

] 



THE AGRIC ULTURAL GAZETTE 



if vour promise of giving us a resume of the arguments 

 in support of the generally received idea of the great 

 Ttlue of ammonia as a fertiliser. At any rate, pray be 

 good enough to favour us vrith some ciue to the 

 rationale, the modus operandi by which the favourable 

 result was obtained from the admixture of lime with 

 horse dung an admixture against which we are re- 



gatno 



that tw *"^ *"-i ----- 



•ornithine like an acquaintance with the subject ; but 

 here I find myself quite puzzled, and the more so, as it 

 nast be confessed that similar results are given by Mr. 

 Johnson, in his admirable work on Fertilisers, as at p. 

 87 of my edition — which is not the latest, " 'tis true Mis 

 pitr.and pity 'tis 'tis true.'* By-the-by,as it is not a book to 



IOr IUC UCUtUW VI *«.w~w J*. WW— J, _..w w.w, ww..v.w-..w . M.% 



is really a hardship to purchase a 12*. book one week, 

 and the next to find it very nearly superseded by a new 

 edition, as was my case. But to return to the experi- 

 ments. May one hope to find one's way to a conclusion, 

 through the medium of the following passage, from the 

 last but one of Mr. Bree's papers, where he reminds us 

 that " the inquiries of Liebig render it more than pro- 

 bable that the carbonate is the only salt of ammonia 

 which is appropriated by the plant, &c. &c. ? " if 

 this is the case, then the chief utility of fixing our 

 ammonia, as by sulphuric acid, must be to preserve 

 it from volatilisation, until laid into the ground, and 

 until the carbonate can be used by the plants as fast as 

 it is generated. — M.D, [Our correspondent will find 

 that, in fulfilment of our promise, we referred shortly to 

 the subject of his communication some weeks ago (see 

 No. 16). The experiment he alludes to was probably 

 performed in order to ascertain how much the manure 

 would be injured by depriving it of its ammonia ; but 

 the evidence existing as to the actual benefits which have 

 been derived from ammoniacal manures appears to us so 

 strong, that rather than regard the results obtained in this 

 instance as militating against this evidence, we should be 

 inclined to explain them, by supposing that the experiment 

 was performed on ground which, while it was deficient in 

 some of the ingredients of farm-yard manure, already pos- 

 sessed such stores of ammoniacal salts as, with what in 

 co mm on with all soils it derived from the air, rendered 

 it entirely indifferent to that which might or might not 

 exist in any artificial application.] 



r^lJu! f USe y° f L ° C , al Ter ' ms — Although custom 

 renders us familiar with local terms and expressions, 



alloVr, reC0DC,1 f S w ! 1] - educ ^ed men to their use 

 si IT w SU?8eS t0 the contribu tors to your Paper 



hro Su 'th^ T Ye Vl S ^"cultural information 

 throughout the length and breadth of this land-and not 



Euone 0n I' bUt a,S ° t0 , America a *d the continent of 

 i-He™ aJT^ 7 of «™ din * or atleastofexplain- 



nhSi of if JrT WhlCh are onl * i»telligible to the 

 examn \TZ°i i 'f 1018 ln which the y « «ed. For 



d Tufa" Ji a i U l d -respondent from East Lothian, 



ensuing and of receiving the Report of the Council L 

 he past half year was held, agreeably with the terms of 

 the Charter, and due notice required by the Bve-laws 

 at the Society's House, in Hano'ver-square on Wedne s- 



E?rl la sl the I 20 ' / May ' Prese ^-The Rt. Hon. 

