540 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



*f 





both Quantity and quality will be far below an has been effi ce«J. 



pneral harvest till eyer met ^^ t j ie w ] )vg ^hd the wherefores, perhaps 



some of the better instructed correspondents of the 



com in ne, 



.•ffctoige. We cannnt now expect any g^r 

 September. Turnips are looking well on Turnip soils, but even 

 there the continued dashing- rains are telling against them, 

 especially the later sown fields. Potatoes are still keeping 

 clear of disease, and looking very well. Grnss is abundant, hut 

 uttock are not doing to well as they would with less wet, even at 

 the expense of le&s meat. Not only are they never dry, but 

 they never get a dry mouthful. Grazing stock of all kinds are 

 very high-priced. Stagshaw Bank Lamb Fair was held yester- 

 day, and notwithstanding a very full show of lambs high prices 

 were a»ked and given, though slowly. The show consists 

 chiefly of half-bred (Leicester and Cheviot) lambs, and prices 

 for these ranged from 24s. downwards. 



Warwick : Strat/or&on-J von.— Wheat.— A considerable quantity 

 of Wheat in this district lost plant; a great portion resown, 

 yet there is much thin, which the late rains have improved— 

 •where the crop is heavy it is badly laid — with fine weather it 

 -might be an average, yet in individual cases it must be under. 

 l?arley.— The early sown Barley is a heavy crop, and badly 

 laid on good conditioned lands, and to some extent damaging, 

 •requiring fine weather immediately; later sown much Im- 

 proved by the rain; crop above an average. Beans. The dry 

 -weather continued too long for this crop; under an average. 

 'Peas.— Peas are a large crop, depending upon the weather; if 

 fine, above an average. Turnips.— Swedes sown very early on 

 -strong soils are good plants; were sown later almost a failure. 

 \)n light soils a considerable portio.i of good plant, with some 

 failures. Hay— A very light crop on most lands, and a 

 •quantify injured by the rains. Potatoes look well at present. 

 Mangold Wurzel a fine crop. W. Gibbs. 



Wilts i Avelury.— With reference to the crops in my neigh- 

 bourhood they varj' much, some being a free crop, others very 

 far from a plan: on the ground since the rain. The thin crops 

 are much improved; the free crops are gone down, inconse- 

 quence will receive great injury — that is, in reference to Wheat. 

 liarley is very heavy, and also much injured from the rain. 

 Oats a good average. Beans good. Pean in some instances 

 blighted ; still, on the whole, a fair crop. Turnips and Swedes 

 in a very bad state for want of fine weather to clean them. 

 .Forward hay-making was good, a light crop with the exception 

 *of Sainfoin, which was good. We shall not commence reaping 

 before the latter end of the month. Potatoes look well; if 

 rains continue I fear they will feel the effects. Geo. Brown. 



Woucestkbshtrk j Vale of Evesham.— The Wheat, Barley, and 

 Oat crops in the Vale of Evesham are exceedingly good. The 

 v Wheat will be ready for the sickle about Monday, Aug. 20. 

 The Barley and Oat crops are ripening fast, and will he fit for 

 •cutting the eaVlier part of next week, or about the 14th. The 

 early Pea", which are an excellent crop, are cut, and many 

 carried. The late Peas, which are equally good, will be ripe 

 in a few days. Autumn planted Beans are an indifferent crop, 

 •spring planted are very good. The hay crop, of which much is 

 damaged, will not average nore than from 15 cwt. to 25 cwt. 

 per acre. The Potatoes were gay and hlooraing until Friday 

 laat ; but now the tops in some gardens and fields are spotted 

 similarly to that of the last few years; the tubers, however, 

 are sound and plentiful. The Swedish Turnips are very indif- 

 ferent, having been destroyed again and again by the fly. The 

 aftermaths of Gross and Clover are excellent. Henry Hudson. 



ToHK.cnir.E: Richmond. — Wheat — an average crop, much laid, 

 'and being laid early the sample is certain to be inferior. Oats 

 —an average crop. Barley— a full average crop. Beans— not 

 many grown in the district, well laden though rather short in 

 the straw. Turnips have had to struggle through many diffi- 

 culties, bnt promise well now. Potat< • s look exceedingly well, 

 as jet I have heard of but one instance of the disease, but I fear 

 this dull damp weather will develope more. Harvest will be 

 late. n. J. Turner. 



