1844.] 

 jjjj^^cOTJOWLWPRoVBiiEin; soc.ety of 



fiRFAT NATIONAL CATTLE SHOW 



rr^HF SOCIETY'S THIRD GREAT AGRICUL- 



T H T : rKA"M E KT.XG LAND CATTLE SHOT, for the E, 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



413 



win •"" 



Dabli "; .^V'foTthe Province of Leinster. 

 A iCSiunw'to the Amount of One Thousand Pounds and upwards 

 %Z given on this occasion, for the encouragement of the 

 w, i l .ur^.k of Stock, including :— Short-horns, Devons, Ayr- 

 d ^ n Her -to 2s Long horns, Polled Angus or Gallons West 

 »hire«, H / r 3 U K C rrv Breeds ; also, for fat and Extra Stock not 

 ? l iTd in the abo?e classes; also, for Horses best adapted to 

 A^ricuUural Purposes, Sheep, Swine, fcc, opsn for General 



C *?!2irmi to a considerable amount will be also given for the 



1 "ismpns of Butter, Flax, Yarn, and "Wool; and a consider- 



E'.K of rnoney, besides the Medals of the Society, will be 



,i i-2 for the introduction and encouragement of Agricultural 



Cry ^ d Farming Implements of every description for 



i h the most ample accommodation will be provided. A large 



«f monev will be also appropriated for the exhibition of Seeds, 



5- UIU .S« and Agricultural preparations of every kind, for which a 



Srge^overed Shed will be erected, capable of affording the fullest 



"rSXSS^ of the COBOURG GARDEN'S, containing up- 

 -«h. of Eight Acres in extent, will be entirely appropriated on 

 2j «n«.i*inn and fitted up with separate Stalls, in the most com- 

 SlSner, for the exhibition of the Stock, Horses, Sheep, 

 ?r and the different other objects of the Show. 



Full Particulars connected with the Show can be had on ap- 

 plication to Edward Bullen, Esq., the Secretary of the Society, 37 

 Unncr sackville-street, Dublin ; by whom Premium Sheets and 

 Blank forms of Notices of Entry can now be forwarded, on applica- 

 tion to any parts of the kingdom. Every animal must have a 

 ienarate Notice of Entry, and all the Notices must be lodged with 

 the Secretary in Dublin, properly filled up, on or before Thursday, 

 the 1st of August, previous to the Show, or else be excluded from 

 competition ° Persons desirous of exhibiting large collections of 

 Agricultural implements are requested to send in full particulars 

 to the Secretary, numerically arranged, on or before the 1st of 

 August, in order that they may be published in full in the 



The Agricultural Challenge Cup, value One Hundred Sovereigns, 

 given by Peter Purcell, Esq., Honorary Secretary to the Society, 

 lor the Best Animal in the Neat Cattle Classes, possessing most 

 merit of its kind, in the estimation of the Judges, and now held 

 by George A. Grey. Esq., with his Short Horned Bull •■ Recruit," 

 will be also challengeable on this occasion. 



The different entertainments connected with the meeting will 

 be conducted on the most extensive scale; and will be open to ex- 

 hibitors and strangers visiting Dublin at the time of the Show, 

 and every accommodation will be provided for the Exhibition 

 ol Stock and Implements in the Show Yard. 



Signed by Order, Edward Bullkv, Secretary. . 



Society's Rooms, 37, Upper Sackville street, Dublin. 



AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. 



MESSRS. NESBITS' ACADEMY, 38, Kennington- 

 Lane, Lambeth, near London. 

 ■ From Chemistry alone further progress in Agriculture is to 



be expected. "—Liebio. 



In this School, in addition to the general routine studies, 

 every facility is afforded for the acquisition of a sound know- 

 ledge of Chemistry. The Pupils are practically taught in the 

 Laboratories the methods of analysing the various earths, soils, 

 manures, &c. ; and likewise the means of detecting the sub- 

 stances abstracted from the land by different crops. Land Sur- 

 veying is also taught practically, as well as theoretically. 



A copy of a Lecture on Agricultural Chemistry, delivered by 

 Mr. J.C.NESBiTtothe Maidstone Farmers' Club, and the Terms 

 of the School, which vary from 40 gs. to 70 gs. per annum, may 

 be had on application, either personally or by letter. 



Mr. Nesbit's Works on Land Surveying, Mensuration, 

 Gauging, Arithmetic, English Parsing, Education, &c, may be 

 had of all booksellers. 



