780 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[Nov. 21, 
gration, ‘but by all means I would encourage home 
cultivation first. Let us first renovate ind make strong 
the mother country, lest we make our colonies too pow- 
erful for us, and they rise up as enemies and declare 
themselves independent of us, as the Americans did. 
Some may argue that these moors are useful ; they 
grow food for grouse, bees, sheep, and cattle ; but the 
same piece of ground that will only feed a sheep i in its 
present state, would feed a couple of oxen in its im- 
proved condition. Many that have taken in farms on 
moor-borders 20 or 30 years ago, have now got rich. Is 
it not a pity that so much land should lie waste in this 
country where it is so much wanted and so well situated, 
all within the temperate zone, and not an acre of it 
elevated to the region of perpetual frost and snow. It 
is to be hoped that the sun will not shine, nor fruitful 
showers drop their fatness in vain on these wilful wastes 
much longer. Which is the prayer of my country’s 
well.wisher.—N. C., Parham, Oct. 29, 1842. [Our 
friend is doubtless somewhat enthusiastic in his antici- 
pations ; but there can be as little doubt of his accu- 
racy in the principle on which he argues—that the 
thorough cultivation of our cultivable waste lands would 
add vastly to the wealth of the nation—in his broadest 
acceptation of the word. 
Tenants’ Rights.—l mark with interest the letters 
which, from time to time, grace your columns on the 
subject of tenant rights, and perhaps you will allow 
me to throw out a few hints on the same subject. The 
spirit of revolution, which is so active at this moment 
in every branch of our constitution and civil policy, is 
evidently taking a direction towards property, and 
landed property in particular. The ordinary rights of 
property whieh heretofore were settled by contract and 
usage, must now be determined according to some of 
your correspondents (and no doubt there are many of 
the same kidney as * Clodhopper," who lately figured 
in your columns) by legislative enactment, or in other 
terms, a landowner shall no longer be permitted to 
make his own bargain with his tenant, when he lets him 
his land, but that it shall be settled by Act of Parliament 
what allowances an offgoing tenant shall receive from his 
landlord, and whether the latter has contracted to make 
them or not. There is a great similarity between this 
sort of doctrine and that which is just now preached 
upon the subject of titles and conveyances of property. |, 
These also are to be settled by legislative enactment ; 
land is to be made as transmissible as money or goods, 
and at as little expense, and that it may become so, the 
rights and privileges of ownership are to be narrowed, 
so that no one shall be at liberty to sell or convey a 
limited interest in land, either by way of annuity, or for 
a life estate, in order that titles may not be embarrassed 
and the exquisite simplicity of the scheme interfered 
with. That I do not overstate I would refer you toa 
correspondent in Times journal, who has the 
hardihood to subseribe himself as a solicitor. Now 
let me administer to * Clodhopper," et id genus omne, 
a few words of caution how he and they meddle witl 
the tenant right question, They will find it a two.edged 
sword—landlords know to their cost that no investment 
makes so poor a return as land ; that in their dealings 
with tenants they are overmatched, and must ever be 
so ; and that where the contract between them is broken 
it is rarely on the landlord’s part. They know likewise, 
or ought to know, that every shilling their tenants 
possess has come from the soil, for their ancestors were 
anciently but serfs and indebted solely to the landlord 
for the little capital employed on land. Let them then 
take these facts into their remembrance before they 
talk of tenants’ rights being settled by Act of Parlia- 
ment, and complain, like « Clodhopper,? of having to pay 
rent and taxes for the land covered with the landlord's 
timber, which is not true; and complain with equal 
absurdity of not being allowed the tops and branches by 
their landlord when he removes this very timber of 
which they complain. Finally, let me remind them, 
that legislative enactments, suchas they propose, would 
have only this effect, viz., to render the landlord more 
cautious how he commits his land to a tenant; and to 
displace numbers who, like “ Clodhopper,” have lost that 
loyal affection for, and dependance on their landlord, 
which have hitherto, or, perhaps, I might more justly 
say, until lately, distinguished the British yeoman, and 
has been returned, in the case of the old landed pro- 
prietor at least, by a generous protection and affectionate 
good will ; and that if this system is to undergo a change 
to be d to the ile one, landlor ds 
will hardly be content with a return of 3 per cent. for 
eir land, or to confide in a tenantry guided by such 
principles, so long as they ean manage their lands 
themselves, or commit them to their sons and imme- 
diate dependants for cultivation. — R. L. P.S. What 
do you say to an incoming tenant being compelled 
by a valuer to pay for guano on land from which a 
crop of Wheat had been taken. I objected on behalf 
of my tenant, but was told that it was the custom of the 
country. had foolishly thought that legally a 
custom must have the sanction of time, which implies 
acquiescence. [We would say, that, if a portion of the 
E remained in the soil unexhausted by the crop of 
heat which had been taken, both justice and common 
sense require that the next tenant should pay for it.] 
