



7 



1851.1 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



109 



fi 



*( one ©f the special correspondents of the Morning Chronicle 

 whovlsited the small village of Triminghan, where Mr.Warne* 

 has for several vears most sedulously and successfully devoted 

 himself to the cultivation and preparation of the pant. 



•» The condition of the inhabitants of the village," he says, 

 m % a f eW years since most deplorable, and the amount of 

 Jnoerism exceeded that of the adjoining parishes. Since the 

 ntroauction » f Fla* culture, this >tate of things has passed 

 JL-- There is not a pauper in the parish ; the poor-rates are 

 nominal • there is not one ab e-bodied labourer, nor any por- 

 tion of his ta ally, who may not obtain constant employment 

 throughout the whole of the year, and the moral and social 

 ■tate of the village will bear comparison with most. It the 

 *TOwth Q f pj ax ca n produce results elsewhere similar to those 

 which I have witnessed at Trimiugham, there can be no doubt 

 that the sooner it is cultivated to a greater extent in this 

 country the sooner will the enormous burden of pauperism 

 decrease ; and happiness and contentment be more generally 

 diffused among: the large masses of our labouring population. 



The Chevalier Claussen* then laid before the Council 

 the following different specimens : 



k Samples of Flax in the straw, pulled and rippled. 



2. Sample of Flax-straw, prepared according to the new 

 process, adapted for linen manufactures. 



S. Sample of long fibre scutched from part of No. 2. 



ti Samples of Flax- fibre, adapted for spinning on cotton 



machinery. 



5. Sample of yarn spun on cotton machinery, some from all the 

 above Flax-fibre, others mixed in various proporti ns with the 

 American cotton ; these mixtures being termed by the inventor 



Flax-cotton. 



6. Samples of Flax-fibre prepared for mixiog with wool. 



7. Samples of yarn produced ou ordinary woollen machinery, 

 composed of wool and Flax in various proportions, termed by 

 the inventor Flax- wool. 



8. 8amples ot flannel woven from the above, 



9. Samples of fine cloth woven from yarn composed of Flox 

 and fine wool in various proportions. 



10. Flax-fibre prepared for mixing with silk, and dyed of 



various colours. 



11. Flax-fibre mixed with spun silk, and termed by the in- 

 ventor Flax-siik. 



12. A sample of yarn produced from the above. 



13. Samples of Flax. cotton yarn dyed of various colours. 



14. Samples of cloth woven from Flax-cotton yarn and wool, 

 dyed. 



The following are the advantages detailed by the 

 Chevalier Claussen and his friends, as possessed by the 

 new process over the old methods : 



I, That by the Chevalitr Claussen's process the preparation 

 of long fibre for scutching is effected in less than one day, and 

 he always produces a fibre uniform in strength and entirely 

 free from colour, much facilitating the after process of bleach- 

 ing either in yarns or in cloth. 



That he can also bleach it in the straw at very little ad- 

 ditional expense of time or money. 



3. That the former tedious and uncertain modes of steeping 

 are superseded by one perfectly certain with ordinary care. 



4. That in consequence of a more complete severance of the 

 fibres from each other, and also from the bark and boon, the 

 process of scutching is effected with half the labour usually 

 employed. 



[Ihese advantages referred to that portion of the invention 

 that includes the preparation of Flax for spinning upon the 

 ordinary Flax machinery, and suited to existing markets. The 

 further advantages have reference to the creation of new 

 markets for British produce.] 



5. That by the new process Flax is rendered capable of being 

 epun, either in whole or in part, on any existing spinning 

 machinery. 



6. That the fibre, to be mixed with cotton, or spun alone on 

 cotton machinery, is so completely assimilated in its character 

 to that of cotton, that it is capable of receiving the same rich 

 opaque colour that characterises all dyed cotton ; and, conse- 

 quently, any cloth made from Flax-cotton yarn can be readily 

 printed, dyed, or bleached by the ordinary cotton processes. 



7. That Flax-fibre can be always produced with profit to the 

 British grower at a less price than cotton can be imported into 

 this country with profit to the foreign producer. 