References.— Dr. D. B. Reid, F.R.€.E., &c., Author of 

 "Elements of Practical Chemistry," &c, St. James's Park, 

 Westminster} G. F. Richardson, Esq., F.G.S., Author of 

 "Geology for Beginners," &c, British Museum, London j 

 W. and J. Gibbs, Esqrs., Civil Engineers, Devonshire-street, 

 Portland-place, London ; Rev. T. Cuffe, Carlisle Episcopal 

 Chapel, Lambeth; R. Greenhill, Esq., Ashford, Kent; and 

 C. G. Whitaker, Esq., Barming, near Maidstone, Kent. 

 The School will be re-opened on Monday, July 15th, 1844. 



because we 

 considerable 

 us to deter- 



®f)e &QVi cultural ©alette* 



SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1844. 



MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 



W«d!»mdat, Jane 26 Agricultural Society of England. 

 * Hl 'K«DAY t June 27 Agricultural Imp. soc. of Ireland. 



WiDNMDAY, July 3 Agricultural Society of England. 

 *uue»eax, July 4 Agricultural Imp. Soc. of Ireland. 



June 24 



uly 4 Agricultural Imp 



FARMERS* CLUBS. 



Chepttow. 



r"-»epftow. 

 ) Wenlock. 

 /FHirford. ' 

 MV. Firle. 



June 



.. V j*rnm*Kmve. 

 *>< ^ramlin K ham. 

 IRayleigh. 

 June 27 i K' ch n>ondshire. 

 lOiove Ferry. 



r Stoke Ferry. 



Tun* 2P-5 Hadl « , 'K h ' 

 June SB< Wrentham. 



M)ebenhain. 



t «rt 1 Cardiff. 



June 29 ( G i uce»ter. 



July 1 W. Market. 



Some time ago we received from one of our readers 

 the following communication, signed " C. L.," com- 

 menting upon our remarks on mowing young 



lftif vr : "~~" 0n reac *i n g y° ur Leading Arcicle of the 

 lath May, on the subject of mowing young Wheat, 

 *t appeared to me that if such a method was really 

 D^iencial, all my previous notions, which I had 



creaT " throu S h the columns of your Paper, of the 

 prr n lm P ortanc e of leaves to vegetation, were 



than th S ' and that leaves were rather P re J udicial 

 thpm °* ^ rwise > for in this instance you recommend 

 uiem to be cut away, to benefit the stem. Such an 



r£ . SSl ° n ' l think > is natur *l ! but upon reflection, 



is oj me that the P lan of m ° win s y° uI1 g Wheat 



My a remedy for an error committed in sowing 

 twpT" X ?° lhick » and that if a sufficient space be- 

 ben i, plants had been left > h would be 

 ^ w to allow the leaves to remain. If leaves are to 



at wnT d as so many cl,e| nical laboratories always 



it do* " theda y- ,ime > Preparing food for plants, 



es a PP ear an injurious practice to destroy them." 



Now, it must be observed that our remarks on this 

 subject were only applicable when the plants, owing 

 to luxuriant soil, wet weather, or other circum- 

 stances, had become overgrown, and thus liable to 

 be laid by rain and wind. It must have been a 

 very extraordinary case indeed, that would have 

 benefited by the operation this year, the weather 

 having been so singularly opposed to over-growth of 

 any kind. 



We quite agree with ■ C. L." that drilling Wheat 

 in rows sufficiently far apart, would in a great mea- 

 sure obviate the necessity for this operation; light 

 would then obtain free access to all parts of the 

 plants, unhindered by their luxuriant foliage, and all 

 its beneficial effects would then be experienced 

 without any artificial assistance. For this reason, 

 too, one would think that wide drilling would be 

 particularly suited to wet seasons and districts— that 

 the width of the interval between the plants, from 

 which the maximum benefit is derivable, would be 

 proportioned in some manner to the wetness of the 



climate. 



