39—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
651 
breaking, and seutehing, being 167. 3s. 63¢., which then 
left a clear profit of 447. 10s. 9d., or very nearly 307. 
per acre. Besides these examples, it is well known by 
every one experienced in the culture of Flax, that the 
profits it produces far exceed any other crop whatever, 
- and it may at all times be included in the ordinary ro- 
tation crops, without fear of exhausting the soil ina 
greater degree than other plants, Grasses, or grain 
crops. But the growing of Flax, besides being eminently 
profitable to the farmers, is worthy the consideration of 
the philanthropist, as the tending and preparing it for 
the spinners must call into active employment thou- 
sands of agricultural labourers,who will thus be enabled 
to carn a competent livelihood (which fact is plainly 
evident at Trimingham, in Norfolk, where Flax culture 
being introduced on a very limited scale, has so greatly 
inereased the employment of the labourers, that it has 
already produced the cheering effect of totally relieving 
the parish of poor's rates). 
In conclusion, I beg to add, as the above are Irish 
experiments, and as I know it is generally believed 
that the soil and climate of Ireland is preferable to this 
Country for Flax, I shall only hope to disabuse the 
Minds of farmers on this important point by a few re- 
Ports from various counties in England and Scotland, 
as I have understood from several gentlemen that I 
Supplied last spring with Flax seed for sowing, that 
their crops (so far as ean be known by quantity and 
Seed) have turned out well ; and I shall shortly be able 
to tell them the value of the fibre, and the facts of such 
experiments made in Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Wor- 
Cestershire, and Yorkshire, by those who never have 
sown Flax before this season.—J. Hill Dickson, 29, 
Broad-street Buildings, London, Sept. 14. 
ON THE DRILL HUSBANDRY OF TURNIPS. 
Experiments and their results.— Any observations 
Made by me previous to the autumn of 1837 were 
either so carelessly noted, or the experiments made on 
too small a scale, as to the extent of ground measured, 
the absence of exactness in the manner of doing this, 
and in the method of weighing the bulbs thereon, I 
shall therefore confine myself to experiments made in 
1837, 1838, 1839, and 1840, when every particular 
Was carefully taken down, the portions of each field 
f xed on for weighing were chosen at different parts, 
ly and impartially, and in every instance 
so many rows were taken the whole length of the field 
and measured correctly, not by the chain (the widths 
of a narrow piece cannot be nicely ascertained this 
Way) but in feet and inches with serupulous exactness. 
na few cases the lots measured for experiment were 
as small as 7 or 8 perches, but in the great majority of 
irials the quantities taken measured from 10 to 20 
Perches each. 
„M seeking for knowledge, by experiments of this 
Kind, it is a most fallacious and incorrect mode to. 
attempt to find the average produce of any field 
by Setting out a square perch, or even 2, 3, or 4 
when stepping along to fix the patch for trial, we are 
sensibly Jed to some particular spot in the field which 
May be much beyond the average, therefore I think 
all cases for experiment should be so many rows from 
Ne side to the other of the field, because by taking it 
this way the good and bad parts of the field have a 
Sreater chance of being included proportionally; and 
if „the field or part of one, which it is wished to ascer- 
tain the average weight of, is several acres in extent, 
then two or more pieces should be taken. 
I have further to add, that the weights given in every 
Case, except where specially noticed otherwise, are those 
9f the bulbs only, after being topped, tailed, and pro- 
UM cleaned fit for use ; the common Turnips were 
Weighed in October and November, and Swedes to- 
Wards the latter part of December, as these last-named 
m mild seasons increase in size until that period. 
ur may also he necessary to state, that all comparative 
jals of the effects of the different manures were made 
adjoining each other, in order that equality of soil 
should pervade the experiment, a most essential point 
D bear in view in prosecuting such inquiries, 
d these preliminary remarks, I proceed to re- 
y results, commencing with those of 1837. 
With Purple and Green-topped Swedes, 
rate of ean anuréd in N gu 1836, at the 
oads and ploughed in at the 
tidged up 20th May, 1837, 27 inches 
own next da * with 16 bushels bruised 
manure por Pedes LM. 
