THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



323 



that dung is wanted to finish a field in the manuring, 

 and that the deficiency is supplied from the farm-yavds 

 in tlie best materials that can be got. Three instances 

 occurred during my own practice, when freshly- voided 

 fiEces were carried from the door of the cowshed, and 

 laid in the drills in the same quantity with the fer- 

 mented manure of the dung heaps. The treatment was 

 the same in every respect j and in every case the 

 turnips showed a very marked superiority from the first 

 braird to the storing of the bulbs. The germination 

 was more early and vigorous ; the summer growth was 

 very distinct in dark-green and widely-spread leaves; 

 and the full-gi'own bulbs were larger and more nu- 

 merous than on the rest of the field ; altogether forming 

 a superior crop in every point of eminence. The similar 

 results in three cases of varied soils and climates may 

 infer, or rather establish the conclusion, that freshly- 

 voided fasces are superior, or at least equal in efleet, to 

 the fermented heaps of farm-yard dung, and the pre- 

 paration is unnecessary in heaps or piles. The supe- 

 riority may arise from the animal caloric in the freshly 

 voided fa3ces exerting an immediate influence, and 

 being more potent in effect than the heat of fermenta- 



tion. The difficulty of covering in the land the rank 

 straws of litter with the fresh excrements will form an 

 objection to this mode of using farm-yard dung ; but 

 all straws for litter may be cut into short lengths by 

 the steam power of the thrashing machinery, and be 

 easily covered in the drills. The dung in the condition 

 of fresh excrements and short straws may be spread in 

 broadcast on turnip lauds, and covered by one furrov/ 

 of ploughing, and then mixed with the land by longi- 

 tudinal and cross ojierations of Finlayson's harrow. 

 The land is drilled with one furrow of the common 

 plough, and the seed sown as usual, with or without 

 a portion of some auxiliary manure. This latter ap- 

 plication yet requires practical proofe for support. 

 The superiority of freshly-voided foeces over fermented 

 dung is established by the above-me^itioned majority of 

 results. It will lead to a total abandonment of fer- 

 mentation heaps and piles of farm-yard dung; the la- 

 bour and expense will be saved, and a greater bulk of 

 manure will be obtained, that is of more efficacy, and 

 produced at less cost. These advantages constitute 

 the value of any article in a majority of superior 

 points. 



IMPORTANT TO F A R M E R S— L A N D LO RD AND TENANT. 



The case of Dr, Milne's trustees against George Gordon 

 one of their tenants on the estate of Muchalls, has at last com, 

 to a close by a final verdict of Sheriff Davidson, of Aberdeen, 

 ui favour of the defender, with expenses. Its process origi- 

 nated iu a charge of miacropping, upon which the pursuers 

 founded their case. The defender had adopted the four-shift 

 course on two of his fields, with the view, aa appeared from 

 the proof, to bring those two fields into a system along with 

 the other parts of the farm, which had yet eight or nine years 

 to run, 80 as to have it iu his power to leave the whole farm 

 in one uniform rotation at the termination of the tack. To do 

 this he was forced to take a cross crop of one field, and to farm 

 another on the fourth shift. Without the slightest objection, 

 Mr. Gordon (who now resides in Aberdeenshire), was served 

 with a summons of damages, for miscropping, before the Sheriff 

 of the county of Aberdeen. Mr. Gordon, who has a regular 

 stamped lease from the late Mr. Silver, of Netherley, is tied to 

 no specific rotation, but is bound to comply merely with the 

 rules of good husbandry established "in this part of the 

 country." Sheriff Watson dismissed the action as incompetent 

 white the lease was current, and that it would be palpable in- 

 justice to subject an enterprising tenant in damages while it 

 may be found that he had improved the farm, and found the 

 pursuers liable iu expenses of process. The pursuers appealed 

 to the principal. Sheriff Davidson. His Lordship recalled his 

 substitute's interlocutor, and allowed the pursuers a proof of 

 actual damage, and the defender a conjunct probation. A 

 great many witnesses on both sides were examined both before 

 the Sheriff of Aberdeen and before the Sheriff-substitute of 

 Kincardineshire at Stonehaven, as commissioner. About forty 

 witnesses in all were examined ; the principal of whom, for the 



pursuers, were : Messrs. Robt. Walker, of Portletlien ; Arthur 

 Gleuuy, of Fairnejflatt ; James Keith, auctioneer; John 

 Keith, farmer. Logic ; George Gordon, Aquhorthies ; Robert 

 WUliamaon, of Bendaugh ; James Forbes Beattie, land sur- 

 veyor in Aberdeen, and others. On the part of the defender : 

 Messrs. Cowie, of Haulkerton ; Mdn, of Kirklaud ; Chisholm, 

 of Arduthie; Bisset, of Newton; Roberts, of Lumgair; 

 Thom, Clochuahill, and as many more as nearly darkened the 

 Court-room of Stonehaven for three days. On advising the 

 proof, the principal Sheriff dismissed the process, found no 

 damage incurred, and subjected the pursuers in expenses. The 

 case was originally for £70 of damages, one half of the amount 

 of rent. This litigation will involve an expense of little short 

 of £200. The principal witnesses who were called on the part 

 of the pursuer spoke distinctly, one and all of them, to the 

 damage, and the exact amount of damage sustained by the 

 landlord, through the defender's alleged miscropping. On 

 cross-examination they were called upon by the defender's 

 agents to state the grounds upon which they made their 

 computation, and the grounds on which they formed their 

 opinion. They all declared that as the tenant had been crop" 

 ping iu a way not approved by them, the only way of esti- 

 mating the amount of damage per acre was the quality of the 

 crop. They all said there was not a better crop in Kincar- 

 dineshire, and that therefore, as he by miscropping had taken 

 an extra benefit, it must he returned to the landlord. Sheriff 

 Watson, the substitute, in his interlocutor, said, " This would 

 be palpably unjust;" and the principal Sheriff in his note 

 adds, in regard to the witnesses data of calculation, " This is 

 strange doctrine." 