We mention this particularly now, 

 have in process an experiment on a 

 scale, the result of which will enable 

 mine, with reference to soils of a certain description, 

 the width of intervals at which, under given circum- 

 stances, the farmer ought to drill his Wheat. In 

 accordance with the suggestion of the Editor of the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle (in the vol. for 1843), we have 

 divided a 10-acre field into five different plots, in 

 which the seed was drilled in rows, 6, !), 12, 15, and 

 18 inches apart respectively. Notwithstanding the 

 dry weather which we have experienced, which if 

 •ever thick sowing was advisable would cause it to 

 be so this year, the thinnest sown Wheat, that which 

 is drilled at intervals of 18 inches, is of a singularly 

 luxuriant and vigorous growth compared with that 

 sown at intervals of 6 inches alongside of it. The 

 plants and ears on the thick-sown plot are indi- 

 vidually very puny compared with those on the 

 neighbouring thin-sown land; though how far their 

 greater number on a given space will affect the ex- 

 periment in reference to the produce per acre — this 

 being of course the ultimate test by which the practice 

 must be tried — remains to be seen. We shall report 

 further on this experiment in the autumn, and, 

 along with our own, we shall be happy then to report 

 the experience of any of our readers, on the import- 

 ant subject to which it refers. 



In the year 1834, the Doncaster Agricultural 

 Society published a Keportof their Committee on the 

 Turnip-fly, and on the means of preventing its 

 rav^es. This Report embodied the opinions and 

 experience of 102 correspondents, and though it sug- 

 gested but few satisfactory means of diminishing the 

 ravages of the fly, yet it was influential in drawing 

 the attention of Entomologists to an insect which had 

 till then almost entirely escaped notice. Accordingly, 

 we find from the paper by i\Jr. Curtis on this subject, 

 in the 2d vol. of the English Agricultural Society's 

 Journal, that the economy of this little beetle was 

 shortly after that made known by the careful inves- 

 tigations of Mr. H. Le Keux. 



We extract the following particulars from Mr. 

 Curtis's communication to the Agricultural Society : — 

 " The eggs of the common striped Turnip- fly are 

 laid on the under side of the rough leaf of the Turnip, 

 from April to September ; they hatch in two days. 

 The maggots live between the two skins or cuticles 

 of the rough leaf, and arrive at maturity in sixteen 

 days. The chrysalis is buried just beneath the surface 

 of the earth, where it remains about a fortnight. The 

 beetles live through the winter in a torpid state, and 

 revive in the spring, when they destroy the two first 

 leaves,calledthecotyledons,orseed-leaves,oftheyoung 



Turnip. There are five or six broods in a season. 

 These insects are most to be feared in fine seasons. 

 Heavy rains, cold springs, and long droughts, destroy 

 them. Their scent is very perfect: the beetles fly against 

 the wind, and are attracted from a distance. The 

 rapid growth of the plant is the best security against 

 them : to secure which, sow plenty of seed, all of the 

 same age. Burning the surface of the land is bene- 

 ficial by destroying the chrysalides. Sheep-folding 

 must destroy the insects in every state. Deep 

 ploughing is an excellent practice when the chry- 

 salides are in the soil. Drilling is a far superior 

 practice to sowing the seed broadcast. Long, raw 

 manure harbours the beetles. The benefit derived 

 from the application of lime and soot is very doubt- 

 ful. Mangold Wurzel is not favourable to the 

 beetles ; and Swedes are probablv less attractive than 

 white Turnips. Mixing white Turnips with Swedes 

 is not desirable, as the beetles may be attracted by 

 the strong scent of the former. Early sowing is 

 attended with disadvantages. Destroy Charlock- 

 it affords support to the beetles before the lurnips 

 come up." Hoeing and roliiug. constant horse-hoeing, 

 watering the crops, especially with weak brine, fumi- 

 gation by burning stubble, &c, tend to destroy, 



harass, and keep off the beetles; and immense quan- 

 tities may be caught and destroyed by the use of 

 Paul's net, painted boards, &c, drawn over the 

 young Turnip plants. 



It is not, however, to these latter remedies that the 

 farmer must look for security from the Turnip-fly ; 

 he must adopt preventive, not remedial measures, to> 

 insure the safety of his crops from its ravages. 

 Watering plants which are attacked by it may de- 

 stroy numbers of these insects, but it is an operation 

 which no extensive farmer can undertake. This is 

 evident from the consideration that one day's 

 showers — say equal to an inch of rain — scatters over 

 each acre a hundred tons of water : a quantity which 

 a man, horse, and water-cart could not spread in a 

 week. 



The most probable means of destroying these in- 

 sects are, frequent and deep cultivation during the 

 growth of the plants, and at all other times ; ami the 

 most probable means of evading their attacks lie in 

 the adoption of such a mode of cultivation as shall 

 cause a rapid germination of the Turnip-seed, and 

 vigorous growth of the young plants through that 

 stage of their existence in which they are most liable 

 to injury from this cause. 



AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS. 

