Steam Cultivation. 
623 
ploughed, 437 acres dragged, and 247 acres scarified ; and all that 
work has been done this year with one engine without breakage to 
the extent of a single sixpence. As to the remarks of Mr. Bradshaw 
about the comparative merits of smashing-up and ploughing, according 
to his (Mr. Ruck's) experience this year, the land that was tilled with 
the digger for wheat was beating the land that was ploughed, K it 
was intended to go an extra depth, he thought the land should be 
ploughed and left exposed for the frost of winter. He had no doubt, 
however, that smashing-up for barley was better than ploughing. 
Meeting of WeekJij Council, Wednesday, June 10th. Lord Berxers, 
Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The Breeding and Feeding of Sheep. 
Professor Coleman, of Cirencester, introduced as the subject for 
consideration, " The Breeding and Feeding of Sheep, with a view to 
increasing the sheep-stock per acre." 
Mr. Coleman said : The subject I have the honour of introducing 
for discussion this morning is one of, perhaps, equal importance with 
that which so lately occupied your attention, viz., " Steam Cultiva- 
tion ;" for the successful development of either must tend to the same 
result, viz., the more economical, because more abundant, production 
of com. It is hardly necessary to point out that the history of prices 
during the last few years leads us to anticipate that com must 
range at very moderate rates, — rates which would formerly have been 
considered ruinous, but which, thanks to our increased resources — 
thanks to the great stimulus which competition has produced — we can 
now look forward to without despair. One great lesson taught us by 
our experience is, that we need not henceforth look only or principally 
to our cereal produce, but must endeavour to draw our returns from 
an increased growth of meat. It would be interesting and useful to 
have statistics as to the number of sheep, horned stock, &c., bred in 
the United Kingdom ; in the absence of these, we can only draw 
general conclusions from the prices that are realised. The scarcity 
of meat dm-ing the last few years, and the very high prices obtained, 
would lead us to infer that production does not keep pace with the in- 
crease of population. It also shows that in this branch of our produce 
we have little to fear from foreign competition. That live stock, and 
especially mutton, cannot be imported to any considerable extent, the 
following figures, taken from the accoimts relating to trade and navi- 
gation for the last three years will amply testify : — 
Month of December. 
I860.. 
1861. 
1862. 
76,726 
89,294 
56,276 
16,785 
15,076 
14,555 
5,938 
4,005 
4,782 
4,417 
8,293 
1,277 
VOL. XXIV. 
