18**] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



91 



ill be better to defer | 



Kwi^ofThe (Tor^'for ~a year, and to take a second 



*' f OaU with it. The Gorse may either be sown 



Recast or in drills ; if the Utter plan be adopted, the 



Sril's should be aboui a foot asunder. In the spring of 



the second year, a dressing of |.eat-ashes is found very 



kLficial ; and it will be necessary to free the plant from 



Mine Grass and weeds, which would smother it during 



the summer. The same process will be occasionally ad- 



Itsable in after years, and, therefore, drills are to be pre- 



furred It should also be defended from the bite of sheep 



id the trampling of cattle It will hardly be worth 



rutting the following winter, but in the year after that, it 



•ill be -nearly in full perfection, and will afford a supply 



from October to the end of April. The parts of the plant 



used are the succulent shoots of the preceding summer. 



It is not the general practice to cut it every year, but only 



every alternate vear. In this c«se some of the woody 



portions of the plant are unavoidably mixed with the green 



ihoo's, and require to be separated from them. On the 



Nauttl'e Railway the Gorse was cut every year, for five or 



iix years in succession, without any apparent diminution 



of produce, till towards the close of that period. When 



the crop begins to exhibit such indications, a year's rest 



will probably set it to rights again. 



In Wales, the Gorse was formerly prepared for the 

 horses either bv pounding it by hand with a wooden 

 mallet, or by means of a number of wooden stamps, 

 tet in' motion by a water-wheel. Cast-iron gorse ma- 

 chines are now very generally substituted for these. They 

 consist of a wooden trough, like that of a chaff-cutter, in 

 which the shoots of the Gorse are laid, mixed with a 

 little hay and straw, and the mixture is brought forward 

 by means of two fluted cast-iron rollers, to meet an iron 

 cylinder armed with knives, spirally disposed around it. 

 Notwithstanding the spines of the Gorse, which are not 

 destroyed by the process, horses delight in the food, and 

 thrive upon it. They ought not to have much Corn with 

 it, as it is rather heating in its nature. A riding mare 

 belonging to Mr. S. Holland, of Plas Penrhyn, though in 

 constant work, was always ready to throw up her heels 

 and run away with him, her food consisting, during the 

 winter, of only a bushel of Oats per week and as much 

 Gorse as she would eat, having about a third of its weight 

 of hay cut with it. 



The cost of such a machine used to be about five, 

 pounds. It may be worked either by hand, or by a 

 small water-wheel where there is a rill of water at com- 

 mand. For cows, it is necessary that the Gorse should 

 be pounded to a pulp, to get rid of the spines, and a good 

 machine for effecting this is a desideratum. Should any 

 reader of this Journal, having a quantity of Gorse growing 

 on the wastes around him, be disposed to try it as a winter 

 food for his horses, and should he wish to purchase such 

 a machine, I am sure that if he puts himself in commu- 

 nication either with Mr. William Turner, merchant, Caer- 

 narvon, Mr. Owen Jones, land-agent, of the same town, or 

 Messrs. S. Holland, jun., and Co., slate quarry proprie- 

 tors, Portmadoc, any of those gentlemen will have pleasure 

 in procuring it and forwarding it by some of the nume- 

 ous slate vessels which sail from the ports of that district 

 to all parts of Great Britain and Ireland. 



W ere I wishing to introduce the use of Gorse as a food 

 for horses belonging to me, knowing the prejudices of the 

 men against any new kind of fodder, I should in the first 

 instance confine the use of it to my own riding horse, 

 satisfied that from seeing its effects, and the avidity with 

 which it was eaten, they would soon, of their own accord, 



request a supply for the cattle under their care.— J. 

 Trimmer. \ 



ON THE APPLICATION OF CHEMISTRY TO 

 AGRICULTURE UPON RATIONAL 



PRINCIPLES.-No.V. I 



Tart II.— O/i the Chemical Constitution of Plants— 

 as compared with that of the Soil— and the*Necessi<y of 

 adapting the Cultivation of the One to the known 

 Composition of the Other. j 



All living beings, auimal or vegetable, have their life sup- 

 ported, their waste restored, and their maturity perfected 

 y means of food, which possesses a chemical composition 

 similar to their own. 



