] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



On Shell-fish as Manure. — An article in No. 29, ex- 

 tracted from the Dumfries Courier, on the successful 

 results of experiments with shell-fish as manure, induces 

 me to trouble you with a few remarks on the subject. 

 Muscles and star-fish (five lingers, as the farmers call the 

 latter) have long been an established manure in the 

 neighbourhood of Faversham, in Kent. In a little work 

 entitled M Practical Chemistry for Farmers and Land- 

 owners," published a few years ago, I adverted to this 

 circumstance, and endeavoured to impress upon the 

 attention of agriculturists residing near the coast, the 

 advantages which they might derive from the use of 

 these as manure, and the benefit they would at the 

 same time confer on the community from the em- 

 ployment which the collection of them would afford to 

 that harJy race of fishermen, which constitutes the 

 nursery of our mercantile and national Navy. In the 

 neighbourhood of Faversham, the musales and star- 

 fish are procured by dredging, and furnish bread 

 to the free dredgers, who were nearly deprived of 

 employment by the neglect or mismanagement of the 

 oyster grounds belonging to the Corporation, on which 

 they had depended for their subsistence. Muscles sell 

 at I65. the waggon load ; "five fingers" at somewhat 

 more— I think 21 s. The farmers consider the latter the 

 most efficacious manure ; the reason of which the che- 

 mist would probably find in the greater proportion of 

 phosphoric acid present in their hard coveiing. I have 

 frequently counted between 12 and 20 waggon loads of 

 one or the other leaving Faversham on a market day. 

 There is scarcely a point of our coast which would not 

 furnish, either by means of dredging, or by means of 

 beds left dry at low water, a valuable source of employ- 

 ment and a valuable mine of manure, which would restore 

 a portion of those supplies of ammonia and the phos- 

 phates which our rivers are daily bearing from our 

 sewers into the sea. In the same manner the freshwater 

 muscles, the anodons and unios of our rivers, together 

 with the large paludina, (a shell somewhat resembling in 

 appearance the periwinkle or pin-patch) occasionally 

 occur in sufficient quantities to be worth the attention of 

 those experimenters who may be disposed to offer the 

 unemployed population of the neighbourhood a fair price 

 per bushel for collecting them. That small fisb the 

 stickleback has been, if it is not now, collected in large 

 quantities for n anure from the ditches of our fens, and 

 I can see no reason why frogs should not be applied to 

 the same purpose. They might be easily killed by 

 sprinkling them with salt, which of itself is, in moderate 

 quantities a valuable manure. We should thus, like the 

 French, eat Frogs, though not exactly in the same form. 

 But to return to the supplies of manure which ma ine 

 animals are capable of furnishing : — The river Conway in 

 Wales has long been celebrated for its pearls, which'are 

 even enumerated among the temptationswhich induced the 

 Roman invasion of our island. Large pearls t -re occa- 

 sionally found in the Unio margaritifera of the fresh- 

 water portion of the river, and small seed pearls are 

 obtained in considerable quantities from the edible 

 muscle (Mytilus edulis) of which there are large beds at 

 the mouth of the estuary. The use to which these small 

 pearls are applied, and the channel through which they 

 are disposed of in London, have hitherto remained u 

 secret, and the secret has conferred a monopoly of the 

 traffic on parties who purchase them of the peasantry by 

 the ounce, at such a price as renders the work of collect- 

 ing them a source of remunerative labour, not only to 

 women and children, but to men. The muscles, when 

 collected, are boiled in large caldrons to cause the open- 

 ing of the shells, and the mass being stirred and washed, 

 the pearls are found at the bottom of the vessel The 

 refuse would form a valuable manure, but is, or at least 

 was, a few years ago, left in large heaps on the shore. 

 Perhaps this article, and that which you have extracted 

 from the Dumfries Courier, may induce some of your 

 readers residing near Conway, to make trial of it as 

 manure. On stiff soils, the shells alone would be bene- 

 ficial in some degree, though perhaps of little compara- 

 tive value in a district where lime is so easily procured ; 

 but there can be no doubt that the mixture of the shells 

 and boiled bodies of the animals would be highly 

 efficacious. While we avail ourselves of the aid of 

 commerce from the importation of foreign manures, let 

 us not entirely lose sight of those supplies wh : ch lie 

 unheeded at our own doors. — «/. Trimmer, 



I 



533 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY of ENGLAND. 

