Ill ill i !iif !h ^Hii;.; i;:^^ U-i';;.! DDDDDDnDnnDDDDDDnnnDDDnaaDnDDDDD D D D D D D D H°*^% D D D D D D D a > gl r« I' JB m D D 5. ^gi\vt Iff ^ D D ■p ^Ss^JuS ^ D D ^^^^^** a D D D D D D D D D a UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS D D o n LIBRARY D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D n D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D n DDnnDDnnnnnDDDDannnDDDDDnDDDDnnn •— -~'*''^-'"' mim s' • r mas;; IF 0 'PM,^ i^ (WAS S THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. VOLUME THE FOURTH. JANUARY TO JUNE, MDCCCXXXVI. LONDON : OFFICE, 19, OLD BOSWELL COURT, STRAND. MAY BE HAD BY ORDER THROUGH ALL BOOKSELLERS, CB ef LONDON : PRINTED BY JOSEPH ROGERSON, 24, NOEFOLK-STREET, STRAND. INDEX TO THE FOURTH VOLUME. Accidental Division of the Flexor Tendon of the Hind Leg-, per- fect cure of, 373 Address to the Landowners of England on agricultural distress and its remedy, 54 Agriculture, prospects of, in 1836, 372 Agriculture, application of steam to, iST Agriculture, French, 105 Agriculture, state of, 100, 104, 214,367 Agriculture — the Tithe Question, 451 Agriculture in East Lothian, 140 Agricultural Distress, 63, 113, 119, 120, 130, 131, 184,310, 339, 384 Agricultural Distress, extracts from the Second Report of the Committee of the House of Com- mons on, 444, 460 Agricultural Distress, relief of, 36, 350, 386, 448 Agricultural Distress, large meet- ing of landholders and farmers in Somersetshire on, 30 Agricultural Distress, adaptation of the currency to the relief of, 353 Agricultural Intelligence, Fairs, &c. 77, 155, 232, 317, 398,476 Agricultural Meetings. — What must the farmers do? 44 Agricultural Question, 142 Agricultural Interest, 118 Agricultural Reports, 74, 153, 233, 235, 313, 315, 395, 474 Agricultural Associations, 147; Bucks, 25 ; Rutland, 58 ; East Lothian, 381; Union, 387, Berkshire, 151 ; Glocester, 38 ; West Somerset, 29 ; Kirkcaldy, 273; IsleofSheppy, 121; East Riding, 180 ; Hereford, 236 Agricultural Society, Central, 8, 36, 98, 121, 356 Agricultural Societies, 472 Allotment System, 112 ■) Alsike Clover (Trifolium Hybri- ) dum) account of, 296 ~^ Animal Pathology, 445 Arabians, his Majesty's, 427 Australian Agricultural Company, -) 213 \ Bees, management of, 297, 435 1) Beet-root Sugar, and great increase ~ of its manufacture in France, 102 ■J Beet-Root Company, 417 >. Berwick-upon-Tweed — Exports, ^ 149 Bedfordshire, 264 Bonded Wheat and Flour, 225 Bone Manure, 293, 354, 411 Bonded Corn, tricks practised for liberating, 455 Brewing, 191 Bricks, duty on, 349 British produce and manufactures exported in 1834 Case of acute founder in both fore feet, 230 Cattle, North Devon, 256 Cattle, on weeds in, 290 Cattle, on the husk or boose in, 18 Cattle, palsy in, 200 Carrier Pigeons, 473 Cattle, rearing of, 469 Cayley's, Mr. Letter to the Mar- quis of Chandos, 17 Cloverseed, arrivals of Foreign, into London, Liverpool, and Hull, during the last six years, 106 Corn Trade, Birmingham Annual Review of, 205 Commerce, state of, 439 Communication of Mr. William Blacker, 213 Cows, results of the spaying of, 51 Court of Common Pleas — a cheap horse, 152 County Rates, 266 Court of Exchequer, 231 Corn, bonded, 37 Corn Average, French, 152 Corn Trade, review of the, 79, 158, 237, 319, 400, 429 Crops, succession of, 417 Copy of a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Cambrideshire Farmer's Association, and of his reply, 56 Central Tithe Association, 150 Customs between Landlord and Tenant, and the incoming and outgoing Tenant, 391, 465 Currency, 70 Draining, 73, 128 Draw Moss, 464 Draining, thoughts on the exten- sion of, 52 Draining, thoughts on, as the speediest means of fertilizing the soil, 360 Drilling, or depositing the seed in lines, 49 Education and Crime, 126 Early (Estrum, and Impregnation in a Heifer, a? Etiquette of the Field, 344 Eskdalemuir, parish of, 370 Extracts from a Russian Corres- pondent, 295 Emigration, 381 Exports from Hamburg in 1835, 106 Example is better than precept, 108 Fairs in Scotland, some account of the, 133 Fallowing, 388 For the Shrewsbury Chronicle, 384 Flour Mills in America, 150 Flour Mills at Rochester (United States of America) account of the, 375 Fly in Turnips, effectual method of destroying the, 29 Fruit, descriptions of several new varieties of, 170 Grain, arrivals of, into the port of London for the last five years, 106 Great Britain, Trade of, 382 Hops, 43 Hop Duties, 116 Hops, annual amount of the old duty on, 417 Hop-growers, health of, 375 Hop-Merchants, important to, 312 Horsemanship, 39, 107, 187, 267, 347 Horses, remarks on the mode of breeding and its advantages, 61 Horses, economizing food for, 208 Horticulture — Asparagus, Sea- Kale, Rhubarb, Artichoke, 376 Incendiarism, 230 Irish Grain, comparative table, showing the relative value of it in London, Liverpool, and Glas- gow, 193 Irish Poor Enquiry, 455 Ipswich Plough, 24 Islington Market, 343, 387, 388, 459 Landowners and the Corn Laws, 45 Lambs, diseases of, 299 Letters (Original) : — No. I. Agricultural Distress, 1 II. To the Editor of The Far- mer's Magazine, 2 III. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 3 IV. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 4 y. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 5 VI. Curing Bacon, 6 VII. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 6 INDEX TO THE FOURTH VOLUME. Litters (Original) :— VIII. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 6 IX. Observations on the Report of the Poor La*v Commis- sioners— (continued), 91 X. To the Editor of the Far- mer's IMagazine, 93 XI. Agricultural Shows, 94 XII. On Rot in Sheep, 94 XIII. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 94 XIV. The necessity of Poor Laws for Ireland, founded on the Report of the Irish Poor Law Commissioners, 1?1 XV. To the Editor of the Far- mer's IMagazine, 174 XVI. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 175 XAai. To the Editor of the Farmer's Magazine, 176 XVIII. To the Editor of the Farmer's Magazine, 251 XIX. A Plan for the Extinction of Tithes, 254 XX. To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 455 XXL To the Editor of the Far- mer's Magazine, 255 XXIL Association of the Te- nant Agriculturists 256 XXIII. To the Editor of the Farmer's IMagazine, 331 XXIV. To the Editor of the Farmer's Magazine, 333 XXV. The Devon Heifer, 334 XXVI. To the Editor of the Farmer's Magazine, 335 XXVII. To the Editor of the Farmer's Magazine, 335 Letter from A. G. Spiers, Esq., M. P. for Paisley, to II. Mont- gomery Martin, Esq., Secretary to the Royal Agricultural Asso- ciation, 115 London, consumption of food, &c., in, 127 Landed Interest, 441 Manure, burnt soil as a, 353 Mangel Wurtzel, 292 Malt Trade, 48 Malt, the quantity of, consumed by the Brewers of London and Vicinity, from 10th October, 1831, to 10th October, 1835, 35 Manures, comparative, 299 Mare starved to death from dis- eased jaw-bones, 224 Medal in honour of the late Sir John Sinclair, 352 Mildew, on the different theories of, 458 Millers and Bakers in France, 376 Milk Tithe, distress for, 449 Murrain, commonly called Black- Leg, 63 New Leys, on the management of, 101 New Leys, on forming, 265 New Plough, 355 Observations made by J. H. Iler- pin, D.M. P., on the produc- tion of a virulent ulcer in Man through contact with diseased spleens of Sheep, 309 On Bar Shoes, 72 On the Danger of over-draining Moss, 450 On Breeding and Breaking Re- trievers, 432 On Shoeing Horses tliat Strike or Cut, 135 On the application of the points by which Live Stock are judged. To the Shetland Breed, &c. 20, 277 Operations of the Poor Law Amend- ment Act, in the county of Sus- sex, 454 Oxen, price of, in 1674, 456 Oxen and Horses, comparative view of, for the purposes of Hus- bandry, 137 Parsnip, on the Cultivation of the, 95 Paper Currency, 64 Paring and Burning, 179 Petitions to both Houses of Par- liament, 27 Polish Agriculture, 463 Phrenitis, or inflammation of the brain, in Swine, 374 Prospects of scarcity in Ireland, 473 Proposal for estimating the Rent of Land by the market price of Wheat, 195 Potatoe, on the degeneracy of, 178 Potatoes, on the cause and remedy of tha Curl in, 309 Political Companion to the Far- mer's Magazine, 83, 63, 2il, 323, 405, 485 Premiums for Experimental Feed- ing, 413 Proposed Experimental Farm, 421 Presentation of a piece of Plate to Lord Douglas, 371 Rain Water, the advantage and economy of, 7 Rafts on the Rhine, 469 Rapid propagation of Domestic Quadrupeds over tlie American Continent, 136 Red Worm, how to destroy the, 224 Rents, 168 Reports of the state of the Crops in Ireland, 424 Rot in Sheep, on the cause of, 122 Scotland, Highland and Agricul- tural Society of, 147 Seed, quantity of, 28 Seeds, duties on, 298 Smithfield Show — Prize Cattle, 65, 73 Smithfield Market, 105 Statistics of Dumfries Cattle Mar- ket, 146 Sheep, on rot in, 228 Sheriff Court of Forfarshire, 129 Soils, on preparing for green or fallow crops, 260 Soil, on the different modes of im- proving the, 357 Sheep, species and varieties of, 257 Sheep, Palsy in, 285 Speech of H. Handley, Esq.M. P. 110 Speech of Sir R. Price at the Here- ford Agricultural Meeting, 117 Spain, manufactures of, 154 Speed, comparative table of, 99 Spanish Hog Market, 464 Soluble or nutritive matters of different Vegetable Substances, 416 Tallow, English and Russian, 288 Tenant Farmer, practical plan of immediate relief to the, 132 The Cattle Markets of France compared with the London Smithfield, 229 The Flock-master's Companion and Shepherd's Guide, 144 The late Sir John Sinclair, Bart., 124 The Rat, 269 Tithes, 127, 211,341 Tithe Question, Letter to Lord John Russell on the, 300 Tithe Commutation Bill, 308, 340, 351,459 Tithe Bill, 303, 346, 444 Tithes, proposals for a Redemp- tion of, 97 Tithe Commutation, 182, 307 Timber, 210 Timber Trade, 150 Timber Duties, 466 Timber Trees, a Treatise on the Nature of Trees and Pruning of, 146 To the Landlords and Farmers of Great Britain, 96 To the Landowners of Great Bri- tain, 103 To Farmers and their Landlords, 199, 415 To Sir William Young, Bart., M.P.,26 To the Editor of the Mark Lane Express, 130, 132, 136, 177, 191, 210, 291 To the Editor of the York Herald, 423 Turnips, Cultivation of, 463 Turnips, on an Economical Mode of applying Bone-Dust as Ma- nure for, 468 Tile Draining, cautions on, 436 Turf Intelligence, 90, 169, 249, 329, 409, 489 Turnip Crop, the fadure of the, 28 Unprecedented Canine Attach- ment, 473 Upton's Steam Plough and Loco- motive Carriage, 197 Waste Lands, 211 Waste Lands, on reclaiming, 208 Wheat, to produce a fine sample of, 73 Wheat, exportation of, to Canada, 375 Wheat in Bond, grinding Foreign, 420 Woollen Trade, Monthly Report of the, 78, 156, 318, 392,478 WoollenManufacture,Ilussian,l52 Yorkshire Statistics, 470 Joseph Rogerson, Printer, 24, Norfolk-street, Strand, Loudon, ■--:'-''"^^^^^^^^^^^^^g^^^^g^^^^^^^ THE FARMER^S MAGAZINE. JANUARY, 1836. No. 1.] [Vol. IV. THE PLATE. Tl>e Durham Heifer, the subject of our Plate, was exhibited at the Smithfield Show on the 14th of De- cember last. She was four years and eleven months old, and was fed on grass, turnips, and oil-cakes. She was the property of Mr. George Peach, of Great Haughton, near Northampton, who obtained the Gold Meuai, for her as being " the Best Beast in any Class," and fifteen sovereigns as being " the Best Fat Heifer." A Silver JMedal was also adjudged to Mr. Dent, of Milton, near Northampton, as the breeder. This beautiful animal won three prizes, and was the subject of universal admiration. ORIGINAL LETTERS. No. I. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. SxR, — Although the subject of Agricultural Dis- tress has been long sounding in the ears of the legislature, and throughout all classes of the peo- ple of this country, no sympathizing friend has yet apjieared with a readiness and ability to give effectual and speedy relief ! The subject has been so long complained of, and so often reiterated, that many persons regard it only as an old tale which would last for awhile and then die away. And the farmers a,re generally reproached as a croaking set, who will always cry out in time, and before they are hurt ! This however, is but an ignorant and senseless affirmation, made for the most part by those who are fattening upon the spoils, and con- suming the substance of the land which the farmer cultivates, without contributing any proportionate share of the burthens which the land has to bear. The long continuance of the complaint, and the increase of the evil year after year, with no ap- parent prospect of better things at hand, seems at length to have produced conviction in the most sceptical on the subject, that Agricultural Distress does really exist, and that to an unparalleled extent in the nation ! I say to an unparalleled extent, because, that former complaints \i eve real, and obliged very many of the landed interest to create obligations, which are still undischarged, and in many instances are increased" to such an amount as renders it almost, if not altogether hopeless that they will ever be able to repay them. . And this is no singular case among agriculturists, but a very extensive one, and soon will, and must become extensively known, if things remain as they are. How far the currency bill has produced this state of things, I will not undertake to prove. But this I do think, that when the currency was changed, the rate of interest on the debt of the nation, and also generally, ought in ^'ws^iee to have been reduced in the same proportion, as things be- came altered in value by that change. And unlesi this i^ done now, the obligations created by mort- gage, &c., will never be discharged, and the moneyocracy will become the actual possessors of the nation. They are virtually so now, and are very fast swallowing up all. But is this to bs the panacea for all the evil of Agricultural Distress ? No, Sir — the evil is com- plicated, and has been long coming on by a com- bination of causes, of which the currency bill may have been, and doubtless is one. The land is sur- charged in a variety of ways. There is the burthen of the poor — which bears in a very far greater proportion on the farmer than on any other class of people in the kingdom. In like manner, the highway, composition, and county rates ; all which lie much heavier on the farmer than the proportion which in justice he ought to bear. And then there is that great state pauper the Church establishment, for the main- tenance of which, that most oppressive, and un- just impost, the tithes, is levied and continued on the land, in a manner in which it ought never to have been imposed. There is a great outcry against the tithes in Ireland ; but what are the tithes in Ireland compared with the burthen in England ? The poor Catholics of the sister coun- try are commiserated ; but the poor Dissenters and farmers at home, may sink under the oppre- sive weight of the massive golden church estab- lishment, with none to pity, or to help them ! Mr. Bather, at the Shropshire Agricultural Society, ex- claimed loudly against the landlords and farmers, as if they were the cause of their present distress, and had the remedy in their own hands 1 But why did not Mr. Bather descant a little upon the reverend and lay tithe eaters ? Why ought the landlords and the farmers to accommodate them- selves to their " altered circumstances," and the tithe'eaters to revel in their luxuries, and receive their amount of composition as when the produce of the land was more than double its jiresent price ? How long 'will the landlords and farniers sit still and let the present tithe system wrest their property from their hands ? How much longer are the tithe eaters to be allowed to rewi ire the spoils of the landlords and farmers, and to impoverish both thelandai\A its cw/Zttotors, without contributing one mite, or risking any capital for the purchase of stock, or cultivation of the soil ? A great portion of the land in the fen and maish districts of the kingdom, has been rescued from the waters and made productive to the supply of the nation, in corn, cattle, &c. ; at an immense cost for drains, banks, rivers, mills, &c. And then the tithe of the /^rorfjer. THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 17 MR. CAYLEY'S LETTER TO THE MARQUIS OF CHANDOS, On the necessity of union and co-operation among the agriculturists, if they would ob- tain relief from their distress. (Read bij Lord Chandos to the Buckinghamshire Agricul- tural Meeting, October 21.) Wydale, jNIalton, Oct. 10, 1835- My Dear LoRD,^Each succeding- year, I am afraid, ursres on us more and more the sad conviction, tliat there is no hope for the British farmer but in tiie united and unremitted exertions of all his friends. U'hose ex- ertions, it is true, have hitherto signally failed of suc- cess : but failure in a cause like this, instead of breeding' dispair, should tend rather (as your Lordship, by your own conduct, has practically shewn,^ to redouble our efforts, and stimulate our energies afresh. It is on the direction of our efforts for relief that I venture now to address myself to your Lordship ; and for so doing, I offer no apology to one who has shewn so warm an interest in the well-being- of the farmer. The session is over ; — our Parliamentary labours have ceased for awhile ; — yet, reaching our homes in the country, such is the picture of agricultural misery and depression spread before our eyes, it becomes our duty, instead of yielding to that quiet and repose so natural and so welcome to us all, after months of close confinement, — to be investigating the extent, the sources, and par- ticular modes of the distress ; and as friends of the far- mer, to be preparing for the ensuingParliamentary cam- paign. The principle object of this letter is to consult your Lordship, and also to throw out some suggestions as to the best means of concentrating the greatest amount of the agricultural strength in Parliament, on the first motion respecting agricultural distress in the ensuing session. In using the term agricultural strength I do not, of course, merely mean county members, — but all members representing constituencies engaged in production, which finds its principal custom in the home market — the great basis of which is agriculture. Now it appears to me that a very efficient, and at the same time a very simple way to concentrate our forces, would be — 1st, to bring forward(unless under very pe- culiar circumstances) onlij one motion during the session but so worded, that it might embrace the conflicting' views of all who are well affected to home industry. — 2ndly I should propose, that this motion related to the causes which have depressed the agricultural interest. The existence of its distress has been already acknow- ledged : let the causes of it be as unequivocally ex- pressed, and the farmer will then be no longer doubtful which side to join, or which set of opinions to support. Indecision, from an ignorance of the source of their distresses, has paralyzed the efforts of the farmer for re- lief more than any other cause. To be firmly united, they must be firmly convinced of the truth and the right for which they contend : and to be successful they must be united. To give it its full weight, your Lordship should be the member to introduce such a motion — and I sincerely, most sincerely, trust you will consent so to be. Two or three motions were made last year relating to agricultural distress, chiefly by your Lordship and myself; the disadvantage of such an arrangement is, that members, not very earnest upon the subject, fancy they will satisfy their constituents if they vote once a session on distress ; two-thirds perhaps vote for the first motion, the remaining third reserving themselves for the second motion, of which notice may have been given. Tims are our forces divided, and party politics win the day against the true interests of the country. It behoves us to provide a remedy for this evil : the remedy being either to secure such an addition of votes (and which are legitimately on our side) as will carry relief; or to shew the diiferent distressed constituencies who are their friends and vvlio are not. In addressing your Lordshij), 1 have taken it for granted, from t!ie high position you hold on the ques- tion, that it is your intention to bring forward some mo- tion respecting agricultural distress eai'ly next session, In what shape you propose to do this I am wholly un- acquainted ; but if i have rightly interpreted your sen- timents since the large majority against your motion for a repeal of the malt tax, you will not be disposed to attempt that mode of relief ; and your late speech at Aylesbury confirms me in this view. Then with re - spect to any general reduction of taxation that is u-ithin our reach, especially after upwards of 40,000,000/ has been reduced since the peace, and has left us in even a worse state than when the reduction commenced, we can scarcely hope for relief in that way. Still less is a penny or tioo in the pound reduction in the county rates, likely to go to the root of the evil. The farmers are daily becoming convinced that the evil is far deeper seated. Those in the county you yourself represent, have of late shown great anxiety on the subject of the cause of their disasters, and have unequivocally expressed their conviction, that the real bottom of the evil has been the change in the value of money ; the diminution in the amount of the currency, arising out of Mr. Peel's bill of 1819. Those of the southern counties likewise, within the last two yeai's, have been fast coming' round to the same conclusion ; and I can bear testimony that the northern counties are not behind in the same opinion : — an opinion which has been the result of increasing distress, and the total failure or inadequacy of the re- lief expected from other sources. At the same time I do not deny that there is a discrepancy of opinion among members of Parliament, as to the modes and chances of relief. This is the difficulty I seek to obviate, for in these differences only it is, that our weakness, as a body, consists. Under these circumstances would it not be wise that a motion should be made, in a mea- sure, to comprehend the views of all the parties well affected to our agricultur.; and home industry, without offending the feelings or prejudices of any 1 and thus we should be able to concentrate our combined forces on a given point, and put into operation the " pull all together," which can alone help us out of our misery. We are quite strong enough, if ice be only united. The relief of agriculture is anything hut an unpopular ques- tion, except among trading politicians and philosophers. All the conntry towns, and a majority of the working classes, are in reality with «s ; they are as sick of the tin- certain employment induced by bad profits, as they are of ingenious theories. In the event of your Lordship inclining to the line of conduct which has just been suggested, (and I do not think it would run counter to any of your views), would you object to bring forward a motion worded somehow thus ? — ' ' For a Select Committee to inquire into the causes which have produced the long continued and still existing depression in British agriculture, with a view to their immediate removal." Such amotion, it ap- pears to me, would be satisfactory to all our friends. No one else, I think, would be inclined to offer any other for the consideration of the House. I for one should not : but should be most content to fight (as in- deed on this subject I always have) under your lordship's banner, under circumstances to command the greatest chance of success, in that great pitched battle, for the very existence of our agriculture, which must sooner or later be fought within the walls of Parli-ament. In introducing a motion of this kind, it would not devolve on the mover, as an absolute necessity, to enter into currency or any other topic, to which there might not be a leaning in his own mind. Every one would see, by its very terms, that it was left open to any member to explain his own views. It is only ichen con- cealment is desired that it becomes necessary to place limits on the discussion of an inquiry into a subject like this. The committee you would be asking for would have the exposure of truth, and truth alone, in view — to which no honest man ought to object. When the truth was fairly exposed, and it could be no longer denied what the source of the distress really was, there would then arise another question of equal importance, but one in which the sufferers could much better help themselves at another election, viz.