642 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 



This figure *« suffinV""fy instructive as to the 

 nature of its construction ; it is not, we believe, 

 found to act well in practice, as the tendency of the 

 attached tooth is to lift the implement behind so as 

 to hinder its efficient action as a plough. Another 

 implement, which probably originated in this inven- 

 tion of Mr. Pusey's, was first exhibited by Mr. 

 Bruce, of Teddington, Stnnford on- Avon, at Derby, 

 and is mentioned approvingly by the Society's 

 Judges. It differs fiom the Charlbnry subsoil- 

 plough in the pos'-ion of the stirring-teeth, which 

 are situated not ' Hl the wake of the mould -board but 

 considerably i* front, anil to the right side of it, so 

 that they vork in the last furrow that was opened, 

 and stir *^ e bottom of it just previously to its being 

 filled i»»d covered by the furrow-slice in the act of 

 beirg turned. This arrangement is said to be 

 efcctive without at all deranging the action of the 

 implement, or throwing additional labour on the 

 holder. The most efficient mode of subsoil-plough- 

 ing is, however, doubtless that recommended by Mr. 

 Smith of Deanston, in which a good wide plough 

 precedes his implement, drawn by 4 or 6 horses. 



The advantage of subsoil-ploughing laud which 

 has below it a sufficiently frequent occurrence of 

 channels— be they natural or artificial— through 



which the water held in it may rapidly escape, °is 

 unquestionable. The gardener does not hesitate to 

 take every opportunity of deepening his soil, and the 

 farmer's interest is identical with that of the gar- 

 dener. To increase the fertility of the soil, by ren- 

 dering a greater depth of it permeable to the rools of 

 plants, and by rendering i: independent of our 

 variab'e climate, should be the object of both; and 

 no means are so likely to accomplish it as subsoil- 

 ploughing after draining. 



Among the various subjects connected with the 

 practice of Agriculture which offer themselves to 

 us for comment, there is one of great importance, to 

 which we are desirous of calling the special attention 

 of our readers. We allude to the improvement which 

 may be effected in the condition of the agricultural 

 labourer by the general introduction of the allotment 

 system. 



To improve the condition of the agricultural 

 labourer is a highly important object — one well de- 

 serving the attention of every person engaged in the 

 cultivation of the soil. To "remove the depression 

 and distress which too often constitute the lot of 

 himself and his family, and to elevate them in their 

 moral and intellectual character, is a noble project ; 

 the accomplishment of which would annihilate the 

 most prolific sources of pauperism and crime, and 

 substitute a cheerful, willing, and able workman in 

 the place of a discontented and depressed one. 



Of all the measures which have been adopted for 

 the promotion of this important end, none appears 

 to be more easy of introduction, or more efficient in 

 the accomplishment of its purpose, than the svstem 

 of allotting to the labourer a small portion of land 

 which may be cultivated by himself in his hours of 

 leisure, and by his wife and children, without in- 

 fringing on the time occupied in the service of his 

 master. The size of the allotment should vary with 

 those circumstances of the family which affect their 

 capability to cultiva*e— such as the age, strength, and 

 leisure of the man, and the number and age of the 

 children. Half an acre may be considered as a 

 medium size. 



Provided with such an allotment the labourer has 

 a savings bank— if we may adopt the term— in which 

 he may invest all his spare money and labour ; and 

 one of the first results will be that these will flow into 

 the channels thus provided for them, instead of beino- 

 lost or squandered in the beer- house. The produce 

 of the allotment increases his income materially, and 

 adds to his family comforts; he becomes contented 

 and happy, and regards with pleasing satisfaction 

 the stake which he possesses in the property of the 

 community. A happy effect upon his moral character 

 is the consequence. Placed in a situation of comfort 



remarkable ca-es. 



" C'Urne, near Bath.— In 181S, twenty-nine acres 

 of land left in trust for the poor, under the super- 

 intendence of the clergyman, were divided amongst 

 thirty families. Prior to the year 1818, this land 

 was let to a large fanner, at only 15/. per annum. 



" Results:— The tenants and their families have 

 been rendered all honest and respectable ; they have 

 been kept entirely free from parish relief y and become 

 the farmers' most steady and industrious labourers ; 

 the land is so greatly improved by spade husbandry, 

 as to be worth double its value at the time it came 

 into the hands of the poor." 



"Crondall, Hants. — The allotment system has 

 partially existed in this parish (which contains r.early 

 1-200 inhabitants) since 1819, but of late years has 

 been increased, until 150 acres have been divided 

 amongst 120 labourers, some of it being the very 

 best laud, and let as high as SI. per acre, free of 

 tithes and rates. 



