794 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[ Nov. 28, 
ness of a wafer, by the crushing mill, Put 18 gallons 
of water into the cauldron, and as soon as it boils, not 
before, stir in 2] lbs. of Linseed meal ; continue to stir 
it for about five minutes, then let 631lbs. of crushed 
Barley be sprinkled by the hand of one person upon the 
boiling mucilage, while another rapidly stirs and crams 
it in. After the whole has been carefully incorporated, 
which will not occupy more than five or ten minutes, 
cover it down, and then throw open the furnace door ; 
should there be much fire put it out. The mass will 
continue to simmer, from the heat of the cauldron, till 
the Barley has absorbed the mucilage, when the kernels 
will have resumed nearly their original shape, and may 
justly be compared to little oil cakes, which, when cold, 
will be devoured with great avidity. I have no doubt 
some of you will be apt to say, Oh! but there is a great 
deal of labour attending all this, I will now show you 
the profit attendingthe labour. A lot of 12 beasts were 
equally divided by Mr. Postle, six were fed on oil cake, 
and six on Mr. Warnes’s compound. The account of 
their food was kept with serupulous accuracy for nearly 
six months. ‘The following were the results :— 
Expense of oil cake vis os .. £21 14 
Expense of compound m E en EOE o T 
Balance in favour of compound .. £2 8 73 
ead weight, Loose fat. Hides, 
st. ib. st. Tb. st. 1b. 
Six cattle fed on compound .. 432 7 559 39 6 
Six ditto oil cake.. —..  .. 387 12 517 37 11 
Difference of weight in favour 
of comp: . Ee en n? 
So that we havein favour of the cattle compound 
upon the six beasts—44 st. 9 Ib. at 6s. 6d. per stone £14 10 2 
Difference of expence of compound ..  ..  .. 2 8 7h 
Total difference in favour of compound -. £16 18 93 
By this system of feeding Mr. Warnes says that he 
could compete with the foreigner, as he could send 
cattle to market at 44d. per lb., and pay himself an 
ample return. Since he had followed the system of 
box-feeding, he knows not of a single instance where he 
nof realised 8/. for every head of cattle he kept for 
Six months. At the farm where he now resides, he 
fattened last winter for market the following cattle, after 
being six months box-feeding :— 
Seven Durham steers, cost 8j. 10s. each, sold Fons 5 
st 101. each, sold for 221, 10s. each 75 0 
ne cow, cost 51. 5s., sold for 157. Roe trey 8 
Four Scotch steers, cost 107. each, sold for 20], each.. 40 00 
£201 15 0 
The above cattle were bought in and disposed of 
within six months. They consumed, with the following 
now in herd, 19 acres of Turnips, about 14 quarters of 
Linseed, and a few bushels of Barley-meal, with several 
acres of Pea straw :— 
Three Durham heifers, estimated value above the cost 
rice .. I. m e E m E .. £22 10 0 
Two Irish steers . . s. ow ve 18.0 
ADU e 0 
Five small steers and heifers — .. —..  .. 30 00 
Three calves, and butter from two cows ES 18 10 0 
285 15 0 
Deduet, for 14 qrs. of Linseed, ly growr n) 
Min, Wi, uuo tor Barley, d sy 8800 
Leaves a return of .. m m ^ e. £246 15 0 
The next item of profit is the manure, to form a just 
estimate of which is impossible; of course the rent of 
the land, rates, &c., and expences for attendance, &c., 
must be enumerated to show a clear profit; but the 
utmost allowance that the severest critic could make, 
would leave a balance unprecedented in favour of box- 
feeding. In bringing this paper to a conclusion, I 
cannot de so without strongly urging upon you all to 
follow the system so successfully and profitably carried 
out by Mr. Warnes—a system by which you can double 
the number of cattle usually kept on your farms, you 
ean turn your money over twice in the year instead of 
once—you can double your profit, increase the quantity 
of your manure, by which means you inerease the fer- 
tility of your land—a system simple in practice, pow- 
erful in effect, and applicable to every grade of farmer. 