— -whether Parrunncnl, knowing the source of lite evil, and of its con- tinuance, would consent to grant the relief required. If it refused the relief, or if ,it knew its duty so little as to 18 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. allow the first interest in the country — the solid foun- dation of the prosperity of the whole — an interest with which twenty millions of our population are as closely identified as the plougher of the soil and the sower of the seed — if it k)iew its duty so little ns this, I trust the coj)stitueitts of the country know their duty better. The melancholy fact, my dear Lord, is that our agriculture cannot go on as prices now are. Three- fourths of the arable soil in Great Britain cannot pay the expenses of cultivation at the present rate, much less leave a surplus for rent. A state of things like this is not only ruinous to the parties, but is dangerous to the institutions of the country. Men lose their respect for the government under which they live, in nearly the same degree as their interests are neglected and them- selves forsaken by their rulers. Can it be our duty, at such a crisis, either as members of the legislature or as private individuals, to remain supinely tranquil and with our hands behind us] Surely not ; on the contrary, every nerve should be strained, every effort united, without consideration of party politics, to efi'ect a de- liverance from our dreadful condition. The farmers, as a body, are worse off this year than last. I ventured a year ago to predict the present fall in wool, stock, barley, and oats; as the scarcity of them ceased, they were sure to fall to the level of wheat. I said that barley, if it were an average crop, would be below 23s per qr. In my own neighbourhood it sold last market for 2ls. How fearfully has the anticipation been re- alized ! And yet the harvest and crops have fallen far short of what were expected. Every market, notwith- standing, prices tumble down. Oats, 14s a quarter, which last year were 24s and 26s. Sheep unsaleable, and wool fallen 25 per cent ! The only consolation for us is that the upland fanners and breeders will see that they are to form no exception to the general rule which lias brought down their neighbours in thousands to the earth ; under this conviction our numbers will be strengthened for the contest. No better opportunity, therefore, has occurred for a cordial junction of the agricultural forces. I have even some hope that the landlords are rousing themselves from their apathy, alarmed for their property, now that corn wont pay its expenses — now that wool and stock, out of which, and which alone, rents have been paid for the last three or four years, are fast falling to a leval ■with corn — now that the last shilling of their tenants' capital is gone. Half a century hence, who will be- lieve the blind infatution with which the landlords of this country have yielded themselves, hand-bound and tongue-tied, a prey to the crafty devices — the slow con- suming poison administered by the political economists and the monied interest? The returns lately moved for by J\Ir. Dillwyn will also tend to dispel many delusions, and assist the inquiries and tlie conclusions of such a committee as has been suggested, and which, I fain ■would trust, under your Lordship's auspices, must now, from the urgent necessity of the case, be triumphantly carried, in despite of any Government, whether Whig or Tory, which, in the enjoyment of its own fixed in- comes, and in the iron-heartedness of its power, should insultingly attempt to crusli this righteous demand — this the last hope of the suffering farmer. I have the honour to be. My dear Lord, your very faithful servant, E. S. CAYLEY. P.S. The objects of this letter being public, I shall not object to its publication. I can see no objection, but tlie contrary, to the whole country knowing our plans and determination to seek redress in the best way we can. It is a fair stand-up fight in which we have to engage. Relief, when it is carried, will be wrung from Parliament by no coup de main or cunning policy, but by imperious and acknowledged necessity. Publicly it will have this advantage, — it may be the means of bringing the minds of the farmers to some nucleus, and inducing them to urge a similar and simultaneous prayer to Parliament. If we can only get the country gentlemen and farmers and provincial tradesmen to he unanimous, we sluill soon see their representatives mianimmis likewise. Sufficient time will elapse between this and the next session, for communications to pass on this subject be- tween the members and the constituencies. ON THE HUSK, OR HOOSE IN CATTLE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MARK LANE EXPRESS. Sin,— About a twelvemonth ago, I sent you some account of this disease, which, as you considered of sufficient importance for insertion in the Mark Lane Express (for which I feel obliged) and as several other papers copied it from your columns, perhaps some fur- ther particulars attending' it, which have come under my observation, may not be uniuteresiing to some of your readers, and may tend to afford, or elicit from others, additional information as to the cause and cure of this extraordinary disease. I have this Autumn had another attack of the husk among my cattle. It made its appearance about the same time as last year, but did not prove so fatal in its effects. The symptoms were precisely similar, being, cough, with frothy discharge at the mouth, short breath- ing, weeping' of the eyes, hanging of the head and ears, and continual inclination to rub (either on the ground, or over a rail or fence,) the throat. About ten or a dozen cows and heifers were effected this year, but have all recovered. My weaning calves of this year were affected, but very slightly. The only remedies I applied in the present year were, making them inhale lime-dust, and spirit of Turpentine diluted and poured into the nostrils. But although I have taken consider- able pains to ascertain the comparative merits of seve- ral remedies, particularly in the previous year, I am unable to speak very confidently as to the efl'ects of any of them ; all I know is, that in 1834 fourteen died and several others were so weakened and stunted from its effects as to be worth only about half what they would otherwise have been ; and that in 1835, with similar treatment, all have recovered ; and not only so, but when the disease goes off, those to which no remedy has been applied, appear to recover as well as the rest. It may be worthy of remark that the seasons in 1834 and 1835 were in this part of the country similar, both being' dry Summers and growing Autumns. At one time I thought the disease contag'ious, but from all 1 have been able to observe myself and learn from others, I am of opinion that it is epidemic but not infectious ; that the cause is in the state of the atmos- phere, as with the cholera'* and other epidemic diseases, and probably taken by inhalation. One circumstance, which at first led me to think it contagious in addition to having numbers attacked about the same time was, that in each year, one of the fatting calves in the pens, where they had nothing but milk, became affected with a cough, and indications of consumption ; but on examination when killed, I found the lungs ulcerated, but in both cases entirely free from worms. Out of the fourteen which died in the previous year, 1834, two or three which had been as bad as any, but had rather stronger constitutions, remained in a dwind- ling state for some weeks after the disease had gone off from the others, and on examination, when they died, the worms appeared to have either died or left the lungs, but left them too much diseased and ulcerated from their ravages, for recovery. The head and throat of these were swelled previous to death, like those of a sheep in the last stage of the rot. I have found the cows have soon recovered when they have been housed, and fed on hay and grains, but this has happened to be about the time of year when the disease seems to go off naturally ; so that this kind of diet may or may not have any effect on the disorder. At any rate, as dry food is recommended by some cattle doctors, it is worthy of further trial. At the time the disease was at its height in 1834, Mr. Brown, surgeon, of Lewisham, who happened then to be attending my family, took considerable interest in the progress of the disorder, and examined the lung's and windpipe of one which had died. He found a few * Dr. Jenkins, in his Treatise on the Cholera, re- marks that it rages most in seasons when the progress of vegetation is most rapid. THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, strag-grhng' worms enveloped in frothy matter, witliin the wmdpipe, which appeared either to have crawled or been coug-hed up ; at the bottom of the windpipe, and throughout the main air vessels of the lung-s were clusters ofworms knit up together, sufficient in quan- tity to fill a common sized tea-spoon. The inner mem- brane at the lower end of the windpipe, was eaten away, and the lobes of the lungs considerably ulcerat- ed, To the naked eye the worms appeared to be a sort of Ascarides, about as thick as a thread, and from an mch to an incli and a half long- ; on using a strong magnifying glass, they appeared about the size of a common eel, sufficiently transparent for us to observe the cn-culation of blood through their veins; and in shape pretty much like a leach ; when first taken out they appeared rather dormant, but warmth seemed to revive them. The animal from which they were taken, had been dead about six hours. jMr. Brown appeared to doubt whether any remedies could be applied suffici- ently strong to destroy the worms, without endanger- ing the life of the animal, but recommended as anex- penment, giving twenty grains of calomel and a little scaniony, and make them inlmle gas made from muriatic acid, mangonese, and vitrol, similar to thatused m fumigating apartments to prevent infection in fevers and other contagious diseases. These remedies I tried without any perceptible ertect. In referring to an old work on cattle medicine, he found in the margin the following note. " Young clover will expel all kinds of worms in cattle." In my former letter I mentioned several remedies which had been recommended by writers on cattle medicine and others ; I will now enumerate some others which I have since met with : and so much from the P™ofsIhavehad of their efficacy, as for the purpose ot affording an opportunity to the bettei- judgment of others who may have their cattle affected in a similar manner, to select sucli as they think proper. Mr. Clater of Retford, in his " Every man his own Cattle Doctor says, " The Hoose or cough in cows and young cattle, proceeds from their taking cold eitlier after calving, or from being kept in a warm hovel and afterwards exposed to the inclemency of the weather. The symptoms are shortness of breath : continual motion to cough or hoose— difficulty of respiration, which seems to press hard upon the dia- phragm and abdominal muscles," and recommends the following drink — Balsam of sulphur, 2 oz. ; Barbadoes tar, 1 oz. ; 2 eggs ; ginger, aniseed, cummin. Elecampane roots, grains of paradise, and liquorice-root, each 1 oz. in pow- der ; salt of tartar, ^ oz. ; honey, 4 oz. ; given in ale or^ gruel, with a glass of brandy." " Let this drink be repeated every otiier, or every third day, for three or four times. If it be at the com- mencement of the disease, one or two drinks are gene- rally sufficient. When this disease is of long standing ^^u f^JY""^ removed without first a purging drink of lib of Epsom salts, 2 oz. of ginger, and ilb of treacle," '^''^ ffl]!f."''"^'?°^ '^peaking of the " hoose in calves," says, 1 Ills disease most commonly attacks young calves the first year, while at grass in the summer. In some dry summers it has carried off large numbers. Upon examination after death, the author has frequently caused the gullets to be laid open, an.l found a >u,r/t,>/u>orms netted or matted together. Tiiese, by the r constant ticklmg motion, cause the young animal to be almost in a constam state of hoosing or cough- g by which the powers of .ligestion are so mucli in- ured, as to render the chewing of the cud impractica- iJn^ni h n , '"■°''"' '■^"]'*'1'«>' «'-e "ot applied, they fonowfl ."• T'^'-T^ ''^^ ^ ^--oi'sumptive patient. The IliTl ^. r"'' " •" ''^ ^°"""' i^ffeolnnl in destroying iiiche kind of vermin. pink, half an ounce. «;£"* °'' V"'^*^ "'^"^ '^"^^"' and put them into n pitcher with a quart of boiling water ; cover them down and let them stand till next morning, strain them through a cloth and add, ginger in i.owder, half ItnhViT' '^""/'*;l'' MM^owdered, 2 0Z.5 hnseed oil, -J table spoons-full ; mix and give it warm. The calf must fast two hours before, and two after the drink. Repeat it every other, or every third day. This is a proper dose for a calf six or eight months old, and may be varied a little according to the age of the animal, and continued for three weeks, then leave oft' a week and repeat it again if the calf still remain unwell. " Worms in horned cattle are not very common, ex- cept in the above cases. In many instances where calves have been so bad of this disease, as to baffle the power of other medicines, it has instantly given way on their taking one tablespoonfull of spirit of turpentine without being mixed with any thing. It may be re- pented every third morning for three" times." Now by Mr. Clater's description of "opening the gullet," and " the powers of digestion being so mucli injured as to render the chewing of the cud impractica- ble," it appears to me, that he found the worms oosing, or swallow, or passage to the stomach, and not in the' windpipe and lungs ; and the remedies, such as worm- wood, savine, &;c., are such as are generally used for worms in tiie stomach and intestines, whereas on ex- amination of those which died of mine, and which was done very carefully in almost every case, the stomach itself and the passage thereto was perfectly healthy and free from any kind of worms, and their appetites were good while they had strength to stand up to eat. In the "Complete Grazier," this disease is treated on asfollows : — " Cough :— Wlien calves are exposed at too early an age to all the vicissitudes of the weather, before they acquire sufficient strength to undergo the changes of this climate, they are liable to take frequent colds, the consequence of which is, a cough that often proves fatal if neglected. For curing this malady, it has been recommended to pour half a table spoonful of spirit of turpentine into the calf's nostrils, the nose should be smeared with tar, and the animal kept within doors for a few hours, repeating this tieatment as often as the cough becomes troublesome." This work says nothing about worms, but treats it as a common cold or cough. Another remedy recommended is assafoetida dissolved in hot water, a quarter of an ounce at a dose every other morning, without food for an hour or two before and after. Inhaling the fumes from burnt tar, and tarring the nostrils are also recommended. Mr. Cleeve, a friend of mine, near St. Albans, has just informed me, that a neighbour of his has found assafoetida, (I suppose the common solution) vinegar, and aloes, in equal quantity, and poured it into the nostrils, a most effectual re- medy. If it will not be trespassing too much on your space, and the patience of your readers, I beg to conclude by giving a short account of an experiment tried on a cow, when choked with a piece of Swede turnip, with com- plete success, by Mr. W. Moorey of Peckham to whose skill in the performance of the operation great credit is due. The probang and chock-rope had both been used, but the shape of the obstruction was such that they both slipped by without removing it; the cow became hoven, or blown, as is generally the case by the efiTorts to swal- low, and stabbing was had recourse to, which gave temporary relief and time for the operation : which was, to open the throat and ousing, and take out tlie piece of turnip, the outer orifice was then sewn uj). The cow was kept for a few days on gruel and then turned out to graze. The only inconvenience which occurred afterwards was, that the food oozed out from the swal- low through the incision before it grew up, and re- quired emptying by cutting the stitches, which was done two or three times. This occurred last JNIarch, and I have the cow now quite souml. I am Sir, respectfully your's, I.ewishum, Nov. 16, 1385. GEO. COLGATE. Singular Fact. — Five thousand bushels of wheat have just been received in New ^ork from Liverpool, which were shijjjjed from that port iii 1831. A sani))le was exhibited, which appeared to be in perfect order. — New York Paper. c 2 20 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. ON THE APPLICATION OF THE POINTS BY WHICH LIVE STOCK ARE JUDGED.— TO THE SHET- LAND BREED, &c. Hy Mr. James Dickson, Cattle Dealer, Edinburgh. (From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture.^ The Shetland cattle inhabit the Shetland Islands. These form the northernmost group ofislandsbeloaging- to Scotland. They have a barren and wild aspect when viewed from the sea, and tlieir interior presents little else than pools of water and bare rocks ; not a tree or a shrub is to be seen on them, and the herbage is as comparatively poor as their aspect is barren. The small islands, however, called the Holms, are cover- ed with better pasture. But poor as the islands are, they contain a peculiar breed of cattle and horses both very diminutive in size. The cattle are com- paratively valuable on account of the fine quality of their beef. Their symmeti-y is not quite correct ac- cording to the rule which we have laid doM n for judg- ing cattle ; the line of theback being rather hollow : the ribs are pretty round, the tail bead droops, and the fore (juarters and belly are fully too large. This form, which indicates starvation, may accordingly have arisen from the coldness and wetness of the climate, and the scantiness of food ; for if we look at the kind- ly touch, the sleek soft hair, the fineness of the mus- cle, the fulness of the eye, and sharpness of the horn, they ought to feed pretty well ; and, accord- ingly, they do feed fat on tolerably good pasture. Their colour is uniformly black, light red, or black and ■white. They are naturally the smallest breed of cat- tle in the kingdom, weighing generally from 16 stones to 20 stones the four quarters, and when extra fat from 25 stones to 30 stones. I have seen them fat at 14 stones or 15 stones. The beef is of the very finest quality throughout, being as small in tlie grain as mutton ; the fat well intermixed, and the flavour most delicious. In fact, in point of quality, they are without exception the finest cattle that are bred in the kingdom. The cows are not great milkers ; but the milk is very rich. To THE Orkney and Caithness Breeds. — The Orkney Islands lie to the north of the coast of Caith- ness, which is the northernmost county in Scotland. The climate is cold, and variable, and late ; but frost and snow continuing only a short time on the ground tlie grass gets leave to grow. The pasturage is bet- ter than in the Shetland Islands. The county of Caithness lies generally low, and having no high land to the north, to screen the low land from the strong north-west wind, which blows almost inces- santly in spring, the grass cannot be expected to be early. The cattle of Orkney, though much larger than those of Shetland, are much less symmetrically shaped, and not so fine. The back curves above the straight line, and is narrow ; the ribs are flat ; the hind quarters thin ; all the bones coarse, and those in the body prominent ; the head diMops, and the horn short and blunt. Their general s}numetry and poor coat indicate them to be slow feeders, and in- capable of early maturity. The Caithness cattle are not unlike the Orkney. They have narrow backs, flat ribs, and as a natural consequence, large bellies, and narrow chests. Many of both the Orkney and Caithness cattle are trained to work, and are kept till above seven or eiglit years old, when they are sold quite lean, and fattened oft' afterwards. They are then called " runts," a Scot- tish phrase which technically means " an old cow that has given over breeding," — a phrase not inex- pressive of the old useless appearance of this breed of cattle. I have seen these runts bought for very little money ; but nevertheless they pay the feeder well, because having age, they feed rapidly on good pasture, and the beef is pretty good. A great many of them are exposed for sale at the Kyle of Sutherland market, and thence driven south to the Scotch and English markets. Many spirited agriculturists hare of late years greatlv improved both the cattle and the face of the county of Caithness. There is much turnip land in this county, which being sown with turnips enables the feeders to feed their own flock. Many of the fattest beasts find a ready market in Caithness in summer during the herring fishery. This species of national industry has increased so much in this quarter, that perhaps not fewer tlian 80,000 people are employed in it annually on the coast of Caith- ness. The fishermen make good wages, and are able to live well on butcher meat. Should steam navigation be introduced for the con- veyance of live-stock from this quarter of the coun- try, the breeders will be enabled to feed off" all their stock, and send them direct to the Edinburgh mar- ket, instead of exposing their lean stock for sale, or depending only on the immigration of fishermen in summer, for the principal consumption of their fat stock. Improvements have chiefly been eflfected by stewards brought on purpose from the south coun- try, or south country farmers taking farms in that part of the country. The Messrs. Home of Stirkoke and Langwell have Berwickshire stewards, who have set examples of management to their neighbours. Mr. Traill of Ratter is one of the most spirited improvers in this county. Mr. John Patterson, in what is called Lord Rae's country, now the property of the Duke of Sutherland, has made great improvements at Leangill. To the North Highland Breed. — In the counties of Sutherland and Ross are many breeds of cattle. The native breed is called " North Highlanders," which are scarcely distinguishable from the cattle of Orkney and Caithness ; in East Ross and Cromarty, is found the large breed of Banff' and Aberdeenshire ; and in many other p=irts the " West Highlanders" are ibund. Of the West Higliland breeds, the breed from the island of Lewis, belonging to Ross- shire, is a smaller breed than the runts of Orkney and Caithness, and it possesses very little if any better symmetry or quality. But the Dunrobin West Highlanders form the pride of Sutherlaudshire. They are bred by, and belong to the Duke of Suther- land at Dunrobin Castle ; hence the name. The Dunrobins are well known both in England ' and Scotland as superior West Highlanders. They attain to great size on the pastures of Dunrobin, which are considered as fine grazing land as in Scotland. I remember a lot of sixty four-year olds being shewn about twelve years ago at the Oc- tober Falkirk Tyrst. They liad the most sprightly and splendid appearance of any north country cattle I ever saw. They shewed beautiful symmetry, straight level backs, round deep carcasses, great substance of flesh, strong fine bone, tine coats of hair with small muzzles, quick eyes, and large sharjje pointed spreading horns. The only fault which could have been found in their symmetry was the large proportion which the force bore to hind quarters. They were fine fat, and would have weighed fitty- five stones the four quarters, and were purchased by the late Mr. Henry Lee of Scaterawiu East Lothian, an eminent feeder of cattle, for 18 guineas a i)iece. JMr, Lee sold them by public sale some mouths after. THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 21 wlien they averaged about 23/ a-piece, as they were considered very superior animals in every respect ; but on being Icilled they did not prove well. They wanted weight, quality, and fat to their appear- ance, and turned oft" very large hides. I have heard it maintained, that the large hides and horns evinced, that they had a dash of Irish blood in them. In these respects, they certainly did resemble the Irish ; but not at all in the general appearance. 1 have seen a lot of cows and young cattle of the same breed on the farm of Skelbo, belong to the Duke of Sutherland. These I considered equal to the Dunrobin cattle. Skelbo is an excellent management. It had been improved by the late Duke as a pattern and stimulus to his tenantry. It is situate on the side of Little Ferry, and carries excellent crops of corn and tur- nips. I understand that Sir William Watkins Wynne of Wynnesty in Wales, purchases three-year old Dunrobins every year, and uses them for his own table after feeding them two years. The last lot of that age I ever saw sold was for twelve guineas each. A small breed of cattle called " Skibos," are bred on the property of Skibo in Sutherlandshire, belong- ing to Mr. Soper Dempster. They are nearly as small as the Shetlanders, but much more symmetrical and beautiful, and nearly as fine in quality of beef. The tenants on the property of Skibo have the privi- lege of driving those which they have to dispose of for payment of rent, to the estate of Dunnichen in Forfarshire, a property which belonged to the late celebrated George Dempster, " the honest Scotchman, " as he was familiarly called by George the Third, but now to Mr. James Whit- shed Hawkins, to dispose of by public auction. Thither gentlemen from all parts of the low country go to the annual sales, and give exorbitant prices for these small creatures, to fatten for the use of their own tables. Skibos are exceedingly neat, having Straight level backs, pretty round ribs, small bone, sharp muzzle, keen bright eye, and fine small sharp- pointed spreading horns, with a soft thick hairy coat, and sweet touch ; they possess most of the good properties of a fast feeder. Looked on from above downward, they are rather narrow, and perhaps long, for their breadth ; but when extra fat they cover the tops of the ribs well, and show remarkably fine points. The beef is of the finest (juality. These annual sales take place in the beginning of October. After being kept two winters and a summer on good keep, they attain to the weight of from thirty to thirty-five stones ; and if kept for another year, they may be forty stones. The drove consists of from 200 to 300 stots, never queys, of two and three year olds, and a few older ; but the youngest fetches the highest proportionate price ; and of all the colours of black, red, dun, and brindled, the black and red coloured are generally the best feeders, and the most symmetrical. The prices given at these sales are (juite fanciful. The horned cattle in East Ross and Cromarty, though like the homed Aberdeenshire, are rather smaller, and something like the smaller sized runts, and the best of them might feed, if very fat, to fifty stones ; but their ordinary weight runs from thirty to forty stones. Great numbers of cattle might be fed in this district, as it it is one quite suitable to corn and turnip husbandry, but ready markets being- situate at a great distance, raise a barrier a<^ainst their being generally fed, although many of the lots which are driven to the south are in prime condition. There is a spirited farmer who farms extensively in East Ross, Mr. Archibald Dudgeon of Arboll, from East Lothian, who feeds a good many sheep and cattle, which he brings to the Edinburgh market once a-year, about May, from a distance of upwards of 200 miles. I have seen him show very superior sheep of difierent breeds, but the distance is too great for heavy cattle to travel without injury. What an advantage would steam navigation pi-ove to j\Ir. Dudgeon and others similarly situated, as a means of conveyance to a ready market like that of Edin- burgh ! Although the district is well adapted for feeding, it will never become an important one as such without the assistance of steam navigation, which in this quarter should be conducted in a par- ticular manner. To use a st^am-ship to advantage in this quarter, the supply should be confided to the Edinburgh market, for the want of cheap coals in that part of the country precludes the possibility of a profitable voyage to London. Driving the cattle to the London steamers at Aberdeen would knock