136 THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
[Mar. 4. 
an experiment were laid down for them. The old proverb 
declares that ‘‘ Lazy folk take most pains,” and I almost 
question whether this proverb was not made prospec- 
tively, to apply to the manner in which certain so-called 
peri ave bei ted in our times. There is 
no lack of Agricultural experimenters. It should seem 
that we are overstocked with them in England. A gen- 
tleman, high in your confidence, writes thus to me: “ The 
fact is, that whereas farmers were formerly averse to 
all change, many of them are now ready to try every 
thing which is recommended, and it is necessary to be 
cautious not to mislead them into expense.” Now, this 
struck me marvellously as a very lamentable necessity. 
You are to be restrained in your anxiety to improve, and 
to be prevented from doing what science has been urging 
you todo. I haveno doubt the remark was just, from the 
high authority from whence I received it; but itis equally 
obvious that the reason it was so must be because farmers 
in general have not qualified themselves for experimenting 
in a safe and judicious manner. Most certainly there have 
been many experiments of late, conducted in a correct 
and skilful manner by eminent and practical men, but 
too many eyen of these were undertaken with no other 
than some economical object in view, and not with any 
scientific aim. The results have mostly been tested by 
‘pounds, shillings, and pence, without regard to what 
might be the real cause of success or failure. Hence no 
new principles have been worked out. But itis only when 
these shall have been discovered, that it will be time to 
test their application to practice by the pocket-argument. 
For instance, the following comparative experiment was 
lately placed in my hands by an intelligent gentleman of 
this neighbourhood. It is performed in the approved way 
of obtaining comparative results; but from want of de- 
tail, and from standing single, very little can be inferred 
from it with respect to the nature of the influence exerted 
by the nitrate of soda. Half an acre sown with, and half 
without the nitrate of soda. 
eb. bi. pk. lbs, 
With the nitrate, Wheat .3 2 3 Straw. . 840 
WACKER OHED 8 SY) 4s BSE Qik ae 5 7HG 
Increase from nitrate . .0 1 1... =. 94 
Cost of the nitrate of soda. . . . 0. . 13 
Value of the 14. 1p. of Wheat, at 7s. 6d., 
9s. 43d. ; 94lbs. of straw, at 2/, perton,1s.8d, 11 0. 
Loss on the half-acre . . . . . 1. 2 53 
Here the balance being against the pocket, no more at- 
tempts were made with nitrate of soda. The inspection 
of the above induced me to ask the experimenter whether 
he had thought of trying only one-half or one-fourth the 
nitrate of soda, to see whether the increase might not still 
be the same, If it should have turned out that such was 
the case, the pocket would then have pleaded in favour of 
its application. Before we can expect to understand the 
precise relation which nitrate of soda or any other salt bears 
to the effect it produces on a particular crop, there must be 
many well-digested experiments performed in many parts of 
the kingdom ; and their results registered with a sufficient 
degree of uniformity to admit of their being compared 
together. Now, with the ready machinery of your nu- 
merous local Agricultural Societies, and the great central 
society in London, together with the invaluable advan- 
tages offered by the penny postage, you might very easily 
organize a system of co-operation throughout Great 
Britain, which I am persuaded would work witha rapidity 
and an efficiency that would surprise you all. Of course, 
every one who may be desirous of promoting such a system 
must be at some trouble, but this will generally not be 
greater than is required to direct and superintend a 
labourer for two or three hours, whilst he is trimming a 
hedge or digging a ditch; the personal trouble to the 
farmer himself would literally be no greater than that. 
The intellectual part of these proceedings might be all 
transacted within the skulls of a few chemists, who would 
suggest, and within those of the more active members of 
your various Agricultural Societies, who might busy them- 
selves in preparing and circulating, the different schedules 
to be filled up by the several experimenters. All that is 
now wanting to the adoption of such a scheme, is to con- 
vince the farmers of England generally, that unless they 
will consent to co-operate, they cannot expect to avail 
themselves (otherwise than by very slow degrees) of the 
information which modern science has placed at their 
disposal. I am no enthusiast in this opini IT am 
speaking the words of sobriety. I am only repeating 
what others wiser than myself have continually asserted. 
