30( 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



chaser also ot the preceding lot " Oxford 11th," pur- 

 chased by Mr. G i tfr for 500 guineas, is priced 525 

 guineas. " Lady Iris," marked "dead," was not so 

 she was purchased by the American firm, Becau 

 and Morris, for 90 guineas. In calculating the 

 averages : o, we are corrected by our correspondent, 

 Mr. Frere, and with the alterations now made 

 they will stand as follows : 77 cows and heifei 

 at 5634 guineas = 76/. 16s. 6±d. each ; 24 

 bulls at 1837 guineas = 80/. 7s. Ad. each 



101 



1837 guineas 

 head of 



cattle, 43 of which 

 months old, at 7844/. 11.?. Od. 



5 or 

 are under 12 

 77/. 135. Ad. each. 

 And if any further evidence of the estimation in 

 which the short -horn breed is at present held be 

 wanting, it will be found in the circumstance that 

 our contemporary, the Mart Lane Express, tell 

 the farmers of this country that this price "is not, 

 for an average, a very extraordinary one." We 

 may be sure of this — that the competition amongst 

 English breeders alone would never have raised it so 

 high. It is the extraordinary demand for certain 

 strains of the breed in America coming into oppo- 

 sition with the sturdy resolution or patriotism, as 

 we may call it, of a few amongst ourselves 

 that has driven prices up so high — and produced 

 this extraordinarily high average — for so we may 

 surely call that which stands fourth in the list of 

 short-horn sales since the breed acquired its name. 



Charlks Collino's 47 sold for more than 151/. 

 each ; Kobert Coi.ung's 61 fetched 128/. 16s. each ; 

 Lord Ducir's 62 sold for 151/. each; -and Mr. 

 Tanqueray's 101 fetched 77/. IB* each. Both 

 Lord Spencer and Mr. Bates, the one realising 

 68J. 17j. and the other 67/., come after Mr. 

 Tanqueray, and the Hendon sale may 

 therefore rank as one of the very few "events" of 

 which the breed can boast. 



On Friday of last week Mr. Strafford con- 

 ducted the sale of the small herd belonging 

 to the late Mr. Bolden, at Hyning, near Lancaster. 

 The sums realised will be found in another column. 



Amongst them is the sum of 220 guineas for " Lady 

 Hopetown," bought by Mr. Torr — a price which does 

 credit to Mr. Booth's breeding. And there are other 

 particulars to which reference might be made in illus- 

 tration of the influence of Mr. Bates, such as the 

 average price — 53 guineas — of the six calves by 

 the * Duke of Cambridge," the bull sold at Hendon 

 to Sir C. Kmciitley for 280 guineas ; these calves 

 were respectively 5£, 5, 4, 4, 2|, and 2 months old ! 

 But to this and some other particulars bearing on 

 this subject we must refer another time. 



commonly used, for seeds which have been steeped 

 in a solution of that salt retain their vitality far 

 longer than those to which arsenic or corrosive 

 ublimate have been applied. The sulphate of soda 

 and lime would probably, if tried carefully, prove so 

 efficacious as to supersede all more questionable and 

 dangerous applications. M. J. B. 



the land in this district being 



We have lately received some specimens of Wheat 

 from a rich black loam on a limestone bottom con- 

 firmatory of our remarks at page 226, and as our cor- 

 respondent observes, so neatly cut off at the base as 

 to make it difficult to imagine that the mischief is 

 not due to the attacks of wire worm during the fine 

 weather at the commencement of Januaiy. That 

 the wireworm is not to blame we were, however, 

 fully convinced by finding, together with a total 

 absence of wireworms, the connection between the 

 seed and dead stem still retained, where the plants 

 were taken up with sufficient care. Amongst a 

 multitude of cases our correspondent found the con- 

 nection b ween them maintained in one case only 

 when the plant was gently drawn out from the 

 ground, and in this the grain had been partially 

 ergoted, and had produced three bright blue fungi, 

 which were undoubtedly the Cordyceps purpurea^ 

 Fr. ; which, according to the discoveries of Tulasne, 

 detailed some months since in this journal, is the 

 fully developed state of the ergot. Tulasne and others 

 had already observed that partially ergoted grains 

 would germinate, but perhaps the Cordyceps has 

 not been found before under such circumstances. 



