THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



75 



Tlie i7SkTd^iy in the soil j 

 -^ of roots. 1M" . j roinut e fibres. The 



£* •** ° , ?. d irinl -inter and »» 'P?»*- 



S -.» •«*" "' " t crops »f' e » have th ' S T 

 CfJEU* out the best c _l ( . omeSi „ lp 



^ ^°'^;^i "c'ted, are prepared for 

 rftk fcrf be.n? WSWT d , wide field having 

 r^d lujorian'gro'tn. s tbe ro ots 



Sf P"™ 1 ' if . nUnt in such a condition be 

 £•**• U -i h? deer it will be found to 

 ^ *i- *£ s — fibres, 18 or 20 inches 

 &«* •J*S t B , ; it is evident that no variations 

 *•*•**.*£ M 'ua'ed thus: it draws its nourish. 

 rf r£Si^ond the influence of the variable- 

 §■", Jnt«. Thus deep cultivation, by 

 < ^ h ft rooting, M*3fr erects for the 

 7t « h dependence of the weather ; but it 

 f^^nCce the same direction for if the 

 ^^ eat depth of soil readily absorbs the 



l^eonve s it down to the drains ; and if it be dry 

 toVlLer time a sufficiency of moisture. Of 



mJm to lodge which is grown on the deeper soil, 

 Ltswrtb has been more gradual and natural, and less 

 £!S of artificial excitement. The manure in the 

 J^^ilhasnothaditsrankne.s rectified by mixture 

 iSTm « ^ of earth, and Wheat grown upon it 

 dl S up rapidlv but without rigidity; and though 

 JLfVowWof its growth look more luxuriantly, 

 k Vill »t another field less abundantly than a neigh- 

 M crop which has throughout grown, slower 

 KnerallT promised less. Of course it must be 

 «ood that deep cultivation can be safely entered 

 mm ool; on soils that are naturally or artificially dry. 

 4j7i0v a few words as to the depth at which Wheat 

 Mfftt to be planted. We think this has not yet been 

 M&fctorily determined. Nature ought to be our guide 

 ■ thiogs ot Nature; she always drops her seed on the 

 svfee; and when it is necessary that any particular seed 

 iMtld get deeper than its natural gravitation would enable 

 a, ike proiides them with means for the purpose. Thus 

 the BarleT and Wild Oat have awns, or beards, by which 

 wen motion of the seed pushes it forward ; such a seed, 

 tytsg •• the ground, assisted by the wind, very soon 

 vfi^fet itself beneath the surface. We think, therefore, 

 tut tM nearer the surface a seed is planted the better, 

 jwtistditbe placed deep enough to protect it from its 

 ■mm. the birds, &c. This conclusion at which we 

 "—" strengthened in reference to Wheat by another 

 ince; for, if a Wheat-plant be observed in spring, 

 a nuoeswn that at whatever depth the seed was origin- 

 al} planted, the lateral roots which it has sent out to sup- 

 ply it with nourishment are always sent out from it at a 

 P«i<notfir below the surface, certainly not more than 

 tan below it.- John Morton, Chester-hill, Stroud. 



0N'G0RSE,asa WINTER FOOD for HORSES, 

 "these times, when the diminished prices of Agri- 

 ■■« produce demand a rigid application of a judicious 



10 PT01M7 CVnAt (n . _£ t«« ,• . m 



■tinii 



it like 



"JTJ™. trJ " pe " se of cultivation, there is none 



tnaZT* ,'" a(tention than thot lir S e item of 



XteS? ? °/ horses ; 8nd y et - be ^ U8e il is 



caidmiEt '° CaSh ' farmers are in general vel 'y 



*£&£ F r ers ' Club have shown in a »"ong 

 **«£ " Z*? enti0n t0 this in 'P° rtant l' oint - ! » 



^■'''fXJlt TT was raised u i ,on " "' tlie 



<*ofti/L ™i ' "i b0d y of exceUent managers, in 



SaSltl" 1, and USi " g «>e «n.e breed of crt- 

 V» Ci. h ? e fi f ma,es 0f the cost of ^"ntain. 



* « win* v S aS hft y P er cent. ! 