I have already referred you, in my address to the Hadleigh 
Club, to the opinion of De Candolle, and I have within 
these few days met with a similar declaration in an agri- 
cultural work in course of publication by Mr. Johnston, 
of Durham. This gentleman is a chemist of high reputa- 
tion 5 and, inhis Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry and 
Geology, he has suggested several experiments in practical 
Agriculture. In speaking of the effects produced by 
special manures, either on particular soils or on particular 
erops, he remarks ;—« Now, neither of these subjects, 
which it is so important to j ¢ F sdheleoisateets 
either from theory or from experiments devised and 
executed in the laboratory of a chemist, The aid of the 
practical farmer, of many practical farmers, must be called 
in. Numerous experiments or trials must be made in 
various localities, and by different individuals ; all, how- 
Ever, according to the same rigorous and acewrate method s 
Morder that, from the comparison of many results, some- 
thing like a general principle may be deduced.’ The 
whole question then evidently turns upon this—whether 
the farmers of Great Britain are prepared to co-operate 
in making experiments under the guidance of persons 
qualified for directing their efforts. ‘There is, in fact, an 
important link yet wanting in the chain which is to con- 
nect science with practice; and if science is only per- 
mitted to hold the pincers whilst practice plies the blows, 
that link may’be forged and fastened. My hopes are now 
much strengthened that this will soon take place. I shall 
in future listen with impatience to any desponding sur- 
mises about your not being sufficiently awake to the 
importance of co-operating for such a purpose. “ My 
own experience (says a valued correspondent) in this 
neighbourhood (Surrey) is against expecting the present 
race of adult farmers to become much of readers; an 
so my hopes rest on their sons.” But I conceive it is 
not necessary, for that description of co-operation which 
is required of you, that the present race of farmers should 
become ‘‘ much of readers.” Let them act upon the sug- 
gestions of others; and then, whilst Liebig is uttering 
lamentations over his Germans, and consoling himself by 
talking of what will be done by a generation to come, the 
upon planting large Walnut-trees, was, at p. 5 of 
this year, answered by Mr. Busby, who, instead of giving 
the desired information, described his own system of 
removing large Apple and Pear-trees. If the method 
described by him be at all necessary, would not a well- 
decomposed light turfy loam, or even any good soil, be 
preferable to leaves, particularly when a whole year 
intervenes between the operation of digging the trenches 
and that of transplanting the trees? The former material 
would encourage the root, cut in the operation of trench. 
ing, to push out numerous young fibres ; the latter, I 
think, would not. In the large park fronting the Man- 
sion-house at Ardgowan, I saw during the springs of 
1836-7and 8 spots successfully embellished with large and 
stately forest-trees, many of which were in the season pre- 
vious treated according to Mr. B.’s system, with this 
difference, that good pulverized soil and chopped turf 
were carefully put round the balls instead of leaves. This 
greatly encouraged the formation of spongioles. In 
transplanting them, open weather was preferred to frozen 
balls ; the young fibres indeed kept the balls entire in 
that operation. I am of opinion that the system of 
freezing the balis of trees previously to transplantation 
present race of British farmers will have f led that 
generation of foreigners yet to come, and have left the pre- 
sent generation behind. Why should we doubt thgt the 
farmers of Great Britain generally would be less Prepared 
to co-operate than the farmers of Suffolk haye shown 
themselves to be? No doubt there are some, and pro- 
bably not a few, among you, as among every other class 
of men, who would indolently prefer a shorter road than 
that which science points out to them. Perhaps it would 
have been easier for me to have enlisted twice fifty co- 
operators if I had assured the Agricultural world that my 
past studies in Botany had led me to the discovery of a 
marvellous position, a certain i FE vegetable 
elixir, in which it was merely necessary for the sower to 
steep his seed, and he would at once be able to double his 
crops! But to have found more than fifty willing to 
proceed in the legitimate spirit of philosophy, and without 
anything promised about reaping an immediate return 
is an event which I must consider of most excellent omen. 
