



Sept. 



1655.1 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



580 



Tclover aud the lndiaa Corn, which does well in our 

 hot and dry summers, gives green food up to the middle 

 f Oetober. With the exception of a fortnight before 

 die first Clover is ready to cut, the cows are kept in the 

 stable being turned out for about an hour every morn- 

 ^ n <r *The food in winter is hay, chaff, roots, and about 

 3 lbs. of the meal of Indian Corn, Beans, Peas, or 

 Barley, given in a warm drink to the cows giving milk. 

 After repeated experiments I find that I obtain the 

 neatest quantity of butter from the smallest quantity of 

 milk. When the food is hay, Bean-meal, and Parsnips, 

 I have invariably found the quantity of butter to increase 

 with Parsnips ; with Turnips, Mangold Wurzel, and 

 Carrots, I have not found much difference. Red Carrots 

 jnve the butter rather a deeper colour during winter ; 

 in other respects I have not found them superior to 

 Mangold Wurzel. Turnips give a taste to the butter 

 which prevents their being made much use of. T. 

 Edmund Campbell, President of the Board of Agriculture 

 of Lower Canada, St. Hilaire, Canada East. 



^octettes* 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL OF ENGLAND. 



The deferred trial of the Reaping-machines selected 

 at the Carlisle Meeting took place at Abbot's Leigh, 

 near Bristol, on Wednesday, the 29 th of August, in the 

 presence of Mr. Miles, M.P. (President of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of England at the Carlisle Meet- 

 ing), Sir Stafford Henry Northcote, Bart., M.P. (Steward 

 of Cattle at Lincoln), Sir Archibald Keppel Macdonald, 

 Bart (Steward Electof Implementsat Lincoln), Mr. Dyke 

 Acland (one of the Editors of the Journal), Mr. Ray- 

 mond Barker (Vice-President and Chairman of Finance), 

 Mr. Brandreth Gibbs (Honorary Director of the Show), 

 Mr. Granger (Judge of Field Implements), Mr. Hamond 

 (Steward of Implements at Exeter, Lewes, Gloucester, 

 and Lincoln), Mr. Fisher Hobbs (Steward of Implements 

 at Lewes, Gloucester, Lincoln, and Carlisle), Mr. Hud- 

 son^Secretary of the Society), Mr. Huskinson (Judge 

 of Field Implements), aud Mr. Clare Sewell Read 

 (Judge of Field Implements) ; including, among the 

 exhibitors, Mr. Burgtss, Mr. Alfred Crosskill, Mr. 

 Dray, Mr. Key, Mr. Peter Love, Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. 

 Palmer, and Mr. Suttie ; and among the general com- 

 pany Sir John Key, Bart., Captain Gordon, Mr. Philip 

 Miles, Mr. Knatchbull, Mr. Pitman, and Mr. George 

 Pope. 



Mr. Miles having directed every arrangement to be 

 made for the supply of his own horses to work the 

 machines, and for the order in which successive crops of 

 Wheat and Barley, under the most favourable as 

 well as under the most unfavourable circumstances 

 for reaping, were to be cut, the competing machines 

 were set to work simultaneously, under the orders 

 of Mr. Fisher Hobbs, and the inspection and critical 

 examination of the judges. No pains were spared by 

 every one engaged to render the trial in every respect 

 perfect and satisfactory. This result was finally attained, 

 and it is probable that no reaping-machines in this or 

 any other country have ever been more severely, im- 

 partially, or satisfactorily tested than in the trial at 

 Abbot's Lekh. 



I. Prizes offered. — For the best Reaping-machine* 

 301; for the second-best ditto, 201. 



Special Condition. — In adjudicating on the Reaping- 

 machines, the attention cf the Judges will be particu- 

 larly called to the best mode of delivery. 



II. Judges' Awards : 



H " Leigh Court, August 29, 1S55. 



f ^ e award the 1st Prize of 30?., for the best reaping machine, 

 ro oiand 68, Article No. 1, Messrs. Burgess & Key, for M'Cormick's 

 reaper improved by themselves. 



"T.W. Graxoer. 

 41 Thomas Huskinson. 

 11 Clare Sewell Head." 



^•Exhibitors* Catalogue-Specifications. 



