108 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



[Feb. 17, 



a recipe for fertilizing seed, and tried it on Wheat, 

 by mixing lime, nitre, and pigeon's dung in water, and 

 therein steeping the seed. The produce of some of these 

 grains is stated at CO, 70, and 80 stems ; many of the ears 

 six inches long had CO corns each, and none less than 40. 

 This experiment was made in 1692 (see " Everard's Essays 

 and Experiments"); yet I do not find the idea acted 

 upon. I incline to think it founded on nature, and worthy of 

 aerious investigation. We are careful to fertilize the soil — 

 why not the seed ? " — James Caird, Baldoon, Wigtoicn. 

 Cheap Method of Bruising small Quantities of Bones. 

 —In your third Number, under u Notices to Correspond- 

 ents," I observe " Waste of Bones — There is no cheap 

 machine that we know of for crushing bones," &c. This 

 induces me to send you the following cheap method 

 which I tried last year with good effect : — Strew them 

 on a hard road with a quantity of burnt soil near 

 your fold-yard, where you are going to cart out manure 

 or soil, so that the wheels may pass over them. Rake 

 them occasionally to those tracks over which the wheels 

 xun ; the burnt soil will absorb the oily matter expressed. 

 Gather them up at night and pass them through a riddle, 

 and what will not go through put down again the next 



day on the road with more burnt soil. It should be a fine 

 <lav.— F. M. 



Loss of Crop by Exposure of the Manure to the Action 

 if the Weather.— On the 28th of April, 1843, in plant- 

 ing Potatoes we spread the manure for 19 ridges, but we 

 could only complete 12 before night came on, and the 

 following morning being rainy we could not proceed ; 

 the 30th was Sunday (a sunny day), and on Monday 

 Morning we finished the remaining seven rows. The 12 

 rows first planted came up a week before the others, and 

 •distinctly kept the lead throughout their growth, so much 

 ao, indeed, that if we had not noted the circumstance at 

 the time, we should have been at a loss to account for the 

 great difference between the two plots, both manure and 

 aets being alike for each. On the 27th October we raised 

 *he crop, and the seven exposed rows yielded less in weight 

 by 5st. 3lbs. per row thau the other 12 rows — the length 

 of the rows was 75 yards, thus showing a lighter crop by 

 3£ tons to the acre ; the Potatoes too were scabbed and 

 inferior in quality. The manure was night-soil and ashes, 

 with Epsom salts. My attention was drawn to the effect 

 of the weather upon exposed manure by a former article 

 «n the Chronicle, and there certainly is not a more import- 

 ant matter connected with improvement in farming than 

 the economical treatment of raauure. — A Subscriber. 



Draining Materials. — Living in a part of the country 

 where tiles are dear, and having plantations of Scotch Fir 

 to thin, 1 thought of trying some of the thinnings as a 

 aubstitute. I took some of the worst growers, from 12 to 

 20 feet long, and averaging 4 to 5 inches diameter, and I 

 out them lengthwise with the saw, and laid them at the 

 bottom of the drain, turning the convex sides inwards, 

 which then touched each other along the centre. The 

 <flat sides were then placed close against the banks, 

 and being covered with Heath the drains were filled 

 up in the ordinary way. Semicircular stuff thus 

 placed of course leaves a hollow space both above and 

 below ; and while the under one here answers to the tile- 

 tube, the upper far surpasses in efficiency the few small 

 holes pierced in the tile for the percolation of the top 

 water into it, the flat sides pressed against the bank giving 

 it a tendency to run to the centre, and at the same time 

 preventing the soil from falling in upon it. This plan was 

 tried on a flat meadow, so wet as not to admit of a man's 

 weight without ■ podging,' as it is called. In lesB than a 

 month after drainage this meadow would bear cattle upon 

 it, and young Clover began to spring all over the field. 

 This success makes me doubt whether this is not a more 

 efficient mode of draining than that with tiles, carrying off 

 the water quicker, and not being so liable to break in its 

 oourse by the pressure of weights passing over the drains; 

 and the wood, I apprehend, so excluded from air, will 

 last a number of years, especially if cut when the sap is 

 in it. — A Surrey Farmer. 