them up when ripe fat nearly as much as to a greater distance in a leaner condition. But even under present circumstances, breeders preparing stock for dealers or feeders in the south, never can put tliem in too high a condition. They may depend upon it that they will be repaid for extra keep, as high con- dition will never be found fault with by dealers. On the contrary it will be appreciated, though from no other consideration, than that good condition enables an ox to travel well ; and if well driven, much of the firmer part of the condition will remain, though part of the softer portion must of course be lost in the driving. The North Highlanders are found in the counties of Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, Inverness, Crom- arthy, and Nairn. To THE AsERDEENsinnE Breeds. — There are vari- ous breeds of cattle in the county of Aberdeen ; but the kinds which more properly belong to it are three, — the polled cattle of Buchan, called Buchan dod- dies, the large-horned cattle of Aberdeen, and the small-horned or Brae cattle of Aberdeen. The Buchan doddies are an esteemed breed of cattle. They are generally symmetrical ; the back being straight, and nearly level, but having the top of the rump and the tail-head a little too much elevat- ed ; ribs roundish, being a little flat near the back bone. The side view is pretty rectangular, the de- viations occurring by the brisket being deeper than the flank, the rump and tail-head being higher than back and shoulder tops, and being a little light at the buttocks. When viewed from above, the back is a little too narrow, and is wedge-shaped from the hooks to the shoulder. They have a good eye, and are generally good handlers, having a strong boned frame, capable of carrying much beef, which, when ripe, is placed pretty well upon the best points. Their colours are generally black, sometimes red, dun, and brindled, with scarcely any white. Their appearance indicates substance of muscular flesh and gaiety of disposition. When fed they attain from fifty stones to sixty stones at four years' old, and some even to seventy stones or eighty stones, and in some instances 100 stones at five or six years' old. The beef is of fine quality, adapted either for the cutting up or the shipping butcher, particularly the latter, and it is always in demand for that purpose, and tliey find their way to every part of the south country. I once had an opportunity of seeing at Cartel Haugh Show, near Old Deer, some fine speci- mens of bulls, cows, and heifers. There are always some fine lots of these doddies shown at Aiky and other fairs in that neighbourhood. The last time I was in Smithfield market I saw a lot of twenty very fine Buchan doddies, which had been bred and fed near Peterhead. They fetched 23/ a-piece, and were 22 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, of as good quality as any cattle in Smithfiekl that clay, and were early sold. They had been conveyed from Aberdeen to London in a stenm vessel. This mode of conveying fat cattle to the London market is an invaluable privilege to breeders and feeders in that part of the country. Indeed, it will there en- tirely change the prevailing mode ot managing cattle. Instead of kee])ing them in a lean condition for two or three years in order to prepare them for travelling by age, they will be fattened on the spot, and sent otf to London. To accomplish this desirable end in a short time, and thereby insure a quicker ju-ofit, they should be fed from the moment they are dropped. This improved method of feeding will cause the cul- tivalion of a greater breadth of turnips, and perhaps potatoes. Bone-dust will secure an abundant sup- ply of the former ; and when the London market is at command, the London prices will repay for extra feeding. Captain Barclay, in Kincardineshire, jMr. Stronach in Aberdeenshire, !and Mr. Miln, of JMill of Boyndie in BanS'shire, send fine well fed cattle to London. The Brae breed of Aberdeenshire cattle is a mid- dle-sized horned kind, of pretty good symmetry, and rather plain skinned, but they are favourites with the graziers in Aberdeen, Banff, and Morayshires, as they are clever travellers, and seldom exceed in weight from thirty stones to fifty stones when fat. They also cut well up for the retail butcher. Moray- shire is not a great breeding county, the graziers purchasing these brae cattle at the markets in East Ross and Cromarty. These brae cattle are well suited !br wintering on half turnip and straw, and feeding off in summer on grass. Their beef is of fine quality, and, from their moderate size, they are much liked by butchers for summer killing. I have frequently observed that no beef is better mixed, or cuts better up. In the interior of Aberdeenshire, towards Huntly and Keith, and through many of the low-lying grounds elsewhere, is a large horned, heavy breed, called runts. They have large frames, strong bones, long legs, a gaunt appearance, smooth hair, large hooves, and the top of the head surmounted with very thick, broad long spreading turned up horns. The colour is generally black, with some patches of dead white about the belly and face. The muzzle is • thick, and the eye dull and heavy ; they stand high on the legs, are long in the body, and have great ends and small middles. They attain to fully as great weights as the Buchan doddies. IMany are worked in the plough till seven or eight years of age, and then sold to be driven south or fed at home. Some of these cattle are bred by the Duke of Gordon. Earl of Aberdeen, Earl of Kintore, Earl of Aboyne and others. The show of the Highland and Agricultural Soci- ety, which took place in October 1834, at Aberdeen, clearly proved that the Buchan doddies are displac- ing these large horned runts ; and no doubt properly, for they are a finer breed of cattle. There was a con- siderable display of bulls and cows of the doddies, aud but a few of the horned breed. This change in the breed is ascribed to a change of management of cattle during the winter in this district. Formerly all the cattle" were housed in winter, and it mattered vot ^vhether they had horns or not, for they could not iajure one another when each was separately tied up ; but now it is found better for their health, and the preservation of their travelling condition, to feed them in straw yards ; and as hatred and envy are their besetting sins, the doddies are less likely to gore one another than the horned, although even they can " give each other plaguy knocks," but not, asin the prize ring, " with all the love and kindness of a brother." The su- perior kindly disposition of the doddies to fatten is of itself a sufficient inducement to warrant the change. A considerable quantity of butter and cheese are manufactured in Aberdeenshire, for the Buchan cows are good and steady milkers, although the milk is not very rich. The curing of beef, for which the heavy cattle of Buchan are well adapted, might be successfully prosecuted in this quarter. While alluding to the subject of salting beef, I cannot refrain from making a few observations on the quality of the salt which is in this country used for that purpose. It is well known that the salt manufactured in this country from sea water is bitter and liarsh to the taste. The rock-salt also is not devoid of the bitter taste. The salt from St. Ubes, or what is called bay-salt, is somewhat similar, though not so pungent. The salt, on the other liand, which is manufactured from sea-water in Holland, has not the slightest bitterness or harshness to the taste. It has a pleasant pure saline taste. It is crystallized in large tables, is quite liard and dry, and emits a jingling sound whea handled in quantity. It is said that the Dutch possess some secret in purifying the salt after it is made and to prevent this being made known, they will a - low no strangers to visit this department of the salt works. It has been suggested to bring a Dutch purifier of salt from Holland. But if there is really any secret unknown in this country the Dutch government would not likely permit such an exporta- tion. Now it is well known that in making salt from sea-water, the salt which is made on Sunday is very like Dutch salt, because on that day the water gets more time to evaporate. So that if more time were taken to make salt from sea-water, it would probably be as good as desired. As the process is at present conducted, the diflerenco in the taste of the Dutch and British salt is obvious in tlie curing of butter, and no substance will retain a taint in its manufacture so strongly as butter. The Dutch but- ter retains its butyraceous flavour after being salted, and although it will keep untainted as long as desired, it has the taste of what fresh butter would have on being eaten with salt ; whereas the British salt but- ter of commerce tastes as if it had been pickled in bitter brine. There is as much difference between these two states of butter as between fresh beef eaten with salt and salted beef, 'i'here is no art ia preserving butter from a putrefactive taint by im- mersion in brine, as herrings are usually preserved ; but there is a difficulty, it seems, to salt butter in this country, so as to retain its delicate flavour like the butter of Holland, at least it has never been at- tempted by the butter cuiers. Now this difficulty cannot arise from the quality of the butter ; for as delicate and rich butter can be and is made in Bri- tain as in Holland : the difference of taste, then, in the two kinds of butter, must be ascribed to a dif- ference in the quality and use of the salt. But why need there be a difference in the salt, wheu the Dutch make salt from the water of the same ocean ? This is the question. There is no doubt tliat the bit- ter taste of our salt arises from a salt of magnesia which is probably not driven oft" by the (juick evapo- ration used in producing common salt, for we have seen that the Sunday salt has no bitter taste, and it must therefore have no salt of magnesia. Slow evaporation would thus get quit of the evil. It would get quit of it both from sea-water and rock-salt. Salt being so bulky and so low-priced an article, a large ([uantity must be disposed of it to repay the labour attendant on its manufacture. I suspect the above THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. difficulty of obtaining pure salt lies in this considera- tion. No analyses, then, of the Dutch snit, however ingenious, can discover any otlier thing- than the ab- sence of the salt of magnesia, and we know already by our sense of taste that salt does not exist in it. Till, tlierefore, a method is discovered of extracting or neutralising the salt of magnesia during the pro- cess of quick evaporation, for time will not be allow- ed for a slow one, we must be content to use an in- ferior article to the Dutch. Dutch salt consists of three varieties, a very lai-ge crystalled, a smaller crystalled, and a fine crystalled. 'Ihe whole is purely saline, and free from bitterness ; so all the three may be used for preserving butter, and beef, but the finest is used for preserving butter, being mixed intimately with the mass. Tlie larger is used for curing meat and it is admirably suited for that pui-pose, the large crystals melt- ing slowly in the tub, the pickle is supplied slowly to the beef, which absorbs no more of it than is requisite for its preservation ; and the beef is thus preserved tender ; whereas the forcible in- troduction of salt into beef, in the shajie of brine, hardens the fibre of the meat, and renders it dry by tiie displacement of the natural juice, and the bitter ])rinciple of the salt injures the flavour of tlie meat. The pure saline solution, gradually supplied by the large crystals, j)reserves the meat from putrefaction, but without injuring its texture or neutralizing its flavour. It would therefore be of national impor- tance to take time and render our salt as inoxious as that of Holland, particularly for the preservation of tliat delicate article — butter. To THE Angus Breed. — This is a polled breed of catlle, and are technically called " Angus doddies," They are like the Buchan doddies on tiie one hand, and the polled Galloways on the other. They form an intermediate breed as to external characters. This breed has been much improved to what it once was, most probably through the intervention of a cross with tiie (jalloway. Thirty j'cars ago Lord Kinnaird,the grandfather of the present nobleman of that name, broughtbulls from Galloway to cross with Angus cows to his farm of Idvies, now the property of Mr. Henry Baxter, advocate, in the central district of the county ; others followed the same course, so much so that it is questionable whether a dodded Angus beast can now be found without a dash of Galloway blood. The characters of the generality of Angus cattle are these : — back depressed a little over the loins, the rump and tail-head a little too high, and the top of the shoulder a little below the level line ; the buttocks too thin, and the brisket not forward enougli. Looked from behind and before, the body IS not broad enough, the hook-bones being too nar- row, tlie ribs flattish next the back, and the hind and fore legs too close together. Viewed from above, the breadtli across the shoulder narrower than across the liooks, the body being a little wedge-shaped. The legs are of moderate length and well-boned ; the muzzle a little coarse ; the eye good ; the ears a little too fliick and hairy : of course the head is hornless, but tufted witli hair, and the whole pretty well shajied, though not pleasantly set on the neck, which is rather too small at the onset of the head. Tlie hair is short and smooth, the hide thickish, and the touch, tliough not harsh, not sweet. General colours, black, black with a few dead white spots on the belly and face, dark red of a dull and rich hue, and yellow red. These characters indicate a quiet dis- position, and rather slow feeding. The common breed is capable of great improvement. Such of them as are in the possession of Mr. Hugh Watson of Keillor, the Messrs Mustard, JMr. Bowie of Mains of Kelly, shew how blood, — a refinement in the tone of breeding, — can bo attained in any breed by judicious care in the crossing with the same kind. l?ut even yet the breeders of Angus cattle cannot with certainty depend on like producing like, the true criterion of a finished breed. Mr. Watson has bestovi-ed for a long time much trouble and care in selecting a beautiful stock of cows and bulls. In consequence lie has shortened the legs, beautified tlie symmetry, rendered the coat finer, and the touch sweeter, and improved the jioints of laying the beef on best parts. lie has shewn some fine specimens with these imjiroved characters, particularly a pair of four and half year old oxen at the Highland Society shown at Perth in 1829 ; and a heifer of the same age, a most extraordinary animal for quality and substance, and weight in proportion to her height. Her brisket was only eight inches from the ground. I understand that she was sold for 501 in London, whither she had been sent at the request of the Highland Society. Her fore-quarters weighed 74 stones, and the tallow was equal to the weight of a quarter. Mr. Watson also shewed a pair of oxen, of the same age, at the Highland Soci- ety show at Kelso in 1832. These were considered by judges superior to the pair shown at Perth, and perhaps they were the best oxen of the breed that ever appeared. They were afterwards slaughtered in Edinburgh, and turned out 105 stones the four quarters. There is a remarkable appearance, though not a very pleasing one which a very fat Angus beast exhibits, the smooth glossy skin appearing as if it were quite stuiTed out to the full stretch. Were the breeders in Angus to bestow half the at- tention which Mr. Watson and a few others bestow, the breed would soon display a different appearance in point of quality. It ought to be a pleasure to any breeder to possess animals of the finest quality. But too many are afraid to lay out a few pounds on a good bull, and would rather employ any one that can only get a cow with calf, and buy every sort of calf that is polled that comes in their way. Nay, they will even buy a horned calf, if cheap enough, and make it polled by a cruel operation of extracting the embryo of the horn. This random mode of breeding makes very unequal lots of cattle when brought into the market. They are so unlike one another in appearance and value, that the purchaser invariably points out the worst animals in the lot, by which to depreciate the value of the rest. In some respects these breeders are like the Irish farmers who will uot winnow, but will obstinately persevere in selling the light corn and chaff along with the better grain. They of course always receive a low price. In like manner, these breeders will not assort their lots to suit the taste of different customers ; they will not break their lots, as they call it, tor the purchaser must take the whole overhead, rubbish and all, or want them. And, as to the breeding of bulls, no selection is generally made, the calf of a cow which is a great milker, if it happen to be a bull calf, is sure to be kept for a bull, regardless of the bull that got him, though he should not have one single good point on him. Now, no mistakes can be greater than these, and no injury is so hurtful to the breeder aa that arising from the use of an inferior bull. A good bull may get a good calf by a very inferior cow ; but an inferior bull can never get a good calf by any cow. This holds good in every breed of cattle, and more strikingly in an inferior breed. I once saw a short-horned cow which had, by chance, been bulled by a very ugly North [ligliland bull; the calf (a quey,) was black, though the cow was a beautiful roan, and it was fed till three years old. The same 24 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. cow bad a lieifer calf, the following year by a sbort- horn bull, which was fed for two years. Both were sold at the same time ; the two-year-old fetched 18/, the three-year-old only 10/, besides losing one year's teep. These remarks are not intended to apply only to the breeders of cattle in Angus, for I know Other counties in which this careless system is pur- sued much more systematically than in Angus ; but that being a fine country for breeding, both by soil and husbandry, it is not unreasonable to expect a better system to prevail there than in poorer districts. There is an immense number of cattle fed annually in Angus, and there is no breeding district whicli contains such a vast flying stock, many of the cattle bred in the north being fed off in this county. In the spring months more than one-half of the Glasgow market is supplied from this county, to the amount of three hundred head a- week. Some of the feeders fatten from 50 to 200 head of cattle in winter. The principal feeders are Mi'. Watson of Keillor, Mr. Dalgairns of Ingliston, Mr. Kirkaldv of Fullerton, Mr. Mill of Woodhill, Mr. Inches of Cardean, Mr. Farquharson ofBaldovie, Messrs. Proctor of Glammis. The age of feeding off is generally four years, and some of the best, which are sent to Glasgow, weigh 60 or 70 stones. Many of the feeders in Angus do not breed at all, and they either purchase for them- selves, or from dealers who select lots among the cattle in Aberdeenshire. Mr. Peter Watson at Kirriemuir frequently dealt in this manner, and I have known him get 201 a piece for Aberdeenshire cattle to be fed off in Strathmore. The Angus cattle have extended over the whole county of Kincardine, and a large portion of the south of Aberdeenshire, to the exclusion of the large horned breed, for similar reasons to those already given for the partiality of the Buchan breed. They have also found their way in many parts of Fifeshire. Large droves are annually sold to English dealers in the great markets in the county, at the Falkirk trysts, and at All-Hallow Fair at Edin- burgh, who graze them and send them onwards, as tliey attain condition, to the English fat markets, and ultimately to Smitlifield. They almost always pass in England under the denomination of Gallo- ways, or if fed in Norfolk, they are called Norfolk Scots. THE IPSWICH PLOUGH. "I hope that one of the consequences of this ploughing match will be, to show the farmers that it is not tlie best mode of eeonomising tlieir means to make four horses and two men just do the work wliich might be done by two horses ar)d one man." — Lord Stanhy's speech to the Liverpool Agricul- tural Association. To THE Editor of the Maidstone Gazette. Sin, — Amongst the important benefits of the news- paper press, is the facility it affords for the immediate discussion of those matters of interest that from time to time occur. In your remarks, in the last Gazette, upon the ploughing match of the Rochester and Gravesend Agricultural Association, when alluding to the two- horse ploiigh exhibited there, you appear, though not a farmer, to be well aware of the importance of ascer- taining the comparative merits of two and four-hors- plous'hs, and kindly offer your columns for discussing the subject. I avail myself of the offer to provoke en- quiry, whether four horses are necessary to plough the greater part of the land in this county ? an enquiry particularly called for at this period of agricultural de- pression. INIany years ago I adopted, and have continued to this time, the use of Ransom's plough, but my example has not been followed, — a notion being entertained that the Kentish plough only was adapted to Kentish land, and whenever the two-horse plough was mentioned, the remark was, "It cannot plough the land." This ob- servation is no longer made, for after two exhibitions of its powers in competition with upwards of thirty turn- wrist ploughs, drawn by the most powerful teams in this neighbourhood, and managed by the most experienced ploughmen and drivers, — it is reluctantly admitted that it can plough the land. The difficulty of overcoming prejudice is proverbial, and fresh objections are started to this simple and effi- cient implement. It is urged that the use of it does not admit of a less number of horses being employed. It might as well be said that if the land were ploughed by steam, the same number of horses must be kept for the other purposes of the farm. There can be no doubt but that the ploughing of every acre of land with double the requisite number of horses, is done at double cost to the farmer. Another objection is, that the seam made by the light ploug'h is not sufficiently deep to bury the seed. Ad- mitting this objection to be valid, it can only apply to grain sown upon the furrow ; but the fact is, that in nine cases out of ten, the seam of the Kentish plough is obliterated before sowing, by a favourite operation in this country, called creasing. The seam left by that ploughing which you witnessed was intended to be so effaced. But this objection is of no force, as there are thousands of acres of land, in other counties, sown up- on the seam left by the Ipswich plough. These are the objections now made to the two-horse plough, and which I think must be admitted to be trifling. In combating them I have sometimes re- ferred to my own crops, in proof that no injury neces- sarily attended its use, hut it has been said that these afford no criterion, on account of their being so highly manured. Whilst thus advocating the merits of this plough, I readily admit that the only objection to the turnwrist is its great waste of animal power, and consequent loss to the farmer. No plough can do its work better, and there is one kind of soil — that in which large flints are imbedded — -where it excels all others, as from its great weight and steadiness it forces its way through obstruc- tions which would break or throw out lighter ploughs. This soil is, however, at the present low price of corn, scarcely worth tilling, and is comparatively of small extent. Upon all the other land in Kent, the two- horse plough is, in my opinion, fully sufficient. I have thus, Sir, thrown down the gauntlet in defence of the two-horse plough, which 1 should not have had the courage to do, if hundreds of spectators had not witnessed its performance two succeeding years, at the ploughing matches of the Rochester and Gravesend Association. It is possible that these ploughing matches, instituted for the encouragement of the labourer, may ultimately materially benefit the farmer, by directing his attention to an implement, the use of which would enable him to plough his land at half the present ex- pense, I remain. Sir, your obedient servant, Hermitage, Nov. 11, 1835. THOS. BENTLEY. Vegetation. — M. Reum, in a treatise on vege- tation, while he enumerates the causes which act upon it, mentions that of minerals. First, he says, that plants never fructify in distilled water ; then that a root which meets with a pebble in its progress under ground, turns itself round it, and is much injured if detached from it ; and in Wirtemberg', when a willow is planted, a stone is put in with the slip to make it grow stronger and faster. He adds, that when a tree appears to languish, heaping stones all round it will frequently cause it to recover : and if one or two roots be planted, and char- coal dust be put in the hole with it, and the other be inserted with powdered talc round it, the latter will succeed much better than the first. Plants always thrive best in soils oxydized by iron, such as basalt, porphyry, &c. THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 25 ROYAL BUCKS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. PUBLIC MEETING AT AYLESBURY. A meeting of the members of this association was held on Wednesday, Nov. 25., atlhe Georg-e Inn, Ayles- bnry, to receive the report of the deputies of this asso- ciation, appointed to meet those of other agricultural associations, and to consider the steps which the agri- culturists ought to take in the present aspect of their affairs. One of the principal resolutions of the meeting of ileputies was, it will be seen, repudiated by the Bucks Association. The Marquis of Chandos was unanimously called to the chair. The noble lord expressed his great anxiety tliat this meeting, and all others coming in contact with any deputations from associations of other counties, should strictly confine themselves to the question of agricultural distress.andnot mix up that question with that of any alteration of the currency. If the currency question were mixed up with tliat of agricultural dis- tress, he felt convinced that the consequence would be a total defeat in the House of Commons. He was