434 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



every portion of the body; thus restoring its original 

 plumpness and activity. 



Argument, however, seldom convinces, and is not the 

 purpose of this communication; therefore, in order to prove 

 the truth of the above, I make the following offer, subject 

 to the annexed conditions (which are intended to prevent 

 my being expected to practise upon some worthless animal 

 in the hands of mercenary parties) ; but which I should be 

 willing to modify to any extent not likely to interfere with 

 the decisive character of the proof : — 



In order to demonstrate the practicability of removing 

 both the cause of what is frequently termed " old age," and 

 its effects, I hereby engage to supply to ary oue gentleman, 

 free of all cAarjfe, and subject only to the following condi- 

 tions, a preparation which shall completely restore to vigor- 

 ous and active condition any superannuated horse, and that 

 this restoration shall not be a mere temporary stimulus, but 

 actually render the horse again serviceable. 



J. That the horse be not less than twenty-five years of 



age, and have been the winner of a cup at any of the first 

 class races in England, or if a hunter or carriage-horse, 

 have at some period of his career changed hands for not 

 less than 'JOO guineas. 



2. That it be certified that at the present time the horse 

 is free from acute disease, dislocations, or other affections, 

 save and except only the ossification, or stiffness of " old 

 age," and its consequent disability to work ; the certificate 

 to be accompanied by a general statement of the present 

 capabilities of the horse. 



3. That the owner undertakes to cause the preparation to 

 be regularly given to the horse as directed (in food), during 

 the whole course of the experiment. 



4. That the horse (being already superannuated) shall re- 

 main, during the treatment, free from labour, and be fed 

 upon suitable ordinary food. 



5. That at the termination of the treatment, the owner 

 of the horse furnish me with another certificate, and report 

 of the then state and capabilities of the horse. 



G. H. Bolton, (Agricultural Chemist.) 

 Warrimjlon, \ilh March, 1859. 



THE CATTLE OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. 



[translated from the FRENCH OF THE " JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE."] 



To M. le Baron de Clazeau de Cleraut. 



Monsieur,— la the Journal of Practical Agriculture of 

 the 20 th November last, page 408, I read a letter signed by 

 you, entitled "On the Ovine and Porcine Breeds at the 

 Regional Meeting of the Niort." This letter replies to the 

 complaints of M. le Marquis de Dampierre. If I take the 

 liberty of interfering in a debate raised between two men so 

 respectable, from their spirit, their tone of progress, and de- 

 votion to agriculture, it is certainly not for the purpose of 

 taking part or cause of one or the other. My only object is 

 to point out some errors you have committed, inadvertently 

 without doubt, and which in my humble judgment may create 

 a prejudice to be regretted in the progress of agriculture of 

 our common country. The condition of French agriculture is 

 too critical to allow those devoted to it to stand neuter, and 

 refrain from defending it against even its friends. I therefore, 

 hope Sir, that you will not see in this letter a personal attack 

 upon yourself, whom I have not the honour of knowing, but 

 only a conscientious protest against some hazarded assertions, 

 and the conclusions you draw from them, in order to support 

 your arguments in an article so much the more dangerous 

 that it is written with great refinement of style and spirit. 



You say, " But ought not the jury to take into considera- 

 tion the different conditions of agriculture and breeding in 

 the two countries ? Does it not know at what an expense of 

 infinite care, solicitude, and of rich and abundant food, Eng- 

 land produces those races, the importation of which they re- 

 commend to us ?" &c , &c. Then comes a bucolic description 

 of fine and luxuriant pastures, in which the happy flocks of 

 sheep strut softly about.orextend themselves upon the verdant 

 turf, and see, without disturbance, abundance everywhere 

 around ^them, &c., &c. Then again comes a description of 

 those troughs filled with cut hay and straw, cooked by steam, 

 and interlarded with lindseed cake reduced to powder, 

 which await them at the fold when they return thither at 

 night, &c., &c. 



I know not, air, whether you have visited England os a 



simple tourist, or as an agriculturist. All I can say is, that 

 your description is too poetical. The attention given to the 

 sheep in England, is far from deserving your exaggerated 

 praises. During twenty years that I have travelled over Eng- 

 land, in every respect as an agriculturist, in no part have I 

 seen the meadows as you say, withdrawn from the scythe. In 

 the counties where the breeding of sheep is most general, there 

 are few or no meadows ; and I can assure you, that with the 

 exception of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Lancashire, and some 

 of the central districts of England, where agricultural industry 

 consists only in the fatting of cattle on pasturage, as in the 

 valley of Auge in Normandy, the sheep feed only on artificial 

 grasses, and are penned on the open earth. Besides, the South- 

 downs and Hampshire-downs live commonly in the most 

 frugal manner upon the downs of the counties of which they 

 are the natives ; and certainly those sandy downs are 

 far from presenting that aspect of rich meadows of which you 

 speak. Again, I would thank you to tell me, where in Eng- 

 land you have seen the sheep go for the night to feed out of 

 troughs filled with provender ? It is a spectacle I have never 

 jet witnessed. At all events you ought not to cast blame 

 upon the English for taking good care of their animals, since 

 you recommend it yourself ; nor must you suppose that the 

 English farmers malte the rearing of them a costly luxury 

 from which they derive no profit. But I see what you are 

 aiming at. You do not wish the French agriculturists to im- 

 port those magnificent breeds, " Because," say you, " the 

 habits of French agriculture are bad ; there are only moors 

 there in the place of the English meadows," &c. But, Sir, 

 before applying themselves to the culture of roots and artificial 

 grasses, the English began by improving their breeds of ani- 

 mals. An agricultural progress, in order to be founded on 

 logical and solid bases, should begin by the improvement of 

 breeds ; that being the multiplication and increase of the power 

 of making dung. How would you wish our farmers to aban- 

 don their fallows and produce roots? For that, manure is 