Potato Disease caused by Atmospheric Agency.—1l 
planted a plot of the Long Red Kidney variety (merely 
as a trial) so late as the 20th of August. The old 
tubers being quite sound and pretty well sprouted, and 
the weather being particularly warm, they were above 
ground in about 10 days. I daily watched their pro- 
went on well till about the 15th of September, when in 
one night the hitherto hopeful plants were attacked, the 
brown speck appearing on every leaf, on the axils of the 
leaves, and latterly on the stems, *which were about 
1 foot high at the time. The young tubers were about 
the size of good large Beans. The leaves and stems de- 
cayed by degrees, and were almost gone by the Ist of 
October ; but on examination I observed the greater 
portion of the stems quite fresh near the ground, and 
pushing new shoots again. On taking up the tubers the 
old Potato was quite sound, and the young tubers like- 
wise, which remain so up to this date. I may mention 
the tubers were planted whole ; the stem is quite sound 
at its junction with the Potato. I am inclined to think 
that the above Potatoes were attacked by some atmo- 
spheric agency, as the same sort produced a good crop, 
free from taint or disease, in the month of June, when 
the atmosphere might not have been charged with the 
same combination of gases ; and, moreover, at the time 
the disease began to show itself (about the 28th July), 
I observed the following plants, amongst many others, 
infected with apparently the same disease as the Potato, 
viz., Senecio, Aquilegia, Campanula (alba flore-pleno), 
Bishopsweed, Tansey, Beans, Peas, Oaks, Elms, an 
many other trees and shrubs ; this was never observed 
in this quarter before. As both old and new tubers of 
the above Potatoes seem to be quite sound, I intend to 
let them remain, earthed deeply up, where they are till 
they sprout next spring.— Alex. Walker, Mayen House, 
Banffshire. 
Sootíetíta. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY 
10) AND. 
AT the weekly meeting of council on Nov. 5, the 
pO re ad a To inon RO the members of the 
works and labour, 
SUED had EIS in Mee of the week, to the following 
effect, viz. :—** We, the undersigned, hereby request the 
council to call a general meeting of the Society forth with, 
in order to take the sense of the Society at large, under 
the existing eireumstanees of the country, as to the 
poliey of suspending the 14th general rule, which pre- 
vented them for entertaining any question of a political | w 
tendency at their meetings, or which would be likely to 
be brought under the consideration of Parliament, so 
far only, however, as to enable the Society and its 
members to express their opinions as to Puis laa i 
of profitable of t 
drainage, subsoiling and levelling, and TET land, 
and the PEDE RE of food at the pr esent crisis. 
(Signed) D. J. Wilson, NEP Ball 
Pieca J. Blake, - 'harles W. Hamilton, 
. B. Bankhead, William Stewart reed 
Daniel O'Connell, 
TE 
Charles pope, 
Pierce Mah nes Armstrong.” 
It appeared that a EG SE took place 
in the provisional committee, as to whether it would be 
more advisable to call upon the Society to modify and 
suspend the provisions of the above rule, so far as was 
contemplated, under the peculiar circumstances of the 
present case, 80 as to enable the council to entertain the 
question in full, and to make the necessary inquiries, 
and adopt the requisite measures for communicating | 
their views, and the result of their inquiries to Govern- 
ment, from time to time, pursuant to the intention of 
the original requisitionists ; or whether it would be 
better to establish a separate body altogether for the 
urpose, outside and distinct from the Society, and 
totally independent of it, "The general opinion of the 
committee, however, appeared to be against the exis- 
tence of two separate bodies ; that they would naturally 
interfere with each other, and they felt confident that 
the peculiar circumstances of the present eventful 
period would, on consideration, induce the Society at 
large, when assembled, to sanction the original resolu- 
tion of the council, and to relax the rule as far as they 
were called upon to do so. Accordingly it was ordered 
that the Secretary be directed to call a general meeting 
of the Society for Wednesday, the llth inst, to 
take the above subjects into consideration. 
Farmers! Clubs. 
