364 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[May 30, 
ing stock, and what the animals are fed on should be 
clearly certified, that the judges may have an oppor- 
tunity of seeing what animals have been paying best for 
the food they have used ; but certainly no animal ean 
expect to receive a prize that is not above fair condi- 
tion, asthe great aptitude for taking on fat is certainly 
& very material point, and judg 
eannot, of course, be expected to 
told the cireumstances of feeding, &e., and must declare 
it inferior to a fat one (whose fat may also hide 
faults). But the fact is, too many are i 
way of thinking, and will not give any credit to the ani- 
mai or mode of treatment, but take it for granted that 
these fat a y for what they have got. 
They are just rmers here, who, when they 
saw furrow-draining begun, laughed, and said, “ Ah, it 
will never pay to put a drain into each furrow ; he will 
soon tire of that job; it can never repay that expense.” 
These very laughers are following fast, now that they 
see the good of it. But to the stock: farmers ean, i 
they will, compete with lords, if they will only lay their 
minds to it; as, instance, a tenant farmer from 
this county got the prize at the Berwick Show in 
1841 of 1004, open to all 
was bought by two famed Hag 
Tempest and Mr. Whitak 
sold again at Mr. Whitake e, for 3507. 
Now, to show the aptitude to fatten that stock had, a 
neighbouring farmer who bought two sisters of this 
said bull trained them to the plough, and worked them 
four hours a day, to keep them in good breeding eondi- 
tion saved the expense of getting a man to travel 
them, as a duke might have done), but these two cows 
are in good condition, aud have calves regularly, and 
indeed one of them might be sent to Neweastle, if the 
farmer could afford to let her lie idle, to get into 
fair showing condition. Indeed, farmers carry off 
most of the prizes here. But our farmers are seeing 
it is their interest to keep good stock, and keep them 
well. The same farmer who used to sell his three-year- 
old stock, at 8/. to 10/., has this year sold his two-year- 
olds, one lot at 177. each, and another at 157. each (they 
were sold to farmers who look to making money by 
grazing them), and this by merely paying from 404 to 
60/. for real good bulls (he had the prize for the best 
bull at our four county meetings last year) and then 
feeding his stock from the time they are calved, and 
not, as formerly, letting them exist till two years old, 
and then feeding them the third year. Instead of, as 
formerly, selling 15 to 16 three-year-olds at 107. each— 
160/., he now sells as many two-year-olds at 167. each — 
2561. ; thus giving the keep to fewer beasts, but ma ing 
—An Aberdeenshire Farmer. 
reeding of Farm Horses is very commonly 
th loss instead of gain, in consequence prin- 
cipally of a total disregard to the laws of nature. “ Like 
begets like” is an axiom which cannot be disputed, and 
it is vain therefore to expect that an old worn-out and 
diseased mare can produce a healthy and valuable pro- 
geny. "a farmer intends breeding he should select 
the most valuable mares he has for the purpose, and if 
they are not good enough should proeure such as are, 
or otherwise abandon the attempt. A brood mare 
should not be less than four years old, nor so old as to 
be unable to preserve her flesh and condition. She 
Should also be free from disease of the eyes (unless ac- 
cidental), as well as from spasms, curbs, ringbones, and 
She may be kept.at 
work till near the time of foaling, taking care, however, 
that she is not put to any severe exertion requiring 
sudden strains. ‘The lightest work should be selected 
for hee: but it is better that she should be moderately 
used than kept in a state of idlene: It will be well to 
give her a bran-mash daily for a week previous to foal- 
many | 
in * Faleon's? | 
| thin and poor. Can this be caused by the dairy being 
too damp, or the wetness of the season ?—H. 
| Unfermented Bread.—Have you yourself tested or 
[seen the results by others testing, the formula for 
| 
s seeing a lean animal | If so, have your expectations 
10w the reason unless | have tried it several times, and have uniformly fai 
making unfermented bread, with which you favoured 
your readers in a recent Number of the Chronicle? 
been fully answered? 1 
ed to 
t, looks quite 
rival my village baker. My bread, in f 
a different thing ; more like a soda-cake divested of its 
sweetness and confectionery ingredients. It has a pale 
yellow or straw-coloured hue, instead of the whitenes 
which one likes to see in bread; it has, moreover, a 
peculiar and very perceptible odour, which I hardly 
know how to deseribe, but which I fancy is referable to 
the hydrochloric acid, and that acid is also traceable in 
the taste. The proportions in the formula seem to me 
to require alteration. The flour and the water ought to 
be in Jarger quantity, perhaps one-fourth more; but 
en so, I doubt if anything, which could be mistaken 
for ordinary “yeast-made” bread, or relished equally 
as it, will be produced, In tlie directions accompany- 
ing the formula, it is not explicitly laid down whether 
the dough should stand awhile, or be, as soon as it is 
formed, put into the oven? I have tried both ways, 
and prefer the former: which is intended? Your 
experience on the whole subject will be interesting and 
valuable to myself and others of your r 
[Perhaps some other reader wiil kindly 
rience. We have had none. 