From what I have heard since my last letter, I believe a 
little further delay would have greatly increased our 
numbers ; for I find that several farmers of this neigh- 
bourhood have not seen my challenge, and had only heard 
of it through others. If not more than twenty-five of you 
had come forward, I should still have asked each man to 
procure a double, and I make no doubt that we should 
thus have got our number completed. As it is, I think it 
will be advisable to increase our numbers, rather for the 
sake of experimental instruction, than for the issue of the 
experiment ; and I shall have a hundred copies of Schedule 
A struck off, that I may be prepared to supply any addi- 
tional recruits. Whilst you are performing this experi- 
ment, I must call upon you to toss all prejudices and 
antiquated opinions to the winds; and to proceed as 
closely as possible upon the instructions with which you 
will be furnished. There must indeed be a certain latitude 
allowed, because it may not be convenient for one person 
to use any but littered straw, or for another to apply it to 
a particular crop: but the very object of requiring so 
many as fifty is to merge the inconvenience of such con- 
trarieties as these in the general results obtained. We 
are not in the position of chemists operating upon weights 
which it is necessary to test to the tenth of a grain; and 
we require no costly apparatus for determining our quan- 
tities. For the present experiment, your agricultural 
laboratory need be furnished with no more than the fol- 
lowing instruments :—1. A dung-fork. 2. Pair of scales 
or steelyard. 3. A common basket and a pint measure. 
4. Sieve. 5. Watering-pot. The gypsum must be finely 
powdered ; and not burnt into Plaster of Paris. 
Your obedient servant, J. S, Henstow. 
Hitcham Rectory, February 25, 1843. 
Brewers’ Grains as a Manure.—I noticed, at p. 105 
of the Chronicle, some remarks on Brewers’ Grains as a 
manure. J need not remind you of the importance of 
having the component parts of every substance proposed 
or employed as a fertiliser determined by chemical analysis, 
Previous to your notice, I had been engaged in the exami- 
nation of Brewers’ Grains, with a view to determine the 
proportion of water, organic matter, and earthy ash. The 
result of my inquiries was as follows:—One hundred parts 
of the Porter Grains of the Brewhouse contain— 
Water separable at 212° . * . 70 
Organic matter ar teh o> Reeget2s 
Chlorides of potassium, sodium, and cal- 
cium, and trace of sulphates. ° 225 
Phosphates of lime and magnesia ae 50 
Silex, and a little alumine “ a fom l25 
100.00 
The proportion of water will probably vary considerably, 
and could a ready mode be devised of getting rid of this 
before carrying the Grains away, it would be beneficial in 
two ways—by saving the carriage of so much water, and 
by preventing the rapid fermentation and heating during 
the transit so much complained of. Whether this could 
be done economically is another question: I understand 
Porter-Grains can be obtained at the large breweries in 
quantity at 1s. per quarter of 8 bushels. Supposing them 
in the dry state, they would contain about 1% per cwt, 
phosphates of lime and magnesia ; which is nearly half 
that present in that curious vegetable production called 
Vegetable Ivory, which I find contains 4 per cent.—W, 
H. Potter, Upper Fore-street, 
Transplanting Walnut-trees. — Your correspondent 
‘ Totty,”,who, at p. 809, Vol. ii, requested information 
is y, if not improper; and I think there is 
nothing in the progress of the trees experimented upon 
by Mr. Busby, as well as others which I have seen, to 
prevent me from coming to this conclusion. For the better 
information of ‘Totty,’ as well as Mr. Busby, who 
doubts not, if the system practised by himself were 
adopted, that large Walnut-trees would succeed, I may 
state that at this place Walnut-trees have been trans- 
planted which, from the authority of a creditable workman, 
who assisted in the operation, were taken up regardless 
of that great and due precaution so much insisted upon 
by the scientific transplanters of the day, having had 
neither the unnecessary and often impracticable ball of 
16 ewt. of earth, nor yet a frozen one. ley have been 
removed several years, and are quite healthy, and in 
keeping with the neighbouring fruit and forest-trees, 
When transplanted, they were of sufficient size to ensure 
any one success in removing large Walnut-trees, pro- 
vided they were manageable as to weight and bulk,—J, 
M'‘TLean, East Hampstead Park. 
