380 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
then drilled over the manure, slightly covered, and the 
seed followed. Soon as weeds appeared, hoeing between 
ihe ridges was commenced with Kirkwood's Grubber 
8 to 9 inches deep, which destroyed them, and subsoiled 
the land ; the drills to receive the farm-yard manure 
were grubbed in the same way. I am so satisfied with 
No. 1 that I have adopted the same management for 
the bulk of my crop sown on the 14th inst., and now 
looking favourably.— E. S., Notts. 
On Collecting the Water from the Tile-drainage of 
Fields, and conveying it to Reservoirs or old Wells, for 
the use of the Inhabitants of Villages. — Yn many 
villages in the country there is great want of water, and 
in others where it is abundant it is not always of good 
quality. I know of two villages not far from hence, 
which although situated in a healthy and pleasant part 
of the country, are said by medical men to be unhealthy ; 
and this they attribute to the bad quality of the water. 
It has occurred to me that it would be a very practica- 
ble and easy matter, to supply most villages with an 
abundance of good water, by means of the tile drain- 
age of about 10 acres of land in their immediate vicinity, | 
and by some such plan as the following :—Suppose that, 
instead of the drainage of a field being aliowed to run 
to waste, it was collected into a receiving drain or pipe, 
-aud conveyed to the village well, if there is one, or 
to one or more reservoirs prepared to receive it ; these 
reservoirs should be circular ones, say 10 feet diameter, 
and 20 feet deep, furnished with two lift pumps attached 
to one suction pipe, one pump to be of the usual height 
and the other as much higher, as to enable any neigh- 
bouring farmer to fill his watering cart ; but there is 
no reason why a farmer should not be supplied from 
the drainage of his own fields. I have mentioned 20 ft. 
as the depth of the reservoir, because if within that 
depth, a common lift pump will be the most simple and 
convenient method of raising the water. It might in 
some cases be desirable to have a long tank (15 ft. long, 
3 ft. wide, and 6 ft. deep) placed betwixt the reservoir 
and the end of the receiving or main drain, for the 
purpose of intercepting any alluvial deposit brought 
down with the water after continued and heavy falls of 
rain. Inthe “ Farmers’ Almanack” for 1846, page 7, 
there are some calculations by Mr. Parkes, in which he 
takes the mean quantity of water filtered through the 
earth during the six summer months, at 91 tons per 
acre; therefore, if the drainage of 5 acres was collected 
in a reservoir, there will be 4000 imperial gallons per 
week available for the purpose of supplying the wants 
of the inhabitants, Now, supposing there are 100 fami- 
lies in a village, it will supply to each 40 gallons per 
week. The reservoir described above, will contain 
10,000 gallons of water ; and if all cireumstances are 
taken into consideration, it will in all probability supply 
one month's consumption ; another such reservoir would 
double the supply, if the village was a long one, the two 
reservoirs might be so placed as to afford the inhabit- 
ants greater facilities in procuring their daily supply of 
water. Before such a plan as I have here described 
was carried into effect, it would be necessary to analyze 
the water issuing from the drains, in order to asceriain 
its purity and fitness for domestie purposes. I think it 
may be presumed, that in many descriptions of soil, the 
i ter which has p lated through the earth may 
be sufficiently pure for domestie purposes; this, how- 
ever, is a question of too much importance upon which 
to offer any speculative opinions ; the fitness or unfit- 
ness of the drainage-water of any particular locality, 
"when taken from the fields for domestic purposes, can 
always be ascertained by chemical analysis. I believe 
the subject of supplying the inhabitants of villages with 
good water to be a matter of much greater importance 
than most persons are aware of, and that it deserves 
the serious attention of all who have it in their power 
to benefit the inhabitants of villages, by aiding them in 
procuring sufficient supplies of an element so essentially 
necessary to their health and comfort.— Henry Liddell, 
Beverly-road, Hull. P.S. If drainage-water should 
be found nearly free from mineral substances, would it 
not be worth the consideration of Railway Companies 
to ascertain how far such a plan of collecting it at the 
stations where their locomotive engines are supplied 
with water be practicable for this purpose ? 