POTATO DISEASE. 
ENQUIRIES CONTINUED—REMEDIES. 
See p. 
Ir the disease be, as ihe great majority of cases ap- 
pearto me to indicate, the effect of different exciting 
causes, upon a tendency to putrefaction, brought on b 
long repeated yearly inoculation with dung juice, having 
appeared gradually in different places, and with different 
symptoms for several years past ; but become general 
last year, chiefly from the absence of sun; and again 
this season, probably from remaining infection, the 
main question then is, how shall we restore the pristine 
hardiness of the plant, and how obviate, meanwhile, 
the respective exciting causes to disease ? 
Hardiness of the Plant.—1f, as appears, the sap of 
the plant has become gradually vitiated by putrescent 
manure, the remedy seems obvious ; the id of 
weed is too putrescent, in the present state of the plant. 
If stimulants are required, soot may be used ; or a 
spring top-dress of nitre mixed with sulphates of soda 
and of magnesia. But dung, night-soil, and putrescent 
manures of every kind, should be avoided till the health 
of the plant is restored. Rich, wet, heavy, and soft 
soils are also to be avoided for the present. 
The hardiness is well known to be promoted by 
growing on high lands, and of these peats have always 
been found preferable (until this season, when infection 
may have operated); such lands should, therefore, be 
preferred, atleast for seed Potatoes. And thesecond 
shoots, produced by earthing up, having been frequently 
found both weaker and more diseased, that praetice 
should be discontinued in most cases, particularly for 
seed Potatoes. 
With these means and precautions (especially for the 
seed), may we not hope gradually to bring the plant 
back to its former firm and hardy state, capable of re- 
sisting the casualties of weather, and bearing the old 
methods of storing. Anything like a sudden cure is 
not to be expected; a succession of fine sunny seasons 
may forward it greatly ; but the plant is likely to re- 
quire particular care for some years to come. 
Autumn planting.— Autumn and winter planting, 
perhaps, applies to another property of the disease, 
that of precocious sprouting while the tuber decays. If 
the plant shoots in store, where it has no place to root, 
it can receive no sap but that from the rotting tubers, 
which in the air (without light) becomes worse. 
if set in the ground, it will throw out roots, and gather 
uninfected sap from the soil, the rotting tuber acting as 
manure. If, therefore, not planted in autumn, it should 
not be delayed after they begin to sprout. But it must 
be remembered that this hasty growth is tender and 
diseased, and will require protection from frost and 
blighting winds : and if the first shoot is rubbed off, 
the second will be weaker still. 
It would perhaps be safest to set them rather deep, 
say about eight inches, laying the sprouts almost hori- 
zontally on the ground; to keep it some time covered 
from frost, give it room to throw out roots and runners, 
and a good length underground, to keep alive, if frost 
should fall on the leaves : and whole sets may be better 
depended on than cuts, 
Exciting causes. — To obviate the exciting causes, 
until the restored hardiness of the plant shall enable it 
to resist them as formeriy : those connected with soil 
and manure are within our control, and their remedies 
suggested above ; (not only avoiding putrescent ma- 
nures, but using those of the opposite quality.) But the 
atmospheric casualties of weather and season being 
above our reach, we must guard against them as best 
we can. ‘They may be grown on the most favourable 
aspect; open to free circulation of air, but sheltered 
from blighting winds ; and littered over if in danger 
from frost. 
When attacked by Botrytis or other mouldy spots on 
the leaf, they may be mown down and burnt, before the 
spawn descends the stem to the tubers; or better, 
where hands are plenty, to have the stems pulled off. 
