60 



in; agricultural gazette. 



[Jan. 2; 



«■••»—— 



H i —i i 



general *y 



emU of ammonia . t I Have btn uuuniivu urn >* 



to, and i«, obtains! with ti much a* 12 per cent. 

 Th* rttt of Mi eoiwrtitaente, consisting of sawilu t, 

 •tilphftte of lime, and oxiJe of iron, are not of vaW 

 a* manorial *ttb#Un««* and the article muBt therefore 

 be e^iraated enimiy from tte ammonia. The imp- I- 

 *nc* of thi* p r o c ti e and its product cannot at present 

 be properly e»iimate<i, an the patent ha* not come 

 into full operation ; bat it is 



adopted, it would produce upwards of 10 00 tons 

 per annum of the manure ; and assum » it to con- 

 tain per cent, of ammonia, this would correspond 

 |B upwards of 30,<X)«> tons of sulphate of ammonia 

 When it is remembered that all this ammonia has 

 hitherto been entirely lost, the value of the process 

 appears considerable ; and it h most desirable that it 

 should be generally adopted by the «*as companies. 

 The product at the present price of sulphate of 

 ammonia Is worth from 51. 10*. to 61. per ton ; and 

 at that price it would undoubtedly meet with pur- 

 c hassis . I am not aware that it has yet been 

 employed a Scotland to any extent as a manure ; 

 but if it has, it would be conferring a benefit upon 

 agriculture *f th results ww? made public. 



The price of ammonia might be diminished in another 

 war, aril thoegh there are no immediate prospects of 

 much being done in the direction in question, it is 

 worth rr tioning. ft is entirely in the form of sulphate 

 that it i* at present employed, and, from what has been 

 already said, it must be obvious that the vahie of the 

 sal Impends on its ammonia alone, and not on its sul- 

 phuric aeU 9 which is used only as a means of converting 

 the aruruoata into a solid and transportable form Of 

 ereiy ton of sulphate of ammonia, about three irtha 

 eeosists of sulphuric a 1, costing from '. to and it 



is manifest that, if this could be disj ised with or 

 replaced \>y any cheaper substance, the price of ammonia 

 in a transportable form would be proportionally lowered 



In fat, what in required is a cheap a I, It does not \ 

 appear that there is much prospect of this requirement 

 tofoff supplied, but attempts have been made to employ 

 r use aside, or refuse mixtures containing acid, to 



neutralise the ammonia of the gas works, and with con 



•dtrable 'nests*. \ salt has been lately sold to some 

 extent undrr the name of muriosulphate of ammonia, 

 which appear* to be made in this way. An analysis of 

 this substance, made in my laboratory, has given the 

 following results 



it also sulphuric acid, it would be y aibie fur linn to 



mix the two ami j 'serve the mixture in open tanks 

 without loss, or, what would be better still, in closed 

 ;s. At thi rate he would obtain his ammonia in 

 the state of sulphate, although still in the fluid form, at 

 «/. per lb., in place of from '. to 8ef. It may be 

 questioned, however, whether this saving would at all 

 compensate for the increased trouble and expense of 



storing the fluid. 



While, therefore, I doubt whether much can be done 

 at the present time in this way, I am strongly impressed 

 with the opinion that encouragement should be given to 

 the working up the ammonia of the small gas-works ; 

 and as, from what has been already said, it cannot be 

 doub ed that a considerable profit is to be derived from 

 it, the farmers of any districts in which small gas- works 

 exist would do well if they were to make an offer to 

 take fulpha'e of ammonia from them at a definite price. 

 It is certainly nothing but the difficulty of obtaining a 

 local demand, which prevents these ^as-works from 

 attempting to dispose of their waste products. 



Home Correspondence. 



Root-grating Machine. — From the reply to a u Small 

 Farmer " in the Agricultural Gazette of the 20th inst, 

 I can give him somewhu more information than that 

 reply furnishes. If he feeds his animals with cut roots 

 alone, there is no better article than Gardner's cutter in 

 general use ; but if he is desirous of adopting the far 

 more economical and scientific practice of making his 



(iod. The reflections ot those who have so terrihh 



neolected to provide for the common wants of 

 gallant and enduring soldiers are not to be enrW 

 Thousands have been sacrificed to blundering incapjjw 

 or something worse. It must be recollected that 

 heroes of Alma, Inkermann, and Balaklava, were (taw 

 from the toilers in our fields and manufactories *C 

 sinews and intelligence are used (too often at»rf\ 

 without a corresponding return, in providing ^j! 

