660 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



But to the petty farmer, who is not " rich in cattle,*' 

 and more particularly to the Irish peasant, whose pig is 

 his only dependence for the accumulation of half a dozen 

 little cart-loads of manure, sea-weed is indeed a boon, 

 for which he thanks Providence ; and if such miserable 

 human beings as those are who occupy the coast of Mayo 

 were once in a condition to maintain a few cows, on the 

 alternate system of green and white crop, and could be 

 induced to raise Turnips, Rape, and Cabbages with com- 

 posts of sea-ware and sand, they would be enabled to 

 apply the manure generated by the cattle to the raising 

 of Potatoes, which being, in such case, far more abundant 

 in quantity and much better in quality than they are 

 under the present uncertain mode of management, would 

 deservedly maintain their character of the "vigour-stirring 

 root" and become a wholesome food, instead of being so 

 decidedly the contrary, as they are when deficient in 

 farina — weak, washy, and innutritious, as Potatoes raised 

 by sea-ware in unpropitious seasons always are. With 

 calcareous sand, or a very moderate allowance of lime, a 

 limited quantity of farmyard manure produces the largest 

 crops of Potatoes, and of the best quality ; an excess of 

 rank dung indeed would be as pernicious to the quality 

 of the Potato as a dose of sea-weed ; but used in mode- 

 ration, after an application of lime, no other manure can 

 compete with it for producing the main support of the 

 Irish peasant. The amelioration in the physical condi- 

 tion of the poor occupants of land on the sea-coast, which 

 would be consequent on their adoption of such a system 

 as that to which I have referred — the application of sea- 

 weed to green crops for cattle— would be incalculably 

 great. — Martin Doyle, 



Home Correspondence. 



Two Crops per Annum. — A manufacturer replied to 

 a croaking farmer that, if he could not live with one 

 harvest in the year he must have two, as they were 

 obliged to increase their spindles. Now, in Belgium, 

 through which I passed last week, they appear to approach 

 this desideratum. I saw all the land which bad borne a 

 crop of Rye covered with Carrots, and that which hadl 

 yielded Oats covered with Turnips. The latter I can 

 understand, for I noticed that they did not let the stubble 

 remain even till the Oats were carted, but set the shocks 

 closely in a line and ploughed between them ; but how 

 they get the Carrots, I am free to confess, puzzles me. 

 It must answer their purpose for the feed of cattle, to 

 which use they are applied, otherwise the system would 

 not be so general ; and why not, therefore, introduce it 

 here ? Perhaps, Sir, you will be good enough to investi- 

 gate this matter, and favour me with the result. I may 

 remark that Rye and Oats seem the only grain-produce 

 of the country ; there is very little Wheat or Barley. If 

 Carrots could be produced on our li<rht soils, which grow 

 Wheat, it would greatly help our milch cows in winter, 

 and furnish labour for our too dense population in clear- 

 ing away the stubble and hoeing the land after harvest, 

 an occupation in which King Leopold's subjects seemed 

 mightily busy last week — Cantab. [We will ascertain 

 the Belgian practice in this particular.] 



Wash for Bark of Trees.— Your Correspondent in the 

 Agricultural Gazette will find that a wash made of two- 

 thirds cow-dung and one of lime, laid on with a brush, is 

 an effectual remedy against cattle injuring the bark of 

 trees ; add a little tar if to protect from rabbits and hares. 

 — W. Shirley. 



Ireland.— During a journey in the south of this coun- 

 try I stopped at Castle Martyr, in the county of Cork, 

 and found a fine residence of Earl Shannon, and some 

 good farming on a light loamy soil. For some years past 

 that nobleman has imported Ayrshire cattle from Scot- 

 land, and has bred them at Castle Martyr, where the land 

 steward pointed out to me the very singular deterioration 

 in the breed, very evident in the general appearance of 

 the animal, and most particularly in the increased size 

 of the horn at the base— a sure mark of bad breeding. It 

 was quite easy to distinguish among the herd the animals 

 bred in Ireland from those imported, the skin and hair 

 being much coarser, the head larger, and the whole frame 

 much deteriorated. I have since learned from a friend 

 in Kent that he has experienced the same result, but not 

 so large in degree. My own experience in Leicestershire 

 did not show any deterioration in a herd of 20 cows, 

 which produced very fine calves from a native imported 

 bull, and which bred again from a male also imported ; 

 and the progeny seemed rather to improve in quality. 