8. That as a consequence of this advantage, the manufac- 

 turers of this country will be less dependant on the fluctuations 

 of the cotton crop for a supply of the raw material, and a more 

 regular employment will be given to the manufacturing popu- 

 lation, and the present amount of local rates be greatly dimi- 

 nished thereby. 



9. That the British grower will derive great benefit from a 

 supply of the wide demand thus opened to him. 



II. That with respect to the advantages of being able to spin 

 Flax in combination with wool on the existing woollen ma- 

 chinery, the first is, that the Flax prepared by M. Claussen is 

 capable of being scribbled, spun, woven, and milled, in all 

 respects as if it were entirely wool ; having an advantage in 

 this respect over cotton, which has not the slightest milling 

 properties ; on the contrary the Flax-tibre is capable of being 

 even made into common felt hats with or without an admixture 

 of wool. To such an extent has the milling properties of Flax 

 been proved, that the sample of cloth exhibited had been woven 

 to 54 inches if ide, and milled up to 28 inches wide. 



12. That the Flax-fibre will not, under any circumstances, 

 when prepared for spinniog with wool, cost more than from 

 6d. to 8d. per lb., while the wool with which it may be 

 mixed will cost from 2s. to 4#. per lb. ; consequently reducing 

 the price of cloth produced from this mixture 25 or 30 per cent, 

 below the present prices of cloth made wholly from wool, and 

 being of equal, if not greater durability. 



13. That short-wool refuse, which cannot by itself be spun 

 into a thread may, by being mixed with this thread, be readily 

 spun and manufactured into serviceable cloths. 



14. That there is a probability of a further demand being 

 opened up for this fibre in the flannel and woollen trade. 



15. That by this process Flax may be also so prepared as to be 

 spun in any certain proportions with silk upon the existing 

 silk machinery ; that when so spun, it is capable of receiving 

 considerable brilliancy of tint. That the fibre may be pre- 



PtFe iK f ° r thus § P ianin S at aQ uniform price of from 6d. to 8d. 

 I* r .lo. That as it may be spun in any proportions with silk, 



W ? T:< * ent *h*t tne price of the yarns must be reduced 

 according to the relative proportions of the materials employed, 

 tnus extending the markets, and giving increased employment 

 to the operatives. 



■p, 16, Tna *» by M. Claussen's process of bleaching, any useless 

 mat can be converted into a first-rate article for the paper- 

 maaer, at a less price than the paper-maker is now paying for 



W i^! e rags; and suitable for the manufacture of first-class 

 papers. 



In conclusion, M. Claussen and his friends had no 



rSn a plan mi S ht ** devised by which the grower 



or r lax should derive not only the " benefits he would 

 obtain from the sale or consumption of his Flax seed, and 

 jne sale of his straw, as stated in the paper read, and 

 tne further advantages to be derived by him from the 



lh*u 8e P aration of the woody part of the stem from 

 *ne fibre, which would reduce the cost of transit, and 

 Provide for a larger return to the land. But also the 

 ^ger profit to be derived from the transforming of the 

 ™* w . into fibres suitable for any of the purposes above 

 described, according to the suggestions pointed out in the 



paper read to the meeting, and thus secure to them- east coast of the F 



selves that double profit which, under the present w K hic ^ K ^m" *i k ♦ <■ ♦*, * * - 



; „ , A K ., , *' ., . . * should feel obliged by any account of the system in any of it* 



bearing*. H. E. 



ens, and latterly the idea of steam draining, 

 would put the county to some expense. I 



system, it was all but impossible for them to obtain. 



Calendar of Operations. 



FEBRUARY. 

