5.—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. ; "vd 
For flags and covering st i 
» Building the side walls, eight tons stones .. oe 
», Mason work and attendance, say m E 
“Thus this main drain being 148 English, or 116 per- 
ches Irish, in lengt, must have cost for building, ex- 
clusive of cutting and nlling, the sum of 667. at least. 
This great main drain, however, will carry away the 
Water from between 70 and 8y acres. After heavy 
rains, a stream of wafer, 10 inches acep by 14 inches 
Wide, has been measured, issuing from this main. In 
ordinary weather, it may not exceed 2 inches deep, 2nd 
after long drought in summer, it has diminished $° ^ 
very trifling stream, not more than a quarter of an inch 
üeep. ^» main drain, 59 perches English, or 46 Irish, 
was much less expensive; both in eutting and building, 
the sinking being much less, and also the mason work. 
It may have cost 7s. 6d. to 8s, per perch, independently 
of cutting and filling. The minor main,.yet to be 
built in the old gripe, having but little to do, may be 
built of much less dimensions,and at greatly less expense. 
For cutting the sub-mains and parallel drains, the la- 
bourers are paid by contract, at the rate of 3d. per 
perch. The cost of those drains will then be as follows :— 
ub-mains, per 7 yards, ewMing — ,, ae oe. oe Os, 3d. 
9 
One ton of broken stonos — .. m . e. 0 
Carting, screening, and filling into drains, and turving 0 5 
Ti i er thousand, com- 
. s cb. 
in; 
iles, 4 inches diameter at 52s. p 
mon slates for soles, carting, laying, &c. 
Cost per 7 yards .. DS 
“The length of sub-mains in 129 acres, being 1,508 
English, or 1,185 perches, Irish, at 3s. per perch, 
1771. 15s., or 14. 7s. 6d. per English aere. The parallel 
drains— 3 
Cutting, 3d. per 7 yards oe E 
Half a ton broken stones  .. n . 
Carting, filling, screening, and turving .. 2j 
3d. 
4 
per perch, lod. 
Of the parallel drains there are at 20 feet apart 126 
English perches, or 99 Irish, in the statute acre. The 
cost then will be per English acre,— 
99 Irish perches, parallel drains, at 10d. per perch .. £4 2s. 6d. 
Proportion of sub-maius .. ee es ee we 
2 ploughs in 8 hours will fill 3jacres, being per acre. 03 0 
Total m ..£5 13 
& The lowest expense, therefore, that can be stated, ex- 
clusive of the main drains, is 5/. 13s. per English acre, 
and taking into account casualties, and removing rocks, 
which sometimes come in the way of the drains, it is 
feared that it may be raised to 6/, Lower estimates 
than this have been given ; but to do the work effec- 
tually, in the manner applicants have done, no less sum 
will be found adequate.” 
Mr, John Andrews has lately given in the Dublin 
Farmers’ Gazette, an account of the mode of farming 
adopted on this estate. We shall, next week, lay his 
report on this subject before our readers, 
: Miscellaneous. 
On the use of Linseed.—In Norfolk generally, and 
in many parts of other counties, the use of Linseed, to 
fatten bullocks and sheep, is beginning to be understood. 
Many suppose that they are sufficiently acquainted with 
its properties ; but we have yet much to learn as to the 
extent of its value, particularly for rearing store stock 
in bination with box-feeding and summer grazing. 
The direct advantage is seen in the rapid progress of 
the eattle—the indirect, in the superiority of the crops 
Where the manure, thus obtained, has been applied. 
Formerly, through ignorance of management, Linseed, 
as cattle-food, failed to an q ly 
its use had long been discontinued in this county. But, 
during the last four years, the demand has been greater 
than the supply. An incontestible proof of the efficacy 
9f Linseed ds! f ises bave 
f 
T H 
been metamorphosed through the conversion of sheds. 
luto boxes, and the addition of new ones ; not by ama- 
teur farmers alone, who are too often influenced by 
Plausible theories, but by men of long experience and 
Sound judgment, I subjoin, with much satisfaetion, an 
extract from a letter by Sir C. Barrell, Bart. ; and 
those of many other landowners and tenant-farmers I 
Purpose to embody in my fortheoming work on the eul- 
tivation of Flax, the fattening of cattle upon native pro- 
uce, &oc. :—^ I cannot lose the opportunity of repeating 
thy entire satisfaction derived from Mr. Warnes's box- 
feeding system as set forth in his pamphlets, and 
brought into both summer and winter practice on my 
farm, the beasis thriving rapidly on the compound 
Mode of crushing Linseed, with Bean, Barley, or other 
Meal boiled and formed into a mass, with which my 
beasts have thriven more advantageously than others 
9n oil-cake, and at less cost : and, as regards the excel- 
lence and flavour of the meat, it is superior, and speci- 
ferring the box-feeding system to every other mode ; 
the food being cheaper, the cattle thriving faster, and 
the dung made being so much better, that we consider 
12 loads thereof equal to 20 loads from oil-cake fed 
beasts, whether tied up or otherwise, —C. M. BURRELL.” 
