TOE e SI DIUI, sre cia 
11.—1846.] THE 
AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
173 
racter, the greatest consideration ; yet in this instance 
e (Dr. Greville) thought that more was drawn from 
the experiments than they might be found to justify. 
Certainly every farmer would act wisely in obtaining 
the best seed which circumstances admitted of, and from 
@ non-infected district if convenient. But from the 
accounts already known, and still accumulating, in 
favour of the Cup variety, there was strong reason to 
hope that sound sets, although from an infected dis- 
trict, would under careful management produce a satis- 
factory return. The vitality of that variety was re- 
markable, and it was known (unlike most kinds), to 
bear producing year after year on the same land with- 
out deterioration. 
Farmers’ Clubs. 
SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION. 
12, THE VALUE AND COST OF FARM BUILDINGS. 
are worth ** 14 years’ purchase ;”* i. e. 74 
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ho is to Pay for their Cost 2—The landlord, of course, as 
they go to increase the value of his property. And he may pay 
for them directly, charging, as we have said, 7} per cent. for his 
outlay ; or he ma; 
privileges to the tenant as the latter may consider it to be his 
interest to accept on the condition of erecting farm buildings 
We consider permanency of tenure for 21 years at 
the present value of the land, 
e as more money than 
he can invest in cultivation, it will be much more for his interest 
that his landlord should erect them, and charge him for their 
annual value ; because, while in both cases he will enjoy the 
same advantages, in the one, at the end of 21 years, he will find 
i i 20007. Supposing them to 
mulated at compound interest, 
This opinion, however, may be controverted—** much ma; 
said on both sides"—and on the arguments brought forward by 
either party will depend the interest of this discussion. 
MarpsroNE: Annual Meeling.—Mr. Barnes in pro- 
posing as a toast * the Prosperity of Agriculture," said, 
Let any one survey the Wealds of Kent and Sussex, 
and he must see much which ought to be corrected. 
He was last week in a portion of Sussex, where there 
Was a considerable quantity of land which might be 
said to be lti d, wide hedg » hanging 
timber, small l all highly detri l to the 
nd, and preventing it from producing half of what it 
is capable. It was a strange fact that their leases for 
the most part contained clauses absolutely preventing 
the tenant from removing a single spit from the side o 
their hedgerows, which were overspread with thorns 
&nd weeds. In many parishes which had been surveyed 
for the purpose of the Tithe Commutation Act, no less 
than one acre in ten was lost in this way, and that one 
aere is capable of produeing half as mueh more as those 
around it. He felt assured the company present, both 
commercial and agrieultural, would lend their aid ani 
influence in endeavouring to proeure a removal of these 
obstacles to Improvement, by eireulating the faets he 
mentioned, until they reached the ears of those who 
had the power to remove them. There was no farmer 
who laboured in his own fields but must feel his spirits 
broken down, and his energies enfeebled, by such dis- 
couraging circumstances—when he saw the high timber, 
the wide hedges, which defeated all his efforts. It was 
utterly useless to sow seed near these trees and hedges, 
for if they did so there would not be halfa crop. He 
new instances of small inclosures where full half the 
d was spoiled from the want of air and sun. These 
am QUE staring them in the face, and they could not 
of. Th gee the advantages they were thus deprived 
they fia had no back country to fall back upon, as 
America and other countries. It behoved 
; to use their best efforts to obtain the’ re- 
was, in fact, in a state, as regarded i 
dp & many parts of it, of 
comparative barrenness, compareq to AS it might be 
under a more Se System of cultivation, But the 
question was, Whence was the out], rtis 
O tede Hd. must e ay to effect this to be 
nust say it would d 4 ; 
landlord who was in a situation nes doubly pay any 
the whole outlay at his own Charge, while he would 
greatly benefit the occupier. Some landlords had come 
forward to do this, charging 6 or 7 per cent. for drain- 
ing with tiles, which would remain for vet: and this 
Would amply repay them in a short time, and the tenant 
ig cie aati 
* Dwelling houses paid only 7} per cent. when the 
risk, durin 
the war, of all money investments was much greater, ” 4 
E 
would be benefited far beyond the amount of his ad- 
ditional rent. At the same time he had a strong 
objection to that deep draining which was recommended 
by some on their clay lands, believing from his own 
experience that the soil would not admit the water to 
the drains at so great a depth. There were other no- 
tions of the present day to which he equally objected. 
One of those which had started up was the thin sowing, 
alluded to in the report. He had great respect for Mr. 
