THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



533 



For the best pen of three lambs of any breed, dropped not 

 earlier than Ist January 1860, one sovereign, Adam Rankiue, 

 Knockdou, Maybole. 



HIGHLAND SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION OF LEICESTER 

 SHEEP. 



Tup of any age, belonging to a proprietor or factor, the So- 

 ciety's silver medal, Alexander Ralston, Lagg, Maybole. 



Best tup of any age, belonging to a tenant, five sovereii^ns, 

 Adam Rankin, Knockdon, Maybole. 



For the best two-shearliug tups, five sovereigns, Adam 

 Rankin, Knockdon. 



For the best pair of five gimmers or shearling ewes, four 

 sovereigns, Adam Rankin, Knockdon. 



PIGS. 

 For the best boar of any breed, four aovereigns, Robert 

 Drummond, Dogwood, Mauchline. 



For the second best, two aovereigns, John Ritchie, Broad- 

 wood, Coylton. 



For the best breeding sow of any large breed, having reared 

 a litter within two months of the day of exhibition, two 

 sovereigns, Robert Drummond, liogwood, Mauchlioe. 



For the second beat, one sovereign, John Muir, Knowside, 

 Maybole. 



For the best of any small breed, two sovereigns, David 

 Gray, Barmuirhill, Tarbolton. 



For the second best, one sovereign, Quintin Dykes, 

 Monktou. 



For the best breeding sow of any large breed, in pig on the 

 day of exhibition, two sovereigns, Robert Patou, Trees, Ayr. 



For the second best, one sovereign, Thomas Lindsay, Town- 

 end, Craigie. 



For the beat of any small breed, two sovereigns, John 

 Craig, Drumshang, Maybole. 



LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 

 WHEAT-GROWING ON THE LOIS-WEEDON SYSTEM, 



The usual monthly meeting of the Club was held in 

 New Bridge-street, on the evening of Monday, May 7th, 

 L. A. Coussmaker, Esq., of Westwood, in the chair. 

 There were also present Messrs. N. G. Barthropp, 

 John Thomas (Bletsoe), H. Trethewy, W. Fisher 

 Hobbs, J. Tyler, C. Howard, James Thomas, T. F. 

 Wilson, J. Robinson, E. Little, R. Bond, T. Owen, 

 J. A. Williams, S. Skelton, G. Smythies, T. Congreve, 

 J. G. King, J. B. Spearing, R. Goldhawk, S. Sidney, 

 P. H. Frere, J. Goodwin, J. C. Morton, C. J. Brick- 

 well, J. Whaley, J. Hooker, E. Purser, G. S. Harrison, 

 J. Parkinson, J. Odams, W. Butcher, R. Holmes, R. 

 Dunkin,W. Greene, &c., &c. 



The Chairman observed that the subject appointed 

 for discussion that evening was a rather novel one. Some 

 persons present might not have heard much about the 

 Lois-Weedon system of growing wheat ; and still more, 

 might never have seen it practically carried out. At 

 their last meeting the committee received from the Rev. 

 Mr. Smith, of Lois-Weedon, an invitation for a depu- 

 tation from the Club, to visit his farm, and see his system 

 of wheat cultivation in operation, so as to have their 

 minis informed with regard to it before the subject was 

 discussed. Accordingly a deputation went down, of 

 which he himself formed part, and he could assure the 

 meeting, that they were most hospitably received by 

 Mr. Smith.* As regarded his system, that gentleman 

 courted inquiries, and did not seek to evade answering 

 any questions that were put to him. They all saw his 

 system in operation, and certainly as far as it went, and 

 as far as the time of year would allow, nothing could be 

 better. After seeing everything, and hearing all the ex- 

 planations which were given, however, they came to the 

 conclusion, that although the system, if carried out on a 



* The deputation consisted of Mr. Coussmaker, as Chair- 

 man, Mr. Owen Wallis, Mr. John Thomas, Mr. William Shaw, 

 Mr. Spencer Skelton, Mr. Charles Howard, Mr. W. Gray, and 

 Mr. Henry Corbet, the Secretary. The visit was made on 

 Thursday, April 19 ; and on the day following the party pro- 

 ceeded to inspect Mr. W. Smith's system of Steam Cultivation 

 at Woolston. 



small scale, would answer ; if it were carried out on a 

 large scale, serious doubts might fairly be entertained as 

 to the result. He did not hinself see how with that system 

 they were to obtain a sufficient amount of labour at the 

 particular time when it was most required. That, however, 

 was a point on which the members would form their 

 own judgment. He was sorry to say that Mr. J. A. 

 Clarke, of Long Sutton, Lincoln, who undertook to in- 

 troduce the subject, was prevented from attending, by 

 illness ; but he had entrusted his paper to Mr. Corbet, 

 to read, and after the experience which they had two 

 months ago, he need scarcely say that no man could do 

 more ample justice to it (cheers). 



Mr. Corbet said that he felt his first duty would be 

 to read the following letter, which he had that morning 

 received from Mr. Clarke : — "My dear sir, — I should 

 much like to have been present on Monday, but I am 

 sure the excitement of meeting the members on the 

 occasion would be too much for my strength at present, 

 and would probably throw me back in health for several 

 weeks ; and as the only assistance I am able to give 

 would be the answering of a few questions (for solving 

 doubts and replying to objections, either theoretical or 

 practical, would be too exciting a task for me in the 

 present half-restored state of my brain), I thought it the 

 part of prudence to stay away altogether. As I was ill 

 when I undertook to introduce the subject, I hope the 

 Club will not deem me guilty of neglect of duty. Any 

 points requiring elucidation, in reference to my own ex- 

 periment, I shall be able to set right in an after-letter to 

 the Mark Lane Express. It was very kind of you to 

 offer to fulfil the task of reading the paper, and I have 

 no doubt that you will do it much more effectively than 

 I could have done. — I am, dear sir, yours very truly, 

 John Algernon Clarke, Long Sutton, Lincoln- 

 shire, May 5, I860.— H. Corbet, Esq." Mr. Corbet 

 added, that the " reply" promised would, of course, 

 appear in the Journal of the Club. He then read Mr. 

 Clarke's paper, which was as follows : — 



Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen,— Though I am to 







