1188 
THE FIELD. 
of £2,000 and upwards, and which, I have loason to know, 
were afterwards shipped to au estate of his near Florence. 
America is also a largo purchaser for our shorthorn bulls ; 
aud, I believe, Ithat the celebrated bull, the Duke of 
Gloucester, Bold at the late Lord Ducie’s sale for 
£68 2 . 10s., whose sir.', the Grand Duke, was sold for 1,000 
guineas, aud whose dam fetched £377- 10s., has left us for 
America. This is chiefly owing to such meritorious breeders 
of stock as the Bake wells (father aud son), of Dichley, in 
Leicestershire, who, having observed that moderate-sized, 
compact, small, and fine-boned animals were generally in the 
best condition, applied themselves to regulate their breeding 
in such a manner as to develop those desirable points only, 
and to remove what they considered blemishes. This mode was 
afterwards followed out by Messrs. Collins aud Bates — great 
names in the Herd Book — and afterwards by Mr. Booth, aud 
the late Lord Spencer aud his father. So also with sheep, 
the slow-feeding, long-woolled, rickety-looking animals, which 
seldom got fat before they were three years old, by a judicious 
cross with improved Leicesters, are now fit for the butcher 
at little more than a year old ; aud much credit is due to 
Mr, Gilman, and also to his father and grandfather, as also to 
the Duke of Richmond and Mr. Rigden, of Sussex, who have 
now brought the Southdowns to that point of perfection 
which has made them the envy of the world. One cannot 
not but be Rtnick with astonishment at the vast difference of 
the breeds in different counties, both of cattle and sheep, from 
the fine Hereford, Devon, or Durham ox, worth, when fat, 
£40, down to the abortions which we often see on our com- 
mons worth as many shillings ; or from the princely, prize 
Down sheep, worth £5, to the wild, haggard-looking spec- 
tacles which we see on our hills in many parts of the west of 
England. Sheep, the nearer they approach the Down in 
form and quality', the more they are likely to command the 
best London prices. Pure-bred Liucolns, Leicesters, aud 
Cotteswolds are considered too fat : unless they are sent to 
market young, they are sure to fetch inferior prices. There 
is a very fine breed of sheep, between a Down aud a Leicester, 
which originated, I believe, with the Beuuets of Bedfordshire ; 
aud I saw in the last Christmas Smithfield Show some very- 
fine cross-breds of Mr. Overman's, of Norfolk, evidently 
sprung from the old black-faced Norfolk*. In former times 
live stock was either kept on such a limited scale, ro as to 
render the amount of winter food easily attainable, or they 
were half-starved, in very severe winters, for several months 
whilst it lasted ; but as the improved knowledge of the 
science of agriculture increased, it was fouud necessary 
and profitable to alternate the crops by green food, that is, 
crops of artificial grasses, including the different kinds of 
clovers, as also turnips, mangel wurzel, and other roots and 
plants, for by having a proper supply of these substances, two 
important points in farming were gained — the support of 
cattle for manure, and the alternations of green with corn 
crops ; thus at once enriching the laud, aud relieving it from 
the exhausting properties which the corn crops had caused, 
by being grown for many years in succession, which was a 
very common practice in those days. Turnips, as most 
people know, were introduced into Norfolk about a century 
ago, producing a revolution in the condition of agricul- 
ture, and subsequently mangel wurzel has been introduced, 
especially in the neighbourhood of London, with great ad- 
vantage. Its chief superiority over turnips is, that it will 
succeed where the turnip declines, aud will thrive in tena- 
cious soils which will not produce turnips, and it is very 
greedy for manure, and enables farmers, where manure pre- 
dominates, as in and near large towns, to support a large 
amount of live stock. Its fattening and milching qualities 
are good, and the produce heavy, aud not so susceptible of 
failure as the turnip. It is thus of the first importance 
with breeders to obtain the necessary supply of cows from 
