134 THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[Fes 91; 
aid, will be enabled to account satisfactorily for any 
seeming diserepaney,—G. B. C., Manchester. 
Glass Milk Pans.—I may state in answer to some in 
quiries lately made in the Chronicle, that I have for the 
last six months used glass milk pans in my dairy. 
have twelve in constant use, and although they stand on 
slate shelves only one has been broken; and that wa; 
wracked the first day the pans were washed, owing to 
the dairyman putting it into boiling water. My pans 
are about 4} inches deep, and 18 inches wide at the 
top shelving to 9 inches wide at the bottom. In my 
opinion they are infinitely preferable to any other sort 
of milk-pan, as they are so easily and speedily cleaned, 
being merely rinsed in warm or cold water, and being 
made of clear flint glass, the smallest speck of dust is 
‘immediately perceived. Apsley Pellatt, of the Falcon 
‘Glass Works, on the Surrey side of Blackfriars Bridge, 
was the maker, and the price 4s. 6d. each ; but as this 
was the price prior to the reduction of the duty on 
glass, I doubt not that they may now be had cheaper.— 
yro. 
To Salt Pork.—Boil together over a gentle fire 6 lbs. 
of common salt, 2 lbs. of powdered loaf sugar, 3 oz. of 
saltpetre, and 3 gallons of pure spring water ; skim it 
while boiling, and when cold pour it over the meat, 
every part of which must be covered with brine. Small 
pork will be sufficiently cured in four or five days ; 
‘hams intended for drying, in two weeks, unless they are 
very large. Before putting the meat into the brine, 
press oat any blood, then wash and wipe it clean. This 
pickle may be used two or three times, if fresh boiled 
up, and a small addition of the ingredients be added — 
J. M*In'osh. : 
Salting Pork.—* D. M," begs to inform “An Old 
Subseriber" that the reason the pork was laid down 
hot is because it takes the salt more readily. A bushel 
of salt was used, and from 10 to 12 Ibs. of sugar. The 
hogs weighed about 40 store, taken as an average. No 
meat was laid down—only the fat sides of the hogs. . If, 
when the tub was quite filled, after waiting a week or 
ten days, it was found that the salt did not begin to 
melt, which was sometimes the case if the salt had been 
very dry and the atmosphere also, then two or three 
quarts of warm water were sprinkled over, to moisten 
the salt and to cause it to brine. “ D. M." cannot tell 
what was the specific gravity of the brine, but it must 
have been as strong as possible, far stronger than the 
old housewife’s test of good brine, namely an egg’s 
swimming in it, because it was the melted salt and 
sugar, with the moisture that exuded from the pork, 
and with sometimes the addition of the small quantity 
of water mentioned. “D. M." sees that “ Curly Tail” 
is in despair about the effectually curing his hogs, on 
account of their weight. If the above mode will answer 
or bacon as well as pork, * D. M." assures “ Curly 
Tail” that he need be in no fear as to the result, The 
bacon will be thoroughly salted.— Jan. 7. 
Berkshire Pigs.—Berkshire is proverbial for its 
breed of pigs, and as the present season is a fit time for 
rearing them, a few remarks on the qualities and extra- 
ordinary dimensions of this peculiar breed may be 
interesting to some of your readers. Of the advan- 
tages or disadvantages attending the breeding and 
feeding of swine, it is not my inteation now to speak, as 
local cireumstances must, in a great measure, deter- 
mine that question. The Berkshire breed, which is 
reckoned one of the best in England, is perhaps more 
xelebrated for its fine qualities than its dimensions, 
although, as we lave hinted, these are often considera ble. 
One of the Berkshire breed killed is reported to have 
measured from the nose to the end of the tail, 3 yards, 
8 inches, and to have stood 43 feet in height: its weight 
when killed was 86 stones, 11 Ibs. avoirdupoise, accord- 
ing to the old stone of 14 lbs., the weight being 1215 lbs. 