Nitrate of Soda.— \\\ November, 1842, a field of six 

 acres was sown with Wheat. Soil, a strong clay ; the 

 previous crop, Beans. I think it was owing to the abund- 

 ance of rain in the spring of 1843, that the plant assumed 

 a sickly appearance. Wishing, if possible, to recover it, I 

 applied, in May, as a top-dressing, 2 cwt. of nitrate of 

 aoda per acre, to half the field. To the other half I applied 

 guano, allowing the same quantity per acre. In a few 

 o'ays the Wheat on the land on which the nitrate of soda 

 was sown was visibly altered, and soon had quite a healthy 

 and rank appearance. That to which the guano was 

 applied did not improve at all, and at the time it was har- 

 vested had its original unhealthy and stunted appearance. 

 The straw of the plant to which the nitrate was applied 

 atood on an average seven inches higher than that in the 

 other part of the field, the grains were likewise consider- 

 ably larger, and the ears better filled. This fact I mention 

 to show that as a top-dressing for Wheat, I did not find 

 guano answer; but when hoed, harrowed, or drilled in, I 

 understand from those who have tried the experiment, its 

 effects are highly beneficial.— Yeoman. 



Liming Land with a Northern Aspect. — In the trans- 

 lation from Piofessor Sprengel's account of lime, pub- 

 lished in your Paper of the 27th ult., is the following ob- 

 servation : — "It i 3 asserted that the manuring with lime 

 is injurious on fields that slope much towards the north," 

 «5cc. It is evident to those who have been in the habit 

 of liming for Wheat, that the plant does not look so thriv- 

 ing in the winter as on unlimed ground, but from the end 

 of March, or at least when the weather begins to improve, 

 and the sun gains more power, the crop manured with 

 lime gradually takes the lead, and keeps it till harvest. 

 Lime certain!/ is a good conductor of heat, as is proved 



by the rapidity with which a heap of mortar freezes when 

 exposed to a low temperature. This may in some mea- 

 sure account for lime not being so beneficial on land 

 much exposed to the north, because such a situation is 

 not only much exposed, but it is also nearly deprived of 

 the rays of the sun in the short days during the winter 

 months. I am convinced of the benefit of lime as a 

 manure for Wheat, and should not hesitate to use it in 

 moderate quantities with a northern aspect, but in that 

 case I should recommend the lime to be laid on early in 

 the summer, before the first ploughing. By this means 

 all the advantage of the manure would be obtained and 

 the injurious effects avoided. — A. Hall, Chepstow. 



Means of improving the Quality of Manure. — My ex- 

 perience and observation have taught me that great care 

 should be taken of the liquid manure, and that well-con- 

 structed tanks should be formed conveniently to receive it 

 as it flows from the cow-houses, from which it should be 

 pumped and carried back to the yard to saturate the dung- 

 hill, this being of great advantage in assisting decomposi- 

 tion. The midden-stance would require a very small 

 inclination towards the tanks, so that the surplus sap, after 

 saturation, may return. The urine requires to be diluted 

 with an equal quantity of water, to enable it to retain its 

 ammonia. Each addition to the manure-heap should be 

 regularly spread, with a small quantity of sulphuric acid 

 or gypsum strewed over the surface to prevent the escape 

 of ammonia. A large quantity of straw may, by this 

 process, be converted into excellent manure, when mixed 

 with the dung from the cow-houses and stables ; but I 

 quite disapprove of the frequent turnings in many places 

 given to manure, which causes it to lose much of its fer- 

 tilising property. I would advise M R. C." to sow a little 

 of the approved mineral manures along with his crops, 

 rather than mix them in his muck. Now that there is a 

 spirit of inquiry amongst our Agricultural population, I 

 hope a judicious plan will soon be adopted of collecting 

 and manufacturing the cloacine and manures of our large 

 towns, to admit of their being transported to a distance. In 

 many towns the common sewers run into rivers, the matter 

 they contain being thus entirely lost. But if the authori- 

 ties would take up the subject, a plan might be devised to 

 retain the sediment, and have it formed into a transport- 

 able manure. It would become an important branch of 

 industry, and save many thousands to the United Kingdom 

 now paid for foreign manures — A Perthshire Farmer. j 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY of ENGLAND. 