some well-known stock of healthy character, combining 
beauty, symmetry of form, and good quality of flesh, and 
early propensity to fatten ; and it is fouud to be a matter of 
the greatest importance for the j’oung stock to be fed from 
the first on food which has a tendency to increase the milky 
secretions. It is poor feeding that causes so much young 
stock to turn out bad ; and they should be reared in good 
pastures, and provided with oil cake in small quantities, 
tin-nips, and other roots in the winter, as it is almost an 
impossibility to rear any animal to perfection without the 
best treatment, both in summer and winter, aud it is as well 
to bear in mind, that if an animal has not arrived at its full 
growth in bone and flesh, much of the fattening food is con- 
sumed in the formation of frame and muscle. The food then 
of such an animal should contain less carbonaceous and 
more nitrogenous matter than if for fattening only. Hence, 
for young animals, grass lands are so beneficial, and their 
value is considerably enhanced by the high rents that are 
given for them, as they suit lean stock, and those that are 
gettiug fresh and ripe for stall-feeding ; the stall-feeding 
system then should not commence until the animal be half 
or three parts fat, and the grass will carry him no further, 
and the season approaching in which he would necessarily 
decline unless stall-feeding be introduced ; indeed, it is 
perfectly necessary to increase the number and size of stock 
by what is called artificial means ; in fact, I believe the whole 
profit of the farm arises from manure and labour. Such 
being, then, the case, it is requisite to have recourse to a 
proper alternation of cropping, aud, for general purposes, 
there is none better than the Essex shift or four-course 
system — viz., turnips, clover, barley, aud wheat, in succes- 
sionj; thus by altering the crops, and by manuring the land, 
through the medium of herds aud flocks eating the produce 
of the green crops, which should be kept up to the utmost 
extent the laud will carry, a system of high farming may 
be carried on, highly instructive and remunerative, accord- 
ing to present prices, although not without considerable 
outlay of capital ; and the supply of animal food thus sup- 
ported throughout the kingdom. ]$ \ 
Farmers’ Club House, 
39, New Bridge-street, Blackfriars. 
is a capital manure for clay soils. Some farmers carefully 
pick up all the sheila, bones, old boots, rags, hats, &c., &c., 
that accumulate in their back yards, and tuck them into 
some corner, aud there suffer them to remain, an unsightly 
ill-savoured heap of rubbish. My practice has ever been to 
plough such rubbish under the soil, where most of it soon 
rots into good manure. Wool ii a most powerful manure, 
and consequently all old woollen garments, hats, &c. Fea- 
thers I consider to be worth as much, pound for pound, as 
the best of guano ; so is hair of all kinds ; even old leather 
will turn into hide again if buried in the soil. Shells are an 
excellent manure ; mark where they lie thick in tho soil, 
you will always find it rich, even though they were placod 
there by tho Indians a century ago. Bones arc a moBt 
enriching manure, especially if ground or pounded. No 
farmer should ever throw them from his land. I always 
spread what accumulates on my farm with the manure. I 
plough them in. When my laud is laid down with oats and 
grass scod, I generally pass over the field with hoe in hand 
experience goes, I would never build one more than suffi- 
ciently large to hold one rick, of the size usually made i n 
the locality, with Hpace for the baru machinery and straw. 
This may be placed at the end or centre of the sheds, ns 
seems best. Thus it would appear that we have in these 
18-feet sheds a plan of farm buildings adapted for the im- 
proved systems of farming of the present day ; equally good 
for any other that may be adopted, whether on a large or 
smaller scale, capable of expansion to any extent, easily con- 
structed from the materials to bo found in different locali- 
ties, as inexpensive as possible in a plain form, aud yet capa- 
ble of great ornament and finish. 