 With reference to my improvements ar Tiptree Hall 

 (the expenditure of 6000/. on a farm of 130 acres, that 

 only cost 3250/. as explained in my two former letters), 



I am so constantly told, in tones varying from doubt and 

 pity to ridicule and censure, that M It can never pay" — 



II You will never see your money again" — M You are a 

 bold man" — " It is impossible it can answer — the cost is" 

 too great," and so on, that 1 must endeavour to fill up 

 the outline of my plan with details, and try to convince 

 those whose comprehension of my success is impeded by 

 prejudice. Most of my operations are approved of 

 separately, but there is a dread of the sum total, at if 

 what were individually right could be collectively wrong. 

 I shall show, then, 



1st. How the farm is to pay me, as landlord, an 

 additional rent of 240/. per annum, with an increased 

 benefit to the tenant, as compared with his former 



holding. 



2d. The intended course of cropping, stocking, and 



management of the farm. 



3d. I will remark on the weak points in the present 



state of land and system of farming. 



4th. I shall submit a few general observations on the 

 non-application of capital to land ; and on the import- 

 ance of agricultural improvements in an economical, 

 social, and other points of view. 



In making the following estimates, I have adhered 

 strictly to matters of fact, which 1 am prepared to dis- 

 cuss and substantiate. I have expressly undervalued the 

 benefits, because I know how suspiciously and sceptically 

 my statement will be scrutinised by those whose minds 

 are pre- occupied by doubts and prejudices, rather than 

 by calculation. 



STATKMEVT OF ANNUAL 0.4IV OR SAVIBTO. 



200 trees removed— estimated to danfage by their 

 roots aud by their shade, 1*. each .... 



950 linear rods (5£ yards each) of removed banks 

 and Fences (Ditches filled up), averaging two yards 

 wide- estimated to damage by their roo^, their 

 shade, their encouragement of weeds and vermin, 



td. per rod - * _% 



1.6th saved in horse labour and wear. (This, in the 



Agricultural Society's Journal, vol. iv. p. 336, is 

 estimated at l-4th) .....•• 



l-8th ditto in manual labour 



Seven acres gained in fences, &c, which produced 

 nothing, but cost the tenant, rent, &c., 36s. per acre 



Profit in cultivation of the above seven acres, at 1 5s. 



per acre 



105 quarters of Wheat, thrashed by 

 quantity 1 -28th, or 2s. per quarter .... 



150 ditto spring Corn, at Is 



Saving in thatching, removing: stacks and straw, 



waste by birds, &c 



Liquid manure tank— we only reckon upon 20,000 

 gallons, at 50s. per thousand 4 (each K00 gallons 

 being equal to 4 cwt. guano) 



Improved quality of solid manure . • • • 



Increased value of stock, by warmth, dryness, and 

 diminished consumption of food . . • • 



General increase on 90 acres of Corn and Clover crops, 

 arising from perfect drainage, at U. per acre . 



Savin* in quantity of seed sown . . • • • 



Twenty acres that used to be long fallowed, at an 

 expense of 5/. per acre, now calculated to pay their 

 expenses, if not a profit, by Bean or Root crops . 



A first-rate house to live in, with every comfort and 

 con venience— the lower rooms eleven feet high, the 

 bed rooms ten teet high, and convenient rooms for 

 the bailiff. (The tenant could not reside iu the 

 old dilapidated hovel, which was damp, unhealthy, 

 and caused several deaths by fever) 



jf s. d. 



10 O 



21 5 O 



51 



20 





 











12 12 



5 5 O 



gain in 



10 



7 



10 

 10 





 



5 O 



M 



10 





 





 0- 



15 



N 



20 





 







100 



30 O 



j£428 2 



To sum up, whereas' the former gross annual return 

 of the farm was under 5/. per acre, we shall try to in- 

 crease it to 10/. per acre. 



To this might be added several contingent advantages, 

 of considerable value, but not so easily reduced to 



figures. , 



1st. The being able to fat at least 100 to 150 sheep 

 more than before, of a better quality, and ear »er lami os. 

 The tenant could breed, but never thoroughly fatten 

 lamb or sheep on the farm in its former cold, ^ 

 and exposed state, with its homestead °P en 

 cutting north-east winds, without gutters or dr« .5 ' 



2d Ah. facility of ™^X«™^*« 

 the economy of several acres that were 4 

 horse food, by growing^ lucerne Tares . ^ 



3d. The very important benenc j 



