THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



407 



I have found beautiful fields of our commou red clover, which j 

 had coutiuued in sole and full occupation of the ground, giv- 

 ing luxuriant cuttings for ten and even more years in succes- 

 sion, the same as lucerne does in the best soils in the south 

 of England, having a rubble limestone bottom. With regard 

 to the interval of time required between the sowings of red 

 clover in Scotland, my experience leads me to conclude that 

 the longer time between, the better is the succeeding crop, 

 other circumstances being equal. lu my earliest remembrance, 

 upwards of sixty years ago, in a part of this country where ; 

 clover was nearly new to the soil, and the soil good clay, the j 

 finest clover was obtained uuder a six-year rotation shift. This 

 would infer that it is merely an exhaustion of the soil which 

 constitutes the clover sickness. 



In closing, I may remark that lime or calcarcoua earth is a 

 requisite in the soil for. the luxuriant growth of clover. We 

 have found this a sine qua non in Germany. The soil of the 

 greater part of Scotland is defective in calcareous earth, much 

 more so than most of the soil in England, Thia might be 



expected from the rock basis in Scotland being generally 

 very old formations, most of them defective in lime 

 ' — belonging to periods when there appears to have 

 been less calcareous matter on the surface of the earth, 

 at least in the solid form. The greater part of the calcareous 

 rocks of more recent formations, and which abound in Eng- 

 land, seem to have been extracted by shell-fish, and fisb of 

 thick bony scales, from the seas of ancient time, which appear 

 to have had much lime in solution. There is another reason 

 why lime is more required as a manure in Scotland than in 

 England. It tends to prevent the formation of peat, and acts 

 to reduce this obstinate encroaching subject to a manure 

 when formed, to which formation Scotland, from the colder 

 and moister climate, is more disposed than England, while at 

 the same time it hastens the maturity of the crops, so import- 

 ant in ths backward climate of Scotland. 



Patrick Matthew, 

 Gov.rdie Hill, Errol, March 26, 1860, 



A SETTLER! 



The following challengo appeared in the Tmes on 

 Tuesday, April 10 : 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 



Sir, — Every man of intelligence appreciates Mr. Mechi's 

 efforts in the cause of agricultural progress, but thousands 

 question the soundness of Mr, Mechi's conclusions upon his 

 agricultural profits. 



The following balance-sheet ia taken from Mr, Mechi's own 

 published statements : 



Dr. £ s. d. 



General expenses at £7 9s. 8d. per acre .. 1273 3 4 



Annual interest of capital permauently in- 

 vested (-ce " How to Furm Profitably," 

 page 34), purchase of Tiptree-hall estate, 

 £3,250, at 3| per cent 113 15 



Draining, fencing, levelling, ditching, and 



roads, £2,200, at 5 per cent 110 



Barns, stabling, tanks, sheds, yards, &c., 

 £2,000, at 71 per cent., including 

 repairs 150 



House and offices, £1,000, at 7i per cent., 



including rejjaiis 75 



Machinery, implements, cooking apparatus, 



&c., £500, at 7i per cent 37 10 



Irrigation apparatus, £600, at 7^ per cent. 45 



Interest on tenant's capital, £2,380, at 5 



percent 119 



£1922 8 4 



Cr. £ 8. d. 



By produce Eold -. 1884 



To loss 38 8 4 



£1922 8 4 



Loss as landlord and tenant 38 8 4 



If Mr, Mechi will kindly consent to submit his entire agri- 

 cultural account, from the first purchase of the Tiptree-hall 

 estate to the present time, to three competent and impartial 

 men, I will guarantee to pay £100 to the Agricultural Bene- 

 volent College Fund in the event of their pronouncing that 

 Mr. Mechi baa made one sixpence in profit during his 17 

 years' experience as landlord aud tenant. 



With eveiy feeling of just appreciation and of personal es- 

 teem and respect for Mr. Mechi, 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



Ipswich, March 30. Robert Bond. 



Mr. Mechi's reply did not appear until the following 



Saturday ; when this was the unsatisfactory and 

 evasive answer he offered : 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 



Sir, — I have read several letters iu your columns objecting 

 to my balance-sheet. I have long since ceased to expect that 

 I can convince people against their will. When I published 

 my first balance-sheet, showing an apparent loss, everybody 

 believed iu it, and agriculture rejoiced. Now that the fruits 

 of improvement have resulted in a good profit, agriculture is 

 unhappy and lull of disbelief. 



I am not surprised at this, because the history of progress 

 has ever been one of wariare against old-establibhed prejudices. 

 I shall nevertheless continue, by every means in my power, to 

 stimulate our national agricultural improvement, knowing that 

 in so doing I am supported (and a great comfort it is) by the 

 good wishes and approbation of wise and thoiightful men. 



We certainly should all regret that in this age of intellec- 

 tual prog;ress so many can be found who doubt the necessity 

 for, and profit of, such investments as the drainage and deeper 

 cultivation of our wet, stiff, cold clays, the betttr shelter for 

 our live stock, the economic use of steam machinery, and many 

 other things which cannot be carried out without a considerable 

 investment of capital. The inisereble condition of our vait 

 expanse of those clays (15-16th8 of which, according to Mr. 

 Bsiley Denton, are still undrtiiued), is painfully visible from 

 every line of railway, binding the tenants in poverty, humility, 

 and discontent ; and yet I am told, over and over again, by 

 such practical men, " Water won't go through our soil." 



I pass frequently by a stift-clay uudrained farm which has 

 had five tenants iu five years, and has either ruined or im- 

 poverished every one of them ; end yet the one remedy want- 

 ing — deep drainage — is still unapplied. Seeing, then, a mul- 

 tiplication of such apathy or miscalculation on the part of 

 landlord or tenant, or both, am 1 to be blamed for awakening 

 public attention for such sius of omission, so detrimental to 

 the community at large ? 



My conscience telU me that I am not to blame. 



I can, therefore, afford to pass by without anger the petty 

 nibblings of fraciioual or prejudiced objectors. 



I do not consider it necessary to vindicate the general 

 truthluluesB of my statements. 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

 J. J. Mechi. 



Tiptree-hall, near Kelvedon, Essex, April 12. 



Can any one doubt, after this, but that Mr. Mechi 

 simply makes the farmers of England, and Tiptree-hall, 

 the stalking horses for liis more profitable concerns in 

 London ? As wo said a fortnight smce, surely we have 

 something better to do than following such a a will- 

 o'-the-wisp any further. 



