692 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 10 



Fairbairn manages ihe spreaders. Wejust, take 

 out sixty loads a day per head, or two hundred and 

 forty loads altogether. Fifteen of those loads, or 

 thereby, are applied to an acre, Scotch measure; 

 and as each load, from trial, is Ibund to contain a 

 trifle more than one yard and a hall' of cubic mea- 

 sure, you may have a tolerable notion respecting 

 the extent of the application. In this way we dung- 

 about sixteen acres per day, so that in little more 

 than six days the whole hundred acres of liillow 

 will be gone over. Mr. Janneson is very exact 

 about the spreading, asserting that the benefit ol' 

 the application depends in a great measure upon 

 the accuracy with which this process is executed; 

 or, more plainly speaking, that tilieen loads, well 

 spread, are oi as much use as twenty loads imper- 

 fijctly separated and divided. 



The turnip fields are now completely finished 

 off, and [iresent a notable prospect to the amateurs 

 ol good husbandry, havmg very lew blanks, and 

 containing scarcely a single weed. The ruta-baga 

 seemed shy of growing for a long time; and, 

 though now more Ibrvvard, still presents more na- 

 ked soil than the yellow and white turnip. The 

 horse, or yam potatoes, show a strong (bliage, and 

 perhaps will ultunalely be found to return as much 

 root as the ruta-baga. All our corn fields are look- 

 ing well, and some ol them are holding out signs 

 for the sickle, especially the early oats, and first 

 sown barley. Mr. Jamieson has intimated that 

 I am so assist in the field; and given me warning 

 that; to oversee there, is a post of no little trouble. 

 He has gon^ the length of declaring, that the corn 

 /arnier must be a slave during the harvest quarter, 

 if he wishes his affairs rightly managed; so I 

 easily understand, if the master is a slave, that his 

 deputies cannot be characterized as filling a much 

 hiilher station. I shall, however, endeavor to do 

 my dul}'. trusting that the after advantage will 

 compensate the expense at which it must be gain- 

 ed. Every principle connected with honor and 

 interest call for exertion on my side, — especially as 

 Mr. Jamieson has never ceased to treat me with 

 urbanity, and more like a son, than one sent to 

 learn husbandry under his inspection and direction. 



ji'jgust 20th. — Harvest has partially commen- 

 ced, though, not having as yet drawn out our 

 whole strength, Fairbairn has only been employed 

 in the management. Next week that important 

 branch of rural economy will be undertaken in 

 earnest, when Howard and I are to be called into 

 action. Elliot is reserved for his horsemen, who, 

 I understand, are rarely taken to the field unless 

 there is a deficiency of hands. At this lime he is 

 tlirong ploughing down the dung put on the lallow 

 field, winch works in a capita! style; and on this 

 furrow it is njeant to sow the wheal seed about the 

 end of September, providing a fresh growth of 

 weeds does not appear before that period. The 

 stack-yard was lately emptied and cleared for the 

 new crop. My squad are making straw ropes fbr 

 tying down the thatch used in covering the slacks, 

 and every thing is arranging as last as possible, 

 so as interruptions may be avoided in the great 

 work belbre us. 



September 2. — The past week has been a busy 

 one; and I seize upon a leisure hour, allowed l)y a 

 heavy shower filling, to acquaint you of our pro- 

 ceedings. On Monday morning, our forces were 

 mustered for harvest work, and were divided into 

 twelve bands of twelve shearers; and two baiidisters 



each, four of which were committed to the charge 

 of Fairbairn, the like number to me, and the re- 

 mainder to Howard, our head shepherd. The 

 ranking or sorting of the people was done with 

 expedition by Mr. Jamieson, who seems quite up 

 to a matter of that nature; and though hall'an hour 

 or thereby might be lost belbre the ranking was 

 completed, yet all that hurry and confusion which, 

 without it, would inevitably have ensued, were, 

 altogether kept clear ofj and the whole regiment 

 entered to work at once upon a horn being sounded 

 by Fairbairn, who is first in command below Mr. 

 Jamieson. The arrangement was made in this 

 manner. — Mr. Jamieson having ascertained hia 

 numbers, selected twelve of those he considered to 

 be the best shearers, and provided them with two 

 able bandsters Ibr tying and stooking the corn; or- 

 dered Fairbairn ofi'wilh these, and to place them 

 on the left or open side of the field, four shearera 

 upon each ridge, with their bandsters behind them. 

 The second, third and fourth bands Ibllovved in 

 their course, a ticket being given to each bandsler 

 mentioning the band to which he belonged. 

 When the fifth band was formed, I marched at 

 their head, and placed them on their respective 

 ridges, and so on, as the sixth, seventh and eighth 

 band arrived. Howard came with the ninth, and 

 arranged them in like way, and Mr. Jamieson Ibl- 

 lovved with the rear guard. After riding acros3 

 the field, and being satisfied that all were rightly 

 arranged, he halted in the centre of Fairbairn's 

 hands, and calling attention, he stated, in a few 

 words, that these people were committed to his 

 management, and thai full power was deletjated to 

 him 10 do every thing which, as a master, he coulil 

 do himself; that it was his desire to have the corn 

 clean and low cut; and that, while sufficient time 

 was allowed to execute the work, idleness was on 

 no account to be permitted. He then came to my 

 station, and repeated these orders, and concluded 

 with the same in the centre of Howard's division. 

 After this, upon a sign being given, Fairbairn 

 sounded his horn, and immediately the whole body 

 fell to work. The total number were 144 shearers, 

 and 21 bandsters. Three fourths of the former are 

 women, who, in fact, are our neatest cutters. The 

 corn of each band is brouijht into the middle ridge, 

 and stooked there; a measure which Mr. Jamieson 

 says forwards the loading of the carts considerably. 

 Indeed, independent of this consideration, the less 

 compass that corn can, in the first instance, be put 

 into, so much the more will the stubble be kept 

 clean. Every bandster is directed to draw the 

 bottoms of the sheaves, and to gather up any heads 

 which drop out when he is tying them; so that the 

 quantity left is very trifling. 



We had a good deal of drilling the first day, and 

 not a liiw were dismissed the service as unqualified. 

 These were constantly re()laccd li-om a supple- 

 mentary corjis which remained at home, and, be- 

 lbre night, our discipline was tolerable peiTect. 

 Mr. Jamieson, who commanded in chief, when 

 he noticed any one not working to his mind, al- 

 ways addressed such in a calm but steady man- 

 ner; explained how he wished his work perform- 

 ed; and requested, if they were incapable ofdoing 

 what he recjuired, that they would give up with- 

 out flirlher trouble. About a dozen left us in the 

 course of the first day, who were always paid fbr 

 the time they had wrought, but no more. The 

 hours here are i'lom. sun to sun, with an hour fbr 



