THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 





production of seed over those sown broadcast, and on 

 an inconsiderable inferiority in the amount of straw. 

 As to any fear which may be felt that the stems thus 

 obtained will be unsuitable as food for cattle, on account 



assert 

 — ___ „j 7 .. , — 



apprehension to be entirely groundless ; our experience 

 having proved, indeed, that animals reject no por- 

 tion of them, although the fodder may appear to the 

 eye as more gross and less inviting. We may conclude, on 

 ^ consideration of these facts, that the cultivation of Beans 

 in rows, according to the mode practised in Belgium, 

 is by no means more advantageous than the cultivation 

 on ridges ; and it is therefore to this latter system that 

 we wish to see the preference given. Besides the nu- 

 merous advantages which attend it, there are in other 

 respects exceedingly important consequences to be 

 derived from it. Thus, for instance, the principal defect 

 of this plant, even in soils best suited to it, is its liability 

 to failure ; and this tendency is such, that at the Ho- 

 henheim school in Germany, the seed produce of this 

 crop varied in the course of five years from 10 y \y to 37^ 

 bushels per English acre. The variable character of 

 the Bean crop in Belgium is nearly as great as in Ger- 

 many, but the causes are known to reside principally in 

 drought and parasitic influence. Now this dryness is 

 often combated with success by culture in rows, be- 

 cause the frequent workings given to the soil by the hoe, 

 divide its particles, and obtain for it a greater degree of 

 freshness. Garden culture also offers undoubted examples 

 of the efficacy with which we resist, by frequent hoeings, 

 the drying up of the soil ; and the careful earthings 

 which terminate the operations contribute at the same 

 .time in retaining the requisite humidity at the foot of 

 the plant. 



As to parasitic tendency, if the new system does 

 not constitute a preservative, properly speaking, 

 -against that constant enemy of the Bean, it gives at least 

 great chances of success in arresting, as we must sup- 

 pose, its progress. We know that the plant is almost 

 uniformly attacked at its top either by cryptogamous 

 vegetation, commonly termed * rust * (mildew or blight), 

 .no doubt on account of its apparent resemblance to the 

 rust or oxide of iron, which shows itself in the hot damp 

 days of summer; t>r>y a parasitic insect called the 

 u collier," which generally makes its appearance at the 

 same time as the rust fungus. It is to be remarked, too, 

 that, in row culture, the flowers low down in the stem are 

 those which principally bear the seed, because their blow- 

 ing is favoured in the spring by the aeration given to the 

 plants ; while, in the broadcast system, these flowers are 

 .particularly liable to droop for want of due circulation 

 of air. Now, as this scourge of the Bean plant occurs 

 but rarely in the spring, the flowers which have blown 

 at the lower part of the stem have set for Beed by the 

 «nd of that season, and two-thirds of ; the crop are 

 accordingly saved before the ordinary epoch when the 

 devastation begins. The facility also with which we 

 can pass between the rows in fields sown in drills, 

 allows easy access to the plants for the purpose of 

 cutting off their tops, and thus diminishing in a great 

 degree the ravages of the parasite. In broadcast 

 culture, on the contrary, the farmer may fold his arms 

 despairingly in the presence of a destruction, which is 

 sometimes a total one, of his seed crop. When we 

 take into account, too, the influence of drill cultivation 

 on the succeeding crop, we shall find new reasons that 

 plead m its favour. Thus the Wheat grown on the 

 different divisions of the field which was the subject of 

 tfur experiment, had a marked advantage in the two 

 portions on which the Beans had been raised in rows, 

 not only in quality of grain, but also in amount of 

 produce ; whiie the ridged portion maintained the same 

 .relative superiority in this respect as to Wheat as it 

 Haddone m the previous year in reference to Beans. 



