











Avqusi 11, 1S55.] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



__ conducted by Mr. Sinclair, gardener to the late 

 poke of Bedford, at YVoburn, in the garden. And one 

 rf the most exact comparative inquiries into the rela- 

 tive merits of different varieties of Wheat is reported 

 to the first volume of the English Agricultural Society's 

 Journal as having been conducted in a garden in Glouces- 

 tere jii r e. Many an instructive and satisfactory experi- 

 ment, illustrative of the relative value of manures, will 

 be found recorded in our agricultural journals as having 

 been performed in garden plots. I would especially refer 

 to a most valuable and instructive annual report'of his 

 experience of this kind, which has been published in the 

 Qardenerf Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette for many 



25t years by the Hon. and Rev. L. Vernon Harcourt. 

 odes of cultivation, methods of manuring, rotations of 

 cropping, and the merits of the various crops — 

 all these particulars, which among them pretty 

 1y complete the circle of the mere cultivator's 

 experience— all of them are capable of perfect illustra- 

 tion in the garden. And how perfectly the rationale of 

 iv particular observation can thus be obviously pre- 

 sented to the eye and mind any one can perceive. You 

 may talk to a boy for any length of time on the advan- 

 tage of stirring the soil and of deep cultivation, inas- 

 much as it admits the air more perfectly throughout 

 the substance of the soil, and thereby facilitates those 

 chemical processes by which the soil and its contents 

 fitted as the food of plants ; but no quantity of 

 merely verbal instruction will equal in its force, either 

 upon the understanding or the memory, the lesson 

 on that subject which that same boy would receive 

 if, after having dug a hole in the hardened ground, 

 be were told to put into it again the earth he had 

 jost taken out of it. The heap remaining over, 

 which he could not replace, would represent more' 

 distinctly to him the bulk of additional air thus intro- 

 duced into the soil by its disturbance than any argument 

 unsupported by this simple experiment could do. Well, 

 I need not say anything more on this point. I 

 hurr on to the usefulness of the garden, both as fur- 

 nishing agricultural practice to the boys (I mean in the 

 art of using the spade and hoe and other agricultural 

 tools), and as adding to the emoluments of the school- 

 master. On these again I must be satisfied with a 

 reference to the experience of other 

 ■hort as to be little more than an enumeration of the 



S ! ^"^.^ laSt • ir ' lt * 8tl! ^cessful 

 result nitherto of this experiment. I beli. , that anv 



one who will read the report of the General Aeaembh 

 Committee on their Highland schools, the reports of 

 Dp ' ^patrick on the Irish Agricultural Sch< th 

 report by M r Cuthbert Johnson of Mi Davie* Gilbert's 

 Schools, by Mr. Batson of his experience on the sub- 

 ject at Kvnaston, in Herefordshire, and the report « 

 the Hardwicke Reformatory <chool, may coni 

 accept the conclusion I propose for his adoption, tha 

 iarge garden boys may re ive efficient practice iu iii 

 use of tools, and in the conducting of agricultural pro- 



C }*??V t l nd that froin a lar & e parden'so managed a 

 skiltul schoolmaster will derive sufficient return to make 



it a very considerable source of income to himself or to 

 the school. The great fact as proved especially In the 

 Irish schools is that all these advantages are obtainable 

 without interfering with the main purpose of the school 

 —the communication of sound instruction in the elements 

 of an ordinary education; and I contend that in agri- 

 cultural districts even these might usefully have an 

 agricultural turn given to them-that reading books, 

 tor instance, might furnish lessons on agricultural sub- 

 jects, and that 1- ons in arithmetic might have special 

 reference, even from the beginning, to agricultural cal- 

 culations, landing the pupil ultimately in questions of 

 account and expense relating to alf manner of farm 

 methods and results, such as digging, and trenching, and 

 meing , ploughing, grubbing, harrowing, rolling, drilling, 

 norse-hoemg, manure- making and the application of ii 



139 



AST ) M 



*nd »i iu. ') V Wbeat K™ 1 in the r * w ' the «aw aw lum 



and at leant of a verag* thickness on t he t nod. Sosa* fie 



w 6 ^ J* dly d **««*l °7 the AN iy, whSTeS 



neat harvest until tha dose o< the month ; a* 



is notlm > prevt being a full average, though the yield 



I qua! may U ferior to laat year. Haitey* a 

 ably heavy crop-almoat every field I 

 may be ready for the sickle in lesi 

 are a uigiag colour, and are a 



»rable. l.« ana are tall in th 

 they appear to be well podded, 

 the K rain crops Is highU 

 change from the pit 



stag laid. Much of it 

 an three weeks., Oats 

 sit as bulky as is de- 

 straw, and are still growing: 