Thin-planting Turnips.—l read with much pleasure 
the ieation in gri | Gazette on the 
value of thin-planting in Turnip eulture, by Mr. Prior. 
I am certain it is a point to which the farmers in some 
parts of England need to have their attention directed, 
I last year went over a field of Turnips with a farmer, 
and on observing they were small, his answer was “yes, 
they are so, but there are plenty of them,” and seemed 
tisfied that he had as good a erop as if there had been 
fewer of a large size. Now, I believe that the value of 
a crop of large Turnips as compared with one of smaller 
size, is not sufficiently appreciated. 1t depends (if I 
am not mistaken) on this theorem in mathematics; viz. 
“That the contents of spheres are as the cubes of their 
diameters.” Thus, for example : supposing Turnips to 
be a sphere (and some sorts are nearly such) the con- 
tents of one of 4 inches diameter will be to one of 
6 inches diameter as 64 to 216,or 8 to 27: that is, 
eight Turnips of 6 inches are equal in solid contents to 
27 of 4 inches. And by the same rule, nine Turnips of 
9 inches diameter will be equal to 30 of 6 inches. It 
is true that few Turnips are exact spheres ; but the 
reasoning, with a greater or less degree of accuracy, 
will apply to all. I hope the remarks which have been 
made on the subject may attract the attention of some 
of your readers, and that some fair experime: will 
be made in the ensuing season, which may lead to a 
aetory conclusion as to the exact distance at which 
Turnips should be left, in order to produce the greatest 
weight of food.— W. E. H. 
eaders.— R. 
state his expe- 
ieultura 
ES 
Societies. 
FLAX IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY, 
Montuty Mrrtine.—Belfast, April 29.—The Secre- 
tary reported the oceupation of the Society's agricul. 
turists throughout Ireland, in superintending the pre- 
paration of the soil for Flax, and the sowing of the 
crop. Extracts were read from their correspondence, 
from which it appeared that they had been busily en- 
gaged in districts of the following counties :— Derry, 
Donegal, Down, Tyrone, Longford, Westmeath, King's 
and Queen's Counties, Carlow, Kilkenny, Cork, Water- 
ford, Tipperary, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Galway, Mayo, 
and R Their i ions were everywhere 
received with great attention by the farmers ; and in 
the new distriets their location had excited great inte- 
rest among all classes, and those who had not made 
preparations, in time to avail themselves of the Soc 
assistance this season, were most anxious to make ar- 
rangements for the following year. The Society having 
strongly urged the necessity of procuring fresh and 
genuine seed, of the choicest kinds, as the first op to- 
wards success, the majority of those who were com- 
ing. ge loose box, well littered, will be a suitable 
lace for the mare to foal in, and a field with ditches or 
inequalities should by all means be avoided. A small 
level pasture where there are no other horses, will be a 
convenient place for the mare and foal where she can- 
not be d ‘bed or injured. She should here continue 
for about six weeks, when she may resume her work, 
and may at any time be put to the horse again. The 
mare should be fed tolerably well during the period of 
her suckling, and if she proves again in foal the colt 
should be weaned somewhat earlier than otherwise 
—about four months after going to the horse will be a 
very good time. The colt may be allowed to follow its 
dam whilst at work, and should be handled as much as 
possible to get it quiet and docile. This is a point of 
much importance, as in case of any illness or accident 
happening to the colt, the cure will materially depend 
on the doeility of the little animal, and its quiet sub- 
mission to treatment. In the practice of breeding 
horses, as well as other animals, nature should be aided 
but not forced, assisted but not outraged.— W. Q. S. 
