THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



61 



m hii^7much a long wind- 



M with. r^embUnS m ^ y 



ST 5U °( a 'Te d nded to the shore 



„ AwUkf 4T- ,' d difficult, than is to be 



^^^ P ' r „| 5 ihdou7ten; near the fine 



tfTl^t ^^/"''J „u upon a narrow terrace, 



\ .hich b« rs t s T h ut wa F ter of the fountain « 

 "-•"•^ntTu'titlte.np.isSl-ofF 



xn&V* en [' f A „ n tain was apparent! 

 T^toCBt below the fountain** IF are geen 



22tS*»"' and Hl sop" to-Bl cowed with 

 ^* *7*i ftrfsouthern clime ; = ng 



I 



The 

 once ter- 



• 





tksot 



It great, a..« -— - 



indeed, at early dawn, 



t Of binb - — ^, - f u of th e carois m u« 



l-ffl^ the quail, the call of the 

 #k*Aeerful wnisuc „.._ ^K1a songsters : 



tto 



Iteckerfol fh« innumerable songsters 



l**rf S;S sofri g and screaming in front 

 ^•" 1 °/P?r e w e formed by an authority 



, ffto' credit Xv7 all others, that » Salt is 



.akhtoa«nt <V/!Ln it becomes like what chemists 



ftl 



Scotch Pine 



Last 



, r r: | 



JK 2^iSt. conld say whether 

 STTf the earth" literally means common salt or 

 ^Utodoh.-Peter Mackenzie 



iw£w •/ £i«?/iifc.proicn Larch 

 JX-TvLm* time a*o I made some observations in 

 K^Cta- ic/* V the quality of La"h thn- 

 £ fr*Tule red and pale-blossomed varieties 



* « intelligent friend of mine, a worker of timber 



at -.j request Lked some trees of each variety, had 



th*. felled, irorked them up, and found that the variety 



«tt red blossoms produced the red Larch timber, by far 



ior in etery respect to the timber from the pale- 

 »ed variety. Now, as this is a fact, and one ot 

 im great importance, it would be advisable for all persons 

 ■Med with the thinning of Larch plantations to notice 

 tWcotar of the blossoms and to mark the trees, so that 

 fete producing the pale blossoms may be taken out 

 tad the others reserved for timber. June is the best 

 tat to fell resinous trees for durability, my friend— -an 

 tberriag experienced man in such matters — says, just 

 wbea the iap begins to be fluid, before the first buds and 

 are expanded, as there is more of the resinous fluid 

 or it least it is more regularly dispersed in the 

 Perhaps some of the intelligent readers of the 

 Gmimen' Chronicle will say whether this is the fact. 

 Aito quality of the decried home-grown Scotch Fir, there 



* abeaa in a house near my residence which is known to 

 kie been in it nearly, if not quite, 100 years, quite sound 

 yet; which Fir was not grown on a high situation, where 

 tbe timber of the Scotch Fir is considered to be the best, 

 brt from a rich plain some miles off, where the owner re- 



^ere the proper training of our home-grown Pine 



properly understood, there can be no doubt but it 



be equal to any foreign. This important subject 



"•rtittewled to at the present day as it ought to be ; 



owwfcta the popular rage for new manures and agricul- 



~* 2"*«»ent has had its day, this neglected subject 



ak' Ia* 1 ^ ^ en Up as a novelty and have its day 

 T* In ™ e meantime, neither the great landed propri- 



CTfcrfl! Government seem to be fully aware of the 



ltd Tb"^ BMington. 

 *£» % Grass.— In answer to the inquiry of 



•wiWMBdent^ A." as to whether I have ever har- 

 ItalianR r ^ ^eat, which immediately succeeded 

 r-«iye grass U pon heavy land, I am enabled to state 



ItaJ^r 1 ?!. Upon cla ? subsoil, for several years 

 £"*"** It ahan Rye-grass with Red Clover for mow- 

 JJ^J" uat the crops of Wheat which immediately 

 •kid. tW Tti lQvanabI y re g ul ar and good ; much better, 

 Wore it mi I !"!! e - and P roduced after summer fallow, 



*»^£W f i fc has / re r ntl s happened 



P*** of ZTu the failure of the 8eed s on small 

 *• Biriet sown . -it 9 l n account of the heav 7 cr °Ps of 

 «^pXs2rt hem '! talian »J^n«; M sown 

 •^ there afLr if p r ^ est ' and the Wheat was then 

 !*^aWr/*7-l? fe-& rass alone, and there has 



use of in burning lime for manure, one was found to con- 

 sist of nearly pure carbonate of lime, while the others had 

 a quantity of magnesia in combination, varying from two- 

 fifths to nearly one half the limestone. When it is taken 

 into consideration that magnesian lime is generally 

 acknowledged to be injurious to vegetation, at least in the 

 quantity usually applied to land, the importance of some 

 knowledge of the composition of soils, and the means of 

 ascertaining the difference of substances often used indis- 

 criminately as manure, must be admitted, particularly so 

 when to the casual observer no difference may be apparent. 

