1844.] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



709 



them at once. My sheep are now all I could wish ; they 

 tre always easy, never rub, lose no wool, and attend at all 

 times to their business — eating and sleeping. I have 

 induced many of my neighbours, during the last few 

 vears, to try the composition, lending them my apparatus, 

 and all I can say is, that all who used it last year have 

 borrowed it this ; all say it cured the scab, and one 

 that it a' so destroyed the foot disease, which has been 

 so prevalent. Ttiis last, however, I do not vouch for, 

 but for the immense comfort to the sheep, and benefit 

 to the owner of the flock in the other respects, I have 

 great pleasure in giving my humble testimony ; and, as 

 a lover of sheep, from a wish that so very valuable, 

 simple, and inexpensive a process should be resorted to 

 by all who keep them, and from a conviction that great 

 benefit would arise to the farmers and the community 

 at large, for the increase and value of mutton and wool, 

 I should be very glad if you could find room for this com- 

 munication. I would gladly afford information to any 

 one on the subject, but they would get it better, perhaps, 

 from the seller of the composition, Mr. Bigg, with whom 

 I beg to say I have no communication but as a purchaser. 

 — JV. D. F. [A known correspondent.] 



Potatoes. — Several of your correspondents appear to 

 have nought in vain for a remedy for the grub and 

 wireworm ; my plan is this, and I think it the best 

 remedy where there are no rooks in the neighbourhood : — 

 On taking up Potatoes, I coax two or three favourite old 

 hens beside me, and when I turn up an infected Potato 

 I disperse the earth about, although in most cases shak- 

 ing the stem is sufficient, and should they stray I reserve 

 them in a basket for them. If farmers would but take 

 a little trouble in light soils, they would discover hun- 

 dreds of new sorts of Potatoes among their old stock, 

 without being obliged to change their seed and waste 

 their time in descanting upon their seed being degene- 

 rate and infected. — Verax. 



Roots of Wheal. — In your Number of the 31st of 

 August last, you express a wish to be informed as to 

 the extent of the roots of the Wheat plant. About 30 

 years ago, a series af experiments were made by Mr. 

 Badcock, of Pyston, near Watlington, in Oxfordshire, 

 with a view to ascertain this fact. I am told that by 

 digging pits by the side of the plants, he extracted the 

 roots entire. He embodied the result of his experiments 

 in the form of a letter to the late Earl of Macclesfield, 

 then President of the Board of Agriculture in London. 

 This letter was published by the Board, and a medal 

 awarded to the writer. The late Sir Jos. Bankes, to 

 whom the subject was new, provided glass cases for the 

 specimens, which were kept at the office of the Board, and 

 on its being broken up, it is believed that the specimens 

 were removed to the Society of Arts. In addition to 

 this, a plate was engraved from drawings made by Mr. 

 Badcock's son, now resident in Oxford, by which it is 

 shown that the roots descended into the earth six feet. 

 There are six figures in the plate, drawn to scale, show- 

 ing that at progressive stages of the growth of the plant, 

 the root descends rather deeper into the earth than the 

 plant rises above it. This plate may be found in a book 

 published by Mr. Badcock on the comparative price of 

 Wheat and other grain for a long series of years.-— J.C.C. 



FARMERS' CLUBS. 



Leyland, Lancashire At the Annual Meeting and 



Show of the Agricultural Association here, a Report on 

 the farms competing for prizes was made by Messrs. 

 Logan and Lauder, the inspectors, from which we make 

 the following extracts : — The inspectors urge on those 

 who have the management of the different farms that 

 have been inspected, with reference to the thorough 

 drainage of the land, that drains be cut in a parallel di- 

 rection, so as to carry off the water that falls on the sur- 

 face, and also the under water, in the shortest and 

 straightest course that can be found, and also that they 

 be cut to the depth of from 28 to 30 inches, instead of 

 Irom 18 to 20 inches, which would be more permanent, 

 and the stones would be out of the reach of the plough. 

 j inspectors draw attention to the want of green crops, 

 such i as Turnips and Beans, in proportion to the size of 

 the farm ; those crops should be sown in drills, instead 



, tne broadcast system. The inspectors advocate the 

 f. 0ve Principles, and they practically put them in execu- 

 «on upon land inferior to any of the farms which they 



ave inspected ; and they consider that the system can 

 Wltt * profit be generally adopted. Nothing, they 

 presume, is so likely to effect good cultivation, as having 



e ' a nd dry, keeping it perfectly clean, and under the 

 ? re ^ n " cro P system, with a proper rotation of white crops. 

