



a 



1861.1 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



45 



c i that system, and ited that they bad found it to pbosphatic salts resided, not in the grain of the Wheat but 



answer ; many other persons, on the contrary, who had under the husk. Then again, whether the animals were 



full 



had tanks built, had found them fail. What was th 

 cause of th; failure ? He thought that it could be prin- 

 cipally ascribed to two reasons. First, that the liquid 

 manure which was allowed to pass into the tank was 

 not pure, nine-tenths of it was rain water which had 

 fallen in the farm-yard, and from all the buildings which 

 had surroun it. If they allowed 40 inches of rain to 

 fall in th- course of the year — he was not speakin 

 from actual knowledge, but he believed he was under 

 the mark, as 19 inches had fallen at Chiswick in four 

 months ; but taking that amount, there would be 

 more than 4000 tons on an acre of ground — and as 

 many farm-yards were more than a quarter of an acre, 

 they would receive 1000 tons of rain water, which 

 would be mixed with the manure and urine. If that 

 liquid which was called liquid manure, thus got into the 

 tank, was carted over the farm, and expected to pro- 

 duce a great result, he need hardly tell them that their 

 expectations would fail. But where there was a well- 

 constructed tank, in which liquid manure only was 

 received, which was used on a grateful soil, which had 

 been first well drained, and was capable of giving back 

 a grateful return for benefits received, he believed there 

 would be no failure. This led him to the second cause 

 of failure — namely, that it was frequently applied to 

 land which was undrained, the pores of which were 

 already overflowing with moisture, and could not receive 

 the liquid, which the first shower of rain swept off. But 

 if the urine was properly saved and conducted over the 

 land, whether by cartage, by pipes, by hose,or any way, 

 he had no doubt that it would well answer. He had no 

 reason to doubt the accounts which had been published 

 of its effects in the neighbourhood of London and at 

 Hounslow, where a great stable keeper had produced 

 wonderful results. He had himself seen its extraor- 

 dinary benefit in clay soils, where it should be applied 

 to the ground, and not to the crop, and in the winter, or 

 early spring, because clay soils had the facility of re- 

 taining and holding fast the ammonia. When liquid 

 manure was applied to clay soil, it should be allowed to 

 ferment, and that they might throw into it dead dogs, 

 cats, or any other animal matter, and let it undergo the 

 putrefactive process. But if it was applied to sandy 

 soils it would be far better to use it in the spring 

 months, when vegetation was first making its vigorous 

 efforts ; and when applied to pasture land, or to Italian 

 Rye-grass, it should be as fresh as they chose, and he 

 could assure them that it would answer every expecta- 

 tion. Another point sometimes mooted was whether it 

 was desirable to have their manure heaps under covered 

 sheds or not. He believed that if they wished to carry 

 out the manufacture of manure in the most skilful and 

 the most careful manner, they must have a roof, as they 

 had in the northern counties ; but a roof in the hands of 

 a slovenly or unskilful agriculturist, not fully competent 

 to manage the fermentation, might be productive of evil. 

 Unless they were careful the heap when roofed might 

 undergo a violent fermentation, and the heat would drive 

 off the ammonia — the liquid manure should therefore be 

 received in a tank, with a pump and hose attached, that it 

 might be pumped over the heap to keep it cool and retard 

 fermentation. The heap should also be covered over with 

 clay, soil, hedge scrapings, hedge parings, and any other 

 absorbents, which should also be mixed up with it if 

 necessary. Supposing the farmer had neither tank nor 

 manure shed, what was to be done ? Supposing he even 

 had to work with one of the worst yards, without gutters 

 to the buildings or any conveniences, could he save his 

 manure ? He thought he could better than was often 

 done— of course the good workman worked the best 

 with good tools, but he worked better with bad tools 

 than the ignorant or the slovenly. He would have a 

 dry level spot for his heap, and make the bottom water 

 tight by puddling it with clay ; he would also pro- 

 tect it from the droppings of the roofs. Here he would 

 cart his manure in a compact form, consolidate it by 

 carting it down, mixing with it all the absorbent mate- 

 rials he could get. He would thus bring it to as solid 

 a mass as possible, somewhat like its condition in Mr. 

 Warnes' boxes. Then the distillation of liquid manure 

 from the sides and bottom of the heap, he would catch 

 in an open drain, and conduct to some convenient 

 depression in the earth, made water tight, and from 

 hence have it scooped back and thrown over the sur- 

 face of the heap. He believed that this management 

 was very common, and that it was the general way in 

 which, under great difficulties, skilful farmers managed 

 their manure, and he could only regret that skilful 

 farmers should hare to work under such difficulties. 

 There were many other questions which time would 

 not allow him to go into ; there was one very im- 

 portant question— how the richness of the manure 

 was affected by circumstances other than those he had 

 mentioned— for instance, how by the food the animal 

 consumed. Now they kn^ew that manure was the 

 balance left of the consumption of food, the residue 

 irom that which was required for supplying the animal 

 economy, including what was burnt off in the lungs. If 

 the food was rich in nitrogen, the manure would, of 

 course, be rich. Vetches, Peas, Beans, and all leguminous 

 plants were rich in nitrogen, and consequently the 

 manure from animals fed on these substances was warm 

 and rich, and apt to ferment. Another important point 

 ^ as the presence of the phosphates, one of those portions 

 ^ e , 8 ? 1 i wh,ch ^ was difficult to prevent passing off, 

 hi* ^ h,ch u must be returned to keep up its fertility. It 

 naa been shown that by giving animals bran, they Would 

 return much of the phosphate in their manure, as the 



ing bullock. 



young or mil grown was important— if th y were young, 

 they were adding the phosphate to their bone, and the 

 nitrogen to their muscles and cellular tissues— young 

 animals, therefore, made poorer dung than old ones. 

 Animals fattening also made richer dung than animals 

 getting into high condition. Animals in a stall, in poor 

 condition, added to their muscles, and that robbed the 

 manure of its nitrogen, but, in adding fat to their frames 

 they did not require the nitrogen. Again, if animals 

 have any other excretion which is rich in nitrogen 

 their manure is poor — for instance ; a milch cow requires 

 a great quantity of nitrogen, the dung of a milch cow, 

 therefore, is much less. valuable than that from a fatten- 



Another curious fact was, that in worked 

 animals, the urine became richer and the dung poorer ; 

 the droppings from a working bullock were always poor. 

 There was another branch of the subject which could 

 hardly be gone into that night, as to the method of using 

 manure ; it was a very extensive subject, but one point 

 could hardly be omitted — whether it was most desirable 

 to use manures in a fermented or unfermented state — 

 whether it was desirable to allow them to ferment, to get 

 all the urea converted into carbonate of ammonia, or 

 1 employ the manure unfermented, and allow the fermen- 

 tation to go on within the soil. It seemed that this point 

 had been a good deal discussed of late, and that a great 

 many persons, including Professor Way, thought it far 

 more desirable to use the urine fresh — that the loss ex- 

 perienced by the fermentation out of the soil was far 

 greater than that experienced by its fermentation in the 

 Soil, especially if the soil be loamy or contain clay. He 

 concluded by observing that on this and the other points 

 he had touched on, he should be glad to hear the opinions 

 of the practical farmers in the club. 



METEOROLOGICAL RETORT.— Dec— Jaw. 



(Continued from page 29.) 



Date. 



Time. 



Dec. 23 



24 



26 



26 



7 30 a.m 

 lu.20 a.m 



7.10 p.m 

 10.50 p.m 



8 am 

 10.20 p.m 



5 a.m. 



7.40 a.m. 



11 30 p.m 



8 a.m 

 10 40 p.m 



Max. 



• • • 



3G.43 



30.41 



• • ♦ 



3) 31 



• i . 



• • 



Min. 



Wind, and Remarks. 



30.40 Iff. Fine day and frosty. 



X. gentle breezes. See Dec. 

 20-22. 



• • t 



3^.39 

 30.02 





■ « - 



29.92 



27 



*25 



29 



• • • 



a.m 



29.99 



30.10 



30.05 



80.10 30.10 



11.10 a.m. 



30.22 



2 30 p.m 



9 20 p.m 



30 



31 



8 



a.m. 



Jan. 1 



10.10 p.m. 

 7.15 a.m 

 9.20 p.m. 



11 30 a.m 



30.21 



• • • 



30.22 



30.18 



• * • 





2 



t-! 



3 



1.50 



6.45 



a.m 

 p.m 

 p.m 



29.93 



29.73 



Calm almost ; clear and frosty. 

 Ho. ; beginning to thaw. 

 Calm ; mild cloudy day, wind. 

 W. Moderate, but increasing 

 W. Hard squall for about 20 



minute*. 



W. Heavy bank of clouds 



sinking to E. 

 W\ Litfht winds throughout 



this day. 

 WNW. to NW. Light winds 



and thin clouds with blue 



sky, and a mild dav. 

 NW. Calm, dull heavy 



but very mild. 

 N W. Calm morning, 



bright blue sky. 

 NW. Warm sunny day. 



rometer rising. 



day 

 and 



Ba- 



30.22 



• • • 



30.03 



• • ♦ 



29.85 





■ • * 



29.64 



9 a.m. 

 9.40 p.m. 



4.20 a.m. 

 9.30 a.m 



. - . 



t • • 



29.72 



29.85 



The barometer flat, having 

 ceased to rise, and dark 

 clouds passing slowly. 



N.W. Bright starlight, thin 

 clouds. 



W. Moderate breeze, cold 

 drizzle a.m., and 



W. overcast the whole day, 



SW. Moderate breezes, in- 

 creasing towards night : 

 overcast, clearing off p.m. 



SW. Blowing a gale all day 

 and nfeht, and barometer 

 falling steadily. 

 29.54 ISW. Blowing a gale all day, 



with squalls and rain, and 



a very rough night, but 



wind lees violent. 

 SW. Wind moderating alittle, 



but squally and rainy all 



day. 

 Calm and hazy. 



NNE. Gentle breeze and 

 heavy rain. 



• • t 



• • t 



29.60 

 29 62 



29.81 



* • • 



* This storm must have come from the Bermudas across the 

 South of Ireland, and Central Germany. It was of large area, 

 and travelled slowly. 



t This storm came from the Azores (judging from the in- 

 cessant rain), travelling slowly : it crossed the South of England, 

 and the German Ocean. 



Dorchester, Jan. 13th. F. P. B. M, 



(To be continued.) 



Calendar of QDerations. 



JANUARY. 



Somersetshire Farm, Jan. 12.— Having been two years on a 

 farm in the neighbourhood of Glastonbury, in this county, and 

 afterwards a year in the Wold districts of Lincolnshire, I wish 

 to give my experience of the two systems pursued, by way of 

 comparison, and afterwards a short account of the farming in 

 this neighbourhood (about 12 miles from Bristol, on the west 

 coast of the county). The first thing which struck me on my 

 first visit to Lincolnshire was the great neatness of the hedges, 

 the cleanliness of the land, and the quicknrss and precision of 

 all the out- door work performed; no stopping being ever 

 allowed till the dinner hour of the men, so that I think the 

 higher rate of wages allowed, as compared with Somersetshire, 

 weil bes rowed. With respect to drilling coti, in the former 

 country, from 10 to 12 acres are performed per diem, in the 

 latter seldom more than 7 ; in ploughing, an acre per day in 

 the former, in the latter $ ; but this is perhaps hardly a fair 

 comparison, as the difference of land must be taken into 

 account, also the custom of permitting the men (in this county) 

 to stop for lunch at 11 forenoon, at which half an hour is often 

 spent; still we think the Lincolnshire ploughman would have 

 the advantage, always working with a pair of horses of a quick, 

 blood description. In harvest time ail corn is mown in the 

 former county ; in the latter, although the use of the scythe is 

 gaining ground, reapiug is more prevalent : much is to be said 



i either side. Mowing is undoubtedly the quickest way but 

 it lraves longer straw for leading away and thn shing, as 'well 

 as in standing out in the fieldf, being more cumbrous : they 

 always tie their Barky ; and Oats, which is decidedly better 

 thin raking it up loose like hay, which is often done. Now 

 with reference to keeping beasts in loose yards on long straw* 

 a ( on practice on the Lincolnshire Wolds, we may contrast 

 the Somersetshire farmers favourably, for the straw U alwaja 

 cut ; oft n, as on the farm whtre I first resided, with a horse- 

 power chaff cutter ; or if straw is not given, good bay is sub- 

 stituted, Agaiu, with regard to sheep leed ng. In my opinion 

 the Lincolnshire farmers allow too large an extent for the run 

 of the sheep; the nets, which are always used, being spreai 

 right across the Turnip field, and the shet-p allowed to remain 

 lo days or m^re on the eame piece of land ; in which system I 

 have seen much waste of Turnips. In Somersetshire and Wilt- 

 thire, although perhaps occasionally the other extreme is 

 fallen iii'o, the plan is the best in the end; for the land, by 

 c lo t w folding, gets the benefit of the sheep's manure more 

 regularly and thickly diffused, and the Turnips eaten upas they 

 go on, without waste, by taking a fresh fold every day, «>r every 

 other day. I should add that the Turnips are cut in Lincoln- 

 shire, as well as generally speaking in the be t farms of the 

 o'her two counties above named; but that oilcake is more 

 generally given to sheep in Lincolnshire than in those two 

 counties, as likewise to beasts, for which last, however, the 

 Turnips and straw are, as I said before, often not cut. We 

 next come to the u stacking " of Lincolnshire, for in that county 

 stacks is the tenn used, whilat here they are called ricks or 

 mows. The former is ihe more appropriate name for Lincoln, 

 shire, as their corn is shaped up i re in the form of our hay- 

 stacks, not being raised from the ground on a staddle, as we 

 term it in Somersetshire ; the hitter I think the best and neatest 

 way, as being more security against vermin. For the decryptions 

 of soils of the districts of the two counties which I visited, I must 

 give reference to my reports for the past two years from West 

 Somerset and East Lincolnshire farms, the former having more 

 variety of soil to offer to a geologist than the latter, which on 

 the Wolds abounds much in chalk. I must now conclude with 

 a few remarks on the farming of this district. 1st, As I am on 

 the subject of soils, I will endeavour to describe this : A line af 

 lime-tone bills runs through the country, opposi e to what aro 

 called the Mendip hills, between which is a wide valley ot rather 

 flat land, of rich blank description, something timilar to the 

 Cambridgeshire Fens, but this varies to red sandstone near the 

 limestone hill*, and around the peaty land Is a clay, which 

 becomes in places of a b'uith character, adap'ed for Wheat 

 and Beans. On the limestone hills nothing can exceed the 

 luxuriant green of the pastures, which are remarkably early 

 tor hheep Uetpin spriog. This is chiefly a dairy and grazing 

 district, the best Grass land lettir g from 3£., and in some cases 

 \l. an acre. There is comparatively little land under the plough, 

 and until lately what there was had not been well managed, 

 few roots being grown, and beasts g-azed on hay alone, which, 

 however, w »i» of good quality. Now, % however, a great improve- 

 ment is manifest, chiefl) from the example of gentlemen farmer* 

 in the neighbourhood, and Turnips and Mangold are now to be 

 seen in perfection, grown on this rich soil with little assistance 

 fri-m manure. When near the rock it is found necessary to 

 manure the Turnip-, as has been proved by comparative ex- 

 periments, those grown without manure being nothing in point 

 of size ; iu fact, superphosphate of lime will grow Turnips any- 

 where, and may be almost, we may say, M grown on a deal 

 board " Witness Mr. Huxtable's experiment. Another im- 

 provement is the introduction of iron ploughs and a pair of 

 horses working, instead of the line of three or four, with a boy 

 leading. With reference to this subject, where the soil is a 

 he.ivy clay, like the old red clays of Devon, I think oxen may 

 be keptPup in some cases (worked always in collars), which 

 may pay, after being worked two years, to be then grazed ; but 



1 should never allow more than two horses in a plough, so that 

 on a farm of mixed soils we might have pair horse ploughs and 

 t'ourf »r oxtn. The great want now of this country is farm 

 huildmgs of a new and better description, with a view to econo- 

 mise manure ; but this we shall have in time, and I have no 

 doubt the new generation will see a better description of 

 farmer, so that Somersetshire will, in these times of improve, 

 ment, be able to keep pace with other parts of England, — The 

 beasts iu this district are the Hereford, Devons. and Shorthorns, 

 the latter used chiefly in the dairy ; the sheep of the Devons, 



Dorsets, and Southdowns occasionally crossed— there are also» 

 Irish sheep. H. E* 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Cabbage : WD C. Early York*, sown in July and August, 

 will be ripe in May. Pull every fourth Cabbage, and trans- 

 plant Drumheads sown in February. They will be ready in 

 November, and will keep till January, and if you sow in 

 April again you may have a crop wtiich will be good food in 

 January and February. Of these we can speak from experi- 

 ence. But we print your question for other answers, if 

 correspondents will kindly give them. M I wish to have the 

 longest possible succession of cattle Cabbage, will yon kindly 

 tell me how I must manage, and give me the chief periods 

 for sowing ? " 



Cakkots : Louisa P. They may be given to sheep with safety 

 and success. Chicory and Flax are both described in 

 Blackie's " Cyclopedia of Agriculture." Flax culture is also- 

 well described in a little book by T. K. Short on Flax, for 

 which you should apply to your bookseller. It can be sold 

 in the straw to any large dealer, 6uch as are to be found 

 at Leeds. 



Cochin China Fowls: J L. Feathers on the legs of fowls, said 

 to be Cochin China, do not indicate impurity of breed, but 

 the contrary.— M NO. Specimens with lark-crests would not 

 be allowed to pass as pure at any poultry show. Defec ive 

 wings and tail are esteemed merits in model Cochin China 

 fowls. 



Cow Food : WM. Hay being your only food, you may make a 

 less quantity answer by cutting it into Jcbaff- and buying Oat 

 straw, and mixing one of the latter with two of the former — 

 and pouring over the mixed chaff a hot and salt Linseed 

 soup. 



Daibt : P A C. Several plans and elevations are given in the 

 article, 4| Farm Buildings," Blackie's u Cyclopedia of Agricul- 

 ture ; " and for ordinary dairy management, see a liiUe book 

 by C. W. J»hnson. Esq., entitled the u Modern Cow-keeper." 



Drainage Act : XX. There is no public Act giving power to 

 charge settled estates in England with the expenses of build- 

 ings. There was a clause in the Drainage Act of lasi ses- 

 sion giving such power, when the measure was brought for- 

 ward ; but the Chancellor of the Exchequer spoke against it, 

 and it was struck out. The Acts of the different Drainage 

 and Inclosure Companies give such a power, but we know 

 notbing of its working. J. Q, 



Farm Buildings : R Greaves. A number of plans are given in 

 Blackie's "Cyclopedia of Agriculture."— We recommend a 

 plan in which box-feeding is adopted. Potatoes on a burned 

 clay soil will very probably succeed. The quantity of bubhe^ 

 per acre depends altogether upon the size of the sets ; when 

 of 'he common small size for •• seed," from 3d to 40 bushels 

 will be needed per acre. 



Fabm Capital : E T and J T Plymouth. We hope to insert a 



full reply next week. 

 Grinding Machine: HW. We have no personal experience. 



and must refer you to the makers— as Mr. Z. Parkes, Bir. 



mingnam ; Messrs. Ransome and May, Ipswich, &c. 

 Liquid Manure Wheelbarrow: A Hain. Mr. Coode, 473 



Ux ford-street, Blojmsbury, is probably the person yoi 



allude to. * 



/ 



