588 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[ Ave. 29, 
the highest prices in Covent-garden morket. I have 
raised 5 acres for seed, and have only found two dis- 
eased in those I have tried, though some of the haulm 
had dropped p ly; but on ining the root, 
the Potatoes were not touched, which I attribute to the 
old set having gone off with dry rot, so as not to have 
infected the Potatoes, but sufficiently so the haulm to 
kill it; and I believe that wherever the old set goes off 
with the wet rot, the stalk and leaves will go as last 
year. Butif we get no more rain until the Potatoes 
on very dry land are ready to take up, the disease will 
not be so mischievous as last year; the bulk of the 
Potatoes will be safe on light lands only, and where 
there is a dry climate. I perceived that the leaves of 
my late Potatoes, since the rains, were becoming black 
and spotted ; and I examined the roots, which bear out 
what I have said above relating to the wet or dry-state 
of the old set. I consider that the Potato is more or 
less tainted from last year; and it will require careful 
selection of seed (from heavy to dry chalky soils, and 
dry seasons for two or three years) to restore a healthy 
tone to the Potato ; for vitiated secretions from any- 
thing putrid, or tending to putrefaction, are difficult to 
eradicate. By no means take up Potatoes wet for 
storing. It has been said that salt is a preventive to 
the disease. It so happened that last year I salted 34 
acres of land on account of the wireworm, at the rate 
of 10 ewt. of salt per acre; they were planted with 
Regents, which were attacked with the disease, but not 
so badly as other sorts ; but none of this variety was 
very badly diseased last year.— A Tenant Farmer, 
West Kent, August 19. 
Potato Crop.—Since I last wrote I have finished 
raising my crop, and the result has furnished me with 
a fact which, I think, you will deem too striking to re- 
main unnoticed. On the appearance of the disease last 
year, it was the first impression of Dr. Lindley, and 
others, that the diseased Potatoes which showed 
healthy shoots might safely be trusted for the 
future crop. nder this impression, I commenced 
planting a strip of land at one end of a field with Pota- 
toes, all diseased, selected only with reference to the 
strength and apparent healthiness of their shoots: 
some of these were nearly half rotted, I had planted 
but two short rows, when the tocsin of alarm was 
sounded so loudly in the Agricultural Gazette, that 
with becoming modesty I at once yielded due deference 
to so high an authority—not only desisting from my 
own purpose, but warning my neighbours to the same 
effect. I thought the experimental proofs cited so 
strong, that, had I proceeded far, I should, probably, 
have dug the land again and planted it afresh ; but the 
amount of risk being so slight, I left them experiment- 
ally, but hopelessly, Now, on raising these, you may 
imagine the surprise of all concerned to find that there 
is not a Potato among the whole produce in which any 
trace of disease can be diseovered ; all have proved 
as healthy'and clean a sample as was ever seen. Being 
myself incredulous, I have examined them with the 
most scrupulous attention, which could easily be done, 
as the whole produce is short of half a bushel.— C. 
Curties, Linton Vicarage, Ross, Herefordshire. 
Appearance of the Crops in Essex, in the second week 
in August, 1846. 
WzuraAT—Extremely well har- | after-Grass and feed is 
vested, quality very fine, | ^ much seared 
produce barelyan average, | Hay—A great crop, and well- 
A fair crop of straw, very | ured 
| Crover (Second crop, or for 
OATS—A light crop | seed) ry light crop, 
Bantry-Below an average crop | E little prospect for 
see 
Swepes and MANGOLD WUR- 
Zrn—Very partial and by 
no means 
MusTAnD (Brown and White) | Warre TURNIPS and CABBAGES 
— Far below an average — Almost a failure, and de- 
pendant on the autumn 
PorATOES—Not good, and the 
disease in many places is 
fast spreading 
crop 
Rre—Extremely deficient 
GnAss— A great crop where 
mown, but owing to the 
long-continued drought the 
—Jeffery Mayn, Rayleigh, Aug. 21. 
Premature Decay in Wheat, —1n answer to the in- 
quiry in your Leader of Aug. 7, as to the cause of 
Wheat dying away prematurely in the manner you 
state, I beg to offer the following faets as having come 
within my observation, and which prove to me that 
land will not bear so frequent a repetition of Wheat as 
was mentioned to be the practice on the farm you in- 
stanced :— Prior to my occupying the Spring-park Farm 
it was farmed by the wealthy and intelligent owner, and 
from want of drainage and trenching was then unsuited 
to the growth of Clover or Beans, and he confined his 
eropping to roots, Oats, Rye-grass, and Trefoil, or Tares 
and Wheat—frequently taking Wheat after the roots. 
