$>v^ LETTERS'AND PAPERS O N Agriculture, Planting, &c. ADDRESSED TO THE Bath and JVeJi of England Society ^ FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT Of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, VOL U M E VI. 8J^. LETTERS AND PAPERS o N Agriculture, Planting, &c. SSLECTED FR OM THE CORRESPONDENCE or T }I E Bath and JVeJl of England Society rOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND COMMERCE. VOL. VI. BATH, PRINTED, BY ORDER OF THE^SOCIETY, BY R, cruttwell; AND SOLO BY C. DJLLY, POVtTRY, LONDON, AND BY THB B00JCSKLLKR8 Ot BATH, BRISTOL, SALISBURY, CLOCESTER, EXETER, &C. &C. CONTENTS O F VOLUME VI. I PACE NTRODUCTION . vii A Scries of Letters on Planting and the Management of Woods, by Thomas South, efq. ^— f Letter L Dimenfions of an Oak, felled in the year 1758 in Langley-Wood, near the New-Forcft — — 8 — — — IL On the Growth of Elms — ■ 11 IIL OnAbele 23 Alder — — — — %g Beech — ' — a8 ■ ■ IV. Defcription of Fyfield's Oak, &c. — — 33 Dimenfions of the Bull Oak 46 — V. An Eflay on the Growth of Oaks, and the produc- tion of crooked Timber for Naval Purpofes 47 Additional 'Letter, by the fame, on his Intention of publifhing a Treatife on the Management of Wall-Fruit Trees 64 A Defcription of the Inftrument called a Sward-Cutter, invented by the Hon. Robert Sandilands — ■ 'j% Queries of Mr. Le Blanc, refpe^ing the Culture of Turnip- Rooted Cabbages, with Anfwers to the fame, by Sir Thomas BeevoKi bart. — — 87 Letter on various Subje, through the imprudence of private owners, I Hate the following fads, Jhe year before lafl, there were fourfcore Oaks felled in this neighbourhood, whofe aggregate con^ tents Jcarcely exceeded twenty tons-, and in 1758, a fingle tree was felled, but a very few miles from the IpOt, which contained in it/pi/ fiuenfy^eight tons. The foil where theie diminutive flicks were produced, was of a nature equally propitious to the growth of oak, as that of Langley-Wood, and mod of them had room to fpread in ; confequently fuch, had they been permitted to remain, would have be- come Naval Timber, Let what encouragement foevef be given to promote private plantations, they muft be long in repairing fuch lofles as thefe. Our modern planters, I fear, purfue the ornamental, more than the ufeful plan. Oaks, being tardy growers, are feldom propagated ; the filver, fpruce, Scotch iirs, and other free-growing trees, are pre- ferred t 3 ] fcrred. One ingenious correfpondeht* of yours cut down his firs, indeed, for the fake of his oaks, and another for the fake of his beeches.f The planters of oaks and beeches dcferve every encou- ragement, as both find place in Naval Architec- ture ; the latter, if long and Urait, ferve to plank the bottoms of fhips, .up to the light water line, equally well with the former, and at lefs than half the expence. The moft fuccefsful planter I ever heard of, is your correfpondent Mr. Marfham. It does not often happen, that men have a tafte for fuch purfuits, at the early age when he began his careers and in the courfe of things, it as feldom happens, that men attain his patriarchal years. To plant in 17^0, anrl rnnremplate his improve- ments in 1790, is an inftance fcarce to be equalled. May his patriotic endeavours long be crowned with the bleflings they deferve ! From the publick * I think this mode of planting oaks a very good one, as like- wife this gentleman's method of rendering crooked faplings ftrait. Though I profefs myfeif an advocate for rendering ftrait ones crooked. f I fee no neceflity for cutting down all the firs in this cafe, for the beech would have kept pace with them and flourifhed, and there cannot be a more ornamental wood than a mixture of firs and beeches, efpecially on a declivity, the contrails between the deep green of the one, and the paler hue of the other, fonh a pleafing objeft in the fummer months. The golden tinge of the latter en- riches the fcene in autumn, and even when bronzed in the winter, they have no unpleafing cffe^. B 2 _ much [ 4 ] ' much IS cxpefled, Inclofures of forefl land, if conduced with propriety, may prevent national ruin ; for timber is become fcarce on the continent as well as here ; the increafe of commerce caufe« fuch a demand, that it rifes in value every where. The fcarcity of knees* and crooks of large di- menfions is now feverely felt ; it is with difficulty the docks get fuppled, fo that fhips are often at a ftand for want of them ; the king's forefts have been produdive of many of thefe moll valuable ar- ticles, but they are nearly exhaufted ; and the me- thods propofed by the furveyors for raifing timber in Dean Foreft, is by no means likely to remedy the defedl. Planters fliould not only confider what fuits their refpec^ive foils, but to what ufes their timber may be appropriated. The elm ought to be led up tall and flrait for keel-pieces, Ihip's pumps, water-pipes, &c. Arbele, if brought to great length and fubftance, will make good beams and rafters for barns, cottages, &c. j for this tim- ber, (not being fubjed to the worm) whilft under thatch that admits no wet, will continue found above a century. The perfedion of alh lies in its being free and tough, properties fought after by * So great was the deficiency towards the clofe of laft war, that the old ftiips intended to keep up appearances only, were ordered to be repaired with afhen knees and crooks. coopers. [ 5 3 coopers, wheelwrights, and coach-mdkers. Beech, as a quick grower, repays the planter's toil; it thrives well on chalky hills, and may be trained ei- ther to long boles for (hip-planking, or to branchy crooks for mill-wheels j it is excellent in water- works of all kinds, . for, where conftantly kept wet, it is as durable as oak itfelf ; and the prefent fear- city of that mod valuable timber, requires that we ihould employ every fubftitute we can in its place. The growers of oak fhould be moll particularly at- tentive to the fituation and demand. In inland countries, where carriage is a drawback, and pre- vents a profitable communication with the fea, timber, if thinned in due fcafon, cannot be drawn up too fait. The houfe-carpenter, in lituations like this, is the chief purchafer, and llrait lengths are his delight. In the maritime counties, a large crook in the bole of a tree doubles its value, and admits it into a dock-yard, when but two-thirds the contents of a ftrait one. Floor timbers, com- pafs-pieces, knees, &c. are the bafis of naval ar- chitedure, and cannot be difpenfed with s fuch, when choice and large, carry in much inferior tim- ber with them ; and without a due proportion of fuch, no contrad is ever made by the Navy-board, nor can the merchant exped payment for what he has delivered, till the moll ufeful of thefc articles B J have [ 6 ] have been provided. Wherefore, fooner than lay out of 4 or 5000I. for any length of time> he will give more than its value for a lot that fuits him. By the third report of the Land Revenue CommifTioners, it appears, that there are 18,000 acres of land in Dean Foreft, Glouceflerlhire, de- figned to be fet apart for inclofure, and the growth of oak timber 5 but the method propofed by the furveyors is not likely to be produdlive of fuch as is mod valuable J thick planting, with timely thinning, may produce ftrait boles, and, in a fuit- able foil like this, large and long-lived timber ; but to raife knees and crooks, requires a contrary