Art Ha v °; ^ Bu Wss & Key, of 103, Newgate Street, London. 

 by CvLa ri ,, ( ? ew Implement).— A reaping machine ; invented 

 Imni£r2 ™P McCorniick, of Chicago, United States of America, 



the 

 Medal 

 uarmora' m u w ™~-— *w-, **« «*»<*»« ui mc Driflield 

 SumlerlarvJ ; first P rize of the Durham County Meeting at 

 darB'tHai* nd the award of the jury appointed at the nine 

 ceatar an? °;/ eapers at the Royal Agricultural College at Ciren- 



which will ♦ r e test of four F ears !t is found t0 be a machine 

 constmctia j Unc * er any circumstances wheu desirable. It is so 

 of repair 5- of such materials that it is not liable to get out 

 ^ be ta • lf l easy draught for two horses, and when required 

 without «!£?•. by any carpenter and blacksmith on a farm 

 thi s reanpr 8 lt to the manufacturer. The only objection to 

 he »vierth« W *v? owin & t0 the fact that our crops being much 

 toese mnr> • °. se & rown J n America (where some thousands of 

 fo «od in en meS ve been in work for the ,ast u years), it is 



Cut cron afflh ° aSeS t0 be ver y bard work for the raan t0 rake the 



completely a macnme ? and this objection we believe we have 

 PUtform ^°^ e J" come by means of our patent Archimedian screw 

 cro P off t'ho •?' with °ut adding to the draught, delivers the cut 

 lab <>ur tlw of the machine in a perfect swathe. The only 

 ley el ikn i [ V re, ? ow rea .uired to work this machine for a day on 



land the dra hf ?rses and a lad of about 15 t0 drive ; on hi,ly 

 w °uld ho. *J^-\ is » of course, more, and a change of horses 



/tanX q T*T T 1 " 35 gUiDeas/ 



Article No q /v n Palmer, of Stockton-on-Tees, Durham. 



* *inz m«ni,- • w im P lp ment.)~ A combined reaping and 

 States* imnr De J ' nven ted by Forbush & Co., of Buffalo. United 

 bus u & cT \ h I the exhibitor; and manufactured by For- 

 a3a Pted for im u whibitor. This machine is especially 



^Piers whTn *" °. ccu Pations, and it is also suitable for large 

 J^aves. ' T hi a 1 ? s thou «ht desirable to deliver the corn in 

 t0 Prevent a R n n ! 1Dgworksoftne machine are so arranged as 



^ue-oraught or a tendency in the machine to run 



into the uncut corn. There is no pressure upon the horses, the 



machine being evenly balanced. The knife cuts from the centre 



of the driving-wheel, hence the stubble is left the same length 



on the ridge as in the furrow. From the peculiar construction of 



the guards, and the pierced or skeleton knife, the tendency to 



choke is completely overcome. By the application of Palmer's 



roller platform, the heaviest and longest crops are delivered with 



ease. By using the radiating roller platform, Barley, Oats, and 



fehort Wheat are delivered at the side, out of the track of the 



horses. Price, with back platform, 251. \ with radiating platform, 

 51. extra. 



Stanl No. 34. William Dray & Co., of Swan Lane, Upper 

 Thames Street, London. Article No 3.— A patent Reaping- 

 machine; invented by Obed Hussey, of the United States, im- 

 proved and manufactured by the exhibitors. This machine has 

 considerable advantages over that known as " llussey's Reaper," 

 and received the prize of the Royal Agricultural Society at Lin- 

 coln, 1854, in addition to those of the Bath and West of England, 

 the Stirling, the Burnley, and North Lancashire, all in 1854; 

 thus gaining every prize for which it competed. Its great 

 advantages consist in its having atilting-platform, which enables 

 the attendant to deliver the grain with the greatest ease ; a 

 patent skeleton knife, instead of the solid blade in the original, 

 which effectually prevents choking; has a leverage for raising 

 and lowering the cut, and a wheel to relieve the horses of the 

 weight of the machine. Price 25?. 



Thus has concluded a trial which will be memorable 

 in its immediate effects, and in the future results to 

 which it will doubtless lead. The report of the stewards 

 and judges, in reference to its details, along with the 

 report of Mr. Fairburn (communicated to Mr. Miles), 

 on the trial of reaping-machines at Paris, will appear 

 in the next part of the Journal of the Society. In the 

 meantime, Messrs. Garrett & Son, of Saxmundham, and 

 Messrs. llansomes & Sims, of Ipswich, have entered 

 into arrangements to manufacture for Messrs. Burgess 

 & Key the reaping-machine which has gained the first 

 prize at Abbot's Leigh. 



The splendid character of the weather, the beauty of 

 the scenery, and the truly English hospitality displayed at 

 Leigh Court ; the excellence of the trial, and the satis- 

 faction and generous rivalry only of the competing 

 exhibitors, were all of them gratifying circumstances, 

 which appropriately terminated Mr. Miles's presidency 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, in the 

 same spirit and with the same decided effect as had 

 marked its progress in every transaction from the com- 

 mencement. 



Ai 



Poultry Show. — A show of Poultry, re- 

 markable for both the quality and quantity of the birds 

 exhibited, has been held during the past week in the 

 Anerley Gardens. Many of the classes were remark- 

 ably well illustrated, and deserved a larger number of 

 visitors and admirers than, from the state of the 

 grounds when we were in them, there appeared 

 to be. There were thirty-six pens of Spanish of 

 admirable quality — Mr. Davies, of Hounslow, and Mr. 

