14 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 



m I: n or chang I, and the inhabitants of towns look 

 orward with dread and apprehension to the future, 

 then the agriculturist holds in his hand the key to the 

 money chest of the rich, and the savings-box of the 

 poor; for political events have not the slightest influence 

 on the natural law, which forces man to take into his 

 system, daily, a certain number of ounces of carbon 

 and nitrogen. This is protection enough. Whatever 

 else the agriculturist requires, he must find himself. 

 Professor Licbig't Familiar Letters on Chemistry. (3d edit.) 



Home Correspondence. 



Drunkenness. — There are many difficulties in the way 

 of at once putting an end to drunkenness ; it must be a 

 work of time. Those who have for years been accus- 

 tomed to drink deep, whenever an opportunity offered, 

 have created an artificial want, which must either be 

 supplied by another stimulant, or the quantity of fer- 

 mented liquors gradually diminished. The stomach, 

 from having been continually excited, will have lost its 

 natural tone, and indigestion will result, if left to its 



weakened bv indulgence. Let 



fearfully 



every man enjoy luxuries in moderation as far as his 

 income will allow him, after doing justice to his family. 

 But it is one thing to use, and another to abuse the 

 comforts, within the reach of all, who are careful and 

 industrious. A labourer who has to walk two or three 

 .miles to his work, should have something to quench his 

 thirst during the day, besides the water he may procure 

 from the ditch or nearest pump, to moisten the bread 

 he swallows for breakfast and dinner ; good tea or coffee, 

 with milk and sugar (cold), are found to be more 

 nutritious and refreshing during hard toil than sour 

 beer or sharp cider ; a greater amount of labour will 

 be performed on the former than on the latter, and 

 with less fatigue to the individual. The common 

 Style of living in the country, being so much below 

 par, it is not to be wondered at that the labourer 

 cannot resist, during hay-time and harvest, indulging in 

 drink far beyond prudence. In this case the fault lies 

 more with the master than the man. Every species of 

 truck trading should be abolished, each man receiving 

 fair wages at the end of the week, without reduction 

 either for Wheat, Potatoes, or drink. Let him take his 

 cash to the cheapest market, and bargain for himself, 

 without compelling him to purchase at a marked shop. 

 It ought to be well known how the poor man suffers 

 from being obliged to deal with a huckster who will 

 jgive credit. He and his family must have food ; but 

 from the irregular payment of his scanty wages, or from 

 the want of employment, he runs in debt, and is sup- 

 plied with articles 100 per cent dearer, and of an infe- 

 rior description, to those he could procure, if he was a 

 free agent with a few shillings in his pocket. A 

 labourer often gives 5s. for tea which could be obtained 

 for 3*. per lb. were he at liberty to choose his own 

 tradesman. Other things are proportionably expensive 

 under the compulsory plan of exclusive dealing. Raising 

 the moral character of the peasantry, by attending to 

 their wants and respectability, will redound to the 

 employers' benefit. At present, circumstances rather 

 tend to degrade than elevate the working classes in agri- 

 cultural districts. Wages are low, occupation uncertain 

 —from the mistaken notion that because produce is cheap 

 labour must be reduced. The contrary is the truth. 

 Cottage accommodation insufficient to preserve common 

 decency in families. No provision made to assist the 

 poor man in procuring the necessaries of life good, and at 

 a moderate price ; in fact, in too many instances he is 

 Jooked upon as a mere machine, from which the greatest 

 amount of profit must be obtained. It is granted, that 

 from long neglect many of the lower orders have become 

 exceedingly unprincipled, will take an unfair advantage 

 of kindness, and disgust those who endeavour to serve 

 them. Although such conduct is unwarrantable, allow- 

 ance must be made for imperfect education in youth ; at 

 the same time a severe check should be put on those 

 who show bad feelings, and the honest man encouraged. 

 Benevolence is often imposed upon. It is a remark 

 amongst labourers, « that the idle live much better 

 upon charity than they who toil hard six days in the 

 week do upon their wages." It must have come under 





season. 



By these, ana similar contrivances 

 stacks with a hole or two up the n^i ! 

 as the casings, hay or corn Cy ^ 3& 



I merely throw out these hint F * • £ 

 improve upon them, hoping that V * fot *L 

 service to my poor suffering h"A "** »•< * 

 implement makers. 0. F. 

