33—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
557 
of national worth, which will serve as a starting point 
for the present and future generations. I will, by your 
Permission, next week propose a plan which might be 
used for accomplishing this object, and I will also show 
how futile the remarks made by Mr. Porter would 
prove. To show how necessary it is for a person enter- 
ing ‘an agricultural district to be more than a mere 
writer, I could not help smiling at the letter in. the 
Times, of last week, on the Dorsetshire labourers, when 
at Sherborne he was surprised at the large rakes he saw, 
wondering for what they could be used, till he was in- 
formed they were for raking the corn-fields ; from 
which he draws the inference, that the poor are not 
only hardly done by, but deprived of that ancient 
Privilege “ gleaning.” Now, this is an error of 
judgment; for had the. Times commissioner tra- 
versed the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, 
and many other counties, he would have known that 
these were called “ dew-rakes,” and only used for soft 
corn (not for Wheat) by men in the morning, when the 
dew was too heavy for the inen to tie up their corn in 
the Wheat fields.— 4 gricola. 
Potato Disease.—l beg to call your attention and 
that of others to a simple process for stopping the 
disease (now raging in every part of the country) in the 
Potato crop. Take a three-prong fork, put it in just 
Sufficient to raise the roots and soil surrounding it, and 
I will guarantee it answering. This will cost 5s. 6d. 
Per acre, which I am now paying. I found this out 
last year by pulling up a few roots as every one is apt 
to do to see how they go on ; the disease did not touch 
them, although the remainder were as bad as possible. 
heat to-day is 7s. to 7s. 3d. per bushel at this market. 
—dJ. Evans, Newton Abbot. 
Steeping Mangold Wurzel.—Though the season for 
Sowing Mangold Wurzel seed is past, still it may be ad- 
vantageous to state that my experience is directly op- 
Posed to the advice given you in your last Number by 
“A Constant Reader,” “not to recommend the seed to 
be steeped again.” I can only say I consider I was 
this year much benefited by adopting in all particulars 
the mode recommended by you for sowing the seed, 
and if I deviated in any point it was perhaps in going 
beyond the extent of your suggestion as to steeping. I 
sowed more than half'an acre, and steeped the seed (the 
Yellow Globe), or rather let it lie wet, for very nearly 
or quite three days previously to sowing. The weather 
was dry at the time, and continued so for a considerable 
period afterwards, but nearly every seed vegetated, as far 
as I could judge, and in three or four days the young 
Plants appeared above ground, and grew farmore rapidly, 
and assumed immediately a more healthy appearance. 
than last year when the precaution of steeping was 
Omitted. J ascribe this partly to moistening the seed, 
ES partly also to the excellent plan you recommended 
^ hailing strips of wood about half an inch in depth on 
i Toller, by which simple device great accuracy in the 
ntervals between the seeds was secured, and, what I 
elieve to be of great importance, each seed was de- 
Posited at a proper depth, being simply placed by the 
children employed in the hollows formed by the strips 
on the roller, and then lightly covered with earth by 
the hand.— E. W., Tavistock Court. [We benefited 
from the practice ourselves, and can quote the state- 
ments of others to the same effect.] 
Inclination of Land.—1ln answering your corres- 
pondents lately, I am led to believe you must have 
misunderstood a “ Crayen Grazier," when he stated the 
angular slope of his land to be 60°. In taking the 
angle, it is evident he must have counted from the 
Zenith, when, “by arriving at 60°, he would equal an 
angle of 30° with the horizon, Until land fall 
to that angle, it will not obtain much of a sward. 
n speaking of degrees of latitude and longitude, 
either in heaven or earth, there are certain ima- 
Binary lines agreed upon by which such angles are 
found ; but among us, when speaking of the angular 
Slope of our banks, the pitch of our houses, frames, &e., 
there appears to be no such understanding, if our con- 
versation, and even what finds its way into print, may 
e held as tests of judgment. I recollect of reading 
Some years ago a description of a Peach-house, the 
angle of which was stated to be 38°, and in a different 
Part of the same magazine or newspaper, I forget 
which, there was an account of another, whose angle 
Was said to be 52°, an apparent difference of 14°, buta 
Yea] difference of not so many seconds—the dimensions 
9f the former being given, proved this to be the case.— 
John Halliday, [40° is the angle we are differing 
Upon; though not the one mentioned by Mr. Banfield. 