Another instance I know of: one reared in this county, 
and recently killed, was found to weigh 38 score. Ex- 
amples of the Berkshire breed were given at the late 
Smithfield show, which were highly praised, and suecess- 
ul in eompeting with other breeds. Size, however, is 
of minor importance, and since the introduction of the 
Chinese race, which has tended to the improvement of 
‘our own breeds, we less frequently hear of instances 
of enormous magnitude than formerly. The most 
common weight of the Berkshire breed is from 12 to 
15 score, although many fattened at two ycars old weigh 
20 score when killed, and some even more. Two pri- 
mary qualities are, that the bone is small, and they 
fatten at an early age on little food. The true Berk- 
shire breed is known to be black, with white spots, but 
some are quite white; their snouts are short, jowls 
thick, and ears erect. A mixed breed, by crossing the 
"Berkshire with the Chinese breed, possesses improved 
qualities, though susceptible of cold for want of hair. 
Excellent, however, as the flesh of the Chinese hog is, 
and of the breeds crossed with it preference is given, 
‘by competent judges of its qualities, to some of our 
native improved breeds, as yielding what is most essen- 
tial, the best bacon: of these, the breed of this, as well 
as that of other counties, is highly esteemed.— H., 
Berkshire. 
Ploughing Flat Furrow i» Kent. — If this means 
turning the next furrow completely down into the place 
where the previous furrow was taken up from, and laid 
the downside upwards, leaving the surface completely 
flat all over the ploughed land, it is more than we can 
do in our county. Perhaps a Kent farmer will tell us 
how. I have been told by a person somewhat ac- 
quainted with Kentish farming, that they plough much 
dee er in Kent than we do here. Of the Kentish turn- 
rest plough, the most of us are in ignorance ; we should 
= 
be glad to see a plain description of it, and its use and 
urpose. Draining.—Mr. Mechi’s sponge (at p. 661, 
1845) is an excellent illustration of deep draining versus 
shallow, and it is as true as it is excellent, Deep Cul- 
tivation.—Mr. Hewitt Davis is a cultivator that is 
worthy of imitation, I have been gently testing and 
proving his methods of deep cultivation, and thin sowing, 
on various soils for the last 20 years, and have become 
more and more convinced of their utility and profit ; 
so that I am gradually adopting his system. Smut, or 
Bunt, or Pepper-brand in Wheat.—Were I to write 
upon this, it would only be a verbatim statement of 
that of Mr. David's, at a meeting of the Cardiff Farmers’ 
Club in 1842 (reported in the 4g. Gazette, p. 661) ; 
for his account is exactly in accordance with my own 
observation, practice, and experience, for the last 30 
years. In addition Ihave to say, that, in curing the 
disease in the seed, common salt alone has no effect ; 
and that Iam induced to believe that, where smut has 
abounded, the disease remains in the fields and in the 
manure; and that caustics are the best remedy to apply 
to the seed corn.—A Leicestershire Farmer ; No. I. 
Deep Draining on Stiff Clays: Tiptree-hall Farm. 
—Under the above head Mr. Mechi having lately kindly 
favoured the readers of the Agricultural Gazette with 
an account of his deep draining on the land he rents, 
would further oblige a constant reader by stating 
through the same medium the average depth of the 
drains, the nature of the subsoil, and what wages the 
labourers earned at 64. a perch of 5} yards, and 
whether the draining pipes were delivered in the field 
at 15s. per 1000, and if not, how far they had to be 
carted ; also, whether any main drains were required 
and their cost as compared with the common drains. 
An answer to these inquiries would oblige—A Constant 
Reader. 
Malt Floor. —* X. X. X.” who inquires about making 
malt on a boarded floor of a granary, will find a ground 
floor much more suitable, and it should be constructed 
in the following manner :—Cover the floor with fine 
gravel made as level and as solid as possible ; over this 
place a coat of cement (the kind not material, if fresh), 
which should be mixed with finely sifted road sand in 
a fair proportion. This will male a floor as durable 
as stone, but care must be taken thatit is placed on the 
gravel before the cement is set, as they term it ; much 
of the cement used becomes useless by being Jaid on by 
unskilful hands. . Your correspondent may make his 
malt on a boarded floor, but the plan I have mentioned 
is far preferable. Some cover thé floors with large 
slates jointed with cement. The making of malt might 
be greatly improved, but for the restrictive nature o; 
the laws.— Alpha. 
