THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



481 



ing classes, who couahtuted the great body of consumers ; 

 and he did not believe the feeder got a fair profit bj' it, 

 when obtained by means of oilcRke, and other high-priced 

 artificial food. In bis opinion the great improve, 

 ments which had been effected of late years in the various 

 breeds of sheep had done more to increase the productive 

 power of the country in animal food, than even the improve- 

 ments introduced in cattle themselves. So far as lie could 

 gather, there was no comparison between the two. He did 

 not think they could lay down any strict rules with regard to 

 breeding and feeding of cattle. He himself was a shorthorn 

 breeder, and had recently sent a lot to California, where they 

 said no other description of cattle was fit to eat (a laugh). 

 He was sure that the grass lands of the country might be 

 improved by the application of artificial manures, and of all 

 such manures none did so much good as bone manure in in- 

 creasing the production of meat for the people. Its value had 

 been proved in the case of milk ; and if it gave more and 

 better milk, it must of course create more and better blood. 



Mr. Bradshaw (Knole, Guildford) said the subject on the 

 card was confined to a very limited sphere ; it was, as he un- 

 derstood it, the larger increase of animal fooJ from the im- 

 proved condition of the pastures of this country. He had had 

 many years' experience on the land of Clieshire. He recol- 

 lected sccins; at Henbury, on a farm belonging to a friend of 

 his. Major Marsdeu, effects produced with bone in the course 

 of eighteen months which were quite wonderful. Thirty-five 

 years ago^ on his own father's farm in Lancashire, he saw 

 bones applied to the extent of three tons per ecre, the price at 

 which they were obtained in Liverpool being very low. In 

 Surrey, where an impression prevailed that bones were of 

 great value, he applied them to his grass lands, and found no 

 great result. The greatest improvement made in pasture 

 lands was, he thought, effected by folding sheep with mangel 

 wurzel or swedes. If a little cake was given so much the 

 better. He had 150 acres of grass land, which he intended to 

 improve in that manner. He agreed with Mr. Owen Wallis, 

 that cake judiciously given to bullocks would produce very 

 valuable effects on land, if the droppings of the bullocks were 

 properly disposed of He had no doubt of the capacity of this 

 country to produce sufficient animal food to supply the growing 

 wants of the people. They might rely upon it that adequate 

 means of doing that would be found. However, that was a 

 vast subject, and he would not attempt to enter into it, No 

 doubt when the cultivation of land was discussed at some 

 future period they would all have had a little more experience 

 with regard to steam, and many might have become converts 

 who were now opposed to it. 



Mr. Fisher Hobbs (Essex) agreed with the preceding 

 speaker, that the subject for discussion was very limited, being 

 simply the improved management of grass lands, with the 

 view of meeting the demands of an increasing population 

 (Hear, hear). He would endeavour to confine himself to that 

 point. Therefore he would not enter into the subject of 

 wood lands, which had been mentioned as one means of in- 

 creasing the acreage of the country ; or of that connected with 

 the question of artificial grasses. He thought the main points 

 for consideration that evening were, first, the improvement of 

 the permanent pastures of the country ; secondly, the im- 

 proved breeding of animals ; and, thirdly, the best and most 

 expeditious means of preparing the animals for the con- 

 Bumption of the people. Now he thought it might 

 be laid down as a fuudamental rule, that upon grass lands, as 

 well as upon arable, drainage was a necessity (Hear, hear). 

 He could not agree with the gentleman who said that evening 

 that they might drain their grass lands too ranch. There 



might be some porous soils which, if the water were extracted, 

 would not nourish those watery plants on which animals were 

 fed. Hence the land might for a time appear to have been 

 impoverished ; but if grass lands were thoroughly drained, 

 broken up, and laid down for pasture, an improved quality of 

 grass would soon show itself, and land which had previously 

 only kept stock in existence, would serve for the general pur- 

 poses of stock-feeding. As regarded the improvement of 

 grass lands, he concurred in the opinion that the use of oil- 

 cake was a very good means of carrying out that object. He 

 had, like many other gentlemen, seen land doubled, and more 

 than doubled, in value in consequence of oilcake to a fair ex- 

 tent having been given to beasts during the summer months. 

 He knew many pastures in this country which would at one 

 time scarcely roaintain a fair amount of ttore stock ; oilcake, 

 however, having been used, it was found that animals fed with 

 grass fattened very well, and within five years at least ten per 

 cent, more animals were fattened upon those very pastures. He 

 was persuaded that oilcake was a simple and comparatively in- 

 expensive mode of improving the grass lands of this country, 

 and of making lands which were previously store pastures, 

 with good management fattening pastures, lie was sure 

 that many graziers would bear him out ia this opinion. Still 

 there were many things to be considered with regard to oil- 

 cake. It was very expensive, and it had become very difficult 

 to purchase it in a genuine state ; and it behoved all farmers 

 to take every possible precaution in order that they might ob- 

 tain a pure article (Hear, hear). Now, with regard to the 

 breeding of animals, they could not possibly do better than 

 follow the advice of Mr. Hudson, by breeding the very best 

 (Hear, hear). Whether their animals were Shorthorns, or Here- 

 fords, or Devons, much depended on the soil and climate, aud as 

 practical men thpy must all feel that Shorthorns, at all events, 

 could not be reare 1 and grazed to a ivantage in every distutt 

 and county of England. He had been a considerable breedej 

 of cattle of different kinds, and he had always found that the 

 best aud cheapest plan was to feed them liberally, to keep 

 them warm and clean during the winter months, and to give 

 them proper shelter during the summer. As regarded in- 

 expensiveness in sheds, an old friend of his recommended 

 sheds that, to use his friend's sporting phraseology, were " got 

 by wood- stack out of clay-pit" (laughter). Perhaps those 

 inexpensive sheds which broke the wiud and protected animals 

 from storms were the most useful. He could not help 

 expressing the opinion that the landlords of England could 

 not do greater service to their tenantry, and through them to 

 the country at large, than by keeping good male animals for 

 the use of their tenants. That would conduce very much to 

 the breeding of the best stock, to early maturity, and to the 

 increase of the supply of food of the nation. Notwithstand- 

 ing what had fallen from Mr. Ramsay, respecting bone-dust, 

 he did not believe it was the best kind of manure for the East- 

 ern County pastures, or that it would lead to such results as 

 that gentleman appeared to anticipate. He (Mr. Hobbs) had 

 sometimes kept Alderney cows ; he had one a short time ago 

 which produced 201bs. 2 oz. of butter in a week. Mr. Wallis 

 had raised a very important question for farmers, in saying 

 that if they followed a six-course system, instead of the four- 

 course, they would be able to rear quite as much stock and 

 produce as much beef. He (Mr. Hobbs) thought that must 

 depend upon peculiarities of district (Hear, hear). Wha , 

 might be beneficial in the midland counties would not be so, 

 as Mr. H'ldson would probably tell tbem, in Norfolk, or as he 

 he himself would say, in Essex. In these last-mentioned 

 counties, the four-course system would, be believed, be more 

 profitable. However, the matter was one deserving of grare 