 SnnH r P rh Cer ' Pre " dei * £ ^ chair ; Duke of Rich- 

 ZlntJ C ^ lr r a " T of , the general Southampton Com- 

 mittee) ; Earl of Lovelace, Lord Camoys, Hon. Captain 

 Spencer; Hon. Geo. H. Cavendish, M.P.; Sir John 

 V. B. Johnstone Bart. M.P.; Sir Richard Jodrell, 

 £?£ ^m^ M ' P - (^airman of the Journal Com- 

 mittee) ; Mr. Divett M.P.; Mr. Raymond Barker, 

 (Chairman of Finance) ; Reverends, D. Gwilt, T. Lewis 

 and J. R.Smythies ; Professor Seweli ; Colonel Elwood! 

 Captain Forbes, R.H ; and Messrs. John Raymond 

 Barker, S. Bennett, H. Blanshard, H. Bovs W R 

 Browne, F. Crisp, W. Daniel, James Dean, Jo's. iW 

 S. Druce, E. East, John Ellman, P. Fearnhead, Y 

 Freebody, Brandreth Gibbs J. B. Glegg, S. Grantham, 

 C. Hillyard, W F.sher Hobbs. G. Jacson, S. Jonas. G. 

 Jones, G. Kimberley, J. Kinder, T. Knight, Geo. Wvld 

 Lees, C. E Lefroy, C. Porcher, T. Mount, Josiah 

 Parkes, C.E., E. Parkins, W. T. Pickin, H. Price 

 Francis Pym, R Rigg W Shaw, \Y. Smart. James 

 ^mith (Deanston), H. Strafford, P. Tillard, T. Tweed 

 Jonas Webb, and James Wood. 



The Members having delivered in their several voting- 

 lists signed by themselves respectively, for the election 

 of the Council, the President proceeded to nominate 

 Mr. Dean, Mr. Druce, and Mr. Shaw, to be the scruti- 

 neers of the ballot: when those gentlemen retired with 

 the lists into an adjoining Committee room for the 

 purpose of making the requisite examination. The Hon 

 Captain Spencer then rose to propose His Grace Duke 

 of Richmond as the new President for the ensuing year 



345 



__ --^. vi.bw v-uouiiii: year. 



rle was quite sure, in submitting that Dronositinn fnr t>,. 



adoption of the Meeting, tha/it was unneTessIry Z IZJeTZ™™™'' ? ** 8, ' gnal 8UcceM ^ich has 



him to endeavour to pass any encomium on th7h£h T?H * TT ° f communi ^on afforded by the 



character of the noble We I™T™°£ u? *** * 8 " bot,0 iJ of the "Journal," the circulation of 



S Zl n? r th K Hnd thC rgpidity With which *» «»Port- 



TZnl ° bjCCtS ** "«*»*** by the friend, of 



h «rnrv I Members t0 an «tcnt unprecedented in the 

 history of any similar institution. That excitement har! 