pradbice i which, if the fociety think it worth their attention, I will endeavour to explain hereafter. In the mean time, have inclofed fuch particulars re- fpeding the famous Langley-Wood Oak, as may ferve to ftimulate the poflelTors of thriving trees, to preferve them carefully till they indicate approach- ing decay; whenever that is obfervabie, even though in parks and pleafure grounds, the axe fhould be applied forthwith ; for it is a waite almoft ■ as (hameful to leave fuch a tree as the Colthorp Oak* to perifh, as it is to cut fourfcore young ones, to fupply the place of one at full growth. It is not the age, but the condition of the tree, however, that; • See Hunter's edition of Evelyn's Silva. fhoul4 E 7 1 Ihould determine its fate ; in fomc foils the oak never vegetates freely, becomes Hunted and dead- topt in its 50th or 60th year 5 to let fuch ftand, even though of ten feet meetings only, is folly ; and to cut thriving trees of meetings fo very fmall, is madnefs in the extreme. It is, when of this fize, that they begin to pay beft for {landing; they then yearly improve both in quantity and quality of their contents j the blee leflens as the fpine increafesj the arms become meafureable one after the other, and though the body may not increafe in circumference quite fo much annually*, as it had done when younger ; the length and bulk 6f the limbs will add confiderably to the contents .and value of the tim- ber. If this, bir, Ihould prove acceptable to the gentlemen of the fociety, I have minutes of another famous oak, meafured twice by myfelf, and can trace, I think, the rate at which it proceeded. I am. Sir, your very humble Servant, Bojftngton, Hants, T. SOUTH. I O^. a, 17^0. • That accurate obferver, Mr. MaHham, finds that oaks do not in the fecond century increafe fo niuch annually in circumference, as they did in the firft j notwithftanding which, they increafe much more in folid contents yearly, as I am prepared to demonflrate. B 4 Dimenfions [ 8 ] Dimenfions of an Oak felled in the Tear 1758, in Langley Wood, belonging to the Bijhop o^Salifbury, upon the Verge of the New For eft ^ THIS tree flood fingly in the wood, and ex- tended its mafllve branches near forty feet each way. Its head was all knees and crooks, aptly fuited to naval purpofes j its bole or fhaft was fhort, not exceeding twenty feet in length, but was full fix feet in diameter at the top, and perfectly found; it was felled in an unufual manner for the preftrva- tion of its crooks, which were cut off one by one, whilft the tree was {landing, and lowered by tackles to prevent their breaking. The two largell arms were fawed off at fuch diftances from the bole, as to make the mod capital firfl-rate knees; fcaf- folds were then erefled, and two pit-faws being braced together, the body was firfl cut acrofs half through at the bottom, and then fawed down the middle perpendicularly,, between the two flumps of arms that had been left \ at the end of one of which, flood a perpendicular bough, bigger than mofl timber trees ; to prevent this being injured, a bed was made of fome hundreds of faggots to catch it when it fell. This half was fo weighty^ that it crulhpd 4 new timber carriage to pieces, the inftant I 9 1 it was lodged upon it ; and none in the country be- ing found ftrong enough, the king's carriage was fent purpofely from Portfmouth to convey it to the dock-yard. It was drawn in general by twelve horfes, aflifted occafionally by eight others. The drivers were obliged to find the moft level ground, and inftead of drawing it to Portfmouth, as was in- tended, made the Ihorteft way acrofs the foreft to the fea-fide* This tree was fold in the firft place for forty pounds ; was bought of that purchafer by the late Mr. White, of Anville, timber- merchant, for an hundred pounds^ who is fuppofed .to have cleared an hundred pounds more 5 which he poffibly might do, for the contents, as I was informed a few years fince on the fpot, amounted to thirty-two loads of hewed timber, which at half a crown a foot^ no unufual price for naval crooks^ amounts to 200L precifely, befides faggots, &c. fufficient to defray {he expences. N. B. Having tranfmitted this account (through the medium of a friend) to Mr. Marfham, he obligingly returned me the annexed particulars,- in the fum of which, he feems to fall fhort of the Quantity I have dated 3 but this is eafiiy recon- ciled j { lO ] died i his admeafurements being manifeftly takeii (by a country carpenter) in round timber, and mine from the marks when fquared, which would make twenty-eight tons, equal to thirty- two loads at leaft. Meafures of the Oak in Langley Woody felled hy Dn "Thomas hifhop of Sarum^ in 175S. Length Inches Contents in 7ons. ^ogf ^ FUces Feet. Girt, Cubicfeet. head ^ Body 20 54 405 10 0 L]mbs. 3ft. 30 *3 no 2 3 2d. 23 ^9h 604 1 2 3d. 24 39 60 I z 4th. 28 I9i 74 I 3 5th. 28 22 94 » 1 ctn. 7th. 19 Zh 24 0 2 Sth. 23 "4 21 0 2 9th. ^3 15 35 0 3 10th. 13 18 ^9 . 0 2 nth. 26' 13 30^ 0 3 azth. 20 loi 15 0 I J 3th. 16 Hi ^3^ 0 2 J4th. 25 12 25 0 26 2 0 30452 Ftffff. o o| o 4 4 4 I 5 '4 5 3l 5 There were befides in feveral fmall pieces of ufeful ftufF for the navy, 74 feet ^ fo in all 28 tons. The breadth of the tree acrofs (near the ground) where it was cut, was twelve feet, and had above 300 rings of annual growth. Thefe t " 1 Thefe meafures were given to Mr. Marfliam, of Stratton in Suffolk, by Mr. Fellows, of Shotti- (ham, Norfolk, brother to Mrs. Eyre of N6v- houfe, whofe carpenter took them by her order. The account of felling, Mr. Marfham acquaints my friend was nearly the fame as above. ^^ ^tr\ Letter II. On the Growth cf Elms^ Sir, THE elm delighN in a rirh black mould, where it attains its largeft fize. It thrives well, and produces the toughed and bed timber in a hazely loam. It will grow on gravel, but dif- graces chalk, and detefts morafs, » It requires an open fpace, and much room for its roots to fpread in ; if confined in groves, it de- ceives the planter ; the borderers only arrive at per- fedion, whilft thofe near the centre, though ftraight, are weak 5 and if through imprudence the large protedlive trees be cut down, the remainder, inftead of improving, become dotards j for being relieved from the denfe atmofphere, which had forced all the t 11 ] the fap the root could imbibe to the upper extre-* mities for vent, their Ihafts break out into innu- merable fprays, that exhauft the fap before it reaches the top, which confequently perifhes for want of fupply. Thefe trees fhould therefore be either planted (ingle, in fmall clumps, or in hedge-rows. The latter is the mod profitable method, as the fuckers which fpring from the roots will, under the pro- ^edtion of the hedge, furnilh a continued fucceflioii, I have heard of elms containing twelve tons round meafnre ; fome of my own are three, one, 1 believe, fix or more; and I remember one^ for which its owner refufed twelve guineas. This was the majeflick ornament of a pleafure-ground. Its fiiaft was fifty feet jn length, without fpray or ble- mifh 5 viewed at a diflance, it made the finefl may- pole that ever eyes beheld, having a round head like a garland at the top. It has been fince fallen, but what it fold for, or whither it went, I cannot fay ; though probably to the dock-yard, being fit for a keel of the firft magnitude. On fight of this tree, jt evidently appeared to have been as much in- debted to art