Lo: Nov. 2: mo: l mode of 
Thrashing Grain Crops.—Mr. Baker, of Writtle, the Chairman, 
said—The point will resolve itself into two heads, namely, the 
** best mode” and the “most economical mode” of thrashing ; 
and they will be found to be perfectly separate parts of the 
question; for that mode which i: not always the 
most economical, neither i ve that which is the most economical 
always the best. The great recommendation of thrashing with 
the flail is that it affords A ENE for the labourer when 
there is no other im, an re is less waste of straw 
and chaff, The Gait is also much better, There are some 
kinds vf grain which cannot be thrashed in any other 
by hand, without injuring it; this is especially thotease With 
Barley which is intended to be used fo alting ; and I know 
that many maltsters will not buy Barley Frase by maehine, 
or, if they do, only at a considerable reduction in price, as they 
assert that the action of the machine injures the sprouting 
pones of BS grain. With regard to the economical branch of 
e question, I think the eDRES ing varies very 
little m we use the hand, or whether we employ horses, 
or steam, or wind, or water power. So far as my calculations 
go, I think the cost of thrashing by machinery rather more 
than the cost of doing it by the flail; but if we take the long 
of corn thrashed, But then, with regard to thrashing by mae 
chinery, I think that SON SUM the eastern counties it woul: 
be almost impossible to adopt it without extending the build- 
ings; and as the buildings for Bea eae are already 
formed, and machinery is not in general use, I do not eae 
BM far it might be HN. e i Our. general custom, when 
s about ea S to aries by the 1 are ire 
descriptions o: achine ; e-power M chien and tl 
hand thrashing-' nubi which Hes lately come into use. The 
jorse-power machines, I think, are very inefficient; and there 
are very few of them but what injure the straw. Some of them 
not only injure, but absolutely destroy it, for every Vin 
purpose; and they, POLI injure the grain. e myself 
lately been thrashing by machine, and I am quite satisfied that 
rain was A A injured, If the machine was not 
FHA sufficiently close, then the grain was not thrashed out 
p the ear ; ms if it was, then the grain became broken. Itis 
a great point ese machines should be so constructed 
that they shall He break the grain, and yet thrash it out apan 
The machines recently construc ted were without rollers 
he recollected that when rollers were PCM the PX 
thrashed much better than now. Ii mig t be that the B 
held the straw long enough to thrash all the grain out. They 
did not thrash quite so much per day as the modern eae z 
but, as the latter frequently depreciated the value of the grain 
50 per cent. (!) and the straw 20 per t., he thought the com- 
parison was greatly in favour of those with rollers instead of 
beaters. It must be remembered, , that in Essex we have 
a greater TOEO of labour late in other counties; the 
labourers have not been absorbed by railways and other works 
in this county as in some parts of England. The employment 
of horse-labour has in many instances does the labourers 
of their ordinary sources of employment i in the winter months ; 
and, in consideration of this state of thin 3 
aicoune aed the use of the one nA anehna and ddOpEd 
the hand-power machine, by whieh, with two men, they can 
thrash from 4 to 6 qrs. of corn a day, with as much adv. an- 
machines: that in wet weather you can set a number OPENA 
work at it, and you a very well TY that with the Tul o ox 
the fixed horse-power machine. Again, if you want the men 
to work in the fields, they can GUERRE their thrashing at 
any period; and the hand-machine being placed in the barn, 
there is no injury done to the Wheat by the humidity of the at- 
mosphere ; which often, under other circumstance 's, renders it 
much depreciated for marketable pur| 
chine, moreover, is so constructed that it doi 
straw so much as the larger descriptions of machine do. The 
qui epe is, “the best and most economical mode;" and I 
certainly hold that thrashing or steam- power is the 
most ‘economical ;” but whether it is the * best? is another 
thing. TI think the best is that which is conducted by manual 
labour; for I have never found any plan to succeed 80 well D 
VS common mode of VERE with the flail (th 
n you can attend ti ourself, and see the w i. 
Wall done). But if you Senant do this, why the loss which you 
sustain, either by their not thrashing out suilicient! ly, or by 
their taking part of the grain home with them at night, will 
prevent its being the most economical mode. I confess that 
my corn rises better from the machine than from the flail, 
although it certainly does not rise in quite so clean a condition. 
e greatest of all objections to the use of the flail is, perhaps, 
the opportunities which it gives for depredation. 
