1843.] 
THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
1725. 
the communion table ; 500/. to improve the church ; 500/. 
to rail in the churchyard ; 100/. to the vicar for preaching 
her funeral sermon. The interest of her bank stock, 
which is considerable, she directs to be distributed on her 
birthday annually to the aged poor of Frampton. This 
will has been contested by the relatives of deceased ; but, 
by a recent decision, Sir H. Jenner Fust has admitted the 
will and granted administration. 
Ilford.—The Bishop of Exeter has addressed a letter to 
the Times. in reference to the statement ascribed to the vicar 
of Great Ilford, “that the Bishop of Exeter, although he 
does not himself practise it, sanctions the clergy in crossing 
themselves on approaching the communion table.” The 
bishop contradicts this statement, adding ‘‘ I do not know, 
nor have I heard, nor have I any reason to believe, that 
any one of the clergy of this diocese has adopted this prac- 
tice. Ifany of them have adopted, or shall adopt it, he 
acts on his own responsibility, without the slightest right 
to claim any sanction from me.” 
Liverpool.—The annual meeting of the Liverpool Agri- 
cultural Society took place on the 5th. The exhibition 
was respectably attended, and the show of cattle was con- 
sidered excellent in point of quality, but not quite so 
numerous as on former occasions. The dinner in the 
evening was attended by about 250 persons. Lord Stanley 
in the chair. After the usual toasts his Lordship proposed 
“Success to the Association,” in a speech of great length, 
of which even the following is but a summary. “TI will 
not,’’ he said, ‘‘ offer any observations on the stock exhi- 
bited, but will make a few remarks on two subjects of 
primary and elementary importance in the science—for 
science it has now become—of agriculture, and without 
which all other improvements are comparatively worthless. 
I would call your attention to the vast importance of 
regular, effectual, thorough draining of the soilin the first 
instance and as the foundation of all improvement. Now, 
it is quite true that agriculture is not capable of that inde- 
finite extension by which the manufacturing industry of 
this country has, in its rapid progress, astonished the 
world; but it is equally true that agriculture is capable of 
vast extension and improvement. he surface of your 
soil indeed is limited, and the capacities of your soil are 
limited also, but in a much less degree than is generally 
Supposed. I speak with perfect confidence when I say 
that of the great bulk of the land of this country, the im- 
mense majority is capable of returning a large amount of 
Profit upon a very large, an enormously large, outlay of 
capital judiciously expended on it ; and, considering the 
condition of this country, considering the constantly and 
rapidly increasing population of this country, it is not 
only our interest, but it is our positive duty to exert our- 
selves and to apply the best energies, not of our limbs 
and sinews alone, but of our minds and intelligence, to 
those means whereby the soil may be rendered more ca- 
pable of supporting its increased and increasing millions. 
ly father and myself, in the course of the last two or 
three years, have, for ourselves and tenants, put under 
ground nearer 3,000,000 than, 2,500,000 tiles, which I 
think may be taken as a pretty fair indication of our 
belief in the success of the great experiment we have 
undertaken. And, having done this, I will add that every 
month that passes over my head convinces me that so far 
from having done enough, we have but made a beginning 
and effected only a very small portion of that which it is 
our bounden duty, but still more our abundant interest, to 
do. In 1841, my father was about to inclose in the park 
at Knowsley a tract of land about 80 statute acres in 
extent, 20 of which consisted of strong clay land, with a 
very retentive sub-soil, and the remaining 60 I have from 
boyhood known as the favourite resort of snipes and wild 
ducks, but good for nothing else. In the course of the 
first year the 60 acres maintained during the summer six 
horses and no other animal whatever, and on the 20 acres 
there was a crop of very poor hay. You will admit, then, 
that a more unpromising subject for an experiment could 
hardly be selected than land in this state ; indeed, I may 