 ing roused the attention of the cultivators of the soil to 

 the fact of the great resources within their own imme- 

 diate power, has led them to seek with practical caution 

 but with an energy also proportionate to the advantages 

 to be gained, those means by which the objects in view 

 have appeared to them most likely to be attained and 

 rendered applicable to their local circumstances. Not 

 only have the leading Agriculturists of the kingdom come 

 forward to aid the Council in carrying out to the best of 

 their power the general collection and discussion of facts 

 having an important bearing on the various branches of 

 agricultural improvement, both personally at their meet- 

 ings and as contributors through the pages of the "Jour- 

 nal, but within their own local sphere in the country, 

 they have, in many instances, been instrumental in re- 

 viving the spirit of existing associations, or of establish- 

 ing new societies or clubs of pracrical farmers for the 

 observation, collection, and discussion, of such practical 

 results as more immediately refer in the first instance to 

 the improvement of their own local agriculture, but become 

 afterwards generally applicable to other localities, placed 

 under the same circumstances of aspect, soil, and cultiva- 

 tion. It has been the uniform desire of the Council to avail 

 themselves of every opportunity by which the operationa 

 of the Society may extend their influence, and convey 

 sound and practical information, through the numerous 

 classes of its Members distributed over the various dis- 

 tricts of the kingdom. While preserving its fixed locality 

 for the transaction of official business in the metropolis 

 as a centre, the Council have the satisfaction of referring, 

 with great confidence, to the signal success which haa 



character of the noble Duke; his name would be asso- 

 ciated with the Society as long as it endured ; he was 

 one of the original promoters and founders of the Sociery 

 and on all occasions had been found among the most 

 zealous and active of its Members. Mr. Blanshard in 

 seconding the motion, referred to the steady interest at 

 all times evinced by the Duke of Richmond for the 

 welfare of the Society, and the great advantages which 

 had always resulted from his cordial co-operation in 

 carrying out the details connected with every branch of 

 its business and proceedings. 



™. Th< k m0ti ° n was then put and carr '»ed unanimously. 

 Ihe Duke of Richmond immediately rose to return 

 thanks for the honour the Society had done him in 

 again electing him their President. He assured the 

 Members that the new election they had then unani- 

 mously made in his favour gave him the highest satis- 



Wl m, the landlords in that county are at the expense 



buildinc — 

 *ng the materials." This 



# w-*, AAA Liiat cuu 



drivlTtl t\ fa T f ? uiWin *». " ^e tenants always 



inte 3£bS to A I 6 ™ 1 "', t™ 8 e *P ression * Perfectly 



to m rt as ° ^, P n e °P le Wh0 ? lk ° f drivin ^ th ^ ir Cor " 

 all itranwE Th • their cattle, and does not sound at 



E*g an/ Khn ^ CarS; but a tenant in the S<mth of 



drive a herd of cTm Wy W ? W t0 S° to ™ rk to 



^uchpuzzedhow I' ° r a fl ° Ck ° f Bhec P' would be 

 ^manageable arL COmmence operations upon such 



^e Norfh o f F„S a "u St ° neS ' timber ^ and sl ^ tes ' In 

 . ,. a ot England, the tom i« ♦« i^j „.._u ._..,._ 



Cottage Tracts, reprinted from its pages, and the 

 change from year to year of the locality in which 

 the Country Meetings are held. In the more con- 

 centrated sphere of its legislative and official duties, 

 the Council have to report the active measures taken by 

 their various Committees to simplify the details con- 

 nected with their respective departments, and to avail 

 themselves of such results of experience as render the 

 general transaction of business gradually more uniform, 

 exact, and satisfactory.— The Society consists of the 

 following Members ; namely : — 



Life Governors # n 5 



Annual Do. • • *• 114 



Life Members . . „ .'.'.* * Ai2 



Annual Do. g, 0l 



Honorary Do 15 



making a total of 6927 Members on the books of the 



faction, inasmuch as it furnished ItoWniT «•«££ f^Sf^ S^S* ^X? ? d J the C ° Uncil have the 



proof that his exertions in the ran J «f thF^l? 8 5* t,sfa f ct,on of reporting the steady accession of Candi- 



during his formw ■ Preaiden« hZ «°, \l °?, ?' ?*" fr0m eV6ry part ° f the ki "g d <>m, at each of their 



amVroval Thj L£ v a 7 ' i i ^'th their Weekly Meetings: no less than 274 new Members 



greTelt benefits on the 'count v"!?^ C ° nfer ; ed the h '™& been elecfed during the last three months and a 

 ?!1^* I™™*. ! 1 the , ?? untr y. a ? lar S e . : and ln SU P- ; half. Since the last General Meeting in December, the 



porting its interests, and those of the agricultural com- 

 munity in general, it would be his great object to prove 

 his gratitude, not merely by words, but also by deeds. 



