861 
52—1846.] THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
moti hat had pelled him to resign the Presi- the different seasons should consist of the following tenant to fatten from 400 to 500 sheep annually, or im- 
dency of the Society. There were so many subjects |p der, ing Septeml —— prove that number to the amount of 2007. to 2507. per 
that sueh a Society could consider, that there was no 18 weeks—on 1j bushels of bruised Oats .. £0 5 3 annum, and at the same time grow more corn than 
necessity for infringing a rule which their lamented 3 have ieu Due cae dr i under the old system of fallow, which rendered it neces- 
founder (Mr. Purcell) was most anxious to see carried i : 5 E sary to plough four or five times during the summer, 
on in i strict spirit i ane = it yi DEN ha E i £0 13 10 and by XS very few sheep, if any, could be kept. 
ormer place amongst the rules he would again take the “Mr. BLUNDELL proposed that the following rotati 
chair with the greatest pleasure, and would always feel d Se Diss E s s Pen B 1$ | of crops would be preferable to that pioase » Mr. 
the kindness of the Society in replacing him in it.—The d Straw e pr eene lar: Appleby, upon the better description of clay and clay 
meeting shortly after broke up. » 701bs. of Turnips — .. + 008 loam soils :— 
E a Ist year. Wheat—one-third sown with Clover. 
EL 1} 2d year, One-third Clover, mowed for hay ; one-third Beans, 
BELFAST FLAX SOCIETY. Ene on 4 orr d. £02 iy Oats, Peas, or Vetches ; one-third Swedes, Rye, or Winter Bar- 
Ar the monthly meeting of Committee, on the 25th of p 2 pecks of bruised Beans +. 0 2 7 ley; ipii i RR ed portion Sep Swede field. 
November, it was stated that arrangements were being » 1} cwt. of hay t + 0 6 0 green crop; one-third early Tornit or Rape One thira Eie 
made by the landiords in the south for the supply of £010 8 or Summer Vetches ; or some prefer a clean fallow. 
prime Riga and Dutch sowing seed to their tenants, in eos PE . “ After many remarks among the members present, 
many cases giving the seed on credit until the har- 13 weeks—on 2 bushels of bran .. .. £0 2 0 it was considered that both Mr. Appleby and Mr. Blun- 
vesting of the Flax crop, a course which would ensure » 1 peck of Beans ue ES 8 dell’s rotation of cropping were in every way applicable 
an extensive breadth being sown, and would secure ” Cut Clover, ares; and Pasture, 0/19. 6 to the different variety of soils alluded to in each pro- 
ood fresh seed for the farmers. The description of 
seed hitherto used in the south and west has been of the 
worst possible kinds ; but the farmers have been con- 
tent with it, as they have, until now, merely sown small 
patehes of Flax, for spiuning and weaving into a 
domestic manufacture of linen, and not for sale, like 
any other agricultural produce ; hence cheapness was 
considered by them more important than quality. In 
allusion to this point, the Secretary read a letter from 
the Very Reverend T. Mathew, in which he remarks : 
« A respectable firm in Cork, the most extensive in the 
importation of Flax seed, candidly admit that the 
Datch seed is the best, but that it is not fit for the Cork 
market, from its high price. The cheap American and 
Russian (Odessa) seed, though inferior, is the only 
saleable article. This is a deplorable prejudice, and 
should be taken into the consideration of your honour- 
able association. If Dutch Flax seed was imported, and 
distributed for sale amongst the different police stations 
in Ireland, it would be purchased with avidity, if sold 
at cost price. This would contribute more to the future 
profitable employment and feeding of the people than 
any other Government relief. The good would be per- 
manent. Now is the period, when hundreds of thou- 
sands of Potato gardens lie uncultivated. Should this 