say that in the process of breaking it up we had in some 
places to dig the plough-horses out more than once, while 
there was part of it on which we never could get the 
plough at all. In 1841, that land was broken up and 
tained; the whole of it was drained, and the 20 acres of 
Stiff soil was carefully sub-soiled. This land, which was 
Not worth 10s. the statute acre when taken in hand, was 
in 1842 in turnips, and we fed for five months and fat- 
tened for the butcher 80 beasts and 300 sheep off that 
and, upon which the year before we had to dig out the 
Plough-horses, and in addition to all this we carted from 
it 350 tons of turnips to the farm-yard. In the present 
Year that land has borne a very fair, I might almost say a 
heavy crop of barley and oats. It is now worth 30s. a 
acre; the outlay in breaking it up, levelling old fences, 
and laying tiles and slate soles having been 7. 10s, per 
Statute acre, giving a return of 20s. for every 150s. of 
Outlay, or a permanent interest to the landlord of 14 per 
cent. on the money expended in draining land of so un- 
Promising a character. In the same year we took into our 
©wn hands a farm which had been abandoned by the 
tenant as being, in fact, comparatively worthless. 1t was 
distant from the other spot about 12 or 18 miles, and 
the soil was of a totally different character. There was 
a field of 22 acres, which, being of a very porous sandy 
Soil, admitted of the drains being cut at a greater distance 
from each other. It was drained at an expense of 2/, per 
[Sie acre, and the first year we fed off half the land 
80 sheep, and the turnips on the remaining half we 
Carted to the farm-yard. The consequence has been that 
the land, by an outlay of 22., is increased J 0s. per acre per- 
soe to the landlord ; and at least 10s. more to the 
eis Gentlemen will say these are very expensive opera- 
tons, and farmers cannot conduct them. Perhaps they can- 
not, unless they have confidence in their landlords, orunless 
they have the security of a long lease. 1 will go further, 
and say that I would much rather the tenant were not at 
the original expense of this outlay ; because by having 
the whole of the improvement conducted by one hand 
and under one management, there is security given that 
the work shall be performed not with a view to the tem- 
porary but the permanent interest of the estate; and 
although I am quite aware that the tenant cannot afford 
the outlay of say 62. or 72. per acre in thorough-drain- 
ing, yet 1 am quite certain if this work were done by the 
landlord, there is no tenant, be his lease long or short, 
who would not be able to pay interest on the outlay at the 
rate of 5 per cent. I myself know instances in which I 
will venture to say the result of the first year’s draining 
has been an increase to the tenant of 10, 15, and even 20 
bushels of wheat on the large acre, and only taking that 
at the rate of 7s. the bushel, I leave you to calculate for 
yourselves how much profit they would derive from an 
expenditure which in no case could exceed 192. or 16/. on 
the large acre at the outset. I would also observe that 
the system of draining, to whatever extent it may be car- 
ried, must depend on the co-operation of a number of | 
parties. It is of comparatively little importance to have 
the field well drained, if the ditches into which the drains 
run are not well cleaned out too, and a sufficient outfall 
secured for the water. And for the purpose of securing 
larger general outfalls, the co-operation of many landlords 
and many tenants is required. But I wish to impress on 
you that with respect to the smaller watercourses which 
are not less important, it is not only your mutual duty 
but your mutual interest, as farmers and tenants on neigh- 
bouring properties, to watch over each and all; to see 
that each and all perform for each and all the common 
duty of keeping the ditches on their own farms open. In 
this matter you have a common interest, you have the 
power of enforcing a common duty, and it is a subject 
not to be lost sight of by the practical working farmers 
of the country. This leads me to another subject on 
which I would say a word or two—with respect to fences 
and the laying out of farms. Iam no advocate for the 
destruction of hedges or of hedge-row timber. In a coun- 
try so flat and exposed as this, it is not ornament but 
protection that is offered by that hedge-row timber. 