 Altogether the appearance of 

 factory : at tha same time a 

 it moist we*' i to a clear and dry 



~~ mips 

 rou* fields 





* I 



Swe ^ 7nH I?' "• ^ m<Wt luxaria Numerous sssss. 

 clone nu" S 1 - e grem ^I' P<U * "*«* » •*** 



that B it is Imp ible to tell which way the drills run 

 ay ij Htill genera the tramp-rick in the fields : is™ut* 



h t crop, and its qual has been ^.W^m" a\w12a wl 



Hay 



a 



the late 



this 



one 



' ,V,4 ^" UCU S> iimiiure-raaKing ana the application of it; 

 sowing, whether by hand or by machine; mowin^reapiu", 

 and harvesting, measurement of land, manure, ricks, and 



building 



s — in terms, too, so 



, estimation ofproduce, and all sorts of measuiv 



work connected with draining, embanking, fencirr 

 planting, and building and road-m.vang. 1 have lately 

 had submitted to me a considerable quantity of MSS 

 by Mr. Ewart, of Newcastle, professing to be on agri- 

 cultural arithmetic, which will probably be published 

 by Mean* Blackie, of Glasgow, and which appears very 

 excellently adapted to the purpose of that kind of instruc- 

 tion to which I refer. /. C. Morton. 



SI"ic? J ? mforma tion regarding it may be obtained. 

 ineHighland schools, under the committee of the General 

 Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in which agricultural 

 instruction has been introduced, have several acres of 

 land attached to them ; 4 to 6 acres is the usual 

 extent; and la common report is in these terms 



which the 



Elgin 



in 



are 



which are farmed by the 



two hours a day, on an 



They dig, trench, weed 5 



management of a super- 



are 



school is described :— " There 

 *>me acres of land attached 

 boys to the number of 2.5 • 

 average, are allotted to work 

 manure, sow, &c., under the ™ 



uitendent, and are trained to the use of the spade and 

 ^^agricultural implements with considerable ad- 

 dL * ?• Ire,an i» •Rain, under the superintendence 

 J inspection of Dr. Kirkpatrick, of Glasnevin, there 

 are many agricultural schools in operation :-27 model 

 Moote m operation, 5 about to begin, 45 ordinary 

 H2 "fools in operation, and 50 workhouse 



rfthpm^i °° S ; and from the experience of any 

 « them there might be drawn facts enough to bear 



practSke a r ^V ri M ,S . testi ™ n y that it is perfectly 

 JJgl *ith ordinary literary instruction in our country 



-First til! ai V n F Dgland X can <l uote several instances : 

 C ert nfV !u° 8 ° n the P lan of the late Mrs - D *vies 

 *& be' fin f • ne ' in Sussex > of which a fuIi report 

 Published htV-A a P am P hIet by Mr. Cuthbert Johnson, 

 AnicZiS r d ^ay, " °n Increasing the Demand for 



■ESS T V \ These schoo,s were said t0 ^ 

 *** S- e children paying only Id. a week, 



%, and 3 l nstr ? etl °* during the morning of the 



5 *** to !S \ 8 g the afternoon 5 the land, 4 or 



^^•ter of th ' T aS , rented **> * farmer's rent by the 

 tt e boy 8 . 8choo, » who cultivated it by the aid of 



Condition 

 sporting 



of the Agricultural 



Pcc ord^ C r n Dd instance ^ and a most instructive one, is 

 *W, nL a | am P hlet ] >y Thomas Batson, of Colley 

 Cond.'/;J ar . Exete r, entitled " How to improve the 



-rr-*uu2 ovef L ~ Labourer/'—a self- 



^^ of indnf* y which bo ^ s mav be trained in 



** WucatS . * ' ^l d at the sa,ne time receive a suit ' 

 **** of five v • P ubllcatl0n describes an experi- 

 ^o for thi,!^ 1U the em P^yment of boys on a farm, 

 ^tion ih V received ***** maintenance, and 



tenan ceand 7 and their P arents finding this main- 

 te •* an am i^ 00 ' both ordinarv a "<i agricultural, 

 ^a nndiri P f eturn for their services, and Mr. 



