THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



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carts on pavticular stetches, the crops were loss ou tliosse 

 stetclies iu the following year; and they might infer 

 from this that if the compression of the land rendered 

 it unfertile, the opening it and exposing it to the air 

 must make it fertile. That was illustrated by Mr. 

 Smith, of Lois Weedon, who made a long fallow by 

 the side of growing-crops. But he ought to guard 

 himself on this point, for he had been misunderstood 

 upon it. He did not say — ' Bury your good soil, and 

 bring up the thirsty and cold to put your seed in.' 

 That was not what steam-cultiv;ition was to do for 

 them ; but the object was to break up the bottom soil, 

 so that it should, bv the infiltration of manure, become 

 what the top soil bad become by aeration. They could 

 not do that with their present horse-power; and he be- 

 lieved that in ten years they would see steam-engines 

 in use for this purpose in Essex." 



And, on the day following, as will be found in our 

 report, speaking to the same theme, Mr. Meehi said : — 

 " I congratulate you on the progress agriculture has 

 made during the last few years. I wish I could say 

 you had arrived at perfection. But it struck me to-day 

 that while everybody went to see the reaping machine, 

 wbich they thought nothing of several years ago, very 

 few had been to see the steam plough. I asked many 

 of my friends whether they had been to see the steam- 

 plough, and they answered, ' I have been to see Burgees 

 and Key's reaping machine.' As I have cut my corn 

 with a reaping machine for the last seven years, I 

 thought that was done with a long time ago ; but I 

 hope agriculturists will use steam for the cultivation of 

 the soil, which is one of the new elements of the profits 

 of agriculture." 



Still do we find him the sure pioneer of the 

 whole force. He put up the first steam-engine in 

 the county. He has cut his corn with a reaping 

 machine for the last seven years; and he goes in now 

 for steam ploughing and deep cultivation. There is 

 one great practical commentary on all this. It is in 

 the letter of invitation we published last week : — " Those 

 who are desirous of estimating the value of agricultural 

 improvement, may inspect my crops between this time 

 and harvest, and form their own opinions by a fair 

 comparison with the surrounding neighbonrhood of 

 similar soils to my own." Nothing can be more " fair," 

 honest, or straightforward than this ; and again we 

 counsel our friends not to lose the opportunity. 



Some men are born to play many parts, and it is not 

 merely as an agriculturist or an alderman that Mr. 

 Mechi is famous. Equally popular is he at Institutes 

 and Athen;eums; apt as a linguist ; and renowned, again, 

 as a sportsman. It was in something of this character 

 that he concluded the day's performances at Bore- 

 ham. Let the county paper tell its own story : — 

 " After luncheon, the company assembled at a straw 

 yard, round which waggons bad been placed for the 

 accommodation of the ladies, to witness some feats of 

 hoi'se-taming by Mr. Giblin, the protege of Mr. Miles 

 Foruiby ; and Mr. Alderman Mechi, installed as chair- 

 man upon a neighbouring wall, was appointed to ad- 

 judge the prize to the panting victor. A horse was 

 brought in, described as a vicious brute, which no 

 groom could saddle or man dare mount , but either 

 there had been some mistake about the matter, or the 

 anitnalhad in his own mind entered into a conspiracy 

 to baffle the sport by a peculiar exhibition of good 

 temper ; for it was soon found that an ordinary mortal 

 could mount and manage him with ease. Some exhi- 

 bitions of Rareyism and anti-Rareyism followed, in 

 taming a tame horse ; and the company left far from 

 convinced that Mr. Rarey would find a formidable 

 rival in Mr. Giblin." 



We can well picture the worthy Alderman perched 

 upon the top of the wall, fully conscious of the 

 arduous and not altogether enviable position he 

 was filling. But, unluckily, Sir John's experiments 

 would not work. The new mower would not mow, 

 the improved rake would not rake, the vicious horse 

 would not be vicious, and the horse- tamer could not 

 tame him. We congratulate the Chairman on his safe 

 return to mother earth — after all, his first and fondest 

 care. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE MARK LANE EXPRESS. 



Sir, — Those who are desirous of estimatiug the value of 

 agricultural itaprovement may inspect my crops between this 

 time and harvest, and form their own opiuions by a fair com- 

 parison with the surrouudiDg neighbourhood of similar soils to 

 my own. 



I consider it my duty to agricultural progress to invite this 

 comparison. 



Thick sowers may also judge of the propriety of drilling one 

 bushel of wheat per acre on such soils as my heavy soils. 

 I am. Sir, your obedient servant, 



J. J. Mechi. 

 Tiptree Hall, Keluedon, Essex, June 12, 1858. 



THE RECENT HAIL-STORMS. 



The farmer is proverbially difficult to please. It is 

 seldom quite fair sailing with him. If the dry and 

 sunny is good for the growing wheat, it is most likely 

 bad for the roots. Or, showers that must bring on the 

 turnips, will do little to improve the hay in cock. 

 Most probably he would like it fine here, and a fall 

 there. The clerk of the weather might even put him 

 in office, and the chances are he would anything but 

 satisfy himself. And yet there is no man who should 

 be better prepared for the variations of season, cli- 



mate, and temperature, for there is none other whose 

 business is so much influeaced by them. 



If, however, the farmer cannot command the sea- 

 sons| he may in some measure render himself inde- 

 pendent of them. It should be difficult indeed to sup- 

 pose any one would omit the opportunity of doing so. 

 And yet there are thousands at this moment— prudent, 

 careful men in other ways— whose all may be sacrificed by 

 the passing cloud of a summer storm. Men, who can- 

 not say for four-and-tweuty hours together when this 



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