556 THE 
AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[Aue. 15, 
English Agricultural Society.—Perfectly agreeing as 
Ido with your leading article of last week, and with 
the desirability of giving every encouragement to the 
progress of the diseussional meetings of the English 
Agricultural Society, I am still one of those whe think, 
that were it not for the show of animals the meeting 
would be likely to dwindle away ; and I might observe 
that I have known the same to take place in all cases 
where the show of animals was not made the most pro- 
minent portion of the meeting ; and this would appear 
evident from the difference observable in the attendance 
on the Thursday at Newcastle, as well as at all the pre- 
vious meetings of the English Society, above any of the 
other days. I eannot think, therefore, that you have 
given sufficient space to the subject of the animals 
which were shown; you have made a long comment on 
the implements, but not a word about who bred the 
animals, or how they were bred ; and it must be sup- 
posed from a few remarks near the conclusion of your 
observations in the exhibition of implements, that you 
almost despise the show of animals; and it is evident 
you ean have little knowledge of breeding, or you would 
not so lightly set that question aside as a matter of no 
importance—and as a thing that anybody could do ; 
perhaps it is just as easy to find good implements as to 
find good and suitable animals, and certainly any one 
who has tried both, will say that it is easier to keep the 
implements in repair and going on right, than to keep 
the animals, of whatever breed or kind, from injury— 
whether it be merely in health, or what is of much 
more consequence and more difficult, from deteriorating 
and falling off again when the animals have been once 
well selected. Do not the living machines for the con- 
version of the produce of the land require to be im- 
proved, that the food of the people may be cheapened, 
quite as much as the implements which are to be used 
in the cultivation of the land? But, while on this point, 
I might, perhaps, be allowed to notice, that in all your 
comparisons of the produce of land, it is between an 
entirely dairy farm—which you (and I think justly) 
condemn, and an entirely arable farm—which you seem 
unduly to extol. Is there no medium line—no manage- 
ment that would be suitable for a farm on which cattle 
and sheep are bred and fed! And are there not very 
many districts where this is very much more desirable, 
because more profitable, than converting the whole of 
your pastures into arable land? Moreover, were no 
larger amount of stock kept on arable than is now pro- 
posed in your second article of last week (20 bullocks 
to 100 acres of straw) the population would never be 
supplied with beef during the time you propose to keep 
those animals, and with the same straw 100 cattle at the 
least might be kept. Perhaps, at your leisure, you will 
turn your attention to this part of the subject, and 
give the benefit of your opinion to one who has, with 
perhaps particular views, an ardent desire for the 
imp o gricul of the country.— 
Punchclod. [We are disposed to admit, to some ex- 
tent, the accuracy of this eriticism. We would, how- 
ever, suggest to our ipondent, in justificati 
the greater room given to those parts of our report 
bearing on cu/tivation in comparison with those refer- 
ring to the exhibition of stock: 1. That the progress of 
improvement in the former department of agriculture is 
at present more rapid than in the latter, and thus more 
worthy of record. 2. That whatever its progress be, 
an improvement in cultivation exerts an influence over 
icul „ while an i 
in the breed of cattle, sheep, &c., has no indirect influ- 
ence at all, excepting, indeed, that which it exerts by 
increasing the farmer's profits. And thus the former 
properly receives a greater share of the reporter’s at- 
tention. Any improved method or means of cultivation 
results in larger crops of food for man, and in larger 
crops of food for cattle, &e. ; it thus permits feeding of 
a larger stock on the same land, a larger quantity of 
manure is made, and the improved system is thus ren- 
dered permanent. While an improved breed of cattle 
does but enable the farmer to make the most of what 
(it may be) a very imperfect agriculture has supplied 
him with. The comparison is something the same as 
that which would obtain between an improved method 
of draining land, and an improved method of 
converting grain into bread, or any other article of 
food. The one promises important results in every 
branch of agriculture, the other, though deserving of 
attention, can exert no influence on farming generally. 