hap- py to find that this opinion of not making a change in the currency identical with relief of agricultural distress, was supported throughout the country by those who expressed themselves publicly, and tlie private opinions which he had received from many quarters confirmed liim in the prudence of the view that he had taken Upon the subject of the currency he had never given an opinion, and he begged still to decline doing so ; but he wished most emphatically to impress upon the minds of the landed proprietors, ami farmers present, and upon the minds of all, who, through the medium of the press might peruse on account of their proced- ings, that if the two questions were pertinaciously mixed up together, one result would be the inevitable consequence, viz., that to prevent the appearance of giving the slightest indirect encouragement to a change in the currency, the question of agricul- tural distress itself would be thrown overboard by the House of Commons, and the farmers would then be completely ruined. In his opinion the best line of policy which the agriculturists could adopt was to move for a committee of the House Commons to inquire into the causes and trace out the sources of agricultural dis- tress, of the ruin of the farmers, and how those evils could best be remedied. Having been before defeated on a motion for a repeal of the malt tax, he would not again bring forward that question, for he did not wish to place the agricultural interest on any question in a minority in the House of Commons. He was at all times glad to devote his best efforts to the landed interest, and he hoped that their proceedings that day would be unanimous, and that the persons forming the Royal Bucks Agricultural Association would show by their example that they had at heart the interests of the far- mers throughout the country. (Hear.) Mr. MEDLF.v(a banker at Aylesbury) stated, that 140 members of parliament were of opinion that, when entering into the subject of agricultural distress, the state of the currency must be taken into consideration, and expressed his regret that the noble lord then in the chan- had refused taking upon himself the presidency of the " General Agricultural Association." If he did not consent, he was afraid they would be obliged to ap- ply to another noble lord. The iNIauquis of Chandos said he was afraid he could not alter his original determination not to become president of the General Agricultural Association. Sir W. Young, M.P., wished to know whether, by receiving the report of the proceedings of the meeting, when the association was honoured by the presence of deputies from various other agricultural associations, tliey, the members of the Bucks Association, were to be considered as personally bound by the resolution of the meeting of deputies ? (No, no.) I'he RIahquis of Chandos — Certainly not. The Secretary then proceeded to read tiie resolutions adopted at the meeting of deputiess. On coming to that which related to propriety of forming a Central General Agricultural Association in London. JMr. R, Parker objected to the constitution of a central ag-ricultural union in London. His principal ground of objection rvas, that such a union would cause a discrepancy of opinion between the different parties now seeking to remedy agricultural distress ; and the second ground of his objection was, that this union wouldgiverise to a good deal of additional expense. He was of opinioa that the county of Buckingham having been the first to take up the cause of agricultu- ral distress ought to stand alone, and not be in any way a party to the formation of a central union in London. Colonel PiGOTT was of opinion that it would be bet- ter to leave the General Agricultural Association to be formed of deputies from different provincial associa- tions. They would find it more beneficial to hold their meetings in some large central town in one of the mid- land counties of England than in London. A Landed Propuietor, whose name we could not ascertain, agreed with those who attributed the non - relief of the agriculturists to a want of union among their partisans, and that union would not be brought about by the formation of a permanent association in Loudon, and he therefore concurred in the opinion ex- pressed by Mr. Parker. J\Ir. Medley totally disagreed with the whole of what had been stated by the three preceding speakers. If their opinion were to be adopted, no relief could be obtained for the distress of the agriculturists. He in- sisted, from the strongest grounds of conviction, that the county of Buckingham of itself could do nothing, and that, by uniting with a general association in Lon- don, they could do every thing they pleased. He re- gretted to see that the landed aristocracy and gentry were disunited in their opinions upon this question. If union were essential, and all admitted tiiatitwas, there could be no point of union which offered so many ad- vantages as London, where, during the session, all the members of parliament were congregated, and with which the greatest facility of communication existed. The agriculturists ought to place themselves in such an altitude as to be enabled to lay before parliament at one view a combined and explicit statement of the evils which afflicted the agriculture of the kingdom generally ; for unless they could agree in a description of the nature of their sufferings, how could they expect parliament to agree in devising a remedy for tlieni ? The present union of the agriculturists was in effect little better than disunion, each party taking their own peculiar view, and asking relief after their own peculiar fashion. But if they were really and truly united, the consequence would be that they would sow dissension amongst the ministry, and that would give them all they wanted. Being of this opinion, he hoped that the formation of a general association in London would meet with the unanimous approval of that assembly. Sir W. Young, M. P., in reference to the plan of general combination amongst the as-riculturists of England, winch was first publicly broached at the meet- ing at Framlingham, andsinceatthe meetingof deputies at Aylesbury and elsewhere, said that he felt the strongest objectiontotheformationof any regularboard, union, or combination of deputies of this description. His ob- jection was mainly founded on the unconstitutional nature of such a combination. Indeed the legality of it was very doubtful. He was an enemy to political unions of all kinds, which he thought inconsistent with the regular and ordinary administration of government ; and, being thus opposed to political unions, he filt himself bound to, in consistency, to state his objections to that which was, in fact, a political union, for the avowed purpose of accomplishing certain and specified objects. He principally objected, however, to that part of the plan of the union which makes it a perma- nent body : and he for one would most positively de- cline taking part in the proceedings of any union, either in London or elsewhere, which assumed to itself the character of a permanent body. {Hear, hear.) The Rev. Mr. Young said that the General Associa- tion was intended to be purely an Agricultural Associ- ation, and that, of course, its object waa merely the 26 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. discovery of a remedy for the distress under which the agriculturists now laboured. However, he could not see any reason why they sliould make it a permanent association, nor wiiy, if permanent, they (the members of the Bucks Association) need entang-le themselves with any of its other schemes. They were all agricul- turists, and they oufyht to unite, and give as mucli effect as they could to the formation of this association in London, which they could do vyithout, as it appeared to him, in any way compromising- their independent existence as a separate and distinct society. (Hear.J jMr. jMedley said that a memorial had been sent to the Kin? that very day, inviting- his Majesty to become Patron of the General Association in Lon- don ; and when such was the case there was, he was 'sure, no cause to fear that the association was formed for political purposes, or that it was justly open to the objections that had been started respecting its legality. Colonel PiGOTT again entreated them not to repudiatt this resolution, which had been ag-reed to at the lase meeting. He urged them to remember how all impor- t-ant it was to them that the friends of agriculture should be banded together in one strong body, and of wha; injury it might prove to their hopes that even the semblance of disunion should be exhibited by them. The resolution for joining the agricultural union in London, which was carried at the meeting of the r2th, was then put, and lost there being 10 for and 17 against it. The INIarquis of Ciiandos then said the reason lie refused to become the Chairman of the Central Board was, that he considered he could better discharge his duties towards the farmers of Bucks by attending en- tirely to their interests. He felt greatly the honour tiiat had been conferred upon him by the offer made to liim by tlie Central Association, but as he considered that by not accepting it his sphere of usefulness might be less limited, he had respectfully declined it. Sir W. Young said that he, as well as the Marquis of Chandos, had been invited to attend the Central Association, and in common courtesy he did not think they could altogether decline attending a meeting of such importance. For his part he should attend it, without pledging himself as a consenting party to any- thing that should be expressed or done by the order ot this central board. i , .^ j .i The JMarquis of Chandos said he would attend tlie meeting in London, but he should do so simply as a private"individual, as he considered it would be a great want of courtesy for any person belonging to the Bucks Association to refuse attending the meeting, which was to take place in London. He would attend it solely for the purpose of giving information, without pledg- ing himself to any resolution which might be adopted A resolution which had been proposed at the meet- ing of deputies by INIr. Spooner, and agreed to at tiiat meeting, respecting the proper standard of value was then read, in which it was then asserted that nothing but an alteration of the currency could save the far- mers from ruin. , . , • ^ i Mr. Barker moved that the resolution be rejected. He did not wish to give any specific opinion as to the effect of the currency upon agricultural distress; but as he thought that every petition to government to de- vise means for removing the present distress of the a"-ricultural interest ought to be unaccompanied with any mention of the currency question, he moved the re- icction of the present resolution. , ,• j x . ■ Mr Medley said that the farmers were blind to their own interests— that they should go to the root of the evil and that was the state of the currency. Sir W Young said, that though he agreed with the original resolution, he did not wish to mix up tlie ques- tion of currency with that of agricultural distress. After a few words from the Kev. Mr. Pigott and Mr. Manby, the original resolution was rejected, their numbei-s being 15 against it, and 8 in favour ot it. The Marquis of Chandos then said, since this reso- lution had been passed, he wished to know whether the association considered him bound by it, as to the course he might pursue in the House of Commons ? (No, 7w,) In the House of Commons, he should move for a com- mittee to inquire into the state of agricultural distress, without himself giving any opinion as to the cause of it. Mr. Manby, and several other gentlemen, said they did not consider the Marquis of Chandos bound by the present resolution to any vote that he might give in a committee of the House of Commons on the subject of the metallic question. The meeting then came to an unanimous resolution, that it was due to the interests of the British farmer, that a system of poor laws should be immediately in- troduced into Ireland. A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. TO SIR WILLIAM YOUNG, BART., M.P. 448, West Strand, London, Nov. 27. Dear Sir William, — This morning's Herald con- tains a speecli of yours at Aylesbury which has grieved me much, because, if your new of the subject be cor- rect, mine must be wrong in urging tiie formation of a Central Association. Had you favoured the deputations at Aylesbury with the views developed on the 25th, we sliould then have been prepared to discuss the subject, and I should most indisputably have demonstrated that I had no jyolitical and most certainly no personal object in view, for I have already given more of my time and money (speaking relatively as to their value) to procure relief for the agricultural interest than any other indi- vidual in England. The resolution passed at Aylesbury, negativing that adopted by the deputations, is so unfair towards Mr. Broun and myself, tliat were it not that we have higher objects to regulate our conduct than any paltry feelings of jealousy, I for one would leave the farmers to find advocates of their interests, who, however much more able than myself, could not be more disinterested. I rejoice however to find that other counties do not display the same spirit as Bucks, and that Lord Wynford (one of the highest lawyers England ever had), Lord Farnham, Lord Gage, &c., and other noblemen and gentlemen, have cordially seconded our efforts for the removal of a distress which the local sources have failed to accomplish, and which your own experience in parliament must have convinced you can only be obtained by a union of the proprietors and occupiers of land — a union wiiich at present even yoxir own association does not present. P.S. Allow me to express my gratification that you have avowed yourself in favour of a conjoint standard of silver and gold, but my letters this morning from Aylesbury indicate a contrariety in your proceedings on the 25th inst. ; for although you negatived by a small majority (17 to 10) the resolution passed by the assem- bled deputies at Aylesbury on the 12th inst., for joining- the Central Association, yet you appointed a deputation of five members to attend the general meeting in Lon- don at the Freemason's Tavern on the 15th of Dec, when 1 trust I shall be enabled to prove that no politi- cal views can or ought to be associated in a cause so hallowed as that of procuring relief for agricultural distress — a sentiment which I doubt not you will cor- dially concur in. I beg to remain, very truly yours, R. M. MARTIN, To Sir William Young, Bart., M.P. CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. To THE Editor of the JMark Lane Express. Sir, — With reference to an observation made in the letter addressed to you by the Editor of the Buck . Herald, commented upon in your leading article of last week, viz., that " in the name of certain associations, 1 liad proposed to tlie INIarquis of Chandos, the chair of the proposed Central Association," permit me to remove THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 27 an erroneous impression which appears to have gone abroad, with reg'ard to the resolution moved by me at tiie Meeting of Deputations, at Aylesbury, on the 12th inst., for the purpose of divesting the nascent '• Royal Agricultural Society of Great 13rita;n and Ireland," of all party objects and feelings, and to procure for it the supi)ort of all who have a stake in the soil, whether they be Whigs or Tories, Liberals or Conservatives. It is proposed that the society, when finally organized, shall, (like the " Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland") be under the direction of a president, vice- presidents, directors, and committees, to be chosen annually in rotation, from its members. Such being the case, 1 did not propose that Lord Chandos should be- come the chairman (i, e. president) of the society, but I submitted a resolution to tlie effect that, his lordship should be invited to become the chairman of the pro- visional committee for org-anizing it. The meeting unanimously resolved that Lord Chandos slwidd be in- vited to become the chairman of the provisional com- mittee. That resolution will be laid before the deputa- tions, when they assemble in London on the 14th of next month, to arrange the proceedings for the general meeting on the day following ; and if approved of by them, the resolution will then be communicated to Lord Chandos, when his lordship will have it in his power either to accept or decline the request made by the agri- cultural body. Sir William Young, at the meeting at Aylesbury, on Wednesday last, expressed an opinion that the central society would border too nearly on a political and un- constitutional society, for him to give it his support. Whether Sir William has gathered his opinions of the central society, from the pages of the j\lorning Chroni- cle, or Courier, I cannot say, but I hope I do not vio- late the confidence of a private letter in stating that Lord Wynford, whose opinion as an eminent lawyer, will have due weight, cordially approves of the forma- tion of the Society, has signified his intention to be present at the JMeeting on the 15th December, and that he shall be ever ready to promote the objects of that meeting by every means in his power. Sir Wil- liam's oi)inion as to the illegality of the society is only the eclio of an opinion expressed to my coadjutor, j\Ir, jMontgomery JNIartin, some time ago, in Downing- street. But upon the same principle the Highland Society should be put down, the Bucks Agricultural Society should be put down, the Royal Society should be put down, and every other society that has for its objects the advancement of the intelligence, the indus- try, and the happiness of the nation. Though a small number (17 to lO) of the Bucks Agricultural Society has negatived the resolution, which was, I believe, carried unanimously by the depu- ties from the other counties who met at Aylesbury, that it is advisable that a Head Society, as a centre of communi- cation for the Local Societies, be formed in London, (wliilst at the same time Lord Chandos, Sir William Young, and Messrs. Grenville Pigott, T. S. Harcourt, INIcdley, Rolfe, and Brickwell, were appointed a Depu- tation to take part in the proceedings on the 15th Dec.) st;ll I have no fear that the Central Society will be formed, and formed upon principles, and for objects, which no honest man will hesitate to support. 'J'oo long has it been the policy of all classes of society to act in opposition to the advice of one who has devoted a long and useful life to speed the plough, viz., " that Agriculture is the cuieai art which every government ouglit to protect, every proprietor of land to prac- tise, and every inquirer into nature to improve." In seeking that this great art, by which the nation is nourished and sustained, sliall receive the protection of tiie government, sliall be practised by every jn-oprietor of land, and improved l)y every inquirer "into nature, the promoters of a National Agricultural Society pro- pose 1 hope nothing for wliich they may be ashamed to tlirow themselves upon the kindly feeling, and the good sense of their countrymen. In addition to the Societies api)roving of the forma- tion of 'he Central .Society, enumerated in your itapci- of last week, letters have been received fi'oni the Brid- lington Association, stating that, at a meeting of that body, held on the 14th instant, very numerously attend* cd, it was unanimously resolved to support and co-ope- rate with the Central Society ; also from tlie Thirsk Association mentioning that at a general meeting held on the 16th, it was resolved that the Central Society will be of the greatest utility to the agricultural interest, and that it do receive their cordial support. Communications ap- proving of the same object have been receivetl from East-Kent, aiid-Kent, Brigg, Ashby de la Zoucli, Sudbury, &c. Yarious noble Lords, jMembers of the House of Commons, and landed proprietors, have also during the last week sent in their adhesion to the So- ciety, and letters to the same effect are daily being re- ceived, With many thanks for the able assistance which you have rendered to the cause in which we are embarked, I remain. Sir, faithfully yours, R. BROUN. 448, West-Strand. PETITIONS TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Prepared at a meeting of the Committee of the York Agricultural Association on Thursday, Nov. 14, on the subject of agricultural distress, were laid for signature in t!ie outer Merchants' Hall. The follow- ing is a copy of the petition to the House of Commons, which is similar to the petition to the other branch of the Legislature. To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Ireland, in Parliament assem- bled. The humble petition of the owners and ocupiers of land, and persons interested in the prosperity of agri- culture, residing in the county of York. Sheweth, That your petitioners belong to the most numerous, and most peaceful class of his Majesty's subjects. That their patience has been unexampled, amid dis- tress unparalleled. That no effectual steps have hitherto been taken by Parliament to ascertain the real nature and causes of their distress, now of near 20 years continuance, occa- sionally suspended by vicissitudes of seasons and visita- tions of Providence. That they lament to think, that during this long pe- riod, the ear of Government, on matters connected with home industry, has been lent to political adventu- rers and theorists, and the monied interest, rather than to tliose who have a solid and permanent interest in the productive welfare of the country. That your petitioners are at a loss to conceive whv, in an age of improvement, not only the grievances of the most important interest in the empire; but the very worst of grievances, viz.: — penury and ruin, should alone go unredressed. 'fhat the depression has at length arrived to a pitch, which, under the burden of our fictitious debts and en- gagements, can no longer be borne. A considerable extent of the arable soils in England at tlie present prices can pay neither their expenses, nor rent. That it is impossible, that evils of the magnitude under which your petitioners suffer, can havearisen with- out an adequate cause ; that cause, uninquired into, has, indeed, been sometimes attributed to the opera- tions of bountiful nature, for the purposes only, accord- ing to the views of your jjetitioners, of preventing the exposure of the truth ; it is in vain attemjiting to re- move an effect without previously ascertaining the cause. Your petitioners, therefore, earnestly entreat your Honourable House, in no spirit of party, but in the spirit of consulting the country's best and most lasting intersts, and in strict justice to firitisli agriculture, "the first of all its concerns," at once to institute a bold and unflinching inquiry into the causes of agricultural dis- tress, with a view to their immediate removal. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c. 28 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. THE FAILURE OF THE TURNIP CROP. Sir, — The general failure of the turnip crop, through the southern and midland counties, as well as partially in the East-Riding, has produced considerable anxiety; and it is attributed to a black caterpillar, in the former places, and to the exces- sive drought of the months of July and August, in the latter. In the North-Riding, the principal crops have looked pretty well until the com- mencement of the present month, when they changed their beautiful green, and healthy appear- ance, for a diseased yellowness, and dying of the primary leaves. Being informed by a respectable turnip-grower, that the turnips were much in- fested with the maggot-grub, I examined the bulbs of some turnips in a field where they looked re- markably healthy, and to my surprise, I found that the fibres attached to the bulb, were thickened^ to nearly the size of a finger, and as many as nine were thus unhealthily enlarged, at a single root. This disease is, I believe, the same as is designated in some districts, by the somewhat uncouth appel- lation, of " fingers and toes ;'' so that it will ap- pear that the North-Riding has not altogether escaped the effects of the season. Knowing this unnatural appearance to be the result of some diseased action, I carefully preserved some of the tubers, and dissected them ; but examined several, before I could discover any thing but an appa- rently sound enlargement of the fibre, and no maggot-grub nor any traces of such insect ever being there, could I discover. I, therefore, adopted a different plan ; I broke some of the tubers which were somewhat approaching to putrefaction, in two, and found some minute white worms, with black heads, about the thickness of a fine needle, and very much resembling the young of the com- mom earth-worm, in its first state. In order to ascertain whether they were, or not, I immersed one in salt-water, knowing that the touch of salt will destroy a worm in a few minutes ; but it seemed only to have acquired new life by this ap- plication, which did not otherwise affect it. I had my suspicions that these were the young of the wire-worm ; and by taking up a root with the earth by which it was surrounded, I found several wire-worms attached to the unhealthy parts, and the defects they left, after eating the plant, were precisely similar to those left by the worms in question, only much larger in extent. There is a grub which attacks the bulb itself, and raises small tubercles upon those parts of it which are exposed to the air.but which never seriously affects the health of the plants. In order to be certain that the two kinds of grub were different, (although their ap- pearance at once decided that,) I put both to the test of quick-lime ; — it destroyed this maggot- grub in five minutes, while it produced no sensible impression upon the wire -worm in twenty. I now considered I had gained a point; all my doubts that it was the larva; of the wire-worm were dis- sipated, and then the enlargement of the fibres are easily accounted for. The wire-worm attacks them, and deposits its eggs under the cutis of the fibre, which causes an extravasation of the juices, and something analogous to a fungus deposit, takes place, which of course arrests the growth of the plant, and takes for its maintenance the juices, which otherwise would have supplied the plant. It may be asked, what practical informa- tion do my examinations afford ? and I answer, they have eluciated the cause of a disease, which has hitherto been unexplained, at least, so far as my agricultural reading extends ; it has there- fore, added to our knowledge, and left the way open to other experimentalists, to devise a cure. But it has done more ; it has proved that salt will not destroy the grub ; — lime will not ; and by sub- sequent trials, I find that soot, and sulphur, are alike ineffectual. By way of conclusion I may say this disease in its most virulent form, will grow the turnip out of the soil, when it will separate it- self from the tubers, and die away. There are (from my own observation) two kinds of wire- worms, one yellow, and slightly resembling a cater- pillar, but perfectly smooth ; the other quite straight, and its colour white. These worms are remarkably agile, and very tenacious of life. Those beautiful birds, the Water-Wagtails, are great destroyers of them, as well as Sparrows, but the former are much more expert at the busi- ness, being running birds, and much quicker in their motions, than the latter, which can only hop. I once witnessed an in>tance of sagacity in these birds, which will be interesting to the naturalist. The Wagtails were following the plough very close, and catching the wire-worms, with which, as soon as they had got their little bills full, they flew away. The sparrows watched them, and as they fiew, darted at them. The Wagtails in thier fright dropped the worms, and the Sparrows in- stead of pursuing the birds, flew down to the ground and secured the worms. — Yours, &c., Thorpfield, Oct. 26, 1835. M. M. M. QUANTITY OF SEED, (From Sinclair.) Oats. — The quantity of seed for a crop of oats, is generally from four to five Winchester bushels per statute acre ; though in Devonshire even eight. The amount must depend upon the rich- ness of the soil, and the variety that is cultivated. The potatoe-oats not having any tail-oat, like the ordinary sorts, and tillering well, require much less seed, in point of measure, than the other sorts ; and may be safely trusted, when the land is equally well cultivated, with as small a quantity of seed as barley, namely, from two-and-a-half to four bushels. It is, however, to be observed, that as oats in general are cultivated on weak and in- ferior soils, and in cold climates, the quantity of seed should be increased in proportion as these circumstances operate. Beans. — In the culture of beans, different quan- tities of seed are used in England and Scotland. In the former, three bushels per acre ard^consi- dered to be a sufiicient quantity, if drilled, and four when broad cast ; but in Scotland, four bushels are required when the beans are sown in drills, and five bushels when sown broad-cast. Perhaps this may be partly owing to the difference of climate, beans being sown early, and exposed to much severity of weather. Besides, it is maintained in Scotland, that unless the rows of beans close effectually over the land, weeds will unavoidably grow, and flourish, after the cleans- ing process is finished. The land will thence be- come foul, so as to defeat the very object of the drill husbandry ; the crop will be proportionably injured, by being robbed of its nourishment, and the soil will be left in a wretched condition, com- pared to that in wliich it ought to have been placed. Peas. — When drilled four bushels of seed are considered to be sufficient, but when sown broad- THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 29 cast, from four to five bushels are supposed to be necessary. jMuch, however, must depend upon the size of the pea, the luxuriance of its growth, and the peculiar qualities of the variety sown, for three bushels of the grey pea, as seed, are found equal to four of the white. Clover and Rye-Grass. — It is not advisable to sow at the same time, a mixture of light and heavy seeds as clover, and rye-grass. It is im- possible that it can be done correctly ; and it is much more prudent, to go once over the ground, with each sort of seed. The usual (piantity per statute acre, is from ten to twelve pounds of red clover seed, and about a-half or two-thirds of a bushel of clean and well dressed rye-grass seed. If the rye-grass is cut young, it is not injurious to the soil. On the whole, seed ought not to be distributed with too rigid economy, as a full crop of any grain whatever, is cheaply purchased, by giving a sufficiency of seed ; while a scanty crop, besides being in itself unprofitable, is sure to poison the land, by facilitating the growtli of weeds. There is a happy medium, however, in this, as well as every thing else. For a crop may not succeed, when the plants are too numerous in the ground, any more than when they are too few. Their over luxuriance may likewiee be prejudicial, by retarding the ripening, and hazarding the safety of the crop. with their own eyes." It may be asked bow the young plant escapes injury whilst the insect is upon it ■? By close observations of many trials, I am of opinion that the seed leaf is impregnated with the soda, giving it an unsavory relish to the insect, as I observed hundreds of them tasting the leaves and soon jum])ing' to others, where meeting with nothing more palatable, continue the search for more agreeable food for hours. I have w atched them, and not seen a single plant destroyed, whilst every one has been more or less tasted. If it be objected that wheat or other grain steeped in arsenic or lime does not con- vey either into the stalk or ear, it must be remem- bered that the turnip fly, ('or beetle more properly,) only attacks tlie seed leaf, which is, in fact, the root of tlie young plant, supplying it with nourishment until the rootlets strike into the earth, then the true leaf appears and the plant is safe. Messrs. Tetterell disolved four ounces of soda in ten quarts of water — this was sufficient for twelve quarts of seed, which absorbs a great portion of the solution in about three hours ; it was then put into a bag and allowed to drain twelve hours, at the expiration of that time every seed had germinated : the sowing followed immediately. I have only to add, that whatever merit there may be in this discovery is due to " Agri- cola." I am Sir, your obedient servant Abberton. INQUIRER. EFFECTUAL METHOD OF DESTROY- ING THE FLY IN TURNIPS. To THE Editor. In May or .Tune, 1834, a letter signed "Agricola,' was copied by the Chelmsford Chronicle from the Enloiiwlogiciil Magazine, detailing a variety of expe- riments in proof of the eggs of the turnip fly being deposited on tlie seed. Of this fact, any person may satisfy himself, by using a strong magnifying glass ; a microscope will, of course, sliew tliem better. In order to destroy the vitality of the eggs, the author of tlie letter steeped the seed for twelve hours in salt and water, but this long period destroyed the seed ; he then tried three hours steeping, and was success- ful in saving his crop of turnips, but the insect still appeared. In a report of the proceedings of the llinckford Agricultural dinner, this discovery and remedy is attributed to Rlr. Fulcher : surely lie must have been the author of the letter to the Entomo- logical Magazine. I have carefully i-epeated the experiments of Agricola upon every description of turnip seed, some of wliich did well with salt, but otliers were more or less injured. I then tried lime, lime and salt mixed, and arsenic, but with no better success, the insect still appearing, and many of the plants sickly and withering. jMy attention was then directed to find a substitute for the salt, which should not be injurious to the seed. Knowing tliat alkalies were gi'nerally beneficial to vegetation, 1 made a solution of common waslurg soda and water, in which the seed was steeped but a short time. The young plants shot up with surprising rapidity, and were soon out of harnr's way ; the insect was still there, but it was powerless. These facts were com- municated to Messrs. Tetferells, of Plum Hall, Colchester, who have used soda for several large fields on tlieir three farms, on the Mersea road, with unvarying success ; their crop of turnips is unri- valled in Essex. These gentlemen are known to be practical farmers, and will be reatly to sliow their fields to any person who may be desirous of "seeing WEST SOMERSET AND TAUNTON AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.— CATTLE SHOW. The Annual Exhibition of Live Stock took place on Friday, the 27th of November, in the Castle Green Yard, which was attended by a great number of the Gentry and Yeomen of the neighbourhood. THE DINNER. In consequence of the room at Sweet's Hotel, not being spacious enough to contain the number of per- sons intending to dine (so rapidly has this association increased in strength and importance) Miss Sweet, anxious tliat all should be accommodated, hired the Assembly Room, where upwards of 130 sat down to a very sumptuous dinner provided by her for the occasion. 13. ESCOTT, Esq., in the chair, supported on his right by Sir T. B. Lethbridge, Bart., and on his left, by F. Popham,Esq. Among the company, we noticed E. B. Portman, Esq., Dr. Blake, E. A. Sanford, Esq., ;\I.P., Rev. T. S. Escott, V. Reynolds, J. Snowden, Esqrs., T. Gould, Esq., Gordon, Esq., Robert Mattock, Esq., Rev. W. P. Thomas, Col. Cooper, A. Crosse, Esq., Revds. \V. Wood, W. Fenwick, and W. Chilcott, Capt. Maher, Byrns, Esq., G. Bucknell, Esq., Y. Lang-worthy, B, Lament, Esqrs. Perry, Esq., .T. Bunter, Esq., H. J. Leigh, Esq., and a largo number of very influential agriculturists. JNIr. T. D. Coles filled the \'iee-President's chair. After the usual loyal toasts— the " The Navy and Army," " The Bishop and Clergy," &c,, &c„ the healths of several gentlemen present were drank, and the following gentlemen addressed the meetine: : — Colonel C:ooi)er, the Rev. T. S. Escott, the Rev. W. P. Thomas, the Rev. \V. F. Chilcott, Dr. Blnke,E. A. Sanford, Es Sir T. B, Lethbridge. air. Portman, Mr. Coles, Mr. Popham, Mr. HaucAck, the Rev. W. Wood, Mr. Somers, i\Ir. Crosse, and INIr. H. .T. Leigh. vVs the speeches f;:enerally bore upon the .same subject, vvliich was more fully discussed at the meeting next day, and we omit them for the purpose of giving a more full re- l)ort of the proceedings which then took place. The following premiums were then awarded. Premium given by K. A. Sanford, Esq., iM.P., for the best ox, owner's own breed, iMr. John Bult, Dod- hill. — Premium given by C. J. K. Tynte, Esq., M.P,, for the bgst cow and offspring, Rev. W. Wood, 30 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. StaplegTOve.— Society's premium best fat ox, Mr. H. Brown, of Stawel. — Best breeding- cow, l\Ir. C. Gibbs, Bishop's Lydeard. — Best fat heifer, BIr. E. Bond, of Oak. — Society's premium, bull, jNIr. J. Bond, jun. — Heifers under 22 months, i\Ir. J. Bond, Bishop's Lydeard. — Fat wether sheep, Mr. ']'. Bond, Bishop's Lydeard. — Breeding ewes, JMr. I. D. Coles, Pyrland.— Boars, Mr, Colman, Hoveland.— Sows, Rev. W. Wood, Staplegrove. The premiums were awarded to labourers, &c., in Agriculture, as follow : — The premium of two sovereigns to William Vinsom, of Brom])ton Ralph, for having supported the largest family by his own industry. The premium of one sovereign to John Stone, of Yar- combe, for having supported the largest family with the least parochial aid. The premium of one sovereign to William Gallop, of Pitminster, having worked the longest time, viz., 45 years, on a farm occupied by a subscriber. The premium of one sovereign to John Chidgey, ser- vant to Mr. Edward Bond, having lived with him nearly eight years, with a good character. Sheep-shearing Premiums, adjudged. May 27th, 1835, presented Friday, 27th Nov., 1835. 1st Premium — 3 sovs. to John Williams, of Creech. 2nd do 2 do. to Wm. Chester, of Stogumber. 3rd do 1 do. to George F'udge, of Kingston. 4th do ^ do. to Henry Harper, of Cheddon. The Premiums for Rams were awarded, 1st Premium — 3 sovs. to Mr. Hancock, of Hales. 2nd do 2 do do ditto . . 3rd do 1 do. to Mr. J. D. Coles, of Pyrland. Ploughing Match, 21st Oct., 1835. 1st Premium — 2 sovs. hat and favour, J. Anning. 2nd do 2 do. to Thomas Birch. 3rd do Ij do. to James Forward. 4th do 1 do. to Herbert Harper. 5th. — A premium of two sovereigns to James Fry, being the best manager in the class which had won the highest prize at former ploughing matches. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. LARGE MEETING OF LANDHOLDERS AND FARMERS IN SOMERSETSHIRE. An unusually large meeting of landholders and agriculturalists, was held at Taunton, on Saturday, Nov. 28th, for the purpose of deliberating on the means of relieving the prevailing distress in agricultural life. At twelve o'clock it was found that the number of persons present required a much larger space for the meeting than could be afforded at Sweet's Hotel, where they had before met, and again intended to assemble. Permission having been obtained for using the Assize Hall for the purpose, the Nisi Prius Court was in a few minutes filled in every part, presenting a body of be- tween six and seven hundred persons, many of whom consisted of the most opulent landholders and farmers of the county. John Goui.d, Esq., of Amberd House, was requested to take the chair, and he very kindly consented to undertake its duties. After a few appropriate remarks on the object of the meeting, and the necessity of permitting every gentleman a fair and uninterrupted hearing. A. Crosse, Esq., rose to propose certain resolutions which he had very unexpectedly been called upon to submit to the meeting. After stating that the present state of the markets defied all chance of remunerating the grower, the expense of producing an acre of wheat being at least 5/. (Mr. J. Hancock, begged to correct the speaker, by observing he was prepared to show it could not be cultivated for less than 6/,) and showing that on the best lands the average produce afterwards would produce very trifling, if any rent whatever ; the worthy gentleman enforced the objects of the meeting, submitting his resolutions. In most of them he cordially concurred, but in those which adverted to the policy of enlarging our circulating medium, by an issue of government paper, he candidly confessed his mis- givings of opinion. Mr. Crosse in the course of a long and sensible address, adverted to tlie exertions of Sir T. Lethbridge, in ameliorating- the condition of the farming interests, and felt happy in the opportunity of express- ing his opinion, that the hon. baronet never advanced a sentiment to the truth of which his feelings did not con- scientiously respond, or ever contemplated an action of the duty and honour of which he did not previously feel perfectly satisfied. ( Cheers and applauses.) After considerable expatiation on the object of the meeting, Mr. Crosse proposed the following resolutions. Mr. Crosse then submitted the resolutions, which will be found at the end of this report, with the addition of a clause advocating a revision of the currency, but which the meeting rejected on Sir T. Lethbridge 's amendment. JMr. J. Hancock, in seconding the resolution, ob- served that the present low price of the produce of lands was in such a state as to bring ruin and loss on all occupiers, as well as on many of those who farm their own estates. He would read to the meeting a statement which related to land of a superior quality, that is the average of a mixed farm of arable, meadow, and pasture, of the best farms in the Vale of Taunton Dean. The rents of these now averaged about forty shillings per acre, from which it will be perceived, that the lands of the best quality, after paying rates, taxes, manure, labour, blacksmiths, carpenters, and all ex- penses relating to the outgoings of a farm, leave but a very small rental ; consequently farms of a second rate quality do not pay their expenses, and those farms of an inferior quality are at present worth nothing. If there be any error in this statement, he considered that it was on the favourable side of the landholders, having made no allowance for bad seasons, for harvest, and failure of other crops, which is particularly exemplified in that of the failure of the turnip crop this year (on which his loss this season was at least 300/. ) A great portion of the land in the Vale of Tauntom Dean is very much injured by the high hedges, and the large growth of timber trees in those hedges, preventing a free circulation of air, harbouring birds, and laying the corn very much from wind and rain previous to the harvest near the hedges, which occasions at least two bushels per acre deficiency on the average. In illustration of his statement, he had presumed land to be in a fair state of cultivation, and to be kept so, which is the para- mount duty of all landlords, so that their farms are kept by manure and good management in a fair state of husbandry ; and to take a just, fair, and moderate rent, according to the very depressed state of agriculture (that is the very low price of farming produce.) — The expense of the five following crops taken to commence at ftlichaelmas, in a fair state of cultivation, on one acre, yearly : — The expense of an acre of wheat, on the average, of the best farms. Ploughing headlands, furrowing up, and £ s. d. drawing out, per acre 0 6 0 Lime and carriage 15 hogsheads per acre, imperial measure, at 2s 6d per hhd 1 17 6 Ploughing, dragging, rolling, harrowing in the seed per acre, sometimes ley wheat and sometimes fallow 1 0 0 One year's parish ratas 0 6 0 Seed wheat, 2-2 bushels per acre, at 5s per b. 0 12 6 Tithes in general 0 12 6 Weeding, per acre 0 1 0 Reaping, harvesting, and thatching 0 12 6 Thrashing, winnowing, and carriage to market' 0 16 0 Interest of money for one year 0 7 0 Without rent £6 11 0 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 31 '2nd. — Ci'op of turnips out of wheat erish.£ s. d. From four to five ploughing's, at 6s 6d per acre 18 0 Drag'ging-, harrowing, and rolling', after every ploughing- 0 10 6 Throwing- up the dung- to heaps in the court- ledges, and turning per acre 0 1 0 Drawing out the dung- (10 loads per acre), at Is 6d per load 0 15 0 Spreailing, per acre 0 2 0 Seed and sowing 0 2 0 Hoeing and weeding, per acre 0 5 0 Parish rates 0 6 0 'i'ithes 0 5 0 Wear of gates, hurdles, fences, &c 0 3 0 Interest per year 0 7 0 £4 4 6 3rd, — Barley crop. Two ploughings, at 6s 6d per acre 0 13 0 Dragging, harrowing, rolling, and healing the seed after each ploughing 0 8 0 Seed barley, 4 bushels per acre, at 4s per b. 0 16 0 Sowing barley and grass seed, per acre .... 0 0 6 Grass seed, per acre 0 9 0 Parish rates 0 6 0 Weeding and repairing fences 0 2 0 IMowing, harvesting, and thatching 0 10 0 'J'ithes at 35 bushels per acre Oil 0 Thrashing-, winnowing, and carriage to market". 0 8 0 Interest, per year 0 7 0 £4 10 6 4th. — Crop of young grass. Parish rates 0 6 0 Weeding and fencing 0 1 0 Tithes 0 5 0 Interest, per year 0 7 0 £0 19 0 5th. — Second grass. Parish rates 0 6 0 Tithes 0 2 0 Weeding and fencing 0 1 0 Interest, per year 9 7 0 £0 16 0 Outgoings brought for- ward : — £ s. d. 1st. Wheat 6 11 0 2nd. Turnips .... 4 4 6 3rd. Barley .... 4 10 0 4tli. Young grass. 0 19 0 5tli. Second ditto. 0 16 0 Without rent £17 1 0 Incomings or produce :- _ Cr. £ s. d. By 25 bush, wheat per acre at 5s. . 6 5 0 — 1 acre of tur- nips, at 3/ .... 3 0 0 — 35 bushels bar- ley, at 3s 6d.. 6 2 6 — 1 acre young grass 3 10 0 — 1 ditto second grass 2 0 0 £20 17 6 So that to balance the outgoings, there remains about 15s per acre rent. Mr. Hancock liemg an extensive and experienced farmer, and of great respectability, the above exposi- tion of facts was hstened to with great interest by the meeting. F. Falkner, Esq. addressed the meetmg to the fol- lowing effect : — Mr. Chairman, I cannot but express my great satisfaction at seeing so very numerous and respectable a meeting of the landed proprietors and farmers of West Somerset, assembled for the purpose of expressing their sense of the very severe distress which presses upon the agricultural interest; and with the determined purpose of seeking for some efficient re- lief. 1 do not hesitate to say, sir, that a meeting upon a more important subject never took place within these walls ; for if properly considered, it well be found to involve not only the welfare of the farmer, but of all the other classes of the community. As the produce of the land is the source of all other property, agriculture cannot long remain in a state of great depression with- out deeply affecting all other interests. It is painful to dwell upon the disastrous consequences that have en- sued from the distress which has of late years fallen upon the agricultural portion of society. Thousands have been utterly ruined, and have sunk into the grave the victims of disappointment and despair ; whilst vast numbers have been degraded to hopeless poverty, or driven into exile. Many causes have been assigned for the great changes in prices which have produced these calamitous effects ; but there is but one principal cause, the alteration in currency on the quantity of circulating- medium by the return to cash payments at an old stand- ard of value ; by which money obligations of every kind were doubled in their pressure upon the people. Such was the want of foresight on the part of parliament when that measure was carried into effect, that it was affirmed by the advocates for the measure, that prices would but be very inconsiderably affected by it. And their assertions were relied upon in preference to those of others who maintained that it would produce the ruinous consequences which we are now experiencing. It is truly lamentable that a matter of such immense importance to the welfare of the country as the mo- netary system should be so little understood by those who undertake to regulate it, and should be made the subject of such rash and ill-considered experiments. It is most evident that no very profound thought was bestowed upon the subject, l)y those principally con- cerned in passing that memorable act called " Peel's bill." For, when it was declared that every one of their 800 millions of pounds which constituted the public debt, should be represented by a quarter of an ounce of gold, it was in fact determined that the pound should be equal to five bushels of wheat, which that quantity of gold will buy upon the Continent on the average of years ; and that the prices of all other commodities should be in proportion. This must be evident to every man who is acquainted with mercantile transactions, and takes comprehensive views of the subject. No corn laws or other restrictions on our foreign trade, will bar this consequence on our home prices ; tliough they may for awhile, as they have done, delay the full and final effect. Prices, therefore, must subside to the level of those of foreign nations generally ; and when that shall have taken place, how is our present enormous burthen of taxes to be supported ? What rent can be paid for land when wheat shall be 4s per bushel, and other produce in proportion 1 If such be the effect of our present money system, and such I maintain it is, I am warranted in saying that there is no hope for the farmer. Two years ago a committee of the House of Commons was appointed to inquire into the distress of agriculture, for the purpose, I suppose, of suggesting- some mode of relief, but those who composed that com- mittee were strictly prohibited by certain influential persons from taking the subject of the currency into their consideration ; and every attempt to do so was promptly suppressed. Why, sir, to what can we com- pare such conduct as this, but to that of a physician, who, having called in others to consult upon the case of a patient in extremity, insists that they shall i)ay no attention to the pulsations of the heart, the action of the liver, the condition of the lungs, or the state of the di- gestive organs ; but with these restrictions requests them to enter upon the consideration of the unliapi)y patient's disorder. I feel very confident that the slate of the currency is the seat of the present disorder of the farmer's affairs, and that none of the topical remedies which have been suggested will give him any efficient relief. At least nothing less than a removal of all the burtliens wliich now press directly or indirectly upon him. I shall conclude, gentlemen, by pressing upon you the necessity of immediately apjdying by petition to parliament for a prompt and unrestricted inquiry into the cause of your distress, and the adoption of some efficient relief from a state of things, which is destruc- tive to your property, and to the welfare and prosperity 32 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. of the country. I beg to return my best thanks for the kind indulgence you have shown me. {Great djyplause.) The Chairman having put the resolutions secMt/m, the four first were unanimously agreed to. On putting the 5lh, viz.