 Draining. 



er *uri£ 



! WS »" **?<* letter addr^j 



appeared in the Agricultural Gazette o! u ""*** 

 SJLTZJW 8 P™ sent me fc* &' 



' "piy to it'pJS 



" Inquire, "T?* 



»»«. ««. geuuemen wno take an interest in tv £* Jl l 

 to turn to my letter of May 17 SL? &?*"*? 

 likewise to « Inquirer's ' rep , y ' ?&_*.*« 

 answer of June 14. Draining! Why* — - 1- * 



trouble you with my answer, 

 put to 

 wish to 



m'e s^rai v^^/'W'l 

 > reply in the bes? dinner & * 



thrown 



sums 



ui <*iu„,g S in an age so pre-eminently ^JL m * 

 own, how painful it is to hear eentwL I™*** 



has done, i n hiT** 



Inquirer 



landta 



case were 



doors of beer-houses. These bipeds must eat, and how 



do they procure nutriment ? Certainly not by their own 



labour. They are the leeches sucking the life-blood out 



of the community. They should be made either to support 



themselves at home, or be despatched to the colonies, 



where there is plenty of elbow-room. Falcon. 



Cattle Feeding. — In a late Number you report an 



interesting experiment by Mr. Brodie, of Abbey Mains, 



in the various modes of feeding four lots of cattle, which 



resulted in favour of Turnips and cake. As some 



apparently important particulars are not mentioned in 



the process, will you allow me to suggest that the report 



would, to me, and, I doubt not, to many of your general 



readers, have been more satisfactory had it stated — that 



which we are, I think, led to infer — namely, that the 



original weight of the animals composing the several 



lots was the same at tying up ; and that their original 



lean cost was included in the stated amount of stones 



weight to which they were brought. It is not said what 



quantity of Turnips were consumed by the first and the 



second lot during seven months ; whether any, and what 



quantity of hay was consumed ; nor at what prices such 



roots were valued per ton in the aggregate of cost. I 



wish it could have been made to appear that the result 



had proved of a nature more consolatory to the grazier ; 



but it seems that, while the top price at Smithfield is 



but 3s. 6d. per stone (and here about 7s. 9d. per score 



only), the lot fed on Turnips and oil-cake cost 3s. 9d. 9 



while the three others cost respectively, 4s. Q$d., 4s. 4£d., 

 and 4s. 4d. ; to which would be added, I presume, 

 interest and insurance— driving to market, and sales- 

 man's charges. I should hope that the cost, somewhere 

 incidentally alluded to in your Number, of 8s. per ton 

 of Turnips, will be found unnecessarily high where the 

 manure is returned by stall-feeding on the roots, &c. 

 It may not be uninteresting to any practical gentleman 

 into whose hands this may fall, to hear the result — which 

 I can myself vouch — of the growth of a measured acre 

 of Yellow Globe Mangold Wurzel, for two consecutive 

 years, on the same ground in this parish. The soil is 

 our general red one ; very good, but not particularly 

 rich, nor extravagantly manured with farm-yard dung. 

 The grower's name is Manley. In November, 1848, he 

 harvested 48 tons of roots, and had, besides, 8 tons of 

 tops, not having stripped any leaves in their course of 

 growth. In November, 1849, he harvested 34 tons of 

 roots, and about 8 tons of tops, having, during 10 weeks 

 in August, September, and October, drawn and stripped 

 above ten computed tons of surplus roots (and leaf) for 

 store pigs, in thinning the rows originally sown at 

 24+13 inches. In 1850 he had 38 bushels of Wheat an 

 acre (by ordinary methods) on the same ground, and 

 from which, having seeded, he is now cutting Clover the 

 second time for soiling. I may mention that the other 

 half of the field (of 2 acres) was sown with the Long Red 

 Mangold Wurzel the first year, and its produce fell 

 short of the yellow by about 10 per cent. A Constant 

 Reader and Subscriber, Dawlish, Devon. 