What do you make of that ?) 
The Agricultural Labourer — Benefit Societies.— 
Your correspondent 4I. H.” has been correctly an- 
Swered by W. Brown (p. 508) with respect to the 
Superior advantages held out by a well-regulated benefit 
Society over the savings bank, to the agricultural 
labourer, With his present wages, the agricultural 
abourer can seldom derive much advantage from a 
Savings’ bank; but a benefit society conducted on “ safe 
Principles” is invaluable to him. I know not the prin- 
Ciples upon which the Odd Fellows Society is conducted, 
ut there is a class of benefit societies now pretty 
Fenerally established, whose tables of insurance have 
een calculated on correct principles, and whose funds 
are regularly invested every quarter in government 
Securities, Every agricultural labourer should be in- 
Vited to belong to one of these societies so soon as he 
attains the age of 14 years ; and if he should be able to 
M anything besides for the savings’ bank, he will still 
ave that resource also, Prudent parents may be 
taught how to secure the full advantages of these benefit 
societies to their children, by “ endowing” them within 
one year after birth, in order to receive 5/., 107., or 157, 
upon their attaining the age of 14 years, and then to 
invest the money thus obtained as part payment for a 
life interest in the sickness tables. For example, a 
parent by paying either 1s. 33d. monthly, or 47. 13s. 74d. 
in a single payment, for a child entered under one year 
of age, will receive 157. should it live to 14 years. By 
adding 2/. 6s. 3d. to this sum, which makes it 177. 6s. 3d., 
a life interest may then be purchased in the 10s. table, 
and the child will have nothing more to pay during his 
life time beyond ls. quarterly for medieal attendance if 
he should pe living within reach of the society’s doctor, 
otherwise he will have to find his own medical attend- 
ant. His advantages will be 10s. weekly in sickness, 
5s. weekly after he is 65, and 57. for funeral expenses. 
If his sickness should take a permanent form, he will 
be entitled only to half pay after having received a 
year’s full pay. I know an instance in this parish of a 
young man, now reduced to imbecility by epilepsy, who 
is receiving his half pay, and probably may for years to 
come, Without it he must have gone to the workhouse, 
whereas his ‘parents, with this help, can continue to 
maintain him.—J. S. Henslow, July 26. ~ 
Burnt Clay Manure.—In two recent letters on clay 
burning—1. Mr. Pusey doubts whether the reason is 
understood why burnt clay acts sometimes, but not 
uniformly, as manure ; and 2. “ G.” gives explicit details 
for the operations, and enquires whether its manuring 
action is attribetable to anything beside its absorption 
of ammonia, &e., from the air. One cause of such 
action may be noticed, for its practical importance in 
the burning : namely, the retention of smoke, and the 
mere charring of the fuel and organic matter ; soot and 
charcoal being both active manures. The best burning 
I have seen was at Mr. Huxtable’s, at Sutton Waldron, 
where the smoke was very slight, in some heaps hardly 
detectable, and the inside was black throughout with 
charcoal and soot, not only giving the ash fertilizing 
activity in itself, but also increasing its absorbent power 
for gases, moisture, and heat. To admit just air enough 
for this thorough charring, without wasting smoke or 
consuming the charcoal, is certainly nice work, requir- 
ing practice as well as skill, but should be always aimed 
at, however imperfectly attained.—J. P. 
Seed Wheat.—A gentleman, in Hertfordshire, pro- 
cured his seed Wheat last year from Lincolnshire; this 
Wheat had been laid, and was as thin as chicken's 
meat, without 2 plump kernel in the sample. I warned 
him against sowing it. I have not heard his report ; 
but, having brought some home from his farm, I send 
a little by the side of my own (a remarkably fine grain), 
and both the same sort (Spalding). A great proportion 
of this thin Wheat has produced fine heads, but none so 
fine as my own; and about one-tenth long, thin, mil- 
dewed ears.— Nix. 