Hewitt Davis, or any other man who would travel out 
of the beaten track in search of improvement, but in 
this case he. could not think the system recommended 
atall beneficial He had never witnessed any failure 
equal to that occasioned by too slight a plant. He had 
lost more from this cause than from wet, worm, or any 
other cause.—Mr. Nesbit made a few observations re- 
lative to the applicability of chemistry and science to 
agriculture, and in what way the practical farmer might 
avail himself of their aid. During the last 10 years 
chemistry had made such advances, that there was no 
doubt at all of the benefits that must result from its 
application to agriculture. With respect to its general 
outline it was very plain and simple. Farmers were in 
the habit of putting dung on their land—to produce a 
crop. Suppose they put the same weight of bricks, no 
such results would follow. It was not then the weight 
simply. They must therefore look to what the manure 
was composed of—and it is thus discovered that some 
substances are useful—others not so—and the benefit 
of chemistry is to show us what substances are useful 
and what are not—in what proportions some substances 
are more useful than others—w! di 
He conducts his little farm, which is naturally of a good 
quality, with the greatest care and economy, and has 
most excellent crops, particularly Italian Rye-grass, 
which he had cut three times this season. The next 
farm we visited was John Gilliland’s, containing 8 acres, 
3 roods, and 9 perches—one field. The cows are con- 
stantly kept in the house. He has a very convenient 
house for them, with a passage at their head for a hand- 
cart to convey their food to them, so that Mrs. Gilli- 
land can attend to them while her husband is engaged 
in the farm. He has levelled all inside ditches, and has 
it nearly all furrow-drained. On the site of an old 
ditch he has planted Potatoes, one part with farm-yard 
manure, and the other part with guano ; the Potatoes 
planted on the guano (we found on examining a portion 
of both) had quite the advantage, both as regards size 
and quantity. Mr. Gilliland is not only an excellent 
farmer, but also a tolerably good mechanic. He builds, 
plasters, and does the carpenter work of all his little 
concern. The entrance into his farm, his cottage, and, 
in fact, everything he has, bear a comfortable and 
pleasing appearance. His mode of conveying the urine 
from the cow-house, by a metal pipe (over a stream of 
water that comes from a well), till it empties into a well- 
prepared liquid manure tank, pleased us very much. 
Mrs. G. appears to manage her part with equal clever- 
ness and attention. The next farm we visited was Mr. 
Greer’s. This was a very creditable farm, with an ex- 
cellent stock, but they were not so strictly house-fed as 
those last mentioned. The next farm we visited was 
Jacob Albin’s, containing 9 acres. We found this a 
g are 
taken out of the land by certain crops, and what ma- 
nure it is therefore necessary to put on to restore the 
soil to its proper state. With this view he had lately 
been making an analysis of the Hop, from a sample 
furnished him by Mr. Pain, of Farnham, and he had 
found that a crop averaging 4 ewt. to the acre took out 
of the soil 17 Ibs. of potash per aere. This, therefore, 
was the substance to be supplied. Now if they put on 
a manure containing only a small portion of potash, 
they must either put on an enormous quantity to pro- 
duce the result, or if they only put on a small quantity 
they would have but a small crop. To supply the 
potash requisite for the Hop plantation he had men- 
tioned, it would be necessary to put on 1 ton 5 ewt. of 
guano, whereas 3 cwt. of guano would supply all the other 
things wanted, except the potash, which the chemist could 
supply at a trifling expense. ‘This showed how great a 
saving might be effected by the due application of 
chemistry. 
Farm Memoranda. 
Swann Farms NEAR MARKETHILL.— The follow- 
ing is a report of certain small farms on Lord 
Gosford’s estate, near Markethill | Mr. Ferguson, 
one of the judges to decide upon their relative merits, 
and to determine with which the challenge cleck offered 
by Lord Gosford should remain this year, made the 
following statement at the late meeting there :—* We 
first viewed the farm of William Wallace, containing 
7 acres, 2 roods ; then that of Robert M‘Clinchy, contain- 
ing 10 acres, 3 roods, and 17 perches ; and that of John 
M‘Clinchy, containing 10 acres, 17 perches; all of 
which farms were exceedingly creditable to the parties 
that occupied them. Robert M‘Clinchy was short of 
stock, having only one cow, one horse, and two pigs, 
but his farm showed more labour to have been expended 
on it than any of the others. He has, we understand, 
been in bad health, but is now well; and from the ap- 
pearance of his farm, and the exertions he is making, 
we have no doubt, next year, he will be able to show as 
good a stock as the others. None of them had any 
permanent pasture ; and Robert M'Clinchy had levelled 
all his ditches, except one at the side of a road going 
through the farm ; and a considerable portion was 
furrow-drained, all having a fair proportion of Turnips 
and fodder for their stock. The next farm we visited 
was Bernard Nugent's, containing 2 acres, 2 roods, and 
25 perches, in one field, consisting of the following 
crops, viz., Potatoes, 1 acre; Turnips, 1 rood, 20 perches; 
Clover, 3roods ; Oats, 1 aere, 1 rood ; Flax, 35 perches. 
His stock consisted of one good cow and one large pig. 