as nature for the elegance of its form ; and as it grew oppofite to the centre of a gentle-. jTiaa'5 C 13 ] man's houfe, I concluded that the gardener who planted, had, witli unremitted diligence, attended to its improvement, till trained towards the perfec- tion it at length arrived at. There is now (landing on a knoll, in a meadow of mine, an elm which was pojfeffed of great beauty likewife, though of a different kind i the bole of it, which is only eight feet long, was, in 1766, ttn feet and a half in circumference at three* feet from the ground. Its branches formed a conoid, whofe diameter at the bafe was one and twenty y^ds. It continued growing in this form till the memorable hurricane on Shrove -Tuefday, 178 1, which tore off the lower limbo, and fpoilcd the re- gularity of its fhape ; thus mutilated, it weathered the dorm, which blew down and broke to fhivers feventy others, fome of which were four tons apiece. Cruel lofs ! But why Ihould I lament ? The fame ftorm that overthrew the timber, purified the air from noxious vapours, and might thus preferve the life of its proprietor. This tree, notwithftanding its having been fo much difmembered, meafures, in 1790, thirteen feet fix inches in circumference, at • This was then the fmalleft part of the bole, and is meafured from the higheft ground, it being four feet and upwards on the lower fidew the the fame height from the ground, havmg gained thirty-fix inches in twenty-four years, /. e. an inch and a half annual increafe. The amount of the contents, in the fmall compafs between the branches and the ground, is amazing, for eight feet by 40 ^ inches girt is equal to 100 feet, or two tons and a half of round timber. The upper part of the fliaft and the remaining branches are large, fo that I cannot eftimate it at lefs in the whole than fix tons j but it is not of half the value as if the contents had been in one continued Ihaft. This ftick, though now forming a new and not ungraceful head, muft, upon the principle before laid down, be fallen within thefe twenty years, or it will rot internally by wet admitted through the flumps of the branches. No perfon having yet anticipated what may be further faid cfn this fubjed:, I fhall proceed to lay all the plain fads I am mailer of before the Society, and conclude with obfervations, reful ting from fuch growths as have been particularly noticed by myfelf. In 1738, an avenue of above feventy elms was planted in double ranks by my predeceflbr, in the front of this houfe, the fummits of their branches are at prefent fixty feet or upwards. Thofe in the rows t »$ J rows next the fun are from feven feet to fir^ whilft thofc in the northern rows, though of the lame height, are only from fix to three feet and a half in circumference. One particular tree in the beft afpeft near the houfe, in 1770, meafured four feet in circumference at four feet from the ground. Its prefent admeafurement is feven feet fix inches, fc^i a yearly increafe of above two inches. This is'ii lapid growth indeed; but is thus accounted for. It obtained more room on cutting down its neigh- bour, which overhung the houfe, and the root of that being grubbed up, the earth was loofened a great way round, and frefli mould added to prefcrve the level. The tree in confequence put out large branches, following tKe roots in that direction. A fingle row of trees planted in the fame foil^ and at the fame time, are of equal height, but of in- creafed bulk ; thefe are from eight feet two inches, to feven feet in circumference, at the fame diftance from the ground, and contain on an average almoft double the timber, viz. fome of them near two tons^. ...■•; ^ In 1766, I planted tfiree hundred elms, fome fihglt, others in clumps, the remainder in hedge- rows, and in the two following years, filled up the vacancies caufed by failure. One of the fingle trees is t i6 3 IS now three feet four inches and a half in cir- cumference,* the fhafc is about twelve feet long, and the head proceeds in four equal upright branches* The next largefl: is alfo a fingle tree, having a long ftraight fhaft near thirty feet to a bough, and upwards of forty feet to the fummit of its branches, its circumference is two feet eight inches only. But the timber of this tree will, from its length and flraightnefs, yield double the price of that of the other hereafter, Thofe in the clumps keep pace with this in height, but do not equal it in bulk. Thofe in the hedge-rows were of different forts, the beft of them came from a nurfery at South- ampton, and are now about the fize of thofe in the clumps 3 the others from Salifbury; thefe did not from the firft appear to have been free growers, and the longer they fband, the further they will be be- hind their competitors. All thefe have thrown out numerous fuckers from their roots, fo that where one hundred and fifty only were planted, there are » N. B. The circumference of all thefe was taken at four feet from the gh>und. now r *7 ] how five hundred at leaft. N. B. Some of the ofF- fpring of the Salifbury trees, promife to be tim- ber before their parental (locks. Elms may be raifed by proteclion only ; for the ftool of a timber-tree when fallen, will throw up many fuckers ; fence thefe round with rough rail- ing, and in eight or ten years they will be out of danger of cattle. They at firft proceed flowly, but if duly thinned, and trained properly, will make good trees. The way to thin them to advantage, is to dig deep amongft them the year before ; cut- ting off the roots of the weakeft, which caufes them to throw out frefh fibres, and fits them for removal. About fix years ago, my gardener trenched a piece of ufelefs ground behind fome cot- tages, and planted it with refufe fuckers thus pre- pared. The poor people availed themfelves of the circumftances, fet the ground with beans and po- tatoes, and have continued to crop it ever fince. This has been of fervice to them, and of infinite benefit to the trees 3 which by means of this an- nual culture, have far outftript their undifturbed brethren, and almoft double their contents. The fuckers adhering to old ftools, do not keep pace with maiden trees planted of the fame fize : Vql. VI. * C the [ i8 ] the rcafon is obvious ; the roots they throw out arc for a long while confined to a foil already exhaufted by a like production, which checks their progrefs. If the ground between them were to be dug once a a year, and a few barrows of very rotten dung* turned in for two or three years fucceflively, I doubt not but they would pay by the quicknefs of their growth J but it is an experiment I have not tried. The fuckers which arife from my young trees iii the hedge-rows, grow fafter than new-planted mai- ckn- trees of the fame fize, having frefh mould to root in, and receiving at the fame time, fome nou- rid^imcht from the parental flock. The planting elm^ in hedge-rows is neverthelefs in fome relpedls objcdlionable, for the tenant in general thinks' him- Mi intitled to their ihrouds, which he lops in a flovenly manner, at fuch time as he deems moft profitable, viz. every twelve or fourteen years. The faggots are then an objed of fome confe- quence, as well as the relief he gives to his paftures and crops. But the misfortune is, that the wounds he makes are too large to heal over 5 the knots be- come turgid, inflead of fmooth, admit water, and injure the timber. To prevent this, they