554 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



mail tends to a mutton chop against a clear piece of roast beef, for 

 reasons that the Inhmcl Revenue could cx2)lain. 



Now, to rei)ly to objections before I hear them. The foremost of 

 these will be, no doubt, " What will yon do with your straw ? " This 

 does not apply to the cold lands of England, but to that large portion 

 where it has ever been considered that a man farms best by having 

 most cattle to consume the straw and convert it into manure, and by 

 being, generally speaking, a large sheep farmer as well. Take the 

 cast of England as an illustration. But to the question — ^" What will 

 you do with your straw '? I cannot tell you in toto, but I can show 

 you in part ; and as many men are of many parts, I hope other men 

 will try to find out more than I have done. I keep all my cart-horses 

 on straw, or preciously near so, as fodder ; and they are in the stable 

 or fold-yards 365 days in the year, A tremendous lot of straw can 

 most advantageously be got quit of in this way. I have at present 

 about 60 horses consuming 1 peck of crushed corn or sprouted barley, 

 and 2 lb. of oilcake daily. I have no sick horses — not one per cent. 

 TJiey live too long, and won't die ; so I kill them for the kennels at 

 Brockleby. I am no horse dealer, and know less than nothing of that 

 crafty craft ; but I do know that one of the big blots of bad farming 

 is the turning out of cart-horses on grass lands. Not even steam 

 cultivation or aught else can remedy the harm occasioned by this 

 folly or mismanagement. 



Next, as I have said — and, perhaps, to many it is a new saying — 

 cart all your chaff from the thrashing-machine on your grass lands at 

 any time, and in any quantity, as may be convenient ; and the early 

 worm will ever be conveniently hard by, to help to fertilize. Further, 

 in case of a reiiletion of straw, I believe a large quantity might be cut 

 into chaff, and placed between the ridges of turnips planted at the 

 ordinary width of twenty- seven inches apart, where it would act as an 

 absorbent of all urine, &c., on sheep farms where no grass land can 

 be had. 



Mr. Dent, M.P. : When the sheep are eating it off? 



Mr. Tore : Yes, on light lands, between the ridges of turnips. I 

 have some done in this way, though not to a great extent. But 

 you may apply an immense quantity of chaff' to grass lands, and that 

 with wonderfully good effects. At all events, in a good farm, some 

 big stacks of old straw may thus be well disposed of. Some may think 

 this a wild suggestion, who have never been bothered with too much 

 chaff. Only don't biu'ii it, and give your neighbom's the benefit of the 

 smoke. Surely, many will criticise these conceits, as they may be 

 called, and say, " Why not sell the straw?" Near to a town this may 

 do ; but the landlord has a clear right to see that, although " straw is 

 only straw," a poor farm is not made yet poorer by waste. Too great 

 advances cannot be made to the root crops, either on the lightest or 

 heaviest soils, care being taken that all the produce, or as near as 

 may be, is returned to those soils. Hence I have ever argued that 

 this is the best mode oi placing manures. 



To conclude : What I maintain is, that all farming should hold 

 sacred the indestructibility of matter. The world weighs now, as 



