vCK. ANNX U2i -378 Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN &. PRACTICAL FARMING AND GRAZING, WITH OBSERVATIONS ON TUB BREEDING AND FEEDING OF SHEEP AND CATTLE ON RENTS AND TITHES; OX THE MAINTENANCE AND EMPLOYMENT OP AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS ; ON THE POOR LAW AMENDMENT ACT; AND ON OTHER SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH AGRICULTURE; BY C. HILLYARD, ESQ. PRESIDENT OF THB NORTHAMPTONSHIRE FARMING AND GRAZING SOCIETY. SECOND EDITION. NORTHAMPTON : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY T. E. DICEY. London: Sold by Ridgway & Sons, Piccadilly, and Smith, Elder, & Co. Cornhill; Milliken & Son, Grafton-street, and "William Currie, Sackville- street, Dublin; at the Mercury Office, and by Birdsall, Northampton; Dah, Kettering; Todd, Oundle; Combe, Leicester; Sharpe, Warwick; Hewetr, Leamington; Combe & Co. Rugby; Stacey. Norwich; Lee, Lewes; Deighton Worcester; T. B. Watkin, Hereford; W. Fetton. Ludlow ; Soddart & Brown Hull, Rowland Hurst, Wakefield; T. Daviea, Shrewsbury; Webb, Bedford; Drury, Lincoln, Rose, Stamford; Williams, Cheltenham; Pool, Taunton; Collins, Bath; Harrold&Emberlin.Marlborough; Jacob & Johnson, Winchester, fc PRICE 4s. 1837. . 9Yj-)i . PRE FAC E. In 1834, I wrote a Summary of Practical Farming, exclusively for the use of my Son, in case he should ever occupy any land attached to any living he might hold ; or should he let any, that he might be enabled to judge whether it was injured by over cropping or bad management. But as several friends expressed a wish for a copy, I had 150 printed, to give away. As many, afterwards, were desirous of having this little book, I printed and published it, in 1836, with many additions. This having been chiefly disposed of, I have been induced to publish a second edition, in which is concen- trated a detail of the practice I have pursued and the opinions I have formed, during a period of more than thirty years devoted to agriculture. My chief aim has been to give the particulars of my practice in as clear a manner as possible, without attempting any alteration of my usual plain style. Many others, I am aware, write far more ably, but if they are not practical farmers, the inexperienced who might be induced to follow their theory in all they recommend, are liable to be led into many errors. When first I began farming, I tried to get information from such works on agriculture as were then in the highest repute ; but I found them so verbose and so theoretical, that I soon laid them aside, and took every opportunity of inspecting such farms as were supposed to be best cultivated, and of gaining all the information I could from those who were esteemed the best practical farmers. The general agriculture of this kingdom has no doubt greatly improved within the last thirty years, and the county of Northampton has fully shared in such improvement, although it cannot be justly said to have made such advances in this most important science as not to be still capable of much greater improvement. Necessity is IV. a powerful spur to industry and contrivance a truth sufficiently proved by the fact that the greatest improvements in farming were begun on the poorest soils. Necessity compelled the occupiers of such soils to exert themselves to the utmost, and to become good farmers, to gain a maintenance. Nature has been kind to this county, and given to the greater part of it a very productive soil ; and therefore formerly too much was left to nature ; art and great exertion were not much needed to raise such crops as enabled the farmers to live. The case, however, is now widely different : with the most productive soil, great exertion is absolutely necessary. In former times, old persons have often said to me " there is no farming like the old farming." Such prejudices have died with them ; -the present generation of farmers are more enlightened, they are not, as their predecessors were, opposed to all suggested improvements of cultivation. C. HILLYARD. Thorpelands, near Northampton, March, 1837. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL SPENCER, patron of tfe Ttfortftamptonsljtre Jpartning $c Grains Socutn. MY LORD, That you should have allowed me the honor of dedicating this little product of my agricultural knowledge to your Lordship, claims my first and best acknowledgments ; while, permit me to add, the eminent part you have taken in the support of that cause which it seeks to advance, seems to invest you with a right of patronage to which few can be entitled. I desire not to flatter you, my Lord, or to offer you that adulation which is ever offensive to a noble and upright mind, but this I can say with truth, that the high gratification I feel in prefixing your honorable name to this little work, arises more from the veneration in which I hold your Lordship's character, than even as considering you the generous and distinguished patron of agriculture. I am, my Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient, humble servant, C. HILLYARD. Thorpelands, March, 1837. a ; .lo TjY9 ai ri^iiiw IK -jfilofca & " ... ) JJiw x 8 oca I aiili led ,&oloi j/fjjh st oHt-ro-ioiI TI/CV sarM , r/j FOLDING is a good practice on land that will not produce turnips, but will with folding, produce wheat of the very finest quality. So necessary is folding known to be on large, strong, arable-land farms, in Hampshire, ami in other counties, that large flocks of breeding ewes are kept for that especial purpose: the wether lambs, when weaned, are sold, and the oldest ewes are drafted to go into other counties tc* breed fat Iambs for the batcher, while the ewes are replaced by their tbeavea. Folding clover leys on light land for wheat is a good practice, ihe sheeps* dung being- more equally divided over the land than when the sheep are not folded. BREEDING CATTLE, to any extent, is best calculated for those counties where the land is not rich enough for feeding, or too far distant from London to get fat cattle there without great loss in \veight and value, besides in- curring great expense; still, however, I have long been of opinion, that breeding on a small scale, on many farms in this county, which are part arable and part grass, might be 47' tamed to a profitable account, provided the dairy part of the system is well managed. An increased quantity of good manure would be made, and the farmer without an annual outlay of cash would, after the third year, have every winter, money coming in from the sale of a few fat steers and cows. The raising a good supply of winter food for cattle, is the very life of farming, for the old remark is a just one "No food, no cattle; no cattle, no dung; no dung, no corn." I have no hesitation in determining, in my opinion, that the short-horned breed of cattle would an- swer best for this county. Good heifers may, with good judgment, be selected from the Yorkshire droves that come up, which if put to a well-bred Durham bull, would give the foundation of a good fair stock, without giving any fancy prices. Good cattle cost no more rearing than bad. The generality of Hereford cows give but a short quantity of milk. In Herefordshire their chief object in keeping a herd of cows is the rearing of calves ; they do not depend on making their greatest profit by the sale of butter or cheese ; wherever they do, the Durham breed answers better. Were I a breeder of Durhams, I should certainly try a cross from a pure bred grey Hereford bull, preserving thus the Durham colour, improving the Durham quality of flesh ; lessening their frame, and thus be enabled to keep a greater number of cattle on the same quantity of land : be- sides improving the quality of the flesh, the size of the oxen sent to Smithfield for sale would be somewhat reduced, and on that account would be worth somewhat more per stone. It must be admitted that the London butchers will give more per stone for a well-bred, and well-fed, Hereford ox, than for a well-bred and fed Durham. Any one having some of the red pure Durhams, bred by the Rev. Henry Berry, of Liverpool, might advantageously cross with a red pure-bred Hereford bull which may at most times be had of Mr. John Price, of Poole House, Upton-on- Severn, and thus preserve the Hereford color. No breed is better suited to such light soils as Norfolk than the North Devon. Mr. Coke's herd of cows are beautiful ; most of them are good milkers, and easily made fat, and the steers are excellent workers. Suffolk cows are very good milkers, but sadly ill- shapen about their rumps. I believe thai no one at this 48 time has a larger herd of pure-bred Durham cattle, than Earl Spencer has at his farm at Wiseton, in Nottingham- shire. The breeders of Durhams in this county are the Marquis of Exeter, the Right Hon. C. Arbuthnot, Sir J. H. Palmer, Bart., Sir Charles Knightley, Bart., Mr. Bagshaw, of Newton, near Kettering ; and John York, Esq., of Thrap- ston. The only Hereford breeder now in the county 1 be- lieve is, Stafford O'Brien, Esq , who, I think, breeds both Durhams and Herefords. The fact is that any in-calved Durham cows or heifers to be parted with are readily sold in any of our fairs and markets, and the Herefords are not. There are four different breeds of cattle in this country that are for different soils, situations, and purposes, superior to any other cattle in the world. The Durhams (or, as they are very commonly called the improved short-horns) and the Herefords, for the best pastures ; the North Devons for the short pasture on warm light soils ; and the Scots for the wild and cold pasturage. These four breeds of cattle will ever remain pure, because it is thought that they cannot be permanently benefitted by crossing with any other breed. The males of these breeds, with judicious crossing, would improve all other breeds. The Durhams would improve the Lincolns and the long-legged, light-fleshed Glamorgans and Monmouths; the Herefords, the Shropshire and Somer- setshire cattle ; the North Devons, the South Wales' beasts ; the West Highland Scots (which, taking the breed alto- gether, are as complete in their shape as any breed), these, or the Argyles, would make a very great improvement in the North Wales and Anglesey cattle. It is surprising to see the very great improvement that has in a very short time been made in the Irish cattle, from the introduction of good English and Scotch bulls. There may now be selected from these droves good fair Durhams ; and of the smaller kind many which when made fat will pass in Smithfield for polled Scots*. * One teaspoon ful of rhubarb, half the quantity of ginger, and sixty drops of laudanum, if given in time, will stop the scour in calves. For full-grown beasts it will require double the quantity of laudanum, and treble the quantity of rhubarb and ginger. I have found this answer although there ate perhaps better preparations to be bought. 49 At our Society's last annual meeting ( 1*30), the subject for discussion alter dinner was the breeding and rearing of sheep and cattle. It appears that the chief part of the most celebrated flocks of pure-bred Leicester sheep, have been bred without any introduction of blood from any other flock. What may be called close breeding there- fore, must have been a frequent practice ; but whether what I suppose to be called breeding in and in, that is putting the offspring to the parent, is a common practice, I could not understand. From the numbers in a flock of sheep, it cannot be a matter of necessity. The experienced sheep-breeder who proposed the subject for discussion, and was the principal speaker, gave his definition of crossing the breeds of animals, in different terms from what I should. Putting an ass to a mare, I should call crossing the species ; a Hereford bull to a Durham cow, or a Southdown tup to a Leicester ewe crossing breeds. Putting a tup, of one pure and close-bred flock, to ewes, of another pure and close-bred flock; or a bull, of either a pure- bred Durham or Hereford herd of cattle, to cows of another pure-bred herd ; this, I should call crossing of blood. Putting the offspring to its parent, is w hat I conceive to be the origin of the term breeding in and in. Some admit nothing to be breeding in and in but putting an own or full brother and sister together, because they say in all other cases there is an admixture of fresh blood. It is probably desirable to avoid breeding in and in, unless there is some reason for so doing ; because, generally speaking, a defect in the shape or quality of an animal, belongs not only to the individual, but to the family to which it belongs, and therefore it is probable that by breeding in and in, in the same family, any such defect will be increased : but there may be very good reasons for deviating from this general rule. For instance : suppose a bull, B, which has some remarkably fine fore quarters, is put to a cow, C (whose fore quarters are defective, but whose hind quarters are perfect), for the purpose of correcting the defect in her fore quarters ; and the produce to be a heifer, A, which preserves the perfection of hind quarters remarked in her dam, and is better than her dam, in the fore quarters, but still rather defective in that point, it would be better to put 60 the heifer, A, to her sire, B, than to any other bull not so good in his fore quarters as B. Many people talk a great deal about breeding in and in, and say (without however producing any satisfactory proof ihat their assertion is correct), that it weakens the constitution. But the real question is, would any experienced breeder put a female to a male, which, in his judgment, did not suit her, either in shape or quality, because he was not related to her ; in preference to putting her to a male who was related to her, but who did suit her both in shape and quality. It is never desirable to run counter to a generally received opinion unnecessarily, even if you believe it lo be founded in prejudice ; and if, therefore, a man has the opportunity of breeding from perfect males and perfect females, and is never obliged to breed from any animals, either male or female, in which he can discern a fault, he will be wise to avoid breeding in and in. Few people are, however, so fortunately situated, whose judgment is sufficiently accu- rate to enable them to discover faults when they are before their eyes ; and therefore in every other case a breeder will do better lo attend lo the peculiarities of the animals from which he breeds, and put the males and females together, so as to correct the defects he may see in either, than by fearing to put relations together, lose the opportunity of removing the defects which he may find in his stock. STEERS OR OXEN, FOR GRAZING. Every arable farmer should of course winter in his straw-yard as many beasts as he can ; the beasts so wintered at home, certainly improve faster when put to grazing in the spring, than beasts in the like condition that have been driven from a great distance. Still, however, as many beasts are wintered chiefly for their manure, on turnips and straw, in Hereford- shire, Shropshire, and other counties, they are often to be bought in the spring, at but a small advance of the price in the autumn, which answers better than consuming a great quantity of hay, and injuring pastures by treading. In the handling and selecting lean steers, or oxen, the skin should feel soft and pliable, not too thin nor contracted, as if it could never expand to cover a well-fed, increased carcass. It should feel as if there were something supple under it, 51 and not as a skin pasted on a deal board. The hair should be soft, not wiry. The head, horns, and shoulders, not coarse, and the latter not upright, but the blades coming properly into the chine, and the outside point into the neck, which will cause the kernel to appear full ; the eyes should be prominent, not sunken into the head. The purse should be of some size, pointing backwards, soft, and mellow; and not, as is often met with, a small lump, feeling like dried skin, which is an indication that the beast, after good feed- ing, is not likely to produce much inside fut. The flanks should feel as if there were something between this meeting of skin. The hips should feel soft, and full in the hand. Large round bones, and round thighs, are objectionable. FAT OXEN. The hand is applied to the rump, hips, and ribs, to ascertain how they are covered with meat ; then underneath, to the purse, which, if it proves large in the hand, and firm, it foretels thai the beast is ripe, and fat inside- The fulness of the throat, prominence of bosom, and covering of shoulders, are points which the butchers much attend to in computing the weight. A little lump, often seen outside, under the root of the tongue, which is called the taste, denotes ripeness ; and so also does a small lump on each side the root of the tail. When the end of the finger is applied between the rump and hips, and the flesh is found to be so elastic as to spring back again on the finger being taken off, this denotes good quality of flesh that is, fineness of the grain of the meat. But with all the judgment of the most experienced, the meat of some beasts, contrary to expectation, proves hard in the eating. Some years ago, I sold to a butcher of Northampton, two very fine Hereford oxen, for one hundred and ten guineas. They were thought to be equally fine meat, were of the same age, bred by the same person, fed together in the same manner by me, and both killed at the same lime, at Christmas. The meat of the one proved fine and tender, of the other, very hard. A well- fed ox should have a well-covered, straight, and flat back : well-covered projecting hips, bowed ribs, sloping shoulders, wide chine, deep fore quarters : project- ing bosom, good purse and flank, and not thin thighs. An act was passed, two or three years ago, that the stone 52 of meat, sold in all market?, should be 141bs. instead of 8lbs. as it had long been in London, and in many parts of the kingdom. London is our meat market the weight common there must be ours. All the reports of prices there, are for stones of 81bs. ; we therefore still compute our weight by the same stones. In many parts of Knglund the calculations are by scores per quarter, which is very easily brought to correspond with stones of 81bs. ; as thus 9 score a quarter is 90 stone ; 10 score a quarter, 100 stone. Experienced breeders only can clearly describe the form and quality of a good bull. I