On Planting. At page 84 of this year’s Gardeners? 
Chronicle is an article by “R.”’ on Planting. Allow me tc 
make a few observations thereon, and to thank ‘R,’’ for 
bringing my experience and knowledge on the subject 
into more notice. But had ‘R.,’’ with some others whe 
have written on this subject, condescended to inform the 
readers of the Gardeners’ Chronicle where they got their 
knowledge from—would it not have redounded much 
more to their credit, than to bring it forward as from 
their own experience—when it is clearly evident they have 
gleaned it from my book, entitled, ‘ Facts, Hints, &c., on 
the Management of Young Plantations,” published about 
17 years ago! I beg of those who may be possessed oj 
my work to compare the article on Planting by “R.” with 
the following numbered pages in my book, and they wil 
be fully convinced how and where he culled his knowledg: 
from, as he has in most places used my very words verba- 
tim. I would not have noticed such conduct, only it is so 
grossly palpable. “R.’’ might well be ashamed to avoucl 
is real name. Pages referred to in my work :—first 
paragraph or division of ‘R.’s’’ article, refer to page 157 ; 
second do., 168; third do., 169; fourth do, 176, 7; fiftl 
do. 182, 3; sixth do., 184—189; seventh do., 189, 196; 
eighth do., 214, 235; ninth do., 235, 238, 242,—W. Bil 
lington, Underhill, Oswestry, Salop.— We regret to find 
on referring to these places, that Mr. B.’s complaint i. 
perfectly well founded. | 
Training Forest Trees.—Permit me once more to reply 
to ‘* Quercus,’? who, at p. 37, still seems to misunder 
stand me; and I will therefore again endeavour to se 
him right. Had he availed himself of seeing my publica. 
tion on this subject, he would, as he appears open to con- 
viction, have been at once convinced. I entirely agrec 
with him as ‘‘ to the injury proprietors) and managers o 
woods do to timber, by following the pernicious system: 
laid down by theorists, and adhered to in too many in 
stances with a confiding pertinacity which is truly asto- 
nishing.’’ ‘‘ Quercus” says—‘‘ Mr. Billington sees fin 
flourishing timber through the medium of his system ;’ 
and he himself says, ‘‘he sees it as good, or superior 
Without any pruning at all.” True. ‘ Quercus” migh 
see here and there a chance tree as good; but my systen 
is to make every tree profitable, good timber. He the 
asks, how is {pruning by any system likely to increas 
the timber in trees, if that increase depends upon th 
‘number of branches and leaves?”’ and again says, hi 
cannot think of any system of training that does no 
counteract the intention, I have now exchanged th: 
term pruning for training merely from the erroneous an 
conflicting opinions about pruning; and I maintain tha 
the increase of timber is from the number of branche 
and leaves, including their healthiness—and that my sys 
tem of training is to increase the number of both branche 
and leaves, as well as their health and vigour—to regulat 
the branches to a moderate size, and keep them in du 
bounds until the head sball begin to be formed; and no 
to curtail them at all, except in some rare eases and spe 
cies, but to increase them when necessary, ‘ Quercus’ 
says, “ Mr. B.’s system of training is simply to regulat: 
those parts (branches and leaves) according to science, si 
as to, aid those properties in accelerating the elongation 
and regular increase of the timber in the stem, and not t 
expand itself in useless branches: ” this is true. 
then asks, “How can branches be useless if the increas 
of the stem depend on their number and healthiness ? ’ 
What I mean by useless branches is, when trees hav 
arrived at maturity, and the branches haye performe: 
ei 
