THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



205 



weed, which I could uot do if I used a drill. My men plant 

 an acre a day each, and the work is executed in au eflicient 

 mauner, every beaa being liiiuly pressed iu at a proper deptli. 

 I plant two bushels to each acre, never allowing less than two 

 beans to be planted in each hole ; for I find the same thing 

 holds good with beans as I have formerly stated iu my opinion 

 about the seeding of wheat— that is, that if we only plant cue 

 beau iu a hole, one or more laterals will be produced on the 

 main stem, on which at harvest will be found small uuripe 

 pods and iiuileveloped shrivelled seed. In the case of wheat, 

 I never plaut less than five or six. seeds iu each hole, which at 

 9 in. by 9, averages about half a bushel to the acre. I even 

 increase these up to eight or uiue seeds iu each hole as the 

 season advances. I do this to get three or four stems to each 

 plaut, so as to prevent the formation of laterals iu spring. I 

 have always found that by this method I get large flat shoots 

 with stout stems before winter, covering the laud, and rendered 



almost independeut of any enemies. The third instance of 

 bean growing is that of another farmer near me. lie waa 

 sowing a field of 10 acres broadcast ; by a little encourage- 

 ment he was induced to allow me to send a man to plant an 

 acre. At my request, he has just seut in his report (July 8th) : 

 " I shall get two sacks to the acre more where the beaua were 

 p'unted than where sowu broadcast ; the pores are larger, the 

 seed more developed; my laud has been thoroughly cleaned by 

 horse-power at a trifling expense. I shall never adopt any 

 other method." I supply all organic manure which the bean 

 crop would extract, my sheet anchor being rape cake dust, 

 harrowed in immediately before the crop ; about two months 

 afterwards guauo, old wood aahes, and a small quantity of 

 superphosphate of liaie ; the inorganics suited for the wheat 

 crop are uot extracted by the beans. Every expense is paid 

 up to the time of the wheat plant appearing by the produce 

 of the fallow crop aloue. Sigma, 



HARVEST DRINKS. 



Sir, — Last year you were good enough to insert a letter 

 from me, calling attention to the advantage of abandoniug 

 the me of malt liquor aud cider iu harvest, and at other times, 

 aud promising to acquaint you with the results of an inquiry 

 I wa-i making as to the experience of others on this subject. 



My neglect aud procrastination has been such that I find 

 another harvest is already here, and I have made but a feeble 

 attempt at what I had hoped to have accomplished. I still 

 intend to send it you, if you will accept it, with further particu- 

 lars furnished to me by farmers of much greater experience 

 than myself; in the meantime I may be allowed to state that 

 I am already in possession of a large number of letters from 

 persons in all parts of the CDuutry to whom I had addrcsBed 

 inquiries. I find in them a unanimous testimony to the fact 

 that, when no intoxicatiug drinks are used, more work can be 

 doue, and done in a better manner ; and the men perform 

 their labour with greater ease to themselves, especially in hot 

 weather, sufl'er less from thirst and fatigue, enjoy mure refresh- 

 ing sleep at uight, fiad themselves more lively aud vigorous in 

 the moruiug, aud have a better appetite for their food. The 

 last point is very noticeable aud very important, as no one 

 will deny that solid food is the best fjuudatiun for real 

 strengtb. It has often been observed that coffee-drinkers have 

 been enjoying a good breakfast before their work, while beer- 

 driukers have been lonngiug about with empty bottles, unable 

 to eat anything, and only wishiug a renewed supply of the 

 stimulaut. In addition to all thi", there may be noticed 

 among the men a great increaiC of good temper, kindliness, 

 and cheerfuluesj, and a great dtcrease of auger, quarrelliug, 

 aud eipecially of bad lauguage, to say nothing of the avoid- 

 ance of accidents. 