^ to be o, • ^ proves ia S reat detaiI > their »er- 

 ^o^ fewT WOrth the ex Pense he was at in lodging, 

 **Phfet d!« ln& and instrilc ting them. Mr. Batson's 



% third erves to be widel y known and read - 



^^omator 08 ^ 1 ] 06 Is 0De of a class of 8imilar eases 

 ** '^ied nn U ! dustna, > agricultural school, established 

 aT^yearq K 4i Hardwicke , near Gloucester, now for 

 *"• Bemron^i y t l le ; v,se and painstaking benevolence of 



•DDnt.TS h »d Mr. Baker, twn mlafr.^ ^ *U^ 



county f p7 u ana Mr. Baker, two magistrates of the 

 PifJeen b >UCe8ter - 



la^^d ftS ^ m ° re thaD 10 acre8 of Stiff elav 



§* to ^^/ r *f« goes a considerable way towards 



Ane report and rules of the Children's 



*O* 0r > 



Refnr^ / **Kf lh ana ru,e * o* tlie Children's 

 ^rmatory School, Hardwicke, Gloucester- 



• Groombridge and Sons. 



REPORTS OF THE CROPS. 



Ayr.— Wheat.— Early and winter sown rather thin. Late good 

 An average crop on the whole. Oats.— On early thin soils' 

 light; on deep damp soils good but late. Barley and Bare.— 

 Heavy crops, but little comparatively sown in this distii< 

 Beans.— Good. Turnips and Mangold.— Early : and in general 

 very promising. Potatoes.— The healthiest, and will appa- 

 rently be the most abundant crop since 1845. Han t may 

 commence partially on early soils in a fortnight, but not gen< 

 rally before the 1st September. Crops much in the same 

 state of forwardness as at this time last year. Alex. Ralston. 



Bucks: Cifrydon.—Whetit is a full average crop on tlie ground, 

 but it is late, and of a dark unhealthy colour. Barley is very 

 good where it has been sown in season; late sown iot 



good. Oats generally very good. B ns (spring) full crop. 

 Beans (winter) very bad; did not stand the wint. Turnips 

 generally very bad and late. Potatoes are very promisin 

 but partially diseased. Hay less than half a crop ; Gnu* 

 now plentiful. Harvest will not be general before the 22< 

 and not then unless we have bright clear weather. On the 

 whole, with good harvest weather, the prospects are good. 

 Alex. Fraaer. 



Cheshire.— Wheat about a week ago had the appearance of 

 being more than an average. The crops generally were full on 

 the ground, stiff in the straw, and filling well iu tlie ear. with- 

 not any defects from rust or blight of any kind ; by the very 

 heavy rain which fell on the 25th ult. all the full crops were laid 

 flat, and it is to be feared great mischief has been done, as I 

 have invariably noticed that if Wheat is laid only a week or 

 ten days before being ripe, it does not prove so heavy in the 

 ear as when it stands ; of course much will depend upon the 

 weather for the next fortnight or three weeks, both as to quan- 

 tity and quality; but judging from present appearances, I can- 

 not estimate the injury at less than from 15 to 20 per c t. 

 Barley is a very full crop, but is beaten down, even more than 

 the Wheat, and must, I fear, under any circumstances, prov. 

 an uneven sample. Oats have generally stood the best, and 

 have the appearance of an average crop. Potatoes are very 

 luxuriant, and little disease has yet shown itself; but the 

 trying time has not arrived. There has been a serious loss In 

 the hay crops; very little has been secured, and the floods 

 have carried away and spoiled nearly all in the low meadow 

 lands, which are the chief support of the dairy stocks during 

 the winter. William Palin. I 



Devonshire: Dartmoor.— Breezy weather of late, with more or | 

 less rain daily. Grass here almost overpowering. Wheat iu 

 this county, should heat speedily come, will very partial lv be 

 cut in about two weeks, but the general harvest will this year 

 be during September, weather permitting. The crops of Wheat, 

 as also Barley, vary considerably, about an average probably 

 each may reach. Oats promise well, so do Potatoes. Two and 

 three sowings of Swedes will only give very irregular crops — 

 common Turnips the fly has spared, and these may be abun- 

 dant if the. weeds can be kept down. Mangolds magnificent. 

 Hay much damaged— crops heavier than expected. Clover 

 Grass fell very light. Q o. Win. Fowler. 