Docteties. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY or ENGLAND. 
A WztkLY Councrt. was held at the Society's House 
in Hanover-square, on Wednesday last, the 18th of 
February ; present: His Grace the Duke of Richmond, 
in the chair; B. Almack; G. T. Raymond Barker, 
isq.; T. H. Bateman, Esq.; S. Beneraft, Esq. ; W. 
R. Browne, Esq.; F. Burke, Esq. ; H. Burr, Esq. ; 
Dr. Calvert; F C. Cherry, Esq. ; W. Cuthbertson, 
Esq.; A. E. Fuller, Esq., M.P.; H. Gibbs, Esq. ; B. 
T. B. Gibbs, Esq. ; W. l'isher Hobbs, Esq. ; J. Kinder, 
Esq. 3 Ogilvie, Esq.; John Reed, Esq. ; Prof. 
Sewell; W. Shaw, Esq. ; W. R. C. Stansfield, Esq., 
M.P. ; T. P. Stone, Esq. ; T. Turner, Esq. ; aud T. R. 
Tweed, Esq. 
William Marshall, Esq., M.P., of Patterdale Hall, 
near Carlisle, was elected a Governor, and the following 
gentlemen Members of the Society :— 
Cargey, George, Sandon Hall Farm, Stone, Staffordshire 
Farhall, Richard, Billingshurst, Sussex 
pel, Strathfieldsaye, Hartfordbridge, Hants 
, Quatt, Bridgnorth, Salop 
Timings, Richard, Warton, Bromyard, Hereford 
Thompson, Andrew, Woodford, Kettering, Northampton 
Wright, John, Chipping-Ongar, Essex 
Ferguson, D. Northallerton, Yorkshire 
Mackworth, Caerleon, Monmouth 
cis, tford, Andover, Hants 
Smith, William, Burton, Belford, Northumberland, 
Country Mretines.—Mr. Mason, Town Clerk of Don- 
caster, addressed a communication to the Council, soli- 
citing, on the part of the corpcration of that borough, 
that one of the country meetings of the Society may be 
held at Doncaster, at some future time, when the new 
succession of districts throughout England and Wales, 
for the holding of the Society’s country meetings after 
1817 (when the present schedule ends) shall have been 
determined upon —The Council ordered that the Rota- 
tion of Districts’ Committee should be summoned to 
meet on Monday, the 2nd of March. 
Prize BannzY.— Earl Spencer transmitted his Re- 
port of the cultivation of the Barley selected by the 
Judges at the Southampton Meeting for trial along with 
the loeal varieties commonly grown in the neighbour- 
hood of the respective parties appointed by the Council 
to undertake the task of instituting such trial. This 
report was reserved for consideration until the other 
communications on the same subject have been re- 
ceived. 
Porato DrsgAsE.—Mr. Browne submitted to the in- 
spection of the meeting some specimens of diseased 
Potatoes, and stated that he had taken them from a 
heap which had lain together for upwards of two months 
without any increase of the disease, — The Duke of 
Ricumonp drew the attention of the meeting to an inge- 
nious plan which was practised in American families, 
a” 
Loseom 
by cutting off the stem end containing the eye of the 
Potato, and employing the remainder for culinary pur 
poses. The portion thus eut off was thrown into a 
vessel containing lime and charcoal, for the purpose of 
preserving it for seed. His Grace also stated that, not 
having found the Potatoes in the north of Scotland 
affected by the disease, he had secured a supply for 
introduction into the county of Sussex as seed for his 
future crops. is Grace further stated that the Duke 
of Portland having made many experiments relative to 
the disease in Potatoes, he would take an early oppor- 
tunity of requesting him to favour the Council with a 
report of his results.—An interesting discussion then 
took place, in which Mr. Raymond Barker, Mr. Stans- 
field, M.P., Mr. Fuller, M.P., and Dr. Calvert, detailed 
the results of their respective experience of the Potato 
disease. 
