1844.] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



347 



Grain cut with the smooth and toothed sickles. 

 A» to leading and stacking mown sheaves are closer in 

 the be«d than shorn, and on this account less Grain is 

 lost by shedding while being carted ; and as a stack built 

 of mown sheaves is more open than one of sheaves 

 shorn with sickles the grain and straw in it not only win 

 sooner, but on that account may be carried with safety 

 from the field in an imperfectly dry state. It is allowed 

 that a stack of mown sheaves has a rougher appearance 

 than one of sheaves cut with the sickle, and that it 

 exposes a greater number of heads of grain to the weather 

 snd the depredations of birds ; but this difficulty is easily 

 overcome, as a m- n can dress a stack with a scythe-blade 

 in an hour. It is admitted that shorn sheaves are 

 ttirashed about 10 per cent, faster with the flail than 

 mown ones ; but as that implement is now in very limited 

 use in Scotland, and as a good thrashing-machine is 

 equally effective and expeditious with sheaves cut in 

 either way, this objection is of little importance. Another 

 question of moment in using the sickle and scythe is the 

 quantity of work performed by each, and its co»t. The 

 following are the results of Mr. Taylor's experience in 

 the employment of 7 harvest labourers connected with 

 the operation of each implement, viz , with the scythe, 

 mowers, 2 gatherers, 2 binders, and 1 raker; and with 

 the sickle, 6 reapers and 1 binder: — 



Of Wheat. Of Oats or Barley. 



A. R. p. 



4 20 

 2 2 10 

 .2 10 



From these results, the advantage from the use of the 



scythe is obvious. According to a statement given bv 



Mr. Taylor, it appears that the cost of mowing is about 



4a. per acre — a sum considerably less than the expense 



incurred by either kind of sickle. Mr. Finnie of Swan- 



ston then read a report of experiments made by Mr. 



Lumsdaine of Lathallan, in Fifeshire, with various 



fertilisers, on different crops. The crops experimented 



-on were Oats, Barley, Wheat, Tares, Pasture, young 



Grass, Potatoes, and Turnips. The articles experimented 



with were farm-yard dung, foreign guano, Johnston's 



artificial guano, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, 



bone-dust, rape-dust, sulphate of soda, chloride of 



sodium, and gypsum. The following are some of the 



conclusions which Mr. Lumsdaine has given. Oats.— 



In respect of this article of produce, it is observable that 



the nitrate of soda gave 608 lbs. more grain and 82 lbs 



more straw p tr Scotch acre, and the sulphate of ammonia 



t>, Jibs, more gram and 1 181bs. more straw after a hay crop, 



at less than half the expense of farm-yard manure, renewed 

 after lumps ; thus proving the great superiority of both 

 these fertilisers, but especially of the ammonia. It 

 farther appears that the ground in a natural state after 

 hay is much more beneficially acted upon by these 

 mineral fertilisers than by the higher order of animal 

 manures after a Turnip crop. 



a. r. r. 

 By the Scythe 2 3 



Smooth Sickle 1 1 ]8 

 .. Toothed Sickle 1 8 



sets being dipped i„ a solution of Ume, salt,and water, thrv 

 gave a satisfactory result, both in regard of frecness fru. 

 disease and extent of produce. As to keeping Potato*! 

 or seed, Mr. Boyd tried the planting of Potatoes which 

 had unintentionally been left in the field all winter, ,n 

 comparison wtrfc those which had been pitted m the 

 usual way, the seed, the soil, the manure being alike ; and 

 the result was tut the plants from the sets which had 

 been left in the soil all winttr were h|)t>d More th()&e 



from the pitted Potatoes appeared above, ground, and 



ihey also ripened 14 days earlier, and produced nearly a 



fourth pan more of crop. In consequence of this result, 



Mr. hoyd left some Potatoes in the drill all winter, 



which he intended for seed, only protected from the 



frost by a little rough dung sprinkled upon the ground ; 



and he also made a pit of about four feet in diameter of 



the same kind of Potato which had been It-It in the d.ill 



the pit consisting of a layer of Potatoes and one of earth 



alternately, and covered in the usual way. In the spnng 



ol 1841, the Potatoes in the pit seemed well preserved, 



though not so juicy as those left in the drills. On both 



being planted, the sets from the drills germinated some 



days earlier, were sooner ripe, and produc d a heavier 



crop than those pitted in the usual wav. Latterly, Mr. 



Boyd iried keeping his seed Potatoes in trenches six 



inches deep, srrewed with salt and covered with rough 



dung. The Potatoes were taken out fresh and un- 



sprouted in the spring, and the plants from them were 



equal to those raised from seed kept in the drill all 

 winter. 



ROYAL INSTITUTION. 