fhould • Mr. Marfham's famous oak, of his own planting, has been nilJth forwarded by digging round and manuring it, be I 19 ) be trained for the firft thirty years with circumfpcc- lion, oy repeated trimmings at fhort periods, the fhafts will be rcntlered clean an'd unprodudive of fprays, and the heads redubed Into a narrow corn- pafs, and at fuch a height ^6m the ground, as neither to annoy the crops, or four the grafs by fliade. Inconfequenceof adoubtbeing darted, whether the fhaft of a tree lengthens inch by inch through Its whole extent, or onty by the addition of new wood to the top;* — in March, 1786, after trim- ming up* three young elms, I fhortened the under- bough that was left in each, and dropt a line and plummet to the ground. The length of the fhaft> No. I. was twenty- feveri 5 of No. II. twenty-eight ; of No. III. thirty feet j at which lengths I opened the ftrands of the line, and inferted a mark of red tape, put it carefully by till March 1790, when trimming the trees afrefh, as is my conftanr prac- tice every fourth year, the line, when applied with its marks to the foot of the fame branch rn each tree refpeflively, held the plultimet fufp^iided above the ground, and proved an uniform advance in length of their fhafts, frotn eight to ten inches ; the ihorteft having gained the leaft, the longed the mod, viz» two inches and a half in a year. C 2 Ohfervations [ 20 ] Ohfervations and Concluftons drawn from the pre^ ceding Premtfes, iji. As the growth of Elm bears proportion to the extent of ground allotted for its roots to range in J thofe who would propagate large timber, mufl never plant too clofe. ^dly. That though branchy elms are the quickeft growers*, they are not the moft profitable to the planter ; for fuch timber is little fought after, and one branch only being accepted by the merchant as timber, the reft all go with the top, which re- duces the contents exceedingly. ^dly. That as the value of this timber confifts more in the length and bulk of the fhaft, than in * That branchy trees are the quickeft growers, I believe to be invariably the cafe, and may be thus accounted for : the ftp im- bibed by the roots, is a compound of aqueous and nutritious mat- ter ; the quicker it is in its paflage, the greater is the demand upon the roots, which extend themfelves accordingly in fearch of frefli fupplies } the branches follow their direftion, and ftill increafe the demand j and the more branches a tree has, and the nearer they are to the ground, the fooner the fap perfpires off its aqueous par- ticles, depofiting the nutritious ones by the way. Wherefore the timber is more amply fed by an accelerated current of fap, than by a tardy one, confequently branchy timber increafes more in proportion, than tliat which is clean fhafted, where the fap is longer in its progrefs, finding no outlet till it reaches the top. the ' [ a, ] the crooks and contents of its branches, it is the bufinefs of planteis to train them up tall and ftraight, to keep their fhafts clean, and not to fuf- fer them to branch till within a few feet of the top, j^hly. The prefent me:hod of lopping, though conducive to the lengthening of the (haft, fills it full of rough protuberances, which, by admitting wa- ter, arc very prejudicial to the timber, and occafion the defedls fo generally complained of. Stbly, The fhaft of the elm advances inch by inch through its whole contents, that is, every inch lengthens yearly ; by this means it advances more or lefs in proportion to its length, befides the ad- dition of new wood at the top j fo that a branch now thirty feet from the ground, will (in a grow- ing ftick) five years hence be removed higher by a foot, confequently the timber is increaling in length beneath that branch, as well as above ic. Laftly, The growth of elm is to that of oak, in a hazely loam like mine, as three to two, and the value of the timber, if long and ftraight, as two to ^ree. The profits of the planter, therefore, bod^ in oak and elm, will be nearly on an equality, • C 3 ^^ [ 22 3 ^0 train up Elms to long Jlraigbt Shafts^ Care fhould be taken in planting, to fliorten all the fide-flioots, and leave the leading ihoot intire. In three or four years afterwards, cut the lower- cnoft of the fhprtened fhoots clean ofF, and Ihorten mofl: of the maiden ihoots above them, carefully preferving the leading fjioot, and prevent its having a competitor -, at Midfuninier followipg, ftrip off all fuch fprays as have put forth from the fides of the\youpds (by hand.) Proceed in this manner every three or four y^ars, cleanfing about four feet of the flem at a timci fhprtei>ing the upper branches, cutting off cloie thofe which were fhortene0 of the maiden fhoots at every trintipciipg, Qonf^b in chieckifig their growths which caufes them to be fmali at tjie bafe, in proportion to the bole pf the tree^ i confcquently the wounds •are but triflipg, loon heal over, and the bark becomes fnnooth. U is advifeable to prevent thefe trees from forking at riie top as long as pofTible, for they are yery apt to break off at the forks which inj\)r9S ih? \\m^^* Boffmgton^ Q5i. ^S> ^19^- Letter III. Sir, THE rapid growth pf this timber having beCH already afcertaineii by ^ former correfpon^ 4?nt, I have little to acjd^ f^Yg t;b4t not bfing fpb^ left to th^ ravages pf the worm, ix is appUcabk tp jnqre yfefu) pprpofes than that g^ntleir^an has ^t figned to it|. After the ftpfm ia 1781, which OPt ynly blew down niy elms, by^ my barps likewife, J rebuilt one of five bays, ^nd twQnty-fpqr fcej ♦ I fcarc« need fay that bqje and fhaft are fynonymous terms. I I think Abcle muft be too fpongy for the turner. C 4 long C 44 ] long in the beams, and roofed it intirely with this tiniber j and from the experience of others, toge- ther with the prefent appearance of beams, rafters, &c. have reafon to think that my grand- children will not find fault with it. In an out-houfe roofed at the fame time with elm, there are mani- fcft figns of the worm already, which will in the end deftroy it. But let it not be underftood, that I recommend the ufe of abele under any covering but thatch, which if not fuffered to gully into holes will always prote6t it from wet, on which alone the durability of the timber depends 5 the drippings from a broken tile, flate, &c. caufe it foon to, periflif Thefe trees are often fubjedt to warty excref- cences, which, when large, imbibe moifture, ancj bring on decay. Whilft the plants are young, they do little injury, yet it is advifeable to root up fuch at are much disfigured with them, to give room to thdfe which are Healthy. I have fome of the true Abele or Populus Alba, which are now forty feet long in the fhaft^ and fix feet four inches in circum- ference at five feet from the ground -, their exaft age I do not know, but. their contents exceed two tons of timber each, and I judge them to be fifty years old. The r 25 3 The fpecies your correfpondcnt mentions, (as received under the denomination of the Dutch Beech) furpaflcs them in quickncfs of growth. But I much fufpeft that his trees are very branchy. ■ AlDer, As patten-makers' timber merits little regard, but being the moll beautiful of the whole aquatic tribe, is extremely ornamental, along the banks of Terpentine rivulets, or planted as fingle trees in fpringy gravels, or peaty bogs, where little ellc will grow. Placed in a border round abeles, the latter run above