802 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTI 



correct average ; the sacks were then weighed, and the 

 result wai as follows :— 



The lu'umn planting with small Potatoes whole, gave at 

 the rate of loo load * pr. acre of 20 stones ca. 



Ditto with large Potatoes 

 cut io two Ill do. do. 



Spring planting with ditto. 86 do. do. 



The kind of Potato on which this experiment wa* tried, 

 is t hat known in these parts by the name of II n's-nest. 

 T quality is good in all the plpU, but the autumn- 

 planted, if anything, rather more mealy. 



I am repeating the experiment this year, and have 

 planted, a fortnight ago, some whole Potatoes, and some 

 cut in two ; but in the former, I have this time kept out 

 the very small ones, and planted only those of a i lium 

 size, whole ; for it seemed to me last year that some of 

 them had been planted of too small a size, which caused 

 them to put out too many shoots, and with inadequate 

 vigour. Another experiment may, perhaps, vary the 

 comparative product*, and ten 1 to establish the point of 

 preference betw n autumn and spring-plantiriL*. As no 

 failure took place in any of these plots, we have no right 

 to presume, from this experiment, that autumn-pl mling 

 will prove an antidote to that growing calamity ; but as 

 far as my observation goes, I am strongly inclined to 

 think that it affords a security against it, and that the 

 principal causes of failure are to be traced to injury sus- 

 lined by the seed, from being improperly kept througl 

 the winter, and its vegetative power being frequently 

 exhausted by shoots that have been made before plant- 

 ing in the spring, as well as by the planting being de- 

 ferred till the ground, under the process of working, 

 has been too much deprived of its moisture. Against 

 their iuses of failure the autumn-planting is a security ; 

 and if the result of future experiments should bear out 

 that which I have now detailed, the advantage of plant- 

 ing in autumn will, I think, be fully Mtab isbed. It has 

 been stated as an objection to sutamn-planting, that 

 time is not all wed for cleaning the land sufficiently, so 

 as to make it lit for sowing to Grass with the I uing 

 Corn i pi bit I should call it bad farming to have 

 land so d, alter one crop of Corn, as to present that 

 difficulty. Besides which, as autumn-planted Potatoes 

 are generally reidy to be taken ap in the beginning of 

 October, a considerable time is available for preparing 

 the land, either (or receiving winter Wheat, or spring 

 Corn. Independent of which, it is possible so to arrange 

 it as to have the Potato crop succeeded in the follow- 

 ing year by one of Swedish, or other Turnips; and 

 thus affording the fullest opportunity of sowing the land 

 to Grass in the best possible condition.— JoAn Grey, 

 Dihton If e, Oct. 31. 1844. [See a Leading Article 

 in another part of this Paper.] 



THE PLOUGH. 



(Continued from page 787.) 



Bf.foiie drawing the inference as to the proper form 

 of the mould-board from what we have thus shown to 

 be the proper position of the turf, I may as well first 

 say, that the amount of surface exposed depends wholly 

 on the relation between the dimensions of the funow- 

 •lice, and not in the least upon its actual dimensions. 

 The surface exposed will be a maximum, if the sods be 

 cut rectangular, ami if the proportion between their 

 depth and breadth be that of about 7 to 10 ; and if these 

 two conditions be insured, then the amount of surface 

 exposed will be constant, it will not vary, however the 

 actual depth or the actual breadth of the sod be altered. 

 The sime surface is exposed in a double as in a single 

 roof, the span and the slope being in either case the same. 

 There is one other point regarding the proper mode of 

 ploughing, still to mention. It is not always the object 

 of the farmer to expose the greatest surface of ground 

 that he can to the action of the air. His aim is some- 

 times merely to cover, and that in a very shallow way, 

 manure or other matter laid on the surface of the land. 

 This will, of course, be most perfectly effected, the flatter 

 that the sods are made to lie, the shallower and the wider 

 they are cut. And here it may be well to say a word or 

 two regarding the economy of having your implement to 

 do exactly what you want done, though it should be at 

 the expense of additional force. 