—" That it is the opinion of the meeting, that the distress which has of late years been so severely felt, not only by the farmers, but by all the other in- dustrious classes of the community, has not been the effect of unavoidable circumstances, nor of an ordinary course of events, but we believe is attributable to the operation of an act of parliament upon the currency of the country, which by prematurely enforcing a return to cash payments at an old standard of value, and thereby diminishing the quantity of the circulating me- dium, has increased two-fold the previously enormous weight of the public burthens." Sir T. B. Lethbridge, Bart, rose amidst very consi- derable applause, and observed, that although the pre- ceding resolutions in which he had concurred might be considered to have been embodied in more suasive terms, yet they had his approbation, but the one now to be considered contained principles and opinions not calculated to assist the meeting in attaining its object with the legislature. There was a fallacy in the resolution and he could not sanction it. He would en- deavour to show in what the error consisted, though it was somewhat difficult to cope in argument with a gen- tleman of so much talent and research as had been dis- played by him in support of the views which he advo- cated. He would, however, endeavour to show what he thought was the right course to be pursued. At the last meeting, he was taken in some degree by surprise, but he was better prepared now to sustain the opinions which he then entertained on the subject, and quite ready to encounter the chastisement which those who differed from him might think fit to inflict. One learned gentleman had attributed to him, by a letter in The Taitntoti Courier, signed " J. B. Bernard," and not to liim only, but to the vast majority who felt and be- lieved with him, all manner of strange things, and ad- vised the yeomanry of this part of the country not to place any credit on his advice. He was, no doubt, a clever and learned doctor, and had written many books about all manner of things, and like another learned doctor of times gone by, who after writing an elaborate work, entitled " De omnibitsrebus," wrote another book, of the same description, by way of supplement, entitled " De quibitsdam aliis." The same learned g-entleman has, in The Taunton Courier, expressed himself among other points very wildly on the'subject of the present meeting. By the bye, Tlie Tiuinton Courier has de- served the thanks of all parties, for it lias properly pub- lished opinions on all sides, which enables the truth to be come at, for it is discussion by which that object can be always best attained. He entertains, it seemed, a great horror of the House of Commons and the monied mongers, as he calls them, who he affirmed prepon- derated in that assembly. (Cheers and laughter.') He deprecated all trust on that house. He was even in agony and quite rampant at the thought of petitioning the legislature. " Approach it not," he says, " they are all a set of very sad fellows, and you must have noconfidence whatever in them." (Laugliter and cheers.) Nevertheless, gentlemen, those thus so un- courteously spoken of are the very gentlemen whom you and the electors of a reformed parliament, have thought fit to entrust with the representation of your riglits and interests, and the liberties of yoiu' country, and to con- fide in them because they liave been elected by the people. (Applause.) The learned gentleman has no right to find fault witli me for putting forth my opinions in the plain and unvarnished way I have done. Tlie question is whether we shall address the legislature in those terms which are not only likely, but are sure of commanding attention, or whether we shall compro- mise our claims to the respect of Parliament, by pre- scribing a chimerical source of relief. (Hear, hear.J My excellent neighbour, Sir. Crosse, whose talents and honourable feelings must always command respect, and whose very clever address they had just heard, had, notwithstanding his great ability, overlooked the fact of hisjbringing forward resolutions, the main feature of which he did not approve, and therefore all his speech, forcible as it was, must be blotted from your memories. Another worthy neighbour, whom he sliould feel as proud to call his friend as any individual whom he knew, Mr. Hancock, of Halse, had told them, perhaps very correctly, about the expense of cultivating the land for wheat, and no one was a better judge of farm- ing expenses in general, but with great discretion, had not said one word about the currency ; and why ! be- cause he had the good sense to avoid saying anything about a subject which he did not understand. Another gentleman, who followed Sir. Hancock, had entered largely into the question of the currency, or tlie monetary system, as it was called. But this is a very nice sub- ject— and it was to the fallacies contained in the speech of this gentleman, that he (Sir Thomas) wished more particularly to reply to, because they were specious — they were captivating ; and from the talent with which tliey were urged, were likely to mislead this meeting, and to induce them to carry to the foot of tlie Legisla- ture opinions neither founded in fact nor likely to be received with any favour, and might prevent our re- ceiving any relief, for, if we voted impossibilities, we must expect disappointment. He fSir ThomasJ recol- lected well when wheat was fifteen shillings and a guinea the bushel, and those were tiiought fine times ; the farmers were all gentlemen ; they took their turtle soup, — (cheers and laughter,) and not unfrequently their Madeira ; he did not blame them for it, they had a right to indulge themselves. They thought they could afford it ;^ and I would ride in a coach and six if my means were adequate to the expense ; but before I do so, I must look to my pocket, and see if I can ho- nestly afford myself this luxury. Mr. Pitt was the great financier of that day, but he left us a bill to pay, and we are now contending who shall pay this old bill. (Cheers and laughter.) It must be paid, gentlemen, by some- body ; tliat, no one, — no English heart, will deny. The Bank restriction which enabled Mr. Pitt to raise the wind to carry on his gigantic wars, was no doubt a great cause of the mischief which, ever since, has so severely operated on the agricultural classes, but by no means the only cause ; and we now propose going to par- liament to ask them to revise the act of 1819, Sir II. Peel's Bill, which was to remedy tlie effect of 1797, and which has been the means of driving away from this country thousands who have expatriated themselves, and ruin- ing very many families, and when this evil of 1819 has nearly, if not entirely reached its utmost possible extent, and done its worst. Thus a measure which took place so far back as 1819, is now put forward as the only cause at this day of all our suffering. I am (said Sir Thomas) quite astonished at this. You have a debt to cope with, and a duty to perform in paying it which you cannot get rid of, but in the way which belongs to every honest Englishman. (Cheers.) The worst part of the miscliief is past; like a man in his grave, its course is run ; it is powerless of further evil j but that which it has cast upon us must be borne. \ ou have many of you drank the last dregs of the cup ; and would you now, at the moment when you have reached the acme of your misfortune, call on the Legislature to return to a trumpery paper currency, which, while it lasted cheated every poor man who could not judg'e for him- self? He remembered well an old servant of his father, who had saved sixty pounds by long and faithful ser- vice. This he had deposited for safety, as he thought, in one of those paper establishments, with which the depreciated currency had overstocked the country. All was lost ; and many thousands, like Jiim, had in the same way been robbed of their all. An interesting story had been told by Mr. Falkner, who had said that one heifer had sold tlmt daij in Taunton market for 6/. 63. which, twenty years ago, would have fetched 13/. lie (Sir Thomas) would himself very much like to get 13/. each for his heifers, but not in a depreciated cur- rency, wliich would not mend his gains, for, according to the worthy gentleman's own shewing, the currency was now enlianced one half, consequently 61. 6s. now in real gold, was nearly as mucli as 13/. in a paper cur- rency, which was tiiu grand remedy which he called upon parliament to apply to our difficulties, and which, THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 33 over and over again, he and all who argued with him tried to shew, was all that was wanted to remove them. He remembered, when in parliament, doing a thing which he was ashamed of, all his life afterwards. (Cheers and laughter.) He had agreed with a great majority of the House of Commons in voting that a 1/. note and one shilling were of the same value, the same thing as a guinea! Mr. Vansittart, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, told them it was, and they were blind enough to believe him, because generally speaking, it was so beheved, and no question had then arisen as to the quantum. What (said Sir Thomas) could make me such a blockhead (great laughter and cheering) I cannot now imagine, ftir, Vansittart was a man of considerable talent ; but if he were again Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I were a member of the House of Commons, I would rather see him hanged than follow him. (Laughter and cheers.) If I have a sovereign in my pocket now in 1835, I know its value here and everywhere else, the gold standard being the same nearly all the world over ; but if I have a bit of paper in my pocket, I know not how to estimate its worth. And here, in a powerful appeal, the Hon. Bart, called on the meeting to take care what it did. The character of Englishmen stood high, all over the world, and we could not be too wary how we acted on the subject of the currency, lest we should impair that enviable esti- mation in which we were held for national virtue and moral integrity in every civilized country. Some say the evil which prevails lies with the monied interest, others with the commercial and manufacturing ; but 1 advise you, as an old stager— (c/ieers J — not to be mis- led by fine speeches and dazzling- tropes and metaphors, but to be governed by the dictates of an honest spirit, and of sound good sense. One would suppose by the the arguments of some persons that they thought wheat alone was to pay the whole of the interest of the national debt, and furnish the revenues of the state. Does wheat, at 37s. a quarter, do this ? One of the main averments in the resolutions is g-rounded upon this fallacy. It seems as ifput forward to dazzle and mislead. It says, because 100 years ago wheat sold at 38s. the qr., and about 20 years ago it sold for 83s. and now that it sells for 32s. per qr., therefore the currency has done all this. And further it leaves you to infer that you must tiiere- fore be totally unable to pay the interest of the national debt, which, one hundred years ago, it says, was 100 millions only ; then, twenty years again, it was 600 mil- lions: and now that it is 800 millions, I will ask. Gentlemen is the interest of the national debt paid by the sale of wheat ? Are there no other means to raise it ? The argument must mean this, or it means nothing. Surely, gentlemen, never was there so poor an attempt at deception — it looks dazzling in the eye— its false colouring ^/ares — but where is the truth? — it lies in a nutshell. You know it does. Did you not ever hear of such things as the customs, and the excise, and the ge- neral taxes ? And does not the monied man as well as the farmer, eat, drink, and lie down on a taxed bed? Indeed, they feel the taxes so much sometimes, that they cannot sleep for thinking of them. ( Cheers and laughter.) Our revenue arises from these customs and excise, and general taxes, and therefore is it fair to put the taxation of the farmer so prominently forward as being the only distressed party in the country ? Never- theless, I do not say that you are not to go to the legis- lature and ask for such relief as it can afford. Parlia- ment is composed of men of honour and property, and they vnll consider and deliberate to do what is right, and we are bound to use their credit for that inclination, for,as I havesaid before, they are elected bythe people. (Cheers.) The alteration of the currency by repealing Peel's bill now, would give you no more relief than to any dealer in coffee, snuff, and tobacco. The hon. bart. said some of the means of relief rested with themselves, such as a more careful mode of expenditure, a lowering of rents to a fair degree — a different course of cropping. If wheat won't pay, try flax ; he had known one hun- dred acres this last year grown, and the farmers had been well paid. [Here a farmer asked the lion. bart. where they were to get dung? and he received for answer, that if he would hire him (Sir Thomas) as his bailiff, he would tell him where. This created a good laugh .J The hon. bart. then concluded by calling on the meet- ing to leave out [all the resolutions after the fifth, and said, " if you do this, you will do a wise thing, and will not only ensure respectful attention with parliament, but will attract attention in other parts of England, to what has been done in West Somerset, and thus by simultaneous proceedings produce a more powerful effect ; but if you persist in the delusion, of following the currency, as the only cause of your distress, and will not take my advice, I will not march through Coventry with you. (Cheers and laughter.) You must take your own course, and when you get to the foot of the legislature, your petitions will only create their mirth and not their sympathy. Gentlemjen, I have, I trust, replied with some argument as well as declama- tion to those who have preceded me, and I conclude by saying, " petition Parliament by all means, for what they can do, but avoid to ask for follies which they can- not grant." This address of the hon. bart. was received with great attention, and effected a complete alteration in the opinions of many, and was much cheered. E. B. PoRTMAN, Esq. was received with warm de- monstrations of respect on seconding the amendment. The hon. gentleman observed, that it was the duty of every one who had especially directed his attention to the subject, to come forward at this juncture, and con- tribute to the common stock of information according to the best of his experience and ability. This was by no means a new subject with him. He had fought in par- liament side by side with the hon. bart. who had just so ably addressed them, and though hopeless of success in contending for the interests of agriculture, had per- sisted night after night until they were at length left in a snug minority of nine, Mr. Portman adverted to the low price of produce, and to the question of the cur- rency as applicable to the relief of the suffering farmers, and contended that the return to a paper currency ought to be deprecated by every honest man, and by no one more than the agriculturist himself. Mr. Port- man argued that the fostering of the question in ParHa- ment would necessarily lead to diastrous results. A demand for gold would [instantly ensue — the landlords must look to their tenants for the supply ; those who could obtain it must meet its enlianced value, and such as were in arrear must inevitably sink in their land- lord's solicitude for his own preservation. Almost every interest except that of agriculture, has now recovered from the blow inflicted by the sudden return to cash payments, and it appeared, therefore to him, unwise to urge upon the attention of Parliament the considera- tion of a question, from which, not only no good could arise, but which if thus untimely pressed might invali- date the claims to respect, and defeat such means of re- lief as the legislature had it in their power to bestow. The hon. gentleman then went into some details as to the operation of the currency to show that the gold standard was the true criterion by which to adjust the value of every description of marketable goods, whether merchandize or farmingstock, and having now come back to that standard, we might expect our markets for farming produce to be as steady as they were for the hundred years between 1697 and 1797, during which the average of wheat was from 5s to 5s 6d the bushel. All are agreed in one point — the universal depression of produce, and that it is impossible for farmers to go on at present prices. Parliament cannot interfere between landlord and tenant. They must ad- just their debtor and creditor accounts in that spirit of fairness and kindly feeling towards each other, which it is their mutual interest and bounden duty to adopt. Their interests are identified. The one can- not prosper while the other is in adversity, but can tlie man who industriously tills his farm with his bestefforts, support himself and those associated with him in his rural labours? At the present prices, were the land his own, in very many instances he certainly could not. But if parliament can effect no pood in providing a better market for your produce, it might relieve them in another way ; the abundant harvests for the last few years, for which he sincerely thanked heaven, had, in 34 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. co-operation with large quantities of produce from Ire- land, thrown down the markets ; the Irish grower sent over his produce under advantages which we had a right to call upon the legrislature to investigate and adjust, so as to place both the Irish and English grower on equal terms. In Ireland they were exempt from several burthens which weigh heavily on the British cultivator. The Irish are not compelled to support their poor ; and though bound to pay their tithes, yet, unhke the English farmer, who honestly meets that claim, the Irish cultivator avoids it by every stratagem in his power. If the population of England require fifteen or seventeen millions of quarters of wheat to meet its annual consumption, how can it be wondered at, when Ireland by increasing annual supplies at last pours into our market lier three millions of quarters in addition to the produceof harvests, each for four years being equal to our average consumption! (Hear, hear.) Then (saidMr.Portman) let us go to parliament and honestly tell them our grievances, which he was sure would com- mand the liveliest sympathy and attention ; and let us ask firmly and respectfully for a full and unrestricted inquiry into the cause of our complaints ; let us urge them in terms which will come upon them with the effi- cacy of an order to set about an immediate examination into our case, and forthwith to apply a remedy ; let us point out the -peculiar disadvantage which oppress us, not with a view to throw impediments in the way of the prosperity of other interests — (applause) — but to show the unfairness of being obliged to contend with the same class of interests which, from local position, are exempted from burthens peculiarly weighing upon us. The hon. gentleman then adverted to the necessity of introducing poor laws into Ireland, and contrasted the better arrangements in respect of the poor in the north of England with those in the South ; in the North, a pauper, and consequently a poor rate, were hardly known ; we had mismanaged and demoralised our poor, and had no right to seek in general taxation for that reUef which the examples elsewhere showed we might, by a better system, accomplish for ourselves. Our manufacturers at Manchester now wanted hands, and he had seen an advertisement for one hundred ; he hoped, therefore, that our poor would find employment without emigrating. The hon. gentleman concluded an admirable address which repeatedly elicited applause, by giving his opinion that high prices must not be looked for, and recommended every tenant honestly to state his condition to the landlord, and by mutual conces- sions to adjust their interests with feelings of benefi- cency, and sympathy for each other on terras of well considered justice. E. A. Sanford, Esq. M.P. on rising, was greeted with very great applause. The honourable gentleman observed, that he considered they were much indebted to those gentlemen who had been the original promoters of the meeting, for having afforded the inhabitants of that neighbourhood an opportunity of calmly and openly discussing a question, which now appeared to engross a large portion of public attention. The views of those gentlemen had been laid before the meeting with great clearness and intelligence, but they had been most ably answered by the eloquent and lucid statements of his honourable friends. Sir T. Lethbridge and Mr. Portman, and he indulged a hope that the pro- ceedings of that day would tend to remove any impres- sion which might exist in that neighbourhood, that we were to expect relief, by a depreciation of our currency, frorn the distress now so grievously oppressing us, as Agriculturists. Opposed as he had been to the man- ner in which the chanf?e from a paper to a metallic circulation had been effected in 1819, and sensible of the misery which had been produced by the alteration, still, having now, it may be hoped, passed through the most severe portion of the trial, he could not consent again to place the country in so fearful a position, as might arise from a recurrence to depreciation ; but would rather hope that parliament would use our past xperie nee as a warning never again to al 1 ow the govern- ment to tamper with the currency. The nation, how- ever, had a full right to demand of parliament an un- restricted and searching enquiry into the effects that change had produced, and for such an inquiry he had always voted. The reason alleged for refusing it had ever been, that parliament ought not to allowthe inquiry, unless it was prepared again to make an alteration, as unreasonable expectations might thereby be excited and very serious mischief created. The force of this argu- ment he did not allow, and he was still prepared to support a full and entire inquiry. He had stated on the previous day that he feared it was not in the power of the leg'islature, to ensure them a better price for their wheat, and this opinion was founded on the fact, that the amount of duty now to be paid on the importation of foreign corn is greater than the price of the grain when sold in our markets; it must act therefore as a prohibition, and proves that the present low price could only pro- ceed from a superal)undant supply of our own growth, and although parliament was bound to protect them from undue foreign competition — with the competition of home-grown corn, it could not interfere. Still he considered however difficult, if not impossible it might be for parliament, by any enactment, to give them a more remunerating price for their wheat, yet it was bound to endeavour to lighten those burdens which peculiarly affect the agricultural interest, and he sincerely hoped another session would not be allowed to pass by without a commutation of tithes having been effected. He thought also that the Irish landlord, and the Irish farmer ought to be placed on an equality with their fellow countrymen in England, who ought not to be subject to burdens from which they were exempt : he therefore felt a hope that ere long a provision for the poor would be legalized in Ireland, and such a measure should have his constant support. (Cheers.) It was true that the labouring people ot that fine country could be living in the most abject distress, surrounded by abund- ance which they had assisted in creating, but in which, from extreme poverty, they were unable to share, being compelled to export the produce of their labour to the already overstocked markets of England ; for this griev- ance the agricultural population of this country had a right to ask of parliament a remedy. It was a source of great satisfaction to iiim to find that his opinions were entirely in unison with those of so large a portion of his constituents as had that day been assembled. Should it be their pleasure to address the legislature in ac- cordance with the resolutions which had then been adopted, their petition should have his warmest support, and he knew he might also state for his hon. friend and colleague who was unhappily prevented from attending the meeting, that he also would most heartily support it. The hon. gent, then begged to take that opportunity, it being the first time since his return from abroad that he had met so large a number of his constituents, of ex- pressing how deeply he felt the kindness which had been shewn him by re-electing him in his abscence. It was not in the power of language to acknowledge in terms sufficiently expressive of his feelings how highly he valued the confidence they had reposed in him, and how greatly he felt the debt of gratitude increased by the generous and spontaneous manifestations made in his favour when he was in a distant country. Such kindness deserved, and would throughout his life excite in him the strongest desire to shew that he was not un- worthy of it ; and in whatever manner he could pro- mote the interests of the electors of West Somerset, whether in or out of parliament, there was no personal sacrifice from which he should shrink in testifying the sincerity of his esteem for them, and gratitude for their conduct, (Cheers and continued applause). Sir T, Lethbridge's [amendment having been put and carried unanimously, the meeting, after voting thanks to the chairman for the exemplary manner in which he had sustained his duties, separated at half- past four o'clock. Resolved, 1st.— That as agriculture is a grand source of the wealth of nations, no country can be in a prosperous state whose agriculture continues for any length of time to bring loss and rnin upon those who are engaged in it. 2nd, — That this meeting" therefore views witli the ut- most alann and apprehension, the long continued dis* THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. tress and increasing' difficulties under which the agri- cultural interest of this country labours. 3rd. — That this continued depression which has al- ready brought total ruin upon many thousand farmers, and has reduced almost to a state of insolvency a large portion of those who yet retain their stations, will, if remedial measures be not promptly adopted, effect such a further destruction of agricultural capital, as cannot fail to be productive of the most ruinous conse- quences to the landed interest. 4th.— That it becomes the imperative dutv of all persons who are interested in the prosperity and wel- fare of the country, and particularly of those who are more immediately connected with the landed interest, to promote a prompt, dilligent, and unrestricted en- quiry into the cause of such extensive and increasing distress, and to urge, by every constitutional means, the redress of a grievance, which is gradually undermining the strength and resources of the nation ; and is calcu- lated to lead to the most serious crisis that this coun- try has ever experienced. 5th, — That though successive governments have en- deavoured, by a reduction of taxes, to diminish the ex- cessive burthen unnecessarily thrown upon the people, the existing taxes demand for their payment more corn and other produce of the land than was required during the most expensive period of the late war ; and this meeting believes that no reduction of taxes which can be effected under present circumstances, will afford any substantial relief; and that the only means of re- storing the present, and securing the future prosperity of the country, will be found in the equable distribution of those vastly increased local burthens which now press almost exclusively upon the land. 6th. — That these resolutions be printed and published, and that they be inserted in the principal journals of the West of England— that a subscription be entered into for the purpose of defraying the necessary expenses, and that the chairman be requested to carry these re- solutions into execution. 