Marking Fowls. — In your paper of February 22d is 

 a communication froma * Subscriber, Midland Counties," 

 who describes his mode of marking fowls. I abstain 

 from repeating it, to avoid giving publicity to so cruel a 

 practice. The Almighty has made no part of animals 

 without its use to them. A Member of the Society for 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 



Protection. — It has been argued'* that agriculture 

 labours under peculiar difficulties, on account of the 

 vicissitude, of seasons ; but have not the mariner and the 

 merchant similar difficulties to contend with and guard 

 against ?.and do they not strive to fortify themselves 

 against those casualties to which they, and in a measure, 

 all of us are subject ? and should not the farmer do the 

 same ? Though dependent upon Providence, we are 

 permitted to a considerable degree to guard against 

 vicissitudes ; and while we acknowledge our dependence, 

 it is our duty and our interest to use all practicable means 



of protection. We have been blessed with a number of , uu ,u C „ P ~ ™« m — -*_„- - , irtfll . 

 tine harvests, more ♦*»»« *— 1J 1 *- — . * • \* , r .-. . i «<■ M «i nn an i^v 









** 



hurts them is the water from the clouds ' 2? ^ 

 aim at in the draining of land is to m 1^ 

 water. I have lately made a tour thrLh . IS 

 this county and on making inquiries as I <LJ£2 

 farmers and labourers whether they drained twX, 

 and if so, for what purpose ; the replies in ahZttll! 



that they feared nothing, except feiH 

 water/' and that all they aimed at in draini* L. 

 lands was,to get rid of that water. Nothinr I* T 

 could I hear, though I inquired of, I should A? 

 nearly a hundred individuals, and always put thtZ 

 or similar questions. Permit me, therefore, to r*Z 

 on this subject with my new friend, who, as i kreZ 

 has again asked me several additional questions ■ hM 

 must, in order to insure a space in the Agr&m 

 Gazette for my reply, compress them into the folm 

 four, namely — Why do I so strongly recommeri faj 

 drains ? How deep — or, to use his own words, wfati 

 the minimum depth drains ought to be nudef fjft 

 what materials they should be made ? and in tfc* 

 shape ? My replies to these questions I bare do dnfc 

 will create as much surprise as my advocacy of 

 seeding did some years since ; but I entreat « Iwpw 

 and all others to consider them well, and refate thai 

 if he or they should be able. First, then, as I bm 

 shown in former articles, in the draining of land bj 

 object is just the reverse to what " Inquirer's" k,»4, 

 I believe, all others. I drain, not to carry a way, bin 

 prevent the top water from running off my land, wl to 

 raise the temperature of the subsoil ; and to irnnfhfc 

 these most desirable objects, deep and thorough dr«B[ 

 alone will be effectual. But methinks I bear a bj# 

 tude of tongues all at once asking if deep and ttaqt 

 draining will accomplish these objects \ and to ftoi I 

 reply, that it will in all kinds of soils where?* wk 

 drains can be made, or wherever the water from tfaa 

 can find outlets. Let * Inquirer" and others eipd 

 their money in judiciously making such drains, ad 

 then both he and they will not dread but welco acefgy 

 shower of rain that may fall on their lands and cfltt* 

 rain water to be of more value to them than all fc 

 guano in the world could be, highly valuable as thai » 

 tiliser always is when properly applied. Unt u h 











But "Inquirer" 1 



made f i taw 



given a medium depth of 5 feet ; but the deeper* 

 drains the higher the temperature of the ground lor m 

 roots of the plants to luxuriate in, and the **?**■ 

 the roots descend after food and water, and the m* 

 certain and yielding will be the crops; dot uu » 

 they require but very little manure or oth *"T| 

 dressing except atmospheric air and top *»**• 



this plan I have for -the last four years gro« * 

 , \ ^ *lio same law* m 





_.;pected in 



succession ; and without faithless forebodings, we may 

 reasonably expect to be less favoured in this respect; and 

 while we hope for the best, we should provide for the 

 worst. The repeal of the duty on glass enables the 



readers, how many broad-shouldered KSl^rir?n a8 "^ V^ ^^ Cheap ' 



t a parish or town, sh™;™ ^em- p , w,u ' «*icle, to various valuable purposes. The 