 At a weekly council, held at the Society's House, in 

 Hanover-square, on Wednesday last, the 14th of Feb. : 

 present — his Grace the Duke of Richmond, K.G., in the 

 chair ; Earl of March, Thomas Raymond Barker, Esq., 

 F. Burke, Esq., F. C. Cherry, Esq., A. E. Fuller, Esq., 

 M.P. ; H. Gibbs, Esq., B. Gibbs, Esq., L. Rogers, Esq., 

 Professor Sewell, H. S. Thompson, Esq., and George 

 W 7 ilbraham, Esq., William Holbeck, Esq., of Farubo- 

 rough, near Banbury. Oxfordshire, and Henry Hoghton, 

 Esq., of Bold, near Warrington, Lancashire, were elected 

 Governors, and the following gentlemen Members of the 

 Society :— 



a/ 



Whittam, James Sibley, Mayor of Coventry 



Mundy, Chas. John Henry, Mavis-Enderby, nearSpilsby, Line. 



Ba*«Ul, Robert, Flamstead House, Redbourne, Herts 



Lysons, the Rev. Samuel, Hempsted-court, near Gloucester 



Child, Thomas, Mickelham Priory, Hartshorne, Sussex 



Carnegie, the Hon. J. J., Fair Oaks, near Peter&fiela 



King. John, The Grove, Exton, Alton, Hants 



Strode, Jas. Cranborne, Brighton 



Warde, Charles, Squerries, near Westerham, Kent 



Beevor, Henry, Barnby Moor, East Ketfoid, Notts 



Rickaby, John.sUlrone House, Bridlington, Yorks. 



Eddison, William, Huddersfield, Vorks. 



Gibbons, William, Foxgrove-farm, Beckenham, Kent 



Dandridge, Daniel, East Hendred, near Abingdon 



Alston, Wm. Chas., Elmdon Hall, near Birmingham 



Vivian, Edward, Torquay, Devon 



Williams, Captain, Torquay, Devon 

 Elliotr, Jonathan, Sonning, near Reading, Berks 

 Pelly, Richard Wilson, Upton, Essex 

 Webb, William, Haselor, near 1 amworth, Staffs. 

 Pain, John, Houghton, near Stockbridge, Hants. 

 Dolphin, John, Hunter House, Edmomisbyres, Durham 

 Roddam, Joseph, Newton-Stanhope, Weardale, Durham 

 Grosvenor, The Earl, Grosvenor-square, London 

 Roach, John, Perreton, Newport, Isle of Wight 

 Biook James, Park Farm, Bradiag, Newport. Isle of Wight 

 W avell, Vi illiam, Lake, Newport, Isle of Wight 

 Sclater, Wm. Lutley, Hoddington House, Oiiiham, Hants 

 Atkinson, Joseph, Grazing-nook, Bedale, Yorkshire 

 De Berg, M , Secretary to the Russian Embassy in London 30 

 Dover-street «**««, o V , 



Pope, John Allen, Clifton Farm, near Yeovil, Somerset 

 Johnson, Francis Dixon, Aykley Heads, Durham 

 Wilkinson, Percival Spearman, Mount Oswald, Durham 

 Cooper, Wm. W., Barningbam Park, Ixworth, Suffo'k 

 Courtney, Thomas, Stratton, Amlover-road, Whitchurch Hanr* 

 Ba.ley, Frederick, Mitcheldever, Andover-rd!, Whitchurch. H 

 Shearer, Bettesworth Pitt, Swanmire House, Bishop's Waltham 



Hornby, Rev. Robert, Walton-le-dale, Preston, Lancashire 

 Birchall, Thomas, Ribbleton Hall, Preston, Lancashire 

 Knollys, Colonel, Blount's Court, Henley-on-Thames 

 Darnel, Thomas Smith, St. Neot's, Huntingdonshire 

 Smith, Charles H., Gwconlluuynwyth, near Swausea S W 

 Delgairns, W., Guernsey ' ' * 



Roe, Freeman. 70, Strand 



Tred well John Clark, Oddington Grange. Bicester, Oxfordshire 

 Cracroft, Colonel, Hackthorn, near Lincoln "wow* 



Thew, Edward Lesbury House, near Alnwick, Northumberland 



Linn, William Broomhill Tile Works, Felton, Northumberland 



W arry, Llias Taylor, Lyndhurst, Hants 



Watts, Robert, Battle, Sussex 



Langdon, Augustus, Cold Harbour, near Tonbridge Kent 



SS"± ^u ™: C p hiH Lod | e : Junstall, Newcastle; Staffordsh. 