 In completion of our last week's Report of the South- 

 ampton Meeting we have to publish the following cor- 

 rection of Errata in our report of the award of premiums 

 for Live Stock :— 



~£lL lh * ^M 1 * Ch " nn ^ ™<md Breed.-The prize of 10 sove- 



EXXI« iiS 1 * 1 } A > for the best bul1 calved sinc e the 1st of 



V Sff'ST ^ one J' ear old . ™ 8 ^judged to Mr. 



old ersev hill f - P ° ter S Parish ' Hant9 » for his ] > ear 3 months 



GiVtlFonL n d 2 Co1 ^ Le Couteur « of Belle Y ™> Jerse y- 



CHsi 4th £r7L? W * or Cross ~The prize of 15 sovereigns, in 

 Stated to h r eSt m . ca,f heifer - not exceeding 3 years old, was 

 10*mtt°o^ Buckingham, for his 2 years 



watr/fndtTtn M? h r "T* 1>ri ' ze of ,5 s °verei g ns, in class 2d, 

 28 moi Shi o 11 Snnth £ ranthan, » of Stoneham, near Lewes, for his 

 ^months old South Down ram, bred bv himself 



£SS3FE&«^ Swans 



himself ' U8 52 m ° nths old Oxfordshire ram, bred by 



Extra Stock. 

 p-f/J? u r TneJuri Se s warded 7*. to Mr - Michael Goodall, of 

 ?7Si^ h ' n J% r Sh l ffnal ». ^ his 5 years l month old cow 



nrltt SfS" * r rencl L cro8s brced - Also, 21. to Mr. George 

 nur^e H,rl?nrd h' n"^; **? T * th eriey. for his 10 months old 



mnn^c I If c ^ "^ A >°' "' t0 Mr « G ' Drake. *>r his 6 



months 3 days old cow-calf. 



r a L r°Jl g 'Tn " e i s *fV-"The Judges awarded 10/. to Mr. C. 



niH fE'J n vf ™* V "' Burford . °*o». for his 4 years 4 months 

 old new Oxfordshire ewe. 



Short woolled Sheep.— The Judges awarded 4/ to Mr T B 



m^ h h e = aS VH i Te ir rth * Marlborou S h . Wilt*, for his *3 years 5 

 E?h c * Southdown ram. Also, 21. to Mr. T. B. Northeast, 

 for h.s 3 years 5 months old Southdown ram. Also, Al. to Mr. 

 \V Sainsbury for his 3 years 7 months old Southdown ram. 

 f„ P'T IheJ t ud & esa warded 2/. to Mr. Hobos, of Markshall, 

 for his 8 months old improved Essex boar. Also, 21. to Mr 

 Hobbs. for his 7 months old improved Essex boar. Also, 1/. to 

 Mr. W. J. Calhoun, of Binderton, Chichester, for his 10 months 

 old Sussex sow. Also, 3/. to Mr. Hobbs, for his 9 months old 

 improved Essex sow. 



Horses. -The Judges awarded 51. to Mr. R. Curtis, of Basing, 

 stoke, for his 4 years 2 months o'd stallion. Also, 5/. to Mr 

 John Thomas Glasspool, of Southampton, for his 2 years 3 

 months old three-parts bred mare. 



The following are the names of the gentlemen who 

 officiated as judges of the stock :— 



The judges of the Short-horns were Mr. Hugh Watson, of 

 Keillor, near Angus; Mr. W. Torr, of Riby, near Caistor: Mr. 

 Charles Stokes, of Kingston, near Kegworth. 



Of the Herefords- The Rev. J. Smythies, of Gray Friars, Col- 

 Chester; Mr. James Peake, of Hanwood, near Ross; Mr J 

 Ashdown, of Uppington, Shrewsbury. 



Of the Dei-ons-Mr. J. Hudson, of Castle Acre, near S waff ham • 

 Mr. J. Druce. of Ensham, near Oxford j Mr. E. Franklin, of 

 Ascot, near Benson, Oxon. 



Of the Channel Islands Breed— Mr. W. R. Browne, of 

 Davenport-street, Bayswater; Mr. J. Clayden, of Littlebury, 

 Saffron Walden; Mr. M. Gibant, of Main Land, St. Lawrence. 

 Jersey. 



Of the Cross Breeds— Mr. J. Hall, of Wiseton Bawtry ; Mr. N. 



Smith, of Martley, Worcestershire ; Mr. H. Palfrey, of Upton- 

 on-Severn. * 



Of the Leicester*— Mr. T. Metcalf, Harleston, near Northamp- 

 ton j Mr. H.Bateman, Aathally, Witney, Oxon; Major Brown. 

 Melbourne, Grantham. 



Of the Southdoicns— Mr. T. Weall. of Woodcot Lodge, Croy- 

 don ; Mr. R. Emery, of Harston Place, Storrington: the Hon. 

 \N . Gage, of Westbury, Bishop's Waltham. 



Of the Long u-ools -Mr. W. Gillett, of Sou^h Leigh, Witney ; 

 Mr. J. Elliott, of Chapel, Brampton; Mr. W. Anderson, of 

 Oakley, near Bedford. 