, being not quite half a plant 
onsiderably worse where the 
tons,ewts 
VIT OPI 
per 
uch 
Weight of bulbs aft 
: er the bone  .. m 
TR NC 
I consider theres 
re rapi 
the cak 5 12 
oc 
ay ier s on ridges 27 inches 
b different fr 2 4 
Uüshels per aere, s, ar This proved to 
in the pre- 
> 
per acsp With farm-yard manure, 33 good loads 
the 24 es x idges 7i inches wide, sown between 
regular braid oth May, proved a very beautiful 
Beetle, quai not injured to any extent by the 
nearly. a mane qA week earlier than No. 1, although 
800d crop, Weighing iy nepeg out a regular, 
' No. 5. Without manure of any kind, ridges 27 
10 0 
inches apart (being four ridges taken in the mid 
f of May, braird faint, but re- 
» eetle, was the last 
portion of the field thinned, and then the plants 
could searcely be seen. Afterwards, these kept 
dwindling away through the season, proving a 
total failure, producing about [32 ree De 
The quality here was wretched, being no better 
than the tap-roots cut off and thrown aside from 
good-sized bulbs 
No. 6. Angther field of Swedes (8 acres breast. 
ploughed and burnt), sown 13th June on the flat, 
17} inches wide, and having 10 bushels of bones 
and 25 of ashes mixed, applied as described in 
section 5. This proved a very regular plant, but 
in September became much mildewed, and grew 
No variety of expeviments here. 
n 
ES 
B 
£ 
A 
Z. 
E! 
$ 
[3 
z 
E 
2 
10 0 
> 
t m tt m It E +e .. 
Yo. 7. Common Turnips (round Green-tops). 
Ten acres of these sown on the flat, the 17th June, 
on breast-ploughed and burnt land. Part of this 
had 20 bushels of applied, the remainder 
nothing. No mark was made where the sowing 
of ashes terminated, thinking it would mark itself. 
However the season proved favourable, the braird 
came quick and flourishing. No check was expe- 
rienced, and a most abundant crop followed, so 
much so that I never could discern the place where 
the application of the ashes ceased. It must be 
borne in mind, that a very abundant crop of ashes 
had been spread broade: over the whole of this 
t . H . 
land, and worked in. Weight . 24 0 
EXPERIMENTS FOR 1838. 
In a field of 10 acres, the following trials were 
made :— 
No.1. Turnips (round Green-top) on ridges 27 
inches apart, with 18 bushels of bones per acre. 
Weiler: ap E cec Dep P NUR MU) 
No. Same as above, with 18 bushels of Rape- 
cake. Weight I. m .. m oo 20/719: 79 
No.3. White Tankard Turnips, as above, with 
18 bushels of Rape-cake. Weight .. v. 29 4 0 
No. 4, ‘White Tankards, as above, without 
manure of any kind. Weight WU SRL Riek OTe LES on 
No. 5. Same variety, with 24 loads of manur 
WHEL? pos ciné SUR SENE AU ee comets Sehr oO! 10 
With Purple and Green-topped Swedes. 
No. 6. With 24 loads of manure. Veight abort 6. a0) 
No. 7. Without manure of any kind. Weight .. 5 2 2 
The whole of the above lots were sown between 
the 14th and 18th of May, on ridges he: 
apart, and none received any check, this being a 
favourable year for Turnips in most parts of 
England. 
In another field of 22 acres the following experi- 
ments were made, Land breast-ploughed and 
burnt :— 
Purple and Green-topped. Swedes sown on the flat 171 inches apart, 
between the Sth and 12th of June. 