He purchased largely manure, and, besides, used on the 
arable land the dung from a large racing and huntin, 
stud, and from 30 to 40 brood mares, so that the winter 
growth of his Wheat was always luxuriant, but I no- 
ticed that soon after the Wheat was in ear it became 
scrawled or root-fallen, aud was laid by wind or light 
showers ; the ears imperfectly filled, and the appear- 
ances were as described by you. 
was ascribed to causes such as the want of lime, the 
consequence of spring hoeing, the heavy rolling, and 
the like; but since I have changed the course of 
cropping, that is to say, introduced Beans or Peas, and 
Red Clover, into the rotation, I have rot suffered; my 
Wheat stands perfect. I do not hesitate to ascribe the 
evil to want of strength in the straws from too frequent 
repetition of the crop ; and had I had any doubt before 
this summer, which I had not, I should have none now, 
for a field of Wheat of mine this year, on part of which 
For some time this | most 
| Wheat had been taken two years ago, showed the con- | 
sequence of repeating this crop too often ; where the 
Wheat was two years ago the crop went off, whilst the 
remainder stood till harvest. In my inspection of land 
I frequently find districts where the Wheat is more 
liable to be laid, and I fancy I even trace this ill to the 
erroneous cropping, there adopted ; for it too often 
occurs that this crop is erroneously considered the only 
paying one, and that a frequent return to it is desirable ; 
and hence it is taken till the return diminishes : and 
more is lost by this dependence on Wheat than is 
imagined.— Hewitt Davis, Spring-park, near Croydon, 
August 12. 
Agricultural Statistics. — Whatever may be consi- 
dered to be the duty of those who may be appointed to 
collect the agricultural statistics when the necessity of 
finding individuals occurs, they will most assuredly be 
found, and such as are capable too. I regard your 
papers upon the appearance of the crops as one of the 
first and simplest steps that has already been made in 
a proper direction. In my humble opinion those indi- 
viduals who have supplied that information in those 
papers, are probably the very individuals most capable 
to undertake part of the work. Let the high constables 
of the different hundreds be requested to call such 
together, and head them, and they would soon decide 
upon means for collecting the agricultural statistics of 
the nation. Agricola” promises us some assistance 
next week; let us see it, and I may then send you my 
plan. The high constables are perhaps the only men 
that are constantly in the company of the most respect- 
able agriculturists of every district paying county-rates. 
Each knows the parishes, townships, &c., forming his 
district, and possesses the best methods for bringing 
together the labours of the men most qualified in every 
district under his superintendance.—John Bull. 
To Preserve Potatoes as Food for Pigs.—In Sep- 
tember, 1845, after carefully sorting my winter stock 
of Potatoes, I had a certain quantity of the diseased 
ones well boiled, and, after partial drying, rammed as 
hard as possible into a cask, and headed up close. 
opened them last week, and found them at the end of 
the ten months nearly unchanged. The mass of 
Potatoes for about an inch at the top was decayed and 
full of flies ; the outside of the mass discoloured from 
about a quarter to half an inch, and offensive, but the 
rest perfectly sound, at least as sound as when put in, 
and without any smell, save that which diseased Po- 
tatoes to a certain extent have. They were eaten very 
readily by my pigs. The experiment is not new, 
having been made, I believe, first by Mr. Pritt, of Lan- 
caster, but I am not aware that, in point of time, it has 
been so until now. It will be a question how far the 
plan may answer in saving some portion of the crop for 
food for the poor, I am quite certain it will answer well 
for feeding stock. I understand that it is a constant 
practice in Canada, especially on the sea coast, to pre- 
serve a certain portion of their winter stock of Potatoes 
on something of the same plan—peeling them, and, 
when boiled, putting them into tight casks, with alter- 
nate layers of salt fish, the whole, of course, well beaten 
down. This is used in the early part of the year as 
food, a portion of the mass being cut out and fried. 
believe the experiment would have been still more 
satisfactory had the cask I used keen air tight, which it 
was not, having been merely a biscuit cask, nor had it 
been as carefully kept from light and air as it ought.— 
Thomas Hinde, Winwick, Warrington, Aug. 18. 
Indian Corn food for Horses.—Perhaps you will 
consider it not altogether without interest to hear the 
result of an experiment on the use of Indian Corn in 
feeding horses. I find it to answer admirably, and the 
horses to which I have given it for the last two months 
are harness horses, doing moderate work—from 12 to 
18 miles a day. I have given 8 lbs, of bruised Indian 
Corn and 12 lbs. of chopped hay, mixed together ; a 
little water sprinkled over, and the quantity of 20 lbs. 
per day at four different times, such as are found best 
to suit. The Indian Corn seems to be extremely nutri- 
tious, having littlehusk; and I have found new hay to 
answer well along with the very dry quality of the 
Indian Corn, It is necessary to avoid giving water for 
an hour before and after feeding, as the Indian Corn is 
liable to expansion in the stomach, which requires a 
little care. On this feeding my horses have improved 
very much, and are in admirable hard-working condi- 
tion ; indeed, considerable work is required, to keep the 
horses from getting too fat ; therefore, it is a mode of 
feeding which is as good as can be desired : and the 
next question is, at what costit can be supplied. The 
eost for each horse per day is exactly 11d. 
