444 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 7 



The fiuld perhaps is seven acres, and about four 

 ncree (the poorest part ol" the enclosure) were se- 

 lected lor so\vin<^ the soot on, the retnuining three 

 acres not haviug any soot applied. [ have no 

 doubt but that at harvoBt there will be eiirht bush- 

 els ol" wheat more an acre on the part thai was 

 sooted, than there will be on the part lo Avhich no 

 soot was applied. The cost of the soot was six- 

 pence a bushel, beino- at the rale of fll'teen shil- 

 Jinfrs an acre for lliitly bushels. The whole of 

 theexpense attendin<; the dressing vviil not ex- 

 ceed twenty shillings per acre, the increase of the 

 value of an acre ol wheat wiii be forty-eight shil- 

 lings, or eight bushels of wlieat at six shiiiings a 

 bushel, thus leaving a net [jrofit of twenly-eight 

 ehillings per acre after deducting the cost and ex- 

 penses of the soot; and as to any additional labor 

 brought about by an extra crop, such as reaj-ing, 

 thrashing, harvesling, Sic, the increased (juantity 

 of straw will ciitircl}' liquidate. 



From tlic [British] Veterinarian. 

 IiVIPORTA^T TKIAL. 



A cause very important to the farmer and tlie 

 veterinary surgeon was tiied at the Nottingham 

 Assizes on the 24;h alt. V/e present our readers 

 with the substance of it. 



The plainiifl:', Mr. Jackson, of Stapleford, near 

 Noitingliam, was owner ofseveral parcels of mea- 

 dow land, through which ran a small stream of 

 water of excellent qualit}'. It was called the Syk 

 Brook. Near its source is a cromlech in unusual 

 preservation. It is one of the most perfect Drui- 

 dical remains which the midland counties possess; 

 and a legend is attached to the brook, that in days 

 of yore, the sick used to resort to this spot, and, 

 after certain Druidical incantations and ceremo- 

 nies, and drinking of the water which ran beneath 

 the crondech, they were cured of all their diseases. 

 However this might have been, these meadows 

 had been in the possession of Mr. Jackson's fa- 

 mily for some centuries, and the cattle had always 

 done well. 



Thirteen years ago the defendant, Mr. Hall, 

 erected some buildings for the manuliicture of 

 starch near the brook, and above Mr. Jackson's 

 meadows. No change was observed in the water, 

 or the condition of the cattle lor the first two or 

 three years; but at length the water used in the 

 manufacture of the starch found its way into this 

 brook in considerable quantities, and then the milk 

 of all the cows rapidly diminished, many of the 

 cattle became seriously ill, and in the course of 

 Borne years no fewer than twenty-six of them died, 

 and all of a disease accom pained by nearly the 

 same symptoms, and the fish and the fiogs which 

 had peopled the brook all died. 



In the manufiicture of the starch the wheat 

 from which it was obtained was first ground. It 

 was then macerated in waier until the gluten was 

 dissolved and the starch precipitated, and the bran 

 was left floating in the tank. It had now under- 

 went very considerable fermentation, and the 

 whole mass was in the highest slate of putrefac- 

 tion, and exceedino'ly olfensive both to the taste 

 and smell. I'he liquid containing the dissolved 

 putrefied gluten was now drawn off, and was pre- 

 served for sale. It was supposed to be an excel- 

 lent manure, and for a while there was considera- 



ble demand for it ; but at length it lay upon hand, 

 and was thrown away, and took its course down 

 a ditch into the Syk Dyke, and that, occasionally 

 in a quantity greater than the original stream. 



The bran underwent various washings, and, 

 beintr sufficiently cleansed, was given to llie pigs. 



The starch, however, re(iuired another process 

 in order to fit it for use. The smell which hung 

 about it was to be taken away, and the starch was 

 to be bleached. For these purposes a solution of 

 the chloride of lime was employed, and when that 

 had done its duty, it loo was turned into the 

 stream. 



Sulphuric acid was also used in considerable 

 quantities, in order to perfect the nianuiacture. 

 That also ultimately found its way into the water- 

 course. 



At length the defendant yielded so far to the re- 

 monstrances of the plaintiff as to construct a 

 sough, or circular tiled drain, through the plain- 

 tiff's grounds, by means of which the empoisoned 

 water was conveyed to a river at some distance, 

 the volume of the stream of which was supposed 

 to be so considerable as not to be materially af- 

 fected by admixture with these deleterious ingre- 

 dients. 



This being effected, the fish and the frogs be- 

 gan to return to the brook, and the weeds grew on 

 its banks, and the mortality seemed to cease a- 

 mong the cattle ; but the delendant refused to 

 make compensation for tlie cattle that were previ- 

 outilv destroyed. In order to recover this compen- 

 sation, an action was brought, 



[The voluminous evidence, we omit.] 



Verdict lor the plaintifi, £270 damages. 



rroni tlie (London) Farmers' Magazine, for September, 1836. 

 CULTIVATION OF POTATOES. 



Sir: — I observe it stated, that in some counties 

 there is a great failure of' the f)otato crop ; this, I 

 think, may be remedied by sowing tfie seed. Sets 

 will not last above twelve or fourteen years ; after 

 that time they decline, and hardly return treble 

 seed. I tried the experiment last year, in a small 

 wa}', and the produce was astonishing. What is 

 very remarkable is, that these seedlings produce 

 potatoes of difierent kinds, and sonietimes new 

 sorts are procured. It is no difierence whether the 

 apple comes from one kind or another. I saved 

 the red rough seed, and I had five sorts from it. 



The following is the method [ took, to get them 

 the size of hen's eggs in one year : — Take a bunch 

 of potato apples, of any sort, in November, when 

 they are ripe; hang them up in a warm room 

 during winter, and at the end of March, separate 

 the seed from the pulp, by putting them into a ba- 

 sin of water until they are solt ; squeeze them 

 with the fingers — gently pour off the water, and 

 sow the seeds in drills with the feathers of a goose 

 quill in a good bed of earth. VV^hcn the plants 

 ai'e about an inch high, draw a little earth np to 

 them with a hoe in order to lengthen their main 

 roots: when ihey are about three inches high, dig 

 them up and separate them caiefully liom each oth- 

 er in order i'nv planting out in the fiillowing manner. 

 Prepare a piece of fiesh ground by trenching it 

 W(".ll, dig up tlie seedling plants as before directed, 

 and plant them out in tlie'ground thus prepared in 

 such a manner that there be 16 inches between 