shall therefore merely say, that his handling should be like, that of a good steer ; but that he should have all the rough character of an entire male animal. Every one should bear in mind that the tempers of high-bred Curhams or Herefords are not at all times to be depended on, however harmless they may appear to be : for men have been killed by bulls who have looked after them from their being calves. ALDERNEY COWS. No cows, from their generally gay colour, red and white, look so well in a park as these ; their milk produces ihe richest cream and finest butter. They carry very little flesh when in milk, but when dried of it, may be made very fat beef. The Ayrshire cows are in size, a medium between the Alderney and Durham, are of better frame than the Alderney, nearly as gay in their colour, give a greater quantity of milk, but not of so rich a quality. They will also, when dried of their milk, get very fat. An implement for milking cows has been invented by Wm. Blurton, Esq. of Field Hall, Staffordshire. It is a metal tube, with a syphon at the lower end, and on its intrcduction into the teats of the cow, the milk flows freely out of the udder, without any manual labour. It is said that 16 cows can be as well milked, and in as little time, as six could be without the instrument, and without doing the cows any injury. I *v ' STALL FEEDING, which is now become so much more common throughout the country than formerly, has had the effect of making meat, in most years, as cheap in the spring as in the autumn, which it used not to be ; conse- 53 consequently stall-feeding, of late, has seldom turned out to be profitable, but often, as 1 have experienced, a serious loss. Meat cannot be laid on lean beasts in the stalls, to repay the expense of the food they consume ; the only chance of making stall-feeding answer is, to put in the beasts which prove to be only three parts fat at the latter end of autumn, when grass will no longer improve them, but which will in the stalls, increase in their weight, and improve in the quality of their meat ; still however, if the price of beef when these beasts become fat should be the same as when they were put into the stalls, the expences will not be repaid. Meat must be a penny a pound more in the spring than it had been in the autumn, to repay the great expenses of stall feeding. It is carried on to a very large extent in Nor- folk and Suffolk, and although from the great expense of oil cake consumed, the farmers certainly must lose by every beast they feed, still they must continue the system on their large arable farms, for the purpose of turning their straw into good manure. On beasts being tied up, white turnips w ill do for the first week or so ; they keep beasts cool inside, but there is so very great a proportion of water in them, that they are not of half so feeding a nature as Swedes. 1 hose who have mangel wun.el should keep it as a corps de reserve, for spring, or severe frost, when the turnips are frozen, which are often given to beasts almost as hard and as cold as stone, and which, in such. a state, cannot be good for them. The turnips should be cut there are many machines for cut- ting or slicing. The machine I use, and like better than any I have seen, I have had five-and-twenty years ; it was made at Banbury, turns very easily with a large fly-wheel, and cuts the turnips very expeditiously into irregular piece?, which I prefer to slicing them. My method of feeding, when the beasts have been up a little time, and when on what I call full feeding is thus : first feed in the morning, half a bushel of cut turnips, and afterwards half a bushel of cut hay, with about a quart of meal in it. These feeds repeated at noon ; in the afternoon, a feed of turnips, and supped up at night with hay in the rack, and three oil cakes in the manger. Should oil cake be cheap, give more of it, 'frz^td t> 54 and less of meal. The difference of the weekly cost of my way of feeding is as hereinafter stated. Oil cake at 12 per thousand in London, with the cost of about 2 per thousand getting home, will bring- the cost of each cake to very nearly three pence halfpenny. At 10. 10s. to three pence. The different weekly cost of feeding for each beast will be as under : a. d: 10} bushels of turnips ...... 3 6 1$ cwt. of hay 5 10 9 4 Turnips 3 6 1 cwt. of cut and uncut hay 5 half a bushel of meal 2 10 6 Half a bushel of linseed Three gallons of meal 1 1 J cwt. of cut and uncut hay 4 lurnips 3 s. d. 3 6 6 12 8 21 oil cakes at 3JJ 6 Three gallons of meal 1 6 Cut and uncut hay 4 Turnips 3 6 One acre of a &ood crop of Swedish turnips will produce sufficient for ten beasts, kept in the stall six weeks. No food can be given to stall-feeding beasts, that will fatten them so boon or so well as linseed oil-cake. It certainly is expensive feed, but not so expensive as it appears to be, taking into consideration that it fattens quicker. The expense of it compared with other stall- feeding food, is thus : when it costs the consumer at home 12. 10s. per thousand, each cake said to be 31bs. (but never are quite so much) ; the stone of 14lbs. costs Is. 3df . Linseed, at 56s. per quarter, Is. lid. Barley meal, when the price of good grinding barley is 26s. per quarter, the stone will be about lid. The stone of bean meal, when beans are 32s. per quarter, the same. Some winters, I have fed with linseed instead of cake, and found it answer very well, although it added to the trouble of feeding. My mode of preparing it has been to break it in a little hand- mill, and steep it in cold water, in seven tubs, of a size sufficient for one day's feed ; in this way it will have been steeped seven days before it is mixed with cut hay and S&AS& 55 barley, or (that which is better), bean meal. If steeped in hot water, two days will do, if steeped longer than three, it is apt to get a little sour, which I think not quite so well for the beasts. There are annually great importations of lin- seed, from which I conclude that it can be imported at a less price than it can be produced here. It is grown pretty extensively in some parts of the kingdom ; it is however to be regretted that the cultivation of it cannot be more general, and prevent the necessity of such great impor- tations ; and thus circulate amongst the English farmers a large sum of money which now finds its way into the pockets of foreign fanners. It should however be borne in mind that every ship-load of linseed or rape, or of cake made of either, is so much manure brought from foreign lands to enrich the land of this country. I have not yet made such use of wheat in feeding as to enable me from experience to speak decidedly about it. I have hitherto used only my tailing wheat, ground with barley, and thought it answered very well. But I hear of numbers of beasts being now fed entirely with wheat ; and, it is said, quite as well fed, and at a much less expense, than with oil cake at its present price. The way of preparing it for feed- ing is thus : steeped 36 hours ; then laid for five days on a brick floor, turning it over once a-day ; then laid on a boarded floor, about six inches thick ; in two days it will be fit for use. One gallon and three quarters, in the grown state, per day for each beast, is said to be about equal to one bushel per week of dry wheat. Having lately seen one ox that was said to have been entirely fed on wheat, leaves no doubt in my mind that it must be a very nutritious food for beasts ; I cannot, however, restrain some feelings of regret that this grain, intended onlv for the use of man, should be thus appropriated. Most likely, after two more harvests, the price of beans and barley will correspond, as it u&ed to do, with the price of wheat, and then it will no longer be given as food for beasts. After all the great trouble and expense of stall feeding, this mortifying circum- stance has frequently occurred : the beasts are sold in the Londcn market at a ruinous price to the stall-feeder, at less than they would have made in any other market ; the butchers knowing that the beasts, having been so much 50 knocked about in Smilhfield, could not be turned out of an overstocked market to come into the next, have frequently bought them at their own prices. It may not be thus when the Islington market is firmly established. 'I he amount of the grazier's or stall- feeder's profit, much depends on the salesmen they employ. 'I heirs is an office of great trust and confidence. In justice to those employed in this part of the country, or in fact in any other part that I am acquainted with, it is fair to say that I never heard of an instance of any untrue return made of the prices that beasts or sheep have sold for. Salesmen, from being regularly in the market, must, if they are not poor creatures, be good judges of the weight and the quality of the meat of the beasts or sheep they have to sell for their employers. But besides having good judgment, a Smithfield salesman ought to be a man of good temper, to bear the great under-value biddings of some of the butchers, in an overstocked market. He ought to have capacity to form a quick and correct judgment, when, from the state of the market, to give way, in the prices he has asked, and when to be firm ; and he ought, at all times, to spare neither pains nor trouble, to do the best in his power for those who employ him. To gain knowledge as to weight and quality, I for some years sold my own stall-fed beasts in Smithfield. I therefore know how the business is there conducted, and I am quite satis- fied that a clever, pains-taking salesman, who regularly attends the market, can, on the whole, make more of grazier's or stall-feeder's beasts, than they themselves can, provided be has not too large droves. Objections are reasonably and fairly made, to salesmen who are in the habit of jobbing. I have given rather lengthened details of stall-feeding, from its having been for some years my hobby ; but I confess rather an expensive one. No fox-hunter, however, can look with greater pleasure on his stable of fine hunters, than I have at my stalls of fine beasts. One inducement for nay stall-feeding on a large scale, has been my wish to find employment for my regular number of labourers throughout the winter. I have tied up, for several years, in the course of the winter, one hundred and fifty beasts ; las' year, only forty, chiefly well- bred Durhums, grazed in thi county, and I never had beasts that improved faster. 'I had some fine Hevefords, bought good meat at Hereford October fair, but from the drift home (as is always the case), they made little progress in feeding, in the first three weeks of their being tied up. tf beasts that are put up in warm places to stall-feed, have a great deal of long hair on their chines, top of their shoulders, and necks, it is a good plan to cut it off, for when the beasts are thriving, they perspire much in their fore-quarters; the long hair consequently gets matted together, and makes them very itchy and uncomfortable. Brushing also tends to their comfort and expeditious feeding. Many beasts are subject to be blown after eating their green food. In such case, let them be kept moving in a yard till the swelling goes down. If cutting, to let the wind out, be necessary, it should be done with a pen-knife, on the left side, between the haunch-bone and the first rib. It is not very probable that either grazing or stall-feeding- will ever again prove a profitable concern. Great quantities of fat beasts and pigs will be imported from Ireland, even should the condition of the Irish poor improve so decidedly that the consumption of meat be increased two-fold, for Ireland would still be capable of producing a sufficient quantity for export to depreciate the price of stock in this country. Those will have the best chance of making a profit of grazing who can get beasts forward in winter, and who have rich grazing land to make them early ready for market, there being generally a fair demand for good beef, in the months of July, August, and September. Times will not admit of giving exorbitant prices for fancy breeds ; still, however, I have found that it well answers to give something more for beasts which evidently show some good breeding, as such will fatten much sooner than mongrels, and therefore at less expense ; and although there is not now the same difference as there used to be in the price of meat of various qualities, yet the finest is most readily sold at the top price of the market. There cannot be a question but that in the large breeds of cattle, the competition is between two breeds only the Hereford and the Durham. I retain the same opinion as to the merits of these two excellent breeds, as I expressed more than twenty years ago. For H as grazing, I prefer Herefords for stall-feeding, Durhams ; having found that the latter increase faster in weight, and that if highly fed, they become more even carcases of beef, and are less likely than many of the Herefords, to prove patchy. It is said, and I think must be admitted, that from their larger frame, that Durhams consume more food than Herefords. As I am not biassed in favor of either, I think it fair to state what J. T. Senior, Esq. of Broughton, in the Vale of Aylesbury, says, relating to these two breeds. Mr. S says, that for many years past, he has himself sold, at the Christmas Smithfield great market, a drove of his best-fed Hereford oxen ; that near his drove there has been, for several years, Sir Charles Knightley's, of fine, well-bred, and well-fed Durhams; having thus had a good opportunity of examining them, he is convinced that he has yearly ob- tained as high a price for some of his Herefords, as has been made of some of Sir Charles's Durhams, which weighed each twenty stone more. I have seen the Fawsley and the Aylesbury land ; the former is good, but the latter is better. As many of the London butchers well know the superiority of the land of the Vale of Aylesbury, this may induce them to give an extra price for Mr. Senior's oxen, in the expectation, and particularly as they are older beasts, of finding in them an extra quantity of fat, for which, at Christmas, there is always a very great demand. The old Norfolk breed of cattle were bad. The late Mr. Bakewell said, they would be fairly shapen animals, if their bodies were turned upside down. The late Mr. Reeve, of Wighton, near Walsingham, who was a judicious and long- experienced breeder of both sheep and cattle, so improved the breed as to have a herd of well-shaped polled cows ; appearing as though they had a cross with the Galloway Scots. I have often seen, in Smithfield, well-formed and well- fatted Norfolk homebreds, much resembling Gallo- ways, excepting in colour. As the Norfolk land requires a great quantity of good manure, it answers there, to keep the beasts a long time in the stalls ; therefore all the Norfolk stall-fed beasts be they of what breed they may arrive in Smithfield better fed than beasts from any other county, the butchers, therefore, will give a greater price for them. They are, in the spring, the chief supply of best beef, for 59 London consumption. A great part of them are polled Galloway Scots, which, in their then state, are the most beautifully shaped animals that can possibly be seen ; their whole carcass is evenly fed, without any patches of fat ; the hind quarters of the beef, when hang-ing up in the butcher's shops, have all the appearance of the finest eating beef, the lean of a good dark colour, and the fat firm, and bright in colour. The late Mr. Bakewell was a singular sort of man, but his name will never be forgotten by sheep-breeders, for his great improvement of the breed of long-woolled sheep. About five-and-forty years ago, he played off an odd kind of trick with Mr. Coke. He went to Holkham, when he knew Mr. C. was from home, and purchased three of Mr. C.'s tups, which were of the old horned, black-faced breed, the only kind of sheep then kept in Norfolk ; picking out the plainest, longest legged, and largest horned. When persons came to see the Dishley breed of sheep, these tups were previously driven out of their pasture into a confined place. After the improved Leicester tups had been seen, the Norfolks were exhibited. They were let out of their confined place to return to their pasture; but in their way to it they had to leap a great height over a leaping-bur, which they performed very cleverly. Thus making Mr. Coke's Norfolk sheep a capital foil for the Dishley. About the year 1808, the late Mr. Webb Hall and myself carried on a good-humoured correspondence, in the Farmer's Journal, on Merino Sheep, without knowing each other's name ; he writing under the signature of " Alpha," and L under that of " A Northamptonshire Farmer." He was a great advocate for disseminating the breed through- out the country. I thought this would be a national mis- fortune ; that the consequence would be, a want of mutton; that the supply would not be near equal to the demand; that it was better to go on with our native breeds of sheep, and import wool, than to run the risk of wanting an impor- tation of mutton. Mr. Hall was a most able writer, and a great contributor to the Journal, which, at that time, was so well conducted, and contained so many original letters on agricultural subjects, as to make it a very interesting paper to those engaged in agricultural pursuits. There are still several flocks of pure Merinos in this country, which 60 we may conclude answer to the owners of them, or they would not be kept. A few are occasionally wanted for exportation to different parts of the globe. Among those who retain their Merino flocks, are Lord Western, and John Bennett, Esq. M.P. for Wilts. As persons probably will look into this book, who know little about sheep and cattle, it may be necessary to explain how the ages of them may be ascertained by examination of the mouth. I conclude that no one who has ever owned a sheep is not aware that they have no front teeth in the upper jaw ; but to my surprise [ have lately found that some who have long kept cows, and others who have fed bullocks, were not aware thai cattle also had no teeth in the upper jaw, except grinders. The ordinations of nature, in all cases, are most wise. Front upper teeth, for ruminating animals, would be most inconvenient, if not a preventative, for chewing the cud. Sheep and cattle, at their birth, or soon after, have eight small sucking teeth.