8 Ibs. Indian Corn, bruised, atld.perlb. .. 8d. 
121bs. of hay, chopped ., vs es wey; 9d. 
m= 
lid. 
This is independent of the straw, which may be 
balanced by the value of the manure. It seems to me 
that this is an interesting result, and shows that if the 
Potato is to be an article of human food on a large scale, 
oatmeal may take its place; and Indian Corn may, 
1 ly ani ieally, take the place 
of Oats as the food of horses. I will not consume your 
time by speculating on possible results; but have taken 
the liberty to state my experience ; and hope that you 
may make any observations which occur to you upon 
the subject.—O. B. 
Inclination of Land.—As this seems to have engaged 
the attention of more persons than you and I, allow me 
to lay the faets respecting my own land before your 
readers. Mine is land of the steepest acclivity of any 
in Craven, with the exception of some few mountain 
sides, and I have ascertained by actual survey, that it 
slopes at angles from 10° to 25°, but the last is very 
Steep ; indeed, the greater part of my hilly pastures 
are at an angle of 159. Should any one fancy that he 
has land sloping 20 or 40 degrees, as I did, let me 
assure him, that it is a very rare case if he has got the 
latter ; and I would hope that no animal but the goat 
is grazing upon it. How Mr. Banfield can say that 
there is land on the Rhine sloping 509 or 60°, cultivated 
with an ox and light plough, I cannot tell ; ** he must 
have counted from the zenith” as your correspondent 
‘John Halliday” observes; and it seems if he even 
had, the ox and light plough would still be on a preci- 
pice. Enough, however, of this question, How to drain 
land that has an inclination of 10° or 15°, is the subject 
on which the practical experience of yourself, or your 
correspondents, is desired to be obtained by—4 Craven 
Grazier. 
Wireworm, White Mustard, and Soda-ush.—It is 
not the soda-ash or white Mustard that is in any de- 
gree ‘obnoxious to the wireworm ; for, as your corre- 
spondent observes, they will live a day or two in either, 
and walk off as fresh as ever. But as the wireworm 1n 
the course of time becomes a winged fly, or rather 
a beetle very like a large fly, it is then, and then 
only, that the white Mustard or soda.ash is dis- 
agreeable, or in any way serviceable to keep off the 
wireworm. If your correspondent will take the flour 
of white Mustard, soda-ash, or sea-weeds, and strew it 
over his ground during the season of the year when the 
parents of the wireworm are “on the wing," the ob- 
noxious effluvia will drive them off, and the parents 
not depositing any eggs, there will be no wireworm the 
following season, White Mustard, sown under Goose- 
berries or Currant-trees during April, May, or June; 
will keep off the caterpillars, or rather the butter- 
flies.— W. Prestoe, Shirley. 
Potatoes,—I herewith send you the result of the 18 
specimens I obtained on Tuesday last in the farms I 
visited, in company with Mr. Edward Stratford, in the 
parishes of St. Lawrence and St. Peter, in this island. 
The Potatoes, as you are aware from my last, were 
taken from that portion of each field which appeared to 
bein the worst condition, I fear, however, although 
the result of the both as to apr and 
cooking is good, that there is a very great failure, 
probably an organie change, and that henceforth, with- 
out a new importation from South America, the Potato, 
as a, general article to be cultivated, is useless.— JF. W. 
Childers, St. Heliers, Jersey :— 
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Salt.—You have lately noticed this subject. I culti- 
vate 16 acres near Thudleigh, in Devon, in a part where 
farming is at a very low ebb, Farm-yard manure and 
road soil is wasted in every possible way. Stable dung 
cannot be bought, and lime carried at a great expense 
and mixed with earth brought from the sides of the 
fields, is the only dressing thought of ; this is done in & 
negligent way. The weeds are allowed to seed on the 
fields and on the banks and hedges, Attention to de- 
stroying these weeds—burying or moving away the 
stones which eneumber the land, and using salt with 
the lime, has produced crops after three years which 
far exceed in abundance any of my neighbours’. 
have used salt in the following manner :—Put a layer 
of earth (fresh, if possible), a convenient size, and, 10 
or 12 inches deep, a thin layer of unslak.d lime ; 
throw on it a strong solution of salt and water, and im- 
mediately cover it with 8 or 10 inches depth of earth, 
another layer of lime, salt and water, and earth aga 
bank it up, covering all the lime ; after three or four 
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