Of the Short wools -Mr. J. Chapman, 29. Park-street, Dorset 

 Square; Mr. J. Harris, of Htnton, Abingdon ; Mr. T. Morris, of 

 Ranscombe, Lewes. 



Of Pigs-Mr. John Farncomb. of 5, Patriot-place, Brighton : 

 Mr. Jesse Kemp, of Utterby Grove, Louth ; Mr. R. J. Wiley, of 

 Hornby, near Catterick. 



Of the Horses— Mr. W. F. Karkcek, of Truro, Cornwall ; Mr. 

 Charles Bowman, of Greatford, Bourne : Mr. William Dav, of 

 Ensham, near Oxford. ' 



On Friday at noon, the general meeting of the 

 Agricultural Society took place at the Victoria Archery- 

 rooms. Earl Spencer took the chair. The thanks of 

 the Society were presented to the Mayor and Corporation 

 of Southampton, for the readiness which they had shown 

 to meet the wishes of the Society, and to do all in their 

 power to further its objects— also to Mr. Gater, upon 

 whose land the light implements had been tried, for the 

 exertion he had bestowed on the preparation of the light 

 land ; and to Mr. Spooner, of Ealing Farm, owner of the 

 land on which the heavy implements were tried. The 

 Marquess of Downshire then rose to propose that the 

 thanks of the Society be given to Earl Spencer for the 

 ability with which he had presided over the meetings of 

 the Society during the whole of his presidency. He had 

 no doubt that the great prosperity which the Society 

 had attained was to be attributed mainly to the great 

 interest evinced in its proceedings by the noble Earl, the 

 zeal he had exhibited in carrying out its objects, and the 

 great personal trouble and inconvenience to which he 

 had put himself in order to give effect to its proceedings. 

 Sir R. Price seconded the motion, which was carried by 

 acclamation. Earl Spencer said that it had most un- 

 doubtedly been bis earnest wish to promote to the 

 utmost of his power the interests of the Society. He 

 must be allowed the expression of his gratification that 

 the Society in general, and this annual meeting in parti- 

 cular, had been so successful — The thanks of the Society 

 were then presented to the late Mayor of Southampton 

 and to the Chairman and Board of Directors of the South 

 Western Railway for the assistance they had given in 

 bringing the cattle to the Show, and for the liberality 

 they had evinced in reducing their charges to meet the 

 occasion. The meeting then broke up. 



on the sides of the chalk hills, as well as the dirt from 

 heroads, is then thick and good; and this remark as 

 to the superior riches of the flood-waters is one that £s 

 commonly made in Berkshire and other parts of 

 England. The length of the autumnal watering cannot 

 be precisely stated, as much depends upon situation and 

 circumstances ; but if water can be commanded in abun- 

 dance, the custom is to give meadows < a thorough good 

 soaking at first,' perhaps for a fortnight or three weeks 

 with an intermission of two or three days during thai 

 period, and continue for the space of two fortnights 

 allowing an interval of a week between them. The works 

 are then made as dry as possible to encourage the growth 

 of the Grass. This first soaking is to make the land 

 sink and pitch close together— a circumstance of great 

 consequence, not only to the quantity, but to the quality 

 of the Grass, and particularly to encourage the shooting 

 of new root3, which the Grass is continually forming to 

 support the forced growth above. 



M While the Grass grows freely, a fresh watering is not 

 wanted ; but as soon as it flags, the water must be re- 

 peated for a few days at a time, always keeping this fun- 

 damental rule in view—' to make the meadows as dry 

 as possible after every watering, and to take off the water 

 the moment any scum appears upon the land, which 

 shows that it has already had water enough.' 



M Some meadows that will require the water for three 

 weeks in October, and the two following months, will 

 not perhaps bear it a week in February or March, and 

 sometimes scarcely two days in April and May. 



M In the catch-meadows, which are watered by springs, 

 the great object is to keep the works of them very dry- 

 between the intervals of watering; and as such situations 

 are seldom affecfed by floods, and generally have too little 

 water, it is necessary to make the most of the water by 

 catching and rousing it as often as possible ; and as the 

 upper works of every pitch will be liable to get more 

 water than those lower down, a longer time should be 

 given to the latter, so as to make them as equal as pos- 

 sible."— (Darin's Agriculture of Wiltshire, p. 125—7.) 