May 17— Lord Prudhoe, President, in the chair. The 

 Rev. E. Sidney gave a communication On the Diseases 

 of W heat. Mr. Sidney commenced by stating, that 

 though these evils were but too well known, their causes, 

 as well as the mode of remedying them, had as yet been 

 little investigated. Mr. Sidney then mentioned/that the 

 diseases of Wheat arise, ei> her "from parasitic fungi, from 

 insects, or from a yet unascertained cause. Of the para- 

 sitic fungi, the Uredo foetida, or caries, commonly called 

 bunt, or pepper-brand, attacks the grain, of which it fills 

 the interior. It is recognised by its disgusting odour ; 

 it is supposed that one grain thus diseased may contain 

 4,000,000 of its spores, each T ^ of an inch in 

 diameter. These burst, and emit a cloud of sporules, 

 which are absorbed during the germination of the seed. 



it is common in Rye, but more frequent in Wheat than is 

 generally supposed. All that can be said of it in the 

 present condition of our knowledge is, that it is a inon- 

 >trous state of the seed, *hicb in that condition burns 

 like resin. The ergot of Wheat is more intensely poison- 

 ous than that of Rye, the qualit.es of which" are well 

 known. It grows freely in clayey, * e t toils, and was 

 last year prevalent in Darnel, and several other Grasses. 

 Hence the diseases in cattle may have originated. Mr. 

 Sidney's discourse was illustrated by diagrams, executed 

 by Piofessor Hen&low, and by examples of the various 

 morbid appearances of diseased Wheat. 



Miscellaneous. 



Manure Tanks. — We understand that the Earl Fitz- 

 william has intimated to his tenantry, tliat he will pay 

 half the ex pense of providing tanks for containing liquid 

 manure, on the several farms held under his lordship. It 

 would be well if other landlords would follow the noble 

 lord's example. — Donee ster Gazette. 



Experiments with Manures. — We have in the two 

 following experiments a decided proof of the superiority 

 of bone and guano as fertilisers, compared with dung : — 

 Experiment No. 1.— A trUI between bone dust and 

 Truro scavengeis' dung, by Mr. George Mason, on Rose- 

 vetli farm, in Ke.nwyn, on a crop of White Turnips, cal- 

 culating the price of the dung at 4s. per load— the in- 

 creased consumption of bone and guano having very ma- 

 terially lessened the use of this article, and consequently 

 its price. 



Dung, half -acre. \ 



15 loads of dun^irom jC s d 



Truro, at 4ir. per load 3 o i 

 Expense of carriage 3 



"dies . . . l 17 6 

 Expenses of spreading 



the dung on the lanu 15 



Hone, Uu! 

 1$ qrs. at bone-dust 



tge of d!tt • 

 Broad-casting;, Kcc. 



I 







14 



1 

 1 



6 

 6 







£l 17 

 tons 



o 

 to 



ii 12 6 



The crop was equal, being about twenty 

 the acre ; but the difference in the expense was so consi- 

 derable that the farmer could have cultivated three acres 

 with bone at the expense of one with Truro town-dung. 

 The estate is situated in a poor district, having a sooth- 

 east aspect, and lies on the clay-slite ; valued about 1-8*. 

 per acre. Experiment No . 2. — Between dung, bone, 

 and guano, as fertilisers for Grass and Hay, was insti- 



ZZZ\T J Urmp cr °P- *<"•%.— Here the Rape 



TLi ,- f T yard n,anure b y an «cess of 424 lbs. 



or grain, and ol lbs. of straw, whilst the artificial guano 



fr« m ?i Urate ° S ° da maiDtai °ed an equal efficacy, but 

 from the expense attending these being only 2-5ths of 

 me cost of kape-dust, the preference is due to them. 

 f»rli "~ 6 ? is 9 uite problematical whether the 



lani 5 r ,° gre ! S ° f the P* 8ture b y 10 da y« ™uld, i«» »P- 

 tfolt ti d , ,stricts ' be sufficiently compensatory, su- 



ouen? th f e ° utJayt ° be essentially necessary, in conse- 

 Tra^ft ex P endit ^e of the winter keep. Young 

 «uhT-; 0r * y '- Tbe <* n <*wion here follows that the 

 ton lil mm0nia ""*** ^eprctftTmryrnrpWd-as a 

 ear!i/r !f g m ^ efereD ce to nitrate of soda, and from its 

 natch Hi V T C ° f the P asture W 12 ^ys than the 

 lootr ,C m u g0t * 0thiD S> the aftermath would be 

 The^nfpr .* and Jnore P™ d ™tive. Potatoes.- 



hrlrlJiT m this <*** is > t»»it the patch with the 



■odiuTtoh!^ J ulp !? te of soda ' and cblor,de of 



manure W f ,, ™ d * ^ ext > that with tbe ^rm-vard 

 CnoanHf ^ Th en those with Johnston's artificial 



cake • and i T y? Td dun S' and f a ^-yard dung with rape 

 and artifin- l a11 the two P orti °ns with the foreign 



equal in I/ * UHn -° 8 by themB «lve8 f which are nearly 

 3'uruim t _rr rit i WUh r€ference t0 cost and produce. 

