250 
Swedes, Mangold, and the Steam-Plough. 
I used what are called the digging breasts on Fowler's plough 
with much satisfaction. I regard these digging breasts as a step 
in the right direction towards the more effectual smashing up 
adopted by Mr. Smith. It so chanced that I visited his farm 
early in the spring, when he was commencing his operations on 
land turned up by his implement in the previous autumn, and I 
had an opportunity of comparing the state of it with that of 
mine, which had been turned down by the steam-plough at the 
same season. I consider my land naturally superior to that 
which surrounds Mr. Smith's farm, and much more easy to 
cultivate ; but while my deep furrow remained unbroken, there 
having been very little frost during the winter, involving the 
necessity of expensive and repeated cultivation, with a most un- 
unsatisfactory seed-bed at last, 1 found Mr. Smith actually drilling 
his beans in an admirably prepared soil, the drill preceded by 
cultivating tines on the same frame as his drill, on the land 
smashed up by his machine the previous autumn, without any 
intervening operation. It is true that Mr. Smith's land had 
undergone a similar autumn preparation in a previous course ; 
but it was clear to me that the actual working condition of his 
land resulted chiefly from the greater extent of surface favourably 
presented to atmospheric influences during the winter. 
Cirencester, January 23rxl, 1864. 
2. — Method of converting old Barns into Cattle-Boxes. 
" To P. H. Frere, Esq. 
" Dear Sir, — As you asked me to send you an account of 
my method of converting old-fashioned barns into cattle-boxes, I 
beg t$ hand you the following short paper, with an illustration 
referring to a barn fitted up on my own property at Bursledon, 
near Southampton. 
" Having during the last seven years thrashed the whole of 
my corn by steam-power, and believing that corn is generally 
better placed in ricks than in barns for that purpose, and my 
barns having been empty during ten months of the year, I have 
adopted the practice of feeding cattle of different ages in them, 
as I invariably cut my clovers for soiling stock in the green state, 
instead of incurring the expense and risk of making hay. I 
have found there is no accommodation for feeding cattle under 
cover equal to that afforded by an old-fashioned thatched barn, 
which is warm in the winter and cool and healthy for the 
animals in the summer; and although I have designed and built 
upon properties under my agency cattle-boxes upon the newest 