* When one year old, the two middle ones fall out, and two larger come up in their place. At two years old, two more large ones come up ; at three, two more ; and at four, the last two of the sucking teeth fall out, and the last two of the broad teeth come up, and the animal is then called full-mouthed. Sheep, kept on stony land, are apt to break some of their teeth, and thus lose them earlier, but naturally they would retain them till they were about seven years old. Favorite ewes are often kept on for breeding, when they have no teeth but grinders left : it appears extraordinary that their gums should be strong enough so to bite the grass as to enable them to get as much of it into their stomachs as is necessary for their supporting lambs, and afterwards to get marketably fat. Beasts do not lose their teeth as sheep do ; they wear down, but clo not commonly drop out. I once bought a lot of aged Highland Scots, that had been working in a coal-pit for some years, without once seeing the light of day ; some of them, I was afterwards informed, were two- and-twenly years old. They throve well in the stalls, and * One part aniseed, nine parts wheat Sour, made into stiff balls with lipseed oil, put dowu the throat, after sucking, helps greatly to fatten sucking calves. 61 paid for the food they consumed. I make them thick fat along 1 their backs, and as their bellies came to be very near to the ground, they no doubt produced un extraordi- nary quantity of inside fat. The London butchers therefore made no complaint ; but I am doubtful if their customers might not complain of the hardness of the meat. I heard a person say, whom I have ever deemed a good judge of eatables, that the best beef he ever ate was of a cow of his, that he knew to be twenty-two years old. From four to six years, I should think the best beef. In the breeding counties, an ox is very seldom killed ; the beef there, is generally either heifer, two or three years old, or old cow ; therefore is seldom prime meat. The best beef to be met with in England, or I conclude 1 may say in the world, is in London ; but there also is sent the worst meat that the country produces.* GRAINS are better food for cattle than for pigs, which swallow them without mastication, and thus the nourish- ment in them is not extracted, as it is by ruminating animals. Grains from private brewing are best, as they have more goodness left in them than those from public breweries. Cattle in the stalls cannot be fed quicker or cheaper than with distiller's wash and grains ; but the fat part of the meat is generally high coloured, and does not become firm. After having written thus much of my little pamphlet, I met with a letter of mine, on the Breeding of Cattle, and Cattle Shows, dated September 25, 1826, which appeared in the " Northampton Mercury," and of which I am induced to give a copy herein : " TO THE PRINTERS OF THE NORTHAMPTON MERCURY. SIRS, I do not hesitate to reply to the letter addressed to me in your last week's Paper, although it is from an anonymous Writer ; and will herein state the arguments I made use of at the annual dinner of the Farming and Grazing Society, held at the George Inn, Northampton. * It is very difficult to describe that sort of touch a beast's skin should have, which denotes what is called " good handling.'' The nearest thing I can compare it to, is, passing the fingers over Indian-rubber. 62 It is very certain that if the same breed of Sheep and Cattle were in existence now that were sixty or seventy years ago, it would be quite impossible to supply the greatly increased population of this country, with a sufficient quantity of animal food The first person who turned his whole attention to the improvement of the breed of sheep and cattle, was the late Mr. Bakewell, of Dishley, Leicestershire, whose memory will ever be respected by the breeders and feeders of cattle, and de- serves to be by the country generally ; he, by selecting from the different breeds of sheep then in being those which showed the greatest aptitude to fatten, and with nice discrimination in crossing, in the course of time had a flock of sheep superior to any other man's in the kingdom. He turned his attention also at the same time to cattle, and produced some very fine animals, but was not so successful in establishing a breed for posterity as he was in sheep, which are of such inestimable value to the country that it is not likely it will ever become extinct. Breeders in other parts of the kingdom where their cattle were finer, and thus had a better foundation to work upon than Mr. Bakewell, followed his ex- ample, and by carefully selecting for breeding, animals of the finest form, softest skin, and the other usual signs denoting the greatest pro- pensity to fatten, have by these means produced in this country some breeds of cattle superior to any other in the world, namely, the Herefords, Durhams, and Devons; the first two both so good that the most com- petent judges are puzzled to decide which are really the best; to which may be added the Scotch, a smaller kind, well adapted to breeding in Scotland; and, fed in England, producing beef of as fine, or perhaps finer quality than any other. The late Duke of Bedford was the first to establish a meeting for a show of sheep and cattle, to bring the different breeds together for com- petition, for prizes liberally offered by his Grace; by the Woburn, and by other exibitions, the improved breeds have got into pretty general cir- culation throughout the country ; but as there are yet in different parts of the kingdom numbers of inferior animals bred and fed, where superior ones might be kept at the same, I may say at less expense, it is certainly most judicious to continue these exhibitions of animals till the inferior breeds are become nearly extinct. Your correspondent says as Lord Althorp so strongly encourages the feeding and exhibiting such fat cattle, that it must be right, although he cannot see it ; permit me to observe, that it is evident your correspon- dent well knows that Noble Lord. That there are animals fed fatter for these exhibitions than your cor- respondent and many others may like to eat, I will readily agree to; but as there are yet many old fashioned stomachs left in the country, strangers to bile, persons who are fond of this very fat meat, and can eat it without any inconvenience, there is not the waste your correspon- dent imagines ; but supposing that there is some waste of provender in making animals so very fat, the numbers so fed, compared with the number fed to produce meat enough to supply the country, is so very 63 trivial as not to be worth consideration. Most persons are apt to view the stock on their own farms with a partial eye, and to fancy they are belter than they really are ; by attending the cattle shows they find out their mistake, and take such measures as are likely to improve the animals they breed, and to be more particular in their purchases for feeding, by buying a better sort then they had been accustomed to do, which may be fed (as I have before noticed) at less expense than inferior ones can be. The perfection of all animals is this, to prodnce the greatest quantity of food for man, having consumed the least quantity of food themselves. As the best breeds of animals of the present day come so much earlier to maturity than the old breeds could be brought to, as the older an animal is the more it eats, I am persuaded a given quantity of meat may be produced from the best animals now bred which have not consumed above two-thirds, and perhaps not more than one-half, of the food that those of former times did to produce the like quantity; the present occupiers of the land are thus enabled to keep an increased number, and send a greater supply of animal food to market, and this surely must be a great national benefit. Lord Althorp very properly prohibits in his prizes for sheep the feeding with oil cake, corn, or any other artificial food, that the sheep may not be shown in an un- natural state; his Lordship also makes the same prohibition as to beasts up to the first of August, the time allowed by the Smithfield Club for oil-cake to be given to the beasts shown for the Smithfield prizes ; and as most of the best beasts which have been exhibited at Brampton are afterwards shown at Smithfield, his Lordship accom- modates his regulations to theirs. I think the feeding of sheep at all times of the year (except giving them a little corn in a very severe winter, when turnips are not to be got at, or are spoiled by the frost), ought to be confined to hay and green food ; summer and autumn-fed beasts also ; but as beef is very seldom met with too fat for tfie generality of people, although it may be for your correspondent, and as oil- cake so much expedites the stall feeding in winter, it may then be given to advantage, if the price of beef will allow the use of such expensive food. Most persons formerly sickened at the very sound of oil-cake, but that prejudice is now nearly done away with; three-fourths or more of the finest beasts that go up to London to be slaughtered in the winter, have had oil-cake given them with other food, and no where is beef met with so fine as in London ; and as oil-cake is produced by taking away the oily particles from lin- seed, I do not see why any person should attach any disgusting ideas to such a vegetable substance being given as part of the food for beasts. In the hope that I may have answered your correspondent to his satis- faction, and given such explanations as may appear intelligible to those of your readers who take an interest in Agricultural pursuits, without having tired their patience, or taken up too much of your Paper, I remain, Sirs, your's, &c. C. HILLY ARD." 64 As it is now admitted, by all who understand the subject, that Cattle Shows have been very instrumental in bringing about the great improvement that has been made in the breed of the sheep and cattle of this country, 1 have little to add on this subject. The annual meeting of (he Northamptonshire Farming & Grazing Society, and Cattle Show, is always held at Earl Spencer's farm, at Brain plon, four miles from Northampton, either on the Wednesday or Thursday before Doncaster Races. Some years, as many as a dozen of the London Christmas Show of Beasts, have been previously shown at Brampton. Last year, there were six, three of which gained prizes. MEASUREMENT OF CATTLE, to compute the weight of the carcass, when slaughtered. This, for many years I have been in the habit of doing with great success. In the year 1814, I printed, to circulate among my friends, a book to show the weight of animals, by measuring their girth and length ; and in a preface explained the necessary attention to be paid in the measuring. The late Dr. Woolaston formed from my book, for Lord Althorp, a sliding scale rule, which is to be had at Carey's, in the Strand, and which, as it will measure the very largest of beasts, is preferable to the book. The measurer should be a sufficient judge of beasts to know whether they are marketably fat or not ; and also something of their proper formation, so as to be capable of forming a just opinion whether they are proportionably heavier or lighter in their fore quarters than in their hind quarters, and of making such necessary allowance in com- puting the weight from the book or scale. I gave Carey the printed directions of my book, for the sliding scale. I wish now to say, in addition to the preface to my book, that if a beast is more than marketably fat, about 2^ per cent, may be added to the computed weight in the book ; and that if the beast is made so fat as to become a show beast, 5 per cent, may be added. I have generally found that the Durhams, from being more fleshy, prove according to their dimensions when quite marketably fat, somewhat heavier than the Herefords. In justice to the Hereford breed, it should be observed that well-bred and well-shaped store Hereford oxen and steers are to be had in great plenty ; but that really 65 good Duihams are so very scarce as seldom to be met with for sale. No two persons can meet upon more unequal terms to make a bargain than a person who occasionally only has a beast to sell, and a butcher who is buying and killing one or more every week, and therefore must be a pretty accurate judge of ihe weight of beasts. With the aid of the book or scale, this great inequality for making- the bargain is in a great degree corrected the one measuring with the eye, the other with the tape. The live weight of a beast being ascertained, by being put on a road weighing 1 machine, a pretty correct idea may be estimated of the weight of the carcass, by deducting one third, and five per cent, from the gross weight. CART HORSES. It is not necessary for ploughing light, or loamy soils, to work real cart horses ; still as light horses are not to be depended on for a long-, and a strong- pull when wanted, it is necessary to have three strong fillers. I should prefer a Suffolk or Cleveland bay team to any other. For strong clay land real cart horses are best ; and by buying in colts at two years old, or breeding, and selling them at five or six, for London drays or other purposes, farmers may get their work done, and on this plan make a profit. With such a system they must be well kept ; but on light soils, where the work is not hard, the cart horses do not need expensive feeding. As I seldom grow oats, and never beans, mine scarcely know the taste oi either ; they occasionally get light tailing barley ; but their chief food during the winter is barley chaff mixed with carrots, chopped very small, and given at the rate of a bushel daily between four horses. When my carrot crop has failed, they have cut Swedish turnips, double or treble the quantity, and also bran mixed with the barley or wheat chaff. As my cart horses during winter work every day in the week, but one, they certainly are not encumbered with flesh, but they lay on a sufficient quantity of it in spring and summer when soiled in the yard with vetches. If I were younger, and farmed largely, I would certainly have a chart-cutter werked by a horse, and have all horse food given in the manger, there is then no waste, the unpalatable parts of the hay arc thus consumed. 66 LAYING DOWN LAND FOR PERMANENT PAS- TURE. There is no operation in agricultural pursuits, about which there is such a diversity of opinion as to the best manner of converting tillage lane! into permanent pas- ture. Some land is so naturally disposed to produce good grass, that it ia not necessary to sow any seeds. A great part of the finest pastures in Leicestershire became so with- out any being sown, but the greater portion of soils, if left to nature, would produce nothing but worthless kinds of herbage. Different kinds of soil require different modes of management to bring them sufficiently fine to receive the grass seeds ; a great variety of which is necessary for all soils, so that at all times of the year winter of course ex- cepted there may be some of them in their greatest perfec- tion. The late intelligent and much lobe regretted Sinclair, in his publication, " Hortus Graminum Woburnensis,"says, " The scented vernal grass, meadow fox-tuil, and smooth meadow-grass, give the first nutritious bite in March and April, others in summer, and the broad-leafed bent and aftermath, or eddish of cock's foot, meadow fescue, and others, the richest keep in autumn and winter." For con- verting arable into pasture land, the former should be fairly but not over-dunged, and the dung well incorporated with the soil before the grass seeds are sown. Lime also should be used. A top dressing of well-rotted and well-pulverized manure should be laid on the young seeds to protect them in winter. Common rye grass, or broad clover, should never be sown for permanent pasture White clover, and cow grass which it is most difficult to get genuine should form a great portion of the seed sown ; an ope- ration which should be performed in May, with a very light sowing of barley or oats. If the land cannot be got quite clean and ready so soon, the seeds are best sown without corn. In such case, I recommend that the scythe be skimmed over the young seeds in autumn, in preference to having them eaten down by sheep, or letting them stand to die down in winter. I have, within these few years, turned into pasture several small closes of the hanging of hills, at Thorpelands, in different ways : some, by sowing the seeds of a very clean piece of good pasture the other, with bought mixed seeds. All have done well, and now G7 appear like old pasture land. It cannot be expected that landlords should permit fine, old f rich, strong land pastures to be ploughed up, but as the laying down to permanent pasture is now so much better understood than formerly, many old pastures with bad herbage might be broken up, a crop or two of corn taken to pay expenses, and afterwards turned into a good pasture, instead of allowing it to remain an indifferent one. Few people would think of laying down light land for pasture, except for the convenience of having grass on a particular part of a farm perhaps near the farm-house. In such a case, inoculation is probably best. On Mr. Coke's estates (where it was first introduced by Mr. Blomfield, a tenant), it has succeeded excellently well : but 1 have known it, in other counties, completely fail. There has always appeared to me this disadvantage in inoculation : the chief part of the best grasses have tap roots, which are cut in two, in cutting the turf; and there- fore I conclude perhaps erroneously will not grow. It is to this, and sometimes to the very bad sort of turf that has been made use of, that 1 attribute the failures that I have seen. If land intended for permanent pasture is not very foul, it may be got clean, to be sown with white turnips in July, and the grass seeds sown in the spring, with a light sowing of barley or oats, but if it has a great deal of twitch in it, or the roots of thistles, docks, or nettles, it is better to keep it on the fallow the whole summer, for if such roots are not killed, they will send forth shoots that will be a continual plague, se long as the land remains in pasture. LUCERNE. I grew it for my cart horses, for some years, and thought it answered very well, but finding that they liked vetches so much better, I now grow them instead of lucerne. It should be sown in rows, about nine inches apart, and about 121bs to the