THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



105 



never seem to coiue to any dcAuite results ; and I think onu 

 public experimeut, as Mr. Richardson suggests, where the 

 manures are to be applied alone, at the same cost per acre, 

 without ashes or anything else, and ou the same soil, and all 

 done under the same management, is just the thing the 

 farmers want. Ou the sf.reugth of these remarks from Mr. 

 Brown, Mr. Hobson, and many other gentlemen present, Mr. 

 Kichardson said, " I will advertise the experiment next week, 

 and throw it open to all England." I now think, gentlemen, 

 what I have said is sufficient to exonerate Mr. Richardaou 

 from any scheme, beyond that of a great, grand, and praise- 

 worthy public scheme for the public benefit. Gentlemen, 

 agriculture must be progressive— must go a-head. It cannot 

 stand still : it is the source from whence millions derive the 

 means of satisfying their daily wants, and must, therefore, go 

 ou increasing in its results, in accordance with the increased 

 demands which are made upon its resources; and it is to such 

 enterprising, energetic gentlemen as Mr. Richardson, that we, 

 the manure-merchants, the manure-manufacturers, and you, 

 the farmers, are indebted, for keeping pace with the necessary 

 progressive movements of the day. What has this Hibald- 

 stowe experiment shown us ? It has shown us that the well- 

 incorporated, uniform, and well-manufactured superphosphate 

 made by our friend Mr. Odams took the lead and ascendancy, 

 for common turnips, over all other ammoniacal phosphatic 

 manures, producing a weight of four tons per acre more than 

 the lowest competitor. We also learn that the phospho- 

 Peruvian guano has taken the ascendancy in the experimeut 

 for swedes, beating bones and Gibbs' Peruvian guano some 

 two or three tons per acre ; and as the time has now come 

 when the great aim of the farmer must be to produce the 

 greatest quantity of food for man, and that at the least pos- 

 sible cost, I think Mr. Richardson has, through the instru- 

 mentality of this Hibaldstowe experiment, made a great, 

 grand, and progressive achievement in finding out those ma- 

 nures that are best adapted to grow the largest amount of 

 produce per acre at the least possible cost. 



Mr. Frederick Richard Marshall (who officiated as 

 vice-chairman, in the absence of Mr. West), proposed "The 

 health of the Judges— Mr. Hobson, of Kettleby. Thorpe; Mr. 

 C. Nicholson, of Stauiwells ; Mr. Fowler, of Kirton Grange ; 

 Mr. C. Nicholson, Mr. John Stephenson, of Burnbam ; and 

 Mr. M, Maw, jun., of Cleatham." Mr. Marshall passed a 

 warm eulogiura upon the gentlemen whose healths he had 

 proposed, for the admirable manner in which they had per- 

 formed their arduous and important duties. Speaking from 

 intimate acquaintance with Mr. Hobson and Mr. Cfaarles 

 Nicholson, be said, better judges for the experiment could not 

 have been selected ; for they were among the best growers of 

 turnips in the county of Lincoln. 



Mr. Hobson responded. Mr. Horner had referred to a 

 conversation which took place ia that room with respect to 

 the experimeut which they had seen brought to a successful 

 issue. It was suggested at that time that an equal amount of 

 money value per acre should be represented in the contest, and 

 he (Mr. Hobson) might take to himself the credit of that 

 money value. Subsequently a wish was expressed to reduce 

 the standard, and it was done; but he, nevertheless, was 

 still of opinion that the amount he fixed in the first instance 

 would have been better (Hear, hear). As to the manner iu 

 which the experimeut had been carried out, he believed that 

 nothing could have been more fair and just (Hear, hear). The 

 land had no producing properties left in it beyond its natnrnl 

 npabilities (Hear, hear), and th^t was the only pmper way in 

 wui.li to try inch ;; ex; r .: ■.;'.. Had manure been left in 

 the land, it could not have been terr-.e i a fair test, but in this 



case the laud was perfectly bare (Hear, hear). It had been in- 

 sinuated that some manure entered for competition had been 

 specially manufactured for the purpose; but, really, looking 

 at the very short time which elapsed between the competition 

 being invited by Mr. Richardson and the sowing of the seed, 

 be saw no reason for believing that anything of the kind was 

 done by any one of the competitors. He had every reason to 

 believe that the competing manures were taken from the bulk, 

 and if there was any fault at all in the contest it rested with 

 the manures themselves. 



Mr. Matthew Maw and Mr. John Stephenson also briefly 

 responded, expressing their belief that the experiment was a 

 bona fide and honest test of the value of the different manures 

 entered for competition. [Mr. Fo-iler was not present.] 



Mr. Horner rose and said, that iu order to render the 

 experiment as satisfactory as it possibly could be to all par- 

 ties, he would suggest that the winning lot of swedes should 

 be re-weighed on the IGth of February, and the result then 

 announced. 



The Chairman next presented to Mr. George Seagrave, 

 of Liverpool, the introducer of the Phospho-Peruvian Guano 

 into this county, the silver tankard which we have before re- 

 ferred to. He said the farmers were much indebted to the 

 introducers of these manures; but he mast again impress upon 

 manufacturers the necessity of producing fertilizers at as low 

 a price as consistent with adequate remuneration, in order to 

 meet the present reduced rates of agricultural produce. 



Mr. Seagrave said : This guano has been applied at the 

 rate of 12,1. per ton, or, in other words, in the quantity of 

 about 1 oz. to the square yard, iu competition with the liberal 

 application of other manure of very deserving high character. 

 Under any circumstauces, too great a compliment cannot be 

 paid to some of the manufacturers of such manures as have 

 bsen supplied in the case of the experiment in question, at the 

 rate of price at which they have been entered, and upon which 

 the calculations have been based. I feel convinced, judging 

 from these analyses, that my native county can proudly boast 

 of a fair and honest competition such as no other county en- 

 joys ; and I feel assured that the unvarying supply to the 

 agriculturists of Lincolnshire of artificial manures, up to the 

 standard of these analyses, will, instead of, as I am told exists, 

 a " shyness between the buyer and seller," or rather " on the 

 part of the buyer towards the seller," call forth a pleasurable 

 greeting at every market meeting whenever the manufacturer, 

 agent, or seller shall be brought into contact with the con- 

 sumer. In addition to which, I am assured that the seller or 

 sellers of adulterated manures in this district (if he or they 

 have not already done so) will find the honest competition so 

 hot for them, that they will have to repair to some less favoured 

 district (which will be likely to prove more favom-able to them 

 and to their calling), where neither analysis nor guarantee is re- 

 quired : under such competition as I have just alluded to, the 

 sale of spurious manures will in time be most effectually put 

 a stop to, by the proof of comparative practical experiment 

 and demonstration. And ia order not only effectually but 

 speedily to put a stop to euch impositions, which are the true 

 cause of the " shyness on the part of the farmer towards the 

 seller of artificial manures," not knowing in whom he may 

 place confidence, and oa the principle of " once bit twice shy," 

 and which shyness we must all look upon as the natural con- 

 sequence — I say, in order not only effectually, but speedily to put 

 a stop to imposition, Mr. Richardson has suggested a plan 

 which, if carried into effect, would at once tend to attain the 

 object in view, and thereby prove conducive to the interests of 

 all concerned, by giving a substantial guarantee to the farmer, 

 and I am sure would wonderfully facilitate the business of the 



