4.—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE) 57 
x GUAY (GENUINE PERUVIAN & BOLIVIAN) 
ON SALE, BY THE ONLY LEGAL IMPORTERS, 
ANTHONY GIBBS AND SONS, LONDON; 
Wx. J. MYERS anp CO., LIVERPOOL; 
And by their Agents, 
COTSWORTH, POWELL, AN» PRYOR, LONDON ; 
GIBBS, BRIGHT, anD CO., LIVERPOOL and BRISTOL. 
47, Lime-street, Jan, 24, 
THE TANK SYSTEM, 
ENT i — 
e [: 
DURBIDGE And HEALY having heated a con- 
siderable number of Pits and other Horticultural Struc- 
fures, for the cultivation of Pines, Melons, Cucumbers, and 
Other tropical plants, particularly upon the plan recommended 
ILLS'S recent work on the Culture of Pines and Cu- 
cumbers, many of which are working at the present time, 
Prove beyond a doubt that every kind of structure may 
be heated by Burnrpar and HrALY/s peculiar Tank Apparatus, 
with the absolute certainty of producing the i 
"Their Apparatus may be seen at work at the following places : 
Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick ; Royal Botanic Gardens, 
ew; Baroness Rothschild’s Gardens, Gunnersbury; Mr. 
Glendinning, Chiswick Nursery; Messrs. Henderson, Pine. 
apple-place ; and in more than one hundred other places.— 
130, Fleet-street, London. 
«be Agricultural Gasette, 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1846. 
MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 
Taurspay, . Jan, 29. 
‘Weapnespay, 
DAX, a Bm 
LUCAL SOCIETIES.—Deyon—Galston—Northumberland. 
FARMERS’ CLUBS, 
Feb. 5—Blofield and Walsham 
Richmondshire 
—  6—Wrenthamn 
Jan. 
Carlton-on-Trent 
Durham 
Melrose 
Northampt. Book Club 
ze 
. Tur most profitable method of converting the 
immediate produce of the farm into beef, milk, 
mutton, bacon, &c., for human food, involves a very 
important question in farming. Yet it is one on 
which, notwithstanding the patronage of it indicated 
in the prize lists of our Agricultural Socicties, less 
information exists than on almost any other agri- 
cultural subject. The competition for prizes at our 
Society Exhibitions and Smithfield Shows, however 
it may have instructed us on the points in cattle 
indicating early maturity and aptitude to fatten, has 
thrown but little light on the treatment which 
fattening or growing animals ought to receive. It 
3$ the practice in some districts to tie animals up by 
the neck in stalls from a comparatively early age 
till they are fit for market ; in others they are fed 
till fat, in twos and threes, in small yards, each with 
Its shelter shade. And Mr. Warnes, again, of 
rimmingham, Norfolk, advocates a system of box- 
feeding, as he terms it, the animals being loose, 
each in a railed apartment, under shelter, about 
10 feet square, where they are fed and littered till 
ready for the butcher. Now which of these methods 
will tend to produce the greatest amount of beef in 
Proportion to the food consumed? Who: among 
the hundreds and thousands that annually feed 
tattle on Turnips and Mangold Wurzel, and hay 
and corn, in stalls, hammels, and boxes, have any 
Well ascertained facts to communicate in answer to 
this question ? 
t is astonishing how very little definite in- 
formation there exists as to the economy of most of 
Our agricultural processes: the subject under con- 
Sideration is a striking illustration of this assertion. 
e have access to a very well furnished Agri- 
Cultural library, and lately searched it with diligence, 
in order to obtain information for a correspond- 
ent whose inquiry related to this subject, and 
amidst all the voluminous writings with which our 
Agricultural literature tcems, we found the account 
of but one solitary experiment * on this important 
question, as to the treatment of live stock when 
fattening. The Gold Medal of the Highland and 
Agricultural Society was awarded in 1836 to J. 
Boswzrr, Esq. of Balmuto and Kingcaussie, Kin- 
cardineshire, for his report of experiments under- 
taken to determine the comparative advantages of 
feeding cattle in close byres and open hammels—to 
determine the relative economy of feeding in stalls 
or small yards. To this experiment we shall now 
direct attention. 
Mr. Sreruens, in his * Book of the Farm,” gives 
the results in a more satisfactory form than that in 
which they appear in the “ Transactions” of the So- 
ciety, and we shall, therefore, extract his account of 
the matter. 
