General Progress of Improvement. 27 



and of Dr. Voelcker, their consulting chemist, 

 regulate and superintend them. They are 

 open to public inspection, and under such 

 management the most useful results may be 

 anticipated. 



There has been a great extension of drainage Extension 



. . - of land 



m recent years, and m the construction 01 drainage, 



and im- 



improved farm-buildings, and in the better provement 



of farm 



lodging of farm-labourers in more commodious labourers' 



cottages, 



cottages. And in regard to live-stock there has and 



housing 



been a wider diffusion of the best breeds, and for live- 

 stock. 



generally an earlier maturity obtained in the 

 process of fattening. The use of improved im- 

 plements and machinery has greatly extended, 

 as also has the general application of loco- 

 motive steam-power to the threshing and other 

 preparation of crops for market or feeding 

 purposes. Cheap descriptions of corn are 

 largely employed in the fattening of stock, 

 and also oil-cake, cotton-cake, and rape-cake. 

 For these, and for bones, guano, and nitrate ^aro-e 



r 1 1 .1 1 annual ex- 



01 soda used as manure, the annual expen- penditure 



,. - , 1 i 1 Ml- on cattle 



diture cannot now be less than twelve millions food and 



portable 

 Sterling. manure. 