In ordinary farm work there is every possible variety, 

 arising from the variable nature of weather and of soil ; 

 and, possibly, economy would advise the farmer to have 

 two or more mould-boards, of forms varying so as to suit 

 two or more cases in which this difference is extreme, these 

 mould-boards being all attachable to the same framework; 

 but it must always be borne In mind that nothing is so 

 econ ncal as simplicity, and that there cannot in Great 

 ISntam be circumstances so different as to justify the 

 Berkshire farmer in retaining his clumsy implement, 

 with its i clumsier appendages, of wheels, framework, &c; 

 or the Kentish farmers in retaining their strange-looking 

 torm of the turn wrest plough; while all over the varying 

 climates and soils of Scotland there is but one form of 

 plough used or at least ploughs varying nothing in prin- 



Cinle. an.H hn* i;*»l~ :_ j_. •• A , , ?• i 



All this, however, may 



., ,. - — the general proposition. 



that economy tries to get its work well done, though it be 

 at additional expense, is undeniable; and I shall have im- 

 mediate occasion to apply it. It will not do to have 

 mould-boards varying in form, so as to suit every little 

 difference of circumstance ; and this is the less necessary 

 because, as we have seen, the position of the sod is de- 

 pendent, not so much on the form of the mould-board as 

 on its own form-the relation between its breadth and its 

 depth-— and thus the farmer can get his manure covered 

 perfectly and by a thin covering of earth, whatever be the 

 form of his plough. Notwithstanding this, the cir- 

 cumstance of the position of the sod being dependent 

 on the form of the sod, and not on that of the mould- 



hoard, is not to induce us to leave the furrow-slice to find 

 its own position. We must have our implement such 

 that the sod wili not merely fall off the mould-board into 

 its ultimate position, but that it will be pressed into its 

 proper place. This is more necessary in ploughing lea 

 land, where, by a mould-board of a good form, the upper 

 edge of the sod may be pressed in so as entirely to bury 

 the grassy surface. It is also well on arable land, be- 

 cause, if the land be in a proper state for ploughing, it 



will tend to break the eod, aud so facilitate the after 

 actiou of the harrow, &c. 



We have thus seen that the best mode of ploughing for 

 general purposes is when the furrow-slice is cut rectan- 

 gularly, and of such dimensions that it shall be at an 

 angle of 45°. It is a question which, perhaps, chiefly 

 affects the draught of the plough, but certainly also, in 

 some measure, its performance, that the turf shall be cut 

 perfectly by the coulter and share, that there may be no 



aring when it is moved by the mould-beard ; and it is 

 also a point affecting the draught as much as the perform- 

 ance of the implement, that there be no lateral thrust 



nding to push the turf bodily aside. This will onl 

 increase the draught of the plough, and tend to spoil its 

 work. The form ofihe implement, then, so far as the 

 nature of its work isconsidered,must be this: — The coulter 

 and sock must be so far before the mould-board, and their 

 position with regard to each other must be such that the 

 sod be cut of a rectangular form, aud that it be perfectly 

 cut before the moving part of the implement come to 

 act upon it. Tht mould-board should be such that the 

 line where it touches the ground may be a straight line, 

 corresponding in direction and position with the corner 

 about which the turf turns, and that the commencement 

 of its curved surface may be a straight horizontal line, 

 where it joins on to the share, while its termination is a 

 straight line hanging over on the other side of the per- 

 pendicular, at an angle of 45°. The curve between these 

 two lines must be as uniform as possible, in order that 

 the turf may be twisted gradually, not abruptly. The 

 length of the mould-board must be such, that the angle 

 its surface forms with the turf as it passes over it, may 

 be such., that when the implement is working on a 

 loose soil, that toil may slide over its surface end be laid 

 aside rather tha-i be pushed before it. The mould-board 

 and the plough generally should be fitted for an extreme 

 case, and then it will be sure to be fitted for all ordinary 

 cases, though it may then work under a disadvantage. 

 The an«>le, then, which the surface of the mould-board 

 makes with a line ac right angles with that in which the 

 implement moves, must never be less than the angle of 

 repose of soil on iron.* It is evident that a great num- 

 ber of curves may be drawn, each possessing all the pro- 

 perties which are here required of a mould-board, that 

 if. may work well; we now have to consider what is to 

 guide us in choosing from among these the one which 

 works easiest. — M. S. 



ciple, and but little in detail, 

 be true : and yet the truth of 



REMARKS ON CHALKING. 