 W Soci« "• ! r °f the " Jo -»-nal of the Agricul- 

 "WchJ' „ "P e "enced Mr. Rodwell has shown 



^W*W P ' ant ' Lucer,,e ' u P° n ^o^. and, 



^sta*us fc tas not been found to 



5??"** *mlV he S0il on Khich lle ™' li ""ed 



l! 7 """I loam i CeSS ; as a sand u P° n a 8 »'> s °>l 



EC^MMirf! M ° a r*1i onderatood that it 



M? i" tter ' « re ti, P 1,Bht S0il8 »°<"»>°in g in cal- 



Ste ?**»• or m, r ? T M b , e chalk - From '"« 



^^^■er.deriv";™ 8 a ?n*i<lerable proportion of 



sV 



■H 



& Ue Merh- fr ac u onsid erable proportion of 



£2?*** b J ef n m ? ^ Ub J acent chalk. This 



R^of ^ S? Dr - l>«ubeny'a table of 

 ^tennu, 7 I!? ' 'ounded on .«„!„' _.*•. » ., 



climate in Great Britain and Ireland. This is the Ulex 

 Europseus, the common Furze, Whins, or Gorse. 



Botanists make three varieties, or sub-species ; two 

 of them, U. Europseus and TJ. nanus, or dwarf Furze, may 

 be seen on every common; the latter is the most abund- 

 ant, the former is that best adapted for the food of horses 

 and other cattle, and is the only one of the two worthy of 

 cultivation. It is distinguished from the dwarf Gorse by 

 its more vigorous and bushy growth, rising to the height 

 of from 2 to 5 feet, as well as by the greater succulency of 

 its young shoots. The U. nanus does net attain half this 

 size, and is minuter in all its parts. 



A third sub-species, or variety, is the U. strictus of 

 Mackay's catalogue of Irish plants. It was discovered by 

 Mr. J. White, in the park of the Marquis of Londonderry, 

 in the county of Down, and is now well known in our 

 gardens as Irish Gorse. It rarely flowers, but is readily 

 propagated by cuttings. It is easily distinguished from 

 U. Europseus by its smaller size, its dense and compact, 

 rather formal mode of growth, and its upright branches, 

 which are so soft and succulent that sheep and cattle are 

 extremely fond of them ; and Mr. Murray, of the Glasgow 

 Botanical Garden, strongly recommends its cultivation 

 for early spring feed. The species, however, which is 

 actually cultivated in some districts for fodder is the 

 U. Europasus. 



The Gorse is not indigenous to Sweden, and Linnaeus 

 is said to have fallen on his knees in a transport of delight, 

 when he first beheld a large extent of Heath glowing with 

 its vegetable gold. Such a prospect, in the spring, is one 

 of the most exhilirating which I know. Goldsmith has 

 done homage to its beauty ; but in his 



*' blossomed furze, unprofi tally gay" 



has greatly maligned its utility ; for a more valuable 

 plant, as a food for horses and milch-kine", does not 

 exist — to say nothing of its use for fuel, the only pur- 

 pose for which it is cultivated in the south of England, 

 except as a cover for foxes and game. 



In the northern parts of the island, and in Wales, its 

 value as food for horses has long been known ; and during 

 the Peninsular campaign, when our cavalry were suffering 

 from want of fodder, some of the troopers who came from 

 those districts cut and bruised for their horses the Gorse, 

 with which the wastes of the country abounded ; and the 

 animals were found to thrive so much upon it, that the 

 practice was generally adopted in the Army during the 

 rest of the campaign. In consequence of hearing of this 

 fact, my father proposed to sow a few acres of the poorest 

 part of a farm which he then held with Gorse, as a win- 

 ter-food for the horses ; but my prejudices were against 

 the plan, and I had sufficient influence to prevent its 

 adoption. It was only subsequent experience of its use in 

 Wales which convinced me of its value as a winter-food 

 for horses. I have heard, that when properly bruised, it 

 is equally good for cows, and produces very sweet butter ; 

 but on this point I do not speak from experience. — «/. 



mmer. 



{To be continued.) 