 W r ilham», Thomas, Brecon, S.W. 



Tilly, Harry Tobias, Tremough, near Penryn, Cornwall 

 Greaves, James, Radclive, near Buckingham 

 Smith, Chas. Robert, Collin^bouine-Ducis, near Marlborouch 

 Maton, Leonard Pitt, Collinbourne, near Pewsev, Wilts 

 Mason. Richard, Round, near Leominster, Herefordshire 



owler, Marshall, Preston Hall, near Stockton-on-Tees, Durham 



:irimpton, John, Easton, near Winchester 



Croydon, Surrey 



Davies, James, The Green, Aberystwyth, S. Wales 



Dixon, Thos. John, Holton, near Caistor, Line. 



Molyneux, Jas. More, Losely Park, near Guilford Surrev 



Shuter, T.Allen. Hooley House, Coulslen, near Croydon 



Brandrane, John B., Beckenham, Kent ' 



bipg, John, Stanstead-Abbot's, near Hoddeadon, Herts 



Hole, James, Knowle House, Dunster, Somerset 



Hunt, John, Shirley, near Southampton 



Cole, Thos. Henry, The Green, Wick, near Bath 



Broderip, Edmund, Manor House, Cossineton, near Bridc-P* i. 



Williams, G. M., Brocklesby, Great Limber. Line. ° ew ater 



Rawlins, George, Lee House, Romsey, Hants. 



Wedlake, Mrs.. Hornchurch, Essex 



Whilaker, William, The A-h, Etwall, near Derby 



Butler, John, Caerleon. Newport, M mmouthshire 



Empson, Henry, West Ravendale, Binbrook, Spiital, Line 



Hutton. Thomas, Upton-Gray, Odiham, Hants. 



Cock, William. Courtlerige, Appledare, Tenterden, Kent 

 Sykes, Edmund, Mansfield Woodhouse, Notts. 

 Wooldridge, Henry, Meer-Stoke, Bishop's-Waltham, Hants. 

 Wooldridge, Jas. Wm., Webb"s Lane, Wickham, Hants. 

 Cunynghame, John. Hensol, Castle Douglas, N.B. 

 Parkins, Edward, Chesrield Lodge, Stevenage, Herts. 

 Hart, Thomas, Wing, near Leighton- Buzzard, Beds. 

 Piper, John D., Colne-Engain, Halsted, Essex 

 Dixon, Thomas, Darlington, Durham 

 Coles, Lieut. -Co!., Woodcote, Alresford, Hants 

 Rowland, William, Ramsbmy, Hungerford, Berks 

 Bennett, Absolam, Mertyn-hall, Holywell, Flintshire 



Mr. Langdale presented a new variety of Prolific Dwarf 

 Pea ; Mr. Wood, a specimen of Alexandrian Lupine ; the 

 Duke of Richmond, the second report of the Morayshire 

 Farmers' Club, on the result obtained in the application of 

 bones and sulphuric acid employed as a manure; Mr. 

 Fleetwood, samples of the fibres of Sunflower stalks ; 

 Messrs. Kerr and Green, details on the sizes and prices of 

 their iron-grated tile-ends, for preventing the entrance of 

 vermin into drains ; Mr. Baines, a communication on the 

 modes of preserving milk ; Mr. Stronge, a case of pro- 

 tracted gestation in a cow ; Mr. Bellairs and Mr. Coch- 

 rane, papers on the economical collection of manures ; 

 Mr. Blurton, on his invention of a metallic churn; Mr. 