Dairy Management,— Will any of your correspond- | 
ents take the trouble to inform me, why in a fine rich | 
pasture, with good cows, I cannot obtain thick cream ? | 
Though every attention is paid to the dairy utensils, 
and the milk stands more than 24 hours, it always rises 
mencing Flax enlture in the new districts had taken 
care to do so. Many had, however, preferred buying 
inferior seed, because the cost was less. The result of 
the produce of each description of seed will, it is ex- 
pected, at once convince the farmers of the folly of pur- 
chasing an inferior article, and show them that without 
buying good seed they cannot expect a good erop, even 
although every care should be bestowed in the manage- 
ment. In the North Ulster district the sced saved last 
season, on the Courtrai method, for sowing; this year, 
had proved of the finest quality ; and it is confidently 
expected that if the crops grown from it prove good, 
the practice recommended by the Society of saving seed 
in Ireland, for sowing from Riga seed, will be extensively 
adopted. A communication was laid before the meet- 
ing, from Mr, M*Adam, of the Soho Foundry, suggest- 
ing the adaptation of the “ hot blast,” as a mode of 
drying Flax in the straw iu wet seasons, and also for 
drying Flax bolls. “ This system," it was observed, 
“has been applied with great success to the drying of 
woollens, and other woven goods, and has even been 
used for silks of the finest quality, without injuring 
either the colour or finish.” The committee did not 
think it advisable at present to go to the expense of 
| trying the experiment, but would keep the matter in 
QE P 
view, for consideration at a future period, 
May 23.—The sowing of Flax, this 
1as been much smaller than was anticipated. This is 
owing to several causes. The very high price of sow- 
ing seed, in the beginning of the season, induced the 
farmers to lay off their ground for other crops, while, at 
a later period, when Flax-seed came down in price, the 
igh rates realised for Oats caused that crop to be 
to a great extent, for F Adding to 
he distrust of Riga seed, oecasioned by the frauds 
practised in that des », and the impos- 
sibilit 
ar, in Ireland, 
The appear- 
ance of the young crop is everywhere reported as 
superior to what it has been for several years, at this 
period of its growth ; and if the pulling season prove 
favourable, we may anticipate a larger yield of fibre per 
acre than any year since 1843.— As prices must be in 
favour of the farmer, at the harvesting of the crop, the 
new districts, throughout Ireland, will enter on its cul- 
tivation under favourable circumstances, and a very 
large breadth may be anticipated next year. 
Farmers’ Clubs. 
Hanrnssrow, May 6: The breaking up of old Pasture 
Land, its advantages and the best process.—Resolved : 
That it is highly desirable to break up a large portion 
of the heavy land pastures in this district, thus adding 
to the sources of labour, and inereasing the produce of 
the soil. That thin paring and burning the flag is the 
best process of converting such lands into 
spreading at least two-thir 
soil, and carrying the remainder, if desirable, on to the 
old tilled lands. The club not only considers that the 
first should be a root-crop, for which the ashes will be 
an excellent preparation, but recommends that the suc- 
ceeding crop or crops should be roots also, Aware of 
the prejudice which most landlords entertain against 
the breaking up of old pasture land, it is believed that 
making it compulsory to erop new lands with roots for 
the first two or three years (for the growth of which 
they are so well calculated) will tend to diminish their 
objections, and be at the same time advantageous to 
the tenants ; as the manure from the extra root crops 
will be more beneficial to the old lands than the manure 
from the extra straw crops would have been, and the 
whole farm will be thus improved instead of impo- 
verished. Draining and claying in the interim will 
prepare the land forthe corn crops at the expiration 
of the limit, and by breaking up annually a portion only 
of the pasture intended to be converted, the whole will . 
come regularly into course with the old ploughed lands. 
It is believed that permission thus given to break up 
inferior pasture land will encourage good farming 
amongst the tenantry, by.inereasing the fattening of 
cattle and reducing the stock of eows, which, it is well 
known, as they ave generally kept, impoverish land as 
much as cattle and sheep improve it—R. B. Harvey, 
Secretary. 
Reviews, 
On the Cultivatian of Flax'; the Fattening of Cattle 
with Native Produce ; Box Feeding ; and Summer 
Grazing. By John Warnes, Esq. Printed by 
Clowes and Sons, Stamford-street, London. 
Propre are apt to suppose that a plant formerly in ex- 
tensive cultivation, but whieh has since dropped out of 
the erop rotations of most farmers, can never again, to 
any extent, resume its place—that the verdict of its 
vators having been the result of quiet experience 
over long periods and extensive districts, cannot but 
have been just. We believe, however, that the case of 
the Flax erop, whose cultivation had declined much till 
within late years, isin many respects peculiar to itself. 
It isa plant the returns of which depend more than do 
those of any other crop which the farmer cultivates 
upon the skill which is brought to bear upon it. In the 
present state of the market for its produce, it may 
ield either enormous profits or it may barely balance 
s account, according to the ability exhibited. by its cul- 
tivator in preparing it for sale. Our climate and our 
soils are perfectly suited to the cultivation of this plant 5 
there is no difficulty here; the difficulty which has 
hitherto been in the way of its extended cultivation is 
(uot to speak of the obstructions placed by cautious 
landlords), the want of that dexterity to which we bave 
alluded, And this want—thanks to the energy aud 
industry of Mr. Warnes, and others connected with the 
cause, is being rapidly supplied. 
But is it not singular, it may be asked, that this gentle- 
man should devote his whole time and energies to force 
into notice the cultivation of a plant; one, too, on 
which an unfavourable verdict has already been 
given, both by tenants and landlords? He disregards 
this verdict because it has come from an ill-informed 
jury, and because it is opposed both to his own expe- 
rience, and to the results of caleulation from well estn- 
blished data. He believes that without injury, nay, in 
the long run, with benefit to the landlord, great profits 
will accrue to the farmer, and great scope will be given 
for employment to the labourer, by the extended culti- 
vation of flax. And both of these are objects so desir- 
able that they well deserve any amount of labour that 
may be necessary for their attainment. No one, 
E 