 " Opinions have varied respecting the effects of mag- 

 nesian lime when applied in moderate quantities, probably 

 from the different kinds of soil on which it has been tried ; 

 but all the writers to whom your Committee have had the 

 opportunity of referring, agree in stating that an overdose 

 of this substance will cause a temporary sterility. Dr. Ure 

 says, « The lime resulting from the calcination of mag- 

 nesian limestone appears to have an injurious effect on 

 vegetation, unless applied in quantities considerably less 

 than common lime, when it is found to fertilize the soil. 

 After two years its hurtful influence seems to become 

 exhausted, even when used in undue quantity. Great 

 quantities of it are annually brought from Sunderland 

 to Scotland by the Fifeshire farmers, and employed bene- 

 ficially as a manure in preference to other kinds of lime. 

 It has been unfairly denounced by Mr. Tennent and Sir 

 H. Davy as a sterilizer/ 



" Geological writers affirm, that the magnesian lime- 

 stone is often found beneath a fertile soil, generally of a 

 light description ; and this may well be the case, even 

 though a quantity of the finer particles of the stone be 

 blended with the soil ; because the magnesia, as a carbo- 

 nate in the limestone, is in an inactive or harmless state, 

 but when the carbonic acid is expelled by heat the mag- 

 nesia becomes caustic, and, in quantity, is injurious to 

 vegetation. It is probable that a larger proportion of 

 magnesian lime may be advantageously applied to one soil 

 than another ; and the committee are rather of opinion, 

 though without any precise data to come to a positive 

 conclusion, that the greater the quantity of vegetable 

 matter in the soil, the less likely will the application of 

 magnesian lime be to prove injurious. The Committee 

 are rather inclined to go farther, and favour the opinion, 

 that on peaty soils the magnesian lime would be found 

 more fertilizing as a manure than any other kind/' 



Brief Remarks on some Subjects connected with the 

 Choice of Wheat for Seed ; interesting to Farmers, 

 Corn-factors and Bakers. By Sir G. S. Mackenzie, 

 Bart., F.R.SS. L. & E. Maclachlan, Stewart, and Co., 



Edin., pp. 30. 

 We have only time at present very shortly to notice this 

 work. It is on a most important subject, and we shall 

 next week direct the particular attention of our readers 



to it. 



The Author shows that most of the external characters, 



from an examination of which millers are accustomed to 

 estimate the value of samples of Wheat submitted to them, 

 are unworthy of confidence ; that they are as likely to 

 mislead, as to guide one to a correct judgment ; and that, 

 in fact, the dealings between farmers and Corn-factors have 

 hitherto partaken very much of the character of guess- 

 work. This assertion is founded upon a great many facts 

 and chemical analyses, which are detailed at considerable 

 length, but as we shall refer to these next week, we leave 

 them at present, merely saying that much light is thrown 

 by them upon a subject which has been hitherto neglected, 

 although, as the title of this pamphlet truly tells us, it is 

 one most important and " interesting to farmers, Corn- 

 factors and bakers." 



weather, by covered sheds for the several lots which were 

 distributed among them ; and conceiving that the object 

 which the Agricultural Society had in view in offering 

 this premium was to find out a substitute for Turnips, 

 each lot of cattle had a mixture of food allowed them, with 

 the exception of lot No. 1, which was altogether fed upon 

 Turnips and Straw, and may on that account be desig- 

 nated the trial lot ; No. 2 had half the quantity or weight 

 of Turnips which was allowed to No. 1, with 30 lbs. of lin- 

 seed oil-cakes, as a substitute for the remainder of the 

 Turnips ; No. 3 had the same weight of Turnips which 

 was given to No. 2, and had ground Corn in the place of 

 the oil-cakes ; the fourth lot got offal from a grain whisky 

 distillery, and a portion of ground Beans, which was 

 mixed into their draff every morning. By following out 

 this arrangement we have ascertained the quantity of 

 Turnips saved, the value of the Turnips in feeding by 

 themselves, contrasted with the other substances, and 

 their value as an auxiliary feeding when used with those 

 richer substances, which, without some coarser food, will 

 neither be an economical nor a beneficial food for cattle. 

 All the lots had fresh straw given to them daily, which 

 was not weighed, and below is a state of the food con- 

 sumed and the expense incurred in the fattening of each 



lot:— 



LOT NO. 1 — FED ON' TURNIPS. 