Mr. Meohx agreed with Mr. Webster, that it must be laid 
down as a rule that tho cattle on tho farm should be 
sheltered, and that open yards like those which lmd hitherto 
prevailed could no longer be tolerated, as they were evi- 
dently unprofitable. It was the mischief which arose from 
bad ventilation that caused farmers in Essex to keep their 
horses in open yards ; and it was well-known that where 
to smooth the corners, &c., and when I see a bone above sheds and open yards wore combined, there was scarcely any 
and bury it just beneath the surface — doctor's bill. Ventilation was a point in which he felt very 
ground 1 dig a hole 
that spot will not wear out soon, depend upon it. It is a 
trifle to be sure, but then it is so much saved, and nothing 
lost, aud that is the side of the fence to keep on in order to 
prosper. Never waste, if it is but a pin. Better give a dollar 
than waste a penny ; you will prosper better. It has been 
my custom to mingle round turnip-seed with liay-seed, and 
to sow it with my oats, for late-feed for sheep, also with my 
corn at second hoeing. After the crop of oats is removed, 
they frequently grow well. On one occasion, in passing over 
my oat-stubble, I observed a huge turnip, some four or five 
times as large as its fellows ; I had the curiosity to look for 
great interest, as he sold off his farm, annually, meat to tho 
value of £2,500. His losses of late had been little more 
than nominal, and this he attributed to the circumstance 
that there was ample ventilation. As regarded the best method 
of securing ventilation he thought it ought to bo obtained 
from tho bottom rather than the top of a building. He would 
tell them why he was of that opinion : in his sheds, the floors 
of which were boarded, he had on a level with the 
ground a number of six-inch pipes, placed within nine 
inches or a foot from the floor aud it was a singular fact 
that while there were large openings above, the smell issued 
the cause, aud found that its tap-root was inserted in the I from the lower far more than the uppor part of the building! 
eye-hole of a creature's skull that lay buried beneath. The inference was unmistakeable ; and lie considered it 
t I I •-> m I iwt I til f.-i ><n I. i ..1, In . -.1 ll. . 1 .1 11 1 aiS 1 v 
Grouud-bonea and wood-ashes are probably two of the most 
valuable manures known, aud have never been fully appre- 
ciated os yet by our farmers. The dead bone will make its 
living fellow; the ashes of a tree will grow the tree again. 
I want our farmers to think of these things. 
LIVE STOCK. 
Farm Buildings. — The following excellent practical 
hints on farm buildings were given by Mr. Webster, at the 
“ London Central Formers’ Club — 
After having visited nearly all the best farm buildings in 
therefore, highly important that in stables and cattle-sheds, 
©specially such as were made of brick, and therefore 
impervious to tho air, au opening should be made below as 
well ns above, iu order that the circulating air might bo 
complete. Another point for consideration was the question 
of the construction of boarded floors as part of an improved 
system of farm buildings. He had always entertained a 
great dislike to boarded floors, as far as comfort and appear- 
ance were concerned ; but after eight years’ experience, ho 
thought the balance was decidedly in favour of boarded 
floors. (Hear.) He could assure them from that experience, 
that if they divided a lot of bullocks, keeping one-half on 
England, Ireland, and Scotland, and noted the require- I +i' " *i ' { i.- ' ~T L w i'*“© 
meats of farmers in different localities, I have come to the t . v- / .\ a - ie when ho 
conclusion that partially closed sheds, eighteen feet wide in B j“ 8 wonld go first to the buUocks on 
the clear, and not less than eight feet in height of walls, 9 oniy that day h« butehorhiid Mmwked to 
are capable of being made available for all the purposes, ! ^ £ Ul<1 ® ' V * y8 ^ ve f the Preference to sheep fed 
except that of th? barn, for which farm buildings are I S® T i f "'T, a 8 ,TT' qU * llty ; whll8t , a 
required under the various systems of farming now pursued. . ■ \ V 5 keen obhged to keep some animals 
[Mr. Webster here referred to his models in explanation of 1 ® boarded floors, said that his butcher had 
Ins views.] Take, for instances, model No. 1, and suppose it fT ? ™ t ? ^ m6at , f g °° d , 33 under 
be required for milch cows, fatting stock, or young cattle. As regarded both sheep and pigs, he (Mr. 