Straw as Litter, &c.—1 beg to trouble you with a 
question as to your opinion about straw, whether it is 
necessary for cattle for litter? From what I have seen 
on the Continent, and in large dairy establishments in 
towns, where next to none is used, it would seem that 
in close feeding houses where there is plenty of warmth, 
its use is more a matter of habit than anything else, 
except that it may act asa sponge for liquid manure ; 
but where the buildings are spouted, and good and 
efficient tanks are made, would not the farm go on just 
28 well without the straw being mixed with the manure, 
Ifa quantity of dry straw were ploughed into a field, 
no benefit arises, which would seem to prove that the 
straw is only a vehicle for the preservation of some 
other fertilizers, "There is another subject to which I 
would beg to eall your attention, viz , to the enormous 
produetiveness of the Italian Rye-grass, when tanked, 
as shown in the cultivation of Mr. Diekenson's farm, 
near Willesden, about five miles from London, near the 
Harrow-road. Mr. Dickenson is a horse-dealer, re- 
siding in Curzon-street, May Fair, and he carts his liquid 
manure, which is carefully preserved, to his farm 
applying it to the Rye-grass, which is tanked as soon 
o 
Du 
i 
as eut, by which means he obtains from 8 to 10 cuttings 
a year. I was informed by Mr. Dickenson's bailiff 
that there is a poor man of the name of Atkins residing 
close by, who has only half an acre of clay ground, who 
by following the same system has up to this year regu- 
larly kept three cows on that small quantity of ground, 
and is now keeping four! It seems almost incredible, 
and if you would direct your attention to these facts, 
and investigate them fully, you would be doing a service 
to the publie, and much oblige—Stramen. [On many 
Gloucestershire dairy farms the cows are kept in the 
yards (but not clean nor comfortable) without straw, for 
none is grown. On some farms in Norfolk sand has 
been used with success in place of straw as litter for 
sheep. On Mr. Huxtable’s farm sheep are kept with- 
out litter of any kind on an open boarded platform, 
through which their dung falls, and after preparation 
this dung is applied by drill. Nevertheless the use of 
straw is very much the cheapest method of saving 
manure, for if cattle are littered on the box system the 
straw will absorb all liquid manure, and thus render 
the cumbrous and laborious system of tanks and water- 
carts unnecessary, Thanks for your reference to Mr. 
Dickenson’s farm. We will endeavour to obtain a re- 
port of it.] 
Dissolved Bones.—The suggestions of “M. D. P.," 
in your last, of dissolving bones in alkaline ley, as used 
in a patent method of making soap, is well deserving 
attention ; but would it not be preferable to dissolve the 
bones with acid, as now practised, and add to the mix- 
ture silica dissolved in potash and soda leys, in the pro- 
portion as the crop it is intended for requires them ? 
Ground calcined flint and sea-sand are “now dissolved in 
alkaline ley, to make siliea soap, and I doubt not but 
you, or some of your chemical subscribers, will state in 
your pages how the operation is done, or where silicate 
of potash and soda may be procured on the most advan- 
tageous terms. You promise us a drawing and deserip- 
tion of the Norwegian harrow ; please to give us the 
dimensions of the spiked axles, the number and length 
of the spikes and their strength, and if they move inde- 
pendently or with the axle, and the size of the axle. 
Can you state if there are any schools in the south of 
Scotland, or the north of England, to teach youth the 
system of Agricul ientifically, as at Gl in, or 
Templemore, in Ireland? [We do not know of any.] 
The Irish are open-hearted and generous, but I should 
prefer my son being brought up in a country where 
di nd are the ch teristics of the 
people, as in Seotland.— Mona's Isle. 
