THE GENESEE FARMER. 



217 



or liquid, rendered fluid or semi-fluid by the action of 

 water, or by decomposition in water — uniting with 

 large quantities of such decomposing matter, a disa- 

 greealjle and unhealthy effluvia would arise, however 

 small the trap or cover of the tank ; but experience 

 had at length taught him that a jet of waste steam 

 admitted into the tank above the agitated mass of 

 putrefaction, eSectually prevented any noisome odor. 



To irrigate a farm of 200 acres, you would require 

 four horse steam power ; fifteen yards per acre of 

 three inch iron pipe ; a circular tank, about thirty 

 feet in diameter and twenty feet deep ; two hundred 

 yards of two inch gutta percha hose; a gutta percha 

 jet; and a pair of force pumjDs, capable of discharging 

 100 gallons per minute. At present prices, all this 

 could be accomplished for about £6 per acre, so that 

 the tenant paying 9s. per acre to his landlord for 

 such an improvement would be a great gainer. 



While touching on irrigation, it might be useful to 

 consider drainage, with which it has a close connec- 

 tion. Of course, without drainage, natural or arti- 

 ficial, irrigation would be injurious. There could be 

 no doubt as to the necessity for applying sand and 

 peat pots, or other natural and free receivers of wa- 

 ter, when surrounded by tenacious clays. Up and 

 down drains would generally do this; but where they 

 did not, lateral branches might be added. 



Every farmer with 200 or 300 acres, who had not 

 a steam engine, had a great lesson to learn, as a good 

 four horse steam power engine, worked at 70 lbs. to 

 90 ft)s. to the inch, would tire any sixteen real horses 

 that could be found — its comparative cost being £150 

 against £600 — besides eating nothing when not at 

 work, occupying less space, and economizing an im- 

 mense outlay in casualties by disease, cost of attend- 

 ance, and daily food. 



The author then afluded to Mr. Romaixe's steam 

 cultivator, and to Mr. Usher's steam plow, both of 

 which he thought might yet be made sufficiently pow- 

 erful to work thirty or forty acres, or even a hundred 

 acres a day. The former machine would, if required, 

 deposit the seed and roll the land at one and the same 

 time ; and when not cultivating it would be available 

 for driving the threshing machine, millstones, irri- 

 gating-pumps, chaff and turnip-cutters, cake-breakers, 

 &c., requisite on most improved farms. It was also 

 intended to work a reaper at harvest. The new 

 American threshing machine was considered to be an 

 implement that would supersede all oui-s in cost, 

 utility, lightness, durability and general economy ; 

 but instead of working it by horse power, as had 

 been proposed by their Yankee friends, he had erected 

 a small portable 100* horse power to the machine, 

 and proved its advantages over a relay of eight 

 horses. — Glassroiv Practical Mechanics' Journal. 



Changing Population. — The JVewhuryport Her- 

 ald, in a review of the "vital statistics" of the 

 State, says: "It will be found, by investigation, that, 

 on an average, all the help in our manufacturing 

 establishments, from the agents and overseers down 

 to the youngest class of helj), is entirely changed 

 every six years." 



• I think by 100 horse power engine Ls meant a four horse power 

 «ngine.— F, S. 



AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT OF 

 IRELAND. 



On Green Cropping. — Mr. Ball proceeded to 

 read a paper on this subject, from which we make a 

 few extracts. 1st, in reference to the purchase of 

 arlijicial manure : 



" I may mention that a year or two ago I purchas- 

 ed a quantity of one of those artificial manures, from 

 a quarter in which I had every reason to suppose I 

 should be supplied with a genuine article. I was will- 

 ing to take it on character, and did not at first pro- 

 pose or even think of an analysis; subsequently, on 

 the urgent advice of a friend, I determined to send a 

 sample of it to our chemist, who pronounced it not 

 to contain one particle of the substance it professed 

 to be — namely, superphosphate of lime — and I ascer- 

 tained the actual mercantile value of the substance 

 at the then price of bones, to be from 21. to 3/. 10s. 

 ])er ton, whereas the price I was to pay for it was 11. 

 Upon bringing these facts under the notice of the 

 agent of the vender, and presenting him with the 

 analysis, he attempted to question not merely its ac- 

 curacy, but his statement went to this, that there was 

 not one word of truth in it. Under these circum- 

 stances, the committee of the society determined to 

 have the accuracy of their chemist further tested, and 

 for that purpose submitted samples of the substance 

 to Professor Way of the English Society, and Pro- 

 fessor Anderson of the Highland Society, by whom, 

 it is hardly necessary to add, the entire accuracy of 

 the first analysis was placed still further beyond ques- 

 tion. As a general rule, then, insist on seeing a 

 properly certified analysis before purchasing, no mat- 

 ter from whom. Next, as to the selection of the ma- 

 nure for this season, and their method of preparation 

 and apjDlication. Guano, of which we have lately 

 heard so much, is not likely to be generally within the 

 reach of farmers for the ensuing turnip season, and I 

 think it may be safely laid down that with the pros- 

 pect of an increased supply of other manures of con- 

 siderable fertilizing power, which the rumored defi- 

 ciency of guano has unquestionably stimulated, that 

 we may safely reduce the quantity hithei'to generally 

 appHed; and, further, I would urge my own experi- 

 ence of the last season, that under no circumstances 

 should it be omitted to mix an equal weight of gyp- 

 sum with the guano immediately on its being thrown 

 out of the bags. As a general formula, I have found 

 that a mixture of 2 cwt. of guano, 2 cwt. of gypsum, 

 and 2 cwt. of superphosphate (last season I iised 

 Lawes', and had every reason to be satisfied with it), 

 mixed with from 18 to 24 cwt. of ashes, in conjunc- 

 tion with about 20 to 25 tons of farm-yard manure 

 per Irish acre (the Irish acre is 1.86 statute acre), is a 

 manuring that, upon most lands, should produce a 

 full crop of turnips. For mangolds, the farm-yard 

 manure may be increased to 30 or 35 tons with ad- 

 vantage, and say 2 cwt. of common salt added to the 

 above artificial manures." — London Agricultural 



Gazette. 



^ ■* ■ 



Thirst is more efiectually quenched by eating fresh 

 fruit, and a morsel of bread, than by drinking water; 

 lemon juice, or a little vinegar mixed with water, la 

 better than water alone. 