acre, in April or May ; but should the fly take it, it may be sown in August. It must be kept clean, for although it has an immense tap root, if grass is suffered to grow round the top of the root, it will destroy the plant. Some persons sow it broadcast, and as much as 401bs. per acre. RYE-GRASS. The greater part of it sold is grown on G8 very badly cultivated farms, and therefore very often full of twitch seed, which is difficult to distinguish from rye-grass, being similarly formed, although with a much longer tail. Rye-grass should not be sown for a one year's clover ley. The Italian rye-grass is said to be the most productive and best. My first crop is now growing for seed, and promises to answer my best expectations. I have little doubt but that after the crop is carted -off, and the land manured,! shall, with one ploughing, get a good fair crop of white turnips. For a CLOVER LEY, to remain one year only, ISlbs. of broad clover, without any rye-grass : for two years lOlbs. of broad clover, Gibs, of Dutch, 4lbs. of trefoil, and halt' u bushel of rye-grass to the acre. Clover, or seeds of any kind, cannot be sown by hand any thing like so well, or so expeditiously, as by a machine, such as I have used for five-and- twenty years. It is a long box, wheeled on a sort of barrow, the seed forced out by brushes, from twenty-one openings, each having one large hole for rye-grass, and twelve small holes, to let out clover, or any other seed ; and according to the uumber of small holes left open, will be the number of pounds sown to the acre. Clover-seed and rye-grass can be sown mixed, but they are best sown sepa- rately ; each sort is thus more evenly scattered over the land. It was originally made at Farnham, but the patt nt being out, it is now made in different parts of the kingdom. It was intended also to sow turnips broadcast, but as that is not my practice, I had a row of ten pipes suspended below the box ; it will therefore drill them, ten rows at a time, 13 inches apart, on land that has an even surface. NETTLES. The most effectual way to destroy them on grass land is, to cut the turf in which they grow, pull the nettles out of it, dig the roots out of the earth, and then put the turf down again. THISTLES are very difficult to destroy, in grass land. After trying various ways, i have found that pulling them up with a pair of pincers in May, when the grass is of some length, and a full crop of grass is to be afterwards mown, few thistles will come up the next year, and not a quarter 69 of the original number, the year following ; and if the grass is annually mown, the thistles will then be nearly de- stroyed. In pulling up, we find that all the roots (which are from six to eighteen inches long), are shoots broken off from roots, running horizontally a great depth in the earth. The broad, or what with us is called the pod- thistle, not having a tap-root, is easily pulled up with a docking-iron, and is thus destroyed. The growth of this kind of thistle is an indication of poor land : not so the growth of the other kind. No thistle on a farm should be suffered to run to seed, if it is possible to prevent it. Many persons think that when the thistle-down flies about, the seed has dropped from it. I much doubt if it is so, and therefore am careful not to let any thistles go to seed, either in my fields or hedges, and to keep a look-out that none mature in the roads adjoining my farm. If every shoot is spudded up as soon as it appears above ground, it will much tend to get rid of them, for no root can flourish in the earth, without having communication with the atmospheric air. DRAINING. Where it is wanted, it is useless to think of entering on other improvements of the land. A complete knowledge of the art of draining is not wanted to carry off what is merely surface water ; but the water that lies deep in the earth, and only rises to the surface in particular parts of the field, requires the skill of a scientific drainer, so that no greater length of deep, and consequently expensive draining is made, tlran is absolutely necessary. Sir C. M. Burrell, Bart. JV1.P. New Shoreham, has informed me of the surprisingly great improvements that have been made on his estates by Pearson's 1> raining Plough. All particulars relating to it are fully detailed in a pamphlet, written by Thomas Law Hodges, Esq. M.P. West Kent, which is to be had at Ridgway's, Piccadilly, London. A most effective surface draining has been accomplished on Lord Spencer's estate, at Wiseton, in Nottinghamshire, by means of an eight-horse power steam-engine. Five hundred acres of swampy meadow land, lying on both sides of a river, and lower than the bed of it, bearing only coarse aquatic grasses, of little value, not worth more than fifteen shillings an acre to rent, now become worth full five- 70 and-twenty. The cost of the engine was 520 ; the neces- sary buildings, and iron pipe, twelve inches in diameter, lying under the bed of the river, 400. For this outlay of capital, and the annual expense of coals, and labour to work the engine, not exceeding 60, there is an increased annual value of 250, on this part of his lordship's estate. Besides this, the engine, whilst throwing up the water to convey it into the river, grinds corn, cuts turnips, hay, and straw pumps water for the cattle in the yards, and houses ; and would, if required, thrash all the corn. Had there been a thousand, or more acres of the land, the engine would have drained it, with scarcely any additional expense. The most extensive drainage that I have heard of in England, has been effected by an outfall, commencing about six miles east of Wisbech, and terminating in the deep water of Wisbech eye, which is an inlet of the German Ocean. The length of the artificial channel is eight miles ; the width, from J50 to 300 feet ; the depth, not less than from 25 to 30 feet, on high water, of a spring-tide, and from five to ten, at low water. It drains about 100,000 acres of fen-land, lying between the rivers Nene and Wei- land. This drainage is accomplished without the aid of any wind or steam-engines, as the Nene outfall daily ebbs out low enough to provide for the perfect drainage of all these fens, at all seasons, without a day's interruption. It also enables vessels, of 300 tons' burden to reach Wisbech, which was formerly only accessible (and that with diffi- culty), to vessels of about sixty tons. It has enabled 1,500 acres of land, of excellent quality, to be embanked from the sea; and will, in a few years, afford the means of embank- ing about 4,000 more. The work was begun in 1827, and opened for use in 1830. It has cost about 200,000, and about 150,000, or rather more, has been spent in adapting the interior drainage of the fens to the improved outfall. Great works of this kind add to the wealth of the nation, not only by increasing the produce of the soil, but by aug- menting the source of employment for agricultural la- bourers, they also add to the nation's independence, by preventing the necessity of importing foreign corn. Had there been no corn-laws, probably no persons would have 71 been found, to embark their capital in this great drainage of fen-land. PLANTING, and bringing into cultivation a tract of wild, uncultivated land, would be, I should think, if not a poor tenacious clay, a very interesting employment for any young man to superintend, who owns such a property. The first step should be to fix on the spot where the necessary buildings should be erected ; the next, where plantations are to be made, to produce useful timber, and to afford necessary shelter for stock ; having in them a great variety of young trees, so that those which are of the quickest growth to come into use, may be cut down, to let in all necessary air for the others. Some, thus employed, might live to enjoy the same gratifying feelings that Mr. Coke experienced, about three years ago, when, with Lady Ann and his four sons, he was on board a vessel, launched at Wells, which was built of oak, produced from acorns of his own planting. Great injury has been done to much timber by cutting off large shoots from the trunk and principal branches of trees, close to the bark ; the bark will soon cover the ampu- tated shoot ; when the tree is cut down, those parts will appear swollen, and when cut. into, the rotten shoot is found. If some length of the branch had been left, before the bark could have closed, the dead shoot would have been forced out by the growth of the tree. FENCES. It has long been my practice to keep the hedges, which separate arable fields, very low ; and am surprised that such is not the general practice, as high hedges are attended with these disadvantages : loss of ground, production of palt, and of an inferior quality of corn, growing near the hedge, which it is difficult to get dry when cut. A high hedge is a harbour for birds, and is often so thin at bottom as to permit sheep to creep through. Formerly, the cuttings of a high hedge brought a good price for baker's faggots ; coal is now used, and thorns are therefore worth very little. Every cut with the hatchet should be made upwards, to prevent bruising the stock. Hedges which are to be fences against cattle should, when 72 cut, be plashed or layered ; but those which are for shorp only, should be annually slantingly trimmed up, und the top thus kept thin. All trees, in arable land find hedges, do much injury, but the ash the most, the roots of which run to a great distance, horizontally, near the surface, taking nearly all the nou- rishment from the earth, so that neither corn nor turnips which grow under them, are ever worth much. Every ash tree grown in an arable land hedge row, has done five times the amount of damage to the occupier of the land than the tree is worth when cut down. THE WIRE- WORM. I gave my opinion, some years ago, at the annual meeting of the Northamptonshire Farming & Grazing Society, that this destructive creature was the larva of the Harry long-legged fly ; but although I produced both the fly and grub, to show their resemblance, I could get no converts to my opinion. It is now, how- ever, pretty generally admitted that it is so. I have seen, in August, thousands of these insects, hovering over pas- tures and clover leys, in acts of increase, where they no doubt deposit their eggs. Formerly, I sustained great losses in my wheat crops by it, but not of late yeors, having wheat after a one-year's clover ley, instead of after a two- year's. I know not how it is to be destroyed in the land : that elegant little bird, the wagtail, will pick up every one it can get at. Half-ploughing the land, in November, might be of some use. OLD PASTURES. I have heard of extraordinary good grazing land, in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and in some of the fens. The best I ever saw is in the Vale of Aylesbury. These superior pastures will feed one large ox, and one large wether sheep, or ewe and lamb, per acre ; but it may be called good pasture land that will feed two oxen for three acres, and one ewe and lamb per acre. There are different opinions as to the number of acres that an ox-grazing pasture ought to contain. This must mainly depend on the supply of water. Sixty or seventy acres, xvell supplied, and the land not being some parts high, and some low, should I think, be divided ; but if it were so, I think not ; for 73 cattle, in the different changes of weather, much like a change of ground ; the high for coolness, and to be less tormented with flies in hot weather, and the low to escape the surly blasts of winter. In the h'ne grazing farm at Creslow, near Aylesbury, so long occupied by the cele- brated grazier, the late Mr. Westcar, there is one of the pastures which contains upwards of three hundred acres. As there is in it a very good supply of water, there cannot be a doubt but that it might be advantageously subdivided, for in all large pastures, some parts of them will produce a much sweeter herbage than others ; the beasts, therefore, in any thing like a grass-producing year, wfll graze some parts of the pasture very close to the ground, and others scarcely touch ; which is generally mown, but which can never be made but into a very inferior kind of hay. 1 have heard some graziers talk of leaving grass for winter and spring keep ; this practice I have ever thought bad ; the grass of all pastures should be well bottomed before spring-. Where the grass has decayed on the ground, a less quantity will shoot up in the spring, and that will have so sour a taste, that fatting beasts will not touch it. The owner of the Creslow farm is Lord Clifford, who, I understand, feels, as many other noblemen probably would, if they possessed such a property, that as there is not another so large and fine a grazing pasture in England, likes it to remain as it is. It is advantageous to graze sheep with beasts, but the larger and more valuable the beasts, the smaller should be the proportionate number of sheep. If there should be a carriage-road in a sheep-pasture, or even a much-used foot-path, the sheep ought to be folded, to prevent their leaving their manure on it. In many pastures they are apt to lie every night on the same part, and there leave their dung : in such case, folding is judicious. Cow-clotts should be gathered up in the spring and summer : in the winter they should be knocked about. A pasture cannot be a good one for beasts, that has not a good supply of water. Unless unusually hot, sheep, in summer, will do very well without any, if the grass is of sufficient length to retain, for some time in the morning, the dews of the evening. There should be no water in the field where ewes are kept in lambing time. 74 IRRIGATION. Were I to enter fully into this subject, it would occupy more space than I can allot to it in this little work. Irrigating grass land, in a proper manner, an- swers the purpose of manuring, and in some respects, for a time, better, for it will earlier bring forward spring grass, which is always very valuable, and when eaten off, the land may be again irrigated to produce a good crop for hay, and thus make the grass land enrich the arable. The most effective and productive irrigation is in meadow land, where the brook can, for the necessary time, 1* turned out of its course. The advantages of irrigation ar|tovv so well known, it is surprising that every occupier of g* en rfk * ooiooooP' Rent per acre. 1 S O O 0=0000? Whole Rent. 1 S S" CO CO t_i ^> ^ CO *O ^J . . tO CO CT> OD CT> CO - Value of produce J 1 & profit of stock ^ en en Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn 4^- 4^ 4^1-f^ to to co ^j en 1 . J Cno O O CnO ooo ooo? Amount of ~^ Expense. = a co to CO CO to to to tO 4k CO O3 h-, ** 4x CT. OO CO CO . Occupier's r- Income. 4k CO CO CO O CO O5 o o o o co to * '' O ~J OOOO O CO* . oo co coo*, f 3 " Rent per acre. ^ o e c- o Q J 30 00 O CO . O O ^1 ^JCn CC C O O ^1 * Amount of Rent. co o CO CO CO o oo *^i cocccc ~i asOij+j Value of pioducc SF & profit of stock -o to to Cn en o o to to o o o o cc cc cc toooov 5 COO ^100 tO vl ooo ooo" Expenses. ? co to to 8 g 8 or COOCOO) V s - CO to CO J i-" Occupiers r- Income. 8 to Cn ro ,o IB en to to to en *. O O5_O CTl O OS P* Rent per acre. ^ co to o Cn O 1 to to S Cn 4. V s O Cn en en to o ooe o co J" s- Amount of 3 rent. CO OO 5 00 oococo toen* oooooo." o Value of produce f & profit of stock 1? OO Cn o- Expenses. g =r Occupier's - 8 8! oooSenS . Income. iS -J 4k O> CO OO CO ^* Occupier's loss of income, with re- duction of rent wheat being reduced from 7s. to 5s. per bushel. en 05 05 en O *>. o co Cn4k4^>f*IOtO<0^ If the farms were titheable, and gP> o> en co & -ii O ^1 Cn o -COOO.^ i Oi^OOOCno, wheat 6s. per bushel, the tithe would be o P gj o a> e a 5 ^ uo,_ g c- ^ rt> i il - c-3 ^-o 2, S 2/< =r 3. ~" ^j TO O - ffl a in =y 3 < S /- w of "" S- o o < -- ^ oXe P S 3 I Hill O c ^"CK) O ~> & O ?""" ; n .f S 3 of n C > 3 " b 81 In the above statement, the whole amount of value of the produce of each farm is calculated ; therefore, if the occu- piers consume in their families, corn or meat, or corn by any other horses than one to ride to market, or cart horses, the value of such corn or meat must be considered as part of their incomes ; which, according to my calculations, will be, on poor clay farms (with my lowest valuation of produce) not more than sufficient to feed, and plainly clothe, their families, or to give their children any thing; beyond the most homely education. The occupiers of good turnip, or good grazing land, need not despair of getting, with industry, and good management, and good judgment of stock, a comfortable maintenance ; for the demand for corn and meat (both of which they can produce at less expense than the occupiers of poor land), must increase with our increasing population. If a farmer were to ask his sons what line of life they would like best, the chance is, even if there were half a dozen, or more, that they would all answer, farming. It is, however, the duty of the fathers to be satisfied, in their minds, that their sons are likely to turn out steady and industrious, before they consent to their being brought up in that line, for to those who do not turn out so, there is, in the life of a farmer, too many temp- tations to pleasure. Farmers should also consider what prospect they have of getting farms for their sons, before they bring them up as farmers. Kail-roads will certainly cause a change in the value of land, in different pails of the kingdom. The gross value of the land, five miles round London, will, 1 conceive, be lessened, and the land, fifteen or twenty miles from it, that lies near a rail-road, increased in value, not only from the facility of getting its produce to market, but for its conve- nience of residence for persons who have daily business to transact in London. Good feeding grass land, from forty to sixty miles from London, has hitherto been of much greater value than the same description of land, a hundred and twenty miles from it ; but if the sheep and cattle fed on it can be conveyed there at the small expense it is said they will be, the distant land will be increased in value, and consequently the nearer, somewhat lessened. The produce of a poor clay arable land farm, and the 82 profit of the stock kept upon it, ought to amount to seven rents, as thus : one for the landlord ; four and a quarter, expenses ; and one and three quarters for the tenant's maintenance. On a poor sand farm, where the expenses are less, six and a quarter will do. On fair clay land, four and a quarter: one, landlord ; two and a quarter, expenses; one, tenant. On good turnip land, three and a half; one, landlord ; one and three quarters, expenses ; three quarters, tenant. Superior grazing land, two and a quarter : one, landlord ; half, expenses ; three quarters, tenant. 