 Dorset Fabm, Feb. 3.— Since the last report we have had the 

 weather very wet, and work has been kept back very much ; 

 and if it had not been previously well forward we would now 

 be looking forward to a busy spring. But we have been con- 

 tented to let the fields rest for a time. ^ Grass is now growing 

 fast, especially the water meadows, which look beautiful ; and 

 Wheat is good everywhere on land that lies dry, although on 

 some of the low lying parts it is a little checked by excess of 

 moisture ; and if dry weather were to succeed rapidly it would 

 no doubt suffer materially. Food of every kind is very plen- 

 tiful. We are now taking up all our Swedes, as they are now 

 making their second growth. We drive them together in heaps, 

 about 6 feet wide, as high as they will pile up, and cover them 

 with straw. We have now about half of our ewes lambed, 

 and the lambs have hitherto done very well, although the 

 weat her has not been favourable. Our so ws are now beginning 

 to farrow. I think I mentioned before t'tat they have had 

 nothing but Mangold Wurzei since their last young were 

 weaned ; and as some of your correspondents say that such 

 feeding is apt to slip their young, I can say that we have found 

 nothing of that, and we have had II sows living entirely on 

 them. And although we keep so many, we have not, in the 

 course of five years, had one slip. Pork is selling very low, 

 not more than from 6s. €d. to Is. 6d. per score, and in this 

 locality hardly to be got rid of at that. And we find it far more 

 profitable, even with grain so low in price, to sell them lean ; 

 for I have no doubt that in the lean state they sell at more per 



score. O. S. 



Somersetshire Farm, Feb. 1. — If not trespassing on the 

 space of your paper, I wish to send a few papers on the subject 

 of •* land most applicable to the growth of Wheat and other 

 crops," which are, in fact, more for the assistance of beginners 

 and amateurs in farming, than claiming any credit for throwing 

 much new light on the subject ; my only idea being to make a 

 change from tho mere Calendar which I have sometimes com- 

 municated. To take the subject of Wheat, then, for our first 

 paper:— The land most suited for Wheat is a deep and rather 

 heavy soil ; clays, well drained, being peculiarly adapted for it, 

 and also for Beans, which on some lands are grown alternately, 

 in which case a winter's fallow is requisite. Supposing Wheat 

 after Beans, the land should be ploughed up as soon as ever the 

 Beans are off ; after harvest a good dressing of manure laid on, 

 or, as is the custom in some dis tries, sheep folded on "muckle," 

 as the term is, which plan must depend on a dry season. It is, 

 however, safer to take a green crop between, such as Vetches 

 or Clover. For example— Beans, Vetches, Wheat, Clover, 

 mown first, and fed with sheep in July. On light sandy soils, 

 such as the county of Norfolk, the land is (as.iudeed we think the 

 best general system) cultivated on the 4 -course shift of Tur- 

 nips, Barley, sown down with Clover, 4th Wheat, which is said 

 to succeed aftar the latter "on one earth," as the term is, 

 better than anything, if we except in some cases Mustard. The 

 rather frequent recurrence of Clover, however, makes it advis- 

 able to substitute Grass seeds or Tares every fourth year, taking 

 Clover only every eighth ; as the land, if sown oftener with 

 it, becomes, as the well known term is, " Clover sick." Where 

 the land is poor, such as on the stone-brash kind, as it is 

 called, a more irregular system necessarily presents itself, 

 and the following course I suggest from my own experience 

 of the plan pursued on the farm in this county, mentioned 

 in my last report, which partook of the above-named descrip- 

 tion of land belonging to the estate of Mr. Dickinson, late 

 M.P, for that division, which is farmed by his agent in a 

 very superior manner. On this soil Vetches were much 

 cultivated, both as a good preparation for Wheat, and to 

 follow it ; in each case on this farm it was well folded with 

 sheep (a sufficient quantity of which should always be kept, as 

 they render the soil firm and compact for Wheat, and by the 

 goodness of their manure, almost insure a crop, presuming the 

 land to be previously well drained. They should for that pur- 

 pose, to save much trouble, be wethers, the Southdowns being 

 well suited for it, in these parts, from their hardy nature ; the 

 above was the system pursued on Mr. D.'s farm. To continue ; 

