92 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



delicacy of their flesh, and their laying qiialitios, arc 

 to be relied upon, thcj- may prove of much utility. 



Cobbett's remarks in rcs^ard to pigeons may, I 

 think, be appropriately applied to these birds. 



It is not sujjposcd that there could be much 

 profit attached to them, but they are of this use : 

 they are very pretty creatures, very interesting in 

 their manners; they are an object to Ac\i^\vicJiildrpn, 

 and to give them the early habit of fondness for ani- 

 mals, and of scttiiifj a value on them, Avhich, as I have 

 often had to observe before, is a very great thing. A 

 considerable part of all the property of a nation con- 

 sists of animals ; and if you consult your experience, 

 you will find that a laborer is, generally speaking, of 

 value in proportion as he is worthy of being intrusted 

 Avith the care of animals ; and nothing is so likely to 

 give him that excellent habit as his seeing, from his 

 very birth, animals taken great care of, and treated 

 •with great kindness by his parents, and now and then 

 having a little thing to " call his otm." 



This breed, as I am informed, has very recently 

 been introduced into this country from Antwerp, 

 •where it is still very rare, and highly esteemed. I 

 undci'stand that the person having the original stock 

 has taken measures to obtain their history from 

 abroad, which I hope may be introduced in a future 

 edition of your work. A gentleman of much expe- 

 rience (Dr. Wight) informs me that the eggs of this 

 breed are larger in proportion to the size of the fowl, 

 than any other known. 



This is an important consideration, and if I am not 

 digressing too much, allow me to say a word or two 

 in this connection. There seems to exist at present 

 a tnania for fowls of the largest size, which in many 

 instances are sought for -with sole reference to Aveight, 

 •without regard to expense of keeping, qualities for 

 the table, for laying, or breeding. I would suggest 

 that contributors to future exhibitions furnish faith- 

 ful accounts of their mode and expense of feeding, 

 weight of their fowls, number and weight of eggs 

 laid during the tjcar, summer and winter, and the 

 general result of their experience in breeding. Such 

 data, while it would remove all doubts from the 

 minds of the most sceptical, as to the proht of this 

 description of stock, would enable us to decide with 

 accuracy, as to the comparative merits of the differ- 

 ent breeds. 



I predict that such a comparison would lead to a 

 preference for fowls of medium size, maturing at an 

 early age, laying the largest number and -weight of 

 eggs, with flesh of fine quality, and feeding at the 

 smallest expense, in place of the uncouth, gaunt, 

 raw-boned, long-legged breeds, witli coarse, flabby, 

 dark-colored flesh, enormous eaters, and miserable 

 layers, at present so popular with some of our fun- 

 ciera. I am, verj' resijectfuUy, 



Your obedient sei-vant, 



niANCIS BLAKE. 



•p. S. Since writing the above, I have very care- 

 fully weighed the eggs of the Bantam, which I find 

 to be twelve and two flfths ounces per dozen, the 

 fowls Avcighing two pounds ten ounces ; while the 

 eggs from a pair of the China breed, weighing fifteen 

 pounds and three quarters, Avcighcd but twenty-flvc 

 ounces. I regret that I cannot at present communi- 

 cate the result of an experiment, showinir accurately 

 the expense of feeding the two breeds. 



For the Nero Emjlan^l, Farmer. "" 



DEEP AND SHAI^ \.0W DRAINING. 



Mr. Cole : I left fe^tly'^^^-y l^ist wit^^ o promise to 

 Bpecify the various ^ „'._^iccs r-^a in draining, so 

 far as my knowdedge^F'such extends, and now pro- 

 ceed to the performance of that duty in such manner 

 as I may. 



I have heretofore spoken of bush draining. It i* 

 one of the most primitive systems^ and, as I de- 

 scribed it, one which has permanency of effect, so far 

 as the instance quoted demonstrated. The use of 

 stones, small in size, or broken to the stipulated 

 Aveight of from three to four pounds, eomuicnced 

 Avith the introduction of the general system of 

 thorough drainage. These Avere put into the trench 

 to a height of from eight to ten inches from the bot- 

 tom, OA-er Avhich straw Avas placed in order to pre- 

 vent the mould from siftimj through the stones and 

 choking the drains. Many thousands of miles have 

 been laid, in this fashion in Scotland and the north 

 of Ireland, and in every instance success hasfolloAVcd 

 the system. Farmers in these countries were in the 

 habit of gathering the stones from their soil for the 

 purpose of thus using them ; but it Avas demonstrat- 

 ed by scientific men that thcii- removal was prejudi- 

 cial, through the detachment of one of the natural 

 organic conditions the healthy groAvth of crops de- 

 manded. In those instances Avhere the stones Avere 

 thus removed fi'om the land, the geological structure 

 of the locality forbade the supply from any other 

 source — thus setting the inventive skill of agricul- 

 turists to Avork to find a proper substitute. 



In Scotland a large proportion of the arable soil is 

 of alluvial origin, or Avon by cultivation from the 

 heaths — the " moors and mosses mony," Avith Avhich 

 that country and Ireland abound. Peat is plenty 

 in both countries ; and I think it Avas the Laird of 

 Clcland (an estate in the eastern part of Lanarkshire, 

 Scotland) Avhose inventive skill Avas first directed to 

 the use of dried peat (or turf) in place of stones. 

 Vast quantities of it are cut every year for fuel ; and 

 it is well known that, when dried, it possesses the 

 most enduring properties against every element ex- 

 cejit fire. He condescended upon a shape which 

 every mechanic A'ersant Avith the science of his trade, 

 Avill admit to be most scientifically considered. A 

 sectional description is giA'en below. He next had a 

 spade made, the blade of Avhich cut one of the lon- 

 gitudinal sides of the section, while a cutter, crossing 

 the face of the blade, moulded the opposite side and 

 both edges of the turf. This cutter Avas abovit an 

 inch and a half in breadth, and, as well as the edge 

 of the spade, made sharp. It Avas twelve inches 

 long, Avith a plate proceeding horizontally from the 

 tramp, (or the place Avhere the foot is put Avhcn the 

 spade is used,) Avhich stopped the insertion of the 

 spade into the peat bank Avhen full. The following 

 cuts Avill shoAv the end or section of one of thesa 

 turfs, and the combination of tAvo to make the Avater- 

 course of the drain : — 



Fig. 1. 



Fi". 2. 



The above cuts are in exact proportion of one 

 quarter of an inch to an inch, and the sectional 

 shape of the spade Avill agree AA'itli an extension of 

 i'Vf/. 1, according to this rule. 



When the two tvufs are placed in juxtaposition in 

 the bottom of the drain or trench, the perj)cndicular 

 side? (the outsides on the under parts) should touch 

 the respective sides of the drain — at least, they 

 demand no more room than is required for their in- 

 sertion into the bottom of the trench. It will be 

 observed by applying a straight edge to the perpen- 

 dicular side, and along the side of the drain, upAvards, 

 that there is an inverted, wedge-shaped space left 

 between each turf and its corresponding side of the 

 drain. This is necessary in two different and equally 

 important respects : First, because it favors the uni- 

 form shape of the turfs, which, turn them as you 



