THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



151 



iraciiig if possible the chemical changes which cheese 

 uudergoea in ripening. 

 The results already obtained are highly interesting and en- 

 couraging; but they cannot be well detailed iu a short report, 

 and will be incorporated in a paper which I hope to contribute 

 to the August Number of the Journal. In conclusion, I would 

 suggest to the Chemical Committee to direct me to coullue my 

 attention more especially to the dairy investigations ; to con- 

 tinue the field experiments of former years, and if time per- 

 mit to investigate the chemical composition and nutritive value 

 of the diiTereut kinds of straw. — Augustus Welcker, lioyal 

 AjricuUural Collc/je, Ciuncesler, Feb. lS(il. 



Letters were read on the prevention of the potato dis- 

 ease, of which the following is the most practical and 

 interesting: — 



" As aeon as I perceive the leaves of lay potatoes to be 

 taioted, I immediately cover them entirely with earth, leaving 

 the roots high and dry, the ridges being not less than 30 inches 

 apart. The consequence is, that every tuber remains perfectly 

 lound, without spot or blemish. I do not pretend to explain 

 tl>e cause of this, which probably may arise from the exclusion 

 of atmospheric influence, as well as moisture ; all I beg to dra* 

 attention to is the etifect. I am at present digging as fine and 

 as healthy potatoes as I ever giew, whilst a considerable por- 

 tion of some which were sown only a few feet distant, but not 

 earthed up, I found to be decayed and useless. This mode of 

 treatment is equally applicable to every variety of potato and 

 every description of soil. I have tried the experiment in fields 

 as well as in gardens, and with the same invariable result. In 

 1850, haviug to plant two ucres of potatoes in a stiff clay soil 

 in Norfulk, I had them ploughed in with a common plough 

 carrying 10 inches to the furrow, leaving the rows 30 inches 

 apart. This was done the third week in Match. After the 

 potatoes were well up, they were hand-hoed, and kept clean 

 until the beginning of June, when they were all earthed up 

 with adoubled-brtasted plough; and in the middle of July 

 ' Howard's patent plough ' was used to take a single furrow 

 from between each row, Uyiug the furrow-slice on the top of 

 the rows, in order to test the efficacy of the method, I leff 

 some of each variety of the potatoes uncovered by the earth 

 On taking the crop up in October I found every tuber of thosi 

 wliic'ii had been covered in tlie way I have described quite 

 healthy and sound, whilst the half of those which had not been 

 earthed up were diseased and entirely useless, thus showing 

 that the potatoes only partially covered were affected by th 

 disease, whilst those entirely covereJ, and, as I said before, 

 lying high aud dry, remained untouched. 



"Directions. — The potatoes, as I have said before, should 

 be planted 30 inches apart from row to row, and 6 inches from 

 set to set in the rows, and be earthed up in the usual way ; 

 nothing further is required until the first appearance of the 

 disease in the haulm, when the tops of the potatoes must be 

 laid on one side of the ridge, and then with a spade take six 

 inches in depth of soil from betwixt the ridges and place it on 

 the plants laid down, and so go on ridge by ridge until the 

 whole are completed ; by which means there will be a trench 

 between each row of potatoes 6 inches below the tubers, which 

 will be left high, dry, and perfectly S3und, all moisture being 

 carried off. As to the expense, wliich some persons have stated 

 would be greater than the gain by this plan, I thiuk it right to 

 mention that the extra labour would be about 2d. per perch, 

 or Devonshire yard. It has been already stated that the plan 

 is equilly applicable to the farm as the garden, the only dif- 

 ference 13 that one is done by manual labour, and the other 

 by horse labour, which any good ploughman can do with a 

 little practice ; the first earthiiig-up with a doubled- breasted 

 plough, the second with a single-breasted one ; laying the fur- 

 row, which is taken from betwixt the ridges, on the top of the 

 ridge of potatoes ; hereby there would be a saving of ex- 

 pense, as a man with a plough and pair of horses would be 

 able to do two acres a day, I hope the plan I have found in- 

 variably to answer will be generally tried another season, as I 

 am confident a great saving would thereby be effected in the 

 food of millions 1" — Leonard Short, Gardener to John Mild- 

 furd, Esq., Coaver, Exeter. 



