

 eent occasion again to aotice it. But we have ranch pleasure 

 in recording our entire satisfaction in the cultivation of these 

 farms, as adapted to a locale immediately surrounding Sheffield, 

 and not having any analogy to the cultivation of farms situate 

 in a district strictly rnral. Hpnce the difficulty of prescribed 

 rules of husbandry and the laying down of a code and system 

 of cropping, which ought to vary and will vary according to 

 circumstauces and situations. Climate and soils will have 

 their effect ; the quantity of rain falling, the proximity to 

 mountains and towns, all exert an influence on cultivation, and 

 give a wide scope for judgment iu determining the course of 

 husbandry to be followed. We are witnesses to these import- 

 ant elements in the cultivation of land, and hope we may say 

 without vanity that, having had some experience in these 

 matters, we are privileged to make any remark of praiae or 

 censure. Indeed, it may be expected that we should, in our 

 perigrinatious through the district, cast a farmer's eye, with 

 furtive glance, over hedges and acress the stubbles, where grow 

 the stately thistle, the hardy couch grass, and the umbrageous 

 dock — giving unmistakable evidence that in the 19th century 

 these upas trees arc cultivated in the parish of Norton, and at 

 an easy distance from the metropolis of Hallamshire. But the 

 cultivation of these plants is not the rule, it is the exception ; 

 and if there be much to condemn, there is more to commend 

 and applaud. Still they are cultivated ; their seeds are sown 

 by inattention and neglect, and by the ignorance of natural 

 laws bearing on good husbandry. In truth, the growth of 

 these plants on the farm may be aptly stated as a disease of 

 the skin, which, as in men and animals, affects the whole body 

 corporate ; the best remedy for which is cleanliness, and the 

 application of purgatives, as administered by Dr. Beutall and 

 others celebrated at the present day for tlie cure and eradica- 

 tion of cutaneous poison plants. It is not, however, the plants 

 which are grown, to which we desire to call attention ; it is 

 the plants which are not grown, but which ought to be grown. 

 There is a similarity in leafy appearance between the dock and 

 the mangold. In the language of the ancient writer, we 

 'cleave trj one, and despise the other.' The conch grasses and 

 Italian grasses are similar in genera, but their effects are dissi- 

 milar and wide as the piles asunder. Like homceopathic 

 treatment, as propounded by Dr. Hahnemann, a very small dose 

 of couch grass will drive out Italian grass, and establish a 

 cutaneous disease, that we imagine will run speedily over a 

 hedne, across a turnpike road, or even a canal ; such are its 

 powers of contagion, or infection, or both. The thittles may 

 be a stately plant — it is a Scottish emblem —but to our potipn,, 



we aay, as appointed judges, it is the monkshood of Norton 

 husbandry. And we do most earnestly recommend the club 

 to abandon the growth of these exhausting plants, and substi- 

 tute instead some of the genus colewort, such as the branching 

 rape, the Scotch kale, and last but not least, the cow cabbage. 

 We admire the plants we have mentioned, but we saw few 

 or none. Some attempts to grow them were visildo, but like 

 ' angeh' visits,' they were ' few and far betweeu.' Fro;n Windy 

 House to the Lees, from Birley to Bowshaw, these useful es- 

 culents were rare, and might really be looked on as exotics, 

 and supposed to require a glass-house to grow them. No such 

 thing ; we tell you that, like the daisy, they blossom anywhere 

 and everywhere, We tell yon, wherever the dock will grow, 

 so will the mangold; and it is a great fact that the rape and 

 the thistb will grow on the same soil, but not at the same 

 time and place. If farmers wish to grow thistles, they ought 

 to be in rotation ; and part of the course of husbandry pur- 

 sued on the farm, and not at the same time and place as other 

 root crops or legumes. Thistles and docks might be grown iu 

 alternate rows with mangolds or colewort ; but we do not recom- 

 mend it ; and unless it could be proved that this course would 

 suit the balance sheet when stock is tilien, we advise the club 

 not to patronise or follow it. Still, it is followed; and it may 

 be gathered from these remarks, that in the inspection of the 

 farms contesting for the prizes offered by the Norton Club 

 and its members, we complain that these beef and mutton 

 producing plants receive but little or no attention in the dis- 

 trict. They are to the farmer ' the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin 

 of the school-boy.' But when unders'ood and cultivated, they 

 are the classical as well as the practical and useful in husban- 

 dry. We have digressed, and must now leave the grumbling, 

 to'notice other things more agreeable in our report. 



'■In class 36, where the premiums sue given by Messrs. 

 Dodson and Stauiforth, for the best cultivated farms under 60 

 acres, we found three competitors— Mr. Hutton, of Ridgeway; 

 Mr. Joseph Wragg, of Norton Lees ; and Mr. George Rogers, 

 of Lightwood. These farms, considering the limited time we 

 had at our disposal, were carefully inspected, with a view to do 

 justice to the gentlemen who had generously offered the pre- 

 miums. 



" On inspection of Mr. Hutton's farm of 28 acres, we found 

 the land in a good state of cultivation ; the farmery well ar- 

 ranged and in good order ; the whole of a character creditable 

 to the occupier. 



" Next in succession in this class of farms we visited Mr. J. 

 Wragg's farm, of Nortnn Lees, consisting of 32^ acres. Judg- 

 ing from the produce of this farm, the crops must have been 

 very good; the root crops exceedin^'ly clean and well ar- 

 ranged, having been liighly manured, as evidence by the 

 weight of the crops. T!ic whole of the land on this farm is in 

 a high state of cultivation, the fences in a very creditable con- 

 dition, and present a neat appearance ; stock numerous and 

 good; farming premises very orderly, and every department of 

 the farm showing evident signs of presevering industry. 



" Mr. George Rogers' farm, at Lightwood, consisting of 30 

 acres (20 occupied since March, 1856). Ou inspection of this 

 farm we were very much pleased with the substantial character 

 of the improvements effected by the occupier iu so short a time. 

 A considerable sum must have been expended. 15 acres ef- 

 fectually drained with pipe, tile, and stone. Depth of drain. 

 30 to 33 inches, five yards apart. A considerable length of 

 old, neglected hedges plashed, the sides grubbed close up to 

 the fence. The root crops highly creditable, being very good 

 aud well arranged ; additional Imildings put up at the farmery ; 

 the house renovated and much improved ; new gates intro- 

 duced The whole of the operations carried out in a most de- 

 termined and skilful manner. Having seen this farm when 

 first entered on by its present occupant, it being then in a most 

 dilapidated condition, great praise is due to Mr. Rogers for the 

 many and great improvements made iii so short a time. 



" To conclude, we can only add one remark, and that will 

 apply to all the farms in this class. We saw proofs of good 

 husbandry, neatneas, aud cleauUness throughout. Capital and 



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