" New System qf Farming" 335 



cookery ; but when a pig is feeding, his quantity of food 

 must be diminished, and its quahty increased : thus, a gallon 

 of old beans per day will make a pig increase in weight and 

 quality, for the last fortnight of his life, more than a bushel of 

 pig meat did while in a growing or store state. But it is need- 

 less to insist. The brute beasts will inform us that a green or 

 boiled thistle is both poisonous and unpalatable : whereas a 

 withered thistle is both palatable and nutritious. With re- 

 spect to Mr. Drewery's medicines, they are truly laughable : 

 he may, indeed, be called the Urine Doctor. Urine feeds his 

 horses, fattens his cattle, cures all disorders in his sheep and 

 pigs, &c. : urine makes his cows give plenty of milk, and also 

 dries his cows of their milk ; cures the bots in horses, the tail» 

 evil in cows, as well as warbles in their backs, &c. O dear I 

 I must not " answer a fool according to his folly, lest 1 be 

 like unto him." Mr. Drewery's system of farming is at least 

 fifty years behind the modern improved Scotch system. He 

 is wofully in the dark respecting the cultivation of land ; 

 but this I could excuse, if he had not talked of cutting winter 

 vetches two or even three times in a summer, and saving a 

 crop of seed at last. This beats every thing. 



In order that I may not forget every thing I read, I have 

 written a critique on the following passages of the work : — 



Public meetings, honorary rewards, and letters addressed 

 (p. 18.); address to the public, and introduction to the work 

 (p. 31.); increase of food, by boiling green or dry food (p. 6 1 . ) ; 

 cutting the ears and tails of pigs, shower-bath, and ui'ine 

 (p. 66. 69.) ; oatmeal mixed with horse-corn, excellent food 

 [granted) (p. 74.) ; sods and twitch, good fuel for boiling 

 weeds (p. 80.) ; cuts vetches nearly a yard high three times in 

 one summer, and saves a crop for seed in the autumn (p. 93.) ; 

 calves reared on half the price of their mother's milk (p. 97.); 

 urine and straw better than hay and water for horses (p. 103.) ; 

 boiled grass better than green for horses, &c. (p. 104.) ; cer- 

 tain horses refuse corn and hay unless sprinkled with urine 

 (p. 125.) ; a young beast gets fat by a man's urine and straw 

 (p. 125.): a severe flogging cures a horse bound in' the bowels 

 (p. 128.) ; urine cures the gripes, prevents the bots in horses 

 (p. 132.); urine cures greasy heels in horses, and red water 

 in cows (p. ISi.); urine cures the tail, and dries the milk of 

 cows (p. 134.); urine cures warbles in cows, removes the 

 effects of poison (p. 137.); a waggoner's whip cures bloated 

 cows, &c. &c. &c. (p. 138.) 



My name was never yet in print ; and I hope it never may 

 be, if 1 cannot write a better book than Mr. Drewery's. 



I remain, Sir, &c. 

 Nov. 3. 1830. J. H. 