You have a space of three feet for the feeding passage, two 
feet for the feeding trough, six feet for the animal, one foot 
for the drain, aud six-foot passage behind, with say four feet 
iu width for each animal, as the case may be. Again, should 
Mr. Wftrne's system of box-feeding be pursued, this arrange- 
ment is equally well adapted to it, the only difference 
being in the interior fittings. The same holds good if Mr. 
Mechi's system of gratings for sheep be pursued ; and in 
latter system. 
Mechi) was convinced that boarded floors* were beat! 
FARMING MATTERS. 
REVIEW OF SALES— VALUE OF PROPERTY. 
[From the Journal of Auctions.'] 
The sales to be noted iu this review are not numerous 
but they arc of more than usual interest. Of estates, properly 
“* iNT'*’ 17*— « — I so called (for a very ridiculous fashion has crept in of calling 
* fl ri the “tenor fitting* might be moveable, to allow of every little leasehold cottage or paddock of three nc.S an 
ssk; ; f teu ^ 
should be moveable for thereof convenience. For stabling, Dorking. Of this 03 aSes were Lid for £1 1 .90 9 p^r 
Licl ; aV hP b P + /T T t f° r e y h . ho "\°5 wba $ acre ; 129 acres, with farm buildings, at £1 49o’or only £12 
might be better, to take in twenty-four feet of shed; and ner acre 1 r A nrro* nt n rnn *1 ’ */ 
making your stables crossways, get six feet for each of four ' -- ' ~ ’ ’ 1 ^ same proportionate 
linrses, and a good harness-room across the end. For pigsties 
the plan is equally applicable, through a different arrange* Isold a farm of 404 acres foVFiTwn 
meut of the fittings. And it will be easily understood 40 ToTA 17 bXZ fhll „ ' • ’ ir P ° r ™[ e ; 
that portions of these sheds partitioned off, or erections of LLer Tots at T pr l- e ’ !kI } d d* vers other 
*1 ' , 11 ’ , , icssei lots at some advances. J ho entire sale of 836 nm-t 
the same dimensions, wd! answer well for carpenters and produced the sum of £21,880, or £28 per awe which mav 
blacksmiths shops, straw aud root houses, gig-houses for v, e deemed n nreHv f..:,. *1 1 * n m . ay 
bailiff, &c; whilst for shelter for young cattle in the of ltd in JkS 2t of the el t preseut * elhu g. 
straw-yard the interior wall would be done away with, and Streatley. * P couutiy, viz., the paiish of 
posts substituted; aud for carts and implements, posts * Some sales nf bn-l in T • , , . 
substituted in the same manner for the outward wall. I SnaldLo will J 1 Lincolnshire, near 
will not attempt to lay down any general rule as to the 2 W O? acre of ™tu^ M, Beotson 
mode of arranging these 18-feet sheds, as it ought to I Lrlwh^ ffr M int ; It 
depend in a great measure upon situation, kind of stock I ’ A j , , ® i 01 l> er acx*e ; 25 
meadow aud pasture were sold by Messrs. Denbigh aud Sou 
for £2,000, or £100 per acre, being forty years' purchase. 
In Kent, Dulham Farm, near Rochester, 2f)C acres with 
farm buildings, was sold by Messrs. Cobb for £7,320 
£35 per acre. The rental of this was £290 per ’annum. 
convenient and economical a covered home-stall 
as any other kind of erection. One or two remarks, , 
however, I may be allowed to make, which, though trite 
here, may not be inopportune elsewhere. The square or 
oblong farm is nearly always advantageous. Straw, hay, | Ann+Wfii^ r 1 T ! ‘ 
and roots should be near tie cattle, L cart and imjS ofW^ 
meut shed near the stable, the piggery near the dairy and fl £0 ^OO or£ftlLv Lrf ° f P er ™num sold 
boiling-house, the cow-house near the dairy; tod there I fo olhmacreR the sale of 
should be hut one entrance, which should be near the was°^^^ 
bailiffs cottage or the farm-house, so that persons going I L^sLedrhirflv.lf iff!! 1 average. But then ,t 
to and fro maybe seen. But, though the exact form of | f or building. ^ ' obtaining bnok-earth, and adapted 
the homestead may be a matter of indifference, or may 
for building 
Iu Essex, iu the parish ofGosfield, a Bale by Messrs. Beaded 
THE LAND. 