them, and form a pleafing contraft. From the authority of great maflers in their way^ Miller, Mortimer, &c. I was induced to plant a waggon-load of truncheons, in the year 1764, in fituations above defcribed. I was flattered the next fummer with every profpe6t of fuccefs, their fhoots being flrong and grofs, but lo 1 the year following, one and all perifhed, not having ftruck a fingle root. Being fatisfied that this could not be owing to a defeat in the foil, I replanted the fame in 1766, with fmall-rooted flips taken from old dubs, few of which failed ; moft of them have been cut twice for brufh-wood, poles, &c. and of thofe planted fingle, one has formed a conical top of great beauty, and [ 26 ] * and its bole is three feet feven inches in circumfe- rence, midway between the branches and the ground. Mr. Miller recommends this timber as excellent in water- works, but I can fay nothing of its merits myfelf, having never tried it. When charred it makes the beft coal for gunpowder. Ash. The growth of afh in foils adapted to its nature, is litde inferior to that of elm or beech,* But there is no timber whatfoever that differs more in its va- lue than this does, according to its fituation. . The produ6tions of dry and healthy ground (unim^ paired by the farmer's bill-hook) will prove accept- »ye to mod purchafers. Thofe of woods are ge- nerally clean in the fhafr, free-cleft;, and more valu« able than the former. The nearer the ground, the tougher is the timber, the fhaft therefore is co- veted, the britde branch rejedled.f If thefe treiss are removed when ten or twelve feet high, their grain acquires a degree of tenacity ♦ Vide p. 44^, Society's Mem. vol. 5. I The buyers of this timber accept the (haft and its continua- tion, or beil bough 4 th? re lt> be th^v ever fp l^ge, go with the top, very I '*7 1 very prejudicial to the timber. My predeceflbr, about the year 1750, planted a row of them in x place iince converted into a garden. Their Ihafts were apparently fo clean, as to engage a cooper's notice, who purchafed them at a good price, viz. 36s. per ton, but told me afterwards, they were clung, and did not anfwer his purpofe,* fo he re- fold thejn to a country carpenter at a lofs. One of thefe trees, which was left (landing, meafures now four feet eight inches in circumference at four 'itti from the ground. Afh timber, when raifed in damp meadows, or moorifh foils, becomes light, fpongy, brittle, and of fmall value, in comparifon of that on dry and healthy fpots. In meadows, they will attain a fize f which cannot be expedled in moors and bogs ; for when the roots reach the peat, the bark grows moffy, and the top decays \ how long ftubs may be produdlive of poles, in fuch fituations, remains ♦ i. c. They vvould not cleave into hoops. Clung — a provin- cial term, fignifying that the grain adheres too clofely to fepa- ratc freely. + Anafliin my mill mead, which in 1760 contained 34 feet j|f ^mbcr, being appareutly at a ftand, was felled laft fpring, and then raeafured 60 feet, if not ftarve them. When the former overhangs the latter, that afTu redly dwindles, becomes dead topped, and worthlefs* Fik. Though I do not think the Scotch Fir in thk country can ever equal the Yellow Deal from the Baltick, yet it may be worth propagating, as of ufeful purpofe in ordinary btiildings. The dryer the ground ori which this timber grows,- the (lower is its progrefs, but the clpfer are its pores, and the more fuperior its quality.* When planted in rich land, thefe trees will fhoot three or four feet in a feafon, and equal, if not furpafs the abele in growtfi. My plantations, though chiefly confined to chalky banks, in a north-weft expofure, evince, that when once rooted, few obftacles will prevent a profitable progrefs. From obferving the miftakes of others in endeavouring to ornament their naked downs too fuddenly, I learnt the necefTity of planting firs, when a foot high only, and by opening the ground fome time before, inverting the turf at the bottom of the holes, and throwing the mould upon it in hillocks, * I fliould imagine, that the firs planted by Mr. Allen, near Claverton Down, will prove very fine timber hereafter. to r 33 J to meliorate, my plantaiion fucceeded well ; for though the foil is fcarcely^ fix inches deep^, the firs, fct in 1766, are now thirty ^eet high, and from twor feet fix inches to two feet in circumference, at four feet from the ground -, fome few planted at. the fame time, in a deeper foil, and warmer fituation, are now above three feet round. Spruce firs planted in 1766, likewife in a toler- able good foil, are now forty feet high, and fi-om two feet ten inches and a half to three feet round. I have feen plantations which far furpafs either of thefe in growth, but they occupied ground infi- nitely more valuable. Yours, &CC, T. SOUTH. Letter IV. Defcription of Fyfields Oak, now ftanding in a Wood near Romfey in the County of Southampton. Sir, THIS tree, in 1788, was ten feet eleven incheij and is now nearly eleven feet one inch in cir- cumference, at fix feet from the ground. Vol. VI. D It [ 34 1 fctt inc. It IS in height to the firft live branch 21 6 From thence upwards, to where the bole feflens fuddehly, is at lead an equal diftance, 21 i Thus far it diminifhes gradually, like the rtialliv^ fliaft of a Doric column. The (Continuation of the bole extends near 1 2 feet farther ; and by comparing it with a tree at hand, it appeared to be 5 feet in circumference, and at the height of 50 feet from the grpund - - - 120 Length of the bole - - 55 o or more. '^Tnc very top branches are timber, the tree ap- pears to be in a growing ftate, and though tradition fays it is 150 years of age, its yearly increafe is little (if any 'thing) lefs than an inch, and the beft judges allow 4t to contain twelve loads of timber at leaft. N -^Fl-om thefe given premifes, I will endeavour to lay down a fketch of its progrefs during the latter half of its exiftence, in order to demonftrate that oak-timber will pay its pofleflbr/good intereft for landing till it arrives at maturity. But in fo doiiig, I mud deviate from the true form of the uppei* branches, (becaufe it would be difficult to calculate their I 3S I their real progrefs, without meafuring them) and imagine the head to be divided into four equal onts > for the purpofcs of proving, in the firft place, the impoflibility of their being timber at the outfet of the calculation, and in the fecond, that they will continue to bear their propoition to the increafc of the fhafc -, which I fhall attempt in a manner fa plain and fimple as to be intelligible to the conv mon farmer. It will be allowed, I prefume, that an oak, in a good foil and fituation, may, at 75 years from the acorn, have acquired 40 feet length of fhaft, being 14 inches girt at the bafe,* 12 in the middle, and 10 inches at the top. Suppofe this terminating in four equal branches, then it is manifeft, that none of thefe branches can be meafurable timber at this time jf for their aggregate contents at the bafe can- not exceed the fimple content of the top of the Ihaft, which is under 1 2 inches girt. The meafure of fuch an oak will be a ton, and its value, as being under naval fize, three pounds at thcnooft. ♦ What is called the girt of timber, is one-fourth part of it» circ\imference. t Oak timber is meafurable »s far as it hold* fix inches girt, and sk9 farther. D a Then, [ 36 ] Thtn> in a moderate way of growth, it will in-' creafe one inch in circumference, being one quarter of an inch girt yearly ; and as it is found by expe- riment, that a fhaft of elm, thirty feet long, ex- tends itfelf ten inches in four years, we may at leall allow an inch a year for fuch extenfion in a fhaft of oak of forty feet. It follows then, that at the. end of twelve yeairs, when eighty-feven years of age, the fhaft will be a foot longer, and having in- creafed in girt three inches, it will meafure forty feet in length by fifteen inches girt, equal to fixty- four feet nine parts, the content whereof will be one ton, twenty- four feet, nine parts. As the fhaft is DOW increafed to more than twelve inches fquare at the top, the four branches will begin to be mea- furable at the bafe, ' 'Inihe next twelve years, at 99 years of age, pro- ceeding at the fame rate, it will have acquired another foot additional length of fhaft, and three inches increafed girt ; and will meafure as follows, 'viz. 42 feet by 18 inches girt, (equal to 94 feet 6 inches) the content whereof is 2 tons, 14 feet, 6 in. and the four branches will be meafurable timber to the length of two feet each, and their contents, if feveri inches and a half girt, will be 2 tons, 17 ;feet, 7 inches. In C 37 3 '/ In the next twelve years,' (af^i^ii' years of age) a third foot is added to the length of tiie fhaft, and it becomes 2 1 inches girt ; its contents then will be >j tons, iirfeet, 8 inches, and the four branches mdi become meafgrable, four feet in length, and girt nine inches, confequently will contain 3 tons> ao feet, 8 inches. /ft I- • The next twelve years, (when 1^3 years of age) by acquiring another foot of fhalft, with a girt in* crealed to 24 inches, it will contain 4 tons, 16 feet, and the four branches will be meafurable, fix feet in length, at 10 inches girt, containing 16 f. 8 in, making in all 4 tons, 32 feet, 8 inches. We will now allbw 13 years for a like addition to the length and girt of the fliaft, which (at 136 years of age) will then be 45 feet by 27 inches, equal to 5 tons, 27 feet, 9 inches ^ the four branches will be meafurable nine feet in length, and girt 1 1 inches, equal to 30 feet, 4 inches s together will containing 6 tons, 1 8 feet, i inch, Laftly, we will take 14 years to fupply kn ad- ditional foot to the length, and three additional in- ches to the girt of the fhaft ;• which will then be 46 feet long by 30 inches girt, equal to feven tons, D 3 fcven I 38 ] fcvcn feet, and the four branches will become mea- furable, 12 feet in length, ^d girt 12 inches, equal to I ton, 8 inches ; and the whole contents (at i^o years of age) will be equal to 8 ton$ 1 5 feet, round meafure, viz, 12 loads of fquare timber, value 48/. to 50/*. The growth of this capital flick, being thus (raced without exaggeration, it rnay ferve to fhew the manifeft difadvantage icrf" cutting young trees in foils which will bring them to maturity.—* Jts firft 75 years were fpent in acquiring a fin- gle ton; whereas, the laft 75 years produced above (even times as much in quantity, befides the increafe of value as naval timber j which taken together will pay its proprietor compound intereft fkt 3/, i5i. per cent, for the latter period 5 and who can lay out money to fo great advantage, confider- ing the fluctuation of the flocks in the firfl place, (lucky hits only excepted) and the irregularity of the payments of interefl, and the inflability of pri- vate fecurities? • A ton of round was always reckoned equal to a toad and a quarter of fquare timber, but the hewers now nijuiage their bufinefs fo dexteroufly, as to bring it equal to a load and half. Thus the furveyors of Dean Forelt ellimate i4.,4oo tons, girt meafure, to amount to 21,600 loads, fquare meafure, and value it at 4-1. per k»d. Vide Commiflionert' third Report, By f » I By Smart's Tables it appears, Tlut the «mount of il. in 75 yij. at 4 p. ocnt, comjpound intweft, £.Decimalpts. iff - - =i8,94-5*>S466 A^xliafametime at 3^p.ct. =13,1985,5083 Mrbtch added together, ;^id divided by * :>4jiiotc« - «) 31,1438,0504. The amount of 1 1. for75l /• ,^ ^^^ «*,. years at 3I. Ms. per ct. j iC.i6,07i9,o.5x Which multiplied by 3 The value of the tree it the commencement ? — — C the amount of 3I. in 75 ys. «f the term> produces J ,C'48,«iS7,0756 \ at 3I. 15s. compd. intereft ?>.". ■'■■ . ,; • ■ Mr. Marfham, for whofe opinion I have a great veneration, obferves, tliat trees which increafe one inch and a half per annum in circumference, during the firft century, do not. gain fo much in circum* fercnce in the fecond. Though I allow this to b^ the cafe, it will appear, that they increafe more ia their folid contents notwithftanding. In proof whereof, //. in. XaUe the difference l)etween 131 8 the contents of the ihaft in its hundredth year, and - - 94 6 its contents in preceding period, anddlvideitbytheNo.ofysia)37 2(quotes 3f. i inch for its an- nual increafe, — 3 « between the 87th and the 100th year of its growth. Then take the dirtcrencc between - 487 o the contents of the fliaft in its J 50th year, and - - - 2*7 9 its contents in the oeriod im- — mediately preceaing, 'and divide by the No. ofyi, 14) 59 3(4 f. aj inches, 33 J D 4 Shews, [ 40 ] Shews, that notwithftandi-ng its annual, J-ncreafe in circumference was diminifhcd, yec the annual in- creafe of its folid Contents^ wa§ greater by one foot one inch and i -third, from the '135th to the 150th year of its growth, than it was between the 87 th and the looth year, befides the increafed ineafure of its limbs not taken into confidcration. Were an accurate regifter to be kept of the gro>Vth of oaks for 150 years together, (as ^n in- genious correfpondent has wifbed) we fhould then be at a certainty rerpe6littgit 5 and not depend upon Gonjefture, as in the prefent inftancej but in Which there being no intention to deceive, and the inferences being fairly drawn from known cir- cumftances, the conclufion cannot deviate widely from the truth. ^^ As the obviating pbjedlions is preferable to the anfwering them, and the increafe of the branches may, to perfons little converfant in timber, appear in |his calculation far too great j. I think it neceflary to explain the principles on -which I proceeded. It is evident, that the contents of the limbs, be their number more or lefs, amount in the whole to the quantity of timber the fhaft would have contained^ contained, had it extended itfelf upwards to the length the branches are ^meafurable. r The foifi* imaginary ones tliat I have adopted, therefore, may be confidered as a continuation of tK^^lhaft to^e extent of. 112 feet. Then, ' ^ ' ^^^' -'- As'ihe tK^df thelfeaft Ifi Ss ^^ y?ar^a^ ^qu^ td lo fe^t girt ; in its* 95)th year, by the addition of one- fourth of ah inch yearly, it will girt 16 inches in that place ; lefiening in id advances to- wards the top, which is fuppofed to have gained two feet; this at 15 inches girt is cq^ial to three feet one inch. ioIn?its II ith year, the fame part of die fhafc will be 1 9 inches girt j and four feet the fuppofed length of additional timber will be equal to nine feet, as the mid-girt will be l8 inches only. In the next period, the girt at theT^e place will be 22 inches. This, if continued fix feet, at 20 inches only in the girting-place, is equal to 1 6 feet eight inches. To proceed : the old top of the Ihaft now takes 13 years to increafe to 25 inches, and