 forei K n Tr/uann • ^ head the & reat superiority of the 

 *ion of 530 t U partlcularl y prominent in the produc- 

 al °ne at Utti* m ° re bulbs than from farm-yard dung 

 ^e mature fT* ***** half lhe ex I )ense - Next comes 



•tones more th. » ™ ith f0nign gUaD °' y ie,din & 357 

 J e«s Per acre t? g aI ° ne ' at an ex P e nse of a guinea 

 "one-dust p : follows the combination of dung and 



] «s monev 5 t'^k 7stones ™ore than dung alone, at 14*. 

 fc y the artifi • i boil e-dust by iUelf comes next, followed 

 *ith farm ^a ! Uan ° by it8e li"also, and in combination 

 endchlorid f i" 8 * The Ra P e dust with nitrate of soda 

 ^ scantiness 80 f dl 1 uni » ma y safely be repudiated, both from 

 ~~"^)r Marrl* 8 °ij P rouuce and the expense incurred. 

 ^^erleithenpl^^J 6 ^ a P a Perby Mr. Robert Boyd, 

 in the Pof-tn ee *? Iessnrr e, On the Prevention of the Curl 



^es kitend«l , f an c 0I \ the **** Melllod of k eepi«g Pota- 



^^■e troubl i I Mt ' B °y d sa y s that he has been 



^ease to wl T i tiie curl ^ the Potato than any otlier 



tie » of bis^SLr 6 ,)lant is liable - F or 10 years a por- 

 ^^o^h tliTs^ 1 ,DVttnabl y produced curled Potatoes, 

 ^ Ue otly thp !f WftS ■ ftnnu * ii y changed, and not uufre- 

 ef the „.! I " 1 8Tinre .« On examining the tubers 



purpose lime, matters containing ammonia and potass, 

 instead of sulphate of copper or arsenic. The Uredo se- 

 getum, the fungus next named, attacks the flower 

 and its pedicel; it is called smut, or dust-brand. Its 

 spores are smaller than those of Uredo fogtida, and 

 it has no odour, but cattle reject straw infected by it; 

 clean seed is the best remedy, but its extreme minute- 

 ness renders it difficult of removal, the spores being j^^ 

 inch in diameter. j\lr. Sidney then described another 

 fungus, Uredo rubigo, or Uredo linearis, commonly 

 called robin-rush, red-rag, or red-gum, as attacking 

 chaff, scales, and leaves ; he stated, however, on the 

 authority of Prof. Henslow and others, that this fungus 

 is only an imperfect form of Puccinia graminis, or mil- 

 dew. "This fungus appears in the straw in sori, or 

 patches, consisting of multitudes of Pear-shaped spores 

 filled with sporules. As these patches originally appear 

 in the cavities beneath the stomata, it is inferred that 

 they enter them with the moisture they inhale, but are 

 not taken up by the roots. As a remedy for this de- 

 structive disease, 3\lr. Sidney proposed the amendment 

 of the soil, where too retentive of water, to air it well 

 by exposure and freedom from weeds, to repress an 

 over-luxuriance of vegetation, not to manure imme- 

 diately before Wheat, and to select early varieties in places 

 liable to mildew. In closing this part of his subject, 

 Mr. Sidney demonstrated, from a highly magnified draw- 

 ing of the iEcidium berberidis, that it was a vulgar error 

 to imagine that the Corn-mildew was produced by the 

 Berberry. But he admitted, that the "Wheat might be 

 injured by the odour of the Berberry flowers, or by the 

 ingredients of a soil favourable to that plant. The rev. lec- 

 turer then proceeded to injuries inflicted on Wheat crops 

 by insects. He noticed, that about 9 o'clock in the 

 evenings of the month of June, myriads of a two-winged 

 fiy, the Cecidomyia tritici, or black midge, appear on the 

 Wheat flowers. The larvee of this fly cause abortion, so 

 that the grain ceases to advance. It is imagined that 

 the chrysalis is bred on the straw-heaps before the 



The field had alternately been mown and grazed during 

 this period, and had received no dressing, m t.ie shape 

 of dung, for the last ten years. The soil is a heavy 

 loam, resting on a clay-slate subsoil, having a northern 

 aspect. Three balf-acres were carefully selected, mea- 

 sured and manured, on the 24th of March — the Hay cut 

 on the 10th of July, and weighed on the 15th. The 

 result will be seen in the following table : — 



Manures, 



per r.alf acre 



statute. 



Cost of 



manures, i Weight of new hay 

 inciudingj per statute acre, 

 carriage. 