On the motion of Mr. Pym, seconded bv Sir John 

 Johnstone, the following trustees were unanimously 



re-elected : — 



but a tenant in the South of Sir Thomas D. Acland, Bart., M.P.j Hon. R. H. Clive M P • 



Marquis of Downshire j Duke of Grafton j Right Hon. Sir 

 James Graham, Bart., M.P. ; Henry Handley, Esq.; Sir 

 Francis Lawley, Bart.; Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P.j Duke of 

 Richmond ; Duke of Rutland; Earl Spencer; Duke of 

 Sutherland. 



t«rms are mfprT • ur »iversallj 



widely diffused a? tl^ locaIties - Now, in a work so 

 tti «bt be as well a ^ ricultural Gazette, perhaps it 

 ^tn much trouhl ? ltcertain »y would not be attended 

 J °cal, and to emri J VOld the use of terms 80 strictly 

 * n d instead of d ■ ■ ™ ° f more S eneral application ; 

 coa Is, stones &c Tv 9 ' leadin 9, or hauling manure, 

 Priate of the" thrp \ la8t " by much the most a PP ro * 

 hay e known a f«- t0 Cari > carr ^' or conve y them. I 

 English lan^uaJp ^e,gne^, but one who understood the 

 lnake of "theT ^ Uch P uzzled b 7 the use which we 

 ^minately to fh V rm P^ ri ».'' applying the term indis- 

 ** d th e drill hh machme b y which the seed is sown, 



F° nfe, «, «t the riir Up ? n Which !t i8 de P° sit ed. And I 



prance, that « If ° , lng ridiculed for my extreme 



** ^tivation nf r 8 ? \ have had some eiperience in 

 that U used in f land « J do not understand the term 



your Number of the 18th instant, in 



some 



r^ sensible i« T 1>umDcr of the 18th instant, in 



? e C aairman o *thl o £ P ° n Turni P culture » made b y 



v! "» that he M^ e ; tfir,e ^a^ 8 ' Club »" ^ei 

 ^t, in ' ,1 would w broad.shear" the land after 



term 



common 

 hich this 



♦T™ 1 " intended tT 6 ac the mea ™g which this 



*? ! a * right . n n/° nVe 7' but am b 7 no means sure 



( 



JI^l obserra^nn ' a8 ? -° 0me8 ^commended by good 

 l^'^^ 1 .?S.^l t . li > t Po«ibI« that^fhers 



K0Y AL AGRTpttt * 0( «t«W. 

 f T «* Genera M "^ S ° CIETY OF E ™LAND 

 ° f ^ting the VeSn? T f th ! **[«*. f or the purpose 



Went, Trustees, Vice-presidents , and 



On the motion of Mr. Raymond Barker, seconded by 

 Mr. Kinder, the following Vice-Presidents were unani- 

 mously re-elected : — 



Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Chichester, Earl of Ducie, Marquis 

 of Exeter Earl Fitzwilliam, Sir Thomas Gooch, Bt.; Sir Charles 

 Morgan, Bt.; Duke of Northumberland, Lord Portman, Earl 

 Talbot, Duke of Wellington, Lord Worsley, M.P. 



Mr. Shaw then reported the following result of the 

 scrutiny of the ballot-lists. He had the satisfaction of 

 stating that the election was perfectly unanimous, not a 

 single vote having been recorded against the house-list as 

 recommended to the General Meeting by the Council. 



I. Members of Council not going out this year by 

 rotation.: — J 



Colonel Austen, Hon. W. B. Baring, M.P.; John Benett, M P • 

 Samuel Bennet Esq ;T. W. Bramston, Esq., M.P. . E. Bul'ler! 

 Esq., M.P.; Colonel Challoner, J. W. Childers, Esq M P • Ed 

 ward Fellowes, Esq., M.P.; Humphrey Gibbs ££'. lord 5a- 

 therton, John Hudson, Esq.; W. H. Hyett, Esq. Sir John V. 