“ To give as much variety to this experiment as 
the circumstances would admit, it was conducted 
both at Balmuto and Kingcaussie, and the beasts 
selected for it were of different ages, namely, two 
and three year olds. At Balmuto, four three year 
olds were put in close byres, and four in open ham- 
mels, and the same number of two year olds were 
accommodated in a similar manner at Kingcaussie. 
Those at Kingeaussie received Turnips only, and, 
of course, straw; at Balmuto a few Potatoes were 
given at the end of the season in addition to the 
Turnips. The season of experiment extended from 
17th October, 1834, to 19th February, 1835. The 
results were these :— 
st.Ib. 
The 4 hammel fed 2 year olds at Kingcaussie gained of 
live weight .. M " p we <. 458 
The 4 hammel fed 3 year olds at Balmuto .. .. 450 
The 4 byre fed 2 year olds at Kingcaussie gained 
of live weight p? ex T 3 
The 4 byre fed 3 year olds at Balmuto gained of 
live weight .. e e nn .. 86 
0 —68 7 
ain of live weight by the hammel fed es are m 
“Itis, however, not all gain ; for the hammel fed 
consumed more Turnips) the Aberdeen Yellow Bul- 
lock), than.the byre fed. 
"Tons. Cwt. Qr. Ib. 
Those at Kingcaussie consumed more by — .. 16 RG 
And those at Balmuto E F Ee o 
Total more consumed .. I. «820 115112:20) 
* Tn a pecuniary point of view, the gain upon the 
hammel fed was this :—23 stones 1 lb. live weight= 
13} stones of beef at 6s. per stone gives 47. 2s., from 
which deduct the value of the Turnips at 4d. per 
cwt., 17. 4s. 2d., leaving a balance of 97. 7s. 10d.” 
So faras a single experiment can be said to de- 
termine any point in farming, we think hammel- 
the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. 
This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, which is 
wonderful in council and excellent in working.” (Isaiah 
xxviii. 25—29). And so productive was that country in 
the reign of Solomon, that he sent annually to Hiram, 
King of Tyre, for Cedar-wood, 20,000 measures of 
Wheat. View that country under different cireum- 
stances, and its agriculture is depressed. *' There was 
no smith found throughout all the land of Israel ; but 
all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen 
every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and 
his mattock.” 
* behold the fruitful place was a wilderness.” Jeremiah 
iv. 26. 
The imperfection of British agriculture at this day 
may in great measure be attributed to the ci 
under which it has been carried on. During the wat 
labour was scarce and expensive; in several subsequent 
years prices have not been remunerating. These circum- 
stances have operated in retarding improvements ; still 
every fair opportunity has been embraced and much 
has been done. In the locality from which I write, the 
abundance of our produce last year, and the good prices 
of the present, have enabled us to a ourselves of 
abundant labour; and it has been done. A-great por- 
tion of the profit of our farms has been returned to the 
land in what must prove permanent improvements. So 
long as similar circumstances continue farming must be 
advancing towards perfection. Nor can I imagine these 
remarks to be applicable to this locality only. Show 
the agriculturists of this country that they may spend 
their half-crowns in labour and manure, with the pro- 
bability of getting three-shilling pieces in return, and 
they have neither ignorance nor prejudice sufficient to 
prevent their heartily entering into the speculation; 
while if at any time they find they are expending their 
three shillings and getting only half-erowns in return, 
the ease is altered. The readiness now evinced to pur- 
chase guano, as mentioned in the Agricultural Gazette 
of the 3d inst., and the improvements going on in the 
fens of Lincolnshire, mentioned in the same paper of tbe 
10th inst, and a multitude’ of similar statements 
issuing daily from the press, prove to a demonstration 
that men are nof necessarily fools beenuse they happen 
to be farmers. Surely there never was a more mani- 
fest desire to advance in any class of the community 
than is now showing itself amongst agriculturists. They 
are availing themselves of every kind of fertilizer, 
encouraging the talent employed in the invention of 
maehinery, and spending an amazing amount of capital 
in draining the land ; and though the population of the 
country has doubled within the last 30 years, they are 
supplying the wants of the people with as little foreign 
ai at the commencement of that period. They are 
bestirring themselves also for the removal of those ob- 
stacles which at present impede the onward movement, 
in the establishment of a “tenant right "' And I feel 
ded that if by the full and free discussion of this 
feeding is proved, under the ci of this 
trial, to be more profitable than stall-feeding. Mr. 
