4(3 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



plants the sets and who movea forward for the purpose. The 

 drills are formed, split and reversed, rolled, as above de- 

 scribed. 



Beetroot is grown in the same way ; the seeds being de- 

 posited on the ridglets by hand dibble, with two seeds in a 

 hole that are four inches apart, or arc sown by coulters of 

 machines that have barrels and cups for the purpose. 



In the case of auxiliary and arti ficial manures of every 

 kind, ridglets are formed as before in 27 inches apart, by 

 means of a heavy furrow of the swing plough, on which 

 the manure .and seed in mixture are sown by Hornsby's 

 drop drill, which deposits a bulb ofmaterials at the distance 

 of 9 inches as the plants stand for a crop, and thereby saves 

 the quantity tliat is deposited in a continuous stream. The 

 coulters of this machine split the drills very deeply and 

 place the m.anure and seed among fresh soil, which is a vast 

 advantage beyond drilling on the flatground, where the m.a- 

 terials are deposited in the dry and parched upper soil from 

 which every moisture has been evaporated. It is of the 

 very last importance that the turnip seed is deposited among 



fresh tilth, and in earth newly stirred and moist ; and that 

 the roll be applied immediately on the sown seeds, which 

 acts as a lock and key, retaining the moisture, pre- 

 venting evaporation, and making a level surface to prevent 

 the entrance of drought. The retention of winter moisture 

 in the land for summer use constitutes the grand secret of 

 turnip growing in Britain, more especially in the south of 

 Engl.and, where rains are scarce and dews are none, and 

 renders the safety of the crop very precarious. In Scotland 

 and North of England the attention is directed to that 

 point, though rains and dews are copious and frequent in 

 the dilution. 



Experience has shown that with intervals below 26 or 27 

 inches the land cannot be fully wrought and cleaned by the 

 horse-hoe, and that upon this operation very much depends 

 of the benefit which the soil receives from green crops. On 

 flat ground the process is not so complete as with hollows 

 in which the iraplement works, and the earth is moved 

 about without disturbing or overlaying the plants. The 

 superiority of this width of interval is fully confirmed. — J. D. 



THE BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MEETING AT NEWTON. 



In this, its second dynasty, the West of England 

 Society availeth much. And deservedly so too. There 

 are very few Institutions of the kind better managed ; 

 and some of even higher pretensions not as well. 

 The great secret of this success is, that the leading 

 members and directors of the association pull well 

 together. In place of bickering and squabbling with 

 each other, and going, like the tyro's team, all ways 

 at once, everyone resolutely applies himself to the fur- 

 therance of that object he has thus volunteered to attain. 

 This, of course, cannot be without its effect. It is not 

 only those intimately connected with its uses that now 

 evince an interest in the West of England Society. 

 All classes show their desire to support it, and to 

 regard it as the one great organ of their common good. 

 It is not merely landlord and tenant who offer their 

 services and suggestions. The clergy are almost as 

 thoroughly identified with its proceedings. At this 

 very time a strong movement is being made in the 

 West to establish the education of the middle classes 

 on a better, and something like a properly-recognized 

 system. The question is just about to bo entertained 

 by both our Universities; its develojiment or origin so 

 far having been entrusted to the West of England 

 Society. In fact, as Lord Courtney, the President of 

 the year, said, and well said, at the dinner, their Body 

 " had come to be regarded with confidence by the 

 country." On every grade has its influence been felt — 

 in every quarter are its uses apparent. From all we 

 have seen and heard of it for some years past, we must 

 repeat, that it availeth much. 



This meeting at Newton affords only further testi- 



• mony of the character and position the Society has 



reached in this, the era of its regeneration. With but 



one drawback, it was a most successful meeting. As an 



Institution having Agriculture for its first and chief 



care, it has long been something far beyond a merely 

 local gathering ; at the same time that it is pi'e-eminently 

 the representative of the West Country. We bring here 

 into a focus the neat, high-bred, but petite North 

 Devon, contrasting with his big younger brother from 

 the fat lands of Somerset. We compare him yet again 

 with the mild-eyed, wide-spreading Shorthorn, the 

 towering Herefqrd, or the less known West Ham. The 

 area of the Bath and West of England is always sure 

 to embrace some of the best of these breeds; and with 

 these, Leicesters from the west, to vie with the Cots- 

 wolds from higher up, now so surely asserting 

 their right to a name and a reputation. In all these 

 classes the Newton show was generally pronounced to 

 he very good. In some of them more than usually so. 

 Of Leicester sheep, for instance, the Society has never 

 before commanded so good an entry. Indeed, although 

 chiefly confined to its own members, the exhibition 

 of Leicester rams would do credit to many a 

 national meeting. If not, perhaps, quite so finely bred 

 as they are in some parts, Mr. George Turner's and 

 Mr. Bodley's sheep have the undeniable stamp of flocks 

 most carefully and judiciously cultivated. The one 

 unanimous verdict was that they were most admirable, 

 and at the same time most zi.sef id a.n'mo.a.h ; and if such 

 an advertisement does not lead to good lettings hereafter, 

 we can only say that we know of no so legitimate a one. 

 It would be unfair to omit in our commendation of 

 these classes some notice of Mr. Buller's ewes. Time 

 here, too, appears to have done much to perfect a sort 

 that, however superior it may have been so far in the 

 north, appears to thrive almost as kindly in the south. 

 Next to the Leicesters in the Sheep classes, came the 

 Cotswolds, of which there were some few very good 

 specimens. Many of the most successful breeders did 

 not show, and by those who did it was admitted that 



