170 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



KOV. ao, 1843( 



SIR ROBERT PKEL ON AGRICULTURE. { With resp.ct to expenment. in the different kinds 

 Our late Enjjiish papers contain an account of [ of maniirea, ho thought the mere reading the re- 

 an ngriciiltnrnl dinner at Tnniworth, given by llie , Riilts of those experiments beivildering to the prnc- 

 Taniworth Farmers' CInb, of whicli Sir Robiirl 1 <'"! farmer, and he pledged himself tn bpnr the 

 Peel is "the patron" — which, we suppose, menns, j expense, whatever it might be, of making' the ex- 

 that most of the membera are his tenants, and pfriinents, and exhibiting the results to all his ten- 

 spend their labor and all their earnings, beyond a 

 pittance barely sutiicient to keep lile and breath in 

 iheir bodies, in ihe improvcmeut of his estate. Be- 

 side the members of the Club, there was quite a 

 collection of Sirs, and Colonels, and Captains, and 

 M. P.'s. Sir Robert, of course, presided at the 

 tible. After announcing toasts to the health of 

 majesty, royalty, and nobility, in var^ous'inipersona. 

 tions, Sir Robert said the next toast in his list was 

 " Prosperity to the ['"armers' Club ;" and, as it was 

 •isually expected of those who occupied stations 

 similar to that in wliich he then stood, to preface 

 a toast of that nature with some observations, he 

 should not disappoint those expectations. After 

 alluding to practical experience, acute and extend- 



antry. 



" You remember that I set out (said he) by stat- 

 ing practical observations were of more value than 

 eloquent common-places about the iinporlanre of 

 iogriculture. I some time ago desired a friend of 

 mine to make some careful experiments with re- 

 spect to the merits of a manure lately introduced ; 

 I mean guano. I desired him to make the experi- 

 ment with the greatest care and fairness, and com- 

 municate to me the result. He has done so, and 

 I am sure you will excuse me if I state it. My 

 friend took a field of two acres and planted it with 

 potatoes — the ridges on which the potatoes were 

 grown were of the same length, the potatoes were 

 of the same quality, and the produce of the several 



ed observation, and studying treatises on the sub- ndges was taken up and measured : the avera.e 

 ject, as the usual modes of attaining agricultural 

 skill, Sir Robert said — 



" There is another mode, and that is, by commu- 

 nication, by conversation, by asking questions, by 

 having doubts, by means of comparing experiments, 

 and so receiving information. I should be the last 

 man to undervalue practical experience. If prac- 

 tical cxperitnce be found united with extensive 

 observation, it is most valuable ; but depend upon 

 it, the British farmer is exposed to competition 

 which will make reliance on mere limited personal 

 experience a very imperfect resource. If a man's 

 experience is confined to his district — if he has 

 not compared it with that of other districts — if lie 

 takes it for granted that, because Tor the forty or 

 fifty years that he has been employed as a farmer 

 — if he takes it for granted that if he practices the 

 method he has seen his father practice before him, 

 he will continue to prosper, depend upon it, he is 

 greatly mistaken. It is impossible to travel ten 

 miles in this district, without seeing that reliance 

 on mere personal experience will not insure suc- 

 cess as a fanner. You see the different degrees 

 of fertility in land of the same natural strength, in 

 cases where it is cultivated merely witli Ihe advan- 

 tage of experience, and in cases in which the ad- 

 vant.iges of chemical and geological science are 

 brou^iht to bear upon it. Another means of acqui- 

 ring agricultural information is, by means of books. 

 Atiother mode — and I very much doubt whether it 



will not be found the most effectual is by tlie 



means of meetings of societies like this, not for 

 the purpose of listening to eloquent speeches, but 

 for the purpose of conducting discussion on practi- 

 cal points, of asking questions, of having doubts 

 solved, of rubbing our minds against each other, 

 and thus cnmmunicatmg and receiving knowlodwe. 

 If you will avail yourselves of the opportunities 

 now offered, you will have the additional advan- 

 tage of learning the practical experience of others 

 which you may compare with your own; while, at 

 the same time, by detailin 

 ers. 



result was as follows: There were three manures 

 used ; they produced respectively — stable manure, 

 nine bushels of potatoes ; Potter's manure, eleven 

 bushels; and guano, fifteen bushels. I asked for 

 further details , and I found that the guano fnd 

 Potter's manure were each mixed with ashes and 

 fine mould, in the proportion of one bushel of ma- 

 nure to six bushels of ashes and mould. One 

 bushel of guano weighed 8.5 lbs : three of puano 

 and Potter's manure xveighed 510 lbs. ; and they 

 were spread upon Ihe ridges at two different times, 

 at the rate of three cwt. per acre. H.ilf of each 

 was put under tlie ridges when the potatoes were 

 planted, and the other half when the shoots appear- 

 ed about an inch above the ground. The potatoes 

 were planted on the 4th of April, and taken up in 

 October, and ihe produce of the two acres was 

 600 bushels. The field, be it observed, had pre- 

 viously been niucli exhausted and was in bad or- 

 der. The total expense of the process was £16 ; 

 and, calculating the price of potatoes at Is. per 

 bushel, the profit of the two acres amounted to 

 £14. Let me add, that the soil was let at £1 per 

 acre. This, then, was the result of the experi- 

 ment, which I have every reason to believe was 

 conducted with the most perfect fairness. But I 

 cannot expect you who will probably read some 

 other account of a similar experiment, in which 

 stable manure may appear as advantageously as 

 guano does in this — I say I cannot expect you, up- 

 on the strenglli of what I have said, to go to the 

 expense of purchasing guano ; but this I tell you, 

 that I will devote part of the land which I occupy 

 to make sucli experiments under Ihe superinten- 

 dence of a committee who will look carefully to 

 iheir results. And so with respect to other clas- 

 ses of manure, by trying them upon different parts 

 of the land I, as a landowner, occupy — here is 

 another mode by which I can contribute to the ag. 

