176 



German Agriculture. 



Vol. VIII. 



Necessity of manuring. — It is obvious 

 that the manuring' of a farm should only be 

 limited by the ability of the owner. On a 

 plentiful supply of manures, arc depending 

 the fertility of his soils, the amount of his 

 crops, and consequently the extent to which 

 his labour is rewarded. There is no ex- 

 penditure on a farm, so safe as that for ma- 

 nure ; and the labour requii'ed to increase it, 

 is never labour lost; at least, if directed by 

 an ordinary share of agricultural knowledge 

 and skill. Every source of supply should be 

 made available ; nothing capable of fertil- 

 izing should be lost. The farmer who takes 

 from his soil more than he returns to it, is 

 surely impoverishing it ; and if he escapes 

 such a calamity himself, he leaves to his 

 successors a worn out farm. If he returns 

 as much as he receives, his farm will retain 

 its original fertility only; but the true farmer 

 will scarcely be content with this. To in- 

 crease its fertility, and the amount and quali- 

 ty of the crop taken from the soil, should be 

 the aim of the husbandman. This done, his 

 labour is lessened, his profits are greater, his 

 farm is worth more ; nor must the pleasure 

 arising from beautiful fields, golden harvests, 

 fine animals, and accumulating prosperity, 

 be omitted in making up our estimate of the 

 advantages of successful culture. Manure 

 may be a homely subject, but on its prepa- 

 ration and use every thing is depending. 

 Without it, the deep green of our pastures, 

 the golden yellow of our corn-fields, and the 

 fine beef and white loaf of our tables could 

 not exist. To the farmer, manure must be 

 the first thing, and it must be the last thing; 

 with it, he can do every thing ; without it, 

 nothing. 



German Agriculture. 



Abstract of the Agricultural description of 

 the Manor of Lutzsclicna near Leipzig ; 

 by Maximilian of Speck, Baron of Stern- 

 burg, 1842,- jtresejited by the author, to 

 " The Philadelphia Society for promo- 

 ting Agriculture,^^ wider whose direction 

 it has been translated. 



Part I. — Education of the Agricultural 

 classes. — The author desires to see the chil- 

 dren of the country people instructed in 

 practical agriculture, and a small lot to be 

 given for this purpose to the schoolmaster of 

 every village, &c. 



Part II. — General description of the 

 Estate. — Besides 3,800 acres* of hunting 

 grounds, there are 418 acres of cultivated 

 land, of which 271 acres are plough-land, 



* One Saxon acre is equal to 6,590 English square 

 yards. An English or American acre, is equal to 4,840 

 square yards. 



52 acres meadow, &c., on which are kept 

 800 to 900 sheep, 50 to GO horned cattle, 28 

 to 30 horses, and 50 to 60 hogs. 



It is situated in a well watered valley and 

 a healthy climate, with a mean annual tem- 

 perature of 50° to 52° Fahr. Minimum of 

 rain, 20 inches; maximum, 40 inches: upper 

 soil of the arable lands, a mild mixture of 

 sand and loam ; subsoil more sandy — mead- 

 ows loamy. 



Part III. — Persons employed on the es- 

 tate and buildings. — Whole number, 136; 

 51 persons get each, besides wages, every 

 week, one loaf of bread of 14 pounds weight;f 

 10 ounces of butter, and 40 ounces of cheese. 

 Twenty-seven servants living in the farm 

 buildings, consumed in the course of one 

 year, 5,797 pounds of meat, valued at about 

 526 German dollars. A table of their meals 

 for every day in the week, is given. 



Pay of labourers. — A man receives in 

 summer daily, six to seven groschen ;| in 

 winter, five to six groschen ; a woman in 

 summer, five groschen ; in winter, four gro- 

 schen, but nothing else. Barns are made to 

 contain 2000 shocks of grain ; each 180 cu- 

 bic feet. Hay-lofts for 2,500 cwt. of hay, 

 contain about 18 cubic feet. Spreading-floors 

 for 15,000 scheftel of malt. Sheep-told for 

 penning 1,200 head of sheep, is 16 feet high. 

 Pig-sties for 70 to 80 head, divided into four- 

 teen partitions. For every breeding sow 30 

 square feet are allotted, and for each of the 

 rest, 10 to 12 square feet. Cattle-stalls for 

 60 head ; for every cow, 32 square feet are 

 allowed; for every calf, 12 square feet. 

 Horse-stables for 32 horses, allowing 36 

 square feet for each. 



Part IV. — Raising of grains and other 

 vegetables. — Of wheat, the white variety 

 only is grown, as finding a readier sale, and 

 yielding more straw. Grains of one year 

 old, always used for seed-corn. Produce of 



1840, sixteen-fold. Winter-rye is the prin- 

 cipal grain grown, as giving the surest re- 

 turn, and yielding most straw ; it succeeds 

 best afi;er clover. Produce 1840, eleven-fold ; 



1841, eleven and a quarter fold. Barley gave 

 1840, twenty-three-fold ; 1841, sixteen-fold. 

 The author made twice a trial with the 

 highly recommended Himalaya barley; its 

 yield was 1841, thirty-two-fold. Of oats, 

 the Landhafer and the Augusthafer are 

 usually grown; product 1840, nine and two- 

 thirds-fold; 1841, fourteen-fold. Peas; pro- 

 duct 1840, four-fold; 1841, eleven and a 

 quarter fold. Their straw is a good substi- 

 tute for hay, for the sheepfold. Of potatoes. 



t 101.4 Leipzig pounds are equal to 112 pounds Eng- 

 lifli, Avoirdupois. 



X 24 Groschen are equal to one German dollar,— about •! 

 72 cents. ■ 