Manures. — The following is from an address by a prac- 
tical farmer, which appears in an American journal, called 
the Northern Farmer ; — 
I have boeu trying to think of some article that will not 
make manure, but I cannot at present think of any, unless 
it he an icicle, and I believe that I may be at fault even 
here. The late David Buffum, ar good farmer and a close 
observer, used to say that “ rain was the manure of poor 
lasut In fact, I believe that everything may be made into 
manure. Glass bottles are a first-rate manure : glass con- 
tains from 20 to 40 per cent, of potash — a most powerful 
manure. A barrel of ground-glass would probably be worth 
a ton of sea- weed applied to the soil. Ground granite-rock 
depend on circumstances, the question as to covered or | ot.,1 Snn l.ao ” — -j , "'■“ V4W 
open homesteads cannot, I take it, bo looked upon in that aSd^ fe™ of 462 
light ; for whether we consider the comfort of the animals, three other fai-nis lnke of 30 acres with 
and therein their condition for fatting faster and cheaper, S iJg acLs oUrdned S^fio' 1 amouuted together to 
or the greater value of unwashed manure, we must, I think, m inn. „,.L f '* 30 per acl °- Another 
discard in a great measure the idea of the open homestead. £0 enrt -A ? £ . ? e ' wh,C A h 70 acrcs were wood, sold for 
For my own part, I decidedly object to covered homesteads or£2lDer Mre ? A W °° d ° f 7 acrea obta,ned £150 ’ 
opened at the sides, as precluding the proper regulation a* hA, P , , 
of the temperature. Any one who has Stood under open man0rB ' 8iud to be Wortb ftbout 
railway-Btatious on a cold day may have experienced some mu j ’ f( , , .. 
of the sensations to which cattle arc subject under these J ql Ws .°. n of Great biding, in Essex tithe rent-charge 
intended to be comfortable homestalls. As the arrangement I rl® 1 ’, J“ ldenc ? 8 l cre ?. of the present meum- 
of the homestead may vary according to circumstances, 
so also may the materials of which it is composed. 
I have thought it might be desirable to give a rough 
estimate of the coat of eighteen-feet sheds, as far as the shell, 
i e., the walls aud roofing, and I caused one to be prepared,’ 
showing what would be the cost for 100 feet of shed at the 
present price of timber, slates, and bx-icks in the London 
market. Upon going fully into the matter and getting 
estimates for tiles, slates, and iron-roofs, in various localities, 
I find that with walls of brick aud stone, if you take -any 
agricultural district, the expenses per foot iu length of these 
sheds, aud including windows aud doors, will not exceed 
25s. Iu most places it will not be more thnu 20s., and 
where stone or bricks are fouud for the walls and rough 
timber for other purposes, it will be only from 12s. to 14a. 
In addition, I have only to notice the bam, and as far as my 
bent being 04, was sold by Topi is aud Sou for £980. 
The following is a summary of the results of the sales wo 
have noticed, and which are thus given for convenience of 
reference : — 
Surrey, average prices per acre, £j 9, £12, £10. 
nedtordsliiro „ „ £25, £ 28 , 
Lincolnshire „ „ £40, £.15, £40, £60. 
Lancashire „ „ £105. 
Kent „ „ £ 35 , £81, £177. 
Kssex „ „ £30, £26, £21. 
Among sales of mansions, &c., which are rather matters 
for curiosity than of value for the assistance of purchasers, 
mortgagees, and their advisers, is tho Highgate-hall House, 
at Hawkhurst, in Kent, with fourocres oflaud, which obtained 
£1,39G. Lordship-lodge, at Tottenham, with ten acrea of 
land, sold for £4,500. 
Ground-rents, aa will be seen by numerous sales, continue 