A portion of the field from which the specimens 

 before us were derived, is sown with winter Beans, 

 of which three-fourths have entirely perished. In 

 that part of the field only which was covered with 

 snow they are bright and healthy. A portion of 

 those from exposed spots which show some signs of 

 vitality accompanied the Wheat, and it is clear that 

 they are affected precisely in the same way as the 

 Wheat. A large portion of the part above ground 

 is dead, and though the heart and a portion of the 

 stem below the first leaf show some life, that part 

 near the cotyledons is either dead or dying, the 

 deep brown tint extending in some cases to the very 

 centre. No weather, however genial, can recover 

 plants whose ti*suea are decaying from the effect of 

 frost, while the effect of mildew winds is daily more 

 and more evident, where the plant was merely 

 dwarfed, or the herbage only was affected. Whether 

 the diseased condition of the Wheat crop be entirely 

 due to the frost or not, or whether the system of 

 metallic dressing may have aggravated the evil, we 

 do not the less insist on the superior safety of other 

 modes of steeping. Sulphate of copper is perhaps 



the least harmless of those substances which «rp 



EXPERIENCES IN LAND DRAINAGE. 



No. III.— During the last 30 years I have drained 

 many thousand acres. The result in all cases was 

 highly satisfactory— the tenants being generally willing 

 to pay 6| or 7 per cent, on the expense, and the advan- 

 tage to them I am aware greatly exceeds that interest. 

 The drainage I have adopted is the parallel system. 

 For some years I have allowed no drainage under 3^ 

 feet deep in hard land, and in moss or bog 4^ or 5 feet. 

 At one time (20 years ago) our drains were only 27 and 

 30 inches, but experience has shown us the great 

 advantage of deeper drains. Our present drains are 

 3J feet deep at 24 feet distance. — We have no lowland 

 for permanent pasture, our drainage in moor-lands 

 for permanent pasture being only a small open cut for 

 surface water, at an expense of about 31. per thousand 

 rods, but of incalculable advantage in sheep walks. — The 

 direction of our minor drains is with the fall. We do 

 not regard the furrows 



sown out flat. — I have used 2- inch and 2^-inch pipes 

 for minor drains, and 4-inch to 6-inch tiles with soles 

 for leaders. Collars or socket-pipes have not been used 

 in this district, although I believe they ought to be. 

 We have generally stones thrown out of drains, with 

 which we fix the joints of pipes very firmly. — 1 have 

 not tried the practice of giving air at places to drains, 

 and do not consider it at all necessary. — The average 

 number of acres to one outlet I cannot accurately say ; 

 perhaps 8, 10, or 12 acres, according to circumstances. 

 — We have great variety of soil : peaty soil upon clay 

 or till, or a good red earthy soil with more or less of 

 clay upon rock, till, or clay. We have a great variety 

 of geological formation, but chiefly a second-class 

 retentive soil upon the clay slate formation. — We are 

 from 10 to 400 feet above the level of the sea. — The 

 fall of rain here is, perhaps, as great as any part of 

 Britain. In conclusion I believe there is no expenditure 

 of capital more profitable than that of drainage, and few 

 measures have done more good than the Government 

 grant for that purpose. I believe if the money so 

 absurdly expended in promoting emigration had been 

 laid out in drainage it would have been immensely more 

 beneficial, both in contributing to the comforts of the 

 poorer classes and in promoting the prosperity and 

 wealth of the community. In some cases a tract of 

 land not worth 505. has been, by drainage, made worth 

 50/. a year, and whole farms or estates have been even 

 tripled in value by drainage, followed by a good system 

 of farming. <?. Guthrie, Replead, Stranraw. 