7th. — That a petition, embodying the substance of these resolutions, be prepared ; and that E. A. Sanford, Esq., be requested to present the same to the Com- mons House of Parliament. THE QUANTITY OF MALT CONSUMED BY THE UNDERMENTIONED BREWERS OF LONDON AND VICINITY, from 10th Oc- tober, 1831, to 10th October, 1835. 1831. 1832. 1833. 1834. 1835. Barclay and Co Hanbury and Co Wliitliread and Co Rcid and Co Combe and Co...,. ... Calvert and Co Hoare and Co Elliot and Co Meux and Co ......... Taylor and Co Cliarrington and Co. ., Steward, Head, and Co. Goding and Co Gardner Tliorne , Bricheno iCourage and Donaldson Coding, Thomas UVood and Co IHazaid and Co M'Lcod Pickell '^ar^■is, Thomas i^axton More iaiford and Tonliam. . tale iiidimond., italnes qrs. qrs. qrs. qrs. qrs. 97198 96612 93175 99974 106098 50721 58512 58497 74982 78087 49713 53541 50067 49105 55209 53109 44420 40810 44210 49430 34684 36948 36070 35438 36922 30525 32812 31433 31460 33-263 24102 23S21 25407 29796 31525 19444 20061 19899 25009 28728 24339 22062 20718 26161 24370 21845 10531 8116 21735 21115 20835 23885 9618 > 6872$ 15617 18197 192J3 16307 14874 14279 15256 16312 66GC 5904 7471 11429 14699 1445 2543 5136 8496 10913 5637 5732 7120 9950 9762 8116 7807 7546 8079 8790 998/ 8971 7630 8224 7618 5469 5560 55 J7 7602 7320 6126 0203 7094 6544 1056 2917 4236 51-9 5360 9123 6331 5113 5294 5218 4778 4780 4540 4940 4964 4018 3020 2911 3508 4187 2535 1040 1890 4713 4130 3050 45S4 4322 3633 3281 3166 3785 3503 3256 3520 3268 223i» 1832 2163 2266 3106 Bettely Maynard 740 Mann, James Ball and Co 6184 Cox, John 2302 Hodgson 4206 Williamson 2259 Satchell 2508 Griffiths, P. late Whit- more .. ,- 2146 Ing 1824 Hill and Rice 2910 Sherborne and Co Masterman 1704 NichoUs and Co 3995 CoUyer. late Young, j. and B 2105 Hume, G 1081 VereyandCo Chapman, A 522 Collins, J Young, Cliarles 634 Kerry and Co 422 King, late E. Smith... 1633 Clarke, Charles 814 Boreham and Co 1552 Blogg, William 603 Plimmer Buckley and Co 901 Manvell 752 Honeyball Clarke, S 722 Mantel and Co Il87 Mann, Joel 871 Holt^ 1113 Jennei"! Turner, John 674 Braithwaite Clarke, Robert 545 Addison 756 Hood Abbott, Edward 691 Harris, Robert Thompson, George .... 598 Mattam 9J1 Turner, R &8 Wicks Collins,"wilii'am!!!!!! 205 Wright 245 Hagan , Woodward 627 Lock HoUoway Uiford Thurlby 184 Wells Reynolds, late Aldridge 583 Higgs 904 Blogg, B 003 West Farquharson 382 Lloyd 479 Cowell, late Tizard and Co Clarke Lindsey 386 Bury Pugh 171 Biace 66 Griffiths, J Jones, Evan 685 Aainstock 280 Olley 230 M5eton 215 Jackson Prosscr 66 Smith Turner, R. and W 911 Tubb Cooper, William 244 Easton 141 Powditcli Craddoek . ,, . ,/ Hacker Turner, W. S 230 Dor.n , Stirling 1831. 1832. 1833. 1834. 1835. qrs. qrs. qrs. qrs. 827 105G 6088 2279 3522 2136 3117 1530 1598 1748 803 444 1750 985 435 95.1 810 1107 857 1083 107 174 719 713 841 840 788 754 202 584 719 590 604 642 128 176 286 594 S9 234 380 537 684 468 487 332 167 90 35 463 229 206 161 '99 816 241 72 206 183 941 1671 1332 1757 3516 4407 2371 2446 3870 20S0 2010 2261 1906 2615 1063 1624 1974 1182 1830 2726 2078 975 844 435 889 938 1249 621 1006 999 436 391 801 924 269 876 914 720 717 355 640 344 780 696 271 625 451 641 745 218 254 405 334 511 259 492 370 464 594 179 883 448 658 402 324 227 \45 142 337 239 218 142 133 716 443 245 99 197 168 1693 1743 1963 1336 1810 2339 1666 1427 1140 462 1303 1078 1044 567 1003 1185 915 427 793 875 471 938 850 745 794 529 677 753 747 653 488 634 490 589 762 341 492 441 470 485 422 469 203 415 220 359 511 752 255 657 411 558 431 328 549 241 143 179 375 240 226 224 163 217 214 525 80 237 178 62 73 188 193 319 qrs. 2892 2828 2780 2687 2499 2414 2264 2147 2120 210s 2042 203! 1877 1464 1432 1256 1208 1191 llOS 1066 1023 1018 1006 976 968 867 838 8.^1. 81. '0 793 757 "35 734 734 709 708 706 671 671 654 657 653 538 531 527 619 519 506 502 49t; 486 472 469 468 447 447 424 406 403 384 381 357 319 286 284 261 253 248 241 239 234 204 217 2HSJ 207 200 199 199 192 173 172 172 104 162 The remainder of the firms being enumerated as having consumed less than 150 qrs. of Malt, we hayo not particularized them, d2 36 RELIEF OF THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. DIS- AGRICULTURAL TRESS. It is very gratifying to find that there is an increasing disposition among landowners and occupiers to exclude the currency question from any inquiry which may be entered into on the subject of agricultural distress. Meetings are daily taking place, which we regret our limits will not permit us to notice ; there is one, however, to which we invite especial attention, as being one of the most important, if not the most important, -which has hitherto been held, and which will be found reported at great length in another part of our magazine ; we allude to the meeting of landholders and farmers at Taunton, in Somersetshire, on Saturday the 28th ultimo. This meeting presented a body of between six and seven hundred persons, the majority consisting of landowners and land occupiers. Landlords and tenants were there met together for the purpose of consi- dering the best means which could be adopted for obtaining relief from that distress under which most persons admit the tenant farmer especially to be suffering at this time. The cunency was, as usual, introduced, and would have proved a stumbling block, had not the good sense of the meeting avoided it. Ac- cording to the report, Mr. Falkner was the only person who went at length into the sub- ject, with a view to show that the present low prices were attributable to our money system, and that nothing short of a depreciation of the currency could possibly restore high prices, which he considers absolutely necessary to up- hold the agriculture of this country. His speech was by no means calculated to bring conviction home to the mind of any man who was previously unacquaihted with, or unpre- judiced upon the subject. So far from it, in our opinion he betrays throughout a want of con- fidence in himself, and particularly in the following observations ; — he says, " I feel very confident that the state of the currency is the seat of the present disorder of the farmer's affairs, and that none of the topical remedies which have been suggested will give him any efhciiebt relief. At least nothing less than the removal of all the burthens which noto piess directly or indirectly upon him." Here then is a direct admission that a removal of those taxes which press upon the farmer will aflord him relief. The advocates of a depreciation one and all agree that its tendency would be to occasion a rise in prices. A rise in prices must be beneficial to landlords as well as te- nants, inasmuch as it would enable them to obtain higher rents. The landlord, therefore, who opposes any measure tending to pro- duce a rise in prices must be blind to his own interest, by resisting a plan calculated to increase his rent-roll. So long as the num- ber of landlords who advocated relief to the tenant farmer by a reduction of rent and tax- ation to meet the reduced price of agricultu- ral produce was small, it was easy to set them down as an isolated body of men, posses- sing crotchetty notions at variance with the positive experience of practical men ; but now that we find the most opulent and intel- ligent landowners at almost every meetiiig, deprecating any steps to occasion an artificial rise in prices, when we find the depreciation of the currency advocated from the year 1819 up to nearly the present moment by several journals conducted with great talent and abi- lity, at length abandoned, even by the Herald itself, it is not too much to conclude that it would be prejudicial to the general interests of the country, and therefore injurious to the agriculturists themselves, to make such an attempt. At the Taunton meeting Sir T. Lethbridge, Mr. Portman, and Mr. Sandford, all considerable landowners, deprecated any tampering with the currency, although it might possibly lead to a temporary improve- ment of their rent-roll. Sir T. Lethbridge ably and eloquently pointed out the injustice which must result from a return to a depreciated currency. But, says the tenant farmer it is utterly impossible to pay the present rent with wheat at 4s. 6d. per bushel. We do not doubt that such is the case in most instances, and the remedy, say we, is an instant reduc- tion of rent. By the tenant, a farm must be regarded in the same light as a wharf, a yard, a mill, or warehouse applicable to a specific purpose. He must calculate all his outgoings as near as may be ; he must estimate the pro- bable amount of his crops at existing prices; and he should pay to his landlord only so much for rent as may remain after paying his outgoings, retaining a proper per centage for capital invested, and supporting himself and his family. If nothing remains, so much the worse for the landlord ; it will not be a novel occurrence. Numerous instances could be adduced in which the amount of the poor-rate was so large as to leave no rent, and the farm I has been let rent-free. In these cases, had | wheat been at 8s. per bushel, instead of Gs., the land would have afforded a rent; so, if the poor-rate had been 2s. per acre instead of 20s. Rents must be reduced to the level of ! prices, and Parliament must remove all the i burthens to which the land is particularly I liable. The peculiar situation of the te- ' nant, which precludes him from moving his stock, &c., from one farm to another, as furniture or stock in trade may be removed from one house to another, leaves him in a great measure in the power of his landlord, who, in scarcely any instance, reduces his rent so as to correspond with the propor- tionate decline in the value of produce Thousands and tens of thousands of farmers have been reduced to beggary, and compelled to leave their farms, their last shilling having been taken for rent, who, if they had held by a corn instead of a money rent, would have at this time been supporting their families in comfort and respectability. Landlords .should follow the example of Mr. Gould, which is thus noticed in the Taunton Courier : — A very equitable and benevolent principle prevails THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 37 In tbe arrangements of farms belonging to J. Gould, Esq., Chnirman at the great Agricultural Meeting at Taunton. On letting an estate, he goes over it with the proposed tenant, acre by acre, and both agree upon what ought to be the produce. The rent is then fixed according to the immediate market price ; but if a decline takes place, the rent is lowered accord- ingly in the same proportion. This seems an amiable conformity with the precept, "Live and let live." BONDED CORN. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MARK LANE EXPRESS. Plymouth, Dec, 3 1835. In the extract from the Times which appeared in your last paper, the objections advanced against the proposed measure for manufacturing foreign wheat into flour and biscuit for exportation are of so feeble a character, that if no better can be found they will almost amount to an argument in favour of it. They are stated to be reasons urged against it by "the trade." Now it is well known that witli the ex- ception of a few owners of bonded warehouses who profit by a system ruinous to their neighbours, "the trade" in general are strongly in favour of the mea- sure from a conviction of the benefit to be derived from it. It is stated as the main ground of objection to it, that gross frauds would be practicable under it. As the writer has not stated the nature of the frauds which he anticipates, or in what way he supposes hey could be efl^ected, it is impossible to meet him in detail, but whoever reads attentively the plan proposed for carrying the measure into practice, which appeared in the Mark Lane Express of Oct. 19 must see, that fraud to any considerable extent would be impossible. In fact tlie bulk of the article in propertion to its value would of itself be a safe guard against it, and there would be no possible ad- vantage from attempting it commensurate with the risk. Besides the bare possibility of fraud is no ar- gument against the enactment of a just and necessary law. The laws of the customs and excise, are very liable to evasion, which is proved by almost every day's experience, but the legislature does not there- fore cease to enact them. Let the penalties as re- gards corn be severe and rigidly enforced and there will be no frauds of any importance. A similar measure to that now suggested is in operation in regard to sugar under bond which is allowed to be refined under certain regulations for exportation, foreign metallic ores are also allowed to be taken out of bond for the purpose of being smelted, and there is no reason why the same system should not be adopted with regard to foreign corn without prejudice to the revenue or the agriculturist. Another suggestion against the measure in the article referred to is, that it would be impossible for persons in this country to compete with foreigners in the supply of our colonies, since the charges in transporting the wheat hither would make the cost to the English manufacturer 15 per cent, beyond what the foreigner would have to pay. Now supposing this difference to exist, it would be more than com- pensated in the saving of time and expense to the British ship-owner, in having his vessel laden at Lome instead of going to Hamburg and ports in the Baltic for her cargo. Besides it may be expected that the superiority of British skill and capital will neutralize this advantage possessed by tlie foreigner, and let it be recollected that the Baltic and even Hamburg are generally inaccessible during a great part of the winter, while the trade might siill be going on from tliis country to the West Indies and South America. But the best answer to this ob- jection is the fact before our eyes, that a great trade in this line has been for years carried on in the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey. These Islands being exempt from the operation of our corn laws this branch of trade is becoming of great importance to them, and from being found so profitable is rapidly increasing, steam-mills of great power are erecting with a view to its extension, and it is an instance of peculiar hardship and injustice as regards the people of this country, that they should be denied a privilege enjoyed by'a small section of their fellow subjects who are far less burthened with imposts than themselves. Let the people of this country have the same op- portunity of trying it, and if it should not succeed, they will derive the satisfaction of having brouo-ht tbe matter to the test of experiment. But the objector in warning us against the efl'ects of competition, seems to overlook one most important feature in the case, namely, the advantage we should often possess over the Americans in the manufacture of flour, who it is well known export upwards of a million of barrels annually, chiefly to our West India Islands, and South America. At the present time the price of wheat in America is quoted at 44s to 48s per quarter, while wheat under bond, equally good, may be bought in this country at about 26s to 28s per qr. and of course could be rendered in the shape of flour at least 35 per cent, below the Ameri- can price. Yet with these facts before us, we are persisting in the gross absurdity, of tieing up our own hands, with manifest injury to all classes of the community, merely from deference to the chimerical fears of the agriculturists, who in truth, are themselves severe sufferers by it, inasmuch as it keeps dormant, and wasting away in bonded corn, an immense capital, a great part of which would otherwise be at this moment invested in English corn, and tend to coun- teract the present depression. W. C. Agriculturai, Distress. — At the great annual court of the Duke of Bedford, for his manor of Hardwicke, on Monday, after dinner the subject of the prevailing agricultural distress was, of course, a promi- nent feature in the conversation. The usual complaints were made against the g'overnment and Parliament for not affording relief; when ^Ir. Carpenter, of Mount Tavy, himself a large landed proprietor, on his health being drank, asked how they could apply to Parliament for relief when there were no taxes to complain of which bore exclusively on agriculture, and pronounced the only true remedy to be a reduction of rent. " Rents must come down," said Mr. Carpenter, and the senti- ment was applauded by all present. — Falmouth Packet. Fountain Tree. — There are few rivulets, and only three springs, in the island of Ferro, one of the Canaries ; and these are on a part of the beach which is nearly inaccessible. To supply the place of foun- tains, however, nature bestowed upon this island ii species of tree, supposed to be nearly allied to the laiiriisindica, possessing properties unknown to trees in all other parts of the world. These fountain trees were of moderate size, and their leaves were straight, long, and evergreen. Around the summit a small cloud perpetually rested, wliich so drenched the leaves with moisture, that they constantly distilled upon tlie ground a stream of fine clear water. To these trees, as to perennial springs, the inhabitants of Ferro resorted, and were thus supplied wth a sufficient abundance of water for themselves and for their cattle. 38 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. Tlie Annual Show of the Gloucestershire Agricul- tural Association took place on'.Thursday, Nov. 26th, at the New Market, which was fitted up in the most commodious manner for the occasion. We believe we may safely aver that no exhibition of the kind ever g-ave srreater satisfaction as to the quality and quantity of the stock produced. It was computed that nearly nine hundred persons attended, and among'st the company we observed many of the first rate breeders and feeders from the adjoining counties, as well as from distant parts. The Judges who kindly acted upon the occa- sion were Mr. John Turner, of Noke, near Leominster, and Mr. James Walker, of the Park, near Malvern, who were engaged the whole of the preceding day in awarding the premiums, and we have great pleasure in stating that their decisions gave greater satisfaction than is usual in such matters. DAIRY STOCK. To Mr. John Price, of Pool House, Hanley, for the best dairy cow, (Hereford) £8 0 To Mr. William Woodward, of Bredon's Norton, the second best ditto (short horn) £4 0 Miss Strickland, of Apperley Court, Mr. William Jones, of the Sheephouse, Mr. Niblett, of Haresfield, and Mr. ftlorris, of JMaisemore, contended also for this prize. To Mr. William Woodward, of Bredon's Norton, the best pair of heifers under 4 years old (short horn) £5 0 Mr. John Price, of Pool House, and Mr. Pike, of Mytton, were also competitors. To JMiss Strickland, for the best pair of heifers under 3 years old (short horn) £5 0 Mr. John Price and Mr. William Woodward con- tended also. To Mr. William Jones, of the Sheephouse, for the best pair of heifers, under 2 years old (shorthorn) £5 0 Bliss Strickland, Mr. J. Price, and Mr. Pike, entered also. To Miss Strickland, the best bull, under 3 years old, (short horn) £8 0 No competition. To INIr. Joseph Stallard, of Redmarley, the best bull of more than 3 years old (Here- ford) £10 0 IMiss Strickland, Mr. John Price, and Mr. Edward Barnes, also entered. This premium was the gift of Messrs. Wells, Ferris, and Witts, the Judges of last year. Mr. Baker's premmm. To ]Mr. John Price, the best bull, cow, and offspring, (Herefords) £10 0 Mr. William Jones and Mr. Edward Barnes entered also. FAT CATTLE. Premium— the gift of W. L. Laim-ence, Esq. To IMr. Polhill, of Eyford, for the best fat^ox (shorthorn) £10 0 Additional as breeder £2 0 Mr. John Crump, of Hasfield, Mr. Pike, of Mytton, INIr. John White, of Abloads Court, Sandhurst, Mr. D, S. Hayward, of Frocester, Mr. Edward Barnes, of Tirley, Mr. Thomas Brunsdon, of Cheltenham, and Mr. Walters, of Barnwood, competitors also. The Judges particularly commended Mr. Walters's Hereford ox, and the oxen generally in this class. To Miss Strickland, for the best fat cow, (short horn) £8 0 As breeder also £2 0 Mr. Brown, of Minety, Mr. Peacy, of Chedglow, Mr. Edward Barnes, of Tirley, Mr. Niblett, of Hares- field, and Mr. William Woodward, of Bredon's Nor- ton, were also competitors. The Judges expressed their admiration of the whole of the fat cows exhibited for this premium, and desired that it might be said that their selection was made with diflficulty. Premium of J. W. Walters, Esq. Mr. Charles Nind, of Harles, near Winch- comb, for the best fat heifer, (Hereford) £10 0 Bred by Mr. Willtam Doe, of Ditchford Hill, Worcestershire. Mr. William Friday, of Longford, also showed iot this premium. SHEEP. To Mr. William Hawkins, of the Hawthorns, for the three best long wool ewes £5 0 Rlr. John Crump, of Ilasfield, and Mr. William Slatter, of Stratton, also entered. To Mr. Joseph Hall, of Coates, for the three best long wool shear hogs £5 0 Mr. William Hawkins also entered. To Mr. William Slatter, of Stratton, for the three best long wool theaves £3 0 Mr. William Hawkins, Mr. John Crump, and Mr. Thomas Hall, also entered. Premium, the gift of C. W. Codrington, Esq., M. P. To Mr. Thomas Hall, for the best long wool ram £5 0 Mr. W. Slatter entered also. To Mr. W. Jones for the best short wool ram, £5 0 No Competition. PIGS. To ]Mr. John Beach, of Redmarley, for the best fat pig £2 0 Mr. John White and Mr. D. S. Hayward, also con- tended. HORSES. To Mr. Thomas Hall, of Througham, the best cart stallion £5 0 No competition. To Mr. ! Brown, of Minety, for a cart mare and foal £5 0 No competition. Premiun, the gift of C. W. Codrington, Esq., M. P. To Mr. Webb, of Haresfield, for the best cart mare, rising 3 years old £3 3 CHEESE. To Mr. Wiliam Hawkins, for the best hundred weight £3 0 To Mr. Leonard, of Water End, the second best ditto £2 0 MECHANICS. To JNIr. Anslem Bailey, of Churcham, for a skim plough £2 0 LABOURERS. To Samuel Newman, recommended by Mr, Joseph Stallard, of Redmarley, the first premium, for having lived with him twenty years, and brought up nine chil- dren, without parochial relief £3 0 To Samuel Aigne, recommended by Mr. Wm. Woodward, of Bredon's Norton, the se- cond premium, for having brought up seven children, without parochial relief. . £2 0 To Hannah Davis, recommended by C. B. Smith, of Whaddon, for having lived for eighteen years as dairy maid in his ser- vice £2 0 THE DINNER, AT THE KING S HEAD. At half-past four o'clock nearly one hundred gentle- men sat down, the President of the Association, the Right Honourable Lord Segrave, in the chair ; the Secretary, John Kemp, Esq. Vice President. Amongst the company were the Hon. Craven Berkeley, M. P., C. W. Codrington, Esq. M. P., E. Holland, Esq M. P., W. Goodrich, Esq., W. L. Lawrence, Esq., J. AV. Walters, Esq., AV. Polhill, Esq., E. Hopkinson, Esq., H. N. Trye, Esq., J. C. Hayward, Esq., D. J. Niblett, Esq., &c. &e. After the cloth was removed upwards of thirty gentlemen joined the party. A number of appropriate toasts were drank and the evening passed off with the greatest good humour and conviviality. THE FAllMER'S MAGAZINE, 39 HORSEMANSHIP. THE RESTIVE OR RESTY HORSE. No description which ever yet appeared on paper has given a correct idea of the subject un- der consideration ; and for the best reason in the world, namely, that those who have written upon it were most profoundly ignorant of what must constitute its very essence, practical knoivledge. There are various degrees of restiveness in horses : the first arises from a trifling degree of obstinacy of disposition, which will manifest itself in the following manner : — If, on returning from a jour- ney, the rider should attempt to reach home by a different road from that to which the horse has been accustomed, and which the horse suspects does not lead to his stable, he will testify symp- toms of unwillingness to proceed according to his rider's wishes, even to the extent of rearing; but, if pulled round, will go on without further trouble. Many horses, good tempered and will- ing in general, will show disobedience to this ex- tent. I rode, for two years, a good little Irish horse, which would occasionally rebel in this way, and which, nevertheless, was, on the whole, a pleasant horse to ride. There are others which will carry this disposi- tion to a much greater extent, will resort to dis- obedience oftener, and are consequently more troublesome, and more dangerous. The next degree of restiveness arises from a lazy, bad disposition. I will exemplify it. Seven or eight years ago, I accidentally purchased a thorough-bred grey mare for a trifling sum. I met with her in a large town in the North of Eng- land, and she (like most restive horses) went quietly and even willingly in the street, and so long as she entertained no suspicion that it was intended to take her far from the stable. I resided at the distance of several miles, and sent my servant the following day, to fetch her home. As soon as they reached the outskirts of the town, the mare refused to carry him further ; and the man, not being a superior rider, dismounted and led her. This circumstance, however, he did not mention to me. In the stable, this mare was as quiet and as good tempered as possible ; it was not till after a lapse of several days that I got upon her back, and had not proceeded one hundred yards before I began to suspect her disposition. She pointed her ears forward, breathed hard, and was prepared to stare and affect to be frightened at any object which came in her way. However, I did not let her perceive that I noticed these indications of vice, or we should have come to battle sooner, as an animal of this description very soon discovers if the rider be timid or awkward. We had pro- ceeded about four miles, when she thought proper to shy at a post, started and turned suddenly back. I twisted her round several times, gave her the steel once only, and she went on. About a mile further, she refused to pass [a stable-yard ; I resorted to the same expedient and with the same success. I was enabled to ride her afterwards with little trouble ; but, as she possessed neither sufficient speed nor power for my purpose, I sold her. This animal's restiveness proceeded entirely from a cunning and lazy dispo- sition; but she was not the less dangerous on that account. A friend of mine, a few years since, after bar- gaining for a fine chestnut mare, reserved the con- dition, that I should ride her a few miles. She went unwillingly, and when about two miles from home, refused to proceed further. I sat quietly on her back ; and, in the course of a few seconds, she began to move stern foremost, and continued this retrograde motion for about twenty