Maize.—As all the world who know anything about 
the cultivation of Maize, or of the modes of preparing 
it for food, are giving to their neighbours or the public 
what information they possess, perhaps it may interest 
some to hear of a way in which it is used by the Canary 
: Islanders, and which is not (I believe) similar to that 
of other people.. They roast the grain as they would 
Toast coffee ; itis done on a flat earthern pan. It is 
then ground in a rude hand-mill—one, in fact, just simi- 
lar to the old Scotch and Irish guern. They mix the 
meal thus made into a stiff paste with water, and make 
it into balls or cakes, and eat it withont further cook- 
** goffio” for his sole provision, and thinks he ean travel 
further with this for sustenance than with any other 
kind of food. 1f, as is said, the Indian Corn, when 
ground into. meal, will not keep Jong, this process of 
roasting, which could be done on a large scale in a malt 
kiln, may prove a useful suggestion. 
Can you give us 
any information about the smaller kind of Maize, which 
Cobbett’s son says he has successfully introduced into 
this country, and which he says is so much to be pre- 
ferred, both for its yield and for its certainty of ripen- 
ing, to that which his father cultivated? Can you tell 
us if it would be advisable to try it as a crop where land 
is wet and the climate mild but damp, as is our case in 
the west of Ireland? Can you vouch for its success as 
a farm crop in any district in England ?—F. H. L. C. 
[It will no£ answer as a farm crop in this country, 
Can any one give the information asked for about Cob- 
bett’s variety of this corn ?] 
Farm.—I have a large quantity of Grass land circum- 
stanced as follows, It is low clay land, encircled by 
higher land, which brings upon it occasional land shoots 
which fill the ditches and the slight hollows of the fields; 
a river also occasionally flows over it, and covers the 
fields entirely to the depth of 10 feet, and remains 
much longer than its subsidence within its banks, as i 
can only return by a narrow winding ditch three miles 
long, over which I have no control. In very dry 
summers, again, not a drop of water is to be met with, 
and the ground is as hard as a bed of granite. The 
consequence is, as you may suppose, that the land is 
very uncertain as to its crops of Grass ; indeed, under 
my present management (and there are others who have 
land adjoining similarly situate, and who manage it i 
the same way, that is, do not manage it at all), the crop 
appears to be entirely dependant on the season, A 
dripping warm May produces a large crop, par- 
ticularly in the slight hollows, but in a dry May, there 
is literally nothing excepting these. ‘The land is 
Situate three miles from my very small homestead, and 
the roads to it are all but impassable excepting in the 
height of summer, so that to attempt any heavy dress- 
ing would be impracticable if I had it. My predecessor 
grazed half (by taking cattle in) and mowed half. I 
have let for grazing and mowed half, but the uncer- 
tainty of making a decent return either by taking cattle 
in or by letting is so great, that I should be very glad 
if you could put me into a way of mowing every year 
(the after Grass grazed off) at little expense, and with- 
out injury to the land, and with the prospect of having 
fewer failures in quantity, My tenure is not good, and 
I should be loath to go to any great expense. The only 
plan that has occurred tome is to remove the stuff (and 
there is no slight accumulation from the land shoots) 
out of the ditches and ponds, and to turn over the 
tumps, and when well pulverised to cast it over the 
slight elevations, having previously seored the turf with 
a searifier 4 inches deep that the dressing may have a 
chance of finding its way into the fissures before a flood 
carries it off again, putting it on soon after the crop o 
hay is off. The idea about here is that the taking crops 
of hay makes no difference to this land, for that it is 
dependent on the season, and nothing else : but this I 
can hardly believe to the full extent. They think also 
that it receives no benefit from the stuff out of the 
ditches. I have 15 miles to go for lime, and after 
having read Karkeek and Professor Johnson, I scarcely 
know whether there would be any advantage in mixing 
it with the earth tumps, and unless the advantage was 
great and immediate, it would not answer to me, as 
there is said to be much lime in all soils; and as the 
accumulation in the ditches proceeds from the washings 
from the higher grounds, bringing with it lime and 
other earthy particles, and that the slight hollows, owing 
I suppose to abundance of this, do produce good crops, 
one would suppose that the stuff from the ditches, if 
laid on the slight elevation without any addition of lime, 
would have the desired effect.— R. §. [The land must 
be annually manured if it is to be annually mown ; and 
as you cannot use heavy dung, you must mix some 
guano, or other concentrated fertiliser, with the scour- 
ings of your ditches. ] 
= 5 
Docivtics, 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY or ENGLAND. 
