24' 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



HADLEIGH FARMERS' CLUB. 



The proceedings at the Annual Root Show of this Society 

 presented many points of agricultural interest. "Although 

 the weights," says the Bury Post, " were not so heavy as 

 usual, the quality of the roots was very superior to that of 

 those which have been placed on the tables during the last 

 four years. Considering the cold season we have passed 

 through, which has been very unfavourable for such produc- 

 tions, it is astonishing that so much size has been obtained. 

 In this respect they certainly did not come up to what have 

 been seen at Hadleigh, nevertheless there was a pretty close 

 approximation. The long mangolds were in weight far su- 

 perior to the globes, the quality being about equal. In 

 these classes there was never before so much competition. 

 The swede turnips were generally exceedingly good, but 

 those exhibited were not taken from those grown for a crop, 

 having chiefly been planted with mangolds. A remarkable 

 flwede turnip, shown by Mr. Joseph Rand, attracted a con- 

 siderable share of notice. It weighed no less than 221bs., 

 and for beauty of shape could not be surpassed, It was a 

 solitary one ina fieldofmangold.theseed having been acciden- 

 tally deposited there. The white turnips were produced in 

 the natural way. and a better quality of this description of 

 root has never been shown on these occasions. There was 

 an extraordinary one, of the decanter species, forwarded by 

 Miss Rowley, of Holbecks, which weighed 181bs. The 

 cabbages were very large, and some of them were of great 

 weight." 



The discussion at the " tea" was, as usual, of a high 

 order. Mr. Postans, referring to the award of the judges, 

 and speaking for himself and colleagues, said there was a 

 greater disproportion in the weight and quality of the roots 

 than the judges had expected to see, and he therefore had 

 made two classes of the mangolds. There were altogether 

 24 acres shown— twelve 2-acre pieces, and he divided them 

 into sixes. He put the six lightest weights by themselves, 

 and the six greatest weights by themselves, and he would 

 now state the result according to their weights, beginning 

 at the lowest. Of the mangolds the lowest in weight were 

 those of the Rev. Arthur Wallace, of Monk's Eleigh : they 

 weighed only 15^ tons. The next highest weights, they 

 considered, were those of Mr. John Cook, of Hadleigh : the 

 judges did not weigh them, for they saw they were much 

 lighter than others they went over — they calculated them 

 to be about twenty tons per acre. The next were Mr. 

 Robert Hawkin's, of Milden Hall : these they did weigh, 

 and they came out 21 tons 4 cwt. The next were Messrs. 

 Rand's, which were of very nice quality, and grown on a 

 high piece of land at Layham — they weighed 21 tons 17 

 cwt. The next Mr. Samuel Kersey's, of Hadleigh — 24 

 tons 8^ cwt. Then Messrs. Rand's, at Ivy Tree Farm, 24 

 tons 17 cwt. These were the six lighter 'pieces. Dividing 

 the totals by six, they came out on the average 21 tons 6 

 cwt. to the acre. They estimated them to come out on their 

 nett weight, without their tops, at about 16^ tons per acre. 

 He would now give them the weights of the six best. The 

 lightest weight, which he would begin with, were those of 

 Mr. Phillip Mason, of Dedham, 25 tons 18 cwt. The next 

 were Mr. John Vince's, of Hadleigh : they were of very 

 beautiful quality, grown on a very good piece of land, and 

 they came out 30 tons 1 cwt. Their nett weight was 24 



tons 4 cwt. : they were particularly light in tie tops. 

 Then came Mr. Walter Strutt's, of Groton, which came 

 out exactly the same weight per acre, viz., 30 tons 1 cwt. 

 Messrs. Rand's, of Layham, on their fen farm, came out 

 32 tons 11 cwt,, the nett weight being 23 tons 9 cwt. Those 

 of Wra. Gurden, Esq., of Brantham, weighed 32 tons 13 

 cwt , about 2 cwt. more than Messrs. R»nd's in the gross : 

 their nett weight was, however, 25 tons 5^ cwt. Mr. James 

 Norman's, of Layham, weighed 44 tons 3 cwt. (Applause.) 

 He ought to have stated, but had forgotten to do so, the 

 number of roots to the rod. Mr. Vince's numbered 80 

 roots to the rod, Messrs. Rand's 71, Mr. Gurden's 90, 

 Mr. Norman's 93. He thought there were 102 or 103 on 

 one rod and 83 on the other, of Mr. Norman's, go that they 

 were rather dissimilar as to their quantities. They were 

 very full of growth. He (Mr. Postans) had the curiosity, a 

 month after the judges had looked them over, they being 

 very near to his, to see how much they had increased in the 

 time. He found in the root they had increased upwards of 

 three tons, and very little in their tops, which had begun to 

 wither. He thought it was worth while to mention this to 

 the society, thinking it might be interesting to some of the 

 members in reference to the question whether they might 

 not keep their roots growing longer than they sometimes 

 did. (Hear, hear !) The average weight of the six heaviest 

 pieces with their tops was about 32 tons 11 cwts. — without 

 their tops about 25 tons. Mr. Joseph Rand, he dared saj% 

 would have noticed as to the two pieces of mangold on his 

 fen land, that there was a great disparity in the weight of 

 roots alone, when they were without the tops, between his 

 and Mr. Gordon's— very nearly two tons per acre more of 

 roots on Mr. Gurdon's, with very little more weight in the 

 gross. This the judges thought an essential matter, as the 

 root of course was the most valuable part, and Mr. Gurdon's 

 roots were superior to the others ; and they ouglit also to 

 make allowance for Mr. Rand's being grown on fen land, for 

 they always came much coarser on fen land than on upland. 

 They awarded the first prize to Mr. Norman — they were of 

 course well cultivated — (applause) — and the second prize to 

 Mr. Gurdon, which he (as having offered the prize) conse- 

 quently gave to himself. (Applause and laughter.) As to 

 Mr. Gurdon's transplanted mangolds, he wished to mention 

 that the judges did not find them so heavy as others, nor so 

 good. He forgot what was the exact difference in the 

 weights, but he thought it was about three tons between 

 the transplanted ones and the others. The transplanted 

 ones were three tons less, and had more fibrous roots on 

 them, and they were not so clear of small roots as the others, 

 and the judges certainly did not think them so good. Mr. 

 Gurdon would perhaps have something to say upon this by 

 and by ; but he had thought it best publicly to express the 

 judges' opinion. He made the weight of Mr. Gurdon's 

 transplanted ones 28 tons 10 cwt. with, and 22 tons 2 cwt. 

 without their tops. He now came to the swede turnips. 

 He had classed these just as he had done the others, begin- 

 ning with the lightest weights. The lightest they found 

 were Mr. Wallace's, of Monk's Eleigh, which came to about 

 six tons per acre. They then saw some very good roots at 

 Mr. Tiffen's : they were grown upon the ridge ; but being 

 at great distances, the same as mangold wurtael, and very 