The Profits of Farming.—You have made public 
through the columns of your Gazette my calculation 
and opinion on the expences of higher cultivation, con- 
ducted with capital, skill, and knowledge, and the effect 
of such expences on the price of corn, taking into 
account the additional produce obtained by such higher 
cultivation ; but you say that my calculations are not 
formed on a fair basis, because, first, you maintain, that 
on a great extent of lund the increase in the productive- 
ness of theland of 5 bushels per aere can be attained 
at a cost on the 40 acres, whose interest shall not ex- 
eced 10/. annually. Secondly, you would esteem it a 
very poor result, indeed, if the expensive operation of 
drainage, and of the employment of more capital for 
the higher cultivation of the land, thus rendered pos- 
sible, was not followed by a greater increase of produce 
than 5 bushels per acre. I differ with you on both 
these two points. Although I have been in the con- 
stant habit of reading your Gazette, and of deriving 
therefrom much valuable information, I have never yet 
seen it in any statement or calculations tending to prove 
or elucidate either of these assertions, On the first point, 
then, it rests with you to point out how to attain such a 
desirable perfection in cultivation as to make land which 
never has been drained, and which does not naturally 
require draining, increase its produetiveness 5 bushels 
per acre, not expending over and above the usual cost 
of cultivation, more than 107. annually on 40 acres, or 
after the rate of 5s. per acre. In the absence of any 
such statement on your part, it is impossible for me to 
prove the negative ; but, I have hitherto considered 
snch land sterile, and incapable of much improvement, 
On the second point, it rests with you to show, by 
general average, what increase in produce may be ex- 
pected to be obtained on an average of years to com- 
pensate for the expensive operation of draining, and 
the employment of sufficient capital for the higher cul- 
tivation of the land. In the absence of any data on 
this head, I must be allowed to doubt if such average 
would exceed 5 bushels per acre per annum. Until 
these two points are satisfactorily explained, I must 
retain my opinion, that you have jumped at the con- 
clusion you have come to, viz, :—T'hat on similar land, 
the producer of 30 bushels per acre can afford to sell 
his corn 1s. per bushel cheaper than the producer of 
25 bushels per acre, and jog home from market 107. a 
better man. I consider it ourbounden duty at the present 
time to calculate accurately our expenses, and not to ke 
led away by any false conceit of superior skill and 
knowledge; which I maintain can only be made avail- 
able by the application of such additional capital as will 
have the effect of raising the cost of production, and 
nearly equalising it, taking into account the extra pro- 
duce obtained—G. R. W., August 3, 1846. [You 
haye put the thing very fairly. As regards the first 
point: You cannot, surely, suppose that land naturally 
dry is “ineapable of improvement.” Such Jand is just 
in a position most satisfactorily to repay the cultivator. 
And, on this head, we must simply mention, the vast 
improvement effected on the light soils of Norfolk by 
marling. One hundred cubic yards are applied per 
aere, costing 5/., whose annual interest (for it is a per- 
manent improvement) just adds 5s. to the annual 
charge of cultivation ; and this is productive of extra- 
ordinary results. We may also point out to you that 
on soils in this condition an outlay of 57. in manure may 
be termed a permanent improvement, if it be followed 
up by goo ltivation ; for it is productive of large 
crops of both straw and roots, and these being con- 
sumed on the farm, produce manure enough to insure 
their reproduction, And as regards the 2d point —Do 
you really mean to state that 5 bushels per acre is the 
average increase in produetiveness consequent upon 
thorough draining? Read “C. W. H.’s” account of 
his own experience (Jan. 4, 1845); it can be paralleled 
in hundreds of cases. 