'J here is a difference of opinion as to the size that farms ought to be : most, who consider the question as it regards the public interest, are against large farms ; believing that there is not a proportionably equal number of labourers kept on large farms as there is on moderate-sized ones ; besides which, it is argued that two farmers' families might be maintained where there is only one. Perhaps there are not, on the generality of farms of five hundred acres, double the number of labourers employed as there are on farms of two hundred and fifty acres. It is certainly in the power of a good farmer to well manage, at less expense per acre, two hundred and fifty acres of good arable land, than he could one hundred and fifty acres, of the same quality. As the question regards landlords and tenants, the size of farms must depend on the nature of the soils, the parts of the country in which the farms are situated, and the compe- tency of the tenants ; for landlords cannot be expected to let large farms to tenants with small capital. When wheat, the chief dependence of clay land farmers to pay their rents, was selling at eight-and-thirty shillings per quarter, as it had been for a considerable lime previous to about the middle of February, 1836, such farmers were then in a truly distressed state : but not so the turnip-land farmers , for barley, oats, mutton, and wool, were then selling at fair prices. There should always, at harvest, be a good stock of wheat in the farmers' hands. In former times, there always was : but of late, those farmers who could keep part of their produce have not, for from the violent speeches against the corn laws, so continually made in Parliament by the Honorable Member for Middlesex, they do not feel 83 certain of the present corn laws being retained. Their fears, I hope, are groundless, for with the increased pro- duction, from the improved cultivation of the land, in England and Scotland, and the expected improvement in Ireland, I trust Parliament will believe that henceforth there will be no more necessity to import foreign wheat into the British dominions, than to import foreign children. The Honorable Membr r for Middlesex is very peculiar in many of his notions ; he is reported to .have said that which, I should hope, he could not find in the six hundred members of the House of Commons, six, to agree with him, " that England would be in as flourishing a slate as it now is, if it did not produce one single bushel of corn." It appears that great men may greatly differ in opinion on subjects of the greatest importance, for Dr. Johnson says, " Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own." Having the opportunity, in this second edition, I make a few brief observations on the able " Remarks on the present state of Agriculture," by Charles Shaw Lefevre, l^sq. in a letter, addressed to his constituents of North Hampshire. In consequence of the distress which prevailed, it was absolutely due to the agricultural interest to have a Committee of the House of Commons appointed, to inquire into the causes of the distress, and to report, from the evidence which came before them, their recom- mendations for relief. That the Committee should not have known what "to recommend, and therefore should have made no report, could not have surprised any able-minded agriculturist, whose thoughts had been di- rected to the subject. Mr. Lefevre says he is decidedly in favor of a fixed duty on foreign corn, instead of the present duty, which is fluctuating ; but should this alteration not take place, he yields to the suggestion of a gradual reduction in the present scale of duties on importation. This suggestion, it appears, comes from dealers in foreign corn ; those who, till within the last few years, carried on a lucrative concern in that article. May it not reasonably be suspected, that such persons may be desirous of regaining their now nearly lost trade ? During the last twenty years, I have read so much as to the price that 84 wheat can be grown for on the Continent on fluctuating duties, and on fixed duties, &c. &c., that 1 mean to read no more on such subjects. After thirty years practical pursuit of agricultural affairs, accompanied by attentive consideration of all matters relating to them after all I have read after all the arguments I have heard I am decidedly against any change in the present corn laws, conscientiously believing them to be most just and fair, between the growers and consumers of corn. British occupiers of land, with less protection from foreign impor- tation, could not support the labouring agricultural popu- lation, pay taxes, and pay their landlords such moderate and fair rents as they are justified in taking. \Vhy a reduction of the duty on malt is to be mixed up with the corn laws, I cannot comprehend. 'Tis true that farmers (from the necessity of giving beer to their labourers), would be more benefited by a reduction of the duty on mall than shopkeepers and many others; but as the benefit which the farmers might derive, would not be at the cost of any other class of the people, I do nut see why any part of the protection which the present corn laws afford, should be taken from them, on account of any little extra advantage which they might derive from a reduction of the duty on malt. Air. Lefievre says, the present corn laws have been a delusion. I cannot answer for what they may have been to others, to me they have been no delusion. The Legisla- ture, at the time of their enactment, contemplated they would be a protection to 60s. per quarter, for wheat ; I then told persons of distinction, that 1 calculated they were only to 56s. The late very low price was no proof of delusion ; for in all commodities, if the supply exceeds the demand, as it did last year in wheat, prices must fall. Many most ingenious attacks are continually made on the corn laws by most able writers, employed to fill up the pages of newspapers, and many apparently plau- sible arguments are brought forward for their repeal. It is said that our ports ought to be open, free of daty, to foreign corn and manufactured foreign goods. I ask, in answer to this, will foreign ports be thus open to British manufac- tured goods ? It is well known that England possesses euch vast resources within itself for the purposes of manu- 85 facture, that all goods, of any importance, can be manu- factured in this country (with the present corn laws), at a cheaper rate than in any other part of the world : English manufacturers, therefore, fear no foreign competition. When it can be proved that it is possible to produce corn at as low a price in this country as on the Continent, then, but not till then, shall I become one of the numerous agri- culturists whom Mr. Lefevre wishes may be convinced, " that the best thing which the Legislature can do for them, is to free their trade from the shackles imposed upon it by impolitic laws." I can truly say that it is not on selfish grounds that I wish to retain the present corn laws, but for the welfare of the whole rural population, which forms so great a portion of the British nation. As the mercantile, manufacturing, and trading interests are most powerful in the House of Commons, and united against all corn laws, it would be the height of folly, should there be any dis- union amongst the supporters of the agricultural interest, on account, of a difference of opinion as to which is best, a fixed or a fluctuating duty on foreign corn. No change in the present corn laws, in my opinion, ought to be attempted, for 1 am well convinced, should any take place, that it would be disadvantageous to the agricultural interest. ON PRICES. No one can, with any degree of cer- tainty, foretel what will be the future price of either corn or meat. Whenever it can be ascertained that there is a pretty general belief throughout the country, that corn, or meat, at a specified time, is to be high priced, 1 think it advisable to sell before that time arrives ; for from the generality of persons acting upon this expectation, they prevent the rise of price at such time. Before an occupier of land fixes the price of any thing he has to sell, he should previously inform himself what is the real market price of that descrip- tion of produce which he has to dispose of; for if he asks the price such was worth, ten days, a week, or often only a few days, before, he will be liable, either to sell under the market price, or to ask so much above it as to lose a good customer. Not having convenience to keep corn, when threshed, it has been my custom to sell, on its being winnowed up, and, taking one year 86 with another, I have probably obtained as good prices ( taking into account waste and expenses), as those who had the convenience of keeping. All large farmers, however, ought to have a good granary.* My usual practice has been to have as much as I could of wheat put in, but the price of wheat, last harvest, being so low, and the price of barley being good, I filled my barn with barley to sell first, and bought seed wheat ; this arrangement turned out profitable to me. It is only a portion of the stall- feeders, and the occupiers of good turnip land, that are benefited by a great rise in the price of meat, in the spring. The graziers of this and adjoining counties suffer, from their being consequently obliged to purchase at higher prices, for their summer's grazing. Since the publication of the first edition, times have greatly improved for all occupiers of land, but particularly for those of a poor clay, who had, for a considerable time, been in a most distressed state ; but all will now, I trust, partake of that prosperity which has for some lime past been generally felt throughout the country, excepting by those engaged in agriculture. ON THE IMPORTATION OF IRISH PRODUCE. Many of the English occupiers of land have looked with a jealous eye on the great importation of Irish agricultural produce. Ireland has as much ri^ht to send its surplus agricultural produce to any part of England as Scotland has ; or, as one part of England has to send any of its produce to another part, where it is likely to fetch a better price. The Irish agricultural population ought to excite the pity, not the jealousy, of the English; for in the comforts of a civilised nation, as to food, clothing, con- tentment, and good order (the consequence of long- continued industrious habits), the agricultural population of Ireland could have as little resembled the English had they been two thousand miles asunder, and Ireland been no part of the British Empire. I have ever looked on an Irishman in the same light as a Yorkshireinan, or a man of any other county. I therefore was much surprised to hear * Before beginning to cart grain at harvest, it is well to consider which is the more likely to be in the greatest demand after harvest, wheat or barley, to determine with which the barn shall be filled. 87 that a Peer of the Realm should declare, in the House of Lords, that the Irish .people were aliens of course, there- fore, had not the same claims to the protection of the British government, as the English people had. The term alien, however, might have been merely an unguarded expression, arising out of the heat of debate. I never was in Ireland, but from all I have heard, it appears that the land, take it altogether, is capable of being made to produce, per acre, as much human food as any land on the face of the globe. The people of a country with such resources within itself, ought to be as comfortable, happy, and contented, as any people in the whole world. The present condition of a great portion of the Irish population is most lamentable, but how it is to be amended, those only who well know the country, and the people, can form any just idea. Taking into consideration the large supplies that must come from Ireland, even if the condition of the lower orders should be so improved that they shall consume double the quantity of wheat they now do (for, whilst their condition is improving, they will so improve the cultivation of the land, as greatly to increase its produce) the increased supply from the effective draining of the fens of this country the lessening the demand for wheat, from the labourers' allotment system (which has increased the con- sumption of potatoes in labourers' families, and decreased the consumption of bread, besides which, the general con- sumption of potatoes has of late years been much increased, from their being of a better and more nutritious quality) under all these circumstances, without there should be in some year a general failure of the crop, or the country be involved in war, or until there is a very great increase of the population, I feel persuaded that the future average price of wheat in this country, with the present corn laws, will not exceed fifty-two shillings per quarter, with other grain at corresponding prices. As the burthens on agriculture have been lightened, active and industrious tenants, renting under liberal landlords, will be able, with such prices, to obtain decent maintenance for themselves and their families, but not at less : for labour, and other expenses of culti- vation in this country, cannot be reduced accordingly. 88 Very low prices for agricultural produce will certainly be beneficial to some classes ; but the question is, will such low prices, with our high taxation, be for the general good : I think not : for the lower the value of the produce of the soil, the higher, in reality, it makes the amount of the national debt, and thus adds to the weight of taxation upon that class which pays so great a portion of the interest of it. If the incomes of landlords were to be so reduced by their rents being lowered to correspond with wheat at five shillings per bushel, and tenants not to be able to get more than a bare subsistence, the manufacturers must find the demand for their goods very materially lessened. Whether, with such low prices of produce, and conse- quently such a reduced circulation of money, a sufficient amount of taxes could be raised to continue paying, for any length of time, the full amount of interest of our enormous national debt, I leave to the consideration of those who are competent to form a more correct opinion on the subject than I am. Some Newspapers are continually giving statements of the comparative prices of wheat, in England and on the Continent. It is not the price of food, in any country, that proves whether it is cheap or dear, the proof is the relative value which the wages of the labouring classes boar to itt The prosperity of a country, the contentment, comfort, and happiness of its labouring classes, are not to be estimated by the low price of food. Most of the London papers annually inform their readers, that the crops throughout the country are most abundant. Providence has certainly been kind to this country, but abundant crops are not produced every year. The newspaper writers no doubt suppose (but are most egregiously mistaken), that by their holding it forth that there is great abundance, it may have the effect of keeping down prices. 1 attended the great agricultural meeting, in London, on the 15th December, 1835, where, as I expected, 1 heard nothing satisfactory how agriculture could be relieved by any legislative enactments. The real cause of the agri- cultural distress was, from there having been more than the usual quantity sown, and more than an average produce for three years, wheat was selling at a less price than it 89 could be grown for. The government hnd no more power to raise the price of wheat in Mark Lane for the benefit of farmers, than it had to raise or fall the tide out of its usual course at London Bridge for the benefit of mer- chants. I do not pretend to understand the Currency question ; but, whether Peel's Bill, at the time, was a wise or unwise measure, it must be quite out of the question to thinlc of going- back again to a paper circulation. It would perhaps raise the price of agricultural produce, but probably with- out raising its real value. There is also this important con- sideration ; the present protection from importation would not, with a paper currency, be high enough ; a higher, under any circumstances whatever, can never be expected. I hope, when the finances of the country will admit of it, that the tax on malt will be taken oft', and an additional duty laid on gin to prevent its being cheaper than it is at present. It would be worth some little sacrifice of revenue to keep the agricultural population from becom- ing so lamentably demoralized as a great part of the popula- tion of most manufacturing towns are. It has perhaps been too long the system of the government to do all in its power to collect a large amount of excise, without considering, or at least attending to, the pernicious consequences arising from th lower orders consuming, to great excess, ardent spirits. Many farmers, who were advocates for the malt-tax being taken off, became not so ; they wanted great relief this they thought would afford them but little. In my opinion they underrate the relief it would afford ; for, it is not only the sum they would save in payment of duty, but there is no doubt that there would be much more private brewing, a greater quantity of malt consumed, and conse- quently an increased demand for barley. Small brewhouses might then be fitted up in villages, to be let out for brewing, at so much per bushel of malt. Provident labourers might then be enabled to enjoy the great comfort of having, at a moderate cost, a little good wholesome beer at home, and thus be kept from that demoralizing influence that is always going on in beer - shops. Beer drunk at home by a labouring man, ought to be considered a necessary, and ought not to be taxed ; nor the beer which M 90 the farmer gives to his labourers. If the keepers of beer- shops were prohibited from selling beer to be drunk on the premises, and only paid a nominal sum for their licence, they could undersell the public-house keepers, who pay some pounds for a licence, besides being at the