" va ot crop* f ni1T , A 7 " *"" l "eny s taoie or 



*G,* a P*d first ann r V °^ 0t "curacy, may be 

 ^&*nt pt K7 ti0 ". and the best guide 



fr**^ **ti^* ^jwttew. It appears 



*•* in7 gi L ^erne TTl liine *<>***"** in a 



Wei ^of u^'n 5841 bs f o r f ed r CloVer - 0t ^ last, 

 U^*m^±!^h*W* the same 



I have 



^■«2^**orX*i WhlCh Were reared 



J^/^ot'^^'^^todra, 

 ^ M l^'Hm-.l "!~ l s »ot neces* 



* fuori f._ , *— •»* IU *hi«l. T _ • • 



w atten- 



^ it'Z grave «y son's IfciT 1 WI1Icn flour « h " 



i *d nm lcare ^sL bu ' r, lt I s not necessary that 

 # »C ^ K*ited i \u Wh U hartl y and indi- 



Qe ^ui.er. Gau > of *^00 cows is fed 



TO 



ON THE APPLICATION OF CHEMISTRY 

 AGRICULTURE UPON RATIONAL 

 ' PRINCIPLES.— No. IV. 



{Continued from page 37.) 



The next part of the process consists, after bruising the 

 soil gently in the mortar, to pass it through a fine sieve 

 which will retain a Mustard-seed. What remains in the 

 sieve must be carefully weighed and noted down under the 

 head of " coarse sand and undecomposed vegetable fibre." 



The powder which passed through the sieve must now 

 be placed in a clean porcelain crucible, boiled for five 

 minutes with about two ounces of distilled water, being 

 stirred during the process with a glass rod, so as com- 

 pletely to divide the particles of soil. 



While hot, the contents must be quickly poured into a 

 small narrow glass vessel (a half-pint glass measure will 



do very well). 



In about one or two minutes the contents of the vessel 



will be found to have divided into two portions ; the fine 



sand will, by its weight, have fallen to the bottom, while 



the impalpable matter remains dissolved in the water. This 



supernatant liquid must be carefully poured off inlo 



another vessel. If any of the sand lias passed with the 



solution, which is generally the case, it will speedily sink 



to the bottom, when it can be removed by repeating the 



process of pouring off. 



The vessels containing the sand must now be washed 

 with cold water, and the. contents brought into one vessel, 

 at the same timecarefully place the solution of impalpable 

 matter on one side, for further operation presently. 



It is not possible by this single operation to separate 

 the sand from the powder completely. A little practice 

 and tact will, however, enable any one to separate the two 

 completely, by washing the sand frequently with cold 

 water. This is done by adding a small quantity of dis- 

 tilled water, and shaking the vessel quickly, and at the 

 proper moment pouring off the washing. The water thus 

 used must be added to the solution containing the powder. 

 When the washings remain clear after agitation with the 

 sand, the operation need not be repeated, as it is now 

 free from impalpable matter. 



The sand thus separated must now be carefully dried in 

 a clean porcelain crucible, over a spirit-lamp, and then 

 weighed, and the amount noted down as " Fine Sand." 



The process of washing and separating the sand from 

 impalpable matter is most difficult with heavy soils ; it is 

 not at all so with light specimens. 



The next part of the process is very simple. The solu- 

 tion of impalpable matter must be poured into a glass 

 funnel, previously charged with a filtering paper, which 

 h^s its weight marked u|>on it. The powder thus col- 



lected must be carefully dried, and its weight, after de- 

 ducting that of the filter, noted down as " Impalpable 

 Matter." 



The amount of carbonate of lime in any soil is easily 

 obtained, as follows : — 



The coarse sand sometimes contains small lumps of 

 chalk, but unless the soil is " chalky," the amount is 

 inconsiderable in this part of the analysis. There will be 

 no chalk found in the " Fine Sand." It must be sought 

 for in the impalpable matter. 



For this purpose, take 50 grains, and dissolve it in a 

 solution of nuriatic acid and water (about half a dram of 

 acid to a dram and a half of water), and set the solution 

 aside for two or three hours. Then add an ounce more 

 water, pass it through a marked filter, and dry as above. 

 The loss in grains, after deducting the weight of the filter, 

 will give the amount of carbonates (which are generally 

 chalk) in the 50 grains operated upon, from which its pro- 

 portion to the whole soil can easily be calculated. 



The process of drying alluded to above is best done by 

 a sand or water bath ; where these cannot be obtained, it 

 must be done in the porcelain crucible ; but great care is 

 necessary, in thus conducting the process, to prevent the 

 contents from being charred by applying too much heat. 