No. IV. — The greater part of Lord Yarborough's 

 estate in this county that required draining has been 

 drained by his tenants (his lordship providing the neces- 

 sary tiles) during the last 25 years. Up to about four 

 years ago the drains were put in from 18 to 24 inches 

 from the surface, but during the lust four years a great 

 part of these have been taken up, and put in not less 

 than 3 feet deep. No difference is made between arable 

 and Grass land. The soil generally is clay, with the 

 subsoil of the same character ; where the latter has 

 sand veins, or is at all gravelly, a greater depth is 

 adopted — in some few J cases they are 5, 6, and even 

 8 feet deep, the object being to go wherever the water 

 is. On the strong soils, 3 feet draining is found so far 

 to be effectual ; the system is to drain down each furrow, 

 the lands being generally about 8 yards wide. Egg- 

 shaped pipes, 2§ ins. by l| in., without collars, have been 

 partially used, but open tiles (with sides where neces- 

 sary) have been more generally used, and are preferred. 

 The average depth of rain-fall in the neighbourhood 

 is a little over 20 inches. StepJien Gibbons, agent to the 

 Earl of Yarborough, BrocMesly Park. 



No. V. — The result of our drainage operations on all 

 descriptions of land has been most satisfactory. I 

 believe nothing pays better than draining land. — The 

 drainage adopted has been generally on the parallel 

 system, but that must depend a good deal upon the 

 nature of the ground and the fall.— The prevailing depth 

 of the drains is about 3 feet,— I have not laid down the 

 drains quite so near each other on Grass land as 

 on arable. — The direction of the minor drains has been 

 generally with the fall.— I have found 2-inch pipes 

 answer best for the minor drains ; I would not advise 

 that smaller should be used on any ground. I have 

 never used collars, as I think they would have a ten- 

 dency to displace the pipes and destroy the regularity 

 of the channel.— I have not sufficient experience to say 

 if there is any benefit by giving air at places to either 

 main or minor drains. — The average number of 

 acres discharging at the several outlets is about 3 acres, 

 sometimes more.— What is the soil and subsoil ? Pebbly 

 gravel, sometimes loamy, for the soil; the subsoil 

 generally a stiff clay.— We are situated here in what is 

 called the London Basin, which consists of a great depth 

 of stiff clay, overlying the chalk which crops out at 

 Ware and Hertford, but is at too great a depth to be 

 worked in this vicinity. The valley of the Lea consists 

 of a great depth (in some places 8 or 10 feet) of loam 

 (brick earth). The sides of the hills are covered in 

 many places with beds of gravel, which dip under the 

 loam, and lay immediately over the clay. This is on the 



Hertfordshire tide of the river, un the t8Bex~T5r" =: 

 clay rises again after passing under the river aiTU? 

 is little or no gravel. The marshes close to the • 

 consist chiefly of black peat or decomposed \* ^Jf 

 matter, intermixed occasionally with beds nf LT; 

 with clay underneath. The surface of these nSSi 

 is evidently higher than it was originally i2j5 

 drained would contract like a sponge, and sink tmJ? 

 I doubt much whether they can be drained to advtaS^" 

 The best mode of improving them would be to d 

 the clay and spread it on the top, bo as to codmSJ? 

 them. Great injury is done to the land by beaS^ 

 the water for the navigation and the mills.— We ' 

 about 100 feet above the sea level. Hertford is 96 f 

 above the high- water mark at the Thames.— I am qui? 

 convinced, from experience, that nothing paya hSm 

 than draining if well done, and the drains are not r\u*A 

 at too great a distance. I have one field on my 

 which was utterly worthless until drained. It wqqU 

 not grow the poorest Grass. It now produces good oom 

 of corn and roots. But I strongly advise that whateitr 

 is done in draining should be well and effectually done 

 and that the pipes should never be less than '2"inc2 

 I am of opinion, also, that although the water will fiai 

 its way down to very deep drains, say 4 or 5 feet thii 

 does not obviate the necessity of close draining. We 

 are also le*s careful than we ought to be in forming the 

 outlets. What is much wanted is a good practical work 

 on drainage, similar to Leclerc's " Traite de Drainage.* 

 a French work. G. T. fiosanquet, Eoddesdon. 