 And they wish to draw the attention of the farmer to the 



l .y 



puivenseu wnen uie seeu is 



nin D ' f 8 ^ in kee P in S lt clea °» a " d attention to the thin- 

 g ot the plants, at once, and at proper time, and at 



sotif" d ' stances f rom each other ; care in removing the 

 I om the roots of the young plants, and in the earth- 

 to l Up i c the latfc er end ot the season, not to lay the soil 

 e lu mip, but to allow the plant to have room to 

 I . w ° n the top of the drill, as the inspectors have found 

 whi i - Cr ° ps hea P ed up -in the same way as Potatoes, 

 recn 1S agalnst tDe swelling of the root. The inspectors 

 ommend a more extensive breadth to be cultivated, 



size 7 i e f0Und ' g enera Hy, a short breadth to the 



that add' * MaDy alleg€ ' and n0 d0ubt * ith trUth ' 



in th ,. onal labour and additional manure are required 



the in t,vation of green crops, Turnips especially ; but 

 c *Pend P d Ct0 K 8 8ubmit that » unlesa labour and manure are 

 the fan^ nn 6 cannot he any remunerating return to 



the eTT"' abundant supply of food for cattle by 



Whan .i, ei \ Crops ' Particularly in a season such as this, 

 ,nort of W» will amply compensate for any addi- 



tional outlay. The farmer who has cultivated his green I 

 crop can always see his cattle looking well, and is at the 

 same time continually laying up a plentiful supply of 

 rich manure for his future use. The inspectors have 

 also to state that Mr. Scotson's Turnips are the largest 

 in growth that have come under their notice this season ; 

 but are sorry to observe many entirely eaten off to the 

 surface of the land by rabbits or hares, which is very dis- 

 couraging to the tenaut, after all the expense and trouble 

 of cultivation. The entries for the cultivation of drilled 

 Beans have been few, but the inspectors would suggest a 

 more extensive cultivation of these crops over those 

 broadcast. The land, in the first place, must be clean. 

 Wheat or Oat stubble early ploughed in the autumn, 

 dry ; and in the spring, to forward the sowing in due 

 season, the grubber is the only implement that should be 

 used before drilling up ; a fair supply of manure should 

 be used, and the after-culture properly attended to with 

 the hand-hoe and drill-harrow. For draining, the entries 

 have been few, and it appears to have been very much 



44 If you will but follow the prescriptions I have given, 

 for conducting the larger operations of the field, and for 

 treating the various animals of the farm ; and— not to 

 mention the proper ploughing and manuring of the soil 

 —as the practice of every farmer demonstrates the ne- 

 cessity of affording due attention to those most impor- 

 tant, because fundamental operations ; — if you finish off 

 your fields in a manner indicating care and neatness, 

 ploughing round their margins, and turning over the 

 corners— if you keep your fences clean and in a state of 

 repair— your fields free of weeds — if you give your stock 

 abundance of fresh food at regular intervals in winter, 

 and supply them with plenty of clean water ou fresh 

 pastures in summer — if you have the farm-roads always 

 in a serviceable state, and everything about the steading 

 neat and orderly;— if you exhibit skill and taste in all 

 these matters, and put what is called a fine skin on your 

 farm, you will not fail to earn for yourself the appella- 

 tion of a good and exemplary farmer." 



We may safely assert that the u Book of the Farm'' 



neglected over the Society's district. To this subject is the completest work on Agriculture which has yet ap- 

 the inspectors wish to call the attention of the pro- peared in this or indeed in any other language, 

 prietors, as this permanent improvement is the founda- 

 tion of all good husbandry. Unless the land be laid 



~™J w *»nL co araw tne attention or tne farmer to tn 



great essentials o( Turnip growing, viz., a soil thoroughl; 