expense of providing accommodation for their customers. Those who take au interest, and look into the dwellings of their village poor, should urge the labourers' wives to have their cottages look as tidy and comfortable as possible, when their husbands return home from their day's work. From the uncomfortable appearance of their homes, many a man goes to the beer-shop, with the intention of spending only the cost of a pint, but finding a comfortable room, a good fire, and companions, is led on to spend money which should have bought meat. From the infamous system of paying the men employed on the railroads and other public works, at a beer-shop, at a late hour on a Saturday night, most of them are led, by the example of others, to spend a great part of their weekly earnings ; so that few of the married men have much left to send or bring home to their wives and families ; and still fewer of the single men save any part of the high wages thy have been receiving ; and most of the single and mar- ried become sadly demoralized. If every person paying labourers' wages on the premises of a public-house or beer- shop, were liable to a fine for so doing, and the labourers be entitled, if they made the claim, to receive over again wages so paid, this would check this most iniquitous practice. There is no doubt but that most of the piece- takers of these works, who hire men to help them to perform their contracts, are connected with the keepers of beer- shops, and therefore do all in their power to get money spent in them. Agriculture would be benefited if landowners would live more in the country, instead of living and spending the chief part of their incomes in our overgrown metropolis, or fashionable watering places ; and if they would not fancy that every thing they want in the country, except bread and meat, must (to be good) come from London. Were there more of the Old English Gentlemen now in existence, there would be more of the old English contented peasantry. II 1 am always glad to hear of landed proprietors occupying a liltle of their land ; this gives an additional interest to country residence. Farmers, five-and-twenty years ago, were a litlle jealous of this; they thought it enabled their landlords to know too much. There might be something in this, then, for at that time there were, in farming, secrets worth knowing, and which the farmers might think worth keeping to themselves ; but now there are none. Landlords who from experience know the necessary great expenses of farming, are much more likely to be liberal to their tenants, than those who know nothing of farming, and are not aware of these expenses, and who, therefore, bel'eve their land to be worth a greater rent than it actually and fairly is. The habits of village poor are more orderly where there is an influential good moral person constantly residing amongst them, whose displeasure they are fearful of incurring. Where there is such a person in a village, and there is also a pious, pains-taking officiating minister, although there may be, from the defect of human nature, some bad individuals, it is pretty certain that the chief part of the poor of such a village will be orderly, good people. Many large sums are spent by the wealthy in London, which afford only momentary, if any, real gratification, to those for whom they have been expended ; the amounts of such expenditure get into channels that do little or no goori to the community. Were these same amounts circulated in alms, amongst the poor of the parishes from whence these wealthy persons derive their incomes, this would be pro- ductive of infinite good in the country population, and be a lasting source of gratifying feelings to those who so appro- priated a portion of their wealth. The poor receive relief by alms, with gratitude parish relief with feelings only of right. As the generality of farmers have, for many years past, been paying distressingly large sums for the support of the poor, and have seen that all has been received with- out the least idea of thankfulness, it cannot be surprising if they should not have taken that interest in their village poor, which they otherwise would have done. But now, when in most parishes, the poor-rates are reduced to about one-half, and it is believed a better spirit exists amongst the poor, it may be expected that farmers and their wive 92 will cheerfully look into the condition of their poor neigh- bours, and render them all the little acts of kindness in their power. Linen Clubs, well managed, and aided by annual subscriptions, from owners or occupiers of the land, have been found to do much good. Whether it is common in villages I know not, but in this, and in many others in the county where the collages belong to different persons, most of them have but one sleeping room, so that grown-up sons and daughters, father and mother, all inhabit the suuiu room. Should this be the case where the cottages belong to those who own the whole parish, on this fact being known, such persons, it is hoped, would take the necessary steps to remedy so great an evil. Most agricultural la- bourers are now accommodated with small allotments of land ; to those who are honest and industrious, this is a benefit, without the probability of injury arising to any of the farmers of the parish. Such allotments ought not to be larger than the labourer and his family can cultivate, without interfering with his regular employment. The preset ving and so greatly increasing the number of pheasants, the game the most tempting and easy to poach, has greatly tended to the increase of crime amongst agri- cultural labourers. They sally forth, well primed, from the beer shop, on their midnight battues, in such numbers and determination as generally to set at defiance all force sent against them, and the game being in abundance, -they are pretty certain of obtaining from the sale of one night's poaching, enough to be able to live, without doing any work, for many days after ; besides this, whi>n once a villager becomes a poacher, it seldom occurs that he is ever afterwards an orderly and industrious labourer. Large preserves of game, in thinly populated and insulated parts f the country, a great distance from, and with little trafh'c, with our great consuming metropolis, may be kept up without those bad consequences arising from poaching, which are sure to take place where game is preserved in populous parts. A great part of the amusement in shooting appears to me to be in the pursuit of the game, and in observing the hunting of well broken-in dogs. In a battue there is none of this. Country gentlemen who have not a preserve of pheasants, and have visiting friends, fond of 93 battueing, may, 1 think, for a morning's amusement, give them a tolerably good imitation of a battue by taking them into a tenant's farm-yard that is well-stocked with poultry. If landlords would request their tenants to take farming men and boys into their families as they formerly used, it would bring up the rising generation of the peasantry to more orderly habits, and in a very great degree prevent that great source of evil amongst them, improvident early mar- riages. The youth of agricultural parishes have of late years been under no controul after six o'clock in the even- ing ; consequently, from an unrestricted intercourse with the young females of the parish, the greater part of them have been obliged to marry ; and thus, in the agricultural population, the chief part of the marriages, of late years, has not been of men and women, but of boys and girls, who, relying on their parish funds, never had one thought how themselves and the children they might have, were to be maintained. The Poor Law Amendment Act, which, in its operation, has exceeded the most sanguine expectations, will greatly correct this evil, without pressing in any man- ner hard on the really indigent poor. The poor-rates of the populous agricultural parish in which I reside, have been reduced nearly one-half. My opinions on Poor-laws are the same I publicly expressed, more than twenty years ago: which were, that all persons in the kingdom who possessed property should be answerable to those who had none ; that if, from age or infirmity, they were incapable of working lor their livelihood, they should have relief from their parishes ; and that those who were capable if they could satisfy the overseers that it had not been in their power to procure work their parish should be bound to find it for them, or to give them such relief as would keep them from starving ; that if the laws did not afford them this protection, they could not be justly called upon to uphold the laws by serving in the militia, or in any other manner. The act of Klizabeth gave them this protection. The Poor Law Amendment Act has not in any way les- sened it ; its enactment was only for the purpose of correcting the abuses which had crept into the Poor Laws, and thus preventing idle and improvident labourers from being as well off as the hard-working and provident. 94 So ill- managed have been the affairs of the parish I reside in, that, in some parts of the year, from five to fifteen, or more, pounds weekly, have been paid to labourers doing no work whatever ; for whether they had, or hud not, endea- voured to obtain work, they had only to go to the Assistant Overseer by seven o'clock in the morning, to have their names entered, to receive the Justices' allowance for la- bourers out of employ. Many, therefore, who seldom worked but when they could get high wages by working by the great, had more money coming in, during the course of the year, than those who worked every day. Previous to the Poor Law Amendment Act, I was a strenuous advocate for the Labour Kate system, which appears not now needed, but possibly may be, when all the contemplated public works are executed, and the demand for labour lessened, or should a case like the following occur. The time may probably come, although at u distant period, that in some long frost, large bodies of agricultural labourers, of different parishes, may apply to their respective Boards of Guardians for employment or relief. It would therefore be advisable previously to delibe- rate on what it would be right to do in such a case, instead of leaving the consideration of it to the emergency of the occasion, when it is doubtful whether the wisest measures would be adopted ; besides which, each board might be liable to act differently. Men who have been receiving more than ordinary wages, ought, we know, to have put by enough to provide them, selves and. their families with necessaries for any short time that they may be out of work ; but should they not ha\4j been so provident as they ought to have been, means must be provided to keep them from starving. The best arrange- ment that could be made on such an occasion, would be for the occupiers of the land of the different parishes, each to take into his employ (perhaps at something under the wages that he gives to his other men), his share of those men belonging to the parish, according to the number of acres of his farm. But this, probably in most cases, would not be agreed to, many occupiers never having, in the short days of winter, one labourer more lhan they can possibly do without, whilst others employ the same number through- 95 out the year, those having their full share of the labourers of the parish, would not be willing to increase their number. It seems to be thought that out-door relief to able-bodied labourers should no longer be given; but it surely never could have been contemplated to put such a number of them as I have alluded to, in the workhouse, from a tempo- rary want of employment. From the distance that some would have to go, they could not be set to work, all at the same place, under the superintendence of a person ap- pointed by the Board of Guardians. Nor could those belonging to Moulton (and probably in other parishes), be employed in raising stones and repairing the parish roads, for there are always in winter many more so employed than are necessary, consisting of men beyond the age of what is called able-bodied. Were the Board of Guardians autho- rised to allow, for the necessary time, the establishment of the Labour Rate, every man would get into employment at such wages as his labour was worth. I am a Guardian in one of the Unions in this county, and can bear testimony to the extraordinary well working of the Poor Law Amendment Act. When attending the meetings it lias often struck my mind with surprise, that the Act should, without the necessity of alteration, appear fully to meet most of the various cases brought before us, and I can, as a practical farmer, contradict in the most positive terms, the assertion that has so often been made, that it tends to lessen the wages of agricultural labourers. This is only one of the many unfounded, assertions against the measure. Such affirmations it is easy to make, but, though they have no foundation in fact, it is not so easy to remove the im- pressions they may have made on the minds of those who are not thoroughly acquainted with the subject. The decisions of a Board of Guardians are much more likely to be respected by the applicants for relief than the decisions of a parish vestry ; they come with greater authority, and from those who, it must be well known, cannot be biassed either by motives of parsimony, or by feelings of personal favour or dislike towards those who apply. The greater part of the applicants to Justices for relief, were those least deserving of it. Such now well know that it will not answer their purpose to go to a Board of Guardians with a fabricated tale. 96 I cnnnot, as a guardian, see how a temporary system of Labour Rate could interfere with any of ihe provisions of the Act, or could in any way be a clog to its well working ; but believe it would be, as was said, a " safety-valve" to the Act. In the Assistant Poor Law Commissioner's Report of the progress and effects of the Poor Law Amendment Act, in the County of Northampton, there is, in a letter brought into the report, this assertion : " None but the occupiers of land could understand the nuisance of roundsmen, and the Labour Rate system was worse." I have to say, in answer, that none but the occupiers of land in populous agricultural parishes, can have a just idea of the difficulties and perplexities that arose in the management of the poor before the passing of the Amendment Act. I am free to admit that living in a parish where it was necessary to estab- lish the Labour Rate was a nuisance ; but 1 must also say that it was a certain remedy for one of the greatest nuisances that could exist in a parish ; that of having, as Moulton had, always some, and at certain times of the year, as many as 40 men, paid out of the parish funds without doing any work, at least without doing any for the parish. 1. in common with the other rate-payers, should have considered that person sent as a blessing, who could have instructed us now to put in practice some better system than the Labour Rate, to put these men into work, and to be paid wages by their employers, instead of being paid out of the parish funds. Had I conceived that so effective a measure as the Poor Law Amendment Act was likely to be brought into practice, I should not have put myself to such trouble and expense as I did to further that object, which I then consci- entiously believed would render most important services to many populous agricultural parishes. Besides going to London on purpose, when the Labourers' Employment Bill was to be brought forward, I had printed about a thousand letters, which I directed, and sent to members of both Houses of Parliament. Although the Labour Rate system was rejected in the House of Commons, from the mistaken prevailing idea, that all plans of it mixed up relief with wages, I have the gratification to find that all the time and trouble I bestowed on it was not entirely thrown away ; 97 for I have received the thanks of a person, a stranger to me, who, from having seen my plan of Labour Rate, and thinking it preferable to all Others, got it established in a parish in winch he occupied a large farm, before the Poor Law Amendment Act came into operation, and thus, he said, the amount of his poor-rates was lessened nearly one- half. As his Grace the Duke of Richmond, and many other noble lords of the Upper House, and Sir Charles Merrick liurrell, and many honorable members of the Lower House of Parliament, were most strenuous advocates for the lawful establishment of the system, during certain parts of the year, I cannot refrain from making these remarks on the assertion, that the system of roundsmen was a great nuisance, but that the Labour Rote system was worse. None but those who have occupied land in populous agricultural parishes, can be aware of the disagreeable matters which used to be common at parish vestries ; there being no uniformity of opinion, it was seldom that any tiling elective was agreed on, and when there was, it was only adhered to for a short time. Many years of such vestry meetings have 1 attended, in the parish of IVloulton ; often have I left th^rn, regretting that I had made a pur- chase in the parish. Such disagreeable and ineffective meetings are now happily at an end ; and, as few persons have for a greater length of time, given themselve more trouble about their parish poor, few have greater reason to rejoice in the amendment of the Poor Laws. About twenty years ago, 1 wrote on tl e necessity of having Poor Laws in Ireland, as not only being needful and just for the poor of that country, but also in justice to the labourers of this. Had there been Poor Laws in Ireland, such hordes of Irish labourers would not have come over to this country, and have got into those laborious employ- ments, in all large towns, for which the surplus labourers of our populous agricultural parishes were so well qualified^ but from which they are cut off, being supplanted by the Irish, who have done (and successfully too), all in their power, to prevent the English labourers from working with them. Had many of our young men left their parishes, some of those early marriages would not have taken place, 98 and consequently, the population would not have been so greatly increased. In giving Poor Laws to Ireland, it is not only intended to afford relief to the aged and impotent, but to give employment to able-bodied labourers, and 1 feel convinced that in the present state of that country, no plan would prove so effectual to get the labourers into employ- ment, as to make it lawful, in the intended Poor Laws, for any parish, or district, where the majority of the occupiers of the land shall think it necessary, to establish the system of Labour Rate. 1 feel conflicting opinions in my mind on the subject of Emigration. It must be regretted that it should be thought necessary, in times like the present, when there appears to be a superabundance of corn. In my young days, the population of a country was considered as wealth. A full- employed population must ever be so, and it is most certain that the larger the population of a country, the greater the value of the land. Great as the population of this country now is, and likely as it is to increase, I do not think any apprehension need be entertained (assisted as we are by the surplus produce of Ireland), of finding food for the population, without any foreign assistance. A general failure of the cotton crops, would be a most alarming event to this country. The really important consideration is, whether employment can be found for a great increase of the number of the working classes. I have heard manufacturers say, that their export trade is likely so to increase, as to furnish employment for a great additional number of hands. 