A MowrHry COUNCIL was held at the Society's House 
in Hanover Square, on Wednesday last, the 3d of June: 
present, The Right Hon, Lord Porrman, President, in 
the Chair. Duke of Richmond; Earl of Ilchester ; 
Earl of Egmont ; Earl Spencer ; Sir Matthew White 
Ridley, Bart. ; Sir Charles W, Taylor, Bart, Sir 
Charles M. Burrell, Bart. M.P., ; Sir Charles Lemon, 
Bart. M.P. ; Colonel Austen, M.P. ; Thomas Raymond 
Barker, Esq. ; John Bennett, Esq. M.P. ; S. Bennett, 
Esq. ; Colonel Blagrove; H. Blanchard, Esq.; Colonel 
Challoner ; F. C. Cherry, Esq.; S. Druce, Esq.: H. 
Gibbs, Esq. ; S. Grantham, Esq. ; C. Hillyard, Esq. ; 
W. Fisher Hobbs, Esq.; John Kinder, Esq.; E. A. 
Sanford, Esq. ; W. Shaw, Esq.; R. A. Slaney, Esq. ; 
tev. J. R. Smythies, C. Stokes, Esq. ; F. West, Esq. ; 
and George Wilbraham, Esq. 
The following new members were elected :— 
Thorp, Ven. Archdeacon Charles, D.D., Ryton, Newcastle- 
Jolly, John, Acomb Grange, Yo on. Tyne 
Brandling, R. H., Gosforth Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne 
James, Herbert Georg: , Fish-street-hill, London 
Barker, James, North rthumberland 
Back, John Alfred, H Il, Norwich 
D'Augny, Octave Perin, ntroff, Grand Duchy of Luxem- 
Brown, John Thomas, Norwich [burgh 
ell, W, G. Baker (11th Hussars), Cresswell, Morpeth 
Robert, Athelington Hall, Worlington, Woodbridge 
Angus, G., Riding Mill Station, Newcastle & Carlisle Railway 
Milne, E. W., Pit Farm, Cartmell, Milnthorpe 
Hughes, George Hughes, Middleton Hall, Wooler 
Marks 
Honywood, W. P., ill, Kelvedon, Essex 
Buston, Roger, Buston, ck 
Phillips, Thomas, Helmsley, York . 
d House, Alnwick, Northumberland 
don-place, Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Iphinstone, Whalton Rectory, Morpeth 
Bailey, William, Hazling, Belford, Northumberland 
Atkinson, Ralph, South Gosforth, Neweastle-on-Tyne 
Johnson, Edward, The Deanery, Chester-le-street, Durham 
Hodgson, James, Eldon-street, Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Armstrong, Charles, Axwell-park, Gateshead, Durham, 
Robson, Rey. James, Ponteland, Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Green, Thomas, Trench Hall, Gateshead 
Armstrong, George, Heddon-on-the-Wall, New 
Gray, Edward, Leazes, Burnop-field, Gateshead 
Humble, Joseph Wright, Jesmond, Neweastle-on-Tyne 
Wright, James, Blyth, Morpeth, Northumberland 
Fenwick, John, Newcastle-on-Tyne 
Wilkinson, John Etridge, Dunston Lodge, Gateshead 
ent, John, Liverpool 
Lopwith, Thomas, Allanheads, Hexham, Northumberland 
Smyth, William, Little Houghton, Northampton 
Lishman, W., Fenwick-Shield, Stamfordham, Northumb, 
Smyth, Rev, Christopher, Little Houghton, Northampton 
Davy, John Barton, Rose Ash, Southmolton, Devon 
Ralph, Rowland Westby, Halifax, Yorks 
Whitworth, W., Earl’s-Barton, Wellingborough, Northampton 
The names of 50 candidates for election at the next 
meeting were then read. 
FINANCES,—COLONEL Austen, M.P., Chairman of the 
Finance Committee, presented the Report of the ac- 
counts for the month just ended ; from which it ap- 
peared that on the 31st May last the funded property of 
the Society stood at 70007. stock, with a current cash- 
balance of 17817. in the hands of the bankers, This 
Report having been adopted, the recommendation it 
contained— That no compositions for life be made ap- 
plicable to the current expences of the Society," was 
specially moved by the Duke of Richmond, and con- 
firmed by the Council Col. Austen then called the 
attention of the Council to the statement of the 
Auditors on the part of the Society, in reference to the 
necessity of taking decisive measures for the recovery 
of the large amount of arrears of subseription still re- 
maining unpaid; when the Council ordered that the, 
inance Committee should be requested to hold a 
Special Meeting for a full inquiry into the case of such 
arrears, and to make a special report on the subject to 
the Council at their next monthly meeting in July. 
