and of Rural Improvement generally, during 1839. 725 



draining, which we have reported in p. 626. In England, local 

 agricultural societies seem to be on the increase ; a very grati- 

 fying circumstance, since there is scarcely an art practised in 

 England that is in such a rude state as agriculture in the cen- 

 tral counties. As a proof of this, we may refer to a report in 

 the Gardener' 's Gazette (No. 149. p. 714), of what took place 

 at the Gravesend and Rochester Agricultural Society, by which 

 it will be found, that in Kent the prejudices against two-horse 

 ploughs are carried to such an extent, that though the work 

 of one of these ploughs was allowed to be as well done as that of 

 any other, yet a worthy yeoman " offered to bet 51., that the half- 

 acre ploughed by the two-horse plough on that day, did not 

 grow so much wheat and straw as the one which adjoined it, 

 and which had been ploughed by a four-horse plough," and 

 the bet was taken, to be decided next year. It may readily 

 be conceived from this, that Rochester is a very fit neighbour- 

 hood for the operations of a " National Agricultural Educational 

 Society," of which a prospectus has been sent us, which pro- 

 poses to establish a school in Kent for 100 boys. In different 

 parts of England we observe that former agricultural societies 

 have revived, or new ones been instituted. 



In Gloucestershire, on the estate of Earl Ducie, an Example 

 Farm is being established under the direction of His Lordship's 

 steward, Mr. Morton, the intelligent author of an excellent 

 Treatise On the Nature and Properties of Soils, reviewed in 

 Vol. XIV. p. 151. The extent of this example farm is about 250 

 acres, and the soil and exposure are about the average of those 

 of the whole estate ; so that this farm will present a fair specimen 

 of the kind of agriculture considered by Mr. Morton as best 

 adapted for the soil and climate of that part of Gloucestershire. 

 The implements, horses, and men have been obtained from 

 Stirlingshire, through Messrs. Drummond the eminent seedsmen. 

 Mr. Morton expresses in his book a wish that " a chain of ex- 

 ample farms were established upon the various geological forma- 

 tions throughout the country ; " and we trust the example shown 

 by Lord Ducie will lead to the adoption of something of this 

 kind by other great landed proprietors. The papers on agri- 

 culture in this Magazine are necessarily i'ew, because we limit our- 

 selves to taking such views of the progress of the art as we think 

 may be useful to gardeners. Among the latest improvements 

 may be noticed the introduction of Madia sativa as an oil-plant 

 (p. 142.), and some new varieties of wheat (p. 23. and 24.). 

 Madia sativa has been cultivated by Mr. Taylor, with great 

 success, in Suffolk, and a valuable oil has been produced from it, 

 as will appear in a future communication. 



Rural Architecture. — =- A considerable stimulus seems to be 

 given to rural architecture in all those parts of the country 