A pamphlet, and the first ten of a series of original 

 plans issed by the Cottage Improvement Society, were 

 laid on the table, for which thanks were ordered. 



The Council then adjourned to its Weekly Meeting 

 on the 27th inst. 



THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 

 OF ENGLAND. 



STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 1861. 



Hood, Hob. Col. Nelson 

 Vernon, Hon. A. 

 Barnett, Charles 

 Bramston, T. W., M.P. 



Finance. 



Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Howard, James 

 Totr, William 



The President 



Chairman of Finance Com- 

 mittee 

 Cavendish, Hon.W. G.,M.P, 

 Hood, Hon. Col. Nelson 



House. 



Shelley, Sir J. V , Bt., M.P. 

 Braudreth, Humphrey 

 Challoner, Colonel 

 Gibbs, B. T. Brandreth 

 Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Journal, 

 Portman, Lord i Johnstone, Sir J. V. B,, Bt., 



Speaker, The Rt. Hon. The | M.P. 

 Shelley, Sir J. V., Bt., \ Acland, T. Dyke 

 M.P. Milward, Rich>ard 



Northcote, Sir Stafford, Bt., I Thompson, H. S., M.P. 

 M.P. ' Hoskyns, C. Wren 



Chemical. 

 Speaker, The Rt. Hon. The Hoskyns, C. Wren 

 Vernon, Hon. A, Hudson, John 



Johnstone, Sir J. V. B., Bt, Huxtable, Rev. A. 



M P. Lawes, J. B. 



Miles, Sir Wm., Bt., M.P. Sheridan, R. B., M.P. 

 Acland, T. Dyke Thompson, H. S , M.P. 



Daubeny Dr. 



Veterinary. 

 Speaker, The Rt. Hon. The i Challoner, Colonel 

 Shelley, Sir J. V., Bt., M.P. 

 Johnstone, Sir J. V. B., Bt, 



M.P. 

 Mdcs. Sir Wm., Bt., MP. 

 Barker, Thos. Raymond 

 Brandreth, Humphrey 



Gibbs, B. T. Braudreth 

 Hamond, Anthony 

 Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Simonds, Professor 

 Spooner, Professor 

 Ttiompson, H. S., M.P. 



Stock-Prizes. 



Portman, Lord 

 Walsingham, Lord 

 Shelley, Sir J. V.. Bt , M.P, 

 Hood, Hon. Col, Nelson 

 Barnett, Charles 

 Barthropp, Nathaniel G. 

 Druce, Joseph 

 Gibbs, B. T. Brandreth 

 Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Hudson, John 



Portman, Lord 

 Speaker, The Rt. Hon. The 

 Cavendish, Hon. W. G., M.P, 

 Hood, Hon. Col. Nelson 

 Vernon, Hon. A. 

 Shelley, Sir J. V., Bt., M.P. 

 Miles, Sir Wm., Bt, M.P. 

 Amos, C. E. 

 Barnett, Charles 

 Brandreth, Humphrey 

 Caldwell, H. B. 

 Challoner, Colonel 



Portman, Lord 

 Feversham, Lord 

 Walsingham, Lord 

 Speaker, The Rt. Hon. The 

 Johnstone, Sir J. V. B., Bt, 



M.P. 

 Shelley, Sir J. v., Bt, M.P. 

 Hood, Hod. Col. Nelson 

 Barnett, Cbnrlei 



Jonas, Samuel 

 Milward, Richard 

 Pain, Thomas 

 Pope, Edward 

 Smith, Robert 

 Simonds, Professor 

 Torr, William 

 Towneley, Lieut. Col. 

 Turner, George 

 Webb, Jonas 

 Implement. 



Exali, William 

 Gibbs, B. T. Brandreth 

 Hamond, Anthony 

 Howard, James 

 Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Hoskyns, C. Wren 

 Shuttleworth, Joseph 

 Thompson, H. S., M.P. 

 Torr, William 

 Towneley, Lieut. Co'. 

 Waliis, Owen 

 Wilson, Professor 

 Metropolitan Sites. 



Brandreth, Humphrey 

 Challoner, Colonel 

 Gibbs, B. T., Braudreth 

 Hobbs, Wm. Fisher 

 Hoskyns, C. Wren 

 Jonas, Samuel 

 Milward, Richard 

 Thompson, H. S,. M.P. 

 Torr, William 



