Editors Box. 7^9 



of agriculture, thereby enabling them to encourage the system best calcu- 

 lated for the soil, climate, and the many peculiar circumstances of an 

 estate, not merely looking at things in a purely commercial sense, but 

 always having present, to their minds contingencies, remote^ov otherwise, 

 that may arise, and in some way affect the property under their care. 



The great want of suitable buildings on farms generally has attracted 

 much attention of late, particularly that of covered yards, making your 

 correspondent's remarks well timed. Let us hope those Avho may con- 

 tribute on this point will not confine themselves to large, but rather 

 give preference to small holdings, from 150 acres upwards. Subjects 

 appertaining to estates management are many, and it _is to be hoped 

 opinions may be freely given, not merely following the already well- 

 beaten path, but throwing cut new, though it may be crude ideas, which 

 may be moulded into some practical form during discussion. It would 

 be as well that some subjects were hinted at, with the space you could place 

 at their disposal, as a guide to those willing to assist, thus, — 



Draining of land ; 



Laying down of arable land in grass, drawing comparison between food- 

 producing power of such land under grass versus arable culture ; 



Deep cultivation, its effects on the soil, mechanically and chemically ; 



The organic or inorganic constituents of grain, straw, roots, &c., whence 

 derived, or how increased ? culture v. mamire ; 



Are restrictions on the sale of hay, straw, roots, &c., a necessary rational 



method for maintaining the fertility of the soil ? 



Agricola. 



[Such articles as our esteemed correspondent suggests will be quite 

 acceptable, and we will always do our best to aflPord them any reasonable 

 amount of space. — Ed.] 



CLEARING LAND OF TREE ROOTS. 



Sir,— Having almost daily inquiries from gentlemen as to the use of 

 "tonite" in clearing laud of tree roots, I cannot do better than give the 

 information received from the agents of the Earl of Airlie and the Earl of 

 Leicester, whose foresters are now using "tonite" in clearing land, with 

 the results here fgiven. I may remark, however, that Lord Airlie's 

 forester had only given it one trial at the. time he wrote, and having 

 received the tonite only a few days before, this was the first trial, and hi s 

 men had not got properly into the way of using it. I give the account of 

 the experiments in the words of P. Geekie, Esq., Lord Airlie's agent, as he 

 received it from his forester. 



" Blasting Tree Roots on the Estate of Cortachy, December, 1877. 



"Statement showing ? the result of experiments with 'tonite' against 

 gunpowder on spruce fir roots. The roots in each case were cut all 

 round at their extremities, in order to facilitate the throwing out as well 

 as the breaking up of the roots. 