The tubers appear, from a great number of reports, to 
keep better in the ground (if dry) undisturbed, than 
anywhere else ; and may therefore remain until wanted 
to set, or the ground to be tilled for the next crop ; 
when stored, they should be in small parcels, dry, cool, 
and with sufficient ventilation, Dry charcoal or ashes 
strewed in with them, has been found useful in many 
& 
= 
cases, 
Dusting the young plant with lime and sulphur ap- 
pears, ın some cases, to have prevented the spre:d of 
fungi ; and is, therefore, worth trying, though a trouble- 
some operation ; and growing some other plant, as 
Mangold Wurzel, Turnips, or Cabbage, between the 
rows, has been found to protect the Potato ; whilst it 
supplies the means of filling up the blanks, if they hap- 
pen to fail. 
These recommendations are not mere chemical sug- 
gestions ; most of them (except charred sea weed) hav- 
ing been extensively used: and though charred mate- 
rials and soot have sometimes failed, they have done 
better, so far as I have learned, than any other dress- 
ings.—J. Prideaua. 
DISCREPANCES IN THE PRACTICE OF LAND 
DRAINING. 
By J. H. Cuarnocr. 
(Continued from p. 162. 
Berore we can hope to apply any artificial means 
successfully, we must first clearly understand both the 
object and the extent of the effect which we seek to 
| produce, for without some such definite comprehension 
we shall be very likely either to fall short of attaining 
(our purpose altogether, or to rest content with the 
all putrescent manures, and the use of such as have an 
opposite quality, Of these, charred matters and ashes 
are the readiest for the purpose ; whatever has passed 
the fire will not putrify. Even ecoal-ashes have been 
found efficacious. But the plant must have potass, and 
therefore wood ashes or charcoal dust may be used, 
where attainable ; or still better, weeds, hedge clippings, 
sods, &c., charred, rather than burnt to ashes, which 
are much more wasteful, and rather less effective. 
Where the land is very poor, such weeds, &c., may be 
composted with lime and salt, or lime only, instead of 
burning ; but burning is safer, though composting is 
more productive ; the best Potatoes are produced with 
vegetable manure, Charred sea-weed, where obtainable, 
fancied satisf: of complete accomplishment, when in 
| truth we have only just gone far enough to show the 
| value and necessity of proceeding further. Now the 
| end to be attained by artificial drainage is that of bring- 
| ing the land to which it is applied into a suitable state 
of dryness for proper and profitable cultivation. But 
then we are told that it is yet a problem how long it is 
necessary or useful for the water to remain in the soil 
before it is drained off; and there are conflicting opi- 
nions on the point from reputed scientific drainers and 
| others, some maintaining that every completeness of 
effect is produced, if in 48 hours after heavy and conti- 
nuous rain, the land is sufficiently dry to allow of its 
being worked, whilst others contend that one-fourth o! 
that time is a much nearer approach to perfection ; 
‘should be an excellent Potato manure ; but fresh sea- | unless, therefore, we can fix upon some more accurate 
and uniform standard, we are in danger after all of 
being left with a very extensive margin in determining 
what suitable dryness really is. Of all the causes which 
produce their effects on cultivation, none probably pre- 
sent tl l more i ly to the every-day 
i iculturist than. 
observation and exp of the 
those of suitable dryness and superabundant moisture. 
Where the former is a characteristic feature a more 
abundant production and a higher state of cultivation 
are almost invariably seen, whilst in those districts 
where the latter predominates, we as certainly find less 
productiveness, and a very inferior state of culture, so 
that Nature, in placing the effects of these causes in 
juxtaposition before us in every direction, has shown us 
in the fertility of the one the remedy for the barrenness 
of the other. And this disposition of nature is often 
peculiarly marked where the transitions of the strata 
are frequent and abrupt, affording us thereby opportu- 
nities innumerable of observing with wbat unerring cer- 
tainty the good or bad effects result, how surely the 
natural and perfect drainage of a porous substratum 
gives promise of an abundant return, whilst that from 
the retentive undrained land is ever, at the best, a very 
recarious produce. With cause, effect, and remedy 
thus before us, we cannot but admit that Nature 
is our safest guide, and that when, in our 
artificial application, we follow the most closely 
her instructions, and attain the most nearly to her 
results, we may be assured of the completeness of the 
effect at which we ought to aim. But it may be said, 
the power of absorption, even upon these naturally 
drained lands, varies as widely as do the opinions of 
what is the most appropriate absorbent state ; and it is. 