"Results:— The land is improved, poor-rates are 

 reduced, rents are regularly paid, and new applica- 

 tions for land are made every year. Crondall, which 

 was notorious for thieves and poachers, is now quite 

 altered, and not a man from thence joined in the 

 riots of the agricultural labourers which occurred in 

 the neighbourhood in 18.30." 



"Long Xe teuton, IVilts.— This parish in 1830 

 contained forty- two labouring families, all wretchedly 

 poor, the rates paid to them in six months, from 

 October, 1820, having amounted to 206/. 85. Every 

 cottager was offered as much land at a farmer's rent 

 as he and his family could cultivate, without inter- 

 fering with the labour required by the farmers, if 

 they would endeavour to raise themselves above the 

 poor-rates by their own industry. All accepted the 

 offer, except four infirm old men and twopoor widows 

 with large families. They had their land on lease, 

 one acre and a half each of arable land; and, when 

 any of them could purchase a cow, were allowed 

 three acres of meadow land, at the rate of ol. 4*. per 

 annum for each cow. 



" Resu'ts :— By the autumn of 1823 every labourer 

 in the parish, except two infirm old men, had not 

 only emancipated himself from the poor rates, but 

 had also punctually repaid the sum of 44/., which 

 had been lent them to purchase tools and seeds; each 

 family had got into cultivation their acre and a half 

 of land ; and two or three of them had claimed their 

 Grass-land, having saved money enough to buy a 

 cow ; and one family had two cows, the rates for 

 the s:x months from October, 1823, was only 



}'i S \ Qd The labourers vvere reclaimed from idle 



and bad habi's, and became most valuable servants 



1 he widows, before this time, had also taken land 



and supported themselves and families without 



parish relief, although one had six and the other 



-j o - vu C Tanner*' eut 



The points for considera'i-m arP a 

 tity and quality, cost of produc 0^17 ^f^ 8 ' ' * 

 on the succeeding crops of th« *£ ' *?* he »*<*** 



spring food for cattle. * iaa3 of «rti£ 



The various sorts mav, nerhanc K Q 

 Lucerne, Rye, R.^ ^^\^Si^ 



rnfohum Iucarnatum or Annual CrLtTc^'i'*' 

 C over, Cowgrass, Winter Barley C t, '"' R * 

 Winter Vetches. J ' Cow -<*bb3 ge , ^ 



Lucerne may be managed in two ways — p: t , . . 

 pa.ing a good piece of land, got alL „r b r Pe- 

 rilled with manure, and reduced to as fi„l " * Dd * 

 possible, and drilling the .ced in Anril „ ***** - 

 twelve to eighteen inches apart. It sCd n I 7, U °* 

 too early, for its first growth being Zl ddLIf T 

 late rests in the 8; ,ring will destroy R? An 7*' *J 

 give the preference to eighteen rather than twelve in ?"" 



eight children.' 



"N. A therton, Esq., ofCalne, having come into pos- 

 session of some property at Kingston, St. Michael's, 



\\ ihs,about6yearsago,immediatelyletout tothepoor 

 forty acres of land in allotments of from three to four 

 acres, at the farmers' rental. This land is well culti- 

 vated, and considered to produce 30 per cent more 

 than any other land in the neighbourhood ; the 

 labourers are raised from a disgraceful state of pauper 



ism to an honest independence, and the poor-rates 

 are reduced to a comparative trifle/' 



"Dauncey, Wilts.— Some years back the f.-rmers 

 of Dauncey let to the poor labourers of their parish 

 with families, three acres of land each, at '21. per 

 acre; and soon afterwards the late L *rd Peter- 

 borough built a barn for them, where they could 

 thresh their corn—Those men struck their names off 

 the parish books, and brought up their families in 

 habits of industry and honesty, and all of them cheer- 

 fully paid towards the support cf the aged and 



the rows be well hoed and cleane'd^ «& 

 growth of the p ant. By adopting this plan, sup 

 Lucerne sown this year, it will be fit for the firJ o .? !•* 

 n the middle of April next ; it may be cut t^ £ 

 three times in the first year, and .then it will bear cut !S 

 five or even six times. Or should this be thought toot 

 pensive and troublesome a process, it may be .ownVoS" 

