

1844.] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



547 



8 



I 



come up. Grass crops are also very deficient; Potatoes 

 very irregular." — J. W. Jeston. 



Berkshire. — Reading. — '* No rain from March 25th 

 to May 21st ; again a cessation till June 18th. Wheat 

 looks very well. The drought injured the summer Corn 

 very materially. A great deal of Barley was sown in 

 June ; between Reading and Henley there are many fine 

 fields of Barley."— 77. H. Cowslade. 



Kingston Inn, near Abingdon. — " Rain for April, 0*1 7 

 in. ; May, 25 in. ; June, 1*42 in. On June 30th we 

 had very heavy rain. Hay very scanty, good prospect of 

 a second crop ; Wheat excellent in quality, as well as 

 quantity ; early sown Barley an average ; the later sown 

 sprang up at twice, which will hinder an Rverage ; Oats 

 look well, but are not much cultivated ; Beans tall and 

 free from fly — in fact very good ; Peas considered a good 

 crop ; Turnips very good." — A. Murdock. 



Wiltshire. — Warminster. — "Wheat very good; 

 Barley and Oats deficient on light lands." — H. Robertson. 

 Gloucestershire. — IIanham,near Bristol. — "Wheat 

 very good ; Barley bad ; Beans partially failed ; Grass 

 very bad (from 60 acres I shall not cut 15 tons) ; Swedes 

 look well ; Vetches ditto ; Mangold Wurzel has not 

 come up, though sown on 10th April." — E. Burrell. 



Somersetshire. — St. Saviour's, Bath. — 4 * The 



Wheat crop is looking very well ; Potatoes very bad ; 



and the Hay crop a total failure. We have not had 



nearly so much rain here as in other parts of England. 



Rain fallen from 1st Jan. to 30th June, 10'43 in.; fallen 



in the three months, April, May, and June, 1-32 in.; 



Max. thermometer on 23d June, 9 1 ." — C. Blalhttayt. 



Dorsetshire. — West Bucknowle y Corfe Castle. — 



" As to the effects of the N.E. parching winds, and want 



of rain on the crops, Wheat on strong and deep land looks 



well ; Barley and Oats in general very bad, much but 



just appearing above ground, for want of moisture ; Hay 



crop very bad ; Turnips look well. The late rains have 



improved all vegetation." — W. Voss. 



Devonshire. — Plymouth. — " W T ith exception of fre- 

 quent rain during last week or two, we have had none 

 since beginning of April. There is a great deficiency in 

 all green crops. Wheat looks very well, and Barley an 

 average." — 7?. Bishop. 



Devonport. — " Wheat, though short in straw, is good 

 in the ear ; Barley very thin ; Hay lamentably bad." — 

 T. Lancaster. 



Chagford t near Exeter. — " The drought commenced 

 and continued, with exception of one or two slight 

 showers, through April, May, and June; and so severe 

 were its effects that pasture and meadow land was never 

 known so scorched and barren. The soil is rather vari- 

 able, in some cases rich and loamy earth, but more 

 generally of a light sandy nature, composed of disin- 

 tegrated granite, of which rock the entire substratum 

 consists, with considerable quantities of peat in many 



6f the vales. We border on Dartmoor, at an elevation 

 of about 500 feet from the sea. Wheat will reach an 

 average of about 20 bushels per acre; Spring Wheat 

 cannot reach an average, having suffered much by the 

 drought ; Barley is very bad, except where drilled very 

 deep in the ground ; Oats good ; Hay a complete failure ; 

 and Turnips look very well."— Jt, Berry. 



Cornwall.— Slratton Rectory.— 1 ' The rain that fell 

 in April, May, and June, was 2 30 in. The drought has 

 been very injurious; the Hay is light in the extreme; 

 early sown Barley and Oats promise well, but late sown 

 are very bad ; Wheat looks well : it is rather short on 

 Btraw, but has a good head. The pasture lands look very 

 bare and burnt up."—,/. S. King. 



Barley will be very deficient ; much of the seed Jias not | ing its strength by the dryness or wetness of the weather. 



We find the tank-manure of extraordinary strength, as 

 well as density, from subsidence by fermentation and 

 pressure. When filled to four feet above the ground, it 

 contains about 200 loads of solid manure. 