opportunity be neglected, the friends of humanity will 
not easily be able to repair the loss.” Among the cor- 
respondence submitted to the meeting was a letter from 
Mr. Warnes, of Trimingham, Norfolk, of which the fol- 
lowing is an extract :—* The use of Linseed, to fatten 
cattle, is every day becoming more popular in England, 
and must result, I think, in an extended cultivation of 
Flax, if only for the sake of the seed.. I wish I could 
hear that the Irish farmers were more alive to the im- 
portance of this part of the crop, with reference to the 
consumption of it on their farms.” The Secretary re- 
ported that he had been kindly furnished by the Board 
of Trade with the usual returns of the quantities of 
Flax and seed imported during 1845, and the nine 
months ended Ist August, 1846. He had, in addition, 
requested this year a return of the quantities of Hemp 
imported, as the question had been of late raised, 
whether it might not be of importance to make a trial 
of this plant in Ireland. The return of the quantity of 
Hemp imported into Great Britain and Ireland, given 
in this communication from the Board of Trade, is—for 
the year 1845, 931,850 ewt. Taking this at an average 
value of 307. per ton, it would appear that1,397,7757. had 
been expended for this article in one year’s consump- 
tion, Through the kindness of Mr. Andrews, of 
Comber, a report of his trial of this erop, and his mode 
of cultivation, had been received ; and to Mr. Niven, of 
Lambeg, the Society was indebted for a report of the 
mode of growth practised in the United States in 
America. These would be inserted in the appendix of 
the Society’s report fer this year, when published, and 
attention directed to them, with a view of inducing gen- 
tlemen in different parts wf Ireland, to experiment on 
the capability of different soils, and especially peat, for 
the production of this plant, and to test its value on the 
score of profit. 
Farmers’ Clubs. 
Depennam.—The seventh annual meeting of this 
Club was held on Friday, Oct. 30th. The show of fruit 
and vegetables, the production of cottagers in that 
village and its neighbourhood, for prizes offered by the 
Club, was smaller than on former occasions ; still the 
quality of those produced was cqual, if not superior, to 
previous exhibitions, In the course of the evening, 
Mr. Mechi took occasion to impress on the meeting the 
necessity of agricultural improvement by deep drain- 
ing and deep cultivation. The two must be united, for 
without deep drainage, said Mr. M., woe betide the 
unlucky wight who might resort to deep cultivation. 
e was aware there was a prejudice against deep 
drainage on stiff clays. He was anxious that every one 
should try at least one acre, and then if he (Mr. M.) 
was wrong, they might convict him by facts. 
Borrzr, Nov. 10: Annual Report.—At a meeting of 
the Club, the subject proposed for discussion was 
Mr. Wm. Gater: “On the most Economical Mode of 
Keeping Farm Horses." 
* Mr. Gater commenced his observations by stating 
the practice in many parts of the country of a greater 
variety of food being given to horses, and the good 
results proceeding from it, particularly as regards 
Swedish Turnips. He proposed that the food during 
c 
d 
£0 6 9 
« MrjTwynam, after a few remarks on Mr. Gater's 
resolution, proposed the following kind of food, as an 
amendment, commencing in the autumn :— 
£0 5 3 
ver Od 1 uS 
13 weeks—on 1} bushels of Oats — .. 
Ed 1 peck of Beans .. 
m 1 cwt. of hay oe 
18 weeks—on 2 bushels of Oats m 0 
25; 1 peck of Beaus m 3 
» 1 cwt. of hay m o 
3 
13 weeks—on 1 bushel of Oats oe £0 3 6 
5 3 rods of Clover, Vetches, &c. 0 3 0 
£0 6 6 
13 weeks—on 1 bushel of Oats m . £0 3 6 
3 2 rods of Clover .. ee ORIG: 
£0 6 0 
*t After many other gentlemen had spoken, Mr. Twy- 
nam's amendment was carried by a majority of the 
members present." 
