FxiRMERS REGISTER— FOUR-FIELD ROTATION. 



385 



work, but how high condition might be maintain- 

 ed, under such circumstances, at the least expense. 

 In the course of mvestigation we were much 

 struck with the bcautitul concUtion of the Eiu'l of 

 Balcarres's horses ten of which ar(; kept in Liv- 

 erj)ool ibr the purpose of -<lelivering the coal 

 brought tliither from his lordship's mines, and by 

 the kindness of Mr. Cannell, his lordshlj)'s a,genf, 

 though not, it is true, without some demur on his 

 part, as to what appeared so inquisitorial an in- 

 vestigation, we are enabled to make a statement 

 which may be imjolicitly relied on. 



Lord Balcarres's horses, like most of those used 

 for draught in this town, are particularly large, 

 and in a district quite celebrated, and justly so, lor 

 this description of horse, we certainly liave seen 

 nothing equal, take them altogether, to his lord- 

 ship's teams. So superior are they, indeed, that 

 we venture to recommetid any agricultural visitor 

 to Liverpool to make ai)ointof seeing them. Tiiey 

 are principally horses bred in Lancashire, and of 

 the black breed which has long been the boast ol' 

 the lt\rmers in the neighborhood of Liverpool. 

 # ****** 



It may not be improper to preface the account 

 of the manner in which Earl Balcarres's horses 

 are kept by observing that they make long days, 

 and the average load of two horses is three tons, 

 incbiding the cart. 



The following is a statement of the nature, 

 quantit}^, and cost of the food consumed by ten 

 horses during seven days. The outside current 

 prices are charged for each article, and, of course, 

 the reader will bear in mind that a different state 

 of markets v»dll vary the cost of maintenance. 



Keep of ten horses seven days: 



£ s. d. 

 33 bushels (901bs per bushel) of potatoes, 



steamed, at Is. 6d. per bushel, . .296 

 2^ bushels (601bs) of barley, crushed very 



fine, at 4s 10 



2i ditto beans (601bs) do. at 4s. 6d. Oil 3 

 22 stones (201bs) of cut hay to mix with 



potatoes, at 9d. per stone . . .0166 

 14 stones (201bs) of hay uncut, at 9d. . 10 6 

 Fire and labor, . . . ..020 



£4 19 9 



We repeat that the horses kept thus are in the 

 highest possible condition and health, and while 

 we re-assert that the particulars of the statement 

 may be relied on, it will be admitted that this plan, 

 which lias been adopted in Ireland, and also 

 America, is well entitled to be called economical. 

 To what has alreaily been said, it may be proper 

 to add, that a mode of horse-keeping, similar in 

 nature, has long prevailed among the farmers of 

 Lancashire, but they have not benefited to any 

 thing like the extent which the adoption of the 

 perfected system, previously mentioned, would al- 

 low of. There is, however, no reason why they 

 should not do so, and it may be hoped this'state- 

 ment will reach the hands of some infiucntial oc- 

 cupier, who will regard the matter in its proper 

 light, and b}' his example promote what oar re- 

 commendation mio;ht otherwise in vain attemiil. 



FOtR-FIELD ROTATION TURKEY WHEAT. 



To tlie Etlitor of tlic Fanners' Rpgister. 



IVeslover, October llth, 1834. 



My wheat crop of this year has not met my ex- 

 pectations fully, though a pretty good one; aver- 

 aging 17^ to the acre. I thought after it was har- 

 vested it would 3-ield 20 bushels per acre. The 

 fallow field, although much the thimiest land pro- 

 duced 2200 bushels, and the corn land 1300. The 

 crop in Curie's Neck brought an average of 13 

 bushels on a surlace of 800 acres. These crops 

 plead much fjr the four-field and fallow-system, 

 although liir from being full ones. I expect in a few 

 more years (particularly if enabled 'to marl) to 

 average from 20 to 25 bushels per acre with almost 

 a certainty, as my farm is rapidly improving fi-om 

 the wonderful effects of clover and plaster. 



I have introduced into this neighborhod a most 

 valuable wheat, and of which you must get some 

 the next season for trial. It is called the turkey 

 wheat: from what cause it takes this name I know 

 not. It is rather a large grain, white, ripens about the 

 same time that the purple straw does; remarkable 

 strong straw; and consequently less liable to tum- 

 ble; and if rusted, the grain seems not to be shrivel- 

 led, and I think j-iekis as much or more than any 

 wheat I have ever tried. It is much approved of by 

 Mr. Chevallie who has reserved itibrmaking family 

 flour. 



I look for each number of your valuable journal 

 with increased interest, and cheering thoughts; as 

 it always brings something new and interesting, to 

 enlighten a poor farmer, and if I wese an empe- 

 ror (as Jeremiah says) t would compel every cul- 

 tivator of the soil, who could spare $5 to take it. 



JOHN A. SELDEIV. 



ON DECOMPOSED SALT AS A MANURE. 



[The following extract is from a review of the trea- 

 tise which we have noticed in a former number of the 

 Farmers' Register. Though the method by which salt 

 is decomposed for manure, is still kept secret by its 

 discoverer, it appears more worthy of notice, from the 

 statements of the following article. If the author of 

 the treatise is as worthy of credit as may be presumed 

 from the respect with which his discovery is spoken of 

 by the reviewer, we must consider the subject of much 

 importance to agriculture. There can be no question 

 of the value of soda, the alkaline base of common salt, 

 as a manure, if it could be obtained cheaply enough; 

 and the decomposition of salt is affirmed to be so effected, 

 as not to add much to the expense of the material.] 



j^n Address to the Landed Interest on. the import- 

 ant discovery of the Decomposition of Salt for 

 the purposes of Manure. 



Bj'^ Henry Kemp. Ridgway St Son. London, 1S34. 

 From the [Britisli] Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 



Salt, in its common state, is doubtless a worth- 

 less and even dangerous manure. The few ex- 

 periments which we made with it in that capacity 

 soon confirmed its worthlessness in our estimtition; 

 and we have heard the late jNIr. Renaie oi' Phnn- 

 tassie, who, it must be acknowledged, was an 

 eminent agriculturist, mention that, In every at- 

 tomjjt he made of it as a manure, the less hemed- 