Manure, that is dropped in the day, is removed the 

 following morning in barrows to the tank, so as to pre- 

 serve its efficacy. The piggeries, paved with flagstones, 

 discharge their moisture into the manure-well. The 

 stone water-tanks in the yards and house are all filled 

 simultaneously by one pump over a tank, 14 feet deep, 

 bricked, and set in cement; into which is brought a 

 never-failing stream of pure spring water from the valley 

 below. This water formerly spoiled some acres, and 

 caused the bog : but now it answers a much better pur- 

 pose. I do not like the u<ual custom of giving manure- 

 water to horses and cattle, instead of to the land. 1 

 presume they are, like ourselves, all the better for drink- 

 ing pure water, instead of filthy compounds. The pump 

 also supplies our copper, on which fits a perforated iron 

 vessel, capable of steaming six bushels of Potatoes or 

 other matter. This vessel travels backwards and for- 

 wards with wheels on a small iron rail; and by a lever, 

 is capable of being filled, emptied, or placed over the 

 copper by a strong lad. The cart-lodge is 60 placed as to 

 avoid sun, and we consider a weather-tight implement 

 house essentially necessary. 



The barn is 130 feet long, 30 feet wide, and rises 18 

 feet before it springs the roof. The horsepower that 

 drives the threshing-machine occupies 30 feet square on 

 the ground-floor, and about 30 feet more is occupied by 

 the granary and chaff-house, over which is the threshing 

 apparatus. 



The unthreshed Corn being on both sides of, and near 

 to the threshing-machine, economises time in removal. 

 On this account, and the facility of doing work under 

 cover in bad weather, I like plenty of barn-room. I do 

 not see the necessity of a steam-engine, as we do our 

 threshing, chaff-cutting, &c, when we can do nothing 

 else. The threshing-machine is of six-horse power; but we 

 throw it out of gear, and work the chaff-cutter or corn-mill 

 with two horses. We cut thirty-two trusses per hour into 

 chaff. A crane (cost 50s.) fixed on the top of the granary 

 in the barn, enables one man and a lad to load the sacks of 

 Corn with ease, dropping them into the cart or waggon. 

 The iron gutters and pipes to our roofs may be found 

 fault with on account of the expense, but I really cannot 

 see the utility or profit of the present custom, that is, 

 putting good and costly manure on Straw, and then 

 washing it all out again with tens of thousands of gallons 

 of pure water off the roofs, taking especial care that it 

 shall poison the horse-pond, and then run down to 

 enrich some stranger's meadow at the first flood. I hope 

 in fifty years' time the farmer who does this will be con- 

 sidered insane. The idea of a man's throwing away his 

 manure with his left hand, and with his right paying 

 money to bring it back again, all the way from Peru or 

 Africa, seems too ludicrous for the nineteenth century. 



So far as we have had experience, pigs, poultry, and 

 horses, thrive uncommonly well in our yards and stables, 

 and no doubt our cattle and sheep will do the same. All 

 our horse-feed is cut for the manger. Even our Tares 

 and green food are cut up with Straw. 



We contemplate clipping our bullocks when stalled in 

 the warm stables, taking it for granted that Nature pro- 

 vided their long winter coats for open fields, as a non- 

 conductor of caloric, and that they never were intended 

 for artificial confinem-nt. The thermometer will regulate 

 our ventilation. They will be groomed every morning, 

 the same as horses. There is quite as much reason for 

 removing from their skins the insensible perspiration, as 

 for grooming a horse. Health depends on cleanliness, 

 as much in an animal as in a human being. In a state of 

 nature, they would rub against a tree or fence. Having 

 no such opportunity in confinement,wemust do it for them. 

 Some butchers agree with me that farmers often spoil the 

 mutton as well as the fleeces, by keeping them on too 

 long. Besides, a long coat requires support all the 

 winter, as well as any other part of the body. 



As to a good house, why, if our farmers are to be men 

 of education and capital (which I hope they will be when 

 they get Agricultural Colleges), I do not see why for a 

 few pounds extra per annum, they should be deprived of 

 the comforts of a proper lesidence. As my substantial 

 brick and slate buildings are thought to be in advance of 

 the age, I hope those who find fault with them will con- 

 sider they are intended for the next generation. 



