

428 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 



Home Correspondence. 



drainage ^/.-Understanding there is a Drainage 

 A.-t passing through Parliament, I venture to suggest, 

 through the columns of the Agricultural Gazdte, whether 

 it may be advantageous to extend the operation ot the 

 general drainage acts to open commons, or waste lands 

 and stunted pastures, whereon agreat number of parties 

 are entitled to rights of herbage, either unlimited or 

 denned. In the north of England there still remain 

 large tracts of such land, the expense of dividing and 

 enclosing which mav be too great to afford remunera- 

 tive returns, but the drainage whereof may be attended 

 with highly beneficial results. A Constant Reader. 



Man arc*: No. I .— Although the subject of manures 

 has been from time to time noticed in your columns, yet 

 I think it would not be inappropriate to briefly notice, 

 in a classified form, their nature, action, and the circum- 

 stane affecting their application. The soil is formed 

 from the disintegration of rocks. Plants grow partly 

 at the expense of the soil, chiefly at the expense of the 

 air. Animals are supported by the vegetable and, 

 through their medium, the mineral kingdom also. Some 

 soils, pi culiarly favoured, will contribute for a number 

 of year* to vegetable growth and existence, but a time 

 will ensue when the natural fecundity of the soil will 

 give way. To maintain the natural fertility of the soil 

 we must add those substances in the same quantities the 

 plant abstracted from it ; to increase fertility we must 

 add more. Therefore, any substance which restores 

 these elements of fertility to the Boil, to aid vegetable 

 development, is called a manure. Manures may be 

 divided into two classes — organic and inorganic; organic 

 when derived from the remains of organised beings, as 

 plants and animals ; inorganic when produced from the 

 mineral kingdom. Vegetable differs much in its action 

 from animal matter. Green vegetables, when deprived 

 of vitality, rapidly decay ; their great suceulencj pro- 

 mot it when assisted by air, facilitated no doubt by the 

 azotited matters of the sap, which impart the putrefac- 

 tive tendency, reducing the fibrous organism to carbonic 

 acid, water, and ammonia ; at the same liberating its 

 earthy and salin* ingr lients. Dry vegetables decay 



slowly — the sap being dried up is less inclined to putrify ; 

 but how soon it commences when moistened or mixed 

 with animal matters, as when straw is employed as 

 litter ! Peat is a vegetable manure in which decompo- 

 sition is checked, not only by antiseptic matters, but 

 chiefly by excessive moisture, and the consequent ex- 

 clusion of air. Yet when dried, and mixed with animal 

 manures or caustic lime, how speedily it moulders down 1 

 The principal supply of vegetables for manure is de- 

 rived from the leaves and stems of grain crops, Grasses, 

 the collection of weeds, the consumption of green crops, 

 and, in some cases, of the seeds of plants. Seeds of 

 plants are not directly used as manures, being too valu- 

 able as an article of food. Seeds contain the richest 

 elements for fertilisation— the phosphates and nitroge- 

 nous products ; hence the rich manure obtained from 

 cattle on oilcake or Linseed grain. The refuse of some 

 seeds is used for manure, as bran, Rape-cake, malt-dust, 

 Ac. Green vegetables are sometimes used as a cheap 

 manure, such being cultivated as are of quick and 

 easy growth. Corn-spurry is grown for this pur- 

 pose in Germany, Lovage in Holland, Clover in 

 America, Lupine in Tuscany and south of France ; 

 the plant possessing deep penetrating roots, a thick 

 stem, and much leaves. Turnips sown on stubble, 

 Turnip tops, Rape, Rye, white Mustard, are those 

 generally employed in our kingdom. Buckwheat and 

 Vetches have been also ploughed lightly into the soil, 

 but such crops are either too expensive or too valuable 

 for spring feeding purposes, to be employed. Ploughing 

 up lea land is the most common method of green ma° 

 nuring in this country. Green manuring confers much 

 benefit upon light thin soils, deficient in organic matter ; 