The animal or vegetable matter in the soil can be easily 

 known by exposing a given quantity of the impalpable 

 matter, say 50 grains, to a red heat in a Hessian crucible. 

 The loss will give the requisite result. The oxide of iron 

 and gypsum require a more complicated analysis, which 

 can be found in chemical works. 



For all ordinary purposes, however, the analysis has 

 been now carried far enough. The information thus 

 gained is extremely interesting to the farmer. A little 

 practice will render the operations perfectly easy ; no 

 chemical knowledge is requisite. A determination to 

 avail himself of the knowledge thus to be obtained, a toler- 

 able share of patience, and the exercise of ordinary tact, 

 will be all sufficient. The method is similar to that de- 

 scribed by Sir H. Davy. 



The paper of the late lamented Mr. Rham upon the 

 same subject, in the "AgriculturalJournal,' , is well worthy 

 of perusal. My principal objection to it is the indefinite 

 application of the terms clay and humus. 



The table of M. Thaer is still more ambiguous. The 

 term clay is incomprehensible as an element of Chemical 

 analysis. The less "impalpable matter" in a soil, the 

 more sand will be found, and vice versa. Clay is, in fact, 

 "impalpable matter," and water with an excess of alu- 

 minous earth. 



Bv the simple process I have described, then, the farmer 

 will obtain in a verXr short time the following information 



about his soils : — 



1st, Amount of moisture, showing the capabilities of 

 the soil in retaining or parting with this important element. 



2d, The amount of coarse sand, gravel, or undecom- 

 posed vegetable fibre. 



3d, Fine sand, without which no soil is fertile. 



4th, Impalpable matter, which is of the utmost import- 

 ance, not only as containing the principal inorganic ele- 

 ments in the food of plants, but as having a most important 

 bearing upon the fertility of soils, in the proportions in 

 which it exists to that of the sand.— C. R. Bree, Slow- 

 market. 



{To be continued.) 



Home Correspondence. 



Shed-Feeding Sheep.— ls\y attention has been given to 

 the Leading Article in your publication on the 13th inst., 

 in which the subject of Shed-feeding sheep has a promi- 

 nent place. I am not at all surprised that Mr. Childershas 

 ascertained by actual experiment that " the sheep in the 

 shed, though they consumed nearly one-fifth less food, 

 made above one-third greater progress" than those which 

 had been folded in the field. Shelter and warmth to all 

 animals when fattening are most essentially important, and I 

 have no doubt that the farmers who fold their sheep on open 

 Turnip-fields in cold wet weather lose considerably by 

 doing so, and would find their advantage (without our 

 dwelling on the cruelty of the prevailing contrary system) 

 in providing such cheap and easily-formed shelter as you 

 have recommended. It is not long since I have seen 

 sheep in the south of Scotland, during the most penetra- 

 ting rain and snow storms, up to their knees in the mire 

 of a clay field, which was almost bare of Turnips, and 

 without the possibility- of obtaining greater shelter than 

 the wet ditch of a leafless hedge three feet high afforded 

 them; there they lay cowering from the pitiiess blast in 

 misery, from day to dav. And this was the systematic 

 treatment pursued there towards store-sheep, with hardly 

 an exception. The loss sustained in the comparative waste 

 of manure, and in the condition of the sheep, by not taking 

 to them Hay and Turnips, in covered sheds with yards 

 during the "severity of weather, is inconceivably great. 

 But N the opinions of any agricultural correspondent, how- 

 ever safely built upon facts, are not (as you have judiciously 

 stated) necessarily of general application, because that 

 which is fact in his neighbourhood may not be fact else- 

 where." What may be the best treatment lor Leicester 

 Hogs put up to fatten in a district where Turnips consti- 

 tute the principal winter and spring food, may be totally 

 inapplicable to otner varieties of the species, under other 

 circumstances of age, habits, soil, and climate, even within 

 the limits of the same county or province. There are 

 many breeds of sheep, for instance, which require, from 

 their nature and peculiar habits, a constant liberty of 

 ran K e and free ventilation, and many localities in which 

 i hey would nearly starve if they were restricted 

 from roaming about, without any other means of obtain- 

 ing shelter than the lea side of a hill or furze-bank, 

 or stone wall. I shall suppose the case ot the 