 Having read your remarks on tie subject in a late 

 Gazette, and asking, as jou do, for further particulars on 

 this subject, allow me to offer a few observations on the 

 mode adopted in this neighbourhood, where it has been 

 carried on to a very considerable extent for many years 

 past, and with the most beneficial effects, on the strong 

 clayey loams as well as all other descriptions of "sour 

 red land" in this vicinity. The plan for raising the 

 chalk is the same here as is practised in Hertfordshire; 

 there is, however, a very material difference in the cost, 

 a much larger quantity being here spread per acre for a 

 much less sum than is given in your account ; and this, 

 in my opinion, is to be attributed to our having no 

 11 middleman" between the farmer and workmen : gene- 

 rally, one of the best labourers is selected as foreman, 

 who shares with the others in the work, but with the 

 understanding that his wages are to be Is. per week above 

 the others ; in many cases, also, he takes the job him- 

 self, employing the rest on his own responsibility. Our 

 method, also, of sinking pits is precisely the same as 

 mentioned by you ; but now comes the difference : here 

 it is paid for by the acre, and at so many bushels per 

 pole, which being never less than 18, makes 2880 bushels 

 per acre, and the price from 35s. to -10s., generally 38s., 

 including the filling in of pits, &c. The buckets in 

 common use contain 1£ bushels each, and the chalk is 

 wheeled away at once into heaps, making about 11)20 to 

 the acre ; if, then, these heaps arc at the beginning placed 

 m two lines, at right angles, and at a distance of about 

 4 feet in one direction, and 5 feet in the .... 

 other, they will have the appearance of the . . . . 



annexed diagram on the ground. A very 



simple plan of ascertaining that the full 



quantity is deposited on the ground is . . . . 

 thus obtained, as by a very casual observation before 

 spreading, it will be seen whether the heaps are kept 

 in their proper rows, and at regular distances. The 



** o — 1 «wvii|;uuil flUUVtj Hiei 



but what are availing themselves of it where it can be 

 procured, and it is generally to be met with at a depth 

 of from 7 to 10 feet : in cases, however, where it cannot 

 be so soon obtained, many go to the nearest chalk pits 

 and employ their horses in frosty weather and at other 

 times when convenient. As regards the chemical com- 

 position of the chalk, this is beyond me ; there is, how- 

 ever, a somewhat significant term in use unon»t th* 

 workmen, that the more M soapy'' 



use amongst the 

 the chalk the better 



b 



[Nov. 30, 



T7 ■ ^para-con lor the ensuing crop. I n ,7,7 

 ion to the great good effected on the land, anotll 

 ■eighty reason is in the employment it affords to ^ 



it is, being more eedily pulverised bTThT, : ^ „ 



is generally found to be more " 80 *py" the f reat,??i* 

 depth. The fiftM. ,«n«f ™ 1_ X;. / a .°5 r ««ter the 



are old fi 



stubble 



tion tn th*' ^JVZZ Im-Z-T"?"* ™P\ *n*idi, 



- " ■- — - — —i» w /"w«i it anords to th* 



numerous unemployed poor who are to be found in mi2 

 parishes at this season of the year ; and as an indn 

 ment to their tenants, several of the large landown* * 

 this county have most handsomely contributed for iJ* 

 ral seasons past, in some cases one-third, and in 

 nearly one-half, of the cost per acre. 

 make Forest, Marlborough. 



[Can you forward us a specimen of your best chilk 1 

 1 oz. will suffice.] 



sete. 

 ' • M. C, Sail 



SKETCHES OF EAST LOTHIAN HUSB-VXDRY 



Rotations of Crops.— The general adoption of ah 

 husbandry has been already mentioned as 



ernate 

 of the 



j ..„„ „ w « „ t .^>i„j ujtuiiuucu as one of th« 



peculiar features of East Lothian Agriculture ; although 

 geuerally speaking, every farmer in this county is n%l 



vented by express covenants in his lease from growin 

 upon the same piece of land, two white or exh.n.Hn- 



crops 



storati 



cified 



hausting 



* The angle of repose of one substance on another is the 

 angle at which the surface of the latter is inclined when the 

 former just ceases to slide over it. 



course being mainly regulated and determined by the 

 quality of the soil and the local circumstances of parti- 



cular farms, is very properly left to the judgment and 

 discretion of the tenant himself. The proprietor, there- 

 fore, lays down no special rotation of crops or system of 

 cultivation for the guidance or observance of the farmer- 

 the only period during which he interferes with the mode 

 of management — provided two white or corn crops are 

 not taken in succession — is the last four or five years of 

 the lease. No obligatory covenants, however, are requi- 

 site to enforce the observance of alternate husbandry in 

 East Lothian, except perhaps towards the close of a 

 lease whose renewal is not expected or desired. The 

 farmers follow certain courses of cropping suited to the 

 soil and circumstances of their respective farms, from a 

 conviction that it is advantageous for themselves to do so ; 

 that is, from a regard to their own interest. 



Although a rotation of soir.e kind or other is generally 

 adhered to on every farm, yet particular circumstances 

 frequently render slight deviations from the regular course 

 expedient. Some farmers, for instance, often take Pota- 

 toes after Grass, and Turnips after Potatoes— both evi- 

 dent violations of the principles of alternate husbandry. 

 Sometimes, also, when a Grass field, in consequence of a 

 failure of the Clover or some other cause, does not afford 

 or promise a good pasturing, it is ploughed up for Oats 

 after the first year, although, according to the rotation 

 pursued, the f.eld may properly require to lie two years 

 in Grass. To rectify this deviation, and to equalise as 

 far as possible the quantities of the different crops an- 

 nually grown on the farm, some one of theother Grass fields 

 included in the same course is allowed to remain in pas- 

 ture a year longer than the usual period. Slight devia- 

 tions of this kind are of general occurrence in the best 

 managed farms. 



Upon the strong clay soils, of which the greater patt 

 of the county consists, the rotation pursued and the crops 

 cultivated are nearly similar. The following is the most 

 general course of cropping throughout the county on ad- 

 hesive soils : — 



. Fallow, dunged 



. Wheat, with Clover and Rye-grass sec 

 . Grass for Hay, soiling, or pasture 

 . Oats 



. Beans, dunged 

 "Wheat 



fallow is repeated and the rotation re- 

 commences again. 



As remarked in my last paper, the extension of furrow- 

 draining, by rendering the soil more easily pulverised 

 and cleared of root-*eeds, has obviated to a great extent 

 the necessity for resorting to a bare fallow, even upon 

 stiff, adhesive clays. Swedish Turnips are no *, there- 

 fore, not unfrequently substituted, and begin the rotation, 

 instead of fallow. The above course, which has been 

 found peculiarly adapted to the soil of the greater part 

 of this county, is sometimes modified and extended . oy 

 allowing the land to remain two years in Grass instead o 

 one. The Grass, in the latter case, is either cut for nay 

 or soiling the first year, and depastured the second, or w 

 is depastured both years. When the crop happens to oe 

 good, it is generally mown the first year, partly w 

 hay, and partly for soiling the working horses in w 

 stables, and the fattening cattle in yards, as previous j 



adverted to. « -..a 



Upon the light and medium descriptions of land, suue 

 to Turnip husbandry, the following rotation is that u*uauy 

 followed, viz. s— 1st year, Turnips ; 2nd, Barley, Ua«, 

 or spring Wheat; 3d. Grass, generally depastured; * • 

 Pasture; 5th. Oats. Upon this kind of land .the i it 

 nips, or a certain portion of them, are eaten on the gro . 

 by sheep. The Grass break is also frequently exten 

 to three years, as this quality of land is not calculate a 

 undergo as close and severe cropping as that ot a 

 and more adhesive character. I may here °? serf *'. •„. 

 upon very strong retentive clays it is considereu j 

 dicious and unprofitable to allow the land to rem* 

 Grass for a longer period than one year, or .two at i 

 ;hest. The foregoing rotations are those in general pr ^ 

 throughout the low and middle parts of the counrj- 

 the upland district Wheat is but rarely grown, ana 

 fallows are never resorted to. Turnips mvariaoiy^ 



1st 



year 



• 



2d 



i» 



• 



3d 



n 



• 



4th 



»> 



• 



5th 



>» 



• 



6 th 



>> 



• 



After 



which 



the 



J - 



the rotation, followed with Barley or Oats, and ■* 

 years of Grass. I should observe that as the nature : 

 tenure of the soil of large farms are often very diner 



