1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



717 



men contend, thai to relieve the West India plant- 

 er, at the expense of the British liunier, was the 

 real cause ot the |)rohibiiiun, though such a cause 

 could not be prudently assigned l)y those wlio 

 promote that measure. To nie there appears no 

 doubt about the matter. In liici, the govern- 

 ment ol Britain, ibr more than a century, has 

 rather inconsisiently shown a greater desire to 

 promote the prosperity oCthe colonies, than to ad- 

 vance the internal improvement of the parent 

 .country. 1 shall not trouble you by investigaiing 

 the policy or impolicy ol sucli a system, though to 

 that source may be traced the law which pruiiibit- 

 ed the use ol' corn in the distilleries of Great Bri- 

 tain ; a law, which shuts up one of the best mar- 

 kets farmers had Ibr the disiiosal of their produce ; 

 — a law, which obliges the British people either to 

 consume spirits of an abominable and destructive 

 quality, or to relrain from the use of them altoge- 

 ther ; the high duties upon wholesome Ibreign 

 spirits serving as efitjctually to prevent three- 

 fourths of the nation from using such spirits, as if 

 their consumption was expressly prohibited by an 

 ordinance of King, Lords, and Commons, in Far- 

 h'arnent assembled. 



Alarcli 10. — Having ridged up the land cleared 

 of turnips, it was sown yesterday with wheat ol 

 the autumn kind ; liaving resolved, as iurmerly 

 intimated, to have nothing to do with the varieties 

 of spring or summer wheat, so anxiously patrun- 

 ized and recommended by the Board of Agriculture. 

 The wheat was accompanied with grass-seeds, 

 though some of my neighbors think, if they vege- 

 tate soon, dainage may be sustained from the 

 April frosts. Of this 1 entertain no apprehension ; 

 remembering, when in your service, of the like 

 practice being extensively Ibllowed vvilhout any 

 disadvantage. No more than five acres of the 

 turnips are yet removed ; so, about seven acres of 

 them and ruta baga remain lor spring consump- 

 tion ; which, supposing the ewes to get the sup- 

 ply hitherto given, will fully carry on the cattle till 

 the season of grass arrives. All the grass land is 

 now ploughed, and to-morrow 1 mean to prepare 

 the bean land for drilling. On these accounts, we 

 are now going two journeys per day, though it is 

 difficult to make oni nine hours work in the field. 

 The day, however, is gradually lengthening, and 

 next week there will be no difficulty m making out 

 the lull time. The weather being dry, i propose 

 to cross-plough, in ihe first place, the land that 

 was ridged up last winter. This being done, we 

 shall harrow it; then drill it up; and, after the 

 seed is deposited, reverse the drills, so as the seed 

 may be covered. The success of these complicated 

 processes depends entirely upon the weather; 

 therefore, no time shall be lost in carrying them in- 

 to execution. The other fields intended jbr beans, 

 shall only get one ploughing, after being complete- 

 ly harrowed. They were cross-ploughed in No- 

 vember, and it is proposed to run the drill-barrow 

 after the third plough. 'I'liis comparative trial 

 will serve to ascertain which of the methods is 

 best, though, prima facie, it appears, the more 

 work that can be given to land in Ihe spring 

 months, so much cleaner must it be for the suc- 

 ceeding crop of wheat, providing it is in proper 

 condition when the work is perlbrmed. 



Whenever the bean land ie seeded, it is proposed 

 to sow the oats, though, probably, part o( that 

 iWork may be undertaken, should the weather be 



such as to interrupt the processes of preparing and 

 sowing the bean land. Some of the land ploughed 

 Irom grass will require a good deal of harrowmir, 

 especially what is of clay soil, and was ploughed 

 after the storms of host and snow. The horses, 

 however, being Ircsh, and all in good condition, I 

 have not Ihe slightest doubt gf getting on lull as 

 liist as any of my neiglibors. Indeed, if I do not 

 get laster on this season than other people, it 

 would be impracticable to execute the work oi" the 

 liirm afterwards, without the aid of another pair of 

 horses. I have no corn to thrash, and, of course, 

 none to drive to market, — operations which would 

 require one day in the week to execute ; therelbre, 

 1 must be either overstocked this year, or under- 

 stocked the next one, if the same strength is kept 

 in both seasons. 



When mentioning the horses, I may inform you, 

 that one of them was lately at.acked with a vio- 

 lent inflammatory cholic, the cause of which I can- 

 not assign, as, to my knowledge, he had got noth- 

 ing but his usual ibod, and had perlbrmed no more 

 than ills ordinary share of labor. J ordered the 

 larrier to bleed him in the first instance, and then 

 to administer a dose of laudanum. As the com- 

 plaints were not thereby abated, I directed injec- 

 tions to be given, (which were absolutely neces- 

 sary, as he could not get any passage backward), 

 and then to bathe him completely with blankets 

 soaked amongst warm water. J sat by him the 

 whole of the first night; and, with the aid of a 

 servant, endeavored to prevent the injury often 

 sustained Irom tumbling and rolling under the pain 

 of such an agonizing trouble. Next morning the 

 horse was not much better; and, as he steadily 

 refused all sustenance, either ol' meat or drink, 

 unless administered by the horn, the larrier (fave 

 him up. It is an old saying, that so long as there 

 is lile there is hope ; so 1 delertnined every thing 

 should be done lor the relief of the horse whicfi^ 

 could be thought of The fiirrier was therefore 

 directed to back-rake him repeatedly, and to ad- 

 minister li'esh injections. Two servants were ap- 

 pointed to attend constantly in the stable, qnd to. 

 rub him heartily about the belly whenever he 

 stood upright. A small quantity of boiled barley 

 was also given every hour by Ihe horn ; and some 

 meal and warm water, in which a little nitre was 

 mixed, were given in the like manner. Notwith- 

 standing of the liirrier's predictions, our patient 

 showed signs of convalescence on the fourth day ; 

 and by a continuance of care, appeared quite well 

 in the week afterwards. 1 used him gentl}^ jbr 

 some time, and now he is as stout and healthy as 

 any horse in the stable. 



March 30. — I have now finished the sowing of 

 oats and beans, and am quite satisfied with lite 

 appearance of the fields alter being harrowed. I 

 had, however, to roll part of the bean land, in or- 

 der to make it decent to the eye in ihc mean time, 

 and fit Ibr the horse-hoe afterwards, though I am 

 not sure whether the crop may be benefited by 

 such a process. I have likewise sown three acres 

 of tares, to be cut as green food betwixt the two 

 crops of clover, and mean to sow other two acres 

 in a Ibrtnighl, under an impression, that when ihe 

 second crop of clover iiiils (and it does fail in par- 

 ticular seasons, upon the very best land), it is al- 

 most impracticable to carry on the work of' a larm 

 without such a snccechaieum. The oat fields, 

 upon the whole, took on a good skin, though some 