Newberry's Dibbling Machine,—I would ask of you 
to publish the following statement :— The machine 
shown at Newcastle is on the same principle as the one 
so long used, only a lighter pattern, and instead of push- 
ing the dib out by a draw action, it is done by a strong 
spring. Being much hurried before starting, I seta 
lad not used to the job to paint the wheels ; he did it 
most effectually, well filling up the sliding parts, in con- 
sequence of which the paint set, and the dibs became 
fast. Not having time to take them all out again, I tried 
to remedy the evil with oil, and it worked well while 
here on trial before farmers and workmen, but on reach- 
ing Neweastle, the paint was again got set, and our 
workmen could not get rid of it. The cause was ex- 
plained by our man to the judges, and I think they 
should have asked Mr. Parkes, the engineer, if it arose | © 
from accident or principle ; but, however, it is an eas 
thing to find fault with judges, and every one thinks his 
own exhibition most worthy. The best prize an inven- 
tor has is the knowledge that his invention is gaining 
public approval, and such I am happy to say is my re- 
ward. The following letter from one of the Council 
will, I think, justify what I have said.— W. Newberry. 
——* Sir,—The five-row dibbling machine which I pur- 
chased of you last February for my Gloucestershire 
farm, does the work so admirably well, and the saving 
of seed is so very great, that I am induced to try one 
in this county also, and will thank you to forward me 
one here as soon as convenient, as I should like to put 
200 acres of Wheat in with it next autumn, I have 42 
acres of Peas, and 44 acres of Oats in Gloucestershire 
put in with the dibble, and I never saw any grain put 
in so regular or so perfectly.—John Hudson, Castle- 
Acre Lodge, near Swaffham, Norfolk.” 
Societies. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY or [ENGLAND 
The following communications, addressed to the 
Secretary, were received at the Society's office too late 
last week to be laid before the Council and included in 
the Report of its proceedings :— 
POTATO DISEASE. s 
** West mA Wt, Devon, 
August 4, 1846. 3 
* Mr. W. H. Barxwitt, Chemist, &e., of Kingsbridge, 
haying made some careful observations, and, as be- 
lieve, valuable discoveries, on the subject of the Potato 
Disease, I have requested him to draw up à statement 
of his experience in that matter, which you will receive 
herewith,and whieh I request you to lay before those 
Members who may be present at the next Meeting. 
Mr. Balkwill has devoted much time to the subject, and 
I feel convinced that his statements are every way 
worthy of erecit. (Signed) Dovatas Macponatp.” 
** Kings .4, 1846. 
* You will probably receive a Ao id "s EUM 
from the Rev. Douglas Macdonald, respecting the fact 
to which I beg to call your attention ; and that is, that 
the Potato disease is spreading in this locality more, if 
possible, than last year ; and as I imagine that I have, 
beyond a doubt, discovered the origin of it, I am de- 
sirous of putting you in possession of the facts, which I 
will do in as concise a form as possible. I planted some 
perfect seed in my garden, that lad lain in the ground 
all the winter, and a Potato, I believe, was never 
planted there before; so I determined to watch for any 
symptom of disease. I observed the stalk first eaten: a 
little in the top, and soon after a number of green bugs, 
as large, or nearly, as a common house-fly, made their 
appearance. A few days after, I noticed the disease in 
that part where I observed the bugs ; and after getting 
one or two stalks much diseased, it seemed to spread 
very rapidly. I then saw one of the insects void a 
greenish fluid ; and I took a perfectly healthy leaf, and 
smeared this over it. In 12 hours, it was spotted in 
many places ; aud in 24 hours, the spots were nearly as 
large as peas ; and in double that time, a mass of dis- 
ease. I then practised the same experiment on a grow- 
ing healthy stalk, and one apart from the disease. In 
a few days it was perfectly withered and rotten. I then 
mounted on horseback, and rode many miles into the 
country ; and in every instance, for many miles, I found 
the insect wherever the disease appeared ; but amongst 
perfectly healthy ones, there ivas not the vestige of one 
to be seen. I shall be most happy to afford all the in- 
formation in my power on this most serious calamity ; 
but from my experience, it appears to me quite evident 
that the disease is contagious ; and that one or two 
stalks, and as many insects, are sufficient to infect an 
entire field. The insect leaves the plant as soon as it 
becomes diseased, which will account in a measure for 
its not being discovered before. If you wish I will pro- 
cure the insect, and send it you. I had many confined, 
but they are all dead. 
