500 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



expected that much more time can be allowed for each trial 

 at'Cheater. But whether a quarter or ha!f-ati-hour, I consi- 

 der that eacJi mncUue should be run for the same space of 

 time; instead of thrashing a certain fixed uiimber of sheaves, 

 so that at Carlisle one machiae ran 22 minntea, while another 

 was only 11 minutes doing the same work. The clear or 

 choking condition of shaker and riddles is often apparent 

 only after a certain period has elapsed in working ; heuce 

 let the time be the same for all the machines, and 

 the sheaves counted to the feeder. The quantity of corn 

 thrashed, and the efficiency of the finishing dressing, should 

 be ascertained by weighing off the several bags as they fill, 

 which may be readily done. Inspection will suffice for deter- 

 mining the amount of corn left uuthrashed in the straw, the 

 corn carried over the shaker instead of dropping through, the 

 state of the ttraw, the couditiou o( the grain as to splitting, 

 nibbing, &c ; but for detecting the preseuce of corn among 

 the chaflugs and ehaft', these products oiujlit to he put through 

 a common dresslwj machine or chuff-screen, worked by hand. 

 I believe that dressing all, or a certain quantity of, thechsfings 

 end chaff separately in this way, would reveal a great, though 

 unsuspected, waste of corn by most thrashing-machines ; and 

 the precise proportion of this loss would be at once ascertained. 



when little or uoue might be appaicnt to mere inspectiou of 

 the refuse from the riddles and vcinnower. 



Numbers may be employed to denote the ccmparativc de- 

 grees of efficiency in the several operations perfortC;ed, pro- 

 vided they are not taken in the aggregate as ijidicaiiug the 

 general effectiveness of the machines. 



In the two last cobimua of the table are given the state of 

 the shaker and the stale of the riddles v, hen the trial is con- 

 cluded — very iii'.portaut points ; for in few machines can be 

 found a shaker or riddle incapable of choking with straws and 

 short refuse : though, nevertheless, effective shaking, coldermg, 

 and chaffing throughout a heavy day's work depend entirely 

 upon the ability of the riddles and shaker to maintain their 

 apertures clear and open. 



The above suggestions are offered in no spirit of dictation, 

 but simply with a desire to facilitate the labour of the judges ; 

 while at the same time securing a scrutiny and record of de- 

 tails useful to the pub.ic. 



I beg to subscribe myself, gentlemen, 



Yours respectfully, 

 John Algernon Clarke. 



Long Sictton, Lincolnshire, 

 MaySrd, 1858. 



THE VETERINARY COLLEGE IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE. 



The alliance, continual communication, or mutual 

 dependence of one on the other, between Agriculture 

 and the Veterinary Art, is even now by no means as 

 close as it should be. It is not, indeed, so very long- 

 since, that the passed man from the College devoted 

 himself almost entirely to the better sorts of horseflesh, 

 ■while "the cow-doctor" still claimed nearly all the 

 practice on the farm. It would be hard to say who is 

 to blame here. In the earlier history of the College the 

 aid of the veterinarian was of course not everywhere 

 obtainable ; and there are yet many districts where he 

 is scarcely within hail. Farmers had so to put up with 

 the best advice they could command at home, and the 

 old village-farrier continued to kill with impunity. 

 But times have altered with us in more ways than one. 

 Year after year there are more and more qualified prac- 

 titioners sent forth, and pari passu the value of our differ- 

 ent kinds of stock has as certainly increased. The 

 health of a Shorthorn heifer may be quite as important 

 a matter as that of a four-year-old hunter, and a 

 Southdown ram as well worth attending to as a half- 

 bred stallion. The registered "V. S., then, should be 

 brought to consider the diseases of cattle as one of the 

 most prominent points of his profession. 



We shall most likely be assured that he does do so. 

 We repeat, however, that the communication between 

 the farm and the college is not so direct or habitual as 

 the proper interests of either should make it. The 

 Royal Agricultural Society has, to be sure, done every- 

 thing it can to improve on this acquaintance, but with 

 no very lasting effect. Every now and then Professor 

 Simonds will give us a lecture, or a peculiar ease will 

 turn up which creates a temporary impression. Ho- 

 nestly, even this is, more often than not, a volunteer 

 offering on the part of science, rather than in answer 

 to any application from the farmer himself. As we 

 have had occasion to say before now, the members of 

 the Society are but too indifferent to the privileges they 

 command in connection with the Veterinary College. 



There ha^ been lately rather a striking example 

 of this. The London Farmers' Club called a 

 discussion on the diseases of lambs. Despite the 

 number of sheep fairs being held about the same time, 

 some very good men answered the summons. They 

 came, however, all with the same object — to learn. The 

 very gentleman who read the opening paper could do 

 liltle more than complain of his losses, and lament the 

 curious character of the disorder. Mr. Marshall's 

 speech was but the key-note to what followed. The 

 meeting was palpably at sea as to suggesting a remedy ; 

 and one looks in vain for any resolution to that effect. 

 The only preventive Mr. PauU had been able to find 

 was to change the lambs on pastures fed by beasts 

 the previous year. This had sometimes produced 

 effect, but still he had been a great sufferer. 

 Captain Davy removed his lambs to the after-grass, 

 but had suffered very much from the malady. Mr. 

 Owen Wallis attributed the evil to over-stocking, 

 Mr. Little knew nothing of the disease in question. Mr. 

 Williams said the diseases of sheep appeared beyond 

 the aid of the veterinary surgeon. Mr. King had been 

 advised to allow his flock of lambs to run over two or 

 three fields of wheat, and the result was that he lost 

 more lambs in this way than when they were shut in. 

 Mr. James thought that where there was a couple of 

 lambs there was more disease and mortality than with 

 a single one. And Mr. Owen, the chairman, fancied 

 the state of the blood had a great deal to do with the 

 kind of disorder in his lambs. 



Now in the whole of this discussion the opinion of 

 but one veterinary surgeon was quoted. This was by 

 Mr. Marshall, who gave a report from Mr. Jekyll of 

 the post mortem examination of some lambs that had 

 died of consumption. It is satisfactory to know, as we 

 do, that the gentleman so called in is of recognised 

 ability in his profession. He speaks to the tlu'cad-likc 

 worms found in the lambs j but unfortunately his 

 research would seem, so far at least, fo justify Mr 



