434 



THE FARMER'S iMAGAZlNE. 



be considered likely to allord I'lactical information to 

 the English farmer. 

 Adjourned to April 21. 



A Wkekly Councii. was held April 21. Mr. Ray- 

 mond Barker, V.P., in the chair ; the Baron de Fircks, 

 Mr. Caird, iM.P., Mr. Druce, Mr. Foley, M. P., Mr. 

 Fisher Hobbs, Mr. Majendie, Mr. Thomas Scott, and 

 Mr. Burch Western. 



Nitrate of Soua.— Mr. Caird, M.P., Lid before 

 the Council the following correspondence between him- 

 self and the Foreign Office on the occurrence of Nitrate 

 of Soda in South America : — 



" Foreigu Office, March, 27, 1858. 

 "Sir,— With reference to Mr. Hammond's letter to you of 

 the 6th of January last, I am directed by the Earl of Malmea- 

 bury to transmit to you hereuih a copy of a despatch from 

 Mr. Wori^ait, her Mpjesfy's Consul at Bahia, respecting the 

 discovery of deposits of nitrate of FoJa. 



" I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant, 



" Ww. Seymour Fitzgerald." 

 " J. Caird, E-q , M.P." 



(Copy.) " Bahia, February 18, 1858. 



" My Lord, — I have the honour to a'kuowlcdge the receipt 

 of your Lordship's despatch No. 1 of January 7 last, instruct- 

 ing nic to report, after a careful inquiry, on the localities in 

 which nitrate of soda has been found in this province, its state 

 of piirity, the cost of extracting and re6ning it, and the ex- 

 pense of transport to a shippiog port. In reply, I beg to state 

 that ever since the mention made in my commercial report for 

 the year 1856 of the discovery of this important manure in ; 

 this province, I have received undoubted information of its 

 existence in several other localities, and in consequence lost do 

 time in renewing my exertions, with the assistance of a few 

 friends having connections in the interior, to obtain every 

 information possible thereon. The information rccsived from 

 several districts is such as to sitisfy my most sanguine expec- 

 fatioiis, especially in the north-east of this province, in tiie 

 neig.-boiirhood of tlie liver San Francisco, et a place ca'led 

 ' Salitre' — saltpetre (the generic name given to nitrate of soda, 

 the t:sc of which is unknown here). In the words of a most 

 distinguished and talented native of the town of Joazeiro, on 

 the St. Francisco, now cte of the depu'ics of this province to 

 the General Assembly of the Empire, the district of ' Salitre' 

 is only seven leflgucs distajit from the town of Joazeiro, and 

 through a vsUey of sixteen to tweniy leagues long, one mass 

 of nitrate of sola is found ; in some places ou the surface, at 

 others a few feet under; and ontaius suflicicnt manure for 

 exportation for years to come. Ou the opposite side of the 

 above-named river, near the town of ' Pilao-Arcado,' other 



deposits exist in equal quantities. Now the piojecled Bahia 

 raUroid to the town of Joazeiro must pass through the first- 

 named district ; but those magnificent deposits will only 

 become available when that railroad reaches the St. Francisco. 

 In the interest of the company and of commerce, it is ardently 

 to be desired that its works fchould be commenced and prose- 

 cuted with vigour, as the distance is only 240 miles from this 

 city. When I shall have received the replies to the queries I 

 have forwarJe<l to the severil localities, I shall make up a 

 report iherern for your lordship, and transmit at the same 

 time the samples of nitrate I am equally promised. I have, 

 &c. (Signeil ''J. Morgan." 



On the motion of Mr. Fisbcr Hobbs, the thanks of 

 the Council were addressed to Mr. Caird for Ihe favour 

 of this coramuication. 



The following communications were also received : — 

 I. From the Society of Arts, requesting co-operation in 

 obtaining detailed information respecting the supply of 

 Gutta Percha, and its employment in the manufacture of 

 tubing for agricultural purposes. 2. From the Treasurer 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, requesting 

 information on the purchase of Ayrshire cattle. 3. A 

 verbal statement by Baron de Fircks on manuring the 

 black soil of the German provinces of Poland by burn- 

 ing the straw of the flax grown upon it, after the remo- 

 val of the seeds. 4. From Mr. Wright, of Sigglesthorne 

 Hall, a paper on the management of a herd of breeding 

 cattle, with especial reference to the kind of diet, the 

 treatment and condition best calculated to ensure 

 regular fecundity and successful gestation, and on the 

 causes which operate adversely in particular seasons. 5. 

 From the Pott Philip Farming Society in Australia, 

 copies of their Transactions and Prize Sheets. These 

 communications were referred to the Monthly Council 

 and the Journal Committee. 



Mr. Foley, M.P., laid on the table a statement of the 

 great public inconvenience arising from different stand- 

 ards being employed in different districts for the pur- 

 chase and sale of agricultural produce. 



Adjourned to the 28th instant ; when the Council 

 would meet at 12, and Professor Voelckcr deliver a lec- 

 ture before the Members of the Society at half-past 12, 

 " On Agricultural Chemistry, in relation to the cultiva- 

 tion of Root Crops," open to all Members of the 

 Society. 



MANUllES, AND THEIR APPLICATION. 

 a paper read by mr. mitchell, before the members of the penrith farmers' club. 



Dec. 22, 1857. 



Tlie subject uliich I liave been kindly requested 

 to bring uudei- yonr notice today, is one certainly 

 not altogellier of mv own sclcciion. Haditbeeu 

 fco, Lad 1 been left entirely to my own choice, it is 

 more than probable I should have called yout atten- 

 tion to sonic U>\}\c or other of less iinporiancc; less 

 vital iu its eoiisecmcnces 1o our very existence as 

 practical agriculturists ; not that I thiiik the subject 

 unsuilable or unfit for discussion, but from the 



j dread lest it should suU'er damage in the hands of au 

 , unfit expounder. 



! The subject, as announced, "Manures, their 

 I adaptation, ot proper and seasonable application to 

 j the soil," is one, and perhaps I may be allowed to 

 s.ay, the most important of all the subjects to which 

 ouratlentiun as agriculturists can possil)ly be direct- 

 I ed ; because, holding as I do, and that most strongly, 

 I what from the iiicreased and increasing value or 