 Probably some of yonr readers may have experienced the 

 above results, which seem altogether inverted. — D. 



Books. — They may now be seen in vast numbers 



visiting Turnip-fields, for the purpose of feeding upon a 



species of grub, now very prevalent in many places, 



manh to the injury of the crops ; instead of destroying 



them Tanners ought to look upon them as their best 



inenos. rh* % ruo m question is a larva of a species 



or moth (Noctua), prevailing only to any amount in 



thll L 8 wuT' which W ear t0 ^ congenial to the 



™^hi,f n kr \* and P erfect in * ect - No serious 

 mischief, I believe has been done by it to vegetation 



since the years 1826 and 1827. In 1818, which was a 

 very droughty season, I remember its depredations were 

 so great, that there was scarcely a well-matured Turnip 

 to be seen. Teazles also suffered much the same year, 

 and horticultural productions generally shared a similar 

 fate ; it likes all sorts of vegetable food-nothing that 

 falls in its way seems to escape its ravages. The grub 

 during the day-time lodges, in dry weather, just within 

 the earth, near to the plant it feeds upon, and burrows 

 deeper in wet weather. It is produced in the months 

 of July and August, and commences feeding by shearing 

 off the young plants close to the surface ; when plants 





are too large it ascends and feeds upon the young leaves, 

 or what is commonly called the heart of the plant. It 

 continues its depredations until the beginning of 

 October, providing the weather be not too wet and cold ; 

 about this time it is full-grown, being about an inch and 

 a half long, and of the thickness of a moderate-sized 

 goose-quill ; and after descending a few inches into the 

 earth it becomes dormant, in which state it remains 

 until the middle or latter end of April, when it com- 

 mences its transformation, and in a few weeks assumes 

 the pupa state, and issues forth about the fore end of 

 June a perfect insect — a middle-sized brown moth, 

 which secretes itself during the day in thickets of veget- 

 ables or weeds, and there deposits its eggs. The 

 gardener should now be concerned for his latter crops. 

 Rooks are too shy to visit gardens ; but much good may 

 be done upon a small scale, by using a knife, or some- 

 thing similar, to search for the grub where he sees droop- 

 ing or injured plants. I remember in the year 1818, 

 recommending this plan, as well as the protection of his 

 Rooks, to a gentleman agriculturist, who took my advice 

 and employed a number of women and boys, and thereby 

 secured the better half of a crop of Turnips and Teazles, 

 whilst all others about entirely failed, leaving extensive 

 fields little better than fallow land. — Joshua Major, 

 Knosthorpe. 



Farm Fences. — At page 26G of last year's Chronicle, 

 I made some few observations on the ownership of agri- 

 cultural fences : the following is a note on the tenant's 

 obligation to repair them. It is so notoriously the duty 

 of the actual occupier of land to repair fences, and so 

 little the duty of the landlord, that without any agree- 

 ment to that effect, the landlord may maintain an action 

 against his tenant for not so doing, upon the ground of 

 the injury done to his inheritance. It is so decided in 

 Cheetham v. Hampson, 4th Term Reports, page 319. 

 — A Quiet Observer. 



New and Old Land. — In a late article under this head, 

 page 580,there are some remarks which confirm my limited 

 experience as to the want of fertility in an old garden, 

 yet I am somewhat puzzled by the opinion of my favourite, 

 William Cobbett, who opposes what seems to have been 

 in his day, as now, the prevailing theory. The annexed 

 extract I have clipped out of paragraph 115 of his 

 lt English Gardener :" — " Mr. Missing, a barrister, living 

 in Titchfield, in Hampshire, has a border under a south 

 wall, on which he, and his father before him, have grown 

 early Peas every year, for more than 50 years ; and if at 

 any time they had been finer than they were every one of 

 the four or five years that I saw them, they must have 

 been something very extraordinary, for in those years 

 they were as fine and as full-bearing as any that 1 ever 

 saw in England." — Paddy. 



Tiptree-hall Farm. — It may be gratifying to you to 

 know that the first field of W T heat we have threshed at 

 Tiptree-hall Farm has produced somewhat over 5 quar- 

 ters per acre, of a very fine quality, which sold (as much 

 as was ready) at 46s. per quarter in the neighbourhood, 

 being 2s. above the ordinary market price of the day. 