* (Signed) Wm. H. Bark wirr, chemist.” 
Miscellaneous. 
Remarks on the Potato Disease.—ML)y opinions and 
observations on the Potato disease having appeared 
from time to time in the Irish Farmers’ Journal, Y 
have again to beg you will give me an opportunity of 
expressing my conviction of the correctness of the 
views held on the subject by Professor Morren, of 
Liege, and the Rev. Mr. Berkeley, of King’s Cliffe, 
Hants. In all my former observations I have pointed 
out the very close connection parasitical fungi had with 
the disease ; but I have hitherto held that they were 
the effect and not the cause. I have now, however, 
reason to express a contrary opinion, and believe that 
the ease is vice versa to what I had hitherto supposed 
—they are the cause. On this head I will undertake 
to convince any person who has sufficient knowledge of 
the subject, to enable him to comprehend the destruc- 
tive consequences of these minute plants in the vege- 
able economy. The Botrytis infestans (which is the 
scienti&e name of the mould in question) is in full 
vigour at present, affecting both leaves and stems si- 
multaneously. In my late paper, on this subject, 
which appeared in the Journal in April last, I made 
some observations on the manner in which parasitical 
fungi affect the plants they prey on, and stated that it 
is not at present known how the reproduetive spores 
are enabled to vegetate, whether they are imbibed by 
the rootlets of the plants along with the nutritive matter, 
present in the grain, and circulate with the sap, or float 
in the atmosphere, and vegetate under a combination 
i fi ble to their develop t. We 
may be said to be labouring under the same state of un- 
certainty regarding the vegetation of the Potato fungus, 
though I think the evidence is strongly in favour of the 
spores remaining in the tuber, and being developed 
under favourable eireumstanees. The fact of the 
mould being produced on Potatoes raised from diseased 
seeds, in one of our hot-houses, in the month of January, 
appears conclusive on that point, besides, it is so 
generally known that the stems of Potatoes have toa 
great extent decayed at the necks, where they were 
attached to the old tubers, without any fungus being 
seen on the leaves. It is quite evident, the decay, 
in that case, at least, proceeded from the root. 
know that seedlings of the present year are at present 
being preyed on equally with stems from old tubers, 
which affords an argument against the tubers being the 
seat of the disease—but the atmospl must now be 
full of the spores of the fungus, which may be imbibed 
by the rootlets, or through the stomates of the seedling 
Potatoes. It is, however, of little use to speculate on 
this point at present. I think any person may convince 
himself of the cause of the disease, by looking at the 
backs of the affected leaves as soon as the disease ap- 
pears. The mould will be seen, without the aid of a 
microscope, colouring the diseased spots of a greyish- 
white colour, and forming a very beautiful object when 
looked at with the aid of a good lens. The observation 
must, however, be made soon after the disease appears, 
otherwise the plant will have perfected its spores, pro- 
duced its effect on the Potato, and have disappeared. 
The desideratum is now to ascertain what will prevent 
the attack of the botrytis. A safe experiment might be 
made with quick-lime, which, in ordinary cases, destroys 
the Mushroom tribe. Sulphur is used to destroy the 
Erysiphe communis, the mould which attacks the leaves 
of our Peach trees, Pea haulm, &e., and which is the 
most generally-known species that is nearly allied in its 