ry, and well cleansed and pulverised when the seed i 



thoroughly dry it is useless for any one to attempt to 

 improve it with profit. The inspectors would call the 

 attention of the Society, and proprietors in the district 

 generally, to the drainage on the farm of Mr. Hood, New 

 Inn Farm, — he having drained 5209 rods, of five and a half 

 yards per rod, this spring and summer, the work being 

 in operation when they were on the inspection, on 

 the 3d of September last. The drains run parallel 

 to each other, and at regular distances, from 5 to 6 yards 

 apart, and carried through the whole field, without refer- 

 ence to the wet or dry appearance of the land : the 

 small drains are cut 30 inches deep, filled 15 inches 

 with clean gravel, and covered with a sod, and the soil 

 filled in. The main drains are cut 32 inches deep, and 

 built with stone, and filled with gravel above the 

 covers. The landlord opens and fills the drains, and the 

 tenant carts the material. The work is well executed in 

 all the departments, and gives great credit to the landlord, 

 agent, and workmen. (Signed) John Logan, George 

 Lauder. — The following remarks were shortly after- 

 wards made by Mr. Neilson : He said he had himself 

 begun to drain, and drained 45 acres with broken stone, 

 and Lord Derby, his landlord, had afterwards drained 50. 

 Now, the entire charge of draining was paid by Lord 

 Derby, and interest charged. Drainage is the province 

 of the landlord. It is a permanent improvement, and 

 should be effected at the cost of the owner. It was better 

 that the landlord should do this and charge an additional 

 rent, than that the tenant should so invest his capital, 

 which might be otherwise employed in making improve- 

 ments more within his province. It was the tenant's 

 interest to pay a higher rent for a drained farm than an 

 undrained one. When he proposed to pay 10 per cent, 

 on the outlay, his landlord had said that it would be a 

 high charge, as they were draining extensively. He said 

 he would rather pay 20 per cent, than it should be 

 undone. It was better for the tenant to pay 31. per 

 acre for drained land than 21. per acre for land 

 undrained. If the landlord was unable or unwil- 

 ling to pay the expense, let the tenant get a long 

 lease and undertake it himself. Draining was the 

 first step ; it must be taken. He had said what was the 

 landlord's work ; now he would tell them what was the 

 tenant's. Deep ploughing, manuring, aad weeding clean. 

 How often did they hear tenants complain of the expen- 

 siveness of manures, at the same time that they were 

 allowing the most valuable portion — liquid manure — to 

 run waste into the nearest ditch I How could they expect 

 to farm successfully thus ? A hole made in the ground, 

 or a tub sunk, would collect the liquid manure of two or 

 three pigs and two or three cows, and the wash of the 

 house, and this would suffice for 30 tons of Turnips and 

 70 bushels of Wheat. The tenant farmer is the centre 

 of the social system of Agriculture; he supports, on the 

 one hand, landlords by rents, and on the other, labourers 

 by wages. 



Harleslon, Norfolk. — I herewith furnish you the reso- 

 lution arrived at by the members of the Harleston Club, 

 on the 2d inst., on the subject of Farm-labour : — "That 

 it is the opinion of this Meeting that 30s. per acre is the 

 amount generally expended in labour on the well-culti- 

 vated heavy land farms in this district, although the 

 average is considerably lens ; but that, if security be 

 given to the tenant, on the principle advocated by this 

 Club, viz., length of tenure or Corn-rents with liberal 

 covenants, a sum varying from 30s. to 40s. per acre, 

 according to soil and situation, might be advantageously 

 expended." It cannot but be exceedingly regretted 

 that the landlord and tenant's views should be so dis- 

 united ; and until a great change is effected, agriculture 

 will slowly progress. — J. G. 



The Farmers' Ready Reckoner, or Glasnevin Aqricul- 

 tural Tables, by Thomas Skiliing. Agriculturist to the 

 Board of Education, National Jlodel Farm, Dublin. 

 Curry and Co., Dublin. 