 I cannot expect the other 44 acres to produce so much ; 

 but I hope they will average 4 quarters per acre. You 

 shall know the result. The crop above mentioned was 

 grown after Potatoes, Swedes, &c, drawn off the land. 

 The cost for manuring the two years' crops was 41. 8s. 

 per acre. I need not say this is rather more than 

 a usual Tiptree crop.— P.S. This crop was never esti- 

 mated by visitors higher than 3^ to 4 quarters : so much 

 for estimates. — J. J. Mechi. 



Steeping Seeds. — Amongst the various steeps for 

 accelerating vegetation, I have not seen chloride of lime 

 mentioned in your Paper. Some time ago I heard from 

 a friend in Germany of its efficacy ; French Beans 

 steeped 4 hours in a solution of a quarter of an ounce 

 of chloride in a gallon of water, were up and in rough 

 leaf before others sown at the same time were above 

 ground, and an equal difference was observable with 

 other vegetables. — Lusor. 



Produce of Wheat. — As accounts of fine roots of 

 Wheat have appeared in the newspapers, I venture to 

 say that Dr. Buckland, who came to East Bourn Sep- 

 tember 14th to see the 455 allotments of which I receive 

 the rents, there saw a root of Wheat raised from one 

 grain this year, with 125 fine ears 3fc inches long, and 

 apparently averaging 60 grains of Fullard's Prize White 

 Wheat in each ear, and the straw 4£ feet high. Dr. 

 Buckland also saw a hand-basin full of Wheat of the 

 same kind raised by me at East Bourn, from one grain 

 put in the 22d July, 1844, the shoots from which were 

 divided and transplanted twice before Christmas and 

 once afterwards, and yielded — 



Roots 173 



Ears ... ■* 970 



Grains 97,028 



Which weighed 7 lbs. 15£ oz.—Benj. King, East 



Bourn, Sussex. C. adds, " On March 1, 1844, I 



planted four grains of autumn Wheat at eight inches 

 distance and two inches deep ; one grain I laid on the 

 surface, and covered it about half an inch deep ; the grain 

 produced six stems and ears. Of the four that I planted, 

 one produced 29 stems and ears ; the other three pro- 

 duced 22, 21, and 20 : thus making in all 92 ears, the 

 average number of grains to each stem was 20 ; in all 

 1840 grains. I was induced to try the experiment 

 through the farmers telling me that autumn Wheat would 

 not produce a crop if sown in spring ; it has occupied 

 the ground six months and two weeks." 



Fence for Trees.— I have seen and heard of many 



ways of fencing single trees against cattle ; the fences 



generally used are wood and iron, varying in price from 



■ 3s. to 21s. each. I have used for many years, (and have 



I recommended the same to others, and in no instance 



have 



[Sept. og f 



I known it fail,) the following planT^T^^? 

 circle of stones— the rougher in reason the 'betl? * 

 around the tree, at such a distance that no cattle r 

 get to the stem nor branches, without treadm* U n!! 

 them : that they will not do, and thus the \Z* 

 answer for a cheap and durable fence ; when no mo 

 wanted they are not the least injured, which is not t£ 

 case with wood and iron. — J. S. 



Weeds.— Your Correspondents will much serve nun* 

 in this neighbourhood if they can mention any mode at 

 extirpating what we here call Furze from the pastam 

 (properly, the Rest Harrow— Ononis arvensis), nowb 

 full flower, and just seeding. It is the most destructifi 

 weed in the meadows, increasing prodigiously, and witk 

 its sharp thorns injuring cattle in grazing. We are here 

 accustomed to mow it off, just to prevent the seedinr 

 and, where not thick, digging or spudding it up, and 

 occasionally pulling with pincers ; but the long woody 

 roots spread a great distance. If any one once troubled 

 with the Pink Furze or Rest Harrow can say how he hit 



got rid of it, his experience will be much valued. H. C 



[We know of no other method of destroying this weed 

 than perseverance in cutting it off and pulling it up. 

 Does any one else ?] 