 " In Berkshire they first flood their water-meadows about 

 Michaelmas ; thtse are situated principally on the banks 

 of the Kennet. The first flooding they deem the richest 

 in quality ; this they keep on the land for about four 

 days, then they dry it for about a fortnight, and then the 

 water is let on for three or four days more. Those 

 meadows which are the most readily dried are the most 

 productive. There are none more so in fact than those 

 which have a porous, gravelly, or broken flint bottom, 

 from which the flood-water readily escapes, almost with- 

 out drains. They begin to feed their meadows wUh 

 sheep about the 6th of April, and continue feeding till 

 about the 21st of May, when the meadows are again 

 flooded for a crop of Hay ; the land is then flooded and 

 dried alternately for three days until Hay-time. 



" The land in Wiltshire, under this kind of manage- 

 ment, has been computed, and with a tolerable degree 

 of accuracy, to be between 15,000 and 20,000 acres, 

 borne considerable additions, however, have been made 

 to the water-meadows of the district since this calcula- 

 tion was made. (Davis's Wilts., p. 122.) About the 

 same number of acres are formed into water-meadows in 

 Berkshire, and a still larger number in Hampshire." 





t 



reierence to this section of our report :— 



liebftfos. 



Annual Register of Agricultural Implements, South- 

 ampton 1844 By Cuthbert W. Johnson, Esq., 



cadill * " Rid 8 Wfl y» Pi <> 



Jv," E ^T 1 a PP earance ^ this work is very useful, as 



chanir-? M 1 "?*?'?. m ?i h En * li,h a S™ultural me- 

 ?nT.i'lll ? gt * thc *?"* im Pfe»ent. mentioned 

 m it are illustrated by woodcuts, as well as by description. 



Imnr« P M ^ C " 6 the . work -* Guide to the South- 

 ampton Meeting-contains an interesting description, 

 geological, agricultural, and historical, of the country 

 between London and Southampton. 



From this we extract the following, descriptive of the 

 Wiltshire mode of managing water meadows :- 



In the autumn, the after Grass is eaten off quite , 

 oare, when the manager of the mead (provincially, the ! 

 drowner) begins to clean out the main drain, and 4 right ! 

 up the works ; that is, to make good all the carriages f 

 and drains which the cattle have trodden in, to as to 

 have one tier or pitch of work ready for drowning. This 

 is immediately put under water, while the drowner is 

 preparing the next pitch. 



"In the flowing meadows this ought to be done, if 

 possible, early enough in the autumn to have the whole 

 meadow ready to catch the first floods after Michaelmas. 

 The water then being the first washing of the arable lands 



Miscellaneous. 



Sheep Salve.-Hvnng left the south country, I came 

 to Fife, and go employment on the farm of Ballo, on 

 he Lomond Hills. At that place, power was given me 

 to manage he sheep entirely after my own fashion, and 

 after much thought on the subject, and seeing so much 

 harm done by the usual salve*, I set myself to consider 

 what were the real .objects to be gained by salving. I 

 considered they were twofold ; first, the destruction of 

 vermin, and, second, the growth of wool of superior 

 quality, ^ow, it is clear that the more innocent the 

 substances used, so much the better will it be for the 

 sheep as well as the wool ; for, in looking at the compo- 

 sition of the usual salves, it is easy to see that the tar, 

 the turpentine, the juice of tobacco, and arsenic, are all 

 merely calculated to kill vermin, and cannot possibly be 

 beneficial to wool, but rather detrimental ; while the 

 absorption of a portion of any of them through the pores 

 of the skin cannot fail to hurt the animal more or less 

 according to the quantity absorbed. Butter, therefore, ap- 

 peared to be the only article that could benefit the woo? 

 and at the same time not hurt the sheep. I then con-T 

 sidered that possibly oil of the cheapest sort, and used 

 by itself, would serve the intended purposes ; but as oil 

 runs off too easily by the heat of the sun, or even h? 

 that of the sheep themselves, it occurred to me to mix it 

 with a portion of tallow, which, while it is very nearly of 

 the same nature, would tend to harden the salve, so as 

 to retain it, and I wished to prove this by experiment 

 I felt assured that I would get superior wool, and I 

 hoped and trusted that it would also prevent vermin o» 

 the sheep ; but feeling some doubt on the propriety of 

 eavmg ihe tar entirely out, I mixed a portion amongst 

 the oil and tallow in my first experiment. I mixed 

 equal portions of tallow and train oil, weighing together 

 42 lbs., with 8 pints (16 quarts) of tar, for 100 bogs. 

 I then smeared 400 with that sort of salve, and it proved 

 much better in its results than anything I had ever seen 

 before, both for quantity and quality of wool, and the 

 vermin were also kept away. The wool-stapler said he 

 had never had a clip come through his hands equal to it. 

 Encouraged by this success, I next year left out the tar 

 entirely, and smeared 400 hogs with tallow and oil 

 alone, in the proportions given above ; and I found that 

 I had a still larger growth of wool, and of superior 



oualitv, so much so, that it realised in the market some 