No. 1. With 24 bushels of ashes, and 18 bushels 
of Rape-cake, mixed. Weight m E veli 15 0 
No. 2, With 28 bushels of bones. Weight wad 0 
No. 3. With 15 bushels of Rape-cake and 26 of 
ashes. Weight .. m m m .. opie 87 76 
No. 4. With 20 bushels of bones and 20 bushels 
ofashes. Weight on E m m sel: 13 570 
No.5. With 42 bushels of ashes, Weight d. DR 
No. 6. Without manure of any kind. Weight LER Dons 
No.7. With 32 bushels of bones, Weight BUM ee CAU 
s field sown with 
Rape-cake only, consequently a comparison cannot be drawn 
m in- 
latter expt 
lots extended over 15 
iment was x 
12th June. The bra me sluggish, butafter having com- 
aird ea 
meneed, the plants grew rapidly. 
No, 8. Seven aeres of this field was sown about the 16th and 
17th June, with Scotch Yellows, part having a little Rape-cake 
and ashes mixed, another portion bones and ashes, and the 
remainder had nothing. The braird where the manure was 
applied came more vigorous, and the plants were nearly a 
Seine. TN 
his difference continued until 
week sooner ready for hoein 
a week or two after the h 
afterwards became less apparen: ) 
neither strangers nor I myself could point out where the 
manures had been applied. None of these- Turnips were 
weighed, but they were a full crop for the land (this part of 
the field heing a very weak light gravel), and appeared to be 17 
or 18 tons per acre. 
The decided non-effeet of the pulverised manures in, 
the above case, when taken in connexion with that 
noticed in No. 7 for 1837, and also with those correctly 
ascertained by measure and weight, Nos. 3, 4, and 5 in 
first field of this years’ experiments, present very ano- 
malous and embarrassing results. Thus No. 7 for 
1837, and No. 8, the preceding experiment for the pre- 
sent year, go to show that the pulverised manures 
named, appear to have had little or no effect, or more 
correctly speaking, so little effect in increasing the crop, 
that it was not perceptible enough to experienced men 
to enable them to point out where the mixtures of 
manures with ashes or ashes alone left off, for I took 
several to both fields, It is very much to be regretted 
that I did not stake out the experiment correctly, and 
measure and weigh, in order to ascertain the exact 
amount of difference; but I feel confident (having 
weighed so many lots) that it was not more in propor- 
tion, if so much, as that shown with the Tankard Tur- 
nips in the first field of this year's experiments, viz., 
Nos. 3, 4,and 5. There we have 27 tons 6 ewt. without 
the ashes spread thereon, which is allowed by every 
one to be the best preparation of such land as this, 
which can be made for a crop of Turnips, and unless 
cut off by wireworm, always produce the heaviest crops in 
every variety of season. Iam therefore decidedly of 
opinion that the application of manure of any kind in 
| these three different fields to the common Turnips was 
highly injudicious, there being abundance of power or 
of the necessary ingredients in these lands to bring for- 
ward a full crop, without additional manure being de- 
posited under the plant; consequently that which was 
applied seems to have been thrown away. 
lt is very fortunate that Swedes had been sown to 
far the greatest extent in both fields of this year's ex- 
periments, in which the above anomalous appearances 
| occur ; and with these bulbs which are more difficult to 
| produee, and of greater value, the results show that the 
| application of manures to them have been judicious ; in 
| fact absolutely necessary for producing a crop of that 
| variety, the 24 loads of farm manure in the first field 
(stubble land), of this year’s experiments inereasing the 
crop 10 tons 2 ewt. per aere, and in the second field 
(breast-ploughed and burnt land), the pulverised 
manures inereasing the crop in the lowest case 9 tons 
13 cwt., and in the highest 14 tons 17 ewt. per acre. 
Clearly showing that it is injudicious to apply manures: 
to burnt land where there has been an abundant erop of 
ashes, or even on other land in very high condition, 
where common Turnips are to be grown ; and likewise 
as clearly exhibiting the need of farm-yard manure in 
considerable quantity, on corn stubble lands, to grow a 
full evrop of Swedes, as well as the great effect of pul- 
verised manures mixed with ashes, on burnt land, in 
increasing a.crop of those valuable bulbs. 