am also aware that the size of fields on a farm must bear 
some proportion to the size of the farm itself, while the 
size of a farm must bear some proportion to the capital of 
the farmer who occupies it ; and with the full conviction 
in my own mind of the superior advantages and economy 
of large farms, I, for one, as a landlord, should be pre- 
pared to say that I would forego particular advantages, 
rather than remove from a farm an industrious tenant 
who, to the best of his abilities, was exerting himself to 
do his duty. But although I am not an advocate for 
clearing the country by the destruction of hedge-row 
timber, there are some bounds to be set to the number 
and still more to the direction of fences ; and I am per- 
fectly satisfied no agriculture can be successfully con- 
ducted, when the bulk of farms is divided into fields of 
two, three, three-quarters,:and even one-quarter of an 
acre cach. The very space that is lost by these fences, 
running in every direction but the straight one, consti- 
tuting an enormous part of the land, and yielding no profit 
put doing a great deal of mischief, is no unimportant consi- 
eration. The other day J calledfor a practical return of the 
quantity of land which had been gained in 290 acres by 
the mere removal of fences and laying fields together ; and 
to what do you suppose it amounted? Upon 290 acres 
there was an actual increase of available land to the extent 
of 22 statute acres, or 7 per cent. of the whole surface of 
the soil. But the loss of ground is not the only or the 
greatest evil. In this country we have a multiplicity of 
old rotten cops and disused marl pits, harbouring vermin 
although, as a sportsman, J must also allow they har- 
bour game, and for that reason I would not otherwise do 
away with them ; but all these things, depend on it, most 
materially interfere with the due circulation of the air 
and exclude the sun, so that not only in the point of 
quantity is the crop inferior and much later in point of 
time, but it is absolutely impossible that it should ripen 
simultaneously ; hence part of it is cut ripe and part 
unripe, and the grain when brought to market fetches a 
low price. I have no doubt in the world, and I believe it 
may be practically proved, that by thoroughly draining 
land you may not only increase the produce, but accelerate 
the period of your harvest by a fortnight or ten days at 
least ; and those who consider how variable and uncertain 
our climate is, and how apt the farmer is to be caught in 
the midst of the harvest by cold blighting winds and bad 
weather, must appreciate the great advantage to him of 
getting in his crops in the middle of August instead of the 
beginning of September. There are many who can tes- 
tify to this having actually occurred in their own experi- 
ence. In the course of last spring the farmer of drained 
land could get on it ten days ora fortnight before his 
neighbour could put a horse on his land, at a time when 
the most successful farming operations should commence. 
[am sure you will all forgive me for troubling you with 
these details ;:there are many other topics which I should 
have wished to bring under your notice; but this is the 
main maxim I wished to impress upon you—this is no 
time for the farmer to remain with his hands behind his 
back, and going on just as his father or grandfather did 
before him. Fresh demands are coming upon him; all 
classes in this stirring age are active and competing, and 
it will not do for the farmers to be less active, less ener- 
getic, less intelligent, or applying less science to the cul- 
tivation of the soil, than all other classes are actually 
striving to apply in their various avocations of active 
industry. It isof great importance to the farmer that his 
rl 
a 
operations should be conducted economically. When I 
say economically, I do not mean without the expenditure 
of money, because very often a judicious expenditure of 
capital will in the end prove most economical; but 
do mean that in his time, in his cultivation, in 
his labour, whether manual or horse labour, what- 
ever it be, he ought to direct all the energies of his 
mind to turn the labour and capital he employs 
to the best and most beneficial results. Ido not, for 
example, consider it economy for a farmer in the month 
of September, to be pottering for three weeks over a field, 
because he would rather finish the harvest at his leisure 
with the help of his son, instead of employing additional 
assistance. The probability isi{that such a farmer loses 
property largely by shedding, and certainly he exposes 
all to the chance of bad weather. I don’t call it econo- 
mical for a man to be lumbering after an old wooden 
plough because he won’t buy aniron one, putting three or 
four horses and two men where a pair of horses and one 
man would do. If farmers think they can carry on their 
business in this style from one generation to another 
without change, they are quite mistaken, and they will 
soon find it out to their cost; but with a judicious ex- 
penditure of capital, which I am satisfied the soil can well 
repay, with the application of science, with a good under- 
standing between landlord and tenant, I don’t hesitate to 
say, that so far from being exhausted, the productive 
powers of the soil are capable of an increase which would 
astonish those who have not carefully examined the facts 
in their own immediate neighbourhoods.’ Several other 
toasts and speeches followed, but the only one which calls 
for especial notice was that in acknowledgment of the 
toast of ‘ Liberal Landlords and industrious Tenants.’’ 