 on the heavy clays, when the weather is wet, sheep must be 

 taken off, as though their folding on the above-mentioned light 

 soils do good, or course, on the latter the reverse would be the 

 case. Not that I advocate folding to extremes in any case. I 

 think where practicable, an outlet from the fold on Grass, Ac, 

 is very desirable during the day; also when sheep are being 

 fattened up for sale, they may be withdrawn in small lots from 

 the fold ; perhaps, where possible, under cover at home, as occa- 

 sion requires. Another course on the farm I above alluded to 

 was taking Turnips after the Vetches, thus folding off two green 

 crops in succession, and doubly improving the land. If the 

 Turnips were off the land in time, on this farm, the Wheat was 

 put in during winter, the ground being very thinly ploughed, to 

 nicely cover in the manure and Turnip refuse ; in other cases 

 the Wheat wai sown in spring. Another way i3, as on the 

 above-named farm, to take Mustard, as a preparation for 

 Wheat, which whether fed or ploughed in, answers well on 

 most lands. It grows to a great height, and is little affected 

 by frost; the sheep, however, when on it, do better when they 

 have an outlet during the day "in their walk," as Mr. John 

 Gray (Mr. D.'s agent), states in his description of the growth 

 of white Mustard, addressed in a letter to Mr. Philip Pusey, 

 which appeared in the M Royal Agricultural Journal." With 

 regard to the time for Wheat sowing, there is, of course, as well 

 as in the quantity to be sown per acre (and whether dibbled er 

 drilled, or whether dug for or ploughed), much diversity of 

 opinion. My own is, that at any rate on poor land as on the 

 stony description I mentioned, the first fortnight in November 

 is soon enough, and the quantity of seed per acre six 

 pecks. On Mr. Dickenson's estate, where I resided two 

 years, the yield of Wheat was commonly 40 bushels per 

 acre, and much of this grown on poor stony land (vary- 

 ing in some parts to heavy loam with a hard clay 

 subsoil) : this I am sure is greatly owing to the constant folding 

 of large flocks of sheep, as a few years ago when the farm wa» 

 under other hands, with a ewe flock and no folding, there was, 

 I have been told, not more than 25 bushels of Wheat to the 

 acre, if so much. With respect to the method of depositing the 

 Wheat crop ; whether dibbled or drilled, Ac , as I have not 

 seen much of the former system pursued, I can only answer 

 for drilling, which I can at any rate place before broadcast 

 sowing, in most cases, as being a more regular and business, 

 like plan. Dibbling, I should think, would hardly answer on 

 large farms, or the spade in a backward season, when the 

 fallows wanted getting forward for sowing. Beans are, in my 

 opinion, best dibbled, with regard to their more effectual hoe- 

 ing in spring ; in this plan we may also class (though a very 

 dissimilar crop) Mangold Wurzel. We used to drill the Beans 

 on Mr. D.'s farm at 27 inches apart, and when planted at 

 about 12 inches ; quantity by dibble, two bushels for winter 

 Beans, and> sack for spring ; by the drill, from six to eight 

 pecks. In concluding this short summary I wish to ask you, 

 or some of your intelligent correspondents, if they could 

 give me any account and explanation of draining land 

 by steam, as practised in Lincolnshire Fens, and other levels ; 

 as to how the water is got rid of, and other particulars. 

 As I stated in last report, we have a large extent of land, some- 

 thing similar to fen land, which, in such wet weather as 

 we have lately had, becomes much inundated with water. It 

 is about 24 miles from the Bristol Channel— different plans 



have been promulgated, such as canals, <fcc, like on the 





Notices to Correspondents. 



B ablet : A B. You need not fear that it will give the scab. 

 It is good food for sheep. 



Books : W B Harvard. Johnson's " Modern Cowkeeper," 

 shilling book, may answer your purpose. We d » not know 

 the bituminous shale manure, and must therefore depend 

 upon any information with which correspondents may 

 favour us. 



COTT4QES : One who has been a grieved witness of the unworthy 

 Cottages of the Poor. We have received enquiries about your 

 plan, which was not explicit enough to make anv intelligible 

 woodcut. Please specify rent and cost of such a cottage — 

 and you would oblige many readers by giving us a scale. 



