Farming of Surrey. 



395 



It remains to inquire where and how are to be procured any large quantities 

 of fish, or the remains offish; and how they can be converted into powder? 

 Now we know, from the experience of our fisheries, that 400 tons of fresh cod 

 do not yield more than 120 tons of dried fish for exportation. The refuse of 

 the fish, which constitutes about half its weight, are often thrown away (in 

 curing) into the sea. The bones are cast back by the sea on the beach, where 

 they form considerable heaps, accumulated for centuries. Without reckoning 

 upon herrings and other fish caught for the purpose, let us only consider the 

 quantity of refuse at our disposal. The produce of the cod-fisheries on the 

 banks of Newfoundland amounts annually to about 700,000 quintals, of which 

 350,000 are cured, and the remainder rejected. If these 350,000 quintals 

 were decomposed, pressed, dried, and pulverized, they would produce 100,000 

 quintals of a powder similar to the best guano, composed according to the 

 analysis above given. 



The experiment made at Kerpon on the detritus is not yet being carried 

 into effect. The pulverization requires drying stoves and machinery for grind- 

 ing the bones. No attempt can be more worthy of encouragement, though 

 time is required to judge its commercial result. 



I regret that I cannot furnish to your Excellency more minute details ; 

 but, as the undertaking is in its infancy, I am at liberty only to state the 

 general process, which is to use all the refuse of the fish by stove-drying and 

 grinding. 



Such are the facts which you have called upon me to communicate, and 

 which I have much pleasure in submitting to your consideration. 



Accept, &c., 



To His Excellency the Governor, A. Gautiee. 



XXVI. — On the Farming of Stirrcg. By Henry Eyershed, 

 Albury, Guildford. 



Prize Report. 



The physical characteristics of the county of Surrey render it 

 ill adapted for displaying the most improved systems of agri- 

 culture ; and the same circumstances which have conduced to 

 the varied beauty of its scenery have opposed insurmountable 

 barriers to the adaptation of many of those modern improve- 

 ments which have in certain districts diminished the cost of 

 production. 



The area of the county is 759 square miles, or 485,760 acres. 

 The population, according to the returns of 1851, amounted to 

 684,805. The number of farmers is much smaller in proportion 

 to the population than in most other counties, while the number 

 of manufacturers is much larger. This may be accounted for 

 not only as being a natural characteristic of the county, but also 

 from the circumstance of the " Surrey side of London " being 

 included in the estimate. 



Surrey is divided geologically into three principal groups of 

 strata : — 