1 doubt this; for every clay they are making alterations in their machinery to lessen the demand for manual labour. 1 hope my fears are ground- less, but I confess that I have serious apprehensions, that there may be, some years hence, great difficulty in finding full employment for the labouring classes. There are numbers of persons living on small incomes, derived from the funds. It would be well if their number could be increased threefold, for in England's vast hive of popu- lation, there are, or at least I fear soon will be, too many working bees : the harmony of the hive would perhaps be better preserved by increasing the number of drones- The large capitalists appear of late to be selling out of the 99 funds, and purchasing land ; if they continue lo do so, the number of small fund holders will be increased, and in that number it is likely there will be many that have been working bees, but who, from the effects of their industry and prudence, are enabled to become drones, and thus be useful members of the community, their dependence being on the welfare and stability of the state. ON BENEFIT CLUBS & SAVINGS' BANKS. The carelessness of the young men, for many years past, of cluing any tiling to provide for iheir future wants, has arisen from their ideas of right of claim on their parishes ; and knowing that if they had any property, or were in a Benefit Club, parish rc-lief would, in all probability, be withheld from them, when, from ill-health, they were incapable of work. Few, therefore, of the agricultural labourers have, of late years, entered into these Clubs, or saved any thing to provide against future wants. Benefit Clubs are good institutions, and ought to be encouraged. Parishes ought to allow a weekly sum, half, at least, that they would have allowed, if not in a Club, to every one belonging- to the parish, so long as he shall be receiving the sick allowance from the Club.' Savings' Banks are admitted by all, to be excellent institutions. Before they were talked of in England, an intelligent person, then residing in Northampton, with whom 1 used to have much conversation, told me that he thought it would be productive of much good if there were banks established to receive small deposits from servants and the working classes. I immediately entered most warmly into the idea, having at that time known of several cruel losses sustained by some persons, through their lending, on interest, the whole of their savings to small tradesmen, who afterwards failed. We were in- formed by an active and intelligent Physician, who then resided in Northampton, that a Savings' Bank was about to be formed in Scotland. We three therefore set to work and framed rules and regulations for one at Northampton before we asked any other person to join us : and few men ever gratuitously fagged much harder, night after night, (for neither of us could give up our time in the day), till 100 we had finished the task we had set ourselves. The North- ampton Savings' Hank therefore, was, I believe, the second vrhich was established in England. I was the first person who suggested the idea of en- grafting on the Savings' Banks, deferred small annuities, to be obtained by small monthly sums being paid into the Savings' Banks. An act has been passed for tins purpose, but it has completely failed, as 1 felt assured it would, from the depositors being allowed, at any time, to withdraw their deposits. My proposition was, that deposits should not be withdrawn, and that if the depositors died before the time that their annuities were to commence, all the amount of their deposits were to lapse into the annuity fund. With- out this chance of benefit of survivorship, tempting terms to depositors could not be held out. I feel assured that every one who will give his attention to this subject, will be convinced of the great benefit which would result to the public, if numbers of the lower orders were to become annuitants, by which means their private interest would become inseparably connected with that of the state. It has lately occurred to me, that it might perhaps be practicable to make arrangements to add to the present system, a Naval Savings' Bank, that Captains of ships should be enabled, on the wish expresssed of those under their command, to transmit, from time to time, such part of their pay as the sailors should be desirous of depositing in any Savings' Bank they might fix on. I give this idea, without entering into further particulars, for the con- sideration of those who may think it worth notice. It is quite distressing to hear such frequent accounts of sailors, on their return to their country, being robbed of their hard- earned wages. If my suggestions could be carried into, effect, these poor fellows would not have to receive from their commanders, on their return home, large sums of money to be robbed of; or, encouraged by the harpies by whom they are surrounded, to be in a state of beastly intoxication till all their money is squandered away, and they become poor destitute beggars, until they can get out to sea again. I have often heard it said, "that farming is yet in its infancy," meaning, as I suppose, that such great improve- 101 merits in agriculture will probably be discovered as to make all land yield a larger quantity of produce than it now does. That the greater part of the land of this country, by a better system of cultivation, and with more manual and horse labour, might be brought to produce more than it has hitherto done, is most certain. But I cannot conceive how that land, which is now cultivated in the best manner known, can be made to produce much more, unless it should hereafter be found possible, as some imagine it will, to make the land yield a larger quantity of produce by chemical means. Much very weak corn land is brought to produce tolerably good crops by thick sowing, and by the application of large quantities of manure, but if this is done on good friable land, the result will be, unless it should be a dry summer, a great bulk of straw, yielding a short quantity of inferior quality of grain. Nature will bear forcing, but not beyond a certain limit. Crops of corn, to be brought to perfection, not only want nourishment from the earth, but from the air also. By the drill-system, weeds can be eradicated from corn crops; thus, all the nourishment which the earth affords, goes to the corn, and the necessary free circulation of air is let in to the crops. .Believing that where the present best known system of agriculture is pursued, the land is forced to nearly the utmost extent that it will bear, 1 do not fully assent to the idea that farming is yet in its infancy. I am at a loss to conceive how my small farm, of 150 acres, is to be brought to produce more than ii has for some years (when there has not been a dry summer), without some chemical aid at present unknown. I ought, however, to mention, that I never sold any hay or straw from it that on an average of twenty years, I have annually bought and consumed, in stall- feeding, a hundred pounds' worth of hay and oil-cake. In my present small scale of farming, I find a donkey and cart most useful. It is not improbable that at some future time, a greater quantity of grain may be raised in this country, by the introduction of some new and more prolific varieties than we now have, which, by continued close examination into growing crops, might possibly be obtained. It is a good fair ear of wheat which contains more than fifty 1,0-2 grains. One of my men found in my wheat-crop this year, an ear which contained 105 grains. Wheat grows in tiers, up the ear, each tier commonly containing three grains ; in this extraordinary ear, each had six grains. Had 1 got possession of this fine ear, H should have been carefully planted this autumn, each grain singly, and should the produce have proved a more prolific kind than usual, 1 should have continued its cultivation with the greatest care, in order to circulate it. It well answers the. purpose, in all grain intended for seed, but more particularly wheat, to run it an extra time through the winnowing machine, to clear it of all the small and light grains, for although most of these would grow, they produce a shorter and weaker stem, with a small ear, in which are grains of no value, and thus encumber the crop to no purpose. It is judicious to sow none but the best seed, for, excepting in unfavorable seasons, as you sow, so shall you reap. Any important discovery to improve agriculture, is more likely to have its origin, or at least to be carried into effec- tive practice-, in Kngland or Scotland, than in any other part of the world, and this, chiefly because the produce of the land is of greater value than elsewhere. With an unrestricted importation of foreign corn, ihe energies of British culti- vators of land would be repressed ; they would not be likely to endeavour, by any extra means and expenses, to increase their quantity of produce, when they were not repaid the expenses of cultivation for what they had raised. If the price of British corn is to be brought down to a level with continental prices, the same unexpensive modes of culti- vating the land must be pursued in England as on the Continent and the same amount of wages paid to labourers. Neither of these can take place ; our climate preventing the one, and our great national debt, which lowers the value of labourers' wages, the other. The columns of newspapers may be filled with articles against the Corn Laws, many Borough Members of Parliament may be obliged, contrary to their opinions, to vote against them, still, I do not believe that a majority, in either House of Parliament, would vote for their abolition. If they were abolished, the superiority which British agriculture now possesses over every other part of the world, would no longer exist. 103 Scotch farming-, which I regret never having had the opportunity of seeing, is highly spoken of. As the Scotch are a most industrious and persevering people, it may fairly be concluded that the general cultivation of the land in Scotland may be superior to the general cultivation of England ; but were modes of cultivation known and prac- tised there, superior to any in England, as many suppose, some large lai:ded proprietors would not, most probably, have sent their bailiffs to Holkham, to see the system of husbandry carried on there. Scotch one-horse ploughs are highly spoken of; I never saw one, but can conceive that they may be most useful implements, on light soils. Thef drill system, which was introduced at Holkham, and Woburn Abbey, about forty years ago, may be considered one of the greatest improvements in the cultivation of land ; for, it is not only the means of having a less quantity of what is called tailing corn, but it enables the cultivator to keep the land cleaner than the broadcast sowing will admit of ; this forms the real difference between good and bad farming. Perhaps the most important introduction into British agriculture was the Swedish Turnip. It is my belief that without this valuable root, a sufficient quantity of animal food could not have been produced for our present popu. lation ; but with this, the fear of not having a sufficiency to answer the demand of an increasing population, need not be entertained.* Mangel Wuizel was also a valuable introduction, but will never come into such general culti- vation. There is much hazard in the plants getting above ground, but afterwards there is but little more trouble with the crop than with Swedish turnips. 1 Farming, in former times, was neither the active nor the thoughtful employment it has now become. I cannot re- frain from calling the attention of those young men who are not willing to enter into any Other line of life, to an extract from my printed address to the members of the North- amptonshire Farming and Grazing Society, dated Sept. 12, 1828: "It is an old remark, that there are two ways of * In page 16, the seven lines which precede Swedish Turnips ought to have come after. 104 farming, ' Go ye,' and ' Let us go.' The more young farmers, who have only their business to depend on for their living, bear in mind the latter way, the better; for it will be found as much more effective as il must be in a regiment of soldiers, when the commanding officer, in battle, says, ' Go along, boys,' instead of ' Come along, boys.' In saying thus much, I do not mean that it is necessary the young farmer should be constantly working with his men : il is his eyes, not his hands, that are so requisite where his men are employed." With the present corn-laws retained, corn might ad- vantageously be produced on bogs, either in this country or in Ireland (after having been properly drained), by the application of large quantities of lime, which has the power of so decomposing a soil formed of decayed vege- table matter, as to make it capable of producing good green crops, and afterwards fair crops of corn and clover : but to continue its yielding this produce, such land needs all the straw brought back, converted into good manure, and also to be frequently invigorated with lime. Many improvements, of late years, have been made in agricultural implements, and in this age of invention, many others may be expected. I confess that formerly, with the old system of Poor Laws, when we, who were living in populous parishes, were plagued beyond measure to find employment for the labourers, 1 felt reluctant to use machinery, to lessen the demand for manual labour. It is however quite necessary farmers should raise their produce at as little expense as possible. The printer (much to my mortification), having been obliged, for three months, to stop in his progress of this work, I am enabled to give some further account of the. manual thrashing-machine, spoken of in page 33. It is the invention of John Corby, of Castle Ash by, in this county. The price, to thrash corn only, 10, corn and clover, 13. Mr. William Walton, bailiff to the Marquis of Northampton, was the first person to make use of them, from whom I. got the following particulars. It is necessary to have three men, two to turn and one to feed it, occa- sionally changing their situations ; and two boys, one to untie the sheaves, the other to take away the straw. Thus 105 worked, it will thrash between five and six quarters of wheat, a- day, and more of barley or oats. Those con- structed to thrash clover, as well as grain, have been found to answer the purpose. My object in having one of these machines is, to thrash wheat when the weather is bad, in spring or summer, and to employ my men, when not wanted in the field. In the winter, I shall prefer the use of the flail, to get the daily necessary quantity of barley or oat straw, for the cattle in the farm-yard. The machine occupies only a space of five feet by three. Having omitted, in page 85, to refer to what I conceive to be injurious to growers of corn, and also to consumers, I insert it here. It is, the different measures by which corn is sold, in different markets. In most of them, it is by the quarter of 8 bushels, but in some places the bushel con- tains 8, and in others, 9 gallons. In many markets by the load, meaning in some, a man's load, of five bushels in others, a horse load, of five quarters. In Norfolk, by the coomb. These different measures have most likely been customary from time immemorial, but this is no proof that at present it is not both perplexing and injurious. All the returned prices of corn are by the quarter, and there is no doubt but mistakes are frequently made in calculating the price from these various measures ; therefore the far- mers in one part of the country are frequently misled in the prices quoted from other parts. The measure should be the same throughout the country, by the quarter, con- taining 8 bushels, of 8 gallons each, imperial measure. The act which passed about three years since, to make the stone of meat 141bs. throughout the kingdom, and which escaped the notice of the majority of those it con- cerned, has proved a dead letter. All the dealings in Smithfield are by computation of stones of Slbs. for which there can attach no penalty. The London prices and weights will ever govern those of other places. All the meat sold there, and prices returned, are by stones of Slbs. It is desirable, therefore, that the act should be repealed. The London butchers have now excellent times, for, excepting the very coarse parts, they get a much higher price for their meat than the country butchers ; and, take one time with another, they buy their sheep and oxen quite as cheap, if not cheaper, Most of those I have 106 v sent to Smith field this spring, I could have made & higher price of in the country. The graziers in this part of the country sadly mistook their own interest, in opposing the Islington Market. What ungrateful creatures must we be, it we are not most thankful for the numerous comforts and blessings we daily and hourly receive from the Almighty Ruler of the universe. Man has every thing he can reasonably wish for ; but, according to that sentence he received, so full of wisdom and