to the time of the 

 but has since then 

 much improved in growth of straw, but I am much afraid is far 

 .from being improved as to the growth of the grain. It is a 

 good deal broken down and lodged, looks dark and brown in 

 the chaff, and appears not to fill well in the ear. The present 

 •appearance of the Wheat crop is very doubtful. I have not as 

 yet seen much decided mildew, only small patches ; but the 

 very dark colour seems very hazardous. Should the rains cease 

 soon I scarcely think it an average crop, but should they not 

 it may be much under. Present appearances are that scarcely 

 ■any Wheat will be cut in August. Barley a heavy crop, but 

 very much thrown down by web. Oats a light crop. Beans 

 look well; mine are well podded, but was told yesterday by 

 three respectable farmers a few miles from here that their 

 Beans had scarcely any pods on the stems. Turnips are much 

 overdone by wet and very foul with weeds, which cannot be 

 overcome till dry weather. Potatoes are good, and so far free 

 from disease. Meadow Hay and Clovers light crop, much 

 abroad, and very seriously damaged, particularly Clover; 

 scarcely any secured in stack. Pasture land and sheep seeds 

 growing rapidly. Peter Stevenson. 



But iid I <io not recollect that 1 have , and within the last 12 nioiuhT"hav 



attempts to get her in calf ; but 



1'obkshihr: Thirsk.— The Wheat crop up 

 rains falling was generally light and thin, 



CROPS IN IRELAND. 



The appearance of the crops in Ireland is most gratifying : 

 Oie Potatoes are luxuriant, and hitherto there has not perhaps 

 been half a dozen well authenticated instances of disease ; there 

 is, however, a report, not that I know resting on any good 

 authority, that without any sign of disease in the leaf o'r stem 

 the tuber has been found seriously affected. A very large 

 Quantity is planted this year, and as the disease ever makes its 

 first and partial appearances, which it has not yet done, at the 

 least a month before it becomes generally destructive, we may 

 reckon on the crop approaching pretty near maturity before the 

 pest shall sweep over the whole land; it happened in 1847(1 

 think) that the crop was so far matured before it was struck by 

 disease that the consequent withering was supposed by the 

 •anguine to be the natural effects of its age, and they fondly 

 Doped that the disease had disappeared, forgetting that it was 



unobserved in 1845 till after the Potatoes were dug, when they 

 rotted away rapidly in the house and the pit. And this year, 

 from foregone experience, ought to be one of late attack ; every 

 alternate year has been so from the first notice of it. We may 

 therefore reckon on an abundance of this valuable esculent. 

 And as the Oat crop promises largely, Ireland may be expected 

 to contribute a good share to the general food fund. Turnips 



«5vi O « Pr0nii8e we]I » thoi, S n the earl y sowings suffered much from 

 -he fly. The meadows, which are always late with us, have so 

 Benefitted by the early summer rain that I think they will be on 

 w beavy M d e . J. M. G. 



Home Correspondence. 



S ^jr fc ***** hmfowith the more impervious 



mtaotis previous to breaking up these subsoils seems to 

 De bo settled a question that to consider it may hardlv 

 ■be permitted yet is it not so settled relatively to the 

 mode ot brtskm* them up i_ to subsoil ploughing- ami 



d 



does 



trench 



or 



!Vl« fc K-V l3r h8 8tr0nuly t0 dee P Ploughing^ 



h r v,i?n g -, aS t0 , 8Ul T U Pushing, and if it do, 



hy should it not ? It M ,m. .. JL» . r -. 



oes 

 i 



all 



not* why should it not ! It seems^generally put forth 

 with something of empirical dogmatism that -in 



harm and no good without the pre- construction of a 

 Mtfera .of deep subsoil drams," also that .ubaoiiing 

 should not take place till two years after this draining 



fruitless, so that at 



Agricultural Gazette may have the kindness and con- 

 descension to enlighten me. To me it appears that the 

 mere breaking up of the subsoil by the action of the 

 subsoil plough, independent of divining— no doubt a 

 desirable previous operation— must facilitate the fer- 

 tilising of it, as well as the drying of tiie surface by the 

 giving deeper channels for the escape of surplus water, 

 in fact, placing the impervious sheet somewhat deeper. 

 Why should it not in some degree pulverise it ; why not 

 increase its porosity ; why not accelerate its decomposi- 

 tion, and enlarge its capacity for the circulation of air 

 and moisture ; why not in some degree effect all the 

 beneficial ends which are effected by subsoiling when the 

 nature of the ground or its artificial acquirement is such 

 as to ensure them 1 Why should tin's operation do 

 positive barm and no good ? It is quite fair to take an 

 extreme" case ; suppose a field with only 2 inches of 

 fertile earth, of active soil on its surface on an imper- 

 vious subsoil ; can it be doubted that this field will be 

 better conditioned when some 6 inches of this impervious 

 subsoil has been rendered pervious? Shall we not 

 have a similar result under the same management, how- 

 ever deep may be the surface or active soil ? Will not 

 the rain-water equally, in both cases, penetrate the 

 broken earth and run along the top of the unbroken 

 soil, as it did before, only at a greater depth, until it 

 finds its 'natural outlet ? There was a time, a palmy 

 time, for subsoiling, when, consequent oh the recom- 

 mendation of Mr. Shaw Lefevre, subsoiling without 

 draining prevailed to some extent in Britain, Sweden, 

 Prussia, European Turkey, America, the West Indies. 