No. VI. — My experience of drainage operation! ku 

 been quite satisfactory where the drains have been pti 

 in sufficiently deep. I have adopted a parallel system 

 generally. The depth of drains has been from S ft, 611, 

 to 4 ft. ; but where springs were to be cut off, often- 

 times far deeper. Most of the land in this neighbour- 

 hood has been set out in high and crooked ridges ; 

 therefore, in draining the arable I have totally dis- 

 regarded the furrows, and have put in the drains 

 parallel to each other, at distanc3s varying, as the sol 

 might be more or less porous, looking to have the ridgej 

 levelled and straightened ; but on the pasture 1 ha?e, 

 for the most, drained up the old furrows, if the land 

 was stiff, and the ridges high ; but otherwise, where the 

 land was porous and required fewer drains, at wifcr 

 intervals. The direction of the minor drains has always 

 been with the fall of the ground, unless the fall was very 

 rapid ; in that case they have, in some ii.stauees, been 

 placed diagonally with respect to the falL For tbe 

 minor drains I have used If inch pipes, and for the 

 mains 3 inch pipes, unless I had to bring a larger 

 quantity of land than I have usually done into one head; 

 then, in that case, pipes of a larger diameter have beift 

 used towards the lower end of the main drain, 

 have been occasionally resorted to, but only in those 

 parts of the drains where spots of running sand or fine 

 gravel were met with. I have not any experience as to 

 giving air, either to the minor or main drains. I did 

 not believe it needful. I have seldom brought mow 

 than 5 or 6 acres into one head ; perhaps it miyht bafe 

 been better had I done otherwise, in which case I saw** 

 have had fewer outlets to look after. It is certainty 

 desirable, where the main outlet is liable to oceasww 

 flood?, that a considerable quantity of land should enw 

 itself at one point, whereby a strong under current * 

 created at those times, which will effectually keep!* 

 mouth clear of mud till the flood abates. The soil he* 

 is blue lias clay, at the foot of the oolite Kmeatone Jug 

 mixed with diluvial sand and gravel in spots. ^^ 

 clays are very calcareous, and even in the stinest p*"J 

 when you go down to the depth of 4 or 5 feet, ajPv 

 marl is mostly met with, which is considerably ?*** 

 and contains a t;ood deal of water. My estate lies 

 foot of the oolite ranges of limestone hills in «* 



the 



tfa 



eaiP* 



parish of Haresfield, six miles below Gloucester, on m 

 Bath and Bristol roads, and about two miles trow 

 river Severn. On our hill we have the remains 01^ 

 ancient British encampment (which gives a ^f^w 

 parish), a portion of which was fortified ^ after wb» / 

 the Romans, where they had a beacon, forming © 

 chain of fortifications extending from the loWe *t,j^ 

 near Bristol, to the Cotswold Hills, in GlouceB 7L^ 

 On the south-west of the island, wherewearea ^ 

 and exposed to the westerly winds which blow 

 Bristol Channel, we probably have our wllf^ - e w 

 —I should think a larger quantity than falls w 

 of those dwelling in the more midland ana, 

 counties. Daniel J. Niblett, IIartMfoid 9 mii^^ 

 No. VII. The system adopted is and has ^^js 

 wherever the land permits. The depth ol t" . ^ 

 not less than 3J feet. Here are few minor a ^^ 

 drains are independent of each other, and tne ^ 

 is with the fall, and they empty themselves ^ 

 ratey into an open ditch on the lower side * ^^j 

 But little pipe has been used ; the materia rf ^ 

 thin slaty stone placed edgeways a tool A^tf 

 bottom of the drain, on which is from 10 w - ^ 

 stoue broken very small ; the top of tne ^ ^ 

 filled with soil. There does not appear to u ' e &lr 

 sity for air-holes. Our fields are genera "J^ep*** 

 ing from 10 to 20 acres, and as each «*» ,u eJ4C t, is W 

 of another, the quantity of laud drained o . fleT aj 

 small. The soil and subsoil various, p*r ^U;* 

 field ; in some parts loam with a cl *> ^fritf^ 

 clay with a soft slate stone beneath, suci poW& 



~ " red sandstone is tne 6 . „, 



Co**** 



the drain. The old . 



formation. John Arkwriyht, h */*<* 



Leominster. . e p ._ 



P.S. I tried 1 § inch pipe, but in som J^jg, 

 choked with a fibrous plant or rootle 



■* 



M0* 



f0& 





