No. 12. 



The Reyhold Sheep-shearing. 



371 



the manure and seed together. This opera- 

 tion completed the process; the only subse- 

 qnent cultivation consisted in the thinning 

 of the plants by children. 



The issue of this experiment has exceeded 

 my most sanguine expectations. Forty perch- 

 es of the best part of the crop, yielded of 

 clean roots after the rate of 23i[ tons per 

 acre, whilst 40 perches of the poorest gave 

 19 tons. On comparing the relative quanti- 

 ties of the heaviest and lightest produce, 

 competent persons have estimated the crop 

 at 21 tons per acre of clean roots. Some of 

 these when topped and tailed, weighed 14 

 lb?.; many hundreds of them exceeded 10 

 lbs. in weight. 



One remarkable circumstance presented 

 itself to the observer. Between roots of 

 eight and nine lbs. weight, would be seen 

 every now and then a starvelling plant, 

 with a bulb not bigger than a marble. This 

 arose from the seed being carelessly dropped 

 at a distance from its appointed food. But 

 the accident served to prove beyond all 

 doubt, the efficiency of the manure and the 

 intrinsic poverty of the ground. 



When I began this experiment, the men 

 employed on it and every eye-witness who 

 passed by, smiled incredulously at what ap- 

 peared at the time an act of well-meant 

 folly — but noiD, the success can no longer 

 be denied, and the last refuge of scepticism 

 betrays itself in the question so often put to 

 me — "But what was the cosf? You may 

 s buy gold too dear." Of course, this is a most 

 important part of the subject, and I rejoice, 

 for the sake of the labourer begging for 

 work, and the nation begging for food, that 

 I can answer the inquiry most satisfactorily. 

 Thus stands the cost per acre : 



£ s. d. 



30 bushels wood ashes at Gd. 15 

 2 cwt. Ichaboe guano, at 7s. 6d. 15 

 50 lbs. burnt bones and 22 lbs. 



sulphuric acid, 7 



30 bushels sawdust, 2 6 



Labour account in hoeing, drill, 

 dropping seed — the surface of 

 the land being otherwise un- 

 touched, 19 6 

 10 lbs. sulphuric acid poured 



over ashes, 1 3 



Rent, 5s. ; rates, &c., 2s. 7 



Seed, 5 lbs. per acre, Is. 3 6 



Haulinff manure to the summit 



of the hill, 7 



tons per acre of green food, furnished by the 

 leaves, and fed to a flock of ewes, must far 

 outweigh that expense, and ought, by right, 

 to add a considerable sum to the credit s'^de 

 of the account. 



I have thus given every item of cost that 

 can be laid against 21 tons of Swedes per 

 acre. The precise value of this root is, I 

 am aware, an undecided point. In this 

 neighbourhood, I can sell them at the rate 

 of £1 per ton ; but experiments made last 

 year, and others still in progress, lead me to 

 value them at 9d per cwt., at the very low- 

 est — or 15s. per ton, when employed in fat- 

 ting sheep in sheds; and this exclusive of 

 the value of the dung, — which estimate 

 makes the above crop worth j£15 15s. per 

 acre, at a cost of £3 17s. 9(/., giving a re- 

 turn of more than 300 per cent, for the 

 outlay. 



I hope that it will not be thought an in- 

 stance of too rapid a generalization, if I 

 draw from this experiment the inference 

 that, with a skilful employment of labour^, 

 reliance on the principles of chemistry, and 

 adequate capital, there is no soil, however 

 poor, but will abundantly repay the costs of 

 cultivation. — A. Hvxtable, t?i Journal of 

 Royal Agricultural Society. 



£3 17 9 



It will be observed that no charge is made 

 for pulling the roots, because four or five 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Reybold Sheep-shearing. 



Mr. Editor, — The undersigned, present 

 by invitation at the shearing of the Rcybold 

 flock of Leicester sheep, in Delaware, on 

 the 18th ult., report as follows : 



The flock is in perfect health and fine 

 condition, evincing great care and judgment 

 in the management, and an improvement in 

 fleece and carcass that, after fitleen years of 

 unwearied diligence in the pursuit of that 

 object, may be supposed to approximate to 

 perfection of form and truth of character. 

 Many of the yearling wethers, as well as 

 the ewes, cut eight pounds of washed wool, 

 and not a broken fleece in the whole flock ; 

 while a two-year old buck of the Reybold 

 breed, cut eleven pounds and a half of 

 washed wool, of superior quality and fine- 

 ness. 



The imported pure Leicester ewes are 

 splendid specimens of that favourite breed, 

 and cannot, perhaps, be excelled in any 

 country; cutting fleeces of very carefully 

 washed wool, seven and eight pounds each, 

 of fine quality and snowy whiteness. 



The imported bucks of the "New Oxford- 

 shire bred," it would be difiicult to describe 

 in language that would do them justice. 

 To say that nothing equal to them has ever 