At a meeting of the Club on Jan. 5, Mr. G. H. Ap- 
pleby opened the subject for discussion, namely—‘ On 
the best method of cultivating strong elay soils, with a 
view of supporting the greatest number of sheep, and 
growing the most corn, at the least expence.”—* Upon a 
strong poor wet clay land, supposed to consist of 200 
acres of arable land, and from 10 to 20 acres of pasture 
land, the following conditions should be adopted :—The 
lease should be granted for not lessthan 14 or 16 years, 
landlord should do all the underground draining, tenant 
paying 47. per cent. for landlord’s outlay, or landlord 
find tiles, and tenant labour; tenant should be recom- 
mended to chalk, but not obliged to do so; tenant 
should be paid at the end of his term for all permanent 
improvements, and for half the value of the bone ma- 
nure, or other artificial manure of the same quality, 
used in the farm during the last two years, and also 
one sixth part of the value of all Linseed cake or corn 
given to sheep throughout the last two years. The 
tenant should be recommended to adopt the following 
system of cultivation, or as near to it as circumstances 
and the seasons will admit :— 
* TURNIP AND GREEN CROP. 
Acres 
Swedes, after Wheat, to be only once ploughed if the 
land be tolerably clean, the Swedes to be fed off late in 
ring 15 
Common Turnips, after Wheat.—Ifthe Turnips are a good 
halt of every alternate ridge may be pulled up and 
carried into a. ley field for feed in wet weather, and some 
may be carried to a yard for the fattest sheep, previous 
to being taken to market — .. m i x 
Early Turnips, 10 aeres, and 5 acres may be Rape after 
Swedes, half of the Turnips should be carried into a ley 
field, and some into a yard, for the same purposes as the 
other common Turnips oe +. m f 
Tares, 15 acres Winter, and 5 acres Summer.— Tares to be 
fed off by sheep, not later than the end of July. Land 
ploughed up as fast as fed off, and all ploughed three 
im: A light coat of dung should be put on before the 
last ploughing, which should be completed in ridges for 
sowing by the end of September, so that the Wheat may 
be put into the land in two or three days, about the 20th 
of October a. et I It 
e 
& 
WHEAT CROP. 
After Tares, as stated above «+ E m Pene 
After Rape and Early Turnips, which should be all finished 
feeding, and the land sown with Wheat by the first week. 
in November .. 5 
After hay cut (Clover), or Grass fed, to bo well dunged, and 
ploughed only once, and sown in October .. e 
5 
S 
SPRING CORN. 3 K 
Barley or Oats, after Wheat, to be sown with Grass seeds 
"lover oncein eight years m EE I ws 
After common Turnips, and sown with Oats and Grass, 
seeds as before directed m m m .. 
Oats after ley, where the Turnips fed in wet weather; or 
part of this may be sown with Beans or Peas if required 15 
50 
“The foregoing system will give 35 acres of Clover, or 
other Grass, for hay, or part may be fed; and the 15 
acres of Oats, after ley, should be sown with winter 
Tares ; and, as 20 acres will be ley every winter, it will 
afford 15 acres for Oats and 5 acres for Summer Tares. 
The Turnips should be all drilled 24 or 27 inches wide, 
with bones mixed with as many ashes as possible, or 
road scrapings, or fine earth, from 30 to 40 bushels per 
aere. The Turnips being properly set out, the horse- 
hoe may be advantageously used between the drills, two 
or three times during the summer, in dry weather,which 
will be equal to a fallow. This system will enable the 
-| or Turnip Cabbage, from Mr. G. Bates. 
th 
ii equally suited for the other, 
position, 
At a meeting of the Club on February 2, the 
Chairman called on Mr. Spooner to proceed with the 
subject named for discussion :—“The use of super- 
phosphate of lime as a manure for the Turnip crop.” 
