202 Chronicles of Science. [ April, 
discussion before similar societies in all parts of the country. At 
the Hexham Farmers’ Club—which has just lost its founder by the 
death of Mr. John Grey, who perhaps more than any other man in 
the country was trusted by all parties as the best exponent of 
these relations—the subject has been lately re-discussed under the 
guidance of Mr. C. G. Grey, who has succeeded his father in the 
management of the large estates of the Greenwich Hospital in 
the North of England. An elaborate lease was laid before the 
club for its approval, in which the style of cultivation was lmited 
rather than defined; and among other particulars, a list of un- 
exhausted manures was specified, for which at certain rates the 
tenant was to receive repayment on giving up the land. For lime 
applied during the last year of the lease, the outgoing tenant was 
to receive the full price paid at the kiln—for bonedust one-half the 
bill—for guano one-third. The faults appear to us twofold:— 
There is too much detailed instruction as to what, under penalty, 
the tenant shall and shall not do; and there is not a sufficiently 
detailed account of the repayments which are due to him provided 
he maintains good and energetic management till the close of the 
term. Many, at least, of those improvements to which Mr. Bone 
referred appear to dave no place in Mr. Grey’s schedule of 
repayments. 
We may, however, find some explanation of this in another 
Farmers’ Club discussion. At Maidstone, some weeks ago, a 
very interesting paper was read by Mr. Robertson, “On The Agri- 
cultural Differences between the North and South of England,” 
in which it was pointed out that in the former it was the almost 
invariable practice of the landlord himself to undertake the expendi- 
ture involved in permanent improvements of the land. Thus the 
late Duke of Northumberland laid out more than half-a-million of 
pounds during his lifetime in the improvement of his Northumber- 
land estate; and of this 200,000/. was spent on drainage, 5 per cent. 
being charged upon the tenant for the outlay. Other differences 
in management are of course explained on the ground of climate ; 
and here we come upon those limits to agricultural enterprise 
resident in the very nature of the plants and animals which are 
its object, which some reckless innovators disregard,—to their 
loss. ‘The cultivation of mangold-wurzel in the South is one of 
those specialities of management which are explained in this way ; 
and the superiority of the turnip crop in the North is another ; and 
both of these differences were commented on by Mr. Robertson, 
who urged on the attention of the Kentish farmers the compensating 
opportunities and possibilities which a southern climate places within 
his reach. The farmers’ clubs of Ireland are in no respect behind 
those of England. At Athy, Ballymahon, and other places, many 
very excellent agricultural essays are read every year, on subjects 
whose discussion cannot fail to be of service to the Irish farmer. 
