THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



499 



damp, and were not fortunate enough to have a kiln to 

 dry it in, they wanted bome suggestion to tell thcni 

 what to do. He had felt very greatly interested in 

 this subject, and a short time since ho thought of going 

 to Mr. Wakley and his friends in order to get some in- 

 formation on this subject ; for, if they remembered, 

 that gentleman had written some letters to the Times 

 relating to this important matter. When he (Mr. 

 Barling) went to them, they informed him that the evils 

 were past alteration or redemption. After this he went 

 to East Cheap, to a Mr. Savage, who was a clever 

 practical man, but he was not at all willing to engage 

 in any commercial transaction. He, however, sent 

 Mr. Barling to several others of the same kind as him- 

 self, and he spent a whole day amongst them. He 

 afterwards came to the conclusion that their case was 

 quite hopele-s. The plan those engineers offered was 

 to thrash the corn in some small machine and dry it 

 by a system of hot air, so that the air should be driven 

 through the small machine, and so dry the corn after it 

 had been thrashed. He told the engineers that they 

 could hardly conceive the bulk they would have to 

 operate upon, for he could see a thousand waggon 

 loads of corn in his locality, the greater part of which 

 he thought never would be thrashed. He therefore 

 asked them, could they operate upon it in a bulk? 

 They replied that the case was hopeless. He thought 

 whether it might be successfully operated upon in the 

 straw ; and the only scheme he could hit on was that 

 they should build a round stack at one of the largest 

 ends of tlieir barns, with a hollow well in the middle of 

 it, and let it extend nearly to the roof; then bethought 

 they could apply hot air with great force, and thus 

 drive the moisture from the 'middle to the outside. 

 Perhaps the club was not aware of the extraordinary 

 machine they had in London for these matters ; it was 

 a patented machine — a large fan — and the one he saw 

 was equal to force ten thousand cubic feet in a minute 

 with suitable mechanical power. If this could be 

 adopted the difficulties attending a wet season like the 

 past would in a measure be obviated ; the corn would 

 be considerably improved ; they could thrash it, and it 

 would then bo rendered fit for market. The expense 

 of such a machine was about £100, which of course 

 would bo rather a serious consideration for one person, 

 and more than he would like to lay out in an experi- 

 ment. However, it would be a fair speculation, and if 

 successful a person might gain a good deal by keeping 

 one to let on hire on the principle of a steam thrashing 

 machine. But it would only be useful for such wet 

 seasons as the past, when their corn was in so bad a 

 condition." 



This narrative of a day's travels in the Metropolis 

 affords us something more than a hint at mitigation ; 

 while the President of the Club, Mr. Stenning, one of 

 the leading agriculturists of the county, backs the 

 suggestion with some actual experience he has already 

 had of a kiln :— " He had carted 50 quarters of wheat, 

 and thrashed it the second day after it had been carted, 

 and, after drying it, had succeeded in idealizing 56s. a 

 q uarter for it. He also thrashed 38 quarters of barley 



which had stood in the field a month. This had been 

 dried by his own kilu, and if he felt disposed to rob 

 the public he could pass it off for good malting barley. 

 [A sample of the barley was produced, and said by the 

 club to have been excellent.] He had seen some kiln- 

 dried barley in the market that day which had been 

 over-dried, so that it tasted quite sweet, and the flower 

 of the grain was thereby greatly injured. He did not 

 wish to keep from the club anything that would be 

 useful to the members ; and therefore he would tell 

 them that in drying their corn at a kiln they must be 

 very careful how they did it. They must have an ex- 

 perienced man, one who understood the fire, and how 

 to keep the corn in constant motion not to let it lie 

 still. His own kiln was a small one, and his man was 

 continually employed in shifting it and seeing that no 

 part actually caught the fire. With regard to the corn 

 which he now had in the field, he should, the first fine 

 day that came, fake advantage of it, and get it toge- 

 ther, thrash and dry it, and bring it to market." Mr. 

 Sallows, again, •' had a kiln which he found very use- 

 ful to him in drying the corn, but the great attention 

 and pains of drying it was more perhaps than many 

 were aware of. He had some wheat for which he 

 was offered 5Gs. before he had dried it, and after it 

 had been dried he had sold it for 60s. He dried 

 twenty-six quarters ; but when it came out of the 

 kiln it was reduced to twenty-four and a-half quarters, 

 and after that he sold it at 60s. He should next week 

 dry some more corn ; and where this could be done 

 kilns were of the greatest benefit. But unfortunately 

 few people possessed them at all. After this they may 

 think it advisable to procure them, although perhaps 

 it might be some years before we had another season 

 like the past." All this is very admirably put, and it is 

 really refreshing to see so much sound good sense can 

 be found at an agricultural gathering, after what we 

 have heard and read of at "the Dinner" of the So- 

 ciety. But we have sifted a little Corn even out of 

 the Chaff flying about on these occasions; and at 

 Bromyard Lord William Graham " had been told that 

 the best way of treating the damaged hay crop was to 

 steam it, as it was thereby made more nutritious and 

 more valuable for the animals, and that a machine for 

 steaming may be obtaiued for £1 or £%. Two or 

 three farmers, therefore, by combining, might easily 

 obtain such a machine, to their great advantage." 



Having considered so far what may be at least at- 

 tempted with the crop of the past season, an equally 

 anxious care is how to prepare for the next? Mr. 

 Wood at Croydon thinks, '' from the foul, wet, and 

 sodden state of the land, particularly on many of our 

 wet clay farms, there is no doubt that it will be next to 

 impossible to get much of the wheat in this autumn, 

 and that it must of necessity be left to cart out the 

 manure during the winter if possible, and get it ready 

 in the spring, for spring wheat or other corn crops. 

 That such a course must be preferable to putting wheat 

 in very badly is in most years right, and most likely 

 will prove so this." Mr. Fuller looked a little further 

 abe*d, anU suggested " they might avail th«mselveii of 