true these dry soils do vary materially in their character 
and fertility ; but surely there are few who can be at 
any loss to determine where worthlessness ends and 
excellence. commences, to estimate rightly that com- 
pleteness which insures a produce proportionate to the 
liberal cultivation bestowed, and at the same time 
admits of the administration of that culture in the most 
perfect and economical form. Such is the land upon 
which the highest state of cultivation is attained at the 
least cost, and with the greatest certainty ; and this 'is 
the example, and the standard of perfection which we 
should endeavour to emulate in theory, and, as far as 
possible, substantiate in practice, 
With such an illustration, then, it is impossible any 
longer to doubt in what suitable dryness consists, seeing 
that the most fertile soils are those which by nature are 
rendered so porous that in 12 hours after a rain, whieh 
in undrained land would retard the out.door work for 
almost as many days, the ordinary operations of plough- 
ing, &¢., can be proceeded in. And if by artificial 
means it is within our power, at a moderate and com- 
pensating outlay, to attain the same result, it is never 
worth while to incur the risk of such completeness in 
order to effect an apparent saving of a few shillings per 
acre. For example, draining may be done in cla; 
lands, where the cutting is tolerably good, at a distance 
of from 20 to 24 feet apart, and 3 feet deep, with pipes of 
2 inches diameter, at from 37, to 37. 10s. per statute acre ; 
and if the same land is drained at from 35 to 40 feet 
apart, and 4 feet deep, with similar pipes, it will cost 
from 2/. 10s. to 3/., shewing a present saving of about 
10s., which is no adequate compensation between a 
doubtful and a perfect effect. There is no fear of 
strong land ever being made too dry by drainage, and 
therefore it is the safest practice to endeavour to 
approach rather the positive than the negative degree 
of perfection. I never yet heard any one say his 
land had been drained too much ; but the converse is 
no uncommon complaint. In theory, as well as in 
practice, the most complete drainage, and that which 
most nearly resembles the ordinary operation of Nature, 
is obtained by trenching the land to a proper depth, 
and filling the entire foundation with porous and 
durable material so as to form a continuous bed; 
but the outlay would far exceed the benefit for* 
agricultural purposes. Nevertheless it is, from 
necessity, frequently adopted in this and other 
eoal distriets, for the purpose of making good the 
land which has been covered by refuse heaps, and for 
disposing of the refuse itself ; and when properly done 
it is in every respect complete drainage, and never fails 
to insure large crops. Itsextreme costliness, however, 
necessarily precludes its general adoption ; and I men- 
tion it merely to show that perfection may be attained 
at too dear a rate, as well as economy be exercised at 
too great a risk. There is, unquestionably, a remune- 
rative adjustment required between cost and eomplete- 
ness, which it is the province of the experienced seien- 
tifie drainer to determine under the circumstances of 
each particular case, and to direct his operations’ ac- 
cordingly ; for it would be no proof of either skill or 
judgment to drain land 4 or 5 feet deep, and with drains 
40 feet apart, at an expense of 3/. per acre, with ‘only a 
questionable result; when, by an outlay of 37. 10s. to 
4l. per acre, with the drains 20 to 25 feet apart, and 
3 feet deep, every completeness of effect and durability 
could be secured. Or in other words, it is more safe 
and profitable to lay out 47. per acre, and be thereby 
enabled to perform all the operations on the farm in 
12 hours after the heaviest rain, than, with a tempo- 
rary saving of 10s. or 20s. per acre, be obliged ‘to wait 
two or three days before the effect can be made practi- 
cally available. If completeness of effect consist with 
a protracted action of 48 hours, then we must arrive at 
* Whenever material suitable and sufficient, this is ap 
excellent plan for garden ground drainage. 