of mercy, not without his own exertions ; the corn, not without his labour in ploughing and sowing ; the meat, not without his care in providing winter food for the animals ; clothing, not without his toil and ingenuity in its manufacture ; nor fuel, without digging into the bowels of the earth for the chief part. How wisely is it thus ordained. Were it not so, man, from the tendencies of his evil nature would, if left to perfect idleness, be worse than a beast. Among those whose minds are directed as they ought to be> there is perhaps no class more likely to be ofteuer reminded of the kind ordinations of Providence, than those who are engaged in the cultivation of the land. Every thing loathsome to man, becomes, by applying it properly to the earth, nourishment both to the grain which produces his bread, and to the grass for the animals which produce his meal. Every noxious weed may, by labour and contrivance, become manure to enrich the land, and thus may even an enemy be turned into a friend. For many years past, I have lent my willing though feeble aid, in endeavouring to promote the advancement of the practical knowledge of agriculture, by occasionally writing, under various signatures, in different periodical papers ; but, having now finished a second edition of my little work, which, at the close of the first, I had no idea of undertaking, it is, in truth, my real desire never to write again for publication, fully conscious that such employment engrosses the mind far more than it ought, at my advanced age. To others, therefore, I leave the pleasant task of pur- suing a subject, which to myself has been a source of continual pleasure and amusement. If the result of so many years study and practice of this most useful science, should prove in any way advantageous to my readers, it will afford me lasting satisfaction. ERRORS AND ADDITIONS. In page 9, Ribbing is wrongly described. In the first line of page 61, " make" should be " made." In page 53, the stall-feeding evening feed, of half a bushel of cut hay, mixed with meal, has been omitted. The weekly consumption of each beast being five gallons instead of three, brings fhe weekly expense to Is. more. [A pint of fresh-made linseed oil, sprinkled over 4J bushels of cut hay, mixed with nine quarts of meal (a feed for nine beasts), gives a flavour to the whole which induces them to eat it with great avidity]. Page 15 ; in mixing mangel wurzel leaves with straw, nearly each leaf should be separate, or the whole will rot. I wish to add, in page 47, on cattle-breeding, that grey Hereford bulls are to be had of Mr. J. Price; also, that I think it is worth the consideration of the Durham breeders, who intend having one cross wilh the Herefords, whether it will be most to their advantage to keep their breed distinct in appearance, as it now is, from Herefords, or endeavour, in colour, to resemble them. The live weight of fat beasts will produce about the following weights of carcase : Cwt. Stones, - Stones, Scores & Ibs. Cwt. Stones, Stones, Scores & Ibs. Bibs. 141bs. per quarter. 81bs. Ulbs. per quarter. 15 135 77 2 13 10 21 189 108 18 18 16 144 82 4 14 8 22 198 113 2 19 16 17 153 87 6 !5 6 23 207 118 4 20 14 18 162 92 8 16 4 24 216 123 6 21 12 19 171 97 10 17 2 25 225 (28 & 22 10 20 180 102 12 18 26 235 134 4 23 10 Uicey, Printer, Northampton. 169, Piccadilly, June, 1837. M1W W 2B IE In course of Publication, by JAMES MDGWAY AND SONS. i. Dr. LINDLEY'S BOTANICAL REGISTER; OR, ORNAMENTAL FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERY. Publishing the first of every month, price 4s. Each Number contains eight finely-coloured Portraits, from life, of the handsomest Flowering Plants and Shrubs grown in this coun- try, accompanied by their Histsry, Treatment in Cultivation, Propa- gation, &c. No. VI. of Vol. X., New Series, was published June 1, 1837. The previous Volumes may be had separately, 2 9*. each. * # * All the Numbers which were out of print are now reprinted. " This Series, placed under the superintendence of Professor Lindley, comes forth with increased splendour of illustration, and increased accuracy of description. The present number contains many plants and shrubs of ex- tremebeauty, delineated and coloured, so as almost to rival the tints of nature, and bestow perpetuity on her loveliest, yet most transitory, productions. The letter press, in addition to the ordinary information, as to the habits, mode of culture and organization of the plant, occasionally introduces points of vege- table physiology, or observations respecting its economical uses, which pos- sess much interest." Athenievm. "The Botanical Register, from containing most or all of the new plants introduced by the Horticultural Society, from the great care with which its plates are executed, and the judicious remarks on culture and general habit, by Dr. Lindley, is, in consequence, the superior publication." London's Magazine of Botany, fyc. " Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon this work." Horticultural Cabinet. II. LADIES' BOTANY. BY DR. LINDLEY, Editor of the Botanical Register, Fossil Flora of Great Britain, 8{c. Sfc. Third Edition. One Vol. 8vo. with numerous illustrative plates, 16s., and finely coloured, 25s. " We consider it "quite needless to recommend this work : it must find its way into the library of every lady, and it ought to be in the coat pocket of every young gardener." Gardener's Mag. " Let it be known let be introduced into every library, reading-room, and seminary throughout Britain ; let it become the class book of botanical study." fforticult'ural Register. The Second Volume, which will complete the work, is in the press. III. FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. Second Edition, in One Volume, price 6s. THE FRUIT CULTIVATOR. By JOHN ROGERS, Nurseryman, formerly of the Royal Gardens. " Directions are given for planting, pruning, training, the formation of Fruit-Tree Borders and Orchards, the gathering and storing of Fruit ; in a word, everything which can be desired is handled in a plain instructive man- ner, in such a way as a practical man alone is capable of doing it." Irish Farmers' and Gardeners' Magazine. " It remains only to say, that we think Mr. Rogers has here produced a most valuable practical work, which deserves to be in universal use ; and which adds to its other recommendation that of cheapness." Gardeners Ma. CheUea: printed by W. Blttch, 23, Kxetr Street. IV. Fifth Edition. 16*. cloth boards. SWEET'S HOT-HOUSE & GREEN-HOUSE MANUAL; Or, BOTANICAL CULTIVATOR : giving full practical Instruc- tions for the Management of all the Plants cultivated in the Hot- houses, Green-houses, Frames, and Borders in the Gardens of Great Britain ; with Plain Directions for the Management of Bulbs and Plants in Rooms, &c. ByR. SWEET, F.L.S. Practical Nurseryman. ' Indeed, what Mr. Sweet has said on the Culture of Bulbs and Epiphytes, in the last edition of his Botanical Cultivator, may be considered as the vlti- mutum on this subject for the British gardener." Gardener's Slag. TO AMATEURS OF FLOWERS. In 1 col. price Is. 6d. coloured, in cloth. THE FLORIST CULTIVATOR; Or, Plain Directions for the Management of the principal Florist Flowers, Shrubs, &c. adapted to the Flower Garden, Shrubbery, and Green-house : with Select Lists of the finest Roses, Geraniums, Carnations, Pinks, Auriculas, Polyanthuses, Tulips, Dahlias, Hearts- ease, Cistus or Rock Rose, &c. To which is added the Monthly operation usual for the Flower Garden, Shrubbery, and Greenhouse. The whole arranged on a plan different from any Work hitherto published. By THOMAS WILLATS, Esq. Amateur Cultivator. VI. CULTURE OF NARCISSUS. Second Edition, Enlarged, Royal 8vo. Zs. 6d. NARCISSINEARUM MONOGRAPHIA. A History of, and Practical Treatise on, the Cultivation and Management of the beautiful family of NARCISSINEAN PLANTS, the finest early group of our Gardens. By A. H. HAWORTH, Esq. ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM; Or, the Trees and Shrubs of Britain, Native and Foreign, Hardy and Half-hardy, with their Propagation, Culture, Management, and Uses in the Arts. The whole forming a complete Encyclopaedia of Arboriculture. By J. C. LOUDON, FJLS., &c. Will be completed in two thick 8vo volumes, consisting of above 1000 pages of letter-press, 300 8vo plates of Trees and 1000 wood- cuts of Shrubs; besides numerous Diagrams, &c. explanatory of Culture and Management. Price of the Numbers, plain, on tinted paper, 2s. 6d. each ; on drawing paper for colouring, 3s. 6d ; with the Botanical Specimens partially coloured, 5s. 6d. ; wholly coloured, 7s. On the completion of the Work the price will be raited One Shilling per A r o. to non-Subscribers. VII. In 800, 5s. 6s. or Royal 8ro, 7s. HORTICULTURAL TOUR Through GERMANY, BELGIUM, and part of FRANCE in the Autumn of 1835, with a Catalogue of the different Species of Cacteae in the Garden at Woburn Abbey. By JAMES FORBES A.L.S. &c. " Among the most interesting works recently published, we may place this Volume. We have read with some pleasure much that we have mark- ed for future extract. Our readers cannot do better than consult the work itself, which is a neat octavo Volume, and contains an appendix of general interest to the cultivators of the Cacti family." Gardener's Gaz, ALSO GARDENS AND GROUNDS OF WOBURN ABBEY. Illttstrati'd by numerous Views, Plans, %c. One Vol. medium 8co. 21s. HORTUS WOBURNENSIS. A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE, of upwards of Six THOU- SAND of the Jfinest Ornamental Plants and Shrubs, both Exotic and Indigenous, for the Decoration of the British Flower Garden, Greenhouse, Plant Stove, &c. By JAMES FORBES, A.L.S. C.M. H.S. &c., Principal Gardener at Woburn Abbey. A few Copies are printed on Royal Paper, for such of the Nubility as may desire them. Proofs, 21. 2s. Ditto, Coloured. 21. 12s. 6rf. " The plan of this work is good. The objects of cultivation, the routine of cropping, the periods of forcing fruits and flowers, and the hot-houses employed for such purposes, are nearly the same in all large gardens ; and a weJl digested and accurate account of what is found most useful or beauti- ful in one, will serve as a rule of practice in nearly all the otheis. The Duke of Bedford's garden is one of the best in England, and Mr. Forbes is one of the most experienced gardeners ; so that a better model, or a better man could hardly be found to illustrate the most efficient plans which are followed in the management of Horticultural affairs in England. * * * "We can recommend Mr. Forbes's Work to our gardening friends.". Athenaeum. VIII. HERBERT ON BULBS, ETC. Just published, in royal octave, 48 copper-plates, 23s. or coloured 38s. AMARYLLIDACE^E. Followed by a Treatise on Cross-bred Vegetables, and Supplement. By the Hon. and Rev. W. HERBERT. " In Mr. Herbert's Monograph of Amaryllidacea, the cultivator will find a multitude of invaluable directions as to the proper management of that beautiful tribe of plants ; and what renders such remarks the more accepta- ble to the horticultural world, is their being invariably the result of long personal experience. The memorandum upon the habits and consequent treatment of Phycella, may be taken &s an example." Bot. Reg. note 1943. " It is the most scientific, and at the same time the most practical work on this department of practical botany that ever issued from the press. By prac- tical botany, I mean tlie labours of the cultivator, blended with the research- es of the botanist. Every page and suggestion is replete with practical and scientific information." Loudon's Gardeners' Klag. June 1, 1837. IX. SELECT ORCHARD AND FRUIT GARDEN. By the first authority. / Three Volume*, Royal Octavo, illustrated by 152 Plates, coloured to eaual Drawings, Price 10. bound in cloth, gilt leares- THE POMOLOGICAL MAGAZINE; Or beautifully finished Coloured Figures and Descriptions of the most important Varieties of Fruit worthy of Cultivation in this Country, for the Dessert and Culinary purposes ; with such Infor- mation resulting from successful Practice as may tend to improve Cultivation pointing out the best or most proper Aspects, Situa- tions, &c. XV. DOMESTIC POULTRY. A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE BREEDING, REARING, AND FATTENING ALL KINDS OF DOMESTIC POULTRY, PRESERVATION OF EGGS, &c. after plans pursued with ad- vantage and profit in France. Dedicated to LORD SOMERVILLE. Second Edition, 5s. XVI. In a small Volume, 5s. Gd. cloth, or 6s. bound, gilt leaves. THE COURT & COUNTRY COMPANION; Containing the most authentic TABLES OF PRECEDENCE among all British Ranks and Departments, both Male and Female. Also, Directions for Epistolary Correspondence, with Forms of Addresses, Memorials, and Petitions : together with Instructions for Present- ations at Court, and for attending Royal Levees and Drawing Rooms. " Messrs Ridgway and Sons have conferred an obligation upon the public by publishing their Court and Country Companion." Court Journal, August 1835. "This little publication will be found to be of very great utility in the every day business of civilized life, as every one, of whatever rank in society she or he may be, may derive correctness and advantage in using it as a vade inecum. Foreigners, too, will acquire from it a knowledge of the different orders of British rank and titles, and of the forms of British correspondence. The principal novelty, however, consists in the instructions for being pre- sented at Court, and for attending Levees and Royal Drawing Rooms. This little work is neatly finished, and will be a valuable companion to every lady and gentleman's writing case." Literary Gazette. XVII. GROUSE, PARTRIDGE, AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. Post Svo. 8s.6d. THE OAKLEIGH SHOOTING CODE; Containing 220 chapters relative to shooting Grouse, Partridges, Pheasants, &c. By THOMAS OAKLEIGH, Esq., with numerous notes. Edited by the Author of " Nights at Oakleigh old Manor Hall." " Two Hundred and Twenty chapters of very useful hints." Atlas. " Since the publication of Daniel's Rural Sports', we have seen nothing worthy to be compared with the canons of the Oakleigh Code." Essex Mer. ' It bears internal evidence of being the production of a real Sportsman." Spectator. " We strongly recommend this work." Bell's Life. " A capital sporting book, just published." Kent fy Essex Mercury. " This is very well, nay, it is better than well. The Author would have done well had 1 e chosen to have only given us all the information that we find in this volume; but he has done excellently in conveying that information in a manner so felicitous. * * The work is entitled to an universal pe- rusal." Metropolitan Mag. Sept. 1. " In our anticipations of instruction and amusement from this volume we have not been disappointed. It is just the sort of book we should recommend to the young Sportsman. * * * It is practically perspicuous without being tediously minute. The old Sportsman also will find in it some hints that may be. serviceable to him, particularly on the subject of Grouse shooting, which is treated of at considerable length. New Sporting Mag. Si'/it. 1. XVIII. THE ENGLISH RACE HORSE. A TREATISE ON THE CARE, TREATMENT, AND TRAINING OF THE ENGLISH RACE HORSE; With Important Details applicable to bettering the Condition of Horses in general. By R. DARVILL, V.S. to the 7th Hussars. Il- lustrated by plates. Vols. I. and II. 8vo. l. Is. each. ** The Third and concluding Volume is in the Press, and will shortly be published, together with a Second Edition of Vol. I. " Never before was such a book written in any language, so replete with those minute but indispensable particulars of practice, and by a writer who has personally performed his part throughout the whole of the practice. This is the true book of reference for every stud and training groom, and every jockey." Vide Lawrence on the Horse, p. 297 ; also, The Sporting Maga- zine, and British Farmer's Magazine. XIX. THE YOUNG HORSEWOMAN'S COMPENDIUM OF THE MODERN ART OF RIDING. In progressive Lessons ; designed to give a secure and graceful seat on Horseback ; at the same time so effectually to form the Hand, that, in a short time, perfect command of the Horse may be ob- tained. By EDWARD STANLEY ; with illustrative plates, 105. bds. " But we have said enough of this Manual, and have only to add that it is a very sensible and judicious publication." Literary Gazette, XX. Fifth Edition. With additional letters. In Two Vols. 12*. LORD COLLINGWOOD'S MEMOIRS, And CORRESPONDENCE, PUBLIC and PRIVATE. By G. L. NEWNHAM COLLINGWOOD, Esq., F.R.S. " The portrait of one English worthy more is now secured to posterity." Quarterly Review. " We do not know when we have met with so delightful a book as this, or one with which we are so well pleased with ourselves for being delighted. Its attraction consists almost entirely in its moral beauty." Edinburgh Review. " Having thus referred to Lord Collingwood's Life, I may be allowed to say, that the publication of that volume is indeed a national good ; it ought to be in every officer's cabin, and in every statesman's cabinet." Southey's Life of Lord Nelson, New Edition, p. 348. XXI. WHAT IS A COMET, PAPA? Or a familiar description of Comets ; more particularly of HAL- LEY'S COMET. To which, is prefixed, a CONCISE ACCOUNT OP THE OTHER HEAVENLY BODIES. By ROSINA MARIA ZORNL1N. XXII. Also, by the same Author, THE SOLAR ECLIPSE, Or, THE TWO ALMANACKS ; containing More Enquiries in Astronomy. Plate and diagrams, Is. or Is.Gd. bound and coloured. " Just the sort of book we love to put into the hands of young persons. It invites them to enquiry and makes them laudably curious. There is in this little -work much valuable information, both on the solar system and ou Comets, which, just now, will be peculiarly attractive." London Journal. "There are editions on common paper which may be had for a trifle, and one of which should be in every family within the nation, where ignorance or children may be found. We cannot conceive of any means by which the majesty and power of the Almighty is to be so easily and forcibly impressed upon the uninformed mind, as by putting this little tract into the hands of such. That must be a heartless and wicked parent, who will not enjoy the earnestness and ingenuity of the thousand interrogatories that will there- after be innocently proposed by the same enquirer."--.Jf, S3, Exeter Strwt. A 000 083 296 4