Now to any of your readers who may be iucliued to question 

 the correctueas of these facts, permit me to say, that my in- 

 formants are persons in all ^tJitions in life, from the lauded 

 proprietor down to tlie small cottage farmer, aud even the la- 

 bourer himself; and I submit that they are competent judges, 

 iuasmuch as they have tried both vv-ays, and therefore have au 

 evident advantage ovtr tinse who cliug with blind perse- 

 verance to the old-fashioned practices of our grandfathers. 

 The substitutes 1 find recommended are various — tea, coffee, 

 milk, ginger-beer, milk-and-water, oatmeal and water, and 

 cocoa: the last in the soluble form is particularly convenient 

 in some cases. Pure col 1 water is highly recommended by 

 som?, but the general feeliug is against it. The mole of 

 supplying these beverages to the men is various, and depends 

 greatly on ciivuiustances. They are in souie cases furnished 

 by the farmer, and iu others provided by the men themselves. 

 Aj to the pecuniary side of the subject, it will be found 

 there is a saving by the use o! any of these substitutes for malt 

 liquor ; aud this I consider the men ought, in every case, to 



* Let me give a caution against trying to make coSee in an 

 iron vessel, or the result will be a fluki as black as ink : the 

 sUensil must he copper or tin. 



reap the benefit of to its full extent. I regret to know that 

 this is not always doue, but the master has iu some instances 

 sought to derive a profit from theciiange in the practice of his 

 men — iu the cider district, for example, where it is a common 

 thing for the men to receive cider to the value of one shilling 

 aud sixpence per week, during most of the year, and the mas- 

 ter has proposed to substitute a money payment of one shilling 

 per week instead. Such au act uaturally excites the indigna- 

 tion ofthemen, aud renders them suspicious of any altera- 

 tions. Tne master should ousidcr himself amply rewarded 

 by seeing the improved physical and moral condition of those 

 he e:nploys, aud thankful for a plan by which bis work may 

 be belter doue, and bis men may earu larger wages, without 

 his expenses being increased. 



I cannot flitter myself that my statements will carry convic- 

 tion to the minds of others — all I ask is, that your readers 

 should institute a fair honest experiment of a fortnight's du- 

 ration, each one for himself, not to prove either plan right or 

 wrong, but just to ascertain the truth ; aud surely, iu this age 

 of experinieuts, it is uot an unreasonable suggestion. But let 

 it be truly au impartial experiment — the men fairly chosen, 

 the ground fairly choseu, the beverage provided agreeable to 

 the men and plentifully supplied, and all the other little things 

 which tend so much to iuflueuce the success of a competitive 

 trial be duly attended to ; aud, as is done in other experi- 

 ments, let the men who are to try the new plan, be allowed 

 two or three days to accustom themselves to it before they 

 enter ou the competiti m. 



Let me urge ou those who will uot trouble themselves with 

 this trial, that they should, as far as possible, make their pay- 

 ments in money only : this is very easy where the work is 

 performed by the piece, aud may be arranged for iu the case 

 of dfiy-work ; then suggest to the meu that they should try 

 some of the beverages named above ; and if they will do it 

 they may soon discover the truth. But where ic is convenient, 

 it is very desirable that the men shculd be assisted, by pro- 

 viding them, when they are far from home, with hot water, if 

 they wish for tea or coti'ee*, or by letting the female servants 

 prepare it for them. It is also a great kindness to let them 

 have milk at a reasonable price, or gratis : the Irish reapers 

 are especiiilly fond of it 



You will, I trust, observe, that I have abstained from using 

 arguments or propounding theories — I have simply stated 

 facts : I have referred rather to the communications c.f others 

 than to my owu knowledge, although I can confirm aud go 

 beyond their statements. I believe the general cuatoui to be 

 wrong ; aud I only ask farmers to try for tbemcelves whether 

 there is not "a more excellent way." 



I shall be glad to hear from any parties who can give their 

 own experience on this subject, and, as far as I can, to give 

 iuforma'ion to those who may desire to learu, more especially 

 if they wish for details for their own guidance. — I remain. Sir, 

 yours, respectfully, Henry J. WiLSONi 



Sherwood Hall, Munsfidd_ Notts, July 23, 