its advanced length [ 4^ ] kngth 9 fec^* will, at 2% ^ inches girt, be equal tp 30 feet 4 inches i and Laftly, the faid top increafes to 28 inches girt, and the additional length of timber, being la feet at 24 inches girt, equal to one ton eight feet, fet down as the meafure of the branches j which, it may be obferved, are here ilippofed to lengthen more t^an in proportion to a foot in a period, though the Ihaftwas confined to that extent -, as in fad branches when they become timber, always do. For being of great length, before they attain meafurable fub- fiance j upon their increafe in bulk, the menfuration extends as rapidly at leafl, as the progrefs here af- ligned to it; viz, from two to three [feet in 12 or 14 years. Thus large branches in oak, contribute greatly to the increafe and value of the timber, as is evident by that of Langley- Wood. In the manor of Dibden, belonging to Lord MalmA)ury, on the eaftern bounds of the New Foreft, are fome capital oaks s one in particular is larger than Fyfields at equal diftance from the ground, but inferior to it in height and folid con- tents. This is II feet eight inches round; at fix feet the fhaft is ftraight, and exceeds 30 feet in length; C 43 ] length ; it has four or five large branches, and may contain about eight loads of timber, A lower limb or two has been mutilated, yet the tree is at pre- fcnt found, but feems nearly at its bed. The three inftances of well-grown oaks before ftatcd are enough to Ihew the advantage accruing to their owners, and the community in general, by refraining from cutting trees whilft thriving. Thofe who would feek for more, and are within reafonable diftance, I would refer to Longleat; where there are many objefls of this kind, of fuf- ficient grandeur to excite their emulation. May the noble pofleflbr long enjoy the pleafure of fetting fuch an example of forbearance ; and may his Lordfhip leave it in charge with his dcfcendants, to watch over the oaks he has brought to fuch perfec- tion, and convert them to naval purpofes on the firft apparent indication of decay ; by no means fuffering fuch valuable productions to moulder away in burly deformity, millennial monuments of their owner's folly, from generation to generation hereafter I Of fuch, there are too many at this time ex- tant i the Cawthorp Oak, though a magnificent ruin, with the Grc^ndale Oak delineated in Hun- ter's edition of Evelyn's Sylva, and Bull-oaks, in various t 44 ] various places, are of this number. The latter arc thus denominated, from the no uncommon circiim- ftance of bulls taking ftielter within them, which thefe animals effed:, not by going in and turning round, but by retreating backwards into the cavity till the head only projeds at the aperture. Th^ one 1 am about to particularize ftands in the middle of ^ pafture, bears the moft venerable marks of anti- it at a times a calf being Ihut up there for convenience, its dam, a two-year-old heifer, con- stantly went in to fuckle it, and. left fufEcient room for milking her. It is fuppofed to be near a thou- fand years old ; the body is nothing but a Ihell, covered with burly protuberances j* theupperpart of the fhaft is hollow like a chimney, it has been mutilated of all its limbs, but from their Humps ^ife a number of fmall branches, forming a brufhy. bead, fo remarkable for fertility, that in years of plenty it has produced two facks of acorns in ^ * It meafures in the iniddle round thefe burls a 9 fe§t 3 inches, round the ftumps of the old arms 31 feet 6 inches in the ihialleft part j between two and three feet from the ground it, is *6 lectin circumference. feafon. [ 45 ] feftfon. Thcfe particulars, extraordinary as they may fecnn, J had from the farmer's own mouth, whofe father and himfelf have occupied the land for very many years, and from appearances I think they may be credited. About twenty years ago, I had the curiofity to mcafure this tree ; its head was as green and vigorous laft fummer as it was at that times und though hollow as a tub, it has increafed in its mcafure fome inches. Upon the whole, this bears every mark of having been a fliort ftemmed branchy tree, of the firfl magnitude, fpreading its arms in all directions round it. In memory of the prefent tenant, the laft remaining branch, one of the fmalleft, was found, extended forty feet from the trunk, and was cut off in his father's time for re- pairs upon the farm. The aperture- is a fmall ill-formed Gothic arch; hewed out, or enlarged with an ax, and the bark now curls over the wound — a fure fign that it conti- nues growing; and hence it is evident, that the hollow oaks of enormous fize, recorded by anti^ quaries, did not obtain fich bulk whilft found, for the fheil increafes when the fubftance is no more. The'blea, and the inner bark, receive annual tri- butes of nutritious particles from the fap in its pro- grcfe to the leaves, and from thence acquire a power [ 46 1 power of rxtending the outer-bark, and increafing its circumference flowly. Thus a tree, which at 300 years old was found, and fix feet dianmeter, like the Langley Oak, would, if left to perifh gradually. In its thoufandth year become a ihell of ten feet diameter ; and hence it is natural to conclude, (as appearances juftify it) that this tree, when in per- fedion, was nearly, if not quite, equal to that ama- zing one which belonged to the bifhop of Salif- bury. How Ihameful, to let nature have pro- duced an oal<^ like this in vain ! I am, &c. &:c. Bojington. T. SOUTH^ Dimenfwns of the Bull Oaky in TVedgenock-.Park, Warwickjhire,^ I yard from the ground - - 1 1 i o I foot above the ground - - 13 i o 6 feet from the ground - - 1 2 i o Broadeft fide - * - 7 o C Clofe to the ground - - - 1 8 i 7 Height of the trunk, about - 410 The infide is quite decayed ; and when I faw it, a cow and a fheep had Iheltered themfelves within it. The head is very round and flourilhing. T. O. * Gent. Mag. Sept, 1783. Letter t 47 1 Letter V* „ . . ^in EJJay on the Growth of Ot^Sy'Md on the Prd* duSfion of Crooked Timber for Naval Purpofes.J '* Let India boaft her plants, nor envy we ** The weeping amber and the balmy tree, •« While by our Oaks the precious loads are bon1« >< And realms commanded which thofe trees adorn/* Sir, PROVIDENCE with infinite wifdom hath or- dained, that every country fliould abound m productions the molt uleful or falutary to its inha- bitanci* • Among the amufements which the country affords, I know none more delightful in itielf, and beneficial to tl\e publick, tllan that of Planting. I could mention a nobleman, whofe fortune has placed lum in fevei-al parts of England, and who has always left thefe vi- able marks behind him, which Ihew he has been there ; he never hired a houfe in his life, without leaving, all about it, the feeds of wealth, and bellowing legacies on the poilerity of the owner. Had all the gentlemen of England made the fame improvements upon their eftates, the whole country would have been at tliis time as one great garden. Nor ought fuch an employment to be looked upon as too inglorious for men of the higheft rank. There have been heroes in this art, as well as in others. ' We are told in parftiT cular, of Cyfus the Great, that he planted all the Leffer Afia, There is indeed fomething truly magnificent in this kind of amufe- tne&t: • WUUam Dake of Cumberland, Bagfliot Heatlu £ 48 ] bitants. This fea-girt ifland depends