330 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 





Beet, another can buy it of him and make the sugar. 

 We have great doubts, however, whether sugar- 

 making will ever engraft itself on British agricul- 

 ture. It* our farmers desire more remunerative 

 employment than that of raising bread and meat for 

 an ungrateful country, which sacrifices patriotism 

 to appetite, prefers the cheap to the remunerative 

 loaf, regardless of whence it comes, and persists in 

 eating its way through the masses of grain with 

 which the foreigner vainly endeavours to smother it, 

 let them turn their attention to Flax. They will 

 find it a better speculation than sugar or tobacco. 

 This is said without reference to the recent inven- 

 tions for preparing Flax as a substitute for cotton. 

 Successful as we believe them to be, an important 

 element of success appears to be a price of cotton 

 above its ordinary level. Irrespectively, however, 

 of these modern inventions, our Flax mills require 

 for the ordinary purposes of Flax spinning an annual 

 importation of 1,000,000 cwts., which cannot be 

 valued at less than 2,000,000/. sterling. Our soil 

 and climate are as propitious to Flax as they are 

 ironitious to sugar and tobacco. In these 



unpropitious to sugar ana tooacco. in tnese respects 

 we have the advantage of every country in Europe 

 and America, except • Belgium. Let the British 

 farmer then drive the foreign Flax grower out of the 

 home market, before he invades the tropics, and 

 turns his arms against Cuba and Brazil, Virginia and 

 the Mauritius, 



REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURAL SECTION 

 OF THE GREAT INDUS] RIAL EXPOSITION 

 OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



No. III. — Cultivators or Scarifiers are shown in 

 great variety, each maker having done his best t 



•ntrive a good form of tooth or line, to fasten and 

 arrange the teeth in the most useful and efficient manner, 

 and to scheme the simplest and easiest method for lifting 

 or towering the frame which contains them. And all 

 are constructed entirely of iron, with the exception of 

 some of the wheels. J. Bendall, of Woodbridge, shows 

 a useful implement called a patent universal self-adjust- 

 ing cultivator, for skimming, cleaning, pulverising, or 

 fiubsoiling land. It has eight tines fixed in mortices in 

 a strong frame, which is cast in one piece. The machine 

 is raised upon two wheels by a bent axle turned by a 

 lever, this giving a pull very much like that in a printing 

 press— the purchase greatest at first, when it is most 

 wanted. There are two small wheels in front of the 

 Scarifier, the axle being attached by a joint to an upright 

 spindle ; thus being able to accommodate itself to 

 inequalities of the land, 

 shares. 



The tines carry double-winged 



R. Beart's patent cultivator seems entitled to rank in 

 the first class. The frame is a triangle of cast iron • 



same 



an 



excellent implement —with an improvement. The 

 objection to the Uley wheel and screw is the length of 

 time occupied in turning it ; if the simple parallel 

 motion could be effected by the mere depression of a 

 lever han , it would be the best movement yet invented 

 for the purpose. And this ha been attempted in the 

 present case. A smaller pinion, working in that on the 

 wheel axle, is turned by a lever ; but while time is 

 saved the distance raised is, perhaps, not so great as in 

 the I ley drag. To Beart's cultivator are attached two 

 immensely heavy rowels, which either ride upon the 

 frame to weight it, or run behind to break the larger 



_ A cultivator, by W. Nicholson, of Newark, is lifted 

 in a singular manner. The three wheels support as 

 many upright bars, which pass through slots in the 

 irame iurnuhed with friction rollers. On the top of 

 each bar is a semicircle, the two hinder ones fastened 

 upon an axle, and connected with the foremost one by a 

 connecting rod ; and as they all move simultaneous y 

 by a lever behind the machine, the frame is raised or 

 lowered by cha.ns passing round the semicircles. 



