400 
Chaff-cutting. 
gradually  in  the  yard,  where  it  is  often  spoiled  by  occasional 
showers.  The  machine  completes  a rick  in  a day  or  two ; and 
one  of  our  new  chaff-cutters,  worked  by  a horse,  in  a day  or  two 
more  will  cut  up  the  loose  straw  into  chaff,  which,  mixed  with  a 
little  cake,  is  quite  equal  to  hay.  Nothing  shows  the  progress 
of  our  machinery  better  than  the  process  of  cutting  straw  into 
chaff.  Ten  years  ago  it  was  done  in  a trough,  with  a chopper  at 
the  end,  lifted  up  and  pressed  down  by  a man,  who  was  paid  for 
it  at  the  rate  of  2d.  for  a 6-bushel  basket.  Then  came  the 
various  chaff-cutters  with  circular  knives,  still  worked  by  hand. 
With  these  I used  to  pay  per  basket — three-fourths  of  the 
former  price  ; but,  putting  a horse  to  the  chaff-cutter,  I find  a far 
greater  reduction,  for  we  cut  at  the  rate  of  544  baskets  per  day- 
The  account  stands  as  follows  : — 
s.  d. 
8 Women  yelming,  i.  c.  straightening,  the  straw,  Sd.  5 4 
G Men,  16t/.  . . . . . . .80 
Horse,  say  .....  . . . 2 G 
Boy  .........  0 6 
16  4 
The  cost  comes  out,  instead  of  threepence,  about  a farthing  and 
a half;  and  as  Mr.  Cornes’s  new  chaff-cutter  dispenses  with 
the  women  yelming,  we  may  safely  set  down  the  basket  of  fodder 
at  a single  farthing,  instead  of  twopence  — one  eighth  only 
therefore  of  the  cost  incurred  here  twelve  years  ago.  I cannot 
quit  machinery  without  adverting  to  the  deep  obligation  under 
which  we  all  lie  towards  the  gentlemen  who,  year  after  year, 
devote  days  of  minute  attention  and  hard  labour  to  our  trials  of 
implements.  To  their  reports  the  reader  must  turn  for  accurate 
information  on  the  implements  mentioned  and  on  others,  as  the 
various  crushers  contrived  for  the  economical  use  of  food. 
Medical  science,  too,  has  been  applied  to  the  diseases  of  our 
cattle  by  Professor  Simonds,  and  no  one  can  doubt,  none  at  least 
who  has  felt  the  losses  of  live  stock,  that  we  shall  gain  much 
when  we  get  our  stock  out  of  the  hands  of  the  farrier,  and  cow 
leech,  and  pig-doctor.  But  I must  hasten  on,  and  proceed  at 
once  to 
Tiie  Improvement  of  Land. 
Ten  years  since  nothing  struck  me  so  much  as  the  varied 
means  possessed  by  the  owners  of  land  in  England  for  raising, 
permanently,  the  productiveness  of  their  estates.  In  no  country 
are  those  means  so  various.  Scotland  and  Flanders  are  mono- 
tonous in  contrast  with  England.  In  none  has  so  much  been 
effected.  And  after  ten  years’  labour  the  same  thing  still 
strikes  rne  as  forcibly.  It  is  on  these  recognised  practical  im- 