 it cannot increase the inorganic part, except by re- 

 storing that washed down, and which, in all likelihood 

 deep-rooted plants bring up. But may it not brin^ 

 inert mineral substances into action, by the elements 

 liberated from the matter undergoing decay ? As weeds 

 should be pulled before coming into flower, to prevent 

 the formation of seed, reproduction, exhaustion of the 

 soil, and escape of nitrogen from the flower-leaves, so 

 ought the same method to be pursued in ploughing down 

 bghtly vegetables mto the soil on which they grew, to 



SS tTJ° ?> Xpe , * ccom P°»tto*> and nitrogen to be 

 absorbed by the decaying roots. To destroy wteds with 

 vivacious roots, as Couch Grass, they should be mixed 

 m alternate layers with farm-yard 



manure heap, made into a compost, with coral, sand, or 

 salt ; sea-weed, mixed with weeds, and then wetted with 

 liquid manure, or sewerage waters, or mixed with guano, 

 and drilled in with green crop seeds. The moist peat 

 and stimulating guano conspire to the rapid growth of 

 the young Turnip plant. For light soils peat is admir- 

 ably suited ; as an absorbent, it cannot be overrated. 

 Peat manure and Potato culture are synonymous terms 

 in Ireland. Some individuals state, peat when applied 

 to land, engenders weeds. I have never known it to be 

 the case, and it is questionable if the seeds of aquatic 

 plants will vegetate in dry arable land. Peat should 

 never be applied to land, except in a prepared state. 

 | Although charred peat has been known to every country 

 blacksmith for years, and employed by farmers residing 

 in the vicinity of bogs, with success, yet Mr. Rogers is 

 indebted the thanks of the public, for having so strongly 

 urged upon their attention the necessity of investigating 



:* u* Unquestionably, peat charcoal is a valuable 



and when mixed with animal substances, 



* 



I use it extensively in the 



its merits, 

 deodoriser, 



forms an excellent manure, 

 cow-sheds, stable, and water-closets ; and being conve- 

 nient to a bog, make it for a mere trifle. Thus I prepare 

 it. Place on their ends round a burning sod of turf, as 



will form the base of a cone 4 feet in dia- 



1 other, 



In one 



Although, from long ne , ^ 

 classes are becoming daily more est 

 above them, yet it is not too late ^ d* 8 ^ fr ° m ^2 

 bringing them back to a proper sen 8e of 3£ **+ 

 and rendering them more contented an u * P°*<*L 

 there is increased difficulty in bendiSa t PPy " ** 

 growth, compared with a youn* sanh™ , of in- 

 forming the ideas of an adult Is ^^3* 

 instructing and educating youth in the r\u"* 

 respectability and independence. However 

 may be accomplished by perseverance and th 80met, *| 

 attemptismade thebetterfor the country ■ f«7 8 ??**» 

 ingenuity and all our riches, there is B ^?!!*** 

 in the state of Denmark." 





ft* 



s, 



manv sods as 



meter ; pile the sods still endways on top of each other 

 until the sides of the cone terminate in a point. T ' 

 hour's time the heap will become one red mass, when it 

 should be extinguished by throwing two bucketfuls of 

 liquid manure upon it. Break the charred turf with the 

 back of a shovel, and wheel the powder into a dry house. 

 Any sod not completely burned in the centre, containing 

 what is called a hone, should be thrown into the next 

 burning heap. Two small boys will make an immense 

 quantity of charcoal in a day. I drill charcoal in with 

 all small seeds, which stimulates their growth exceed- 

 ingly, and preserves the seed sound ; keeps away insect 

 in consequence of the liquid manure disquieting them. 

 Having several interesting experiments going on to test 

 the efficacy of charcoal with any bog mould and other 

 manures, I shall place the results before your readers at 



the proper time. Libra. 



Temperance. — It is in vain^to preach temperance to 

 the confirmed drunkard, and at the same time offer him 

 the means of indulging his depraved appetite. The 

 custom, so common in most counties, of paying labourers 

 a certain amount of wages, with an allowance of drink, 

 is both injurious to master and servant. In the former 

 it establishes a taste for beer and cider, which after a 

 time must be supplied at any cost ; and being thrown 

 temporarily out of work, a score is run up at the public- 

 house, which impoverishes the man for months, inducing 

 him too often to follow poaching, and many other devices, 

 not quite in accordance with the law, to enable him to 



live, thus destroying a previous fair character, and want a machine to drill or dibble a little dry manure m 

 bringing him into trouble. Those who first put tempta- a trench or hole, cover it with a very light covering of 

 tion in the labourer's way are to blame ; hard work and earth, deposit the seed upon that earth, cover it up and 

 a hot day make a man thirsty, yet the more he imbibes water it. Then as soon as the young plant appea: 

 the more he will require. There can be no objection to machine, divested of its sowing apparatus, should grvt 

 a moderate allowance being served out at dinner and 





m is something « t^ 



leastevilsthatafflicts the i»tion^^ 

 will, his character as a lover of strong drink preeffi* 

 It is to be hoped that all masters, whether i*rffi* 

 manufacturers, or independent members of th ^"^ 

 munity, will endeavour to check the debasin* ^ 

 drunkenness, and thus prevent a wilful waste of fc if 

 and money. The hard cash squandered away S? 

