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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



• PLATE II. 

 POLYDO RA, 



WITH THE SISTER TO PANDORA AT HER FOOT. 



Polydora, bred by the late Duke of Portland in 

 1837, was got by Priain out of Manto, by Tiresias — 

 Walton — Younft- Noisette, by Diomed — Noisette, 

 by Squirrel. 



Priam^ bred by the late Sir John Shelley in 1827, 

 was by Emilius out of Cressida (an own sister to 

 Eleanor), by Whiskey, out of Young Giantess, by 

 Diomed. Priam was a famous racehorse, and a 

 winner of the Derby. He was purchased of Sir 

 John Shelley, when an untried colt, for a thousand 

 guineas, by the Chifneys, who sold him, after his 

 three-year-old performances, to Lord Chesterfield, 

 for three thousand. The Americans sprung five 

 hundred on this ; and the horse left England for 

 North America in September, 1836, During, 

 however, the short time Priam was in the stud here, 

 he gave ample pi'oof of his value as a stallion, his 

 fillies being especially good. These included, in 

 an unprecedentedly short period, three Oaks win- 

 ners — Miss Letty, Industry, and Crucifix. A sub- 

 sequent offer of four thousand, to redeem Priam, 

 was refused. 



Manto, bred by Mr. Foljambe in 1824, won the 

 Sapling at York, and went to the stud in 1S31 . The 

 Duke of Portland had also another Manto in his pos- 

 session, but neither of much repute for her produce. 



Polydora passed from the Duke into the pos- 

 session of the Messrs. Tattersall, and went to the 

 Willesden Paddocks, where, in 1843, she threw a 

 colt by Taurus; the next season, a filly by Glau- 

 cus; and in 1845, another filly by Ratcatclier, 

 christened Black Bess. The mare missed in 1846, 

 '47, and '48, during which period she again 

 changed hands; and in 1849 inaugurated her ad- 

 vent at Althorp with Medusa, by Touchstone. She 

 missed again in 1850, and the next thing, her first 

 filly by Cotherstone, in 1851, was sold as a cast- 



off, at a year-old, for a ten-pound note. Since then 

 she has been regularly served by this horse, who is 

 also the property of Lord Spencer. In 1852 the 

 clipping two-year-old Polydore, a winner of the 

 Molecombe and Clearwell, turned up ; and in '53 

 a colt called Wrotham. There was no produce to 

 credit her with in either 1854 or '55 ; and Mr. 

 George Payne, after the taste he bad in Polydore, 

 secured Pandora, the filly of '56. She, too, was very 

 smart — for a time, at least ; and thechesnutone, that 

 stands by the old mare in the print, also fell to Mr. 

 Payne's bid : but the company last year was a little 

 too good for her. The filly of '58 — Polyolbipn 

 —Sir Joseph Hawley gave 140 for; and she made 

 her debut at Northampton, for the Althorp, against 

 Walloon and others, but with no distinguishing 

 merit. Another filly in '59, and another still this 

 spring, go so far to complete the family history. 



Lord Spencer's yearlings come to the Corner on 

 Monday next, June 4th. They include, this year, 

 a bay colt by Grampian or Cotherstone out of 

 Annetta (the dam of Nina Ambrose, Glenmasson, 

 and Northampton), by Priam ; a bay filly by Co- 

 therstone out of Glenluce (Harlestone's dam), by 

 Slane out of Sister to Glencoe ; a bay filly by 

 Cotherstone out of Countess (Viscount Brignall's 

 dam), by Slane out of Mrs. Anson, by Gladiator ; 

 a chesnut filly, by Cotherstone out of Prairie Hen, 

 by Stockwell out of The Wryneck (Stilton's dam); 

 a bay filly, by Newcourt out of Swallow (sister to 

 Stilton), by Cotherstone out of The Wryneck, and 

 the bay filly by Cotherstone out of Polydora. These 

 are all good-looking, well-bred mares, with some 

 character in the stud. Mr. Wilson, the stud- 

 groom, however, considers Polydora " quite the 

 tip-top as a brood-mare;" and her produce gene- 

 rally bring the highest prices. 



TOP-DRESSINGS. 



BY CUTHBEET ^V. JOHNSON, ESQ., E.K.S. 



In this unusually late spring the question of 

 top-dressing has become of more than ordinary 

 importance. And this remark is not confined to 

 the grasses, however essential to our live stock 

 may be an early and rapid growth of green food. 

 The entire question of top-dressings both for 

 grasses and corn lands will indeed well repay our 

 anxious and extended examination. The mode 

 of the action of several substances usually em- 

 ployed as dressings.; the latest period at which 

 these or a portion of them may be apphed; their 

 practical utility for the second crop are only amongst 

 the chief sections of this most important re- 

 search. In the present scarcity of food for stock 

 another question imports itself into the enquiry, 

 viz., the degree of rapidity with which the com- 

 monly applied spring dressings operate. The most 



prompt of these in their action are cubicpetre and 

 Peruvian guano. It was on a recent opportune 

 occasion that Mr. Caird remarked, when briefly 

 speaking on the late scarcity of spring feed, and 

 the use of stimulating dressings : " The most sure 

 in its action on the grasses, either in dry or wet 

 weather, and probably also the most rapid, is ni- 

 trate of soda. I shall use it," he adds, "pretty largely 

 at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre. No outlay can pay 

 better. The addition of 1 cwt. of Peruvian guano 

 or 2 cwt. of the best superphosphate of lime will 

 materially increase the produce." 



Every reader of this magazine is aware that the 

 effect of these fertilizers is materially accelerated, if 

 they are sown in wet weather. And this fact leads us 

 to another suggestion, well worthy of careful ex- 

 amination, viz., the advantage of applying these 