Boswrrr says, “I feel convinced that there is no 
point more clearly established than that cattle im- 
prove quicker, or, in other words, thrive better, in 
open hammels than in close byres.” : 
Thethird modeoffeeding we mentioned (box-feed- 
ing) has not, that we are aware, yet received a strict 
comparison in economy with stall and hammel-feed- 
ing; but it is a practice that is rapidly spreading, 
and that is a pretty fair indication of its excellence. 
And as it has oflate excited much attention, we 
hope to be able shortly to publish the experience 
f some of our readers upon it. Our own expe- 
rience is decidedly in favour of it ; our cattle never 
did better than those this winter fed in boxes. 
In Dairy farms, containing but little arable land, 
the mode of feeding is influenced by other circum- 
stances, such as scarcity of litter; and in this re- 
spect stall-feeding is, of course, the most, and yard- 
feeding the least economical 
THE INFLUENCE OF CIRCUMSTANCES ON 
RICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT. 
Tue general principles of agriculture have been long 
discovered, nor can their number be materially increased. 
But they have been, and will be, developed in different 
degrees, and to more or less extent under different cir- 
cumstances. At several periods in past history has the 
art of cultivation nearly approached perfection. We 
have a beautiful description of the sphere of operation 
allotted to our first parent—Gen. ii, 8,14 ; and who can 
doubt the wisdom, fruitfulness, beauty, and perfection 
of primeval culture. The circumstances, however, of 
“the man” were altered, and Eden became the birth- 
place of ** Thorns and Thistles.” 
In times of Jewish prosperity Palestine was literally 
*a land flowing with milk and honey." Agriculture 
flourished then, and the capabilities of the soil were 
fully developed. It furnished sustenance and wealth to 
a teeming population. It wassaid of the farmer of that 
day “ Doth he not castabroad the Fitches, and scatter the 
Cummin, and cast in the principal Wheat and the 
appointed Barley, and the Rye in their places? For his 
God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. 
Forthe Fitehes are not threshed with a threshing instru- 
ment, neither is the cart-wheel turned about upon the 
Cummin ; but th» Fitches are beaten out with a staff, 
subject landlords see the advantage to themselves, their 
tenants, and the nation, of giving fixity of tenure, and 
security to the men who are to work out improvements 
—that (other circumstances remaining as favourable as 
at present), this alone will soon compensate the loss of 
the many acres destroyed by railroads, and also meet 
the wants of a still rapidly-increasing population. 
In this neighbourhood the old farmers have taken 
the lead in the great work of improvement, and though 
we now. and then hear of a man all at once becoming a 
farmer, and creating astonishment in certain districts, 
yet, in general, the plain, plodding man, whose business 
is his study, and who is advancing as fast as circum- 
stances favour him, is the safest to follow. This is the 
sort of men who gathered wealth when prices were good, 
and are now farming their own land, or retiring ona 
competency, while their children are entering into their 
labours. I once knew, and had an opportunity of ob- 
serving, one of the superior scientific breed of agricul- 
turists. He was an educated man, possessed of all kinds 
of sense (except common sense); he purchased a fine 
farm, built a fine house upon it, with barns, bullock- 
sheds, carts, &c., all on a superior scale. He farmed 
well, spared no expence in implements or experiments, 
was one of the best writers of the day on agriculture, 
received gold medals for wonderful discoveries, set up 
his carriage and pair; but when priees eame down, 
down eame he. The farm was purchased by one of the 
old sort, who first entered business with a very small 
capital (I have heard him say, * I did not go into busi- 
and the Cummin with a rod. Bread-corn is bruised, 
because he will not be ever thrashing it, nor break it with 
* Bee Vol. II, of the Highland Society's Transactions, 
ness, but got in upon my hands and knees"), and he 
has just died worth about 50,0007. The farm referred 
to has been for some years occupied by a man formerly 
plough servant to the purchaser, and he is now retiring 
from business on a competency. though he has always 
paid arent of 50s. per acre. These men were always 
on the alert to improve favourable circumstances: often 
have I heard them saying, * Hoist your sails to a fair 
wind,” “Fish along shore when the waters are troubled,” 
“Drive gently over the stones,” and using such like 
maxims. And looking at such men, which form no in- 
considerable portion of the agricultural community, and 
to other classes following in the train, with all the helps 
of science to boot, we may confidently conclude that if 
i are fay le, agrieulture will improve. 
—J. S. 
* HIGH FARMING.” 
Wuusr there is so much difficulty at present in es- 
tablishing and maintaining Farmers’ Clubs as a means 
of eliciting and diffusing information upon agricultural 
subjects, it isa great satisfaction to be able in some 
1 Samuel xiii. 19, 20): and ultimately . 