their r u G,aS8 ? u SS ests man y id *as, such as the roofing 



meir of barns. <rrannri*>ci on/1 rl*.*,; n ~ ..U...1.. .. .:il - A __ * . e 





of management aomewhere. It is the duty of eve"^ 

 able emp l= i -} ~^ £££ * t^aTweU 



as endpRvnn^™ +~ «u_i. A i__ . „ «*«*, as wen 



e above want, to take an interest 



tndeavouri __ M 



g, which «° o n e"o7"the*>eeaere"of 'SunkennS" 

 ose who know their situations depend upo™ sobS 

 *na regular conduct are not so likely to squandS a"vav 

 their money m public houses, as those perWs whJ 



of barns, granaries, and drying sheds, with strong plates 

 of coarse glass. I would also suggest the construction of 

 portable protecting sheds for winrows of hay or stooks 

 of corn in the field, or for stacks. These might be made 

 in the form of a long roof with wooden rafters, each two 

 being coupled with a bolt or hinge at top, to open and 

 shut, hke a pair of compasses. These rafters should be 

 stayed with cross-bars, bolted or clasped together, 

 might] either be covered with oiled 



from less than two peck» »u »«=«* ■ hfch* 



and for three years in succession grown 4B T^ 

 Barley per acre on an average, and from ie» { 

 pecks of seed per acre ; and I should notn» ^ 

 could go on in the same way for as man) ,^ 

 relying more upon atmospheric influence— ^ 

 air and rain water— than upon any ^""^^ * 

 But "Inquirer" seems surprised at my »_ ^v 

 the deepest drains always run first alter a J 5^* 

 and continue to run the longest after a ^5^1 

 of rain ; but such are the facts, and m mj ^ rf 







will show him the reason why they do , ^V^ * 

 n:ake my present one too long, or I woui . L M 

 „ , „. t *iT„~,f„«» ™™ now to the materials 





trampers congregat 



dering the unwary by distressing 1 ^ 'ifaoZ&T The /Z 



of these erpatiir^c Kaffir a ? J "»tones. me oriries 

 n LK 1^1 . ffl , e desc "Ption ; their tables 



plate. 



Such 



ii 

 it 



I drains should be made, l "»"'"" f&n W* 

 They | turf drains, and should fear them; bu^ ^ ^ 



ked from i- -^ 

 years sine, -j* «* "Jj 5 



or grooved 







are 



ventilating space at the bottom of each 

 drying sheds might be made as Dortablp 



and carrying in succession. t~,„i — __— ' ."?".«' 



are spent in drunkenness and profl/acv WiM Zf 

 continue to give at their doors and iu Se strletsTiS* 

 out umuiry, and thus encourage every spec es * ' J« ^ 

 It .s in vain to hope for better things iniS such J 

 inconsistency exists. It is a mehmcholv reflec-S on" 

 Aw country, to observe the able-bodied youna m - 



between the ages of 15 and 30, sauntering'Tout the 



most generally useful, 

 by 



Long low roofs would be 



«f~d n , , they m 'S ht be elevated 



of poles, pulleys, fand ropes, or b v shanks like 

 the moveable legs of a pair of compaWs. Such portable 

 or fixed sheds need not probably be so costly but that 



Z^Z- W ° Wet t f eaS ° D T S W ° Uld r W the expence of them 



withlnl Tl ' a W ° Uld al8 ° advise a » *™rs 



even i ^S V^u ^ 8taddles of Sf)me k ^l 



bono K« y , r0Ugh r° d ' thou 8 h »tone, brick, ; 

 iron pdlars, properly coped, are the most to be preferred. 



maae *v ^m^ «• — nt ^ ~- 



and ,he y no. ft!.!*^^ *, $ 





< 



they are made upon true ,_- . 

 mvself should always use them, »«"«»- j^ 

 were close at hand; in all f^^tos*** 

 either pipes or tiles. With reference to ^ g 

 pipes, in very .small^ patches ofjand^ * 



and if the drains are 



ght 



two acres, ana n tiie ux«*»*- § t ore migm ^ g 

 distances asunder, pipes of one wen ^ 2 l)or^ 





■i 



more acres, or tor me ui»"»-e , ^ pon^ -■ ^ 



of various capacities ought to be use , ^ ym 



ot less bore than \\ or 2 inches _»tjhe ^ j ^ *tP 



of thera*much larger ; 



but on 