Devonshire : Ex r. — The appearance of the Wheat is full : 

 per cent, worse than it was ten days ago, being much beaten 

 down by wind and rain, and having a great deal of blight : and 

 if this wet weather continues the consequences will be seriou- 

 on the contrary, should fine weather and plenty of sunshine 

 take place we shall, J think, have an average crop. Barley and 

 Oats are much laid; I think the latter will be an abundant 

 crop. Peas and Beans are not much grown about here, but the 

 former is, I think, an average crop. Swedish Turnips ha\ 

 failed, but common ones are likely to be good. The Pota< 

 disease has appeared with more than usual virulence. George 

 Turner. 



Devonshire: Tavistock.— " The rain it raineth every day. 

 Much hay remains in the fields, and much that has been c: led 

 has been got in very indifferent order. A good deal no: y< 

 cut ; the same wet that his hindered the hay harvest has im- 

 peded the growth of Turnips, which look stunted and patchy; 

 many suffered from flea, which thay have never r red. 



There are some appearances of d'isease among Potatoes. 

 Hereabouts Wheat and Barley might have been an average 

 crop; the former is now being damaged by rust, especially 

 where it is hea st ; and Barley seems to change in colour 

 (with a poor prospect of a good sample; very unevenly. Oats 

 are a moderate crop— all very late. The last week of thi 

 month harvest may begin. The pastures were never known 

 so bare ; the backward spring has never been recovered, and 

 stock have consequently not got fat; the frost destroyed all th* 

 old Grass upon the pastures, and both sheep and cattle were 

 almost starved till after Midsummer, and there has been no 

 help this year from Clover or Vetches, for both these suffered 

 equally with the old Grasses. John Benson. 



. hf,.nc<.hMder:iblvdamaired bv 



raina, the i uage showing the fail to be 4 in. 



quamr. tfV"* ** E UB,0it W^de^T^ 



Hants : Lym'mgton.^y crop of Wheat is not at all a goat* w 

 in th ighh hood ; thin on the grmin and latter! v very 



and leas in* r. V itoea very much at d with the 



ch ise these last (ew days. The w. her has been very bad 



for the growing < s these last 10 or 1 *ya t cl ly ma 



• ran., and m Turnip* pretty g hay «ry short; 



Oraa* also short. JammBmmt. r ' 



in ODovaiziBft: 'too***.- A 11 our croaa promi*a mat 

 abundance, » \A t> am **od an the grWnd, with ifina 



•ar, and *t proaant art free from disease. Tha Barley is a 



magnificent. n every ptlon of noil. . >ato, also are 



gt> <-d on ir high land*. PoUteaa are th crop 1 hare 



JR?*£ y * iJ > Alld ftt pwwu ,lt • how no «ympm«i of diseaaa. 

 , ,! '"1>' SK t from having be. i. guently reaowu. 



but « re > et within the range of a good aim. The oily excejK 



tion to this good prospect are the Wheat* on our fen call*. Tha 

 •avoi priug killed the plant*, and In many instances tha 

 crop w. reach the third of an average, "llarrmtwill be 



general in thro* vtska from thi* date. J JSirve$. 



Kf .-On .v ie of the heaw land \\ r l*a* district*, a* 

 Vt unstable, Heme, .v.., tin Wheat* are a lull average 

 rop, and Wh.-at cutting mmenced the 6th inst. on 



n t other soils. The Wheat* «re much blighted and 



laid by the heavy rain and 1 aav.r aaw a greater defect 

 ia the ear in last Kent: we shall be under two- third* of 

 last years crop. Harley 1* over an average crop, l»eaa— 

 n If an average crop. Bean*— a very partial >p, but 



a l d average. Oats— a good average. Hay-not half a crop. 

 Uovers— not half a crop. Swedes— very good where the l**>d 

 has b i well manage.!, but there are failure*, and th* black 

 caterpillar has been \ ery destructive. P o*a, previous to the 





lat tost., never looked more promising; the laat three day* 

 th usease has made i appearance, and so rapid is its progr*** 

 that in 24 hours every s i in the gar is diseased. East 



Kent will i grow two-thirds of last years crop of corn. You 

 may make whatei r you please of this, and insert my name 

 with it. I think that you will find a bad account of the Wheat 

 crop. /, .Vatson. 



Lanark irk: i n.— The crops in this county are generally 



good, with the i option of Wheat, which is uniformlv thin on 

 the j. und f and Iarge breadths resown with Oat* or Barley. 

 This is the n ilt of the severe and protracted frost* of winter 

 and spring, and want of snow to protect the plants. Oat* ar* 

 a fall and bulky crop, and on good soils, much lodged with th* 



rec heavy rains. Barley, Beans, and I 'eaa also promiae a 

 full average. As yet no definite time can be fixed !<>r harvest. 