. W. Whitmore, Esq., of Dudmanston, Shropshire, is 
engaged in transforming a barn into a double, and some 
adjoining bullock-sheds into a single row of boxes, with 
lofts for provender ; all which, communicating with the 
Cooking-house, originally a dairy, form a complete esta- 
Dlishment, and ata cost comparatively nominal. This 
Sentlemau's plan embraces 40 boxes, capable of con- 
taining 50 or 60 bullocks. The Rev. J. C. B. Warren, 
"of Horkésley Hall, has about 50 boxes, arranged and 
Constructed upon principles alike economical. But the 
Most compact establishment that I have yet had the 
these agents by our 
earches into this subject 
same conclusion as that to which 
ong ago, that in farming, opening 
it is of importance th. 
ions. Dr. D 
n + l 
and a pump; a Turnip-house and chambers for hay, | and pulverising (not to speak of cleaning) the soil, is the main 
these circumstances to show, that all farm-premises 
may, by a little ideration and contri , be simi- 
larly converted, and every farmer in the kingdom be 
stimulated to adopt a system that will insure profit to 
himself, rent to his landlord, and employment to his 
labourers ; becausé it would enable him to double his 
usual number of cattle, to make two returns of fat bul- 
| locks in a year, and to apply to his land an abundance 
of efficacious manure—a system based upon fundamental 
princip 8, depending upon its own resources, requiring 
neither foreig? tovu, foreign Sive sg nor chemical 
preparations. A system, simy.9 12 practice, powerful 
in effect, and applicable to every geade of farmer. 
system, more important, if possible, ¢o-the breeder than 
to the grazier, if we may judge from the remarks of the 
Duke of Bucelench, at the meeting of the Dumfries 
Agricultural Association, and from the miserable spec- 
tacles that appear in our cattle markets—spectacles at 
variance both with humanity and judicious manage- 
ment. His Grace animadverted upon the deteriorating 
effect of keeping cattle upon straw in winter; and ad- 
vised the adoption of some method that would, at least, 
retain the condition acquired in the summer, and im- 
prove the manure. Linseed meal boiled for a few 
minutes, and intimately incorporated with straw, will 
achieve both objects. The allowance, whether much or 
little, will produce a proportionable effect, such as those 
only who try the experiment can believe. For instance, 
Mr. Partridge has 21 score of ewes, to which a peck 
only is given per day, at the cost of 1s. 9d., or a penny 
per score, including the expense of crushing, boiling, 
&c. That so small a quantity of Linseed should be 
divided amongst 420 sheep, must, of course, appear 
paradoxical, but the following explanation of the means 
employed will remove doubt :—A peck of Linseed, re- 
duced to fine meal, is stirred into 20 gallons of boilin 
water. In about 10 minutes, the mucilage being 
formed, a pailful is poured, by one person, upon two 
bushels of cut hay thrown into a strong trough, while 
another mixes it with a fork, and hastens the absorption 
with a smaller rammer. The like quantity of chaff is 
next added with the mucilage as before, till the copper 
is empty. The mass being firmly pressed down, is, 
after a short time, carried in sacks to the fold, where I 
had the pleasure of witnessing the avidity with which 
sheep devour hay, before so ordinary that they refused 
to eat. As the lambing season advances, and circum- 
stances require, the proportion of Linseed will be in- 
creased ; a method, that all who are straitened for 
provender will find it their interest to adopt ; remem- 
bering that this mixture is alike serviceable to lean 
cattle and to.horses ; and that the straw of Peas and 
the stalks of Beans are second’ only to hay. A few 
Swede Turnips, Mangold Wurzel, or Carrots, sliced 
very small, and added to the water when first put into 
the copper, will much improve the compound.—John 
Warnes, jun., in Bells Messenger. 
Improvement of British Agriculture.— At a late 
meeting in West Norfolk, Mr. Hudson, of Castleacre, 
made the following remarks :—He was able to prove 
that thefarmers had not only kept pace with the in- 
ereased population, but that they had actually * gone 
ahead." In 1821 the population of England and Wales 
was 11,978,875. It had been calculated, and he be- 
lieved correctly, that on the average each individual 
would require a quarter of Wheat for his sustenance 
during the year. Now, taking the ten years previously 
to 1821, he found that the average quantity of foreign 
Wheat entered annually for home consumption was 
.429,076 quarters. If they deducted that number from 
the population (calculating every person to consume 
annually one quarter of Wheat), the amount of Wheat 
produced each year in this country at that time would 
appear to be 11,549,799 quarters, In 1831 the popula- 
tion had increased to 13,897,187, the average importa- 
tions of foreign Wheat for the previous 10 years were 
534,762 quarters ; so that the growth of Wheat in this 
country might then be taken to average 13,362,425 
quarters annually. There was, therefore, an average 
inereased produetion in the last ten years over the pre- 
ceding 10 years of 1,812,626 quarters per annum. 