 east and harrowed in with Barley, in the same manner 

 as Clover and other artificial Grasses are sown The 

 quantity of seed should be about 20 lbs. an acre. A feU 

 ot 11 acres so sown, was mown three times the first year- 

 in the second, it supported from the first mowing with 

 a small addition of Oats, 30 horses for seven weeks ; from 

 the second, 20 horses for seven weeks, without anyth 

 else ; and from the third, with a small addition of Oati 

 20 horses for six weeks. The value of the produce may 

 be estimated at 11/. an acre, after deducting all the ex- 

 penses, rent, and other charges. In the third year it 

 maintained 35 horses for e'ght weeks, with a small addi- 

 tion of Oats, from the first mowing ; from the second, 

 nearly the same ; and fiom the third, although not 80 

 productive, yet it was of great value and benefit, on 1 

 farm where there was little pasture. It would be easy 

 to adduce many other instances of the productive power 

 of Lucerne. This plant will stand and grow vigorously for 

 10 or 12, or even 15 years, if nurtured with soot, malt- 

 dust, farm-yard manure, or guano. It produces a great 

 deal of milk in cows and ewes, and it is highly relished 

 by them. It should be cut just before it has come into 

 blossom ; and being mown on the preceding evening, it 

 should be removed for use on the following day. Should 

 it be objected that it is a long time in coming to per- 

 fection, it may be answered that it is not more so than 

 Clover ; and that this " plant of plants" is a giant from 

 its infancy, advancing from strength to strength. There 

 are many varieties of it, but the purple- flowered is the 

 most profitable to the cultivator. It ought to be added, 

 that it may be made into hay, and forms excellent fod- 

 der ; but it is much better adapted for what is called 

 soiling. This most valuable Grass is best cultivated on 

 a good, dry, warm Barley-soil j still it answers very well 



been found more congenial to production. It has been 

 stated by one of our most intelligent and practical farn 

 '« that no farm, if it has a suitable soil, should be with- 

 out Lucerne, in the proportion of one acre (at the least; 



to every four horses." - 



Rye is the earliest Grass used as spring food (or cattle, 

 next to Lucerne ; and this, together with its bulk, forma 

 its chief recommendation ; for, unless cut quite youog, 

 it is not much relished by cattle. It flourishes ouj 

 poor sandy soil or heathy land, where other |*|S*** 3 

 would not grow. In the work on British Husba > 

 published by the Society for the Diffusion of Uwi« 

 Knowledge, it is stated that the soils most appropriate 



independence, and contentment, he is more likely to 

 discharge his duties towards society than if in a state 



ofvf,? en .t ,Ce f nd miser y; one is the atmosphere 

 of virtue, the other of pauperism and crime. 



duoHvA 6 ? ,' US , COuferreJ on the Iabourer ^ pro- 

 ductive of great advantage to the community and to 



every individual of it. f he labourer paTs a £«K 

 for his land, and pays it with punctual ty ° He cu" 

 tivates 1 h.ghly by manual labour, and supplies t 

 abundantly w.jh manure from his cottage K 

 pig. 7he produce is therefore large. Neither him! 

 self nor Ins family are burdensome to the commu- 

 nity, either in a workhouse or a gaol, but instead of 

 dependent paupers or lawless criminals, societv 

 obtains orderly and productive members. 



The allotment system lias been carried out to a 

 large exent in various parts of the kingdom and 



infirm of the same parish." 



What evidence could be offered more striking 

 than this, to prove the efficacy of the allotment system 

 in dimmishing-we may almost say annihilating-- 

 pauperism and crime, and improving the moral, in- 

 telectual and physical condition of the labourer ? 

 U hat solid objection can be urged to the universal 

 adoption of the system? and why, with evidence 

 such as this, afforded so long ago, do we not find 

 every agricultural labourer in England, who has a 

 wife and family around him, and every single la- 

 bourer in circumstances to be benefited by ir settled 

 on his allotment of land, an independent and a 

 happy man ? 



We purpose continuing our remarks on this sub- 

 ject, offering further evidence in support of our 

 views, answering objections which have been raised 

 against the system, and pointing out what we con 



•• rnncipes Kaisonnes d Agriculture, «•■»■»— ^ 



Corn which can be grown upon land which is corap^ 5 

 «'- -:- ' -~ n~~ r Qft p er C ent. of sand wita 



of Rye 





of a mixture of more than 85 m 



other earths. The preparation and culture ^\/y'i. 



1 for Wheat, than which it is^ 



essentially the saire as 



Within the 



more hardy, but infinitely less valuable. •■- . 

 memory of man, it formed a chief part of the tooa 01 

 poor of this kingdom, as it does now in the JNor :o, ^ 

 other parts of the Continent ; but I fancy the use \ 



with us, a 



, ifter having been accustomed to good 

 bread, would occasion a good many wrj faces. ** * 

 be sown at the latter end of August, or early in a 1 ^ 

 ber, in the proportion of three bushels and a n m 

 ere. The land should have been previously m« ^ 

 fc mav be sown either broadcast or m drl . 1IS '. fhoein r 

 latter is preferable, as it affords an opportunity^ ^ 



« So soon as the Wheat is cut in trie auiuum -:; f j t 

 ah >uld be set to work. This may be done even oei 

 carted, during the mornings of harvest . ; ^ 

 ughing is given, and a very slight drtssi n a 



f. In some cases, where the 







d of short manure 