Drains : C MK. Under your circumstances we would cut off 

 the upper spring water, by a cross drain at the top of the 

 field, and drain the re»t 3 feet deep (or half a spit into the 

 dry bed below) and 24 feet apart. The impervious subsoil at 

 that depth proves its impermeability by its perfect dryness * 

 and in that case it seems useless to penetrate it. 



Food for Cow* : Spes. In a mild climate, or deep calcareous 

 soil, Lucerne is a first-rate crop. But under the ordinary 

 conditious of climate and soil we should prefer Italian Rye- 

 grass and the annual cultivation of the soil to Lucerne, aud 

 six or seven years' reit. Italian Rye-grass may be sown in 

 June if you choose, 3 or 4 bushels an acre. Lucerne should 

 be sown in 14 or 16 inches wide shallow drills ; about 10 lbs. 

 of seed being used per acre. 



Husk of Oats : J J. The average of two specimens examined 

 by Professor Norton was — 



■ • • 



Oil 



Sugar and Gum 



Gluten 



Cellulose ... 



Saline matter 



• • t 



• 1 • 



• •« 



• •• 



• • t 



• ■ > 



• •• 



... 



• • • 



- - ■ 



• • • 



*•• 



• • • 



m . • 



• - • 



• •• 



1.21 

 0-61 



1.83 



89.o7 



6.7 



100.00 



Malt Dust : T P. It has been applied with success as a top- 

 dressing to Barley and Wheat. It is well to moisten it with 

 liquid manure first and let it ferment slightly. It contains 

 29 per cent, of nitrogenous compounds. Apply 20 or 33 

 bushels an acre in a drill manure ; having first rotted it and 

 then dried it up along with the superphosphate or other 

 manure you are going to use for Turnips. You can buy it 

 for 6$. or 7#. a quarter, 



" Mr. Short's Pamphlet n on Flax. R P Gardner. Groom* 

 bridge and Son. 



Scoular's Grubber : Anon. u Scoular, Haddington," will find 



him. 



Substitute for Litter: LA. Boards and attention. Saw- 

 dust. Sand has been used. Cocoa-fibre matting would be 

 costly to begin with, and so far destructible as to make it 

 costly in the long run also. 



The best Drill for Sowing Turnips on Flat Ground, and 

 Guano at TnE same time : J R P. Any of the Suffolk drills 

 will do it. Garrett's, of Sazmundham ; or Hornsby, of 

 Grantham. 



The Drainage Act : A Friend to Draining. We cannot publish 

 any personal attack unless authenticated by the name and 

 address of the correspondent ; and we will not do so unless 

 some useful end is to be attained. 



Tolls : T B Harness. A chaff-cutter is no doubt toll free to the 

 farmer ; that is in going from place to place for use. Tha 

 article \ou refer to related we think to guano. 



Errata : For " all of them," in line 19 from the bottom of 

 colume 6, page 73, read M one of these. "—In the tl Trip to 

 North Devon," published Feb. 1, for "ruined hills/' read 

 "round hills." And observe the amended punctuation in 

 the following sentence. "If the land is in stetches it would 

 be desirable to mark the lines with the drill. Where no 

 manure could be spared the mould and superphosphate were 

 alone used at a cost of 20s. per acre." 



iriarftus* 



COVENT GARDEN, Feb. 15. 

 Hothouse Grapes are all but over for a season. Pine-apples 

 are still dear, and the supply of good dessert Pears is limited. 

 English Apples are scarce, but foreign ones are sufficient 

 for the demand. Oranges and Lemons are plentiful. Nuts 

 remain nearly the same as last week. Forced Vegetables of 

 all kinds are abundant and good, except French Beans, 

 which are scarce, but which are, nevertheless, rather more 

 plentiful than they were last week. Carrots and Turnips are 

 good in quality, and so are Potatoes. Lettuces and other salad- 

 ing are sufficient for the demand. The best Mushrooms fetch 

 Is. per pottle. Cucumbers, though good, meet with an un- 

 usually dull sale. Cut Flowers consist of Heaths, Pelargo- 

 niums, Camellias, Mignonette, Tulips, Double Primroses, Cine- 

 rarias, Moss and Provins Roses, and the different kinds of 



spring bulbs. 