 A little volume filled with Tables, illustrated by exam- 

 ples, for showing by inspection the acreable quantity of 

 any growing green or grain crop, in drill or br adcast, 

 and also for regulating the correct distribution of farm- 

 yard and other manures. It also contains a Table giving 

 the quantity of labour of various kinds that ought to be 

 performed in a given time at a given rate of working. It 

 gives the results in measures of various kind* ; accord- 

 ing, for instance, to the imperial, Irish, or Cunningham 

 acre. The greater part of the book is taken up with 



Tables for enabling the calculation of such problems as 

 the following : — 



" Having a field sowed one-half with Rape and the 

 other half with Vetches for spring food; and being 

 anxious to know the comparative value of these crops for 

 the purpose, it is desired to know how this may be 

 accomplished. Having taken a square yard, that is, 36 

 by 36 inches, in different parts of each crop, and obtained 

 an average, I find the Rape weighs 7 lbs. and the Vetches 

 S^los. I go to Table No. 10, 36 by 36 inches, and 

 opposite 



Tons. cwt. qrs. lbs. 

 7 lbs. in left hand column I get 16 220 for Rape. 



5 £ »» m »» 11 17 3 20 for Vetches. 



In favour of Rape 3 



8 



u 



liebfefos. 



The Book of the Farm. By Henry Stephens, Editor of 

 the " Quarterly Journal of Agriculture." William 

 Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London. 

 The last part of this voluminous work is now published. 

 The unnecessary prolixity with which its author is often 

 justly chargeable, is certainly too small a fault in any 

 degree to balance the many and high merits which belong 

 to it. In the last part there are useful chapters on Ag- 

 ricultural Experiments, on Farm Accounts, and on the 

 Rent, Lease, Stock and Capital of a Farm. 



The Author concludes his work with the following 

 passage, addressed to his readers, descriptive of gocd 

 fanning :«— 



Miscellaneous. 



Agricultural Implement Clubs. — You expressed a de- 

 sire to hear from some member of the Richmondshire 

 Agricultural Association, how the plan adopted by that 

 Society of purchasing improved agricultural implements, 

 using them through the year, and then selling them, had 

 answered. When this Society about three years ago 

 began to attract attention, a resolution was carried at 

 the general meeting, by which the President, R. M. 

 Jaques, Esq., was empowered to purchase for the Society 

 agricultural implements to the value of 100 guineas. 

 Among the implements selected were Crosskill's Clod- 

 crusher, Grant's Hay-rake, the Uley Cultivator, 

 Ducie's Chaff-cutter, Wedlake's Cake-cruiher, Biddei's 

 Scarifier, Cottam and Hallam's Dynamometer, Sec. ; 

 most of which were previously unknown to the ma- 

 jority of the farmers in the district. Some of these 

 articles were taken out and tried by various members 

 of the Society during the following year ; but we find 

 it stated in the Transactions of the Society for 1843, 

 that, " In the Report last year it was proposed : first, 

 that the implements purchased by the Society should 

 be tried during the present year, by any members 

 wishing to do so ; this, however, has been found almost 

 impracticable to any extent, from their being constantly 

 out of order ; and, secondly, it was proposed that they 

 should be sold by auction at the ensuing meeting. Yoar 

 Committee have, however, thought it a more desirable 

 plan, especially as securing the funds of the Society, to 

 award them as premiums, which will enable them to 

 purchase again during the present year.'' Several of 

 these useful articles were consequently disposed of in 

 this way to parties who were likely to appreciate their 

 worth ; and the Society again resolved •' that the Presi- 

 dent should be empowered to spend, during the ensuing 

 year, for agricultural implements, a sum of money not 

 exceeding 100 guineas." In accordance with this reso- 

 lution, additional articles of great utility were carefully 

 selected from the works of Ransome, Ducie, Dean, 

 Crosskill, Barrett Exall and Co., and other first-rate 

 makers. This encouragement to the implement manu- 

 facturers, joined to an avowed intention of giving a full 

 and fair trial to each article exhibited, induced many of 

 the most eminent manufacturers in the kingdom to 

 attend the Richmondshire Agricultural Society's meeting 

 in 1843. A whole week was spent in examining and 

 carefully trying the various implements brought forward, 

 and knowledge of lasting importance to the farmer was 

 disseminated. The members of this Society, and the 

 agriculturists of the district generally, have thus had an 

 opportunity of seeing implements of high pretensions 

 and great cost put to their various uses, and their merits 

 fairly tested, without any risk to themselves. The result 

 has been shown by many of our best agriculturists get- 

 ting chaff-cutters, drags, clod-crushers, &c, &c, for their 

 own farms ; and by our local implement makers show, 

 ing a desire to produce useful articles of superior work- 