Cabbages. — I am a grower of large Cabbages this year 

 and have, considering the season, been ra'her fortunate* 

 in my crop. As I intend to keep them as long as I can 

 for winter food for my stock, and am also desirous of 

 preparing the land on which they grow as early as pas- 

 sible for the next crop, can you, or will any of your 

 readers, favour me with the best ascertained mode of 

 stacking and preserving them, after they are gathered, 

 through the winter? It is of vast importance to ascer. 

 tain the best possible manner of preserving such a crop, 

 after gathering it, especially during the ensuing winter 

 and spring, when all cattle food is likely to be so valuable 

 I shall be very much pleased to receive information from 

 you or any of your readers ; and whatever plan I may 

 adopt, I shall derive much pleasure in communicating 

 the result of it, through the medium of your publication. 

 — Querist. [We must refer this question to some of 

 our readers. We have never seen Cabbages stored 

 together in any quantity, and have always assumed that 

 the only method is to sow them in successive plots, and 

 consume them as they successively ripen. Sailors keep 

 Cabbages by hanging them individually up by the roots. 

 We doubt the possibility of keeping any quantity 

 together for any length of time.] 



FARMERS' CLUBS. 



Darlington Farmers 1 Club The September monthly 



meeting of this Club was held on Monday last at the 

 offices of Mr. Thos. Dixon, Land Agent and Agricultural 

 Engineer, their Honorary Secretary. The subject under 

 discussion was— Wheat-sowing, with the preparation of 

 the Land and Seed, and the proper time for Sowing. 

 In opening the meeting, the chairman observed that the 

 subject they were then met to discuss was one of very 

 great importance to the tillage land farmers of this 

 neighbourhood, and one that he thought deserved more 

 attention than was sometimes bestowed upon it, more 

 particularly with regard to sowing Wheat on Clover leys; 

 and his opinion was, that it was better not to sow when 

 the land was in a very wet state, more particularly in a 

 late season, for in such a case he thought it much better 

 to run the risk of a still later season, and have the land 

 in a tolerably dry and firm state, than to sow it very 

 wet, he having himself experienced the ill erT ects or wet 

 sowing. He then gave in detail an account of a field of 

 Clover ley, part of which was sown while the land was 

 wet, and the remainder some time later, when the 1& nd 

 had got into a drier state; the crop being much superior 

 on the dry sown land than on the wet. The unanimous 

 opinion seemed to be, that it was desirable to avoid I sow 

 ing when the land is in a very wet state ; and whethff 

 sown broadcast or drilled, it is better not to sow theUnj 

 too soon after being ploughed, as Wheat is found to 

 answer much better when the land has been pi ougbrf- 

 while beforehand ; the seed then gets a firmei bed f wMe 

 is now believed to be very essential to its success . . » 

 regard to the preparation of the seed it was beue 

 that, in all ordinary cases, the method at pre.cn foUo^ 

 in this neighbourhood as a preventive for smut ans 

 well; which is, wetting the seed thoroughly with .& 

 urine, and afterwards mixing it with q^" 1 ^^ wiW 

 urine cannot be had in sufficient quantity, salt ana- n 

 is used in lieu of it; the preference, however, i , gi 

 urine, where it can be had. It was also believed thaw 

 it is unavoidable to sow smutty Wheat, one o the rf 

 remedies known is to wash it .in vitriol water, ins 

 wetting it with stale urine. Drilling and ribbing ^ 



was considered by the members P" fera ^ t ^etfi 

 broadcast in all cases where practicable, as by tna 

 the land can be hoed whilst under crop, and ken 

 cleaner, and thereby not exhausted by grow ng 

 It was also considered that a less quantity of see jr 

 acre than what has been generally sownwou^ 

 equally well, if not better ; and where two busD r 

 acre has been regularly sown, it was belief ed tb rf 

 pecks per acre would be sufficient. And in anpP ^ 

 [his principle Mr. Joseph Johnson mentioned 

 dental circumstance which happened in his oy ^ 

 which was as follows :-Some year* ago, having a 

 prepared the seed-Wheat in the morning or ^ 



sowing, it happened from some cause or ottj^ 

 believfd from the urine being . too ■^^S 

 parts of the seed that were so*n in the « early jpart , 

 day sprouted as usual, n*d grew well, but such V ' ^ 

 w /re sown in the Uttr part of the day cam up 

 much thinner, * considerable portion of it not 