15 loads on 

 Plymouth > 

 dung . .) 

 10 bushelsi 



bone-dust J 



134 lbs. of 1 



guano . / 



/. *. d. 



4 8 



1 12 



17 



Value 

 of hay 

 at 30*. 

 pr.r 



Profit. 



Loss. 



tous.cwts. qrs. lbs. I/, s. d. I. s. d. 



1 



1 



1 



8 



2 



12 2 



12 



2 







1 13 p 



2 p 



• m 



L s. d. 



2 6 



o l 9 



1 12 





and three of Clover, had been sown, and at the present 

 barns. A check to the rapid increase of this flv is pro- period they are looking remarkably well ; there was also 



_-j...a« ii -ii- , .„.,-' - _ r _i *. ^;_u* : :..ll u_i r T> .1 



Here we have a decided loss on the part of the Plymouth 

 dung, which consists of the sweepings of Plymouth 

 streets, night-soil, rubbish, &c, of 21. 6s., and a decided 

 gain on the guano of 1/. 12s. per half-acre. There can- 

 not be a question after this and the other experiments 

 which I have related, that guano is a most astonishing 

 fertiliser ; still this experiment, valuable as it is, is in- 

 complete, till we see the effect of these manures on the 

 next year's crop, which should be grown without ma- 

 nure, and cut and saved in the same careful manner. 

 The after Grass was very good on each of the pieces, the 

 cattle preferring the part manured with bone. Mr. Rope 

 tried the guano in various ways. On a piece of ground 

 adjoining, he sowed double the former quantity per acre; 

 and on some young Clover also a similar quantity, and 

 the rapid growth of each was extraordinary. The ipots 

 where guano was applied could be distinguished at a 

 great distance. In another instance he dressed half an 

 acre of Barley, with which fifteen sorts of Grass-seeds, 



£ CUrlfri **1 examining 



*** the wir P S ' be invar *ably found them affected 

 "je wire- worm, » ^ _■. _v 



pj^Sfc ^e dusted the 



■AUioi 



a smarl-1 *lug or snail, and 



*as nm/i Bn i x'""~ S ^ 6s Rltil qu^k lime, not a single 

 • »«£ I"* ^freeofcurl. 11« next dipped the set^ Tin 



*" ck lime la ™ d T ater ' and ^ted tbem with 



"""S*. it' wa f ,^ Sh , tl, ?, cro P f «" fc* »hort of an 



,eU u »t aipoed i«?k ' ? e ° f ,hat Forced by the 



PPed .n the salme solution. Next year, on the 



videntially provided in two or three species of ichneumon, 

 which feed on the chrysalis ; still it is sufficiently abun- 

 dant to destrov sometimes as much as one-third of a 

 Wheat crop. The remedy against this is in the use of a 

 sieve, of sufficient size to let dust and chrysalides through, 

 and then to burn the refuse at a distance from the barn. 

 This process affords the additional advantage of destroying 

 many injurious seeds. Mr. Sidney mentioned that this plan 

 had been successfully tried for two years on a large farm in 

 Norfolk. That wonderful insect, the Vibrio tritici (ear- 

 cockle, or pt ppercorn) was next mentioned ; it attacks the 

 grain. These ex'remely minute animalcules enter the stalk 

 from the earth. They turn the grain first green, then black, 

 and round, while the husks and chaff open, and the awns 

 become twisted ; 50,000 of these vibrios, according to 

 Professor Henslow, weigh a grain. They will live six or 

 seven years dried up in the seed. The remedy suggested 

 is to steep the seeds in water, hot enough to destroy this 

 insect, but not to injure the germinating power of the 

 seed. The last disease noticed was that of the ergot : 



an increase of about eight imperial bushels of Barley per 

 acre, compared with other parts of the field. I mention 

 this circumstance connected with the seeds, in conse- 

 quence of its having been stated that guano is injurious 

 to Clover and young Grasses. The next experiment to 

 which 1 would direct your attention, was a trial between 

 bone and guano, also made by Mr. Rope, of Tregoth- 

 nan. Upon a field of five acres in Swede Turnips, which 

 was of a very inferior description, valued at 10*. per 

 acre, a mixture of 15 loads of farm-yard dung, and 5 

 loads of calcareous sea-sand '(the coralline .deposit found 

 in Falmouth harbour), and 22 loads of soil taken from 

 the ditches, was laid per statute acre — at a cost, in- 

 cluding carriage and spreading, &c, of 4.1. '2s. Three 

 acres dressed in this manner were measured out— one of 

 them having 2\ cwts. of guano, and another 2\ quarters 

 bone dust extra. The seed was of fhe purple top ▼*"«'▼» 

 and was drilled in at IS inches distance, on ihe loth ot 

 June. The difference between the acre which was sim- 

 ply dressed with the dung, sand, and earth, compared 