In animals this food is obtained and digested by a pecu- 

 liar series of organs, with which they are, according to 

 their several habits, specially provided. They are termed 

 <*gans of prehension (laying hold of food), mastication, 

 deglutition, and digestion. Plants are the organizers or 

 ttanuf acturers of food for animals> and in th e ra a simpler, 



not not less beautiful, system is provided. The Physio- 

 w?uV e ? s witn ex quisite pleasure, in the roots of plants, 

 - 1 H ln *' r delicate spongioles or terminal suckers, which 

 ^ . ctively -appropriate that part of the soil which is 

 l r natu ral food, and in the leaves with their respiratory 

 ^ystem of cells, the rudimentary type of that higher 

 gsnic system which in the animal creation obtains the 

 mo *t perfect development. 



p | Ut the simplest, as well as the highest and most com- 

 and ° rgunization ^ equally destined to perform distinct 

 a . a PP r °priate functions in the scale of living beings. If 



lab ant and 8n animal tnat feecls u P on il are taken into the 

 ratory of the chemist, their ultimate constituents will 



ca« l ! identical " And * et wnat a di fference t0 the 

 ««oai observer exists between the two ! and how much 



realir 8 J! U » a PP ears the difference in their food! Yet, in 



^ y ' the y are chemically the same, 

 the i te i mS Unor g anized and organized matter explain 

 upon?*! d,fference in th * food of each. The plant lives 

 or» n • t elements of or ganic matter, and thus becomes an 



sun 1C r ng ' ■ The animal iives U P°° tbc P lant which it8 

 Penor digestive and assimilative system converts into 



1 



I 



the muscle and bone, and the skin, hairs, or feathers with , was given daily with her own milk for a few days, an4 the 



which its body is covered. 



But the ultimate analysis of bone and muscle, and 

 plants, is identical. The plant deposits in the cells of its 

 inimitable structure certain mineral substances. The 

 animal converts the lime or iron thus stored up into bone, 

 or the colouring matter of blood ! and thus plants become 

 not only the organizers of animal food, but the depositories 



of principles essential to the perfect development of the 

 animal. 



Now, from these observations the reflecting observer will 

 be convinced of the truth of the following propositions : — 



1. — That a knowledge of the chemical composition of 

 plants will enable us at once to select for them appropriate 

 food ; and 



2.— That knowing the nuture of the soil, and under- 

 standing the chemical composition of the plants he wishes 

 to grow, the scientific farmer can, by increasing the 

 quantity of appropriate food, increase to a certainty the 

 weight or measure of his crop. 



Theoretically, a grain of Wheat or Barley, a Mangold 

 Wurtzel, a Turnip, or a Potato, can be increased in bulk 

 as easily us an ox can be fattened in its stall. But the food 

 appropriate for the tuber may not be, and indeed is nut, 

 that which is proper for the grain. The former contains 

 more starch than albumen ; the latter more albumen than 

 starch. Is it not obvious then that the manure must be 

 selected in accordance with the known composition of the 

 crop, and still more in accordance with the known condi- 

 tion of the soil. I am the more anxious to dwell upon this 

 point, because mistakes are daily committed, and Agricul- 

 tural chemistry is brought into disrepute by the consequent 

 failure of the experiment, which is made without regard to 

 the very first principles that science professes to teach. 



Plants, then, are the organizers of food for animals. To 

 support animal life two kinds of food are indispensable — 

 1. — That which contains azote or nitrogen, and hence is 

 called azotized food. 



2. — That which does not contain azote, and is called 

 non-azotized food. 



The tissues of all plants, the stalks, leaves, roots, &c, 

 are composed of non-azottzed matter ; they, therefore, must 

 be fed with manure of a similar nature. But all plants 

 upon which animals feed contain azotized matter, which 

 is deposited in the cellular structure of the plant, more 

 particularly of the seed, as in Wheat, Barley, Oats, Beans, 

 Peas, &c. Now this azotized mutter does not exist as a 

 constituent of the soil ; it must be added to it by the 

 farmer. Thus, when a farmer spreads his field with the 

 manure formed by his cattle in the straw-yard he supplies 

 non-azotized food (the straw), for the production of the 

 tissues of the plant — and azotized food (the urine) ; which 

 after decomposing, the plant will organize and deposit in 

 the cells of its structure — in the form of gluten, vegetable 

 albumen, fibrine, legumen, &c, &c. The dung is princi- 

 pally useful in supplying the plant with phosphates, of 

 which we shall speak hereafter. 