 pot-houses, both by mechanics and labourers im\\u 

 more than enough to keep many a family from the 

 if properly invested. Is it just that those whoare c3 

 and work honestly, should be compelled to ni&intakfc 

 idle and reckless ? Such is, however, the fact Pa] 



Protection.— The farmer needs protection from nl 

 of any kind, whether it be by water, by sun, by wM 

 by weeds, or by any want of attention or judgment k 

 many cases ignorance causes wasteful mismanagement* 

 hence it may truly be said, that " knowledge is power*' 

 We have need to learn the most economical means of 

 preventing waste in that valuable article, manure whick 

 is almost universally wasted to a lamentable extent 

 We want to know how we can most cheaply and effec- 

 tually aid — not supersede — the power of labour by 

 means of machinery. In this department great pro. 

 gress has recently been made, and each advance is i 

 step towards a higher one. But I must now try to tun 

 these preliminary remarks to some definite practical 

 purpose, by confining my observations at present to 

 mechanical means. Let the mechanic try to produce 

 a machine of as simple and unexpensive construction 

 possible, by which a Turnip or other crop may be 

 obtained on the driest soil and in the driest season. To 

 the thinking, practical farmer, it is evident that manure 

 should be both concentrated and diffused, so as first to 

 stimulate the vigour of the young plant, and afterwards 

 supply continual food to its far-penetrating roots in a 

 more advanced state. Hence the soil should be deeply 

 and finely cultivated, and a small quantity of farm-yard 

 manure carried on and covered up at a dry time. A dry 

 seed bed is also very desirable, if moisture enough cm 

 be had just after the seed is deposited. Therefore we 



manure. 