The last experiment made this year was in a field of 
14 acres, the worst field on the farm, having a consi- 
derable breadth across the middle of it, cold tough 
clay, and the whole being foul and in worn out condi- 
tion. Seven acres were well dunged with rotten farm ma- 
nure, and ploughed in broadeast (the land not being 
fine enough for ridging), and sown on the flat, 173 in. 
apart,on the 26th June and 3d July, and produeed & 
full crop. The other 7 acres were not got ready before 
the 26th, a period too late in this situation to give much 
chance for a crop even on better land. However, com- 
mon red and white Turnips were sown with 12'bushels 
bones and 24 bushels ashes mixed, and proved a useful 
little crop, the bulbs with the stems weighing 7 tons 
10 cwt. per acre.. Part of this piece was sown without 
manure, on whieh the seed brairded regularly, but the 
plants never grew to any size, and they dwindled off in 
Oetober and November, so that when the other part 
was weighed there was not one plant left.— Wm. Fernie, 
Manchester. 
(To be continued). 
Home Correspondence. 
Faicon’s Extract upon small farms in your last 
Gazette is so exactly opposite to what I have seen with 
my own eyes, that I cannot let it pass without a few 
remarks. Iam not going to dispute that small farms 
may be well managed, and we should naturally suppose 
the smaller the extent of ground a farmer had to give 
his attention to, the better it would be cultivated; but: 
that these cases are only exceptions I am well con- 
vineed from what I have seen in the different districts 
in England and Scotland which I have visited. The 
man I should pitch upon as the best farmer I know, 
and would defy any one to beat him, at the present 
moment occupies 1400 acres of land. In my opinion 
this is 1000 acres too much, but that is not the ques- 
tion we are discussing. I can honestly say 20 instances 
» one pass through my mind where large holders keep 
weir land cleaner and in better condition than small 
ones, You will observe I have merely been comparing 
large farms with small, in England and Scotland. The 
Flemish farming I have seen, taken as a whole, without 
doubt beats most of ours.—A good Small Farmer. 
Small Farms.—Many farmers may conceive that, 
although I profess to advocate their cause, my letters 
have a contrary effect, and rather a tendency to expose 
their weak points, by introducing comparisons between 
land cultivated in allotments and land tilled on the 
usual farming system. The greatest failing in human 
nature is a dislike to being told of our faults in the mis- 
management of our undertakings, as it particularly 
touches! our vanity and the good opinion of our own 
judgment, and draws down the advice of our neigh- 
bours, who, while we have been sleeping, and jogging 
on in the old track at the rate of four miles an hour, 
have been wide awake, propelled by a locomotive at a 
speed they of the old school cannot understand. A new 
era is dawning upon the land, which will, in the course 
of a few years, change the aspect of neglected districts, and 
make the barren soil produce a bundred-fold. The 
à 5E 
B 
manure of any kind; with 18 bushels Rap ke, 
29 tons 4 cwt. ; and with 24 loads of manure, 30 tons 
6 ewt.; so that the manure has really only inereased 
the crop about 3 tons per acre. But itis far otherwise 
with the Swedes in both fields of this year’s experi- 
ments. 
I was certainly at the time much puzzled with these 
results; but from subsequent experience I am satisfied 
it ean be rationally and satisfactorily accounted for. 
The land Nos. 3, 4, and 5 of first field, in this year’s 
experiments, was stubble, or regularly cropped land, 
but in very good condition, not by any means worn out. 
That on which No. 7 for 1837 was produced, as well as 
No. 8, second field of this year's experiments, were old 
Sainfoin lands, had been breast-ploughed and burnt, and 
oor o p having been opened, labour, capital, 
and intelligence will, of necessity, be brought to bear 
on raising food in the largest quantities and at the 
cheapest rate. Our manufacturers can compete with 
the foreigner, why should not our agriculturists, after 
the facts which have been stated relative to the average 
rate of wages in various rural districts (which refleets 
anything but praise on the landed community), the stale 
argument so often used, of the foreigner being able to 
command the sinews of his fellow man at lower wages 
than the English farmer, cannot be any longer sus- 
iained, as surely seven and eight shillings a week for 
ten hours’ toil per day, is not a very ruinous expendi- 
ture to the farmer, however it may pinch the labourer. 
Taking land in the same locality, and of similar deserip- 
| 
| 