H. Carson of Warminster, Wiltshire, has invented a 

 manner, Wl ^ a ^ ^ lld ^^ ^ 



i Z 8 ih P i r / \ l0Dg V eVer effectS the movement, but 

 as the who e draught of the horses is opposed to the direc- 

 tion in which the frame is lifted, we should say the null 

 wou 1 i have to be both ■ long and strong." VI tfne" 

 are htted into mortices with iron wedges^the frame is 

 all cast m a piece. R. Coleman, of Chelmsford Tan a 



bo rhinT ,her °V ra& ' '" Which 6ach tine "oriU Z a 



bolt lunge, or joint, ,n a mortice. A lever on the top 

 turns a barrel or spindle, which, by connecting rod? 



think ^orTn "^i 11 aH t0geU,er This > we *"** 

 think, is not on a good principle, as the joints would 



wear, and the teeth become unsteady J 



Smith and Co, of Stamford, Lincolnshi 



sufficiently gradual to be done with ease. Ransomes and 

 May siiow Middle's scarifier, and their West Indian 

 cultivator. The forms of both are well known ; the 

 former being decidedly the rival of the Uley cultivator, 

 as regards its working capabilities, though not so simple 

 in form and mechanism. The Indian cultivator is 

 undoubtedly a good implement ; but its double frame 

 gives it a needless complication. 



Among the great improvements now struggling to get 

 introduced into general farm practice is, the autumn 

 cleaning of Wheat stubbles ; and our implement manu- 

 facturers have determined that the fault shall not rest 

 with them, if this system is not speedily carried out 

 wherever practicable. For they have designed several 

 sorts of skim and paring ploughs with which to com- 

 mence operations ; and we are happy to say that all the 

 specimens appear calculated to answer their purpose in 

 a satisfactory manner. Mary Wedlake and Co., Horn- 

 church, Essex, have made a double-beamed wooden 

 plough, carrying two iron skeleton ploughs, with single 

 winged shares lying one way, one following the other, 

 and both furnished with coulters. E. Hill and Co., of 

 Brierly-hill Works, near Dudley, exhibit their skim for 

 paring stubbles, turf, &c., consisting of two broad 

 angular shares or knives with the wings facing each 

 other, and just crossing the centre line, one being a 

 little before tiie other ; these are supported by a frame 

 of the very lightest, and yet sufficiently strong kind, 

 carried on three wheels. A tine shod with a wide 

 chisel or tool precedes them in the centre line ; and 

 two curved tines follow, one behind each share, for the 

 purpose of breaking the soil into smaller portions. This 

 has the effect of exposing the roots of weeds, &e., more 

 perfectly than would otherwise be the case to the action 

 of the sun, thus preventing, if possible, their growing 

 again. These coulters or tines are suspended from the 

 ends of two short levers, and slide up and down in slots, 

 so that either of them can be lifted out of work instan- 

 taneously. The implement possesses simplicity of con- 

 struction, will easily work three acres per day with a 

 pair of horses, at a moderate depth ; or may be 

 employed as a scarifier, if required, 8 or 9 inches deep. 

 By bearing on the handles the knives rise out of the 

 ground, to facilitate the turning. John Smith, of Ux- 

 bridge, has also a skim or paring plough having two 

 somewhat similar shares, but without the tool in front. 

 Two curved tines follow the shares, and are thrown out 

 of work by " Lomax's patent movement," a combina- 

 tion of levers so contrived that though the tines can be 

 turned up backwards with the greatest ease, without 

 pressing spring or withdrawing bolt, they have no 

 purchase to move out of work of themselves. 



Perhaps one of the best implements for stirring or 

 moving land that has been once ploughed, is the " Patent 

 broad-share and subsoil plough,' 1 invented by E. H. 

 Bentall, of Heybridge, near Maldon, Essex. The beam 

 is oi iron, long and straight, and in section of this 

 form J_, having a small wheel at its fore-end. Two 

 hollow square arms are screwed on at each side above 

 the plough body, and opposite each other, so as to form 

 a transverse beam about 4 feet long, being very liffht 

 and strong The body of the plough consists of a 

 cast-iron plate somewhat resembling a solid land-side 

 and as thin as consistent with its strength. It carries a 

 chisel point in front, a wide double- winged share behind 

 oi peculiar shape, and two horizontal blades one above 

 the other projecting on each side of the main plate or 

 body. Two strong cultivator tines are fastened upon 

 the transverse beam ; they are serrated behind towards 

 the top, and are nipped by staples and screws to the 

 face of the beam, the upper side of which has a pro- 

 jecting edge fitting between the teeth on the tines this 

 allowing of their being set higher or lower. There are 

 many holes in the beam, through which the two staples 

 can pass, to set the times closer or further apart 

 These tines have chisel points, and carry angularly" 