 instruction, and giving them time to take advantagsrf 

 it. It is enough to make a nation weep tears of \ 

 to witness the destruction of the finest expedition tfc* 

 ever left the shores of England, not from the brill* 

 and swords of the enemy, but from neglect of th 

 commonest precautions. Was such a thing ever heart 

 of before as an army allowing itself to be cut off fn» 

 supplies of food, firing, ammunition, clothing, medial 

 comforts, tents, &c, lying within seven miles of the 

 camp, from the want of a road in a country where stoat 

 is plentiful, the natives ready to work, and where h 

 ought to have been known the country was imp&aaUi 

 in winter, without some exertion being made to keep* 

 a communication with the transports ? A darkpageia 

 the Anglo-Saxon history. Falcon. 



Payne's Defiance. — Mr. Mechi, in your paper of tie 

 6th, in asking for information respecting the priced 

 Payne's Revitt Wheat, says it is H 105. below other red 

 Wheat." Generally speaking I think Payne's Revitti 

 are about 2s. 6d. per quarter cheaper than other red 

 Wheat of the same weight. This year is an exception, 

 on account of the large breadth and the blight, whi4 



animals eat roots and more solid food mixed together, ' seems to have affected this sort of Wheat more th* 

 he will require a different machine. Carson's, of any other ; but even this year I don't think the difference 

 «7 f -- 4 -- : - effective article for cutting is more than 45. or 5s. per quarter. Mr. Mechi weighed 





fttlptlfttt Of JUMBftrt i* .„ 



MnHate of worn i* 



Ch>r>rtd«ofpotii»rtam 



1 iforide of tod! 

 V r 







••♦ 



■ 



■ 





■ 



• i . 



• • • 



■ . . 



••t 



• 



in 



i 



4 75 



I 



It if 



A 



nia 



- 





■ 





KO.Tfl 



te.50 



This subetance, then, .... w _ b lw „ llI1IU3 



ttiat of pare sulphate of ammonia. It is obviow, how. 

 *w, that the value of such a substance i liable to great 

 ▼anatton a. rdiug to the amount of common salt 

 {chloride of sodium) and water which it contains, and 

 the subjoined analysis will show to what an extent it 

 4nay vary, not only in the proportion, but even in th#» 



lli^ure of its constituent* 



BtUphate of wxU 



* ate of magnesia 



o!# •* p. < K { 



1 hlneitfa of aodiirm 



Water 



• • « 



■ 





■ 







• 



• 



**• 







• •■ 









• 



• * « 







• • • 



■ 





in: 



IS 



• »J85 



mm 





lU 





** 





# *t 



100.00 



it.28 



Mi 



than half that of sulj ate of ammonia. 



It stil] happ«M, however, thai a price remains to be 

 paid for the acid, and hence the question has arisen, 

 > v "y not employ the ammonia alone 1 It is unnecessary 



the 



a manure, and with much success ; but its applicability 

 H hunted hy its bulk, which raises the cost of transport 



so much that it can only be used in places situated in 

 «te immediate vicinity f Raa-works ; while even sup- 



po»»ng it ronght upon the farm, it must be largely 

 fluted, and in ordinary cases applied by the watering 

 cart at great expense. The latter objection does not 



%!2. i t0 t . a T, , f * rma in which P'P ea » re distributed 

 tnrwgl, the held*, as in that case the gas liquor can be 



~* l f applied along with other liquid manures. But 

 even with * lic h farms the Cost of convince is very 

 ■great, unless they happen to be well situated. In some 

 works, however, the crude ammoniacal liquor is sub- 

 nutted to rect. cation, and obtained of such a strength 

 « to admit of ensy and cheap transport. A sample of 

 Ui» conoontrated ammoniacal liquor, anah I m mv 

 isboratory, was found to contain 16, ) grains of am- 

 *•*** V* gsllon, or upwards of 20 per cent. One ton 



i,* <l0Wt,r ° f th ' S flu?d wfl1 theref °r« contain as 

 jnucn ammonia as a ton of sulphate of ammonia, and as 



«.!! Tf *f W* P«r gallon, the price of the ammonia in 

 of ammoma cost, l«. p, r ton , the ammonia in it i» F sold 



MtendeTwS, IS r^ Wnt ° ( this fl » id ^ d ,;e 

 ™*tL , ^ T™ m y> Unfortunately it bap. 