If board and thatch are so very durable and advanta- 

 geous in farmeries, why not apply them to towns and cities? 

 My own opinion is, those temporary erections indicate 

 either poverty or miscalculation. If there is "philosophy 

 in frying a pancake," why should there not be M an adap- 

 tation of means to the end" in planning and erecting 

 farm buildings ? 



In conclusion, as some of my farming operations are 

 on so very different a plan from the common routine of 

 proceeding, I will allow my farming friends to laugh at, but 

 not to condemn them, till they have had an opportunity 

 of seeing whether they answer or not. Should they by 

 chance succeed, I shall expect those who now enjoy the 

 joke will have the good sense to follow the example set 

 them. If they do not, 1 shall certainly take care to 

 remind them that they ought so to do. — /. «/. Mechi, 4, 

 Leadenhall street. 



FARM BUILDINGS AT TIPTREE-HALL FARM. 

 The yards are so placed as to be entirely sheltered 

 from the east, north, and north-west winds, whilst they 

 are quite open to the south and west for sunny warmth: 

 it is presumed the heat absorbed by the brick- walls and 

 buildings during the day will be retained for a portion of 

 the night, so as to produce a warmer atmosphere in the 

 yards. The farm and other yards are on a perfect level ; 

 they are underdrained every four yards with stones and a 

 pipe— same as the land. All the drains (except the roof- 

 drains) terminate in the manure-tank ; so that not a pint 

 of water that falls directly on the yards ever escapes, 

 except into the tank. All the water that falls on the 

 roofs is conveyed through pipes to the brook. The sheep- 

 yards, the bullock and horse stables, are all paved perfectly 

 smooth with hard yellow bricks, set in cement; so that no 

 liquid manure is wasted. This arrangement admits of clean- 

 liness, without waste, by occasional washings. The St-aw 

 for litter being cut into chaff, is applied where required, 

 without waste. The manure-tank is bricked, and set in 

 cement. We put into it the solid manure as made, turn- 

 ing the moist bottom upon the top, as occasion requires, 

 to prevent too violent a degree of fermentation, and 

 adding occasionally sulphuric acid in water, especially in 

 the summer months, or an occasional layer of earth. In 

 winter we have always sufficient moisture in the tank. 

 As we pump out the liquid manure from the well, which 

 is three feet deeper than the tank, no solid manure can 

 enter, there being proper gratings to prevent it. We 

 choose a wet day, when nothing can be done on the land, 

 to turn over the manure in the tank— there being a slated 

 roof over it which keeps the men dry. It faces the north; 

 so that the sun cannot shine on it to evaporate the 

 ammonia and strength of the manure. In the winter, 

 when we have a superabundance of moisture, we pump 

 the liquid manure into Crosskill's liquid manure-cart, 

 which holds 200 gallons, and apply it to the pastures, 

 young Wheats, or fallows; first fixing the ammonia where 

 required with sulphuric acid, being governed as to dilut- 



ON MINERAL AND INORGANIC MANURES. 



No. XXIII. 

 By Professor Charles SpbMIGel. 

 6. Ashes. — As the ashes of the different sorts of fuel, 

 of the various woods and peats for instance, of brown [ 





and common coals, &c, are of a very diversified compo- 

 sition— t. e., as one sort contains much of potash, and 

 another none at all, and so on — it follows that their 

 value as manures will be very different. And this is a fact 

 borne out by experience, as we know that the ashes of 

 some sorts of timber are very useful, whilst those of some 

 sorts of peat are useless. Several sorts of ashes, as they 

 contain no substance which decomposes the humus or 

 other ingredients of the soil, act merely as food for the 

 crops, whilst others act as solvents, as well as by nourish- 

 ing plants by their component parts. The latter are, 

 therefore, superior manures, although the former also 

 possess comparatively a great value. As the effects of 

 the different sorts of ashes are so diversified, we shall 

 treat of them separately. 