upon oaks for its commerce and protedtion. Thefe are found therefore in a variety of foils, in lands both itifF and light, both wet and dry but attain their fuUeft mag- nitude ment : it gives a nobler air to feveral parts of nature ; it fills the earth with a variety of beautiful fcenes, and has fomething in it like creation. For this reafon, the pleafure of one who plants is Ibmething like that of a poet, who, as Arillotle obferves, is more ^delighted with his produ6lions, than any other writer or artift "whatfoever. Plantations have one advantage in them, which is not to be found in moft other works, as they give a pleafure of a more laft- ing date, and commonly improve in the eye of the planter. When you ^ave finiftied a building, or any other undertaking of the like nature, it immediately decays upon your hands ; you fee it brought to the utmoll point of pcxfc£lloii, dud fium that time baftemng to its ruin. On the contrary, when you have finiflied your planta- £ons,they are ftill arriving at greater degrees of perfe61:ion as long as you live, and appear more beautiful in every fucceeding year tliaa they did in the foregoing. But I do not only recommend this art to men of eftates as a plea- ■fmg amufement, but as it is a kind of virtuous employment, and may therefore be inculcated by moral motives j particularly from the love which we ought to have for our country, and the regard which we ought to bear to our pofterity. As to the fii-ft, I need only mention, what is frequently obferved by others, that the in- creafe of forefl trees does by no means beai* a proportion to the -deftruftion of them, in fo much that, in a few ages" the nation xnay be at a lofs to fupply itfelf with timber fufficient for the fleets' of England. SpeSatQr, No. 583—20//; Augitft^ 1714. ^ The writer little thought, that in lefs tlian one age, his prc- diflion would come to pais. I 49 3 nltude in rich black earth, in (Irong nnoift loams, anct in fandy loams, or iands, with a ftraturh of clay beneath. Their tap-roots require fome depth to ftrike in, their growth is quickeft where the ground IS free,* but in ftubborn clay is very flow till their roots have penetrated far -, then they begin to thrive and produce the toughed and mod lading tinaber* A famous indance of longevity, durability, and the amazing bulk they will attain in foils which fuit them, has been particularized in the Lang- ley Oak. t A living and unexampled proof of the rapi- dity of their growth, when aflided by culture, may be feen at Stratton in Norfolk ; where an Oak, planted by Mr. Marfliam in lyao, is now above eight feet round at fourteen feet from the ground; but this had the advantage of manure, tillage, and ♦ Kennedy, in his treatife on planting moors and commons, fays, (vol. I. p. 117) ** That in black moorifti-land, where long heath '* grows, oaks thrive fafter, and make finer (hoots, than in any <* other foil/* What pity then it is but Jdl fuch moor's were planted ! I have feen oaks of large fize protrude themfelves from fiflures of rocks, where no foil appeared. To clothe the naked crag with timber, merits our warmeft praife. f This tree was perfeftly found at 300 years old. Vol. VI. E other [ 50 3 Other judicious treatment, to which its hafty pro- grefs may be attributed, and to which few planters can or will attend. The growth of middle-aged oak is generally from one inch i -third, to an inch in circumference yearly ; between its twentieth and its hundredth year, it fometimes exceeds this meafure ; and in its fecond century falls within it. But as the folidity of the Ihaft confifts lefs in its length, than in the fquare of its diameter in the girting place, a fmall addi- tion to the diameter there enlarges the fquare abun* dantly. Wherefore, though the circumference from the hundredth to the hundred and fiftieth year, may not increafe fo fail as it did to the hundredth, the folid contents will be increafing fafterj for as the fquare of the diameter* 40= 1600 exceeds the fquare of 24= 576 f, fo will the contents in the 150th year exceed the contents in the looth, when its annual enlargement was i-8th of an inch greater. * Forty inches was the diameter of Fyfields Oak, in its i5otli year _ , - 40 1600= Its fquare. t Twenty .four inches diameter of the fame in its 1 00th year, 24 X24 576 s= Its fquare, , ' Under t il] Under the defcriptioa of Fyfields Oak> I h^ve endeavoured to prove, that this timber, though not fo quick of growth at firfl; as the fofter woods, will pay ample intereft to fuch proprietors as give it time to come to maturity. For oaks in the end will exceed in rhagnitude fuch trees as outgrew them in their infancy ; the period of the growth of the latter being over^ before the oak begins to extend its timber through its limbs, it is then that it increafes rapidly j it is then that it pays for Hand- ing i it is then that it makes amends for flow ad« vances in the early ftages of its progrefs; producing more timber in the laft twenty years, than it did in the whole firft century ; and (quite the reverfe of elm) the larger and more crooked the limbs are, (however fhort the bole) the mor€ valuable is the timber. *Tall ftraigbt oaks, when of full fize, are beautiful objefts, whether fingle or in woods. They are re- quifite for beams, for kelfons, ftern-pofls and plank- ftocks ; and great is the confumption of the latter . for fhips are planked both within and without with oak, fave beneath the light water-line, where beech performs that office. The growth of oaks like thefe is the chief aim of the generality of planters i and feems to have been the immediate defign of the E a furveyors [ J^ ] furveyors of Dean Foreft. Should their plan he adopted,* the trees will draw one another up fo fad, that fcarce a crooked one will be found in i8 thoufand acres, fave round the out-lkirts ; and the foil will be full of ftubs, which, as oak robs oak, muft check the growth of the furviving timber. Planters of all kinds (as before obferved) fliould attend to the ufes to which their timber may be ap- propriated. Inclofures made at Government's ex- pence, therefore, fhould be nurferies for timber adapted to government purpofes. The marine, be- ing the firft and principal obje6l, fhould in the firfl: place be provided for. Trees difperfed on open commons and extenfive waftes, have hitherto pro- duced the choiceft timber ; and though the returns of the forefts have of. late years, through mif- * They propofe to tumTods upfide down, at three feet apart, to plant one or two acorns in each fod with a dibber, taking out at the end of ten years every other tree j at the end of fifteen years every other tree again, to leave them at twelve feet apart ; ^" at twenty-fivc years growth, to fell 132 trees on an acre j at thirtj'-five years growth, to leave the trees at twenty feet apart} and at forty- five years to leave 7 5 upon an acre, &c. &c. '^ This is evidently a miftake j for to fet them at twelve feet dif- tance from each other, feven out of eight muft be cut down. The whole indeed is incomprehenfible, for after fetting the trees at iz feet apart, it would require a conjuror to fet them at 20 feet, management. I S3 1 management, been very fcant/i* yet they have confifled of fuch valuable knees and crooks as the merchants would have found it difficult to have furnifhed. And if no provifion be made for grow- ing fuch in future, we, like the French,f fