626 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



to 



at 



a 



advice, dig the land round the isolated patches to 

 hinder it spreading further, and then carefully pare 

 and burn the patches themselves. 



ON FLAX-SEED AS FOOD. 



(Concluded from page 6 10.) 



Flax-seed, it has been already observed, is applied 

 the feeding of the various animals on the farm 

 Horkesley Hall, in the manner above described _ 

 steaming apparatus having been recently erected there, 

 instead of a common boiler, formerly employed. The 

 arrangement of the houses and sheds for using the Flax- 

 seed compound does not materially differ from that 

 adopted at all the improved farmeries for stall-feeding. 

 It is merely necessary to provide simple and convenient 

 troughs to contain the food, which admit of being 

 washed out with facility, to keep them sweet ; and further, 

 to provide a dry and comfortable bed for the animals. 

 When fed on this compound, the quantity of urine will 

 not, however, be so great as when Turnips are used ; but 

 the manure made when feeding on it is superior to that 

 produced from any other kind of food. According to 

 Mr. Blair Warren's arrangements, the liquid manure is 

 not separated from the more solid matters, and hence no 

 tank or reservoir is necessary for its reception. The 

 sheds and other apartments in which animals are fed in 

 this manner are slightly excavated, and in these the 

 manure accumulates for weeks, fresh additions of litter 

 being made as they are required. The troughs in which 

 the food and water are supplied are of course fixtures, 

 but arrangements are made for raising or depressing 

 them, by means of a sliding groove, so that as the manure 

 accumulates the troughs can be raised to the height most 

 convenient for feeding from, and after the boxes are 

 cleared out, the troughs are again lowered with facility. 

 The treading of the animals prevents any considerable 

 degree of fermentation from taking place until the manure 

 is removed to the heap, and small quantities of finely- 

 powdeied gypsum are sprinkled over the surface, to pre- 

 vent the escape of any ammoniacal gas which may be 

 disengaged. This may appear to many a slovenly system 

 of management, and one calculated to maintain the 

 animals in a foul atmosphere ; but such is certainly not 

 the case. The manure thus producedj taking both the 

 nutritious quality of the food and the plan of storing it 

 into account, is the most valuable which can be con- 

 ceived. The attention which is paid to properly littering 

 the animals, and to prevent the formation of gaseous 

 exhalations, effectually guards against the presence of 

 any unpleasant smell. These circumstances it is par- 

 ticularly necessary to allude to, as Mr. Blair Warren 

 conceives the increase in quantity, and improvement in 

 the quality of the manure, which is effected by means of 

 the system he follows, as important features in estimating 

 its value ; which they confessedly are. The smallest par- 

 ticle of liquid matters is not allowed to now from the 

 yards, and still the state of the manure at its removal 

 does not indicate the slightest appearance of any excess 

 in this respect. The animals have a perfectly dry bed ; 

 and cattle-sheds more free from any noxious effluvia than 

 those now described cannot be conceived. At the period 

 of the removal of the manure from the sheds, powdered 

 gypsum is liberally employed in being sprinkled over it 

 as it is freshly turned up, and by these means it is 

 appl-ed to the soil without being deprived of any of its 

 fertilising properties. 



There is, perhaps, no animal of the farm to which con- 

 finement m houses or sheds has been considered more 

 unsuitable than the sheep, whether the inaptitude to 

 take on flesh under such treatment, or the supposed 

 tendency to become diseased is considered; but the 

 success which has attended Mr. Blair Warren's manage- 

 ment ; in this respect shows that such opinion is not well 

 founded. A portion of his sheep get an allowance of 

 compound, formed as already directed, on their pastures, 

 and others are supplied with their food in the houses, in 

 which they are divided into lots of half-a-dozen each, 

 when they put on flesh rapidly, being littered with Bean 

 or other straw, which they convert into excellent 

 manure. No arrangements are necessary in their case for 

 carrying off any portion of their urine, which is absorbed 

 by the litter, and adds to its value as manure. They 

 are supplied with this compound four times a dav, about 

 a }lb. of linseed and 2jlbs. of inferior grain being given 

 to each animal in the twenty-four hours. During the 

 summer months sheep may be advantageously fattened, 

 penned on their pastures; but when the weather be- 

 comes cold they should be removed to the houses, to 

 protect them from the vicissitudes of the weather, the 

 injurious effects of which, as retarding the acquirement 

 or tie»h, I have already noticed in recent papers on the 

 momhl m r the ^ricuUural Gazette. Even during the 

 mav be llT? u U baS bwn a ^rtained that slieep 



Suited ^ Y ttCned iQ d0Se houses ' bein & there 

 wt^fn the fiddf eater , ttni 5>"*y °* temperature than 

 w !.k r protectedalike from the oppressive 



The ™ m n00n 1 ay 8Un ' and from the colds of th P enght! 



The compound now under notice forms an equally 

 valuable food for horses as for cattle and IhlL l i ■ 

 « « highly relished b y the m than %&%& ^ 

 can be given them. Advantage may be taken of the 

 nutritious properties of the Flax-seed, to substitute the 

 inferior for the more valuable grain for horses, and this 

 too, without any loss of condition being occasioned. The 

 sleek coat of such as are fed in this manner is quite con- 

 clusive as to the adaptation of the food to the animals. 

 To feed farm horses economically their Hay should be 

 cut into chaff, and mixed up with farinaceous matters 

 and the addition of the Flax-seed jelly enables this sys^ 





tern to be carried into operation with facility. The 

 quantity of Hay which a horse will destroy and consume 

 when given to him in its natural state, is, in fact, more 

 than double that actually required when cut into chaff. 



But enough has, I trust, been said* relative to the ad- 

 vantages of this system of feeding, to convince the most 

 sceptical of its value. It, indeed, only requires a fair 

 trial to insure its adoption. The following are a few of 

 the returns which have been obtained by it at Horkesley 

 Hall, selected almost at random from the farm accounts 

 kept by the steward, which were kindly placed at my 

 service. The quantities supplied to each of the 

 animals have not been correctly ascertained, but a usual 

 proportion has been about three parts inferior grain, and 

 one part of Flax-seed meal, somewhat less than a stone 

 of this mixture being daily consumed, with cut Hay and 

 straw, by an ordinary sized bullock. As the details of 

 Mr. Warren's system were not intended to be placed 

 before the public, no comparative experiments as to the 

 value of this compound and other articles of food have 

 been made ; but from the experience he has already had, 

 he is quite convinced of the superiority of the compound 

 to any other article of food, both as regards cheapness 

 and the possession of nutritious qualities. The value of 

 the compound is about bd. per stone of 14 lbs. 



A lot of heifers, 3 years old, which cost 10/. each, 

 after having had a rather small allowance of Mangold 

 Wurzel for a month, were placed on the compound on 

 21st November last, and sold on the 23rd January 

 following at 9s. 2d. per score, dead weight, and realised 

 at this rate, 17/. 16s. ljtf. each. This result would 

 have been more satisfactory had the improvements 

 effected by the first month's feeding on the Mangold 

 Wurzel been ascertained. 



A lot of two-year old bullocks were laid in on the 

 21st November, at 71. each, and fed on compound with 

 cut Hay and a small quantity of Mangold Wurzel daily, 

 during a part of the time. These were sold in the 

 beginning of May following at 14/. 10s. each. 



Four two-year old steers, purchased on 29th Decem- 

 ber, at 6/. each, and fed in the same manner as the 

 bullocks, realised 13/. each for six months' feeding. 



A lot of sheep were laid in the end of September 

 last, at 16s. 6c/. each, and sold on the 13th July at 

 34s. 6c/. During the last ten weeks these sheep were 

 fed in boxes in the farm-yard on the compound, until 

 which they had been folded on Turnips during the 

 winter in the Turnip-field, and on Clover during the 

 month of October. 



Another lot of sheep were purchased on 17th June, 

 at 22s. each, and sold on the 26th of August (last week), 

 in Smithfield, at 29s. a head. These were folded on 

 Clover by means of hurdles, and supplied with compound 

 morning and evening in troughs in the field. 



Further cases of the results of feeding on Flax-seed 

 compound might be adduced, but it is hoped the fore- 

 going will be sufficient to induce many farmers to give it 

 a trial, and report also the results which they obtain. 

 No additional apparatus will be required for the purpose, 

 as it is conceived a Hay and Straw cutter, and machinery 

 for bruising grain are already on every well-managed farm. 

 A common boiler will, in the first instance, suffice for 

 the preparation of the jelly, so that no extra expenditure 

 need be incurred for fixtures until the result of any 

 necessary experiments are ascertained.—/. Sproule. 



MANURE FOR HOP GARDENS. 

 About this time last year I read an account, I think 

 in the Gardeners 1 Chronicle, of a Vine-grower in 

 Germany, who had manured his vineyard for some years 

 with the cutting of his Vines. It then occurred to me 

 that our Hop bines, now completely wasted— for they 

 are generally burnt in the field to get rid of them—might 

 be turned to the same use. Not being a Hop-grower, 

 I got one of my tenants to cut up some of the bines 

 into pieces of about one inch long. This was done with 

 a common chaff-cutter at an expense of about 3s. an 

 acre, i. e. cutting up the bines of one acre ; part of these 

 were spread dry into the ground immediately ; the 

 rest were put in heaps, of about four bushels in a heap, 

 and covered with earth and left in that state to rot till 

 the time for digging the garden, when it was found 

 that the bine had decomposed into a rich black mould ; 

 this was spread about the land and dug in; part of this 

 and part of those that were dug in in the autumn, were 

 dunged with half the quantity of dung given to the other 

 part of the garden— the other half had no dung. The 

 bines throughout have grown as rapidlv, looked as well, 

 and at this moment the Hops appear "quite as good on 

 the part only manured with the bines, as where dung 

 nly was used ; nor do I perceive anv difference where 

 the dung was added to the cut bines.' My tenant is so 

 satisfied with the experiment that he is now making a 

 cutting-box to cut all the bines of his garden, as he is 

 convinced that he will be able to save at least one half 

 the expense of the dung, which he cannot put on under 

 5/. per acre. Now it appears to me but reasonable that 

 this should answer, as it is returning to the soil in a state 

 easily taken up by the growing plant, the very elements 

 that bad been taken from it the year before ; and all that 

 seems requisite to add is manure to make up for the 

 weight of the Hop, which is carried away. As the culti- 

 vation of the Hop plant is very local, it i 8 possible that 

 this experiment may not have attraction for your general 

 readers ; still I am anxious to draw attention to it at this 

 moment, when Hop-picking is about to commence, and 

 earnestly hope that other Hop-growers will test the 

 experiment apparently so successfully made by my tenant. 

 —John Maxwell Tylden, MiUted, Kent. 



o 



[Sept. u, 



SKETCHES OF EAST ^WT^^T 



(Continued from pagein; MU&1J AND^ 



When the gram rtrst cut becomes thorouehl.H I , 



farm- 

 are 



withdrawn from the reaping^ or th ? £'"* ^ ' 

 in or conveying the Corn from th fields Tthe ? t** 

 The reaping leading in, and stacking, re thus tr J^ 

 time carried on simultaneously. The rl / 8 ° me 

 viously noticed, of which every farmer ha -Tt P *" 

 now put in requisition ; but when a sufficient numh ' ^ 

 these are not obtainable, frame-works (Tse n 'dt\ ° f 

 carts are made to answer the same purpose A 1°* 

 attends m the field to fork the sheavesTo each seT3 

 carts leading to one stacker, and a boy or w 0mfl I 

 employed in raking up any 'stalks remaining on the 

 ground after the stooks are removed. Another Lu 

 also occasionally required on the stacks to hand th' 

 sheaves to the builder. - a thc 



( The stacks, which are always circular in form var* in 

 size according to the kind and condition of the cropand th? 

 taste of the farmers. Some take a pride in erecting and 

 possessing gigantic Corn-stacks, notwithstanding the 

 manifest loss of valuable time which their building nece*. 

 sarily occasions. When the Corn has been well won 

 and got in in a dry state, the stacks are made of larre* 

 dimensions, but if imperfectly dried, smaller sized ones 

 are adopted. The usual breadth at bottom for Wheat- 

 stacss is 16 feet, and for Oats and Barley 14 feet. It 

 is held as a general rule by East Lothian farmers that all 

 Corn-stacks should be made only of such a size that one 

 of them may afford employment to the tbreshine- 

 machine and the persons attending it for a yoking of fire 

 horses, two such stacks being threshed and dressed in a 

 day. Stacks of this size will contain from 25 to 30 qrs. 

 each, according to the quality of the Corn. 



Corn-stacks are now generally built upon raised stands 

 supported by low cast-metal pillars, having projecting 

 caps at their upper extremity, on which the framework 

 of the stand rests. The caps also prevent the entrance 

 of vermin into the stack. These stands are usually of a 

 septagonal form, and when firmly constructed, with the 

 timber frame-work of substantial materials, will last for* 

 very long period. They not only admit of stacking the 

 Corn much sooner than what can be done with ground 

 stands,but also effectually prevent the depredations of ver- 

 min. Cast-metal stands of this description may be put up 

 in the most substantial manner for about 21. 10s. each — a 

 sum which they will soon amply repay. Elevated stands 

 of a more temporary and less expensive character are em- 

 ployed by some farmers ; instead of the cast-metal pillars, 

 ones formed of wood or stone are used, upon which the 

 most suitable sticks which can be conveniently procured 

 are placed, without any further preparation ; but thesi 

 require to be renewed or repaired every year. These 

 stands are here commonly formed without the usual ac- 

 companiment of a conical' funnel projecting perpendicu- 

 larly from the centre of the frame-work. 



Although raised Corn-stands of either of the above 

 descriptions are now pretty general throughout the 

 countv, stacks are still not unfrequently formed on the 

 Ground, in which case the site on which to build the 

 stack is usually prepared in the following manner :— 

 The centre of the site for the intended stacc being 

 ascertained, a stout pin of wood is there driven 

 into the ground; three sticks previously prepared, 

 of an equal and suitable length, and connected at the top 

 by means of a pin passing through perforations in tnem, 

 are then planted in an upright position over the centre, 

 and the lower extremities of the sticks are stretched out 

 in a circular manner around, and about 3it. rom > tne 

 centre. A straw rope is next wound round the sucks 

 near the ground, for the purpose of preventing the sbeaves 

 from falling into the ooen space. A tress* Irom oti. . ro 

 4ft. in length, made for the purpose, and fixed on roe 

 site between the funnel and the margin, allows ne nw 

 access of air into the interior of the stack. A W* 

 dry straw phtced on the ground, and made circular y 

 means of a string attached to the pin previously inser 

 to mark the centre, completes the preparation oil 

 site. When the Corn is considered to be * lllft ^7 

 dry, the funnel or kiln, as it is also termed, is owiueu 



being unnecessary. . ee ^ 



The manner of forming the stacks themselves " 

 not be here described. The head, or conical pari, 

 made rather smaller now than formerly, in or ??. or 

 economise time and straw in thatching. As tne «u 

 onen space in the centre of the stack seldom reacnea 

 the eaves, it is customary to continue the a P er ™ r 

 near the summit by means of a sack filled with stra j 

 which is pulled up as the building proceeds. * 

 board is then usually laid across the stack, on v.nu 

 few draining-tiles are placed. There is thus formed «e 

 means of an uninterrupted circulation or air tnroug 

 the interior of the stack, from its base to its summit, 

 influence of which upon the quality cf the stra 

 grain is obviously beneficial. After being built i 

 stacks are thatched without delay, if the weather appjj 

 unsettled, but in most cases they are allowed to bum 

 for a few days. Three persons are engaged t°&™* 

 the operation of thatching-two on the v^™'^ 

 another, and one on the ground to fork up he ; b«nc 

 of drawn straw used as thatch. When *"£**' 

 stacks are immediately roped, to keep on the* 



the stack for tnis pui 



A flat 

 hich a 



ex 



assist the man alreauy on tne grouim *» •<- 

 tremiti es of the ropes either to the sta cj^ 



"T^milar to those used by builders for supporting P^" 



fcrnis, &c. 