We shall terminate the enumeration of these motives of 

 preference connected with drill cultivation by citing 

 another not less important one, drawn from actual 

 circumstances of the markets. For several years Bean- 



i the warmth so essentially necessary for the rapid 

 J improvement of their condition. I have observed that 

 those animals fed in the open yards, have surpassed 

 those fed in boxes, which, in my opinion, is, to a certain 

 extent, a proof of the principle upon which Mr. Warnes 

 recommends box-feeding, although in an opposite 

 manner ; the probable reason of the success of the open 

 shed this year will enable us to draw a practical infer- 

 ence. First, then, keep beasts ever so well ventilated 

 in the boxes, they still sweat and blow, and when they 

 have filled their stomachs, instead of lying and quietly 

 ruminating their food, they have appeared uneasy, and 

 continually getting up and down, whereas, in the open 

 yard, they are almost invariably settled, and sufficiently 

 cool to digest their food comfortably. I am, for the 

 sake of argument, supposing them to all feed alike. 

 Now, most of those who have any experience on the 

 subject, are of opinion that box-feeding is decidedly the 

 most profitable, and in previous years have brought 

 them quickest to perfection. From the present excep- 

 tion (which may never occur again in our lifetime), we 

 see practically proved by the old plan what has been 

 advocated by the supporters of the new system — viz., 

 that excess of warmth is more prejudicial than even the 

 opposite extreme ; an overplus of food is required to make 

 amends for loss of animal matter in the shape of perspira- 

 tion, and more rapid respiration ; now in the usual run of 

 seasons^ the same principle applies to the opposite extreme, 

 for an overplus of food Is then required to sustain sufficient 

 animal heat to exclude the absorption by the skin and 

 lungs of this generally cold and humid atmosphere, 

 then again in frosty weather we all know cattle in the 

 open yard thrive better than in warmer and wet 

 weather. Why ? because they have only one opponent 

 to contend with instead of two. — only the temperature of 

 a cold atmosphere instead of a cold and wet one. In 

 the northern counties many practical men have ex- 

 pressed their opinion, when questioned on the subject, 

 as follows : that they are perfectly (?f opinion, " that box 

 feeding with a regular moderate temperature is a saving 

 of food, and a rapid mode of bringing cattle to the 

 market." On the other hand they object to them as 

 not putting down into manure a sufficient bulk of straw, 

 and as requiring a considerable outlay of money to 

 erect the necessary buildings even on the cheapest 

 principle. To the first of these objections I would say 

 there is an increased value on the manure far surpassing 

 a larger quantity of wet straw, and that the overplus 

 of straw might be mixed in my opinion very advantageously 

 with compounds of soil, mud, &c., and amply repay the 

 extra labour. The second objection is a matter between 

 landlord; and tenant, and I am sorry to say too 

 frequently the landlords either leave the tenant to erect 

 buildings at his own expense, or else insist upon raising 

 costly buildings for appearances sake and little utility, 

 requiring a heavy per centage from the tenant, leaving 

 him disgusted with boxes and box feeding. E. B. H. 



Produce of Cows.— I noticed in your paper of the 

 10th inst. a communication from my man, respecting a 

 cow of mine, and take the liberty of saying that you do 

 not do justice to the subject, inasmuch as the article of 

 your correspondent, on the production of cows, was as 

 far back as March 2°, since which the Grass has made its 

 appearance in abundance, causing a wide difference in 

 the production of cows. I think you should have in- 

 serted his letter in your next paper, viz., April 5 th, and 

 then your readers would see the comparison clearly. 

 John Storold. [You are right: but it is not possible 



sometimes to give immediate insertion to communica- 

 tions]. 



Bed and Alley. — In the system practised by Mr. 

 Smith, the « bed and alley " occupy a width of 5 feet, 

 and there are 3 rows of Wheat sown on each bed, at a 

 foot apart, therefore it is 2 feet from the outside row 

 to the other ; yet I consider that the 3 rows occupy a 

 width of 3 feet out of the 5 ; 6 inches on the outside 

 of each outside row should be reckoned as cropped. 

 For instance, — was the whole of the ground sown, there 



varying an inch in 



y colour. 