Coxpitroys or Dravent.—Mr. Bencrarr having 
submitted to the Council a detailed explanation of the 
principles on which his hames and new saddle were 
constructed, and of the beneficial results which had 
attended their trial under various circumstances, an 
interesting discussion ensued, in which the Chairman, 
Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Mr. Turner (President of the Co!- 
lege of Veterinary Surgeons), and Mr. Cherry (Principal 
Veterinary Surgeon to the Army), stated to the 
Council the result of their experience respectively, on 
the subject of draught and harnessing. Mr. Cherry 
also presented to the Society (in reference to papers 
on the subject of one-horse carts in the last part of the 
Journal of the Society), copies of his various published, 
as well as privately printed works, on the best mode 
of constructing a cart for hospital service, and of trans- 
porting by vehicles, or on the backs of animals, the 
personal baggage of the army. 
Mr. Grover, Secretary of the Neweastle-upon-Tyne 
Farmers’ Club, transmitted a copy of the regulations 
of that institution. 
The Council then adjourned to Wednesday next, the 
25th instant. 
MARKET-HILL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
AT the late annual meeting of this Society the pro- 
ceedings were of the usually interesting character, but 
we regret our inability to find room for a full report of 
them. We shall shortly give in another section of the 
paper some of the statements of judges regarding the 
competing farms ; and we shall now extract from the 
Newry Telegraph the following report of Mr. Blacker’s 
speech on the occasion, in which some interesting de- 
tails are given of the doings of this Society :— 
Mr. BrACKzER, after some preliminary remarks said— 
I shall proceed, as on former occasions, to make some 
remarks explanatory of the pro; of that agricultural 
improvement in this vicinity, in which all present are 
so much interested, and which our noble president, in 
particular, has taken so much pains, and gone to such 
expense to promote. In doing this I confess I feel 
under considerable embarrasment ; for I can conceive, 
by a very unealled-for comparison made at a late 
agricultural meeting in a neightouring county, that the 
speaker wished to insinuate that too much had been 
said at these meetings of what improvements were 
going on in the neighbourhood; whilst, on the other 
hand, I have fallen under the censure of the editor of 
the. Farmers’ Gazette. (Dublin), who, in commenting 
ae ó tw) 
£. 
upon our last meeting, pl tha p 
were given by which the publie eould form any correct 
judgment of the actual state of things. I eaumot take 
blame to myself in regard to the first charge, because, 
in everything I have ever said or written, I have en- 
deavoured to keep the publie in mind that the declara- 
tions here made, came from the premium-men, and 
must not be taken as descriptive of the Gosford estate 
generally. Ihave never said more than that the ad- 
vancement in agriculture, though not so great as one 
could wish, was yet great enough to induce further per- 
severance in ourselves, and afford, also, encouragement 
to others, to follow our example—which latter will 
appear from the occasional letters I receive from differ- 
ent agriculturists to whose appointment I have been 
accessory (some of which, as well as letters from the 
owners of the properties, will hereafter be published). 
I will only add in this respect that I should be truly glad 
that not only the distriet in question, but every other dis- 
trict in Ireland had got the start of us, as stated, though 
upon what data I cannot imagine, however mortified I 
might be at our falling behind. As to the remark in 
the Farmers’ Gazelte, conceiving it my duty to attend 
to the observations of the press, I have thought the 
most satisfactory course for me to steer would be to 
state certain data in regard to which there could be no 
mistake, and leave every one to draw their own conclu- 
sions. In’ p hi termination, I beg to 
mention, that besides what the higher classes of the 
tenants may have provided for themselves, there has 
been lent out this last year, on the Gosford and Drum- 
banagher estates, 42 bushels of Turnip sced, which as 
the practice of dibbling the seed is pretty extensively 
pursued, I consider equal to sow about 800 acres, 
"here have also been given out 180 ewt., or 9 tons 
weight of red Clover seed, being equal to about 1450 
acres, besides a considerable quantity of Vetches and 
Italian Rye-Grass—say 138 bushels of Vetches, and 512 
bushels of Grass seed—but which being generally pro- 
vided by the tenants themselves, would give an 
erroneous idea of the extent of their cultivation, I 
have already alluded to the extent levelling of di'ohes 
has been carried. It may also be interesting to know 
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