Oct. 12, To price of rive cattle £M 



24, — 10 days keep of ditto on Turnips and Straw, 



atsrf ».!Z0 6 8 



Jan. 1, To 34 tons white globe Turnips, at 85. Ad. per 



ton, since 24th October till this date, being 10 cwt. 



per day 14 3 4 



April 7, To 38 tons, 16 cwt. ruta baga, at 12s. orf. per 



ton, since ist January till this date, being 8 cwt. 



per day 24 5 



j£93 15 

 At this date the Judges appointed by the Committee 

 of Management, inspected the cattle, and reported 



their value to be 821. • „^ » ., ua 



June 7, To 21 tons, 9 cwt. ruta baga since /th April till 



this date, at 12s. 6d l3 



8 2 



jt?107 3 2 



The average expense of the keep of this lot is about 6*. 2d. per 



week each beast. 



LOT NO. 2— FED ON TURNIPS AND OIL-CAKES. 



Oct. 12, To price of five cattle . . . . * - £b * J 



24 — 10 days keep en Turnips and Straw, at 8tf. o 



Jan. I, To 17 tons white globe Turnips, at 8s. Ad. . 7 1 



April 7, To 19 tons 8 cwt. rutabaga, at 12s. Orf. . . 12 2 



— l ton 18 cwt. foreign linseed oil-cakes, at 

 71. 15s. per ton, since l6th Nov. till this date, 



being 30lbs per day u u 





 8 



8 

 6 



6 



JS8Q 5 4 



Estimated value at this date, 88/. 10*. 

 June 7, To 10 tons 144 cwt. ruta baga, at 12s. 6d. . 14 l 



— 16 cwt. 38 lbs. linseed cakes, at 8/. . . o *Q » 



;€102 10 1 



The average expense of the keep of this lot is about 5s. Sd. per 



week each beast. 



LOT NO. 3— FED ON TURNIPS AND GROUND CORN. 



Oct. 12, To price of five cattle . . • • /^ 6 ? 2 



24 — 10 days keep on Turnips and Straw, at 8d. 6 



' — 17 tons white globe Turnips, at 8s. Ad. . 7 1 



April 7, To 19 tons 8 cwt. ruta baga, at 12s. 6 J. . . 12 2 



— 1 ton 14 cwt. 98 lbs. of Bean meal, or 63 

 bushels ground Beans, weighing 62 lb. per 



bushel, at 5s. ... . • •" , J, 



To 9 bushels bruised Oats, at 3*. oa. • . I 1 1 







8 

 8 

 6 







6 



Estimated value at this date, 77'- ^ . , ^ 9 * \ 7 . 



June 14, To 10 tons 14* cwt. ruta baga, at 12s. 6rf. . o 14 



1 ton 9 cwt. 100 lbs. Bean meal, or 54 



bushels ground Beans, weighing 62 lbs. per 

 bushel at 5s 13 10 



4 

 1 



*T»rel 



S ^ in hi Sh 



'agood 

 •re* p T 



k" 1 high conditmT"" T*"" iC * l' astur e, anair sucn 

 Wt^Wtbe 3i!! n ,^ nd "«ta b ! e ft* Oats, 



■, -wo aimsaoie to sow Beans, Peas, 

 * heat upon lea pasture, and if such 



w 



'P nuehthA *«i V ouu 5U itaoie ior uats, 



* c^ u , ak 9 e ? after ><*> "id before Wheat ; 

 ."jWing „„ u™ 660 ^ t0 •Mm-Plough the 



trv- - ttQch°we Jk« Subs ^ uent cr op may not require 



ftiWqSi l K fU l and Productive crop of 

 - l!, S Rylr* may r be Gained from strong land 

 Mfou: V^s—John Parkinson. T.*„ w*w. 



A «NA 



Parkinson, Ley Fields, 





fi * J »" f 'he Cft 



Sfabtetos. 



CoXr Fa : mers ' Club - A - H a". 



«&.' *' <<«« a hi A 6Cts ' which "»»t always give 

 *££? T ri < an £; haracter in th « «I« of farmers, 



WlE ° f lim « « man III Pparent - The superiority 

 35*3 ,U,rrie « «Mh^°- T -. r another ' both of them 

 «,££* 'Peeing, u nder t a 'v y ' Was ex P lained b 7 an 

 i&, n .S ^merv Club" ^ at the iD8tance of a 

 "Oa «»l' **"«' : ~ * Wtract the lowing 



,2lDg ^^ 9peci *ons of limestone, all made 



Miscellaneous. 



