THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



493 



plough, the graiu quickly rots, and the revivified larva3, finding 

 no longer the conditions necessary to their existence, do not 

 remain alive more than five or six months. The alternation 

 of crops is therefore the second means of preservation. 



Srd. There is still another important precaution recom- 

 mended by the author, and which we must not pass by in 

 silence, namely, to avoid throwing into the dung the screen- 

 ings of infected wheat, which carry back again the smutty 

 grains upon the fields, because the fowls will not touch them. 

 It is therefore desirable to burn the screenings ; and if we wish 

 to make use of the thin or abortive grains which are often 

 mixed with them, it will then be desirable, before throwing 

 them to the fowls, to pass them through the ovtn after the 

 bread is withdrawn. The anguillules, not being able to support 

 a temperature of more than 70 deg., will be infallibly destroyed 

 without return. 



Hitherto we have only referred to the facts interesting to 

 rural economy, and of these we have spoken only of the most 



important. Those which belong to the province of natural 

 history are much more numerous and quite as unexpected. 

 Thus, to mention only one, M. Uavaine is satisfied, by re- 

 peated experiments, that the faculty of awakening themselves 

 from their repeated drowsiness is the privilege of the larva;, 

 that is to say, of the anguillules of the wheat still destitute of 

 the genital organs of the two sexes ; but that this faculty 

 ceases as soon as the insect reaches the adult state, and these 

 organs have made their appearance and eirtered upon their 

 functions. For having thus reproduced by their eggs a new 

 race of larvje, they have fulfilled the task assigned to them by 

 nature. 



It is unnecessary to urge further, what we have said being 

 sufiicient to convince every one of the importaace of this work, 

 and of the novelty of the facts which it relates. 

 Dy. Montague, 

 Member of the Academy of Sciences, and of the 

 Imperial and Central Society of Agriculture. 



THE ACTUAL PROFITS OF THE FARM. 



Who has not felt hard-up for a subject ? " Copy is 

 waited for," grates unkindly upon the ear ; more 

 especially when the tired brain has been ransacked to 

 its utmost resources to produce it. 



It is not that subjects are exhausted, or that follies 

 present themselves less frequently to court a random 

 shot as they fly past : the brain, like the tired hunts- 

 man, requires repose; and, although the joys of the 

 chase are the same as they ever wore, still the winding 

 of the horn may fall flatly upon the ear, and the view- 

 halloo rouse to action no more. 



To drop the metaphor, the pursuits of the agricul- 

 turist partiike of the monotonous round of the hunter : 

 the most sanguine temperament must at last succumb. 

 The seasons follow each other in rapid succession, 

 anticipation is lost in the result ; year succeeds year, 

 with little gain beyond that of a few additional 

 wrinkles — a little more experience, and the reputation 

 of having obtained profound knowledge of the science. 

 Agriculture, as a pursuit, is perhaps the most deliglitful 

 that falls to the lot of mortals to carry out. It is, 

 however, a plant of such slow growth that we can 

 scarcely maik its progress by its results; and few suc- 

 ceed in it so as to raise themselves to independence, 

 unless from some fortuitous circumstances arising 

 over which they exercise little control. The shortest 

 return, in a money sense, occupies a whole year to 

 effect; and an investment by way of improvements 

 occupies a long lease to again restore it. The returns 

 are so limited, that there is but little scope for pro- 

 fit, and less for speculation. Men upon small farms 

 must submit to downright drudgery to live ; men on 

 middle- sized farms barely make ends meet ; and upon 

 large ones they generally entrust the management to 

 others, and at length wind up with a loss of the largest 

 portion of their property. 



With the wise man we can say that we have been 

 young, and now are old ; yet we have never seen much 

 property realized by farming. In some few instances, 



as in one that recently has happened near us, we have 

 seen some fifteen thousand pounds saved by iarming ; 

 but in that case the tenant occupied a good farm, was 

 a bachelor, kept no company, and one pony of fourteen 

 hands high served the establishment, which consisted 

 of a housekeeper and one maid-servant. The festive 

 board never smoked for others, strong beer and fat 

 bacon were the usual routine in housekeeping, and this 

 man realized some fifteen thousand pounds, upon a farm 

 of 200 acres. But mark the contrast. In a large 

 parish, in which we were long resident, for thirty 

 years no other individual, but this, has realized a fifth 

 part of that sum, although there are scarcely any of 

 them but have been painstaking men. 



We are aware that many of our readers will be dis- 

 posed to cavil at these observations, and some of our 

 younger farmers of sanguine temperament especially j 

 but when we come to dissect the question, and apply our 

 reasoning to the subject, it becomes apparent why such 

 things are, and why they will be likely so to continue. 



The return, in trading phrase, in faiming is 

 too slow for the realization of profitable results 

 of any magnitude; for, seldom less than twelve 

 months, but more frequently for eighteen months, 

 a large investment of capital is being occupied for a 

 single return. And upon dividing the outlay into five 

 portions : viz., rent and labour — keep of hor.-es — rates, 

 taxes— seed coin, and insurance — and fifth, profit and 

 housekeeping — it will be at once seen that the expenses 

 cannot be much reduced upon either of these divisions 

 without materially reducing the gross return. In fact, 

 over four sections of the outlay little power exists; 

 and it must therefore be to the returns that the main 

 effort must be directed to insure success; and it is not 

 merely by application of capital that this can be pro- 

 duced, but by its judicious application and attention to 

 minuiia as regards expenditure throughout every 

 department of management. If wo were advancing a 

 theory, it might require considerable effort on our part 