 Plummer, of Brislington, being the most successful of 

 their exhibitors. One hundred pens illustrated the 

 merits of the Dorking breed in its several varieties of 

 coloured, speckled, and white ; and among the successful 

 owners were Mr. Davies, Mr. Lewry, of Crawley, Mr. 

 Elgar, of Reigate, Mr. Antil, of Portsea^and others. 



There were no fewer than 122 pens of Cochins — 

 cinnamon and buff, grouse and partridge feathered, and 

 white — and a very remarkable show they made. Mr. 

 Fookes, of Whitechurch ; Mr. Fairlie," of iCheveley 

 Park; Rev. G. F. Hod son, of Bridge water; Mrs. Ford, 

 of Ide ; Mr. Chase, of Birmingham ; and Mrs. Herbert, 

 of Powick, carrying off the first prizes in the several 

 classes. The Game classes, Polands and Hamburghs, 

 were represented respectively by 80, 60, and 101 pens : 

 — Messr§. Monsey (Norwich), Matthew (Stowmarket), 

 Titterton (Birmingham), Shield (Sydenham).jand Strange 

 (Bedford), being the 1st prize holders for Game fowl. 

 Messrs. Marshall (Taunton), Worrall (Liverpool), 

 Dixon (Bradford), Fellowes (Norwich), Burnett (Lan- 

 cashire), Archer (Malvern) and Botham (Slough), 

 succeeding among the Hamburghs ; and Messrs. Adkins, 

 of Edgbaston, Battye, of Holmfirth, Bush, of Bath, 

 Dixon,|*of Bradford, and Syraonds, of Milborne, St. 

 Andrew's, being prize-holders among the Poland?. 



We have not space to specify the other classes. 

 The geese were remarkably fine, and the ducks 

 were good too. The accommodation for them was 

 defective, owing to want of shelter from the ex- 

 treme heat of the day. The silver cups for the best 

 collections of poultry were awarded to Mr. Davies and 



The show generally was one of the best 

 we have seen of studying leisurely and 

 the merits of the different breeds and 



Mr. Botham. 

 opportunities 

 satisfactorily 



correct. As far as this county is coucerned, for the last 

 seven years it would stand as follows : 



Average per bushel. Daily wages. 

 Ss. 8±d. 



1847 

 1S48 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 

 1852 

 1853 



• • t 



t ■« 



• - • 



• •• 



• •• 



• • . 



t • • 



• • • 



• ■ • 



• • t 



• • • 



« « « 



« • ■ 



• • • 



• * ■ 



• • • 



• • * 



6 



3$ 



5 



6} 



5 



0} 



4 



*i 



5 



l 



6 



8 



25. 2d. 

 1 7 



• •• 



• • « 



• •• 



• a* 



1 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 1 



4i 

 3 



q 



8 



The principle of laying down any stated rule to calcu> 

 late wages on cannot be carried out : the very fact of 

 the loss of the Potato crop would in itself overthrow 

 any calculation adapted to previous years. In 1 853 we 

 have the nearest approach to the average of our wages : 

 Is. lOd. per day may, I think, be stated as the average 

 of ploughman's wages, or Is. 8cZ. per day and cider, and 

 other labourers Is. 6d. per day and cider, or la. 9d. 

 altogether; the ploughman's additional 2d. per day 

 being fairly earned by his extra hours in the care of 

 horses. For the sake of calculation, therefore, and from 

 past experience, I think I may fairly adopt the Is. 10c?. 

 and Is. 9d. per day as the value of manual labour. 

 With regard to the value of team-work, a very diffe- 

 rent calculation requires to be made. In order to 

 estimate it, w r e must presume that the horse is healthy 

 and in good condition, and that he works 300 days in 

 the year, allowing 65 days' rest for Sundays, bad 

 weather, and other causes ; we must calculate, how- 

 ever, on 365 days' keep, as he is getting the same food 

 all that time. Now horses, when kept on dry food, 

 cannot, to do them justice, have less than 1 peck of 

 Oats and 21 lbs. of hay per day. During the last 

 seven years Oats have averaged a trifle more than 

 2s. 6d. per bushel, but I will take them at 2s. 9d. per 

 bushel ; consequently the horse's consumption, being 

 If bushels per week, will be equal in value to 4s. lOd. 

 and his hay (good clover), at 21. 10s. per ton, to 3s. 3d. 

 On this he is supposed to be kept 30 weeks ; his keep^ 

 therefore, during that time would amount to about 12/. \ 

 the remaining 22 weeks he will be on green food, and 

 eat as near as possible in value about 5s. per week, or 

 for the 22 weeks U. 10s. 



