1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



63i 



OS Scotland.] How well they have succeeded, let 

 the last, one at Glasgow bear witness. [This was 

 the most splendid show of fine cattle ever exhi- 

 bited.] Nor has the society lurgotten the beauty 

 oC the country, as the premiums oli'ered in regard 

 to planting trees and sui'h like suhjects fully testi- 

 fy ; and to sum up all, it may be said, the High- 

 land Society has been a point (T appid, a rallying 

 point, to which the agriculturists ofScotland might 

 look, and a fostering mother to all who, although 

 strong in talent, were weak in interest to make it 

 public. An ardent lover of the plough and all 

 that can speed it, the writer of this article would 

 advise the society of England, and all other agri- 

 cultural societies who would be usel'ul to their 

 country, to look into the annals of tlie Highland 

 Society, and from them (o cull whatever may be 

 of use in ihe advancement of the delightful science, 

 the culture of the fields. 



" The men 

 Wham nature's works can charm, with God himself 

 Hold converse ; grow familiar day by day 

 With his conceptions ; act upon his plans. 

 And form to his the relish of their souls." 



The Highland Society have this year offered 

 prizes to the amount of ,^17,000, under the follow- 

 ing classification : 



Class I. — Agricultural machinery, 500 sover- 

 eigns and a gold and silver medal. 



Class II. — Essays and reports on variou.^ sub- 

 jects, ombracibg thirty-one subjects of high inter- 

 est to the farmer^ viz : 



1. Geological surveys. 



2. Reports on coal districts. 



3. Mines and minerals. , ' , . 



4. Products of peat moss, &c. •* • -: /'. 



5. Comparison between different kinds of ma- 

 nure in raising potatoes. ^ 



6. Extended application of water and other 

 power to larm purposes. 



7. Compm-ative efficacy of ihc two lyodes of 

 thorough draining. 



S. iteports on irrigation. 



9. Forest planting. 



10. Sheep pastures at high elevations. , 

 11.. Improved sheep salve. | 



12. On crossing the Cheviot with the New Lei- 

 cester ram. 



13. Cultivation of the recently introduced cereal 

 and other grains. 



14. Feeding farm liorses on raw and prepared 

 food. 



15. Early rearing and fattening of Iambs. 

 15. Insec'ts injhrious to agricultural plants. 



17. Insects injurious to forest trees. 



18. Compai:auve nutritive property of grasses. 



19. Extirpating terns fi-om pastures. 



20. Tliorough-draining. 



21. Subsoil ploughing of thorough-drained land, 



22. iVIole plough. 



23. Experiments with manures. 

 23. Analysis of bone or rape dust. 



25. On the effects of altitude on vegetation. 



26. Feeding of cattle. 



27. Forests of larch. 



28. On raising improved varieties of grains. 



29. Reports on improved rural economy ri'iroad. 



30. Honorary premium for reports on certain 

 districts in Scotland. 



31. Investigation of certain points connected 

 with the science of agriculture, viz : 



An essay, or memoir explaining on scientific prin^ 

 ciples, the mode in vvhicii soil operates in pro- 

 ducing or facilitating the germination and growth 

 of vegetables. 

 An essay or memoir describing and proving, on 

 scientific principles, what is the best admixture 

 of the ordinary elements of soil, lor promoting 

 the germination and growth of particular vege- 

 tables. 

 An essay or memoir describing, on scientific prin- 

 ciples, the mode in which lime operates in ren- 

 dering the soil better adapted for the germina- 

 tion and growth of particular vegetables. 

 An e^say or memoir explaining, on scientific prin- 

 ciples, the effect of drainage in altering the con- 

 stitution or qualities of the soil, and increasing 

 its feriility. 

 An essay or menrioir, showing the nature of the 

 atmospheric influences on soil, in promoting its 

 fertility, including the modification of these in- 

 ffuences arising from heat and cold, dryness and. 

 moisture. 



Cia.ss III. — Waste lands — their improvement 

 by tillage. 

 Class IV. — Crops and culture. 

 Class V. — Pastures — their management. 

 Class VI. — Live stock — district competitors. 

 Class VII. — Products of live stock — butter and 

 Cheese. 



■ Class yill. — The best kept cottages and cot- 

 tage gardens. 



Class IX. — Woods and plantations. 

 Class X. — General show of live stock and agri- 

 cultural meeting at Inverness. 



Having shown, by our quotations, something of 

 -the vast extent of the recent improvements in the 

 agriculture of Scotland, and the influence which 

 its agricultural society has had in promoting these 

 improvements, we have given the above sketch of 

 their premiums, as indicating the means they have 

 adopted, and are adopting, to bring about this 

 iirertt and salutaiy cl^aiige — to show how vast a 

 held they occupy, and the great bearing which 

 science is made to have in the improvement of the 

 soil, and in the operations of the larm. 



OATS KOT AN EXHAUSTING CROP. 



To tlic Editor of tlie Fariiiors' Register. .* / ^ ., 



The injury done to the crops of wheat for the 

 last lour years by the chinch-bug makes it neces- 

 sary that the attention of Virginia farmers should 

 be directed to the growing of some crop as a sub- 

 stitute. Oats (all agree) are to be preleired to 

 rye, being a spring crop, and on that account less 

 liable to be destroyeil by the chinch bug. JBut 

 fears are entertained by many persons that oats 

 exhaust land more than anj' other small grain. 

 Now, sir, this is a mere prejudice, for no one can 

 assign a good reason for ihe opinion. Taking a 

 different view of the matter, and wishing to test its 

 correctness by an experiuient, I eight years ago 

 determined to put a piece of land in oats every 

 year during my lile, or the land's. I sowed this 

 diivoled (as some of my neighbors thought) piece 

 of land six years in succession in oats, and the se- 

 venth year (1S3S) thinking it a little too foul for 

 oats, put it in corn. This year it was in wheat. I 

 shall put it nest year to its former occupation, and 