Saving Corn in wet Weather.—A crop of white Oats 
near Plymouth, eut wet, and the weather continuing 
the same, was at last carried and stacked in layers, with 
dry straw between. On taking abroad the rick, the 
grain was found in excellent condition, not sprouted or 
injured in any way. And what answered with so pre- 
earious.a grain as white Oats may stand a better 
chance with Wheat or Barley. When dry straw is all 
used up other dry stalks, or even shavings, may answer; 
but where nothing of the kind is to be had, there is still 
a method of drying the corn in sheaf. In Russia and 
the north of Europe this is done by kiln-drying, for 
whieh a very simple method is described in * British 
Husbandry," vol. 2, p. 206, still improvable in this 
country, by the substitution of coke for their wood 
fuel; but still liable to the charge of fuel, and of a per- 
son to look after the fire; "and to the danger of a few 
straws falling, and kindling the whole pile. In the labo- 
ratory we are in the practice of drying materials which 
do not bear heat, by aid of substances having strong at- 
traction for moisture’; onejof which, Lime, being largely 
used in manure, might be employed for drying the corn 
at no other cost than the labour. If the rick be made 
hollow, with the grain turned inward, a sufficient quan- 
tity of fresh quicklime placed within, and then all 
closed in from bottom to top, and covered over to ex- 
clude the external air, the lime will rapidly dry the air 
within, which will as rapidly draw moisture from the 
corn, and so continue until the corn is dry, or the lime 
saturated; and as quicklime will absorb about one- 
third its weight of water, a ton of lime will take between 
6 and 7 ewt. of water, and thus probably dry 6 or 7 tons of 
corn and straw. For all this water must come from the 
cornif tl lair is luded, and thelime raised 
from the soil by a bed of stones, gravel, or straw. The 
lime must not, of course, touch the corn; and therefore 
room should be left for it to swell in slaking. The in- 
telligent farmer will understand better than I the de- 
details of construction of such a rick ; I need only sug- 
gest that it might be best raised, in the stack-yard, upon 
dwarf-walls, with an opening to throw in the lime, which 
should then be immediately closed up ; but opened oc- 
casionally to turn over the lime. If the latter be all slaked 
before the corn is dry, it should be. withdrawn, and a 
second quantity put in.. The rick might be steadied, to 
bear the wind, by poles across the inside; or when dry, 
might be filled in from part of the same, or other dry 
corn. Or it might be raised temporarily on the field 
itself, where it would dry the better for being based on 
a bed of dry straw. If there be no practical impediment 
to this method, the farmer may be enabled to save his 
corn in the most capricious seasons, without the morti- 
fication of seeing it sprouting in the ear as it stands or 
lies on the ground. For drying hay in damp seasons, 
this method would require too much lime, as Grasses 
eut green contain two-thirds to three-fourths their 
weight of water. But may not half-dried hay be stacked 
(like Lucerne) with layers of dry Oat-straw, sprinkling 
the latter with salt, to draw juice out of the Grass, and 
impart it to the straw? Or where straw is scarce or 
objectionable, using old dry hay instead, with only salt 
enough to prevent heating and mouldiness, If this is 
practicable, it would obviate the necessity of leaving the 
hay in cocks for days or weeks of rain, until the inside 
is spoiled by fermentation. Indeed from such experi- 
ments as have come to my notice, I am led to infer that 
this method of stacking would produce a more nourish- 
ing food, without the labour and risk of hay-making.— 
J. Prideaua. 
Agricultural Statistics.—Y our remarks on the im- 
portance of agricultural statistics, on the 25th ult., I 
was exceedingly glad to observe, and I think any ob- 
stacle in the way of obtaining so important a body of 
information cannot be, with any degree of truth, charged 
upon the agrieulturists themselves. There may be a 
few narrow minds who are desirous of showing their 
independence in these matters, but to permit such per- 
sons to remain a hindrance to a matter that concerns 
the welfare of millions is ridiculous. Mr. Stafford 
O’Brien has recently again referred to this matter, and 
I believe that gentlemen has a desire that the subject 
should receive the attention it deserves, and I most cor- 
rdially agree with you that it ought to be done fully and 
efficiently in every sense of the word. I believe some 
honourable members have referred to the plan of having 
this information prepared by county schoolmasters, but 
nothing can be more absurd than to rely on such @ 
source. The information ought to be obtained by men 
whose station places them, to a certain extent, inde- 
pendent of all local powers—men able to collect, ar- 
range, compute, and compare, the vast body of mate- 
rials with which they would be furnished, so as to show 
all deficiencies, and to point out also where improve- 
ments can be made, in order to render the work one 
