THE FARMER'S iMAGAZlNE. 



265 



spring ; the wiry stems are refused by cattle, and 

 become very unsightly, and from the smallness of 

 produce, and from the plants forming dense tufts 

 at the roots, it is unfit for the alternate husbandry; 

 but for pastures, and for all jjermanent purposes, if 

 the land be of a dry and hard nature, and rather in- 

 ferior quality, and if sheep are to be fed on it, this 

 grass must form a principal part of the mixture 

 of seeds that are sown for that purpose. It is cer- 

 tainly not suited for low, swampy situations, or 

 for irrigation ; but on all the poorer clays, chalks, 

 and gravels, especially on the former, it holds tlie 

 first place, and often covers the ground, and aflfords 

 a bite where every other grass has nearly failed. 

 An acre is stated to yield at the time of flowering 

 6,12o lbs.; when ripe, 12,251 lbs., and the latter- 

 math 3,403 lbs. ; the nutritive matter in the first 

 crop being nearly double that of either of the two 

 last, which are the same, and are to the flowering 

 crop in value as 10 to 17; 1,920 grains of the 

 leaves give 83 grains of nutritive matter. It is 

 difficult, almost impossible, in many situations, to 

 keep down the wiry culms of this grass by any mode 

 of grazing; the scythe is often applied ; but that 

 fault, if it be any, is amply compensated by the 



grateful herbage It affords to sheep, on soils and 

 in seasons where any other grass can with diffi- 

 culty exist. The quantity of seed is 4 lbs. to an 

 acre. 



For permanent purposes, some few grasses are 

 added to the six plants that have been described : 

 as poas, bromes, and oat grass; but in small quan- 

 tities, and with an indifl^erent prospect. The 

 grasses that have been mentioned constitute the few 

 useful plants, and must be varied in the quantity of 

 seed according to circumstances. The descriptions 

 now made have been derived from a very extensive 

 experience of a long and varied duration, on soils 

 of many qualities and under very different cli- 

 mates. The statements are conveyed in terms 

 wholly devoid of scientific verbiage and of chemi- 

 cal nomenclature, in order that the comprehension 

 may be easy, and the prospect simple and plain. 

 Unless this provision attend such statements, the 

 labour is useless, and the trouble a waste of time. 

 The writer could have burdened his experience 

 with botanical language equal to Smith and Lindle)'; 

 but for farming purposes, it is just the thing to be 

 avoided. He hopes that the practitioner will be 

 pleased. J. D. 



LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 



DAY OR PEACE-WORK? 



"It is often said that we conic here and talk about 

 what every practical man knows. I believe if gentle- 

 men who carp at our discussions would come amongst 

 us, they would find that their attainments in agricul- 

 tural knowledge are not quite so transcendent as they 

 imagine, and that a great deal of information on a 

 variety of sul)jects connected with their calling may be 

 gathered from the business men who frequent this 

 Club. One great advantage in the discussions is, that 

 although we may not advance anything new, and 

 although we may fail in proposing or recommending 

 the best system, the whole agricultural mind is turned 

 to the subject, and our sayings and doings are tho- 

 roughly canvassed by the practical, and very often by 

 the unpractical, in their private cotei'ies, or at those dis- 

 cussion forums — the market ordinaries." So said Mr. 

 Charles Howard, of Biddcnham, Bedfordshire, in the 

 opening sentences of a paper he had been called upon 

 somewhat suddenly to prepare for the Central Farmers' 

 Club. The agricultural world, however, would seem 

 hardly to warrant the word of censure implied in the 

 first part of our extract. His own case, indeed, offers 

 an instance to the contrary. When Mr. Howard 

 kindly consented to aid the Committee in their hour of 

 dirtlculty, he had all the leading farmers of the king- 

 dom with him. As he himself says, the popular 

 notion that farmers are bad correspondents is a most 

 fallacious one, as he had " very prompt replies 

 from nearly every one to whom he wrote." And 

 with excellent judgment he wrote to the picked 

 practical men of England and Scotland; so that 



the carpers and sneerers, wherever they be, can have 

 had but little effect so far on the value of these 

 monthly meetings. The discussion, in fact — in open 

 defiance to one of the rules and regulations — was 7tot 

 confined to members of the Club. Making Mr. 

 Howard their mouthpiece, many gentlemen who had 

 never set a foot in Bridge-street still gave their ex- 

 perience and opinions under the sanction of the Society. 

 This excellent practice is now coming much to prevail 

 in the proceedings. The command of some such 

 similar correspondence was obtained by Mr. Fisher 

 Hobbs and Mr. Scott Burn, in their several addresses 

 towards the close of last year, and with all advantage 

 to the subject and object. Even in these times of short 

 journeys by rail, and shorter answers by telegraph, 

 many a friend in the country will write when lie will 

 not come, and of the two, perhaps, prefer puitiiig his 

 notions upon paper to delivering them in person. 

 Now and then a lecturer will be so well up in his case 

 as to require but little support from others; while, on 

 the other hand, there are many questions which cannot 

 be properly treated without collecting and comparing 

 the evidence of different districts. 



Mr, Howard's theme was one of these. The moral 

 condition of the labourer has, both in and out of the 

 Club, been very well argued of late ; and the aim now 

 was to take the workman from a yet more directly 

 practical point of view. What was his work worth ? 

 Or, which was the best way to employ it ? On this 

 Mr. Howard gathered the evidence of his brother far- 

 mers from all parts of the kingdom, and from all the 



y 