imagine the pests of the farm cannot be thus extirpated • 

 those who have tried the method can testify to its effi- 

 cacy. Weeds may be placed in a heap, in a twelvemonth 

 they will be reduced to rich vegetable earth. Sea-weed 

 may be mixed with Use weeds, or one-third of salt with 

 two-thuds of hmewill hasten their decay, and increase 



tV^r^u the ?° mp08t - Weeds 8houl(1 "ever be 

 burned for the organic matter is thus dissipated. Peat 



L geta + We , mat u er ™r*^*ly decomposed. As a 

 — « its value has been long recognised ; as a deodo^ 

 , it is now generally admitted. Dr. Anderson and 

 Professor Davy have made some startling experiments 

 on the deodorising property of dried pea t g Peat U ex 

 tens.yely employed as a manure iu Ireland. The inha 

 brtants, during the summer months, cart horn 



supper ; but the mischievous system of drinking large 

 quantities should be put a stop to, and an increase of 

 wages substituted. In many cases the plan is adopted 

 as more economical than paying an additional trifle 

 in money on Saturday night ; however, it may be 

 classed under the head of " penny wise and pound 

 foolish." There can be no question of the relative 

 value of a sober and a drunken man ; no matter what 

 station of life he fills amongst agriculturists, one will 

 perform a greater amount of labour than the other, 

 sticking steadily to the spade or fork, whilst the toper is 

 but a poor creature till he swallows a certain measure 

 of beer or cider, which must be repeated at intervals, or 

 his artificial strength fails. A few iron constitutions 

 can, for a time, bear up against the fearful wear and 

 tear of the system, but the most vigorous at last gives 

 way under the stupefying influence of prolonged indul- 

 gence. It is in the power of employers, if they will 

 take the trouble, to mitigate the sufferings of thousands, 

 by refusing to admit the drunkard into their service, and 

 giving encouragement to the man who conducts himself 

 in a creditable manner. The broad line drawn between 

 master and man is much to be regretted, as having the 

 effect of destroying the kindly feeling which it Is so 

 advisable to keep up amongst persons who cannot get 

 on in the world without each other. The upper and 

 middle classes are placed in a responsible position with 

 regard to those whom they employ; they should 

 act towards their servants in whatever capacity, either 

 Many m doors or outdoors, with kindness and consideration 



manure 

 riser 



DUUluier monu „ cart home th 

 when ,t is dry fa the bank, preferring the second spft of 

 the bog, it being more pulverulent. The peat is formed 

 mto a heap in the yard never becoming so wet again™?t 



1^" J, t . W , br ? ken as fine) y *» P° S9ib!e > ^wed under 

 and bemud the cattle, placed in layers through £ 



not merely in the light of hired menials, but as part of 

 the family establishment, requiring advice and instruc- 

 tion, and, above all, a good example. The estimate of 

 the value of man's power to produce a certain profit, with- 

 out reference to his present and future comfort, is a low 

 view to take of a human being, who happens to have 

 been born ,n a station of life compelling him to toil for 

 his daily bread. It is of the utmost importance to the 

 welfare of this country, that a better understanding 

 should exist, in agricultural districts, between the 

 farmers, gardeners, and their labourers ; a desire to 

 assist each other in cases of necessity, should predomi- 

 nate over every selfish consideration. Personal inves- 

 tigation into the manners, wants, and characters of ser- 

 vants by their masters would be productive of the most 

 beneficial results to both parties, advancing the interests 

 of society, and establishing a friendly intercourse be- 

 tween master and man, now so rarely witnessed. This 

 should be done ma fair open manner, and not through 

 I the interference of a third party, who might be set down 



the plants a slight evening shower of water, the water 

 being enriched and medicated by infiteing into each load 

 a little chemical composition, which should accompanj 

 the machine. Or the sowing and watering machinei 

 might be entirely separate, only that the same wMi 

 and shafts would do for both. But where is the w* 

 to be obtained ? and will the expense be repaid I im 

 are important questions, to which I answer, WJM 

 waste makes woeful want." And what so valuable ■«■ 

 much wasted as water ? Instead of suffering the pnnp 

 that rise out of the hills, and the rams ha &l «FJ 

 them, to run direct into the valley, let *^l* 

 carefully conducted on as high a leve I a* -p»bM » 

 to be carried without waste into each field. J£®£ 

 to this, let the mechanic contrive an economic* hgg 

 of raising water in large quantity to *«™*£ 

 elevation Such means as these may form a ne 

 in agriculture, and in conjunction ^with deep »J 

 wet and even moderately dry land, and high «*£J 

 cultivation of all, enable the farmer to grow 

 produce on 50 or 100 acres as is now commo^ Fj 

 duced on three or four times f 9 ™J ny subdi rision, • 

 might, by such means, be mu tiphed bj sui N 

 as to suit the demand and ability of tenant , 



, to the landlords, the tenants,^ I 

 and the whole community, to suffer an ,m ^ 



more land than he can cultivate in ti e •. * ^ 

 manner. The study of mechanics will also su , 



other beneficial ideas. 0. F* _ . gtoveH, *" 



Your correspondent, J«> nn does not 



an injury 



Charcoal. 



minds me of the old adage, "a »«* > „ 



know everything, and a fool knoi vs soniet ij^ ( 

 I know this " something," that mm i« ^ 

 hundreds, if not thousands, of tons oi j % ^ 

 I am prepared to say that I *'*™ ° b £' °n the «* 

 price, and a preference over tb ^ ™ r e p eM 

 «.T T>V nervations about Oak copy . dicl0 * 



so* 



a high? 



hundreds, if not thousands,^ ^J^ 



e over that n 



J. D.V observations about Oak co^ 



correct ; his hints about P runin f*,j ^ ^ua! 

 and, if applied to his chemistry, wouw ^ , 

 it being too luxuriant as it stands. "■ { 



persons who have thought proper^ tnr - , , » 

 „^a^;™ ♦„ o,,Uivate this useful J^y^ it » «" 



so- 

 To * 



mendation, to cultivate 



cattle, and more especially for P 1 ^ a " inn i,ig of JJJ 

 right in us to observe that now, the be ^.jg 

 is°due time to finish cutting the g Burt £ V ^ jjj 

 on two years old plants sometimes .app ^ or o£ 



all be cut and stowed *"*"*?&**» *°^& 



from cultivated seed, is P^i^rio;* "J 





growing nuiu vu... . expt — 



of food, far beyond our f n S" lD Herac l e um 

 also worthy of remark that tne » 



V* 



,r»nte* 



