SECRETARY'S REPORT. 227 



beans and fattening sheep and other stock he makes a vast 

 quantity of manure, wiiich is after all the great thing for every 

 farm. The cattle stand in pens on open floors, through wliiuh 

 all the liquid manure runs off into the tank, and a jet of water 

 from a hose finely divides the solid droppings and sends them 

 off in the same way. So that the manure which is used is 

 rather liquified than liquid, that is, it includes all excrementi- 

 tious matter, solid and liquid, made fluid by the large addition 

 of water or by decomposition in water. 



Before using the liquid manure accumulated in the tank, a 

 powerful current of air or waste steam is forced tlirough it a 

 few hours, when the whole mass becomes thoroughly mixed up, 

 when it may be easily forced through the pipes to every part of 

 the farm. " By irrigation," Mechi says, " I am enabled to 

 double, if not triple, my green and root crops, and thus render 

 them profitable instead of unprofitable. It is quite clear that 

 if I can double my stock, I also double the quantity of my 

 manure, and thus effect importantly the cereal crops. If I 

 double my green and root crops, I diminisii their cost one- 

 half." There are certain expenses that are incident to land, 

 and which amount to about as much whether it produces large 

 crops or small, such as taxes, fences, &c. 



Many have been inclined to doubt whether, with the large 

 expenditures in permanent improvements on this ftirm, the 

 balance would, at the end of each year, be on the right side. 

 The foreman assured me that the result was at least six or 

 seven per cent, on the whole investment, and Mr. Mechi him- 

 self claims that it is still larger, I believe. 



Space will not allow me to dwell at greater detail upon the 

 many interesting points of this farm. A considerable portion 

 of the land on the way from the station to the farm, a distance 

 of three or four miles, I should think, was devoted to the 

 raising of seeds, and was kept in the highest state of cultivation. 



It is an interesting little trip to Hampton Court. Every-body 

 goes to Hampton Court, the great palace of Cardinal Wolsey. 

 If the historical associations were not inducement enough, the 

 magnificent grounds and gardens laid out with so much skill 

 and expense would be sufficient for any one interested in 

 horticulture. This old palace stands on the left bank of the 

 Thames, twelve miles out of London. It was occupied by 



