THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



251 



"ing lines into quadrilateral parallelism ; for most cer- 

 tain it is that every attempt to apply steam to the tillage 

 of irregular enclosures will be lessened in its economic 

 results in proportion to the degree of irregularity. 



Thus, in this and in our previous paper we have de- 

 duced the principles which should guide the reformation 

 of arable enclosures, whether the use of animal strength 



in field-work is to be persevered in, or the impressment 

 of steam as the motor be purposed. In our next essay, 

 concluding the series, will be expressed the principles, 

 both scientific and technical, which should guide the re- 

 construction of the modern fence, apart from what, for 

 want of a more familiar term, may be called the geodetical 

 principles already discussed. 



NOTES ON NOVELTIES AT THE IMPLEMENT DEPARTMENT 

 OF THE SMITHFIELD SHOW. 



Comparatively little space will be required to place 

 before our readers a notice of the novelties of the show 

 of last Christmas month, these being, as stated in the 

 first of our papers, few in number, and not very im- 

 portant in character. 



In the department of steam cultural mechanism, in 

 addition to the apparatus of Mr. Grafton, plans and 

 models of that of Mr. Halkett were exhibited. The 

 main part of Mr. Halkett's system is, as our readers 

 doubtless recollect, the placing of a series of parallel 

 lines of rails along the field to be cultivated; these rails 

 supporting a large frame-work carrying the working im- 

 plements. These rails are permanent, and are in conse- 

 quence costly, not only in their original placing, but in 

 the maintenance of their good working order. Mr. 

 Grafton's system, as explained in our last paper, is de- 

 signed to supersede the costly and cumbrous rails — in 

 how efficient a manner experience has yet to show. 



Passing over the department of machines and imple- 

 ments connected with the culture of the soil, as presenting 

 but little of novelty, and that little having already been 

 noticed in the columns of previous numbers of this 

 journal, we proceed to notice other novelties connected 

 with the " produceof the soil ;" and in this, perhaps, 

 the most suggestive was the corn-drying apparatus of 

 Mr. Fourdriaier, of Grove-terrace, Peckham. We have 

 said that this was the most suggestive of the novelties in 

 this, or perhaps in any of the departments ; and this 

 so in view of what we may call, if not the disasters, at 

 least the disorders, of last year's uncommonly wet and 

 ungenial weather. It is impossible to overrate the im- 

 portance of a means of drying corn in untoward seasons. 

 Last year, if a cheap and easily-managed apparatus had 

 been as accessible to farmers as it unfortunately was 

 not, large amounts would have been saved in this coun- 

 try. It may not be here amiss to oflfer a few remarks in 

 connection with this important subject. 



The advantages obtainable by having the corn well 

 dried — and here we refer especially to wheat as the 

 grand staple of our people's food — are two-fold : first, 

 it enables it to be kept ; and secondly, it increases its 

 bread-producing qualities. The following, in the words 

 of a practical miller, will be interesting and useful : 

 " Dried corn will yield much more flour per bushel, and 

 require about half the machinery to manufacture it, that 

 it otherwise does if not dried. The quality of the flour 

 is improved at least 10 per cent., as by drying the 



wheat all impurities of a vegetable nature are entirely 

 consumed ; and by extracting its natural moisture the 

 flour will consume, when baked, more water than it would 

 before the grain was dried, which makes the bread more 

 palatable, it being more spongy." Any one who is at 

 all conversant with the grinding of wheat into flour, 

 knows well the additional cost occasioned by having 

 damp wheat to work upon : the loss, as stated in the 

 above extract, is 10 per cent. ; of course it will vary in 

 varying qualities ; but as a rule, we should say, that 

 this is the minimum loss, the average being greater. 

 This year we had a sample to grind in a damp state ; 

 by artificially drying it, we estimated the extra work 

 done at fully 40 per cent. 



One of the most important features connected with 

 wheat is the amount of water which it contains. This 

 varies greatly according to climate, locality, and wea- 

 ther. Climate has a remarkable influence in the flour- 

 giving qualities of wheat. Boussingault mentions that the 

 wheats of the North of France are less valuable, and keep 

 for a less time, than the hard horny wheats of the South, 

 ripened under a brighter and fiercer sun. To keep well, 

 the per-centage of moisture should not exceed 10 per 

 cent. ; some wheats, however, show as much as 16 per 

 cent. Experiment has, indeed, shown a marked differ- 

 ence inflour-producing qualities, between a wheat grown 

 in England and in Scotland ; that grown in the former 

 in a warmer district showing a higher yield than that 

 grown in the colder. A London baker, making on a 

 large scale, testifies to the fact that the American grain 

 yields flour which takes up or absorbs 8 to 10 per cent, 

 more of water than the English wheat. This is invaria- 

 bly plumper and finer-looking than the American wheat, 

 which is almost always dried up and shrivelled in 

 appearance. This is caused by the fiercer sun, which 

 beats upon American corn, leaving its farina in a more 

 condensed state, so that when again subjected to mois- 

 ture it absorbs a larger per-centage of water in the 

 process of baking — a point of no small importance, as 

 any baker will explain to you. An addition of damp or 

 extra wet grain thus brings about a double loss : it 

 increases the liability to decay ; and by diminishing the 

 quantity of gluten * renders the flour made from it un- 

 fit for good " panification" or bread-making. 



« Dumas considers that the gluten only is affected by 

 damp,', it having no influence on the starch of wheat. Pro- 

 fessor Beck dissenta from this opiuion, and for the following 



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