%S£?Z\ t( Z T ° ° f V» r"" 1 ^'^ of gS that the 



farm** tvnn!.? u - w , a PP" e « *» the lamJ, and the 



iarnn»r would be compelled to numb*.* ;♦ ; • * 1 



2-erre it unt.l it "w„ ZS^mZES,"* 



J«S lid ,Lt . r? , °* ** kept With0ttk ^iderable 

 £T' I* ,,tt,e P"V«t of its combs into u« • 



l»t suppo^ug the fanner to buy not ooly tbaf oS^t 







Warminster, is a very 



Swedee, &c. f into thin ribands, which mix intimately with 

 ch.iir. I have had one (price 41. 10$. cash) in use for 

 four year*, which has cut for a large stock of bullocks 

 their entire supply (hiring that period. The first pulp- 

 ing machine was produced at Lincoln by Phillips, which 

 I see a<l rtised in the same Ga te. This appeared to 

 •If) its work perfeetly 9 but the cost (11 J.) was too high 

 for the purpose. 1 was informed at the Smithfield 

 how the cost had hecn reduced 4/., or thereabouts. 

 There was another machine exhibited there which 

 appeared quite as efficient for all practical purposes, 

 though it worked in a different way, the cost of which 

 was 61. 8$, I have unfortunately mislaid the manu- 

 facturer's description of the machine and his address. 

 Not having had actual experience of the two latter 

 machines I can only say they appeared to accomplish 

 the perfect commmution of the root for feeding pur- 

 poses. C. L. 



Emplrytrs and Employed. — From time immemorial 

 there have been classes in society, some rich, others 

 poor — one to command, another to obey ; learned and 

 ignorant— master and servant. The separation now 

 existing between men and women placed in the various 

 positions of life was not always so great. By gmng back 

 Bftj or sixty years, it will be found the mass of agricul- 

 tural labourers were better cared for ; boys grew to men 

 on the same estate — son succeeded to father ; the pea- 

 sants remained bound to the same locality by peculiar 

 feelings ; they seldom thought of migrating, looking 

 upon the family estate of their master and mistress, al 

 least the labour of it, as belonging of right to them. The 

 attachment was that of the better part of the feudal 

 system without its imperfections, the owner of property 

 being considered as a father as well as ruler, showing 

 kindness and consideration to all those in his service. 

 The interest of master and man was closely woven 

 together—they might be said truly to rely on each other 

 for assistance in time of need. The selfish principle of 

 accumulating money by every means, without reference 

 to the comforts and welfare of those by whose aid it is 

 gathered together, has, in a great measure, severed the 

 bond of union so much to be desired between employer 

 and employed, both in large and small concerns. There 

 is one splendid example to the contrary in Price's Candle 

 Manufactory, where a system of education was com- 

 menced and carried out, single-handed, by a clerk 

 or manager to the establishment, and afterwards sup- 

 ported, ami stdl continues to he so, by the company. Now 

 if one influential house can organise and maintain 

 schools, libraries, and a church, surely other firms 

 equally wealthy can follow so brilliant an example of 

 charity in its full meaning. Landholders, merchants, 

 manufacturers, shopkeepers, and householders of every 

 description will find that kindness and attention to the 

 temporal and spiritual wants of their dependants are 

 never thrown awav. but remembered with gratitude 

 a , 4 : . ere9t t^en in even-thing that 



belongs to the.r masters and mistresses. In all relations 

 of life the higher views as accountable beings should be 

 the guiding principle of action. All mankind belong to 

 the same great family. It is education and super- 

 mtendance m youth that marks the difference in 

 manners, tastes, opinions, and amusements. With 

 regard to morality, the upper orders are more refined 



ZJuTZ P rofl ; g f ae * ****** t0 the notions of the 

 world, bu not less guilty than the lower classes, who 

 carry on their drunken orgies in beer-houses Tnd t e 



EST?, £•=!**'.»-• » f «"«— i £ 



62 lb. (mind ye) to the bushel. Perhaps Mr. Mechft 

 neighbours don't know the value of this Wheat. I 

 know a miller who lately ground a moiety of this 

 Wheat for a whole year, and he made quite as good 

 flour as his neighbouring millers. Referring to the 

 blight, I know to my cost that it is true. I had aboit 

 I acres of Payne's llevitts on the Lois- Weed on system; 

 it looked well till nearly harvest, then the blight tooki: 

 perhaps its being thin on the ground is some of tie 

 cause. The grains of Wheat were wonderfully thin,j) 

 that I had only 2 quarters per acre. I have no hesita- 

 tion in saying that if the grains of Wheat had been four 

 times as large, instead of two, I should have M 

 8 quarters per acre. This information (such as it is) a 

 from /. P. P., Cohie Engaine, Essex. 





otittitff* 



Uses of Peat c 

 a paper on tios 



*^r* mjiuwu away, out 



shown by real interest 



Society of Arts, Jan. 24. — On the 

 other Charcoals. — Mr. Longmaid read 

 subject, in which he referred principally to the usee! 

 charcoal as fuel, arid the value of such J fuel, e specialty 

 in the iron manufacture. He also alluded to Dr. SU* 

 house's experiments with charcoal as a disinfectant, and 

 remarking that it was possible to renew charcoal tte 

 had been so used and reconfer its disinfecting power!, 

 he said that this need not be practised, seeing that it 

 then becomes useful as a manure : 



" Professor Liebig states that peat and spent bark are £ 

 difficult forms of organic matter Jto deal with as manure; that 

 peaty matter remains for years exposed to the influence of i 

 and water without undergoing change, and in this state yi> 

 little or no nutriment to plants. Recent experience has,howereTj 

 shown that when organic matters, such as peat and spent tin 

 are converted into charcoal, they become exceedingly valuabfe 

 as vehicles for the transmission of water, nitrogenous compound* 

 carbonic acid, &c, to the plants, first separating these matters 

 from the atmosphere, and again yielding them up when required. 

 The mode of applying charcoal as manure is simple ; it sliould be 

 ground to a coarse powder, and then strewn over farmyard 

 manure heaps, stables, cow-houses, pig-styes, cesspools, or placed 

 in manure tanks, urinals, &c. It is suitable for being appl^ 

 also r without mixture by the drill or broadcast, in the proportia 

 of 4 to 7 cwt. per acre, to all green and corn crops, and will & 

 found a valuable addition to most soils, especially clayey ones. 



In the discussion which followed the reading of Mr. 

 Longmaid's paper, the uses of charcoal as a filter for 

 disinfecting sewage manure were referred to. Mr. ^ 

 F. Cooke spoke of the immense quantity of useless and 

 mischievous wood in hedgerows and woodland, whicbf 

 could it be easily converted into charcoal, would & 

 useful agriculturally. Mr. Scott alluded to his ex- 

 per ience of charcoal as a dressing for Potatoes. 



" During the years 1846-7-8, when the disease of that root** 

 most prevalent throughout the United Kingdom, his crop* 

 Potatoes in Cheshire, which had been dressed with charcoal,** 

 comparatively free from disease. Charcoal was well known V 

 be most useful as a deodoriser. He had used it in his stable 

 and it was known that nothing was more injurious to ab^J 

 than the smell of his own house, but the charcoal had the eft« 

 of rendering the stables sweet and wholesome, and after it WJ 

 performed that office it was available for manure. With it 

 to the advantages of converting wood into charcoal, they were" 

 present extremely problematical. The peat bog for fuel *» 

 worrh perhaps, from 6/. to 8/. per acre, whilst the land was?^ 

 pared tor reclamation, but when converted into charcoal, it JJ- 

 never yet, he believed, been found to pay, and therefore it *•[ 

 hardly fair to characterise this as one of the unappreciated*^ 

 undeveloped resources of Ireland." 









i^oucts of 2300&& 



K-in^m •* • gantry *"d artisans of the United 

 k.ngdoa, H .s only necessary to refer to their corduct 

 dwag the campaign in the Crimea. They JZt'l 

 shown such daring and chivalric conrage under III 

 hottest fire who have evinced such patience a „dco n 

 sUncy under unheard-of suffering, fr„ m dise!L ^ C ''" 

 starvation cannot he composed of senses C W 

 unworthy to be numbered amongst th. ^m'. 1.1* 



By J- BwW 



J. Ridgway, 10- 



land Drainage and Drainage Systems. 

 Denton, F.G.S., Assoc. Insf, C.E. 

 Piccadilly. 



This pamphlet, which deserves a much fuller reri** 

 than we can this week give it, contains the paper «• 

 hy Mr. Denton before the London Farmers' Club. * 

 have already alluded to that paper ; it is considers' 

 iSn^'thTS,?"! * ] * y S ° r I enlargCd ' andi 'l»»trated by numerous engravings .» « J 



amongst the noblest works, of present form. We have no hesitation in character** 







