438 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE^ 



prevented from making a clear and satisfactory claim 

 upon his seedsman, and which the jury at Lincoln have 

 fully confirmed. 



The suggestions I desire to give are very simple. The 

 first is, that every farmer should be prudent enough to 

 purchase his seed early, and prove them before sowing. 

 Second, that he should thoroughly prepare his 

 soil, and then wait a reasonable time, if necessary, for a 

 suitable season for sowing them. Third, that he 

 shall never sow them without some mild stimulating 

 manure to ensure their rapid growth after germination. 

 Fourth, that he shall commence hoeing as soon as prac- 

 ticable, and as frequently stir the soil by horse-hoe or 

 otherwise, as his judgment dictates : the oftener the 

 better. The usual mode of testing the growth of seeds 

 is by taking a certain number, and lay them between 

 layers of coarse flannel ; then water them freely with 

 rain-water at a mild temperature, drain off all super- 

 fluous water, and lay the flannels in a convenient place, 

 having a temperature of about from 60 to 65 degs. 

 Fahrenheit, taking care to keep the flannels at an equal 

 moisture throughout, but not too wet ; and in about 

 forty-eight hours signs of life in vigorous seeds will ap- 

 pear. The proportion of germinating seeds must be 

 noted, which thus proves the experiment. Another 

 course is to plant a given number of seeds in a flower- 

 pot, and place them in a hot-bed, or in a forcing-house 

 or frame. This is favourable to weak seeds, and does 

 not well prove the quality and strength. A better plan 

 is to sow a few rows in the garden or other convenient 

 spot, and mark the state of the land and the result. 

 Many such schemes are devised ; at all events, if far- 

 mers would but give themselves this little trouble, it 

 would save them from many vexatious disappoint- 



ments, and generally secure a safe and profitable 

 crop. 



The season for sowing clover and grass seeds is at 

 hand. I would by all means urge every grower to make 

 an early purchase, and try them as above. These seeds 

 are very often heated in stock, and lose their vitality. 

 Clovers are almost universally mixed : the general mer- 

 chants, buying^ many samples, put them together ; those 

 of a like quality are placed in one bulk, and vice versa, 

 from whence they are retailed to their various customers, 

 called seedsmen. These again sell to the farmers ; and 

 as they seldom lay in large heavy stocks, they are often 

 in difficulty to match, and towards the close of the sea- 

 son many inferior parcels are sold, and every endeavour 

 is made to clear out the old stocks ; hence everything 

 goes up. It is a great folly to sow inferior seed of any 

 kind, and more particularly any of those seeds which 

 have to make their way under a most promising plant of 

 barley or other corn. The vigorous plant here is sure 

 to live ; but the weakly, sickly, 'almost lifeless emanation 

 ofadefeclive seed is as sure to die. Be sure to deal 

 with a trustworthy and substantial seedsman. You may 

 be guided in a great measure by such a man ; still it 

 would be wise to try all for yourself; it would guide you 

 as to the quantity you would require per acre. I have 

 had capital crops of clover from eight or nine pounds of 

 good seed, and I have seen very inferior crops from 

 double that quantity. From twelve to fourteen pounds 

 of good seed per acre is suflicient on all good clover 

 land, and in a good state for its growth. Only be com- 

 monly prudent and cautious in these matters, and much 

 good will result. Think of a lost mangold crop, a lost 

 turnip crop, a lost clover plant, a lost seed crop ! You 

 cannot estimate the precise damage. 



THE ADVANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN IRELAND. 



A General Election interferes terribly with business. 

 City people shake their heads, and prepare to wait with 

 due resignation until it is over. In the country, how- 

 ever, they more zealously keep up the excitement of the 

 thing, and, despite railways and telegrams, are con- 

 tinually riding in hot haste in and out of head-quai'ters. 

 The local prints abound with meetings and addresses, 

 in which the nice art is evinced of saying as much and 

 meaning as little as possible. But we arc not to be 

 caught in this way. We can only shake our heads 

 and wait until it is over. Notwitlistanding that day 

 after day we see, here, there, and everywhere, country 

 gentlemen stirring up rural audiences, we feel with the 

 used-up exquisite, " there is nothing in it." Green 

 and Blue, Derbyito and Russellite, must settle their dif- 

 ferences ere we can hope for anything very useful or 

 practical — in a word for much in our way. All the 

 world, for a week or two, is electioneering; and the 

 farmer, like the rest of his neighbours, has not much 

 time to mind his own business. 



At such a period, then, any exception to this rule 

 stands out in a very strong light. It must redound 



more than ever to the credit of those who can even now 

 talk calmly and ably of what really concerns them — 

 beyond the designs of Mr. D'Israeli or the prospects of 

 Mr. Bright. Stranger still is it that to the sister- king- 

 dom we must turn for any such illustration as that we 

 would seek. The Dublin Society has just held its usual 

 spring cattle and implement Show. Our own report will 

 tell how the character of this meeting has been more than 

 usually high. "We shall leave this to speak for itself, 

 and dwell here rather on the evening gathering, at 

 which the premiums were distributed. It must be un- 

 derstood, that any gentlemen who take part in these 

 proceedings are expected to have something to say, and 

 the occasion has often, ere now, been distinguished by 

 some very excellent addresses. But the English reader 

 will be pleased to picture to himself a body of Irishmen 

 assembled together on the eve of an election, with a 

 row of industrious reporters before them — we will not 

 even have his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant present 

 to keep them in order— and we can readily imagine the 

 exciting topics they would turn to. The safer plan, 

 after all, will be to let our imagination run no such 