Wheaf I was fully ^dTS, J U ^3j 

 pearance I saw it presented in the ° S ° ^ «* ? 

 ask what more can be said rf„^ ; «4*3£ 

 preparation and a seeding at ^J^ P l that ^ 1 . 

 instance ofwhatm.iv>.. "?-, ^ the „-, ""' 



without 

 usual c 



*■ 



regard as most worthy of attention N ! "*? ■*«** 

 said, as an example to be ^Xy^V***** 

 but as showing the benefit tK !& C ?P ,e<1 *! ** 



to 



'/ft** 



>p ; a lesson which an inteiLt ^ '** 

 apply to trench ploughing 9 S rw f N 



1 scarifvin. A. g^ betwe t^ ** 



The Hop grower adopts the practice bet 



usB* 

 ground 



rr\,; a ►■ f j i ■ J .; ««» uiimcu ...wduic, iusic»u oi uaii oi me ground nemg cropped, 



1 his article of provision, therefore, it most be three-fifths ; and if three-fifths, instead of Mr! 

 r and advantageous ob^r-t of «.i. ?♦ ia Smith's crop having produced between 8 and 9 quarters 



per acre, supposing the whole to have been sown, it 

 must have been between 7 and 8 quarters per acre, or 

 4 quarters and 2 bushels off three-fifths of ah acre. 



for Rye-flour. 



aeing now an easy and advantageous object of sale, it 

 on that account important to draw attention to the 

 means of increasing its production. Do we mean to 



»ltrirf ma, A a8ked ' that we "commend, without 



present'^ <™P> *| ^ <**fa Eydon Daventry. [Will you not give us 



Erszt-j? st? 25 *" £ « «- £ ' seeest ot ,he *-* **» B *" k '" *" nded 



ensue in the produSS 7 7 1^^%^^ &T "^ ffiT!? the c °™^*«<* that hi 

 certainly not ; out that if the S^LJTL^fc ^SA 1 ^ * ^Gazette on the Tullian theory of 



same rime ne production of substances proper for the 



cultivation of root crops on improved systems we 

 beheve that the destination of the Lans fo?£2^iS 



growing \\ heat year after year upon the same land, and 

 without manure, simply by means of preparatory deep 

 trenching and annually digging between the rows of the 

 growing Wheat 



a fork, and breaks up the surface betwe^^* ** 

 his nidget, and he will tell y^^^ 

 necessary to ensure a healthy and luxuriant Efjj 

 the scuffling plough and scarifier have iftt * 

 troduced between the rows of Beans and Pea* «? * 

 on the best cultivated farms in Scotland, and ffS 

 with great advantage to the growing Wons 17$ 

 more to those that follow ; \nd what ? J £* 

 prevent a general extension of the practice to SL 

 Oats, and Barley, now that we have Garrett'* h«2 

 hoe, which, at a cost of less than U. an acre enabl«£ 

 farmer to perfectly hoe all corn drilled as' close Vl 

 inches. In instancing this narrow width, I am far fan 

 thinking it so successful as much wider. I have £» 

 since abandoned anything nigher than a foot, and m 

 still getting wider ; I have Oats and Barley at 21 inch* 

 so as to admit the scuffling plough passing bctweeadJ 

 rows, and expect I shall find this width near enough • 

 and how can I think otherwise, when I find Tull in rS^ 

 times could grow 4 quarters of Wheat an acre, yen 

 after year, from double rows, with 4 feet intervals' ud 

 without manure ; and I see Mr. Smith realizing $3 

 bushels an acre yearly, from three rows upon 5 feet Ml 

 and also without manure ; and I will appeal to fanwn 

 holding only arable land, whose accounts have been bo 

 kept that their stock shows its cost and the expenditure 

 and loss upon it, whether a practice which] lessens the 

 occasion for manure and for keeping of stock be not A 

 desideratum in corn growing, of the greatest import- 

 ance. The lessons we have had in shed-feeding, &c, 

 are of the greatest value in teaching us how to raiae 

 manure at least cost, but the most valuable lessons of 

 all will be those which shall teach farmers to do *ith 

 less manure. Now that we have learnt how to rabe 

 manure, let us see if we cannot improve our tillage, so 

 as to make it go very much farther. The cost of m&mre 

 raised at home is far greater, and has far more to do 

 with the profit and loss to be made in farming, than 

 many are aware of. Hewitt Davis, 3, f raferici's-phfc 



Old Jewry. 