M i 0hn F t0 w* ?v'p M T" 5 Fid 5 er Kin ^ Es ^- ' W. Miles, Esq.; 

 ' Krai 5" y-^ndarves, Esq., M.P. ; Sir R. Price Bt 



Philip Pusey , Esq., M.P.j Francis py mf E E . A ga ' nford 



\ q rULrf m i Cy ' IH T ; H - S - Sothe ron, Esq., M.P.; W 

 K. C. Stansfield, Esq., M.P. ; Henry Wilson. 



II. Members of Council re-elected :— 



D *iT id w Ba £ clay » ,? 8 fc Mp -i T. Raymond Barker, Esq.: F. 



r U riJ^ q L H ' w a ^ ha i d « E «l-;.John Ellman; Es?. S. 

 Grantham, Esq , W. G Hayter, Esq., M.P. , C. Hillyard, 



Esq; W. Fisher Hobbs, Esq.- Sir Hungerford Hoskvns, 



Bart.; S. Jonas, Esq.; G. Kimberley, Esq.; John Kinder, 



Esq.; Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., M.P.; Professor Seweli; 



William Shaw Esq.; Hon. Captain Spencer; C. Stokes, 



t<V ; H. 8. Thompson, Esq. ; Geo. Wilbraham, Esq., M.P. 



III. New Members of Council :— 



W. R. Browne, Esq., (Wilts and Middlesex) ; Edward Gough, 

 Esq., J>alop) ; Viscount Hill, (Salop); J. AUen Ransome, 

 Esq., (Suffolk) ; R. A. Slaney, Esq., (Salop.) 



The President then directed the Secretary to read the 

 following Report from the Council :— 



The Council, in laying before the Members at their 

 present General Meeting their Half-yearly Report on the 

 state and prospects of the Society, at the completion of 

 the sixth year from the date of its foundation, have the 

 satisfaction of recording the progressive fulfilment of its 



Council, at the recommendation of the Finance Com- 

 mittee, have ordered the names of 249 Members to be 

 removed from the list of the Society ; of these 31 were 

 lost to the Society by death, and 157 struck out, either 

 at their own request, on account chiefly of their having 

 entered the Society at the Country Meetings, for tempo- 

 rary purposes only ; or on the decision of the Committee, 

 who have maturely taken each case of exemption, 

 claimed under a variety of circumstances, into their 

 special consideration : while the remaining 61 have 

 withdrawn their names from the Society, for reasons 

 assigned by them at variance with the fundamental rules 

 of the charter. 



The Finance Committee will lay before you the 

 Auditors' Balance-Sheet of the accounts to the* end of 

 the year 1843, and, at the same time, report the actual 

 state of the funds of the Society at the present time. 

 They have also reported that, at the last General Meet- 

 ing in December, the arrears of subscription due 

 on previous years, to that date inclusively, amounted 

 in the whole to 5724/. ; since which time they have been 

 reduced by the sum of 1124/. The Finance Committee 

 having represented to the Council that, in some instances, 

 they found great difficulty in recovering the arrears of 

 subscription due to the Society, the following resolution 

 was passed, namely : — 



"That a professional person be appointed to write 

 letters, demanding arrears of subscription, to all such 

 parties as shall be designated from time to time by the 

 Finance Committee ; and, in case of such applications 

 not being successful, to take further legal steps for en- 

 forcing the payments due." That Committee have 

 accordingly already taken preliminary steps, under 

 professional direction, for the recovery of some of 

 the remaining arrears, bat they still trust, that by the 

 prompt payment of what is due, ulterior legal measures 

 may be rendered unnecessary. 



. The Council feel it their duty distinctly to state, that 

 the charter gives to them the undoubted right of enforc- 

 ing the demand for any money due to the Society, in a 

 court of law : if they are ever compelled to resort to that 

 extreme measure, it will b€ with great regret ; but it 

 is their positive duty not to permit the useful objects tor 

 which the Society was established to be frustrated, by 

 allowing the actual receipts to fall short ot the legitimate 

 claims of the Society. 



The Journal Committee have reported the unusual 

 excellence and sound practical character of the whole 

 of the numerous Essays sent in this year to compete for 