Mr. Neilson, in responding to the toast, said he held his 
farm under the Earl of Derby, upon whose kindness and 
consideration as a landlord he passed several encomiums. 
He strongly recommended draining, sub-soiling, and the 
throwing of several small fields into one. He had him- 
self thrown no fewer than 14 fields into one, and by so 
doing, he had gained 10 headlands, and saved 20s. every 
time the land was ploughed. He contended that the 
horses were less sworn at by a sulky ploughman, and that 
the animals were less pulled by the bit when the fields were 
spacious than when they were small, and when there were 
many turnings to be made at the headlands. He also 
recommended the keeping of cattle within doors, because 
when fed in the house, they gave more milk and made 
three times the quantity of manure, which was all saved. 
He further recommended the use of liquid manure. He 
coincided with the chairman in believing that there had 
been a material improvement in agriculture within the 
last fifteen years, but so far as his observations 
went, he had noticed that this improvement took 
place on those farms upon which the landlords had 
come forward with a liberal hand, and he hesitated 
not to say that, with some exceptions, the landlords 
were more deserving of a great portion of that blame 
which had been cast upon the agricultural classes than the 
tenants themselves. When they looked at the condition 
of a farm ona tenant first entering into occupation, they 
beheld him labouring under many disadvantages—such, 
for instance, as the smallness of the fields, the immense 
width of ditches, the growth of hedge-row timber, the 
rack-ren’s from year to year, the want of a legalised docu- 
ment of possession, Or a lease for five or ten years con- 
taining clauses protective of the landiord but not of the 
tenant, and, in many instances, totally restrictive of culti« 
vation. Circumstances of this kind were not likely to 
induce the tenant to expend his money in property which 
was not his own, and of which his tenure was so uncertain 
when it depended on the will of another. But far be it 
from him to deprecate that noble system of confidence 
which had enabled estates to be handed down from genera- 
tion to generation, and where a liberal patronage had been 
extended which afforded security, and was not easily dis- 
turbed, and of which they had so many instances on the 
property of a nobleman in that neighbourhood, where this 
liberal system had been in existence for a period of 200 
years. He appealed to the many present. He contended 
that seven years was not a sufficient time to enable a man 
to repay himself for his outlay in the way of improvements 
without doing an injustice to the land during the latter 
part of his lease. The farmer should be given time. 
He should be given a long lease. e would 
fairly stretch out his hand and make extensive im- 
provements, when he saw that he might possibly be able 
to transmit the benefits arising therefrom to his family. 
Much had been done in this respect, but much more might 
be done. There was a‘‘ tide in the affairs” of agriculture 
as in everything else. It belonged to the landlords to 
make the first advance, inasmuch as they were Component 
parts of the system. They should enlarge the privileges of 
their tenants, exhibit an example of liberality, and not 
think themselves disgraced by putting their shoulders to 
the wheel. On the other hand, the tenant should shake 
off his lethargy ; and in this way, if both parties did their 
duty, England would be as independent of other 
countries for the production of her food as she was for 
their manufactures in times of peace, or their arms in 
those of war.” 
Oxford.—The Rev. Dr. Wynter, President of St. John’s 
College, was unanimously re-elected, on the 6th inst., 
Vice-Chancellor of the University for the ensuing year 
on the nomination of the Duke of Wellington as Chan- 
cellor. Dr. Wynter then, in a brief speech, reviewed the 
events of the past year, making honourable mention of 
the late Dean Ireland whose benefactions to the Uni- 
versity are well known, and alluding to the deaths of the 
late President of Corpus and the Principal of St. Edmund 
Hall. In concluding his address he said, that he ab- 