Oanie.—V/ ill the Rev. George Wilkins hare tta 

 goodness to answer the following questions : 1st, 

 Who does he consider is the master on Ike firm, 

 where game is preserved ? 2d, How much does a 

 hare or rabbit cost the landlord ? 3d, How much 

 the tenant ? 8th, What effect on the county rata 

 if the Game-laws were abolished ? 5th, How fa it 

 that when a large landed proprietor takes to farming 

 himself, he always does away with the game preserves? 

 10th, Would it not be better for a landlord to let each of 

 his tenants preserve his own game, and do away with 

 that most obnoxious person— the keeper ; who ui the 

 cause of all bitter strife between the landlord and 

 tenant? I am sure that the farmer would not totally 

 rWmy his best friends, the winged game, as they Iwe 

 Ins enemies. James Cuthill, Camberwdl.Londm* 

 [Questions 4, 5, 6, and 7, on the relation °f the baffle- 

 laws to crime, have been omitted. We wish to connne 

 our correspondents to the purely agricultural aspeci p 



the subject! , ^ 



Deep Draining.— Wll Mr. G. Wilkins, who* com- 

 raunication on open furrows appeared m the Jourm 

 of May 17 th, be kind enough, in a few brief unseienW 

 sentences, to set a common-going farmer "f, 111 ' 

 should thus address him :— "I occupy land of all n*» 

 of stiffness ; some very stiff, some a jomty, W* 

 mixed kind ; and some half clay, half sand, or, « «g 

 partaking of the character of the two. I am Hurt »] 

 water from the clouds, which does not get reaauy • 

 Drains cut just out of the reach of the plou^J^ 

 the poaching of a horse's hoof, would surely ca^ 

 sooner than a drain from 3 to 5 feet dee P; »*J 

 addition to this, how is it to get so low througj» 



subsoil in time to do me good, for ^f ^^^^ 

 „_»•. . i • i. • .i u„«t; ; n » n the drains, oecoww 



upon 



. There is *° mucn in tn e principle this 



according to a late correspondent— to break . t eff ^ 

 it seems to me that they might just as wen i gjj 



Antipodes. Why is it so generally recommended , 



Home Correspondence 



Feeding Cattle— Such a mild winter as the last is not 



IS And ttV™,? 9 - ° f agr ' ,CUlture *»» *«e Ar 

 1826. And the result in one respect has been highly 



the generality of farmers in *n a:^J 



, 



is to be gained in our practice, if it be true that by that the water may more 

 improved cultivation the occasion for ' " - - 



beneficial to tne generality 

 but more especially on the 

 an unexpected increase in 

 conn terac tin e in manv cm 



fanners in all districts, 



inferior crop. Stock of every kind has been thrivm" 

 -thw season uncommonly well. .-iftrihnteiKU ^.»; m «:-..ii ^* 



. , . . 3 for growing 



corn may be lessened, that I am watching with great inte' 

 rest the progress of the seventh crop of Wheat so sown, 

 which the author of " A Word in Season » has now 

 growing, and it was with much pleasure I read the 

 following letter from him :_« Vicarage, Lois Weedon, 

 Towcester, April 29.— My dear Sir : You have taken 

 so much interest in my farming operations, that you 

 will be glad, though not surprised, to hear that my 

 4 acre held of Wheat, which you saw in the winter, is 

 attracting astonishment. It is certainly the m ost beautiful 

 growing crop I ever beheld ; it has all the fine Qualities 



up the drains with loose, penetrawe,^- / « 

 that the water may more readily get down * ft ^ 



If so, why go to such a depth at all ! iws» ^ 



»i._„ „_„_™:„^ ~t *\>o n^nn of hundreds oi « <_ a ^ 



Deen onen ireaieu oi, (j«.«. r — — j|, e kino 



again clear the matter up, and, 1 am ^ {ts 



indulgence of the Agricultural Omut prejudice 

 columns to the elucidation ; and either mu , ^ ^ 

 will be dissipated, or it will be ac knowl ^ Ktrejae3 . A* 



place' expression of the notions of J^/T^int i 

 and occupiers, and, though I doubt not, tn j^ 



medium between the two 



as 



to d 10 



is a just 



Inquirer. 



The Acre.-ln answer to 7°™**™^^** 



country,! n»ve w 





rod, pole, or perch in 