 placed cutters or double-winged shares behind* them 

 By means of all these points and cutters, the soil is 

 hrst broken up and then divided into small portions 

 The novel arrangement of placing the broad-share at 

 the heel of the plough instead of in front, seems cal- 

 culated to render its action more easy, the soil 

 being shaken as well as cut by the chisel-point 

 and plate preceding it This implement appears 

 capable also of working as a regular subsoil P Wh 

 Ransomes and May have a patent implement of a similar' 

 kind ; only two additional bars or short beams are 



nSl 0n ll each e ? d ° f Ule trailsv erse beam, and 

 parallel with the mam beam. Upon these bars the tines 



are fixed, carrying chisel-points, followed by Y shares 

 point foremost. TliPtmno.^^ i i_ J B,1 /* re »» 



of ^ 



beam, furnished with a pair of handles and ■.—■ 

 iour wheels, the leading pair being p £!?* Carr * up* 

 and the following pair °near the tfKdY^^ 

 The stirrer or chisel-pointed share £ S H * **** 

 a mortice in the beam immediately £hbl *>* 

 pair of wheels and set to any required de Dth I **• 

 simple plan the entire weieht i c^ P h ' B - v this 

 wheels, which run parallel^ Jhe 7^L°l ? 5 

 common plough, and preserve an even \,? ° b » 

 stirrer below the bottom of the furrow Thi° n ° f ^ 

 also be used as a mole-plough, or'as » J? ! hlB *y 

 plough ; and, by ' the addition of a £JL h f°^4^ 

 horse-hoe or scarifier. J. Blight, of Edmb^hS?. * 

 "an improvement" upon Read's, bv th \ ' • te 

 Tweeddale, called a « subsoil trench pVnl ' « 

 ference is m the shape of the share thi« kl- ^ 



and larger, and with a broad tSuTopb- ^S** 

 to raise the broken subsoil to ie 7^ P ^ w «i 

 extraordinary looking implement for the'™,! °* 

 stirring the subsoil is the frevol^ 

 mid R. Laycock, Newcastle-on-Tvnc A *„,,.. *• 

 with shafts before and handles behind, hoE, ?*% 

 in its centre a large wheel which carries a nuiS 

 long harrow tines or teeth in pairs upon its pS^ f 

 Ihese teeth are curved, and seem adapted fffgg 

 and breaking up the bottom of a furrow. When 2 

 work the machine rides upon two carriage wheels 



Among the ploughs are to be seen here and th*» 

 specimens of the great monster implements used Z 

 bringing up the subsoil and mingling it with the surfed 

 mould,— as in the peat fens, where the clay lies ™T 

 ficiently near, and in districts where an underlying 

 stratum of clay or marl offer a ready means of roauurii 

 the exhausted soil above, or of changing its texture and 

 qualities. Ransomes and May exhibit an immense 

 double-breasted plough for trenching, each mould-board 

 being in two pieces, joined hy hinges. It is intended to 

 act upon the land in the same manner as double divine. 

 to the depth of from 1 8 to 20 inches. By removing 

 left-hand frame it can be used as a draining plough 

 opening drains to the depth^of 20. inches ormore°if 

 required. 1. A.C. 



a square iron 

 the tine in its 



e tine 



The tines are fastened in a verv sunnfe 

 manner ; they are nipped against the flat side 7 oi he 

 bar by a screw bolt passing through • 



S?«l 1 ) eW J? t ! le / ame 8CreW ' kee Ps'"'e tine 

 upright position by four studs, one on each side th 



ure h Ve kd° w the bar - 



scantier, in which the operation' oF hWng it out of Ae aM °/ ^f L ? L ° UG * S there are not ^an v beside the 



ground is rendered more easy, by the addition of + °. Id /°. rm9 already well known. Messrs. VVilkieexhiot 



weight in connection with 'the lever ; but we can T TTM Y 2* !*** '> ^ Ra »somes and lay 



susi&r 1 the side - x^zr- ; ±<=, •*» j« 4 » V3Z 2s te 



H. Cowan, of Costorphine, near Edinburgh, exhibits a 

 two-horse grubber, which obtained the brst nr £i* It 

 Edinburgh in 1 848 and at Glasgow in j . 5. The t!ne S 

 fit by studs upon their sides into mortices in the bull 



low r The th hf?T • The * ca ; mot be set " 



wwtr. me Jitt is verv simple, but 



THE CULTURE OF FLAX. 



