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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



And it is the more important for me to direct attention to 

 this point, because there appears to be a growing tendency 

 towards the complication of manures, as it is becoming cus- 

 tomary to mix superphosphates with kelp, potash, salts, and 

 many other substances — a system which I think the farmer 

 woiild do well to discourage. It is infinitely preferable for him 

 to purchase these substances separately and make the mixture 

 for himself, or to use the superphosphate, provided he has 

 found, after a few trials, as he frequently will do, that the kelp 

 is comparatively of little use. And this course must be equally 

 advantageous to the manufacturer, who of course will derive 

 the same benefit from the sale of these substances separately 

 as he can from their mixture. I have thus endeavoured, as 

 far as practicable, to make intelligible to you the best means 

 by which a farmer can form for himself some opinion of the 



genuineness of his manures. I have only to point out once 

 more that in most cases he can only arrive at probable con- 

 clusions, although they will be most commonly sufficient to 

 wake his suspicions when anything is wrong. I should com- 

 mit a great error did I lead you to suppose that they enable 

 you to judge of the value of the manure examined. That can 

 only be done by an accurate analysis, which requires con- 

 siderable chemical knowledge and skill. At present it is an 

 exceptional case when a farmer is a chemist ; but I see no 

 good reason why it should be so ; and I trust that the system 

 of agricultural education which has just been inaugurated by 

 the Highland Society may enable the next generation of farm- 

 ers to do a great deal more for their own protection. 



The lecture closed with a vote of thanks to Professor Ander- 

 son and the Chairman. 



THE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MEETING AT LOUTH. 



There were some three or four likely gatherings 

 during the week, bringing many of our agriculturists to- 

 gether again — at the Peterborough junction. On the 

 Wednesday, for instance, Mr. Sanday had his annual ram 

 letting, when it appeared that all the best sheep had by no 

 means been sent to Salisbury. On the Thursday followed 

 this North Lincolnshire Show ; and on Friday there was 

 a sale of some very good hunting stock in the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of Louth, or some plate racing at 

 Boston, as the visitor's route or tastes might direct him. 

 All these were well within the range of our North 

 countiy friends, while many travelled fi-om far greater 

 distances to bid, buy, or to look on. 



The North Lincolnshire Society — which by this time 

 might as well be the Lincolnshire — came quite up to the 

 standard of this year's meetings. That is to say, it was 

 one of the best exhibitions of stock and implements ever 

 known in the county. In many respects it was de- 

 cidedly superior to any former occasion, and in some 

 altogether unequalled. We may cite, in support of this, 

 the entry of horses, which far exceeded anything that ever 

 North Lincolnshire has been able to do in this way. 

 Tiie horse classes were, indeed, the great feature of the 

 day. They numbered in all somewhere about two hun- 

 dred, and ran through every kind and variety a farmer 

 would be justified in turning his attention to. There 

 were cart stallions, draught mares, pairs of working 

 plough horses, foals, yearlings, two-year-olds, hunting 

 mares and foals, three and four year old hunting gel- 

 dings, heavy and light weight carrying hacks, hack 

 stallions, and hunter stallions. Every one of these had 

 its own class and premium, and there was scarcely one 

 but was well filled. We honestly confess to having 

 ourselves some little leaning towards a good-looking 

 horse, while the Lincolnshire men in no way disguise 

 theu- partiality. The large hurdled- off ring, or pad- 

 dock, in which the judges of horses performed their 

 duties, was the centre of attraction during the whole 

 morning. In a very good, spacious show-ground, it 

 was the only place, despite an unusually large attend- 

 ance, that you were at all hustled or crowded in the 

 endeavour to see what was going on. This is surely 

 suggestive of what we should continue to do in this 

 wise. And the more especially when we come 

 to remember the character of such a company. It 

 was eminently agricultural. We should think there 

 was hardly a man who paid his shilling but that felt 

 some direct interest in the objects of the meeting ; and 

 still they turned to, and thronged round the horse 

 classes. 



Generally, too, these were well worth looking 



at. At this moment, perhaps, the Lincolnshire cart 

 horse is about the first favourite of all the sorts we use 

 for heavy draught work. And this is a distinction far 

 from unmerited. He has great power, good sym- 

 metry, commonly with famous shoulders, rare quarters, 

 and a good middle -piece between them. He has, 

 moreover, a peculiarly lively and cheerful look, and, 

 above all, as a rule, has the crowning point in any horse- 

 list of points — capital action. The prize here went to 

 a three-year-old, who beat, amongst others, a rather 

 famous horse from Peterborough, called " England's 

 Glory," who showed to great advantage at Salis- 

 bury. The latter, who is just double the age of 

 Mr. Skinner's colt, is certainly a very grand, first- 

 class style of horse, and his victory was counted on with 

 some confidence. The shout, indeed, of the man who 

 led the other one, when the judges gave him the 

 ribands, proved how much ho thought of beating- 

 such a clipper. There were three or four more pro- 

 mising stallions in this lot, but chiefly young ones that 

 will grow better as they grow older. It is surely a 

 mistake to use or travel a two-year-old, though we saw 

 three of this age shown as cart stallions. 



There was a very good class of cart mares, with some 

 equally creditable young stock, and half-a-dozen 

 " pairs" of draught horses in work, any two of which 

 were well worthy of a premium. They otTered a capital 

 illustration of what an agricultural team horse should 

 bo. As a man said, putting his hand on the withers of 

 one of these, when they were talking over the merits 

 and possibilities of Mr. Boydell's engine, " this is the 

 steam plough I shall stick to, till I see something a 

 good deal better than I have yet." 



Terrible as it may sound to some of our readers, 

 these Lincolnshire farmers look up the hacks and 

 hunters with oven more gusto than they do horses 

 " suited for agricultural purposes." Of course, the 

 country gentlemen encourage them in this sad habit, 

 and many was the discussion in the Louth show- 

 yard over the shoulders of a Fernhill horse, or the 

 stock of so party a quartered thoroughbred as Mar- 

 text. It is only fair to say that the colts by this horse 

 •^and there were many of them in the catalogue — have 

 generally far more style about them than their sire. 

 In truth, for such a district, the entry of thoroughbred 

 horses to get hunters rather disappointed us. They 

 were but a coarse lot, with little stamp or repute about 

 them, either in appearance or performance. Two or 

 three were evidently not thoroughbred, and to one of 

 these, a steeple-chaso horse Ctalled "The Wild Hero/, 

 the judges gave the premium. The award, however 