a. Wood and Vegetable Ashes. — Wood and other 

 vegetable ashes are used for manure either in their 

 original state, or after they have been washed ; but as 

 in the former they are always very expensive, they are 

 generally used in the latter. The refuse ashes are 

 procured from bleacheries, potash and soap-boiling 

 factories, being theie used for the making of ley and 

 carbonate of potash. These are always mixed with lime, 

 which is added to it in order to make a caustic ley. If 

 we, therefore, consider that vegetable ashes are deprived 

 by water, not only of the potash, but also of all salts 

 easily soluble in water (although some slight portion 

 may still remain in them), it will be evident that ashes 

 in their original state will always act more powerfully 

 than after they have been thus extracted. But as the 

 mineral ingredients of ashes, not soluble in water, are 

 also to be found in different proportions in the ashes of 

 the different woods and other plants, it follows that one 

 sort of extracted ashes will benefit vegetation more than 

 another. We shall first investigate ashes in their natural 

 state, and explain their action, which cannot be done 

 without knowing their chemical ingredients, which will 

 best determine their value as manures. It would take 

 up too much space to treat of all sorts of ashes used in 

 agriculture; some of the most commonly used will 

 suffice for our purpose. 



1. Ashes of the Red Beech. — 100,000 parts consist of — 

 5,520 parts of silica. 



2 t ;^30 



>! 



alumina. 



3,770 



tt 



oxide of iron. 



3,850 



tt 



oxide of manganese. 



25,000 



tt 



lime. 



5,000 



tt 



magnesia. 



22,110 



>» 



potash, partly combined with silica* 



3,320 



tt 



soda. 



7,640 



tt 



sulphuric acid, combined with potash 

 and lime. 



5,620 



tt 



phosphoric acid, combined with lime* 



1,840 



ft 



chlorine, combined with sodium. 



14,000 



if 



carbonic acid, combined with potash. 



8,140 



17,380 



ft 



1,442 



ft 



16,200 



tt 



6,730 



ft 



3,365 



tt 



13*0 



ft 



2,408 



tt 



15,468 



ft 



100,000 parts. 



Fresh Beech-wood ashes contain always less carbonic 

 acid than is here stated, as lime and magnesia will (if 

 the ashes are exposed to the air) attract the carbonic 

 acid, and combine into carbonic salts ; whence it follows 

 that the per centage of this substance will be different, 

 if the same sort of ashes be examined in a fresh state 

 and after being exposed to the air. 



2. Ashes of Oak.— 100,000 parts consist of— . 

 26,947 parts of silica. 



f alumina. 

 •< oxide of iron. 

 [ oxide of manganese, 

 lime, 

 alumina. 



potash, partly combined with silica. 

 soda, - ditto, 



sulphuric acid, combined with potash 



and lime, 

 phosphoric acid, combined with lime, 

 chlorine, combined with sodium, 

 carbonic acid, combined with potash,, 

 lime, and alumina. 



100,000 parts. 



3. Ashei of the Pine.— 100,000 parts consist of— 



6,593 parts of silica. 



C alumina. 



J oxide of iron. 



£ oxide of manganese. 



lime. 



magnesia. 



potash, partly united with silica. 



soda. 



sulphuric acid combined with lime, 



phosphoric acid, ditto. 



chloride of sodium. 



carbonates of lime, potash, and mag* 

 nesia. 



100,000 parts. 

 Fresh wood ashes contain also very often sulphuret of 

 potassium, sulphuret of calcium, and manganate of potash; 

 the sulphurets form (by longer exposure to air) sulphates, 

 whilst the manganate of potash is changed into carbonate 

 of potash and oxide of manganese. 



All sorts of ashes formed under a high degree of *e*t r 

 contain somewhat less potash than those formed under 

 a less intense heat, as the potash (potassium) is partly 

 expelled, and this should be taken into account ia pur- 

 chasing ashes ; the former will act also less powerful*, 

 as the great heat will cause a vitrification of the potasn 



with the silica. ' __ ^ .... • 



Looking at the above analyses, therefore, it will be evi- 

 dent that the ashes of Beech must be the most power ul 

 as it is the richest in lime, alumina, potash, sulphuric 



17,030 



23,182 

 5,016 

 2,198 

 2,220 

 2,228 

 2,748 

 2 300 



36,485 



it 



ft 

 tt 

 tt 

 tt 

 tt 

 tt 

 tt 

 it 