Poraro Disrasg.—The President reported that 56 
Essays had been received in competition for the Duke 
of Northumberland's Prizes, placed at the disposal of 
the Society. 
Country Mretinc.—The Council gave instructions 
on the selection of the land for the trial of implements, 
the supply of the pavilion dinner, and the preparation 
of the programme for the ensuing Country Meeting at 
Newcastle in July.. They ordered thanks to be re- 
turned to the Natural History Society of Northumber- 
land, for their liberality in throwing open their Museum 
day and night for the inspection of the Members of the 
Society ; on the recommendation of the Finance Com- 
mittee, appointed the Northumberland and Durham 
District Banking Company to be the local Bankers of 
the Society for the period of the Neweastle Meeting ; 
and adopted,with emendations, the Report of the Judges" 
Mileage Committee. The Council then instructed the 
Secretary to communicate to the various authorities 
of the cities and chief towns situate within the districts 
recently decided upon for the holding of the Country 
Meeting for the ensuing four years, the decisions of the 
Council on that subject: and appointed the following 
general Northampton Committee for 1847, namely : 
Lord Portman, Chairman; Earl Spencer, Vice-Chair. 
man; Duke of Richmond, Colonel Challoner, Mr. Ray- 
mond Barker, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Shelley, Mr. Miles, M.P., 
Mr. S. Bennett, Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Lord Southampton, 
Mr. Hillyard, Mr. Druce, Mr. H. Gibbs, Mr. B. Gibbs, 
Mr. Pym, and Mr. H. B. Whitworth; appointing, at 
the same time, a Special Committee for selecting from 
the ample choice liberally submitted to the Couneil by 
the authorities of Northampton, the land for the trial 
of implements next year, consisting of Mr. Shelley, Mr. 
Miles, M.P., Mr. S. Bennett, and Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, 
with a request that they will make a Report of their 
inspection and recommendations to the Council at their 
Monthly Meeting on the 1st of July. 
MiscELLANEOUS Communications.—Mr. Hincks, of 
Hastings, on Pedigrees of Cattle; Mr. Wilson, on the 
preliminary Prize Sheet for the Country Meeting ; 
Major Curteis, M.P., offering a Prize of 107. for the 
best Essay on the means of preventing or destroying 
the Hop Fly; Messrs. Thompson and Wedlake and 
Mr. Blamine, on entries for Implements at Newcastle ; 
Mr. Kerr, on plans of Drains; Mr. Smart, on trial of 
Implements, and Essay for construction of the Plough 3 
the Gateshead Observer, on official papers connected 
with the Neweastle Meeting ; Mr. Clarke, on localities 
near the coast, in England, favourable for the cultiva- 
tion of Tussae Grass, and on personal connections in 
the Falkland Islands through whom it would be in his 
power to carry out any of the views of the Council re- 
specting the collection of the Seed of that plant ; T. 
Hooker, on the cultivation of Tussac Grass, and on the 
nature of the Weed oceuring in Mr. Fullar's Wheat 
and; Colonel Moody, C.E., on sources of information 
connected with the history of the cultivation of Tussac 
Grass ; Mr. Ormsby Gore, M.P., on Tussac Grass seed 
received by him from the Governor of the Falklands ; 
r. Crakanthorpe, on crushing Mangold Wurzel Seeds ; 
Mr. Hills, on dissolving Bones ; and Mr. Hazlewood, on 
the. system of Agricultural Training . adoptec Ey 
Hoddesden. The Council then adjourned to their weekly 
meeting on Wednesday n the 10th of June. 
tl Tyne 
Farmers’ Clubs. í 
NxwcasmLE : Thin Sowing. The Mole Ll 
May 2.—G. H. Ramsay, Esq., the Chairman, Sas 
that since the last meeting at which he was present, A 
had visited the farm of Mr. Davies, of Spring Park, 
| near Croydon, in Surrey, the author of a pamphlet e. 
i «thin sowing,” now making some noise in the agric 
[June 6. | 
