526 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



taken a farm which was out of condition and exceedingly 

 poor, but by the application of nightsoil only he made it 

 produce a good crop of turnips wliere it yielded nothing 

 before, and at a lower cost than he could have done it with 

 any other manure. They were too prone to consider that 

 this subject should be dealt with delicately, and regarded it 

 as rather distasteful, whereas it was one of the most im- 

 portant and practical subjects, and deeply concerned the 

 cultivation of the land. If they brought all hack to the land 

 which they took from it, they would be enabled to produce 

 sufficient sustenance for the country at large. They gave 

 large sums for artificial manures, which produced great re- 

 sults, whereas they had a much more effectual manure with- 

 in their reach, and only wanted the necessary appliances 

 for collecting, preserving, and making the best use of it. 

 Agriculture, ahliough advancing, was always open to im- 

 provement, and it would be a long time before they would 

 arrive at that state of perfection which they wished to attain. 

 Nothing was more difficult than to arrive at a correct ap- 

 preciation of the value of various manures ; and therefore, 

 if by investigation, thinking the matter over, making expe- 

 riments in a small way, and profiting by the experience of 

 others who made them on a larger scale, they could attain 

 that object, they would have great reason to be satisfied with 

 their day's discussion. 



Mr. EiciiAED Chaundy (seedsman) had had considera- 

 ble experience of the use and value of nightsoil, for, forty 

 years ago, when he was in Kent, they used to fetch a great 

 deal from London, starting at six o'clock at night and re- 

 turning at six in the morning. They used it for a crop of 

 turnipseed, took it into the field, threw it on the laud, and 

 next day ploughed it in, and let it lay till spring. They 

 used it for beans, peas, and oats ; and it suited the latter so 

 well, that they grew 16 quarters to the acre. If they found 

 the manure too strong, they mixed it with old tan, and 

 threw it into a tank. They also mixed it with the sweep- 

 ings from Greenwich, for which they paid 2s. 6d. a cart load, 

 and they applied it to crops of fruit, and to fruit trees, and 

 found nothing like it. All the market gardeners near Lon- 

 don used to apply the manure, and Mr. Miatt, a large straw- 

 berry grower, grew some surprising crops with it. It was 

 a lamentable fact that the nightsoil produced in this city was 

 wasted, notwithstanding that there was no manure so cheap, 

 or one which answered so well. 



The Mayor of Oxfoed (Alderman Sadler) observed that 

 Professor Liebig had assured him that the ammoniacal 

 liquor at the gas works was one of the most valuable ma- 

 nures, provided it were diluted, and the Oxford Gas Com- 

 pany were willing to supply it gratuitously to any farmer 

 who would send for it. 



THE CORN FROM "THE CHAFF" AT THE DINNERS OF THE SOCIETY. 



THE ADVANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN WALES, 



At the Machynlleth meeting. 



Earl Vane, the president, aaid: I read, in a speech 

 delivered the other day by one of the most distin- 

 guished lawyers of the day, I may also add by one 

 of the greatest ornaments of the House of Commons, Sir 

 Hugh Cairns, who was appointed Solicitor-General under the 

 late Government of Lord Derby, the following sentences. 

 They are taken from a speech made at a dinner given by a 

 noble relative of mine to her tenantry in the sister country, 

 and in addressing them, he says : " Agriculture is becoming 

 every day less and leas of a more manual occupation, and 

 more and more of a science. It must be learned and studied 

 if farmers would turn their land to profitable account, if they 

 would desire to win and keep their place in the race of com- 

 petition. Tliey must not leave their farms unimproved, dirty, 

 and half cultivated, yielding merely that poor return which 

 would satisfy the rent, and leave, perhaps, some meagre sub- 

 Bistence for the owner. For as in their moral and Christian 

 life they might be asked by their spiritual adviser what pro- 

 gress they had made in the application of their conduct to the 

 great truths of Christianity, so also, with reference to their 

 world concerns, the annual recurrence of a festival like the 

 present might be well made an opportunity for each of them 

 asking himaelf what was the use he had made of the worldly 

 advantages and opportunities which he had enjoyed ? Had 

 his farm been better laboured, better stocked, or more produc- 

 tive this year than last ?" Truly these words may apply to 

 us, and it all act upon them sure am I that they will profit by 

 them. I do not profess to know, individually, much of the 

 science of agriculture ; but any casual observer cannot fail to 

 remark in this neighbourhood various faults which might easily 

 he remedied. One of these is the great scarcity of turnip and 

 root crops. Truly it may be said that in this there is some 



improvement since the formation of this pocif'y, which, by 

 the prizes it gives, has given a slight stimulus to this particular 

 subject. Last year we were told by the gentleman who kindly 

 officiated as one of the judges (Mr. Edmunds) : "You give a 

 prize for the best two acres of swedes and mangolds. In ac- 

 cordance with which we have given the first prize to Mr. 

 Lloyd, of Llanbrynmair, when, if the judges had had discre- 

 tionary power, they would have given the first prize to Mr. 

 Owen, of Mathavern, for the manner in which he has cultivated 

 an unpromising field (eight acres) of swedes and turnips." In 

 order to meet the- remarks of this gentleman, with which I 

 entirely agreed, I have done myself the pleasure of offering a 

 cup, to be held for two successive years, to the farmer who 

 grows the largest amount of root crops, consistently with 

 good husbandry and cleanliness of land ; and I would fain 

 hope that each succeeding year will find an increase of green 

 crops over the breadth and length of the land. If not deemed 

 presumptuous, I would also recommend attention to another 

 great fault by the very dirty and slovenly state of hedges and 

 ditches. The first are never cut ; the latter are never cleaned 

 out. The conseqnence is, that much land is lost, and each 

 succeeding year finds the plough making its turn from the 

 hedge further and further off. I remember the late lamented 

 Sir John Courcy (than whom no better farmer existed) telling 

 me that well-kept hedges and clean ditches made a difference 

 of many acres on a large /arm." 



Mr. Phelps, the honorary secretary, observed that he was 

 exceedingly gratified to notice the progress the society had 

 made since its commencement about five years ago, and he 

 hoped it would still go on and prosper as it had hitherto done. 

 It had three objects in view — to encourage the cultivation of 

 turnips ; to introduce good implements into the country, and 

 to improve the breed of stock. With regard to turnips it was' 

 patent to all who visited the districts around that those who 

 only cultivated a few when the socifty was first formed now 