30 weeks' keep, at say Ss. per week 

 22 weeks 7 keep, at 55. per week... 



t . t 



• •• 



...£12 

 5 10 



All 



£17 10 



or 6s. 9d. a week as the cost of a horse's keep. No 

 doubt some will differ from me in this calculation, for, 

 as a general rule, more horses are kept at a less than 

 at a higher rate ; still they must allow it is not more 

 than the necessary food to keep a good horse in fair 

 working condition. In this county farms are not 

 generally large, and 200 acres may be taken as a fair 

 size to make calculations on ; and for such an estate the 

 following horses and implements would be required : 



7 horses, at 30Z. each £210 



• • . 



3 carts, at 81. each 



3 wains, at 8?. each 



3 ploughs, at 3/. each 



2 pair harrows, at 3/. each 



Drag harrow 



••• 



• » i 



••• 



•• • 



••• 



• i • 





• •• 



• •• 



••• 



• • • 



• •V 



«• t 



♦ « ■ 



• • • 



• I * 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



• •» 



. . . 



I ■ • 



* ' " 



• «• 



• • • 



• •» 



• • ■ 



f • • 



I • • 



Seed harrow 



Rollers 



G rubher 



Clod crusher 



Turnip hoe 



Turnip drill 



Corn drill .. 



Grass seed sowing machine 



Hay turner 



Thrashing machine and chaff cutter ... 



Winnowing machine 



Turnip cutter 



Harness (both cart and plflugli) 



• •• 



• • 9 



• • t 



t • • 



• « • 



• ■ ■ 



* • * 



a t • 



• • * 



• • > 



■ ■ • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • • 



• • 



• • • 



• t • 



• - • 



Bags 



if* 



• ■ • 



Sundries (rakes, weights, &c.)... 



• ■ » 



• • • 



• •• 



• t • 



• « . 



* • - 



• ■ * 



24 











24 











9 











6 











4 











2 











7 











7 











18 











3 











10 











10 











3 











10 











50 







a 



8 







o 



8 











20 











8 











9 











specimens. This we regret was owing partly to the 

 comparatively small number of visitors present. 



Miscellaneous. 



Value of Farm Labour. — Labour being one of the 

 most serious items of expenditure on a farm, ought to 

 be the subject of the most accurate calculation, and may 

 be|divided into two parts — manual and team-work. My 

 object is, therefore, to endeavour to arrive at some fixed 

 value of each as a basis for calculating the expense of 

 cultivating the different crops, thereby enabling the 

 farmer to judge for himself, with very little trouble, 

 how he stands with regard to profit and loss in his 

 different fields. Bayldon, on " Rents and Tillages," 

 devotes his fifth chapter to the same subject ; but tl e 

 rapid strides of agriculture, and the various customs 

 prevailing in the different counties, render a work 

 adapted to one of very little use to those residing in 

 another. The principle Bayldon assumes is that the 

 daily wages of a labouring man are equal to the price 

 of a peck of Wheat. This I believe will be found in- 



£450 o 



The sum of 45 OZ. is, therefore, to be divided amongst 

 seven horses, leaving about 64Z. 5s. average capital per 

 horse. Fifteen per cent, may be considered as a fair- 

 average for wear, tear, and repairs, and should be 

 added to the 6-il. 05., making the average capital per 

 horse 73Z. 175. From this it appears that on a farm 

 of 200 acres, to carry on the different farming opera- 

 tions, the sum of 731. 17s. per horse is required, and 

 as the farmer has not the means of turning over his 

 capital so quickly as the merchant or manufacturer, 

 another 15 per cent, on his sunk capital should be> 

 added. The value of horse and man having already 

 been fixed, it will stand as follows : 



Keep of two horse?, 13*. 6d. per week, or per working day 2*. 3rf. 



Man's wages 1 10 



15 per cent, on sunk capital, at 73?. 175. for each horse ... 1 5 



5 6 



giving 5s. 6d. as the value per day of aman and pair 

 of horses working on a farm, after allowing the farmer 

 a fair interest for wear, tear, and sunk capital. I 

 trust these few calculations will be received as the 

 endeavours of one whose aim is to draw the atten- 

 tion of agriculturists to the necessity of not confining 

 themselves to the mere knowledge of the gross ex- 

 penses of the working of their farms generally, and to 

 aid them in becoming more intimate with the detailed 

 cost of their crops in each field, thereby placing them 

 in a position to see the more readily what each crop 

 should sell at, to return a fair remuneration for their 

 outlay. Journal of the Bath and West of England Agri- 

 cultural Society. 



Calendar of Operations. 



AUGUST. 



South Hants, Aug. 29.— As the Wheat falls before the sickle 



the quality and probable yield become more apparent and certain. 



The early and strong winds from the westward during the 



blooming of the Wheat has affected the Wheat plant much 