Effects of soaring Seeds in Chemical Solutions.— -I 

 steeped the seeds of the various specimens exhibited, in 

 sulphate, nitrate, and muriate of ammonia, in nitrate of 

 soda and potass, and in combinations of these, and in all 

 cases the results were highly favourable. For example, 

 seeds of Wheat steeped in sulphate of ammonia on the 5th 

 of July had by the 10th of August, the last day of the 

 show, tillered into nine, ten, and eleven stems of nearly 

 equal vigour ; while seeds of the same sample, unpre- 

 pared, and sown at the same time, in the same soil, had 

 not tillered into more than two, three, and four stems. I 

 prepared the various mixtures from the above specified 

 salts exactly neutralised, and then added from eight to 

 twelve measures of water. The time of steeping varied 

 from 50 to 94 hours, at a temperature of about 60 deg. 

 Fahrenheit. I found, however, that Barley does not suc- 

 ceed so well if steeped beyond 60 hours. Rye-Grass and 

 other gramineous seeds do with steeping from 16 to 20 

 hours, and Clovers from 8 to 10, but not more; for, 

 being bi-lobate, they are apt to swell too much and burst. 

 The very superior specimens of tall Oats, averaging 160 

 grains on each stem, and eight available stems from each 

 seed, were prepared from sulphate of ammonia. The 

 specimens of Barley were prepared from nitrate of 

 ammonia ; they had an average of 10 available stems, 

 and each stem an average of 34 'grains in the ear. 

 The other specimens of Oats which were next the most 

 prolific, were from muriate of ammonia, and the pro mls " 

 cuous specimens of Oats were from nitrates of soda and 

 potash— strong, numerous in stems, (some having not less 

 than 52), and not so tall as either the preparations from 

 the sulphate or muriate of ammonia. — Mr. Campbell, 

 Transactions of the Highland Society. 



On Fattening Cattle with Different Kinds of Food.— 

 The cattle were bought at Falkirk, on the 12th of Octo- 

 ber, and on the 24th were lotted and put into separate 

 yards, each of which had ample space and shelter from tne 



jf*H2 1 5 



The average expense of the keep of this lot is about 6s. Id. per 



week each beast. 

 This lot had latterly the rough seed of Oatmeal, at lid. per bushel, 



as a mixture to the Bean meal, which are not charged, being 



worth the price as manure. 



LOT NO. 4-FED ON DISTILLERY GRAINS AND GROUND BEANS. 



Oct. 12, To price of five cattle . . • • • •*" o o 

 24, — 10 days keep on Turnips and Straw, at . 



8<f • 4fl • ; 



Nov. 7, — 3 tons 5 cwt. white globe Turnips, at 8s. Ad. l 7 1 



April 7, — 72 quarters draff, at 4s. 6d. . . . * x 2 .1 ! 



— 60 puncheons dreg, at 2s. 6d. . • • / »" B 



— 1 ton 14 cwt. 62 lb. Bean meal, or 62 

 bushels ground Beans, weighing 62 lbs. 



per bushel, at 5* 15 10 ° 



Estimated value at this date, 81*. 10*. ^°5 17 



June 14, To 37* quarters draff, at 4s. 6d. . . • 



— 28 puncheons dreg, at 2s. 6d. . • • » 1U 



— 19 cwt. 104 lbs. Bean meal, or 36 bushels 

 ground Beans, weighing 62 lbs. per bushel, 



at5* y 



9 

 9 

 







jtfll6 16 6 



The average expense of the keep of this lot, is about 7*. 2d. per 



week each beast. 



At the commencement of these experiments, No.'l, 

 whose feeding was destined to be Turnips alone, that being 

 the kind of food which they were formerly accustomed to, 

 made a more immediate improvement than the cattle of 

 the other lots. Upon the whole, it is evident by these 

 experiments that feeding with Turnips as an auxiliary, 

 has been the most advantageous mode of using them, for it 

 is apparent that if the cattle of lot No. 1 had only been 

 allowed half the quantity of Turnips which they consumed, 

 and had got oil-cakes in lieu of the other half, as was 

 eiven to lot No. 2, the expense of their keeping would 

 have been lessened Al. 13s., and from superior quality 

 their value would have been increased 10/., making 

 together 14/. 13s. ; therefore, by bestowing the remainder 

 of the Turnips, with the addition of oil-cakes, upon other 

 five cattle, the realization upon the Turnips eaten by lot 

 No. 1 would have been 29/. 6s. additional to what it has been 

 These experiments were carried on for two months after the 

 valuation was made at the show in April ; as ; from .an .over 

 supply in the market, caused by a t scarcity ot ' Tarnip s the 

 cattle would not then have paid for their keep ; but by 