 Charnock,! papers relating to the Yorkshire Drainage 

 Society ; and Mr. Meyer, on the destruction of insects in- 

 jurious to Agricultural crops. The Council then adjourned, 

 over Ash Wednesday, to meet again on the 28th of Feb. 



HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 A monthly meeting of this Society was held on Feb. 7, 

 in the Museum — Lord llosebery in the chair. The first 

 paper read was a report of analysis made of the ashes of 

 peat from Berkshire, and from Kinblethmont, the seat of 

 Mr. Lindsay Carnegie, in Forfarshire. Mr. Carnegie 

 having tried, as a manure, the ash obtained from his osvn 

 peat by burning, and finding it to produce none of the 

 good effects attributed to the peat-ash of Berkshire, but 

 on the contrary, to act as a poison to plants, Mr. Colvill 

 undertook the analysis of the ash of both descriptions of 

 peat, in order to detect any appreciable difference in their 

 constituents, and this report is the result of his investi- 

 gation : the elements of both ashes were found to be 

 nearly alike, but the Kinblethmont ash contained sulphur 

 and phosphorus in combination with iron, which the other 

 did not, and which combination seemed to have produced 

 the poisonous effects upon the plants observed by Mr. 

 Carnegie. Besides this communication, a letter was read 

 from Mr. Carnegie, descriptive of an experiment made by 

 him with a manure denominated by Mr. Colvill a double 

 ammoniated magnesian salt, which is stated by Liebig to 

 he an essential constituent of the Potato. The experiment 

 was tried in the garden, and the result was as follows ;— 

 1 drill 38 feet long by 27 inches wide, with 2£ pints gave 

 4 stones 7 lbs., or 14 tons 6 cwt. per acre ; the same ex- 

 tent, with 2 pints and 20 loads of dung per acre gave 4 

 stones 7 lbs., or 14 tons 6 cwt. per acre : with 2 pints only, 

 it gave 4 stones 11 lbs., or 15 tons 4£ cwt. per acre; 

 while without manure it gave 2 stones 4 lbs., or 7 

 tons 7 cwt. per acre. This substance is prepared 

 by dissolving bones in muriatic acid, adding Epsom 

 salts, and precipitating with excess of gas-Iiqaor. 

 Lord Strath more then read a paper, in which, after 

 noticing the neglect of peat-ashes, he described their value 

 and utility as manure. It appeared from his Lordship s 

 statement that the quantity, and most probably the qua- 

 lity, of peat-ashes, depend on the mode in which the peat 

 is calcined. When peat is burned in the open air, a small 

 quantity only of ash is obtained, some of the valuable 

 properties of which are moreover suffered to be dissipated ; 

 but when the better sort of peat, which is that found at 

 some distance below the surface, is cast at the proper sea- 

 son, dried, and burned in a kiln covered at the top, with 

 a quick draught, the ash is greater in quantity and supe- 

 rior in quality, and the process is attended with little cost. 

 When from 20 to 30 bushels of ashes obtained in this 

 manner are spread upon an acre of green sward, they wil 

 produce as much herbage as a corresponding quantity o 

 soot, at one-sixth the cost ; and when such ashes are 

 mixed with lime or fine sand, they are not only a superior 

 top-dressing for upland or other meadows, and for Red 

 Clover without Rye-grass, but they also prove a valuable 

 manure for Carrots, Parsnips, or Mangold Wurtzel, on 

 strong soil ; his Lordship stated that one ton of pea*» 

 burned in a close kiln, would yield 14 bushels of ash. 

 A communication from Mrs. Davies Gilbert of East- 

 bourne, Sussex, on the allotment sys'.em, was then rea , 

 in which she proves that in her system of allotting Ian 

 five acres suffice for the support of one family- » 

 last paper, which was read by Mr. J. Hall MaxwelU 

 related to experiments with special manures, conducte 

 by the land-steward of Mr. Fleming, of Barrochan. * 

 formed the report for which the second premium of «* • 



We 



was awarded to the essay-competition of last year, 

 can only notice a few of the more important conclusion 

 at which the author arrived. He found that the nitrate 

 of soda and potash, when applied by themselves, or 

 mixture, are beneficial to Potatoes and hay; but wj» 

 applied to grain crops, especially singly, they are positively 



