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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



It has been said, and we think very fairly, ^Why all 

 this writing ? If the furrows do not exist, the Key- 

 thorpe system will come to an end of itself, and there 

 is no necessity for writing it down. If they do exist 

 in a retentive subsoil covered by a porous soil, the 

 consequence alleged to result from cutting across 

 them must follow. On one side it is alleged that these 

 furrows, if they do exist, are too irregular in their di- 

 rection to be rendered available for draining purposes. 

 It is alleged in rejoinder, that however irregular they 

 may appear when only a small area is taken under 

 consideration, they have a certain general direction, as 

 proved when a considerable area is cleared of the soil, 

 without disturbing the fun-owed surface of the subsoil. 

 The case is further illustrated by reference to the course 

 of a river. Look only, it is said, at each separate 

 reach, and you will pronounce it irregular in the ex- 

 treme. Look at it on a broader scale, and the irregu- 

 larities resolve themselves into regularity. 



Again we recommend the cessation of further con- 

 troversy on this subject, and of deciding the question at 

 issue by the test of experiment. And we conclude with 

 an extract froin the paper on the " Farming of Buck- 

 inghamshire," by Mr. Charles Sewell Read, in the 36th 

 No. of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural So- 

 ciety, the perusal of which, as coming from an im- 

 partial witness, suggested these remarks : " Every 

 one," he says, " on looking at a chalk-pit, or pass- 

 ing a railway cutting, must have seen the deep in- 

 dentations on its surface, which are mostly filled 

 with gravel. These are sections of long furrows and of 

 cavities, occasioned by the powerful action of water 

 prior to the deposit of the superficial stratum. It often 

 happens that a field which looks all of the same qua- 

 lity to the eye, has the chalk in some places within a 

 few inches of the surface ; and in another spot close by, 

 the calcareous soil is covered with several feet of flinty 

 clay." 



THE LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 

 AUTUMNAL CULTIVATION OF WHEAT STUBBLES. 



The last Monthly Meeting of the Club previous 

 to the summer adjournment, was held on Monday even- 

 ing, June 1, at the Club House, Blackfriars. Mr. Owen 

 Wallis, as chairman of the year, presided, supported by 

 Mr. N. G. Barthropp, of Cretingham ; Mr. Shearer, of 

 Swanmore ; Mr, Trethewy, of Silsoe ; Mr. Pawlett, of 

 Beestone; Mr. J. Thomas, of Lidlington ; Mr. J. 

 Wood, of Ockley; Mr. Tyler, of Layton ; Mr. Pile, 

 of Tufton ; Mr. Brickwell, of Overthorpe ; Mr. J. 

 Williams, of Bay don ; Mr. Tatam, of Moultan ; Mr. 

 Spencer Skelton, of Sutton ; Mr. Hammond, Berks ; 

 Mr. L. A. Coussmaker, of Westwood ; Mr. Cressing- 

 ham, of Croydon ; Mr. Wood, of Croydon ; Mr. 

 Smythies, of Marlow; Mr. Hammond, of Kent; Mr. 

 G. Cobb, of Bredgar, &c., &c. The subject for discus- 

 sion, to be introduced by Mr. R. Bond, of Kentwell, 

 Long Melford, Suffolk, was announced in the following 

 terms : — " The autumnal cultivation of wheat stubbles, 

 and the subsequent preparation and growth of a root 

 crop, especially on stiff retentive soils," 



The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, after 

 mentioning the subject for consideration that evening, 

 said he was quite sure that a more important one, prac- 

 tically, could not engage the attention of the club. 

 Anxious, as many persons were, to carry out this de- 

 sirable object, the matter was not unattended with dif- 

 ficulties ; such at least was his experience in his own 

 practice, with the appliances which they now had at 

 their disposal. He hoped that in a very short time they 

 would have most useful assistance in the steam plough 

 or cultivator, and with such aid the system which they 

 were all desirous of carrying out would be much more 

 practicable than it was now. (Hear, hear.) Under 

 present circumstances, with the ordinary amount of 

 manual labour and of horse labour on the farm, there 



were many things that would not wait. First of all, in 

 his neighbourhood at least, they had to clear the land of 

 stubbles, and cart them home. Then there was the 

 sowing of the rye and the tares for spring feeding, the 

 preparation for the next year's mangold wurzel crop, 

 wLcat-seeding, and the storing of the mangold wurzel 

 crop. All these things took so much time, that unless 

 they had some help from other sources, to cultivate the 

 whole of the next year's fallows simultaneously was all 

 but impossible. He hoped, however, the time was not 

 far distant when that object would be accomplished 

 through such assistance as he had referred to ; but if, 

 in the meantime, Mr. Bond could show them how the 

 thing might be partially done with our present means, he 

 was sure they would all feel very much indebted to him. 

 (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. Bond then rose and said, Mr. Chairman and 

 gentlemen, it is with pleasure I appear before you for 

 the purpose of introducing the subject for this evening's 

 discussion, for I feel it-to be one of considerable import- 

 ance, and you will observe, by the card, that it embraces 

 not only " the autumnal cultivation of wheat stubbles," 

 but also " the subsequent preparation and growth of a 

 root crop, especially on stiff retentive soils." Although 

 this is plainly a wide and extended field for observation, 

 it shall be my endeavour to occupy your attention but as 

 short a time as shall be consistent with the clear expres- 

 sion of my views ; and if I should in any degree fail in 

 perspicuity from too concise a treatment of the subject, 

 it will afford me pleasure to answer such questions as 

 you may afterwards feel it necessary to address to me. 

 I propose, first, to speak upon autumnal cultivation ; 

 and because it is so much a matter of climate, I shall 

 confine my observations as applicable only to the com- 

 paratively dry districts of England, such as the Eastern, 



