THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



93 



Tons cvvt. 



Soil simple produced of swedes .... 17 5 



2 cvvt of guano 21 



3 cvvt. of dissolved bones 22 2 



2 cwt, G stones of dissolved bones 



and sulphate of ammonia, mixed 10 



to 1 18 15 



4 cwt. of rape cake 20 12 



In the second trial, the dung was omitted, but the 

 weigh of the special manures doubled ; in this an 

 acre of land dressed with 



Tons cwt. 



4 cvvt. of guano per acre produced . . 22 10 

 G cvvt. of dissolved bones 20 5 



5 civt. 4 stones of dissolved bones and 

 sulphate of ammonia, mixed 10 to 1 18 



8 cwt. of rape cake 19 10 



The conclusions at which Mr. Dove arrives from 

 his experiments made in 1837, are these; that 

 we need not consider that a supply of guano is 

 absolutely necessary for keeping up the fertility of 

 the soil, as there are other substances by which 

 it can be done equally well, and that it is only a 

 question of relative cost. On turnips, the crop 

 to which by far the largest quantity of artificial 



manure used around Kelso is applied, superphos- 

 phate of lime and sulphate of ammonia are quite 

 equal to it ; on wheat, sulphate of ammonia is 

 greatly superior to it ; on oats, there is not much 

 difference between it and nitrate of soda, and on 

 grass, nitrate of soda is better. And again at the 

 end of the year 1858 he adds that the whole 

 of his experiments made during that season do 

 not show any discrepency with those of the pre- 

 ceding year, but mostly go to support the results 

 then arrived at. They show that should the supply 

 of guano be stopped, we have other manures equal 

 to it in their effect on all the crops usually grown 

 in the country. Such a witness will reassure 

 those timid persons who are apprehensive of 

 serious results to our agriculture, when the sup- 

 ply of the Chincha Islands guano is exhausted ; 

 such may be assured that other nitrogeneous 

 manures will then be produced, new and cheaper 

 modes of producing ammonia emplo5'ed. The 

 demands of mankind have always hitherto been 

 bountifully responded to by the agriculturist and 

 the men of science, who are now fortunately his 

 help-mates ; and never was there so little proba- 

 bility of those requirements being made in vain 

 to these, the best friends of their country, as in 

 the year of grace I860. 



THE HERDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Chap. XIX. 

 MESSRS. BARNES AND CHALONER'S. 



Ireland's Eye stood out bright and clear, as we 

 steamed merrily into Kingstown on the Saturday before 

 the Dublin Show, big with anticipation of at last seeing a 

 whole century of bull-calves in battle array ; but the 

 sunny omen availed us nothing. Wind, rain, sleet, 

 snow, and cold seemed to combine for the next four 

 days, freezing the brain and wetting the note book. We 

 had to wade ankle-deep through gate-ways, and fly 

 wildly for shelter to adjacent trees and sheds, and 

 it was perfect elysium to find ourselves at last 

 under the roof of the Museum, and hearing from 

 the late Tommy Fox, as, in full Connaught costume, 

 he picked some superfluous hairs from the top of Dr. 

 McHale's tail, just for auld acquaintance sake, how he 

 had led the white's dam to victory in that place, and 

 miraculously recovered his best pair of shoes. Gerty, 

 the present master of the ceremonies at Westland, had 

 brought out ''' The Doctor " for us at Dycer's on the day 

 of our arrival, and never was man more justly confidenc 

 of winning the rubber against Sir Colin. His charge 

 had made wonderful progress since he had to bow 

 to the roan of County Wicklow, at Dundalk, and save 

 and except his being a trifle light in the flank, and per- 

 haps not quite so well let down in the twist as he might 

 be, his whole outline is a most remarkable combination 

 of sweetness and level grandeur. In spite of his length 

 the fatal spot behind the shoulders, where such thousands 

 fail, is one of his strongest points, and he moves as well 



on parade as Nunnykirk and Newminster, those re- 

 nowned turf brothers, were wont to do in their canters. 

 He was calved on the eighteenth of April, 1857, and 

 served sixty cows last year, and after fulfilling the con- 

 ditions of the Farmers' Gazette Cuj) and declining the 

 Railway Cup, he was let to Mr. Torr, who passed over 

 British Prince, on behalf of Warlaby, in return. Since 

 then he has been reduced some twenty stone, and is 

 getting the pick of the Aylesby cows, along with his 

 sire, The Monk, Barley Sugar, and Booth Royal. 



A circuitous railway ride of about sixty miles brought 

 us to Kells, and three more on a jaunting car found us 

 at the veritable Irish home of the Booth blood. 

 The farm at Westland consists of 300 acres, and 200 

 acres at Oakley Park, with other land; make up Mr. 

 Barnes's holding to about six hundred. The house, 

 and the situation generally, bear the most remarkable 

 likeness to Killerby, and we could hardly divest our- 

 selves of the idea, that we were in the North Riding, for 

 " a quiet day " once more, within ear-shot of the roar of 

 the Swale, and the sound of the Catterick bell. About 

 150 acres round Westland are laid down in permanent 

 pasture, but still the herd cannot be said to have the ad- 

 vantage of the cream of the xMeath land. It is a fine 

 alluvial soilforroots, and swedes and yellow globe mangels 

 flourish best. In his younger days, Mr. Barnes devoted 

 himself to the breeding of weight-jarrying hunters. 

 Prendergast, by Waxy, and Sir Edward, a grandson of 

 Sir Walter, were the principal sires he used for his three- 

 parts-bred mares ; and Hawk, of his breeding, finished 