FRUIT. 



Pine-apples, per lb., 6s to 8s 

 Grapes, hothouse, p. Ib.,6stol0s 



— Portugal, p. lb. , 8d to Is 

 Pears, per doc, 2s to 5s 



— per half sieve, €s to 15s 

 Apples, Hp«Art, per bushel, 6s 



to 101 



— kitcneu do., 5s to 8s 

 Oranges, per doz., 9d to 2s 



— per 100, 6s to 10s 



VEGETABLES. 

 Brussels Sprouts, p. hf. sieve, Shallots, per lb., 6dto8d 



i Lemons, per dox., Is to 2s 

 Almonds, per peck, 6s 



— sweet, per lb., 2s to 3s 

 Chestnuts, per peck, 2s to 5a 



— per loO, 9d to Is 6d 

 Nuts, Barcelona, per bush, 20 



to 22s 



— Brazil, p, bsh,, 12s to 14 s 

 I Cobs, per 100 lbs., 70s to 75s 





Is to ls6d 

 Cabbages, per doc, 6d to Is 

 Greens,p.doz.bun.,ls6d to 2s6d 

 Cauliflowers, p. doz., Is 6d to 4s 

 Broccoli,p.doz.bundl.,7s to 12s 



Seakale, per punnet, 6d to 2s 

 Asparagus, per 100, 2s to 8s 

 Rhubarb, p. bundL, 6d to Is 6d 

 Potatoes, per ton, 60s to 100 

 per cwt., 3s to 5s 

 per bush., Is 6d to 2s 6d 

 Turnips, p. doz. bundl., Is to 2s 

 Cucumbers, each, Is 6d to 4s 

 Radishes, per doz., Is to Is Sd 

 Celery, p. bundle, 6d to Is 6d 

 Carrots, per doz., 2s to 5i 

 Spinach, per sieve, Is to Is 6d 

 Onions, p. bunch, 3d to 4d 

 — Spanish, p. doz., Is6d to 4s 

 Leeks, per doz., 9d to Is 



Garlic, per lb., 4d to 8d 

 Artichokes, Jerusalem, p. half 



sieve, Is to lsGd 

 Lettuce, Cab., p. score, 6d to 9d 



— Cos, per score, Is to ls6d 

 Endive, per score, Is to Is 6d 

 Small Salads, p. pun u., 2d to 3d 

 Horse Radish, p.bundl., Is to 4a 

 Red Beet, per doz., 6d to Is 

 Mushrooms, p. pot., 6d to9d 

 Sorrel, per hf. sieve, 6d to 9<t 

 Fennel, per bunch, 2d to 3d 

 Savory, per bunch, 2d to 3d 

 Thyme, per bunch, 2d to 3d 

 Parsley, per doz. bun., 2s to 3i 



— Roots, p. bundL 9d to Is 

 Marjoram, per bunch, 2d to 4d 

 Mint, green, per bunch,6d to 9d 

 W a tercress, p. 1 2 bunch*, 6d to9d 

 Corn Salad,p.bZsieve,lstol»6d 



Prime Meadow 



Inferior ditto .. 

 Rowen ... 



New Hay 



• a* 



HAY.— Per Load of 36 Trusses, 

 Smithfield, Feb. 13. 



Hay 75s to 80s 1 Clover ... 

 60 70 Second cut 



60 63 Straw 





«•• 



• •• 



7#sto8* 



as 70 



22 27 



J.Cooraa. 



• •• 



Fine Old Hay 

 Inferior ditto 

 New Hay 



Old Clover 



• * * 



--• 



■ » • 





• »» 



Trade dull. 

 Whitjechapel, Feb. 13. 

 68a to 74s I New Clover 

 65 63 Inferior ditto. 

 — — Straw 



78 84 



• •* 



. •» 



• •• 





• »» 



— sto— • 

 6* 7*> 

 S* 26 