 All will depend on the weather, and as it is now boeotne very 

 t and unsettled, there is no reasonable prospaet of cutting 

 for three or four weeks. < ireen crop* are abundant, and as yet 

 no accounts of disease in the Potato tve come under our 

 knowledge or observation. David Gairdtvr, 



Li lnshirk: U'orl Home.— I consider Wheat in thi* 

 neighbourhood rather under an average crop : very late, the 

 colour bad, and some quantity mildewed. Barley an averag 

 crop: very much laid with the rains. Oat* under an averags. 

 Bean* and Peas none grown. Wm. He* 

 Mid-Lothian : Rath a— The Wheat crop \- ill, partly laid down 

 with recent rains, and late. The Barley much down, but earlier. 

 Oats, the lightest of the cereals, about an average. Bean* 

 bulky. Potatoes never so promising, and no disease. Turnips 

 promising. Hay light, and injured with rains. Pastures 

 abundant, llarv. the last week of August. , vin. 



Notts, New ik.— Wheat is thin on the groifnd, and where 

 the is a heavy crop (a rare thing) it is very much beaten down 

 by ti continual heavy rain* w* have had during the whole of 

 last month ; it begi to look very dark in the straw, a* if 

 inclined to mildew. I think it will be under average, and not 

 likely to be ready to cut in general till Sept iber, except the 

 weather alters. Barley is a heavy cr . and much laid and 

 thrown about, but forwarder than Wheat. Beans poor; Oats 

 a fair crop, and some nearly ready : hay .»nd ***** very light, 

 and but little hay got; Swedes and Turnips promise well, but 

 it is hard to k< i the weeds down, it has been so wet. This 

 has been a fine drying day, but the glass is falling. Potatoes 

 very line; no si^n of disease at present. Mangold, Carrots, 

 and Cabbage very good. Little or no Wheat to thresh in thi* 

 neighbourhood. John mg. 

 Noam \: Ihirtcn Abbey.— Our harvest will generally commenc* 

 here about the 24th of the month. The When are not promising 

 an • well as a fortnight since, many fields showing mildew 



more or less ; the ears are large, but n-r well filled ; the crop 

 on the whole may reach, but not exceed, an average. Barley 

 and Oats are good, and I should say more than an average. 

 Peas and Beans are also pretty good. The hay was the lightest 

 crop ever known here, and a part of it badly got in. Turnip* 

 and Mangold Wurzel very promising, indeed I never saw them 

 better. IF. CY tt. 

 Northampton'.— In answer to your queries respecting the grow- 

 ing crops of corn, I must report the crop of Wheat as not an 

 average one. It is very backward, and if dry weather does not 

 soon set In the con [uence will be great. Maggot to some 

 extent has also shown itself. Barley is a great crop, but very 

 much beat down by storms. Oats and spring Beans about an 

 average. Hay crop very light and not well got. Turnips 

 very bad, Mangold Wnrzel good, Potatoes good. Wm. Gray, 

 North Fife: Drumnod — Wheat— -tall, thin on the ground, 

 touched a good deal with fly : a fortnight later than usual, but 

 with good weather may reach an average crop. Barley — a 

 full average crop, and much earlier than usual. Oats — short 

 and thick on t ground ; may reach an average yield of grain, 

 but will fall below it in straw. Beans and Peas— bulky and 

 well podded. Hay— a 1 4i crop, with small appearance of 

 a second c- iug. Potatoes — very equal and luxuriant, and 

 no symptoms of disease. Turnips ery fresh and vigorous,. 

 Mangold- *>d, where a " braird*' was obtained; bad where 

 the braid was tardv. ./ > HaxUm. 



NoKTin MBiafcAND: /ferAam.— We are sorry to say the hopes 

 expressed in our laat report as to a favourable hay harvest hav* 

 not been realised. From the 2d to the 12th proximo we had 

 very tine clear weather, and a good deal was done among the 

 hay, but since the latter date we have had rain every dav, with 

 tiiree « eptions, and a great q ntity of hay has bos* vary 

 much des >yed. The barometer has ranged from 2890 up to 

 29 57; mean of month, 29.39. The heavy thunder rains of 

 Saturday the have laid the crops very much, and the con* 



tinned wet prevents our reporting so favourably of the crops as 

 we did a month ago. Fine sunny and drying weather may still 

 do much for the crops, but should this wet '• muggy " weather 