In addition to the organic matter taken up by the roots 

 in the form of non-azotized and azotized materials, there 

 are certain inorganic substances also taken up, either to 

 perfect the fabric of the plant, or with the ulterior design 

 of being appropriated by the animal which feeds upon it. 

 These inorganic matters are also deposited in the cellular 

 structure of the plant.— C. B. Bree, Stowmarket. 



(To be continued.) 





Home Correspondence. 



Effects of Drainage. — Observing in a late Number of 

 your journal an account of the improvements in draining 

 upon the estates of Lord Stair, I beg to state an instance 

 of a farmer of my acquaintance, who has far exceeded the 

 cases adduced on that nobleman's estates. Mr. Robert 

 Ferguson, of Muirhouselaw, tenant to John Ord, Esq., a 

 few years since entered upon a lease of 21 years for the 

 above farm, a cold wet soil, which, though of considerable 

 extent, seldom produced more than 20 to 25 diminutive 

 stacks of corn, and other produce in proportion. During 

 the first three years of the lease, Mr. Ferguson opened 

 and laid in 120 miles of drains, all filled with stones taken 

 from a quarry and broken small ; a more expensive pro- 

 cess than tile-draining, but at the same time greatly 

 superior as regards efficiency. The expense of opening 

 the drains was borne by the proprietor ; and the expense 

 of quarrying the stones, breaking, and filling the drains, 

 was borne by the spirited tenant; and what has been the 

 result, — the stackyard, instead of being only in part filled 

 with a scanty produce, as formerly, is now quite insufficient 

 to contain the crop, as Mr. F. is now able, on an average, 

 to set up from 75 to 80 large handsome stacks of corn ; 

 hay, turnips, and other produce being in proportion. 

 Let landlords give leases and encouragement to their 

 tenants, that the soil may be put in a condition to bring 

 forth abundant crops. We hear daily from those who are 

 indisposed to lose sight of a shilling of their capital, that 

 farming is an unprofitable occupation : I say to them, 

 look at the example set them by the case now mentioned 

 — and go and do likewise. — W. D. 



Remarkable Case of a Cow that was swollen with 

 Hating a Quantity of Swedish Turnip -tops. —The owner 

 of the cow was alarmed by finding her swelled to an 

 immense size, but waited till the beast was falling down 

 before he applied any remedy ; he then tapped her in the 

 left loin, about two inches from the last rib, making an 

 opening of about three inches, from which, by introducing 

 bis finger and thumb, he drew out about three quarters ot 

 a cwt. of undigested leaves, which, with the discharge of 

 wind, rushing out as it did with great violence, was evi- 

 dently a great and immediate relief to the animal. In 

 two hours after, a plaster of pitch was placed over the 

 wound, a dose of salts and, what is here called, Irish slate, 



cow is now, two months after the circumstance, as well as 

 ever.— £. C. 



Coprolites. — Professor Henslow, in his communication 

 on Coprolites, in your last Number, expresses his surprise 

 that I should, in my letter to you on the same subject, 

 have supposed there might be some difficulty in distin- 

 guishing, by the external appearance, the true Coprolites 

 from the pebbles, with which they certainly are sometimes 

 associated. He adds, " a very slightly-practised eye could 

 never make the mistake," — and yet, Sir, the very speci- 

 mens which 1 examined (and nearly half of which were 

 but pebbles), were all exhibited on the table of the Geolo- 

 gical Society as true Coprolites, and no one doubted but 

 that they were so. From this fact, I think it may be 

 inferred that, in some cases at least, the difficulty 1 allude 

 to might exist. With respect to attrition accounting entirely 

 for their rounded form, I did not intend giving that as 

 my opinion, but that it has something to do with it is 

 evident, from their being found on the beach associated 

 with pebbles harder than themselves, in which situation, 

 and in such company, it must infallibly happen that, 

 moved by the ebbing and flowing of the tides, attrition 

 must be the consequence. — IV. II. Potter. 