 ricultural skill and prosperity of my tenantry." 



Sir Robert urjed upon the landlords the neces- 

 „, . . . - .^'oxr^ y"i' I'enefit oth- sily of unity with Ihcir l..„anlry to improve the 



Thus ,n my opinion, you w,ll be enabled Uoil, and recommended frequent meetings like that 

 greatly to benefit agricultural science and promote I of the Club, for the interchange of opinions learn- 

 agr.cul.ural prosperity.' i„p ^„,h other's characters and wants, and pro- 



Sir Robert proceeded to descant on the relations i moling kindly feelings. Jle was liberal in profe.«- 

 of landlord and tenant, and their reciprocal duties, ' sions of regard for his own tenantry, and wishes 

 and pleilged himself to introduce any annual (of for their success in the improvement of the lands 

 neat Blr)rk; that should be generally deemed neces- ' they occupied — all which, we doubt not, was ex- 

 sary to promote improvement, "regardless of price." ccedingly encnurnging to them— that is, they did 



not happen to recidlect that, after all, ll.ey wd 

 nothing but tevanis, and that all the improvinier 

 they could accomplish, could only add to ti 

 wealth of an aristocratic landlord. ' 



Sir Robert proposed the health of Professt 

 Bucklaiid, and all those who, by their acquiremeir 

 in science, had been the means of advancing t 

 useful arts of life. Professor Buckland return 

 thanks in an able speech, fie assured Ihe coi 

 pany of the improvemenia which could be y 

 made in agriculture by the proper employment 

 scientific agency. He enlarged upon the bene! 

 to be derived from thorough draining. Afludi 

 to the structure of the earth, he remarked upon t 

 provisions found in its interior for the benefit 

 those who were destined to cultivate its surfai 

 and the changes and combinations by winch rro 

 soil was produced. He concluded, amid soi 

 laughter, by impressing upon the farmers presc 

 tlie absolute necessity of "cherishing" their dun 

 hills, and of not allowing Ihe ammonia proccedi 

 from them, to "waste its sweetness on the desi 

 air." — Boston Courier. 



CCyMr A. H. Ernst, who was present at t 

 last annual exhibition of the Mass. IL.rticultui 

 Society, as a delegate from the Cincinnati llor 

 cultural Society, and to whom the Society we 

 indebted for some superb specimens of the VVaftj 

 inpton Pear, has given a sketch of hia visit, whi i 

 we copy from the Cincinnati Atlas : 



HORTICULTURAL TOUR TO BOSTON 



Messrs. Guilford ^ Russell — By request, I pi 

 pose, through the medium ot your new paper, 

 give a sketch of my observations on the subject 

 Horticulture, during my late visit to the Ka-il. 



1 left Cincinnati on the morning of the 28th 

 August, and arrived in Boston in time on the fi 

 lowing Saturday, to attend the exhibition of t 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, where I h 

 the pleasure of presenting some specimens of a s 

 perior Pear, from Mr Longworth's gurden, whi 

 was identified as the Wnshinglon Pear. (T 

 original tree, I was informed, is still in existenc 

 about filleen miles from Philadelphia, on t 

 Wilmington road.) There was a very good d. 

 play of fine fruits, flowers, &.C., on the tables. Tl 

 hall of the Sociely IS quite spacious, and is opi 

 In the public every Saturday from ten to two 

 clock. Of ihis privilege they very generally avi 

 themselves: indeed, the rich displays of frui 

 flowers, vegetables, &.C., have become so attract! 

 that it is considered a want of good taste not 

 have visited the weekly shows. The contribiitio!i 

 are mostly from the beautiful gardens in Bosti 

 and its vicinity, as far as Salem, Beverly, & 

 Among the contributors to the shows, the editori 

 fraternity is well represented by your old frien 

 Mr Dutton, of the Daily Transcript, a very actiM 

 and efficient member of the Society. Many 

 these fine establishments I was, by the kindness 

 their proprietors, permitled to visit. 



I visited the beautiful residence of Marshall ' 

 Wilder, E.oq., nt Dorchester. Mr W. is a Bostt; 

 merchant, is President of the Massachusells Hor|t 

 cultural Society, and a gentleman of intelligent 

 and great taste, to whose exertions the country 

 much indebted for his untiring perseverance ar 

 liberal expenditures, in introducing fiom abrof 

 many kinds of valuable new fruil, as also in tl 

 floral department, especially that <if the Rose, Dal 

 lia, and the Camellia: of the latter he has aspiei, 