The successful cultivation of Flax requires a deep, 

 warm, moist loam — a mellow, loose alluvium, in which 

 there is much humus or vegetable mould, the bottom 

 not too dry nor too moist. It is therefore not suited 

 for hot gravelly soils, or cold wet clays ; but any other 

 soil may be so tilled and prepared as to produce good 

 Flax. The plant thrives well in the rich alluvial land 

 of Zealand, and it is also raised with great success m 

 the light sands of Flanders, but much more careful 

 tillage and manuring are required. The land must k 

 clear of weeds, and in good heart, for the growth of 

 Flax ; and the weeding of the crop forms a very im- 

 portant part of the expense of cultivation. These cir- 

 cumstances suggest the best mode of preparing the land. 

 The heavier loams may be prepared by a deep and well- 

 wrought summer fallowing with an ample quantity of 

 well-rotted manure ; but the universal cultivation of 

 green crops, as Potatoes and Beet, supersede the necefr 

 sity of a bare fallow on the stiffest loams, and prepare 

 the land for bearing Flax. Much manure is required, 

 and well-rotted manures suit best for Flax, as peat- 

 ashes, ashes of weeds and earths, and the sweepings of 

 streets in towns, the emptyings of privies and the clean- 

 ing out of the butchers' stalls and shambles. On light 

 soils much manure is required ; and, where night- 

 cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities, Rape-cakes, 

 from which the oil has been expressed, dissolved in 

 liquid manure, form the best manure. In many parts 

 of Flanders 500 Rape-cakes are used for every acre of 

 Flax, besides the usual quantity of Dutch ashes and of 

 liquid manure, which is the drainings of dunghills and 

 the urine of cattle collected in a cistern, and allowed to 

 become putrid. 



In southern climates Flax is sown before winter? 

 because too great heat would destroy it. It is then 

 pulled before the heat of summer. In northern climates, 

 the frost, and especially the alternations of frost and 

 thaw in the early part of spring, would cause the **« 

 to perish ; it is consequently sown as early in thespnn p 

 as may be, so as to avoid the effect of hard frost. 

 season is late March or early April in Great Bflt&ia 

 Ireland, and in Holland and Flanders. 



The p 



This 

 and 



dis 



for the 





prepared in Flanders beyond all other countries lor 

 growth of Flax, and it generally forms a model for • 

 scription on the subject of Flax culture. ^vdyP 

 ceding crop has a reference to the growth of Flax. ^ 

 land is deeply wrought and richly manured, m orae ^ 

 have a large surplus in the ground for the use 

 Flax, which is generally sown after a crop of lump 

 that has been well manured and cleaned. ^ r - fa 



•oadcastand 



mat nas been well manured ana cieanea. u^^- 

 is poured on the land in the spring, after deep 



cry 



we 



fear 



s 

 or 

 not 



preceded by the common plough (as ought to te the 

 case), reaclung to that depth under the "bottom of e 



k Xf • S T eral ? ti 1 • u akcrS have s P<*imens of this 

 kind I of nnplemen t winch m invaluable for breaking up 



the pan formed by ong continued plo, bin*, and allowinl 



the water to percolate freely through the bottom of the 



Patent bubsoil Pulverizer. This counts of a straight 



lightly covered at the rate of 1* cwt. to the acre- ^ 

 lands, or very finely divided soils, are rolled, or tn 

 • trodden in by the feet of men. When weeds app^ 

 they are carefully taken out by women ana en 

 who continue the work till the Flax is too h'gn w 

 it. The seed is changed every year from Jiiga. . ^ 

 The above mode of sowing Flax is a PP ,IU * b is \. 

 Britain, where the land must be well P re P^ ful u,. re- 

 lowing and manuring, and stones very car ^ 



moved. The land is ploughed in JIa f cl, ' )| a j according 

 sown on a finely harrowed surface, and roue ^^ ^^ 

 as the ground appears close or open. J" ^^ ^ 

 rolling is useful. The weeding of the cny 

















I 