Zinc Vessels for the Dairy. — I have read a statement 

 quoted from high authority that milk kept in zinc vessels 

 is likely in summer, even within a very few hours, to be* 

 come deleterious, by dissolving and holding in solution 

 portions of the zinc. If this be so, the fact should be ge- 

 nerally made known; for the substitution of zinc for 

 leaden vessels has of late become frequent with dairymen 

 on account of the less cost of the former, and their tup- 

 posed quality of causing the separation of a greater pro- 

 portion of cream. If any of your chemical friends can 

 throw any light upon this subject, I, for one, shall be 

 much obliged. — A Dairyman, Aylesbury. 



Time of Manuring Grass- Land. — What is the best 

 time of the year for applying farm -yard manure to Grass- 

 land ? there is a great variety of opinion, as well as prac- 

 tice, in this neighbourhood. Most people here seem to 

 prefer putting it on in the spring, the objection to which 

 is, that should the spring prove a dry one, the manure 

 gets its goodness dried out of it, does very little good to 

 the crop, and is a great annoyance in hay-time ; others 

 apply it late in the Autumn (afier they have eaten off 

 their after-grass), and then vegetation being dormant, the 

 best of the manure is washed away and carried off by the 

 drains without being of any service whatever. Here, 

 with the help of irrigation and stimulants, I am able to 

 get two crops of hay in the year, and my plan is, to put 

 in the manure from the farm-yard as soon as the second 

 crop is cleared, say in the middle of August ; if, however, 

 the weather should be dry at the time, it is not spread* 

 but left in the heaps until the rains set in, when it is im- 

 mediately spread, and at that time vegetation is so vigor- 

 ous, that it is out of sight in a very short time. It ap- 

 pears to do so much more good that I think even when 

 only one crop is obtained it is better to lose the after- 

 grass (or the pasturage of it) rather than lose almost all 

 the benefit of your manure ; and so great is the difference 

 produced between manuring in August and October, that 

 here the former was grown over, and out of sight in a 

 fortnight, while the latter is still as visible as on the day 

 it was applied, and the stimulus it has given to vegetation 

 is scarcely perceptible. It is much to be wished that 

 some of our expert operators would turn their attention U> 

 hybridizing some of the Cerealia. I think that spring 

 Wheat may be crossed with some of the more valuable 

 kinds, and, if so, there is great reason to hope for early 



and good varieties. — T. G. 



Large tracts of improvable land in various parts of 

 England lie waste, only awaiting the application of skill, 

 capital, and labour, to give an ample return for luch, 

 expenditure. We have modern companies formed, and 

 forming, for great efforts. Capital is abundant, and 

 combined endeavour, the feature of our day. Could not 

 a company be established for the cultivation of these waste 

 portions of our island ? M A National Agricultural Com- 

 pany," enlisting public confidence by the integrity of its 

 directors and the cordial co-operation of our wealthy and 

 enlightened nobles and commoners, would be most useful 

 and profitable ; and I scarcely need point to the gratitude 

 and blessings which would be elicted from labourers, by 

 such an undertaking wisely and judiciously conducted. 

 Small landed proprietors, also, would cordially support 

 such an endeavour to redeem the waste lauds of England 

 from the useless condition in which they at present lie.— U. 



Bones. — In your Agricultural Gazette of the 13th inst. 

 there is an article signed " E. R., Halifax,"on the subject 

 of boiled or unboiled bones, and in it he states 44 he had 

 had a conversation with a respectable Scotch farmer in 

 Roxburghshire, and having inquired of him if bones were 

 still in great estimation in his neighbourhood, he replied, 

 that for the last three or four years the farmers had 

 neglected them altogether." I beg leave to state that your 

 correspondent has been in this respect misinformed. I am 

 a seller of bone-dust, and can prove during the last three 

 or four years I have sold in the counties of Roxburghshire 

 and Berwickshire a very large quantity. And I may add, 

 with the exception of guano, that easily-adulterated 

 manure being in some instances tried as an experiment, 

 bones will be held in as great estimation as ever they were, 

 — Patrick Clay. Berwick. 



Destroying Thistles by Salt.—U a small quantity of 

 common salt, say about a tea-spoonful, is taken between 

 the fingers and thumb aud placed on the centre of the 

 Thistle, in a day or two it will turn black, and in the 

 course of nine or ten days the root and every part of the 

 plant will be destroyed. This is a cheap and certain 

 method of destroying Thistles on land. One person will 