* Mr. S., after treating of the composition of bones, as 
proved by analysis, and pointing out that it was prin- 
cipally the earthy portion of bones that rendered them 
so valuable as manure for Turnips, proceeded to explain 
the chemical changes effected by the agency of sulphuric 
acid, the principal of which was to convert the phos- 
phate of lime, which was difficult of solution, into a 
superphosphate,which was readily soluble and possessed 
a double proportion of phosphoric acid. After relating 
the other chemical changes effected, he proceeded to 
state the proportions of acid and of water most desirable 
to employ, supporting his opinion both by theoretical 
reasoning as well as by the result of practice. He after- 
wards related a number of instances in which the ma- 
nure manufactured by himself had been tried by 
various agriculturists, and with almost unexceptionable 
success, the experimenters, in many cases, being mem- 
bers of the Club. He also related various experiments, 
instituted by himself, and amongst others one of the 
continued good effect of an experiment which he brought 
before the Club during the last year, in which two 
bushels of the superphosph a fully rivalled 
16 bushels of bone-dust in the growth of Swedish Tur- 
nips. He was now enabled to state that the erops of 
Oats which succeeded, was, to say the least, as good 
where the superphosphate of lime had been employed, 
and the promise of the Clover crop was also equally 
favourable. He finished his subjett by calling the at- 
tention of the Club to the following conclusions, which 
he considered they might justly deduce :— 
«That superphosphate of lime is the essential manure for 
Turnips,and particularly for Swedes, That with it alone a 
good erop can be raised ; but without it the Turnip will not 
thrive, however rich the manure may otherwise be. 
«That vitriolised bones may be used either alone or with 
and that when the latter are at hand, itismore 
second ‘year’s 
crop, when the Turnips are either wholly or 
partially fed off with the sheep. 
“That while the economy of this manure is thus proved by 
ractice, it can be as readily explained by theory. The tops of 
Swedes are known to possess double the phosphorie acid con- 
tained in the bulbs. Thus, the superphosphate of lime in the 
anure causes the rapid development of the leaves—one of its 
peculiar properties. The leaves being thus early and largely 
developed, are enabléd to extract a considerable portion of 
i i t h more indeed than 
where the leaves are small and backward. The difference be- 
tween the amount of food derived from the atmosphere by a 
forward and flourishing crop, and that obtained by a backward 
and dwarfish crop, is so much absolute gain to the farmer, or 
rather to the land. It costs nothing on the one hand, but yields 
considerably to the land ifthe crop is fed off on the other, A 
manure that would thus force on the Turnip in the early stages 
ofits growth, was long felt to be a desideratum by agricultur- 
ists. This want has now been supplied, and even if this were 
the only recommendation sulphated bones possessed, its dis- 
covery and introduction would still be a boon. 
“ The value of vitriolised bone may now be considered to be 
fully and fairly established. Its claims rest not on the asser- 
tions of a few experimenters ; it has been tried during the last 
season by hundreds with success, and in the next it will be 
tried by thousands.” 
i t NEWCASTLE, Dee. 5: On the Cultivation and Pro- 
duce,of Kohl Rabi.— After ordering several works for 
their library, several donations to the Club were re- 
eorded. Amongst them were specimens of Kohl Rabi, 
Attached to 
one of these specimens was the following label :— 
« Kohl Rabi, sown exactly like Turnips in drills, on the 
15th of May last, and afterwards thinned in the same 
way as Turnips, and the thinnings transplanted like 
Cabbages. Soil, a sandy loam.” * The proof of the 
pudding is in the eating." So one or two of Mr. Bates’s 
‘Turnip-looking donations were cut up, that-the members 
might have a taste. The Kohl Rabi surpasses even the 
core of a Cabbage, being more juicy and saccharine. 
Mr. ANDERSON (when the ‘‘ dessert" was done) rose to read a 
paper on the provender of which the company had been par- 
aking. It was a native (he said) of Germany—in which coun- 
try, and in the Low Countries and the North of France, it was 
much cultivated, and was chiefly given to cows. It was well 
adapted fo: being devoid (or nearly so) of that 
acridity which affected milk and butter, when cows were fe. 
on Turnips. i i i 
Thomas Tyrwhitt. t 
f the Swedish Turnip, and the soil that suited the on 
z 
e 