Again, in 1841 the population was 15,911,757, the ave- 
rage importations of foreign Wheat during the preced- 
ing 10 years were 908,118 quarters, and the quantity 
produeed in this country annually might be caleulated 
at 15,003,639 quarters. The total increase in the home 
production during the period through which his caleu- 
lation extended was 3,453,840 quarters. He considered, 
therefore, that he was justified in contradicting the as- 
sertion that the farmers had not kept pace in produc- 
tion with the increasing population of the country. 
CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 
JANUARY. 
Tillage Operations.—The winter cultivation of the land is 
highly conducive, indeed almost essential to its fertility. Dr. 
aubeny has shown us that there ts in soils an almost in- 
exhaustible store of food for plants, though not in a soluble 
form ; and infertility is generally the consequence, not of the 
] 
absence of these stores, but of the small portion of them which, 
at any given time, arein an available or useful condition. Now, 
turned over to the full 
drainage in man; 
ground ; i. e. it is well to plough the land in ridges and clean 
the furrows well out, keeping a channel oj i i 
ONG awing to the late harvest of the past season, and the 
general excellence ot tue 72^: crops, the present Wheat sowing 
may be later than usua 
past month. 
In reference to the garden farm, on which we would make a 
monthly remark, we may merely mention, that as all Wheat 
should have been sown in November, an 
little work remains 
pleted before the f 
on hand in order to give employment to those who during this 
season may be looking for work. The autumn digging should 
be as deep and rough as possible. 
Notices to Correspondents. 
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS—P— Great Britain and Ireland :— 
Average Annual Im-| Total No. of Acres 
P i ur 16 
Population. port of Grain during| inclosed d 
10 preceding Years. | preceding Years. 
Qrs. 
1821 | 20,963,666 about 700,000 
1831 | 24,100,376 - 
1841 | 26,870,143 s. 1,330,000 
There is no existing information on the produce of the land. 
ANNUAL AVERAGE PRICES OF WmuraAT— 0 Inquirers—See the 
Appendix to the Annual Supplement to Mr. Willic! “ Tithe 
Tables for 1846.” 
.; “cultivating,” 2s. 6d. ; 
inches wide, 2s. — 
arcon 
a very useful element in all composts of matters whose decom- 
mixture of Mangold Wurzel and Parsnips would be excel 
food for a cow, both in quality, and, per diem, quiiity. | * 
DAMAGE DONE BY HuNTING—AÀ HayFarmer asks how h 
his neighbours ean obtain redress for the damage they sus- 
tain from L i 
stroying their bèst drained 
meadows? or in what way they may be justified in annoying 
hem. 
FEEDING CATTLE— Tenant Farmer—Y our cattle are now in good 
condition,—should you sell them and buy lean stock to eat the 
rest of your Turnips, or keep your fat stock on till they have 
finished them? The choice you say is all-grown: 
lean cattle and full-grown fat cattle, We should imagine 
that the latter would make more beef off a given weight of 
food than the former ; for their present coat of fat meat is a. 
warm jaeket to them, and on the well ascertained oun 
that warmth is an equivalent for food, the latter will require 
less to keep them fattening than the former. A consideration 
of market prices and prospects may however reverse our deci— 
sion; but these points you must determine for yourself. 
And it depends on local circumstances too whether it may 
not rather be your interest to buy young stock to consume 
your Turnips, and sell them out as graziers in spring. 
FLAX SEED—F B Martin—Sow Riga seed. The Orange Globe 
Mangold Wurzel is the best sort. 
ATER—A Subseriber—It contains 2 to 4 per cent. of am- 
monia; 300 or400 gallons will therefore be a good dressing 
per acre; and if you have not the water-cart necessary to 
l, S. ; Poa nemoralis, 3 
rifolium repens, 5 ]s.; Avena 
flavescens, 1} Ibs. ; Festuca heterophylla, 1 1b.; F 
ay. 
n whatever way that somewhat mysterious spent, 
influence,” may act, there is no doubt as to the reality of its ef- 
fets ; it renders matters useful to vegetables soluble in water, 
and thus capable of being absorbed by its roots, and while 
water and the carbonic acid and oxygen of the air are doubtless 
the chemical means it employs, water and air and frost are 
the agents of disintegration which it puts in action, in order to 
render the substance of the soil more open to their influence, 
Horse K: Tneapr G bran mash two or three 
times a week with the Bean straw, and if the laiter is, as it 
should be, cut into chaff, a moderate proportion of hay should 
be cut with it. W. C. S. 
Kont Rasi— Tenant Farmer—It is a sort of Cabbage with a 
ble part. 
t is 
able 
swollen stem, and this wen on its neck is the val 
We Fouad prefer the Swede or Mangold Wu: 
hard 