Mr. ArrcusoN said, I do not quite agree with S remarks of 
our Chairman, to the effect that the grain rises cleaner from 
the flail than from the machine; for I have Es it up and 
rubbed it, for the purpose of ascertaining, and I have found it 
more clean from the machine than from the flail. At the sate 
time, I admit that itis our bounden duty to employ the laboure: 
as much as we can. I agree with our Chairman in what he 
says of the advantages of being able to tell our labourers 
eave their work in the field in wet weather, and go to thras D 
ing. But when I consider the cost of the machine (and I 
charge myself with the same amount as any one would be will. 
ing to pay me E doing it), I think that flail-thrashing comes 
as cheap in end as aaiae: m Bs ing. ter I have 
thrashed out iio Wheat, w bound too; the men 
are bound to tie i Plan men, for instance, 
vd work in this way, and I find that they will not EH memore 
an 361bs, to a truss, so that they earn me but while 
We 2s. for it. Iftherefore I take it to market, I eu 
My principle however, is to cut it ed the 
cattle with it; in fact, when I compare thrashing with the 
oa AROS dem thrashing by naan Ae I find that the 
former profits me nothing ; and straw which has been thrashed 
by machine will not fetch so much in the market by 4e.-ns that 
which has been thrashed by flail. No one, I think, if he could 
afford to wait, could do better than employ the Jabourer to 
thrash by flail. But there are times and seasons when prices 
fluctuate, and it becomes the farmer, like other people, to take 
advantage of the markets ; and if he can thrash out four times 
as much by the machine as he can by band, why of course he 
is perfectly justified in doing so. st, neverthe le 
o this question at last, * VES are our laboure: 
and in order to apportion the labour to the mouths ‘whieh mers 
to be fed, we had better machinery as little as we ‘can, 
we consider the general il of society. 
Mr. Hurter : For my own part I am not 2 machine-man ; 
on the contrary, all the corn I grow I have thrashed with the 
ail; and I ean eem speak more in favour of the flail than 
of the machine, nk by using the flail I can thrash corn 
x more nonias than by any other means. Tu fact, I 
find Ri XL as the cheapest. With rej ard to the peur 
ment of ho; ower machinery for thra look ipo 
CADO can be employed to much GENE A 
other ways; forif you take 9 or 10 nore away fr ‘ona your 
farm, for the purpose of thrashing, you do not know what in- 
jury may be done to the land in ‘the meanwhile. My convic- 
tion is, that you can thrash a great deal cheaper with the flail ; 
ed that if you go into the figures of the ques- 
ton) you will ‘find it to beso. A friend of my brother has a 
which goes vith eight horses, and at the time he 
erected it, he fancied his neighbours geni bring their corn to 
him to be thrashed ; but, unfortunatel; ely, he forgot to make any 
caleulation about the expense of carrying back the straw. 
consequence is, that his corn, EROS might be thrashed P 
about 1s., costs uU double that s Now, economy is every- 
thing. To employ horse-power just at seed time, Ee you 
want the wowed ae the land, will never answer. If yi un 
erect a steam-power, then machinery is all very well; ; but if 
you cannot, why then it must be injurious to use mac hinery at 
al n some cases it is found that at certain times we cannot 
getlabour, and therefore it is necessary. Fo: 
ways protect myself; I never want to go to the Jabour- 
OU I always have recourse to my own labourers, because 
1 always have them in my barn; but I know that, with many 
persons, it is for difficult to obtain labourers, as, from the 
new and different C of cultivation, from the vast sources 
f o themi in the railroad and mine dis- 
os 
se ld. 
E 
period which this mode occupies, and t 
which we are liable p om the eg ere EN however RA 
we may be, we are liable to great depredations in this way—of 
that fact we have the evidenceof numerous instances in which 
popper pan been. carried on to a great extent without XE 
the least suspicion, until all at once the truth has burs 
upon ite. conyiction of the sufferers. e slowness is a iui 
objection no doubt. At this time of the year, for instance, 
when all the labourers that can be mustered are wanted for 
getting in the seed, a thrashing-machine becomes absolutely 
gress tosee if they would withstand the disease, All 
necessary to enable the farmer to obtain a sufficient duani 
‘act, they are mented wA think and act for DER. ak ing 
all the circumstances of the question into consideration, I am 
isposed to think ic that thrashing with the flail, or manual 
labour, is the best. 
The Onarrman.—I think it costs about the same money, in 
one case or the other, namely about 35. pe? eight bushels, and 
a erred a load more for HE the sti Bo 
AITCHESON.— Why I am paying T this EA 4s. a 
lube for thrashing, dnd 1$ 6d. a load for bindin; 