 The practice was naturally opposed by Mr. Smith and 

 the drainers, for it may be well supposed that, impressed 

 with the value of subsoil draining, they were not pre- 

 pared to admit of any efficacy in subsoil stirring without 

 it. /. M. Goodiff. 



e made 



length * have"! W « *» 4 



got au other. 



determined onparting with he-. WeTav" ***?* 



• A . • • , -. of nvy sending this s , ** 

 is to inquire with a view to th 



The object 



cow, whether there is any objection to pr^d^fuL. 

 as we have done with the other \ We do not 

 the same success, but we wish to ascertain fL!?* 

 opinion of better judges than ourselves wheto?^ 

 injurious to an animal, or objectionable on anv MU 

 account, to keep her from the bull as loo* assL 

 tinues to produce her full quantity " 



last calving ? J. 6. 



of milk from ** 



5>onetfe& 



Turnips Starting. 

 took place a short 

 premature starting 





If I mistake not some discussion 

 while ago in these pages on the 

 of plants ; I have but a clouded 

 recollection of such having been the case, and cannot 

 refer to the when or where, but possibly the case I am 

 about to mention may throw some additional light on 

 the subject. Some of Sutton's Six Weeks' Turnips got 

 from them in 1851 were sown this spring at the same 

 time, under the same manure and preparation, and in 

 the same square with fresh Early Dutch seed ; while 

 the latter have all bulbed well, the former with the 

 exception of about one in 20 or 25 have all started, 

 having previously shown a most luxuriant growth far 

 exceeding that of the Dutch. I have sown the same 

 seed in the intermediate years, the last year, however, 

 late, with scarcely any instance of a start. J. M. G. 

 [Sutton's six weeks is intended for late sowing.] 



Deep Draining. — We hear and read a good deal from 

 time to time about the relative merits of deep and 

 shallow draining in strong clay land ; but it has not 

 often happened to me to see a genuine clay farm drain 

 satisfactorily on any principle. I myself have under- 

 taken a farm of the above character, and think 1 have 

 succeeded in bringing the soil into a perfect state as 

 regards drainnge, having carried out the principle of 

 deep drainage to its fullest extent in a manner which to 

 me has produced most satisfactory results ; and in cor- 

 roboration of my own opinion I am prepared to show at 

 the present moment 100 acres of Wheat against any 

 other 100 acres of Wheat in either Surrey or Sussex 

 standing on an arable farm of equal extent with mine, 

 170 acres, for 20 guineas ; or if that is not considered 

 sufficient to induce parties to take so much trouble, I 

 will say 50 guineas. The crops to be inspected by an 

 independent person to be mutually agreed upon. James 

 Corry Sherrard 9 Kinnerlcy Manor, Reigate. 



Salt for the Goosebeny Caterpillar. — Observing in 

 your last that soot has been used against this destroyer 

 alone, and mixed with lime and with ashes, I was sur- 

 prised not to find it also used with salt, which has been 

 found one of the best mixtures with soot; but salt alone, 

 or with lime, or with gas liquor, or soda ash alone, 

 which will not smut the fruit, are all effective soil ver- 

 min killers. Gooseberry bushes, with their depth of 

 root, would probably bear 10 cwt. of salt per acre, 

 spread over the ground of the fly, and watered with 

 diluted gas liquor (1 to 5 or 6 water) enough to carry it 

 gradually down 2 inches. This done now and again, 

 when the first flies begin to appear, would probably so 

 pickle the cocoon as to kill the fly, if not the larva, the 

 leafy fertilising quality of the ammoniacal liquor coun- 

 teracting the hindering reaction of the salt on vegeta- 

 tion, while both co-operating in the destruction of 

 vermin, might supersede the necessity of digging away 

 and burning the soil. /. Piideavx. 



Cow in Milk. — My master keeps one cow, of which 

 I, who am the gardener, have the care. The one we 

 now have is a half-bred Alderney, that gave, when in 

 full milk, about 12 quarts per day of excellent quality. 

 In the spring of 1850 she nearly died in calving, and 

 the cow doctor, who got her through it, said she would 

 not live through another calvinj, and advised us to 

 milk her as long as she was worth her keep, and then 

 ell her for killing. For the first year or two there 

 was no particular diminution in the quantity of her 

 milk ; since that time it has decreased very gradually, 

 and at this moment, after being milked over five years, 

 bhe gives upwards of 4 quarts per day. As she was in 

 very good health we determined to run the risk of her 

 calving rather than part with so valuable an animal, 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AGKICULTnir 

 IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY OF IRELAND. ' 



Carlow, August Wi 9 9th, 10th.— It is satisfactory fr 

 believe that whatever differences have arisen in 

 ever evils have been permitted to creep into the**-^- 



tration of this Society, are on the eve of being 



and corrected, if they have not been actually go trtaul 

 already ; and it is owing to this we believe tliai,<la^ 

 difficulties of weather, prejudice, &c., the present 4»» 

 judging from early appearances, bids fair to be eu4 

 iu importance to any, and superior to most, if not u 

 all, of those which, under auspices apparen 

 favourable, preceded it. Carlow is being thronged U 

 respectable people, many of whom have this da? fir* 

 seen this now very important inland Irish town. 



The Judges of implements are proceeding with that 

 task ; and, considering the number and variety of neci* 

 mens to be examined, the . task on their Wottn, 

 intelligence, and patience is onerous indeed. And 

 speaking of such implements, the applicability oi mat 

 of them justly considered as highly important to Eag- 

 land and Scotland is, to say the least of it, rathtrqw- 

 tionable, under the peculiar circumstances of Ireland it 

 present. Still, complicated in their action and a 

 raent as to many in Carlow they must appear, and out 

 costly as by many who know, or pretend to know, 

 use and application they will be considered, it is toi 

 well we should see them, at least in the hope that sow 

 or later, when more strongly pressed by high rateift 

 manual labour very imperfectly performed, we mayboi 

 there exist the means by which many of our difficult* 

 can be overcome ; know where such means can be 

 acquired and the value of them when acquired. Sofa 

 in these respects, the Royal Agricultural Improvowl 

 Society of Ireland has done ils duty; but much more stall 

 remains to be done before the Society can rest atiiW 

 of having the undivided support of the lri-h pu 

 generally. The Society have now not onlya fine oppor- 

 tunity of showing their usefulness in this rap* 

 they have also in the present year apparently one 

 the most abundant harvests during the memory ul tbe 

 oldest amongst them, still one of the most uncertoa 

 as to maturity of produce that occurred in Ireland 

 during the last 40 years at least ; and we cannot ikt 

 with labour dear because the labourers are &carc6 ** 

 provisions high, and dearer still because what we WJJ 

 of it is both weak and unskilled, expect to bear cp 

 against the pressure of taxation if we cannot B* •£ 

 "make two blades of Grass grow where but one 

 before ;" but make Is. expended in labour do •• ■»■ 

 work as two did before. Some of your readenj 

 think I have dwelt too long on this latter subject 

 they expect a mere formal notice of the .no ► . 

 now proceed to give a description of such of tneo- 

 as have been conducted on the first aw 



meeting. fi u y&g 



The trial of implements took place in a ne. 



^c - -:i. ~r auIIZL Vnr liaht and general p»V 



half a mile of the town. For light 

 ing there were tried six, and in the follown 

 No. 1. A Scotch plough, by Mr. OnjM "MM- 



2. An Irish do., by Mr. Graham, Dublin. 



3. An Irish do., by Messrs Spindan , do. 



onler:- 



4*. An Irish do., by Mr MUler Dunbjj 

 ' 5. An English wheel plough, bj M * rs. « 



6. An English do. do., by Messrs. Homrt ^ 



The work was done by all *^ d ™ b] j[^l& 



The general opinion among* ^ 



remarkably well. x«« 6 -»~ --- - t T 6 nex*. ^ 

 men was that No. 2 was superior, and ga g ^ 

 it appears from the dynamometer g*^* 



first No. 5 second, No. ^ lri ^^ 

 this to us farmers as well as implement 

 lesson which we should profit by. __, ^ 



M 



ii which we snouiu pru.... -v- e j !0 es»* 



uch dissatisfaction at one time nppea ^ 



the minds of some Englishmen, particu* 



thefWr 



of the Irish, on the arrangements for es „^^ 

 the objectors alleging that each P^ tflrta( e** 



separate ridge or bed to act "P"" > J" of fl,,** * 

 bemade for°the peculiar W^JK- <« uiJ 5 

 sufficient number of "trong »»» "^ ultan ecusl?. «"J 



i 



had to set all ploughs to -«•- ■-- ]]sd 



quently one or two pairs °* ' ,0 ' f 8UC h «*1T 

 Hereafter there may be less cau ; , five p!*?* 

 For the deep ploughing there started ^ 



follows :— . v .we hors<*. ,0 ^ 



No. 1, Graham's, as above, brtW % „j* 

 fourth had to be added. No -, ]Jsr ^ 

 >. 3, Howard's, as above. N* | ,- * 



rite W 



above 



Mr. Eels, of Dublin, no. I «- £— t m 

 a comparative failure, bo*. J «• ^ , n m 





All at once ag 