Mrs. Nugent seems to understand, and, in faet, to 
manage everything with respect to the cultivation of 
ery little farm ; the Potatoes and Turnips 
well cultivated, and a very superior crop. Mr. Albin 
had lost three cows this summer by the distemper. He 
had purchased another, which, with a very superior one 
Lord Gosford had the kindness to make him a present 
of, were doing well Mrs. A. appears to manage the 
dairy department exceedingly well, which for cleanness 
and neatness could not be surpassed. The next farm 
we visited was Samuel Loudon’s, containing 8 acres, 
2 roods, and 30 perches—in two fields. There does not 
appear to be a more thriving or more industrious man 
on the estate than this person. Every kind of grain 
was good, particularly his Oats. He has his Flax dams 
placed at the top of his farm, and he always turns the 
Flax-water on his fields. The part where the Oats 
grew so luxuriant had been thus watered the autumn 
before. The next farm we visited was Mr. Bradford’s, 
containing 10 acres, 3 roods, and 30 perches—in two 
fields. This is also a very industrious man. a 
is family cultivate their farm almost exclusively with 
the spade, which is producing them four times as much 
as before he began house-feeding. The cows are kept 
constantly confined in the house. On having them 
turned out, they seemed to enjoy their minutes’ liberty 
with the greatest glee. Mr. Bradford had taken a erop 
of hay off the part of the ground sown in Turnips, and 
yet they appeared to be'a very good crop. "The next 
farm we visited was Mr. Rolston’s, containing 12 acres, 
1 rood, and 15 perches. His stock consisted ‘of three 
cows, one horse, and two large pigs, and le says he in- 
tends levelling his ditches next year. I cannot sit dowa 
without expressing the pleasure we felt on visiting these 
farms, and witnessing so much comfort in so man 
families. I would also beg leave to express the plea- 
sure with which we viewed the spirit of rivalry which 
exists among the female competitors, as I may term 
them, with respect to Lord Gosford’s clock. Our deci- 
sion is—lst, Mr. Gilliland; 2d, Mr. Albin; 3d, Mr. 
Beatty ; 4th, Mr. Bradford; and, of course, Mr. Gilli- 
land will now recover the clock which Mr. Beatty took 
from him last year.” 
Miscellaneous. 
Thin Sowing.—'The bad use made by Mr. Barnes, 
at the annual dinner of the Maidstone Farmers’ Cluby 
of the speech of the Rev. Mr. Huxtable, at the Stur- 
minster Farmer’s Club, to prejudice farmers against 
what is termed thin sowing, induces me very reluc- 
tantly to trespass on the attention of your readers, by 
making some observations in reply. ‘ The sum of the 
Rev. Mr. Huxtable’s remarks is simply this. That he 
had tried thin sowing, and that notwithstanding he had 
hoed his Wheat again and again, the weeds at harvest 
had hered his corn.” [See the original speech as 
this beautifully managed field. Her husband is em- 
ployed at Gosford, and she does all the work of the 
little farm, and attends to her cow and pig. The cow 
she keeps constantly in the house, and the pig she feeds 
with Potatoes and buttermilk. It comes out of its sty 
at her call, and stands up to be washed, seemingly with 
good will. This operation Mrs. N. performs every Satur- 
day night, and her care is fully repaid, not only by the 
affection with which the pig appears to regard its mis- 
tress, but with the surprising growth of the animal. 
Mrs. (N. affirmed it to be 4 months old; none of us 
being a judge of the age of a pig by its mouth (though, 
by its bulk, we were of opinion that the good wife had 
just forgot to place a 1 before the 4), we, of course, be- 
lieved what she told us. Mrs. N. showed us the best 
spread flax we ever saw ; and, in fact, taking all the 
crops in this field into consideration, we doubt if there 
was another field of equal size in the county that con- 
tained a more valuable erop. The next farm we visited 
was John Beatty’s, containing 9 acres, 1 rood, and 32 
perches. His stock consisted of two cows, in fine con- 
dition, kept constantly in the house ; two large pigs, 
and a litter of small ones. Mr, Beatty appears to be a 
thriving man, and, as he told us, is quite prepared to 
purchase more land, when any offers convenient to him, 
given in the county papers.] My arguments in favour 
of sowing only a bushel of Wheat to the aere, I beg to 
summarily present to such of your readers as have not 
seen my little work, “ The Injury and Waste of Corn 
from too thickly Sowing.” The present return in Eng- 
land from the seed sown averages only about tenfold, 
whilst a single grain planted where space to tiller is 
afforded, yields from one to two thousand fold, An 
ordinary ear of Wheat affords 40 grains; therefore a 
bushel of Wheat sown on an acre, and producing only 
one ear to each grain, that is without any tillering, 
must return 40 bushels. As one root where space is 
given, will give from 30 to 40 ears, there can be no oc- 
casion to sow more than a bushel per acre (if it be 
evenly spread), even supposing that a loss. of 29 out of 
30 of the sceds be anticipated, because the loss of ad- 
Joining plants will be met by the tillering of the sur- 
Yivors. On the other side, if more than a bushel of 
Wheat be sown, and produce plants, more plants will 
be created than can attain maturity, and the conse- 
quence in the spring and summer must follow, that 
the whole will not have space to grow, and instead of 
a healthy, vigorous growth, and full ears, at har-- 
vest, there will be a slight straw and small ears ; ex- 
actly the same result as that which too often mayb2 