yards, when I twisted her round several times, placed her head in the direction I wished to pursue, and gave her the steel very freely. About two miles fur- ther brought me to an inn by the road-side, when she made a rush to the stable-yard, and endea- voured to crush my leg against the wall : this I frustrated by bending her head to the wall, where, however, she endeavoured to remain : she hung like a dead weight, and appeared as sulky and as savage as possible. I adopted those modes and manoeuvres which the reader will find de- scribed under the head, Management of the Restive and the Vicious Horse, and reached the end of my journey. As I expected, this mare came home without manifesting restiveness, or vice of any kind. She was a very dangerous brute, and a bad goer into the bargain. I have often heard it very thoughtlessly and very igno- rantly asserted, that restive and vicious horses, when once reduced to obedience, generally evince superior powers of speed and strength ; or, in other words, are superior animals ; which is quite a mistaken notion, as the qualities just mentioned must depend on animal organization : there must be the requisite form to produce these effects. Many restive horses will go well enough in company. Some years ago, a dealer offered me a very fine-looking horse at what I thought a very moderate figure, or price, and I was disposed to purchase him ; but made a previous trial, the sine qua non. The animal appeared well calculated for hunting, and he was represented as perfect in the business. On going to meet the hounds with him, the dealer's brother accompanied me, on ano- ther horse ; and allliough the animal on which I was mounted manifested no unruly disposition as we proceeded to the fixture, there was something in his manner which excited my suspicion, which, in- deed, is the case with most, if not all, restive horses. A hare was soon found; and the horse went well, and took several fences in good style. At length the dealer's brother and myself became ' separated, when, as I expected, the horse in ques- tion displayed — not the cloven foot — but a most villainous disposition. Tlie next jump he refused; and although I ultimately forced him over or ra- ther through, I was brushed out of the saddle by a young and pliant oak. However, I never quit- ed the bridle ; and, having re-mounted, was anxious to proceed. I readied the next fence witliin about thirty yards, when the animal refused to go at it : a battle was the result ; and tliougli, after much trouble and punishment, I forced him up to it, I could not induce him to rise : lie blundered through it. There the matter ended : I returned the horse. But it frequently happens that a restive horse will go well with hounds. A friend of mine had a restive brute, one that kicked, on 40 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. mounting, tremendously, and was altogether of a savage disposition ; yet, when the fit of kicking was over, no horse could go better with hounds. The last restive brute which I possessed, was a Friend Ned mare, well and powerfully formed, and an excellent hunter. She was the most cun- ning and the laziest animal upon which I ever sat ; and her vicious habits arose from those disposi- tions. When I purchased this mare, she was very low in condition ; and although I gave her a gal- lop, prior to riding her home, she made no signal which excited ray suspicion. I allowed her to go very gently home ; and was not surprised at her sluggishness, which I concluded arose, in a great degree, from want of condition. It so happened that business took me from home, and I did not ride her again for several weeks. In the interim she had been well fed ; and, as I afterwards learned, had thrown my servant several times in her exercise. I mounted her again early one morning, not entertaining the slightest idea of the pranks she was about to play ; but 1 had not rid- den many hundred yards before I met the mail coach, when she instantly turned short round and galloped in the direction for her stable. The trick was performed so suddenly, and I was so unpre- pared for it, that she had galloped twenty yards before I was prepared to oppose her. On placing her head in the right direction again, she affected to be much alarmed at the coach : she ran side- ways, kicked and plunged, and exhibited all those vicious and dangerous antics for which horses of this temperament are remarkable. I now became fully aware of the disposition of the animal with which I had to deal. After pass- ing the coach, she affected to run away; and, as the road was clear, I let her go, sitting firmly upon her, and having her well in hand. She soon slackened her pace, and dropped into a trot; and she would soon have dropped into a walk, had I not given her to understand that in this I should not indulge her. I trotted her on smartly : she placed her ears pointing forward, an evident manifestation of ill-will ; and every now and tlien made a sudden start, or rather slde- jerk, as if she took fright at a stone, a heap of dirt, a stump, or any thing which happened to present itself. It will be as well here to re- mark, that this lazy brute knew the mail coach as well as her rider ; and that either at it or the other objects just mentioned, she was no more alarmed than myself. It was all affected, under the impression that she would thus, by alarming or throwing her rider, be enabled to return home ; and had she been suffered to return, she would not have made the least hesitation, had she met fifty coaches. Indeed, had I suffered her to pro- ceed at her own pace (about three miles an hour), I might have accomplished my journey with the bridle loose on her neck, as she would have gone as quietly and as safely as possible. However, I wished to proceed at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour, which she was very unwilling to perform ; and, as she kept playing her tricks, on coming to a bye-lane, I turned into it for the purpose of fighting the battle fairly. The lane was little frequented, was sandy, and destitute of walls or other objects which could place me in danger. I took her fast by the head, put her into a gallop, and compelled her to increase her pace by the very free administration of the steel. For some time she made her side-jerks most viciously ; and on all these occasions she received the spurs in return, as severely as I could give them. We thus proceeded about a mile, the mare gradually giving up or submitting, till at length when I pulled up she was completely beaten. The punishment she had received was severe, and she went as quiet- ly and as submissively as possible for the remainder of the journey. I am no advocate for coercive measures except where they become indispensa- ble : this was one of those cases. By way of illustration, I will here observe, that, some years prior to this period, I had a fine bay horse (by Champion) remarkably powerful and uncommonly high-spirited and playful. He, be- ing in high condition, would dance and caper, and play pranks enough to alarm a timid horseman, particularly by the cover side, when drawing for a fox ; but it was mere frolic and play ; he had not a particle of vice in his composition ; he was an excellent tempered animal. It would have been cruel to have punished him for a display of his frolicsome disposition, as the moment the fox went away, all was right. The mare above-mentioned I rode for one sea- son with the hounds : she jumped remarkably well, could go a good rattling pace, and was the best creeper I ever saw, a circumstance arising en- tirely from her extraordinary cunning and lazy disposition. But she was an unpleasant animal to ride : she was continually manifesting an ob- stinate unruly temper : if you wished to take your own line of country, she would rebel against such a proceeding ; and, in fact, before she could be ridden with confidence or pleasure after hounds, it became necessaiy to administer a similar pun- ishment to that already described. This mare was a very greedy feeder ; no crea- ture could be quieter or better tempered in the stable : her object was to eat as much as possible and avoid labour. A child might ride her, if the bridle were laid loose on her neck, and she allowed to proceed at her own space. Such was her antipathy to move along at any thing like speed, that when pressed forward, she would throw her fore legs about in such a manner as to speedy-cut and come down. THE VICIOUS HORSE. \ Of course what has been stated in the few pre- ceding pages might have been placed correctly enough under the present head, since restiveness is a vice of the worst description ; but as there are vicious horses of a different temperament, I have chosen to ramify the subject for the purpose of more clear elucidation. The celebrated horse Lottery is vicious, in tlie sense it is here intended to be understood. He possesses an unruly, savage temper, both in the stable and out of it : he would worry his groom and throw his rider. He will bite, kick, and plunge ; and, in consequence, his running was al- ways uncertain. He was one of the finest and the fleetest racers that ever appeared on the turf ; and when he happened to be in temper for running, beat every opponent with great ease. As like THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 41 ]irotluces like, many of his stock have inherited the bad temper of the sire ; and on this account I should always decline breeding from a vicious or restive animal on either side. Lottery indicated a vicious disposition from ear- liest life ; but, having, in his exercise, thrown the lad who rode him, he galloped off, and was not se- cured without difficulty : this circumstance ren- dered him more unmanageable : so much so, in- deed, that iiis running could never afterwards be depended on : whence his name, Lottery, beiug originally called Tinker. Orthodox, a very uncertain racer, seemed to unite the qualities of the restive and the vicious horse. On being brouglit to t'le post to start, there was a glaring timidness of expression in his eye, which was very remarkable, and which could be compared to nothing which ever fell under my observation. lie evidently entertained a most in- veterate antipathy to the severity of the race-course, and frequently tried to avoid it by bolting. Mameluke, like Lottery, was naturally vicious : and his running, therefore, like that of the latter, could seldom be relied on, Wellington was originally good tempered. I saw him when a yearling, and never saw a better tempered animal : he was very improperly ma- naged, and became vicious : when first brought on the turf, he ran as kindly as possible, but became very uncertain afterwards. Vicious horses vary in disposition ; and some that are dangerous in the stable are pleasant enough on the road, the turf, or the field. Mayfly was very vicious in the stable, but I never saw him run vmkindly. Clinton wa' quiet enough in the stable, but would frequently rear and plunge on the course, and generally started in a savage unruly manner. Clinton possessed more than ordi- nary cunning. He would carry his groom quiet- ly ; but when the jockey came to mount him for the race, he would plunge and rear, and try to un- seat his rider, in which I have seen him more than once succeed. He ran several severe rac^es, wherein the whip and spurs were freely adminis- tered: whenever, therefore, he observed the silk jacket approach, he seemed to be well aware tliat the whip and spurs might follow. What, for the sake of distinction, may be called a restive horse, will be uniformly found to possess a superior degree of cunning, and they resort to a variety of unpleasant, provoking, and dangerous tricks, from a thorough laziness of disposition. The vicious horse will rear, kick, or plunge, from a fiery or bad temper : such animals are generally vicious in the stable ; while the restive horse very seldom shews either vice or bad temper except when put to work. The restive and the vicious horse are distinguishable by a peculiai expression of countenance : the eye of the latter will indicate bad temper, and this suiister expression is very often assisted by a ])eculiar movement of the ears ; in the eye of the former will be discovered a de- gree of intelligent cunning, which will be vainly sought in a horse of any other temperament or dis- position. Amongst vicious horses must be classed those which are apt to run away ; a vice which uniform- ly arises from inefficient breaking or improper treatment ; and when once a hofse has played this prank, he will try to repeat it. Generally speaking, vicious horses appear to inherit a bad temper from nature. Bad tempered horses may be often rendered obedient and sub- missive by proper treatment ; but when animals of this description fall into the hands of ignorant pas- sionate men, they become vicious. High-spirited horses will become vicious in such hands. I scarcely ever saw a vicious or restive horse that had not a broad forehead. Race-horses which manifest an unruly disposi- tion are frequently castrated, which has sometimes the wished-for effect, but fails in many instances. A vicious horse is never to be trusted ; and al- though such animals are not uncommon on the race-course, their proper place is the off wheel of a stage coach. Instructions for the Management of "Restive and Vicious Horses, as loell as for the Rider's Con- duct in all dangerous Situations. In the first place, let it be well impressed upon the mind, that the horse possesses much greater strength than his rider, and that, consequently, in all our contentions with him, we should meet his power by scientific skill, in which case, we are sure to acquire the ascendancy with little risk or danger ; but if force be opposed to force, the horse immediately understands the nature of the contest ; he will dispute the matter stoutly, he will place the rider's neck or limbs in jeopardy ; and, if he ultimately yield, it will prove but a drawn battle, which the animal will seldom fail to renew on the first favourable occasion. When the efforts of an unruly horse are met by the requisite skill, he does not understand the mode by which he is frus- trated ; he therefore loses his confidence, and sub- mits. Of all vices in a horse, rearing is the most to be dreaded. We shall be told by grooms and others that the most effectual method of curing a horse of this dangerous vice is to slip off, pull the ani- mal over backward, and administer punishment while he is on the ground. I liave seen this me- thod successfully practised ; and I am inclined to think that it will answer the purpose in all cases where it can be effectually accomplished. But it is not easy of accomplishment, unless by a mas- terly horseman, and a mode which cannot safely be recommended in general. It must also be re- collected that a vicious horse, after being com- pletely subdued by one person, will seldom fail to dispute the point with a strange rider. This is the most unfortunat'd part of the business, and which renders all animals of this description un- certain and dangerous. In the first place, I would never advise any person to purchase a vicious horse ; since, what- ever good qualities the animal may possess, they are neutralized in a great degree by his vices, while the use of him is always attended with dan- ger. But when it so happens that a person finds liimself in possession of a horse of this descrip- tion, if he feel desirous of trying the experiment of reducing him to obedience, he will find the fol- lowing instructions well calculated for the^purpose. 42 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. When a horse is addicted to rearing, kicking, bolting, plunging, and the like, the modes of iiorsc- manship which I have described in preceding numbers must be brought into action, steadily and forcibly applied, in which the advantage of good hands will be strikingly conspicuous. The operation of the hands is intended to pre- vent and deter an unruly or vicious horse as much as possible. The rider's arms must be pressed firmly to the body, the reins separated and taken into both hands, tlie hands a little up. In this position, the ider should not pull at the horse, unless the latter attempt to force the hands and get his head ; on the contrary, the horse should have liberty to move forward, but not to get his head down, since, with his head in that position, he would be enabled to kick most violently ; while, with his head held well up, he is prevented from kicking with any degree of violence, and he can only make a bolt upon all fours, something like the awkward jump of a horse at a standing leap when his head is confined, but not quite so rough ; for, there being no bar in the way, the horse does not attempt to jump perpendicularly (if I may be allowed the expression) but forward, evidently intending to force himself out of the rider's hands, and spring from under him. There- fore, when you perceive the horse inclined to play jhese tricks, you, as a matter of course, prepare yourself for the encounter in the manner just de- scribed, applying both hands to the reins, &c. The body must be kept upright, but very flexible, soastoaccompany every movement or action of the horse, and be thus prepared to repel every effort he may make (the corresponding motion, so fre- quently mentioned, can never be too strongly im- pressed on the mind of the rider). Your balance will be assisted by the close adherence of the thighs ; the legs kept close to the horse, but not severely pressed till you feel the necessity ; for the horse will be in alternate motion with his fore and hind legs, and you know not whether he will rear or kick. If he lifts his fore legs, thrust your rump out behind, by which you are pre- pared if he rears ; as the fore feet come to the ground, slip your breech under you, and you be- come ready for his kicking or springing forward, the legs being in a situation to grasp at the instant, while a steady hold with the hands operates as a restraint upon the horse, and keeps him from falling. Every unruly or vicious horse will be found to adopt or put in practice his own peculiar mode of ofibnsive or defensive operations : some rear, others kick, some turn short to the left, others to the right ; some run sideways against a wall, some refuse to do what they are required, others will only offer battle when they perceive they have the advantage of situation. But it is not possible to enumerate all the stratagems to which a horse will resort for the purpose of foiling or throwing his rider. However, of all the means resorted to by the horse for the accomplishmem of his purpose, rearing is the most dangerous : a rearing horse will sometimes rise so unexpectedly and so rapidly, that the rider has very little notice or time to pre- pare himself: — some of them will rear so high as to be in danger of falling backwards ; but a horse addicted to this violent rearing is scarcely ever known to kick ; the rearing, therefore, is what yoii have to guard against, and when he takes you unawares, your body must instantly incline for- ward close to his neck, your hands forward, on each side, so as even to clasp him round the neck, should that be rendered necessary — and it will where a horse resorts to such desperate rearing. Nor are horses very easily cured of this very dangerous vice; that is, if they be viciously in- clined, and determined rearers. Some will rear from playful excitement, but this amounts to no- thing, as they never rise to any alarming height. When a determined rearer is playing his vici- ous pranks, an active and a thorough horseman may, when the horse's fore legs are in the air, slip of, on one side, (keeping the rein in one hand) and pull the horse over backward. This operates most powerfully in subduing the horse, and he will sel- dom give you an opportunity of repeating it ; that is, he will be careful how he rears again with the same rider. But such an experiment should never be attempted by any but an expert and clever horseman, one who feels perfectly conscious of his ability to perform it with safety to himself. And after all, it only remedies the evil as far as relates, to the rider who performs it; since if a determined rearer, after having been thus subdued, passes into^the hands of another person, he will generally have recourse to his old but not forgotten tricks. A person, named Godwin, who resided at the village of Daresbury, in Cheshire, purchased a vicious rearing horse ; but as the animal was well calculated for a hunter in all other respects, and Godwin being a good horseman, he took the horse into the fields in order to induce him to commit the fault, that he might have a proper opportunity to administer the remedy. Godwin threw the horse backward, and while the animal was on the ground, he kept him down for some little time, during whicli he applied severe correction. Godwin mounted again, and the horse went as quietly as possible. This man rode him after Sir H. Main- waring's hounds, and no horse could go more steady, and few could perform so well. He was purchased by the gentleman just mentioned, and came into the hands of W. Head, the huntsman, when he refused obedience, and again took to rearing: — I never recollect having seen a more vicious or determined rearer. The huntsman, be- ing a good horseman, contrived to subdue him, but not till after a number of struggles for the mastery had ensued between them, as Head did not resort to the dangerous expedient of pulling him backwards. I afterwards saw this horse carry the huntsman very steadily, but evidently more from fear than good will, as was ajjparent by the expression of his eye. I believe the horse was quiet in the stable, which is the case with many similarly unruly horses. In preference to the dangerous experiment of pulling a rearing horse backward, I recommend the adoption of the following method : — whenever you perceive the horse's inclination to rear, sepa- rate your reins and prepare for him : the instant he is about to rise, slacken one hand and bend or twist his head with the other, keepmg your hands low. This bending compels him to move a hind leg, and of necessity brings^ his fore feet down. THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 43 Instantly twist him completely round two or three times, which will confuse him very much, and completely throw him off his guard. The moment you have finished twisting him round, place his head in the direction you wish him to proceed, apply the spurs sharply, and he will not fail to go forward : if the situation be convenient, press him into a gallop, and apply the spurs and whip two or three times (but not more) severely. The horse will perhaps not be quite satisfied with the first defeat, but may feel disposed to try again for the mastery. Should this be the case, you have only to twist him, &c. as before, and you will find that in the second struggle he will be much more easily subdued than on the first occasion — in fact, you will perceive him quail under the operation. It rarely happens that a rearing horse, after having been treated in the way described, will resort to his tricks a third time. But, on going into other hands, and having another rider, he will be very likely to have recourse to rearing. All vicious horses have a favourite side, which they are prepared to defend, and they therefore must be attacked on the other. It has been already observed, that a horse ad- dicted to rearing high, seldom, if ever, kicks ; and, on the contrary, a horse given to violent kicking, is scarcely ever known to rear. If you follow the directions given in the fifth paragraph of this article, he will not be able to kick, or at least only in a trifling degree ; and finding himself foiled, he will not long continue the battle. In this case, twisting the horse round will have the desired effect ; and indeed there are few cases of unruly horses where it will not : to accomplish which you must twist him round on his weak side, as he will be prepared for you on the other, and you would not be able to move him round ; but in no case correct a horse beyond the just measure of punishment, let it also be well-timed, and administered without passion — lest you pro- voke him to further resistance. Whatever feeling influences the rider's mind, it will not fail to have a corresponding effect on that of the horse ; and, consequently, cruelty, anger, and revenge, will operate most powerfully against that concord which should subsist between the horse and his rider. With an unruly horse, the rider should be as cool, as firm, and as philosphic as a Stoic. The moment the battle is over, let the horse and his rider become friends : the horse, being ashamed from defeat, will be thus soothed and brought into good temper; and, as all provocation has ceased, he will feel no disposition to renew the conten- tion. PnESERVATiON OF POTATOES. — A farmer in the neifrlil)ourhood of St. Alban's, an extensive potato- irrower, has lately discovered a cheap and simple mode of preserving' that valuable root. A pit is dug' the required depth, the l)ottoui of which is lig'htly spread with g'as tar, over which is placed a layer of tanner's Ijark to the depth of lliree inches ; the usual quantity of wheat straw is then laid over tiic top. By these means he has this year preserved two pits ; the one has recently l)een opened, the produce of which, from its soundness and freshness, has been justly praised by hisnoif^hbours. It is likewise worthy of mention that the bark after this process, proves an excellent top dressing for wheat, even superior to soot. HOPS. An Account of the Duty on Hops of the Growth OF THE Year 1835, distinguishing the Districts, AND the old from THE NEW DuTY. DISTRICTS. Barnstaple. . , nedlord Cambiidge , Canterbury . , Chester , Cornwall . . . , Derby , Dorset Essex , Exeter .. .., Gloucester. . Grantham... Hants , Hereford ... Hertford Lincoln . . . Lynn , Carried for ward . . . . DUTY. £ s. 28 16 142 18 26 2 989/5 9 0 10 13 14 30 17 16 0 2131 19 14 15 8 0 6 10 3 4 4 4386 1 10 22734 11 10 57 19 6 350 3 4 0 18 4 128914 15 iO DISTRICTS. Brought for- ward Northampton . Oxford Plymouth Rending Rocliester . .. . Salisbury Salop Stourbridge. . . Suffolk S urrey Sussex Uxbridge Wales, Middle Wellington ... Worcester . . . Total.... £ s. d. 128914 0 26 5 8 144681 2464 0 1083 791 3 127458 9 95 31 34b0 15 10 8 6 10 2 0 6 1 0 8 6 10 0 2 10 15 0 17 2 17 4 14 4 13 2 7 U 409055 18 3 Old duty, at Id 12.20th3 per lb.....;£235.207 2 113 14-20tli9. New duty, at|d8-20ths perlb 173,848 15 3 6-20ths. Total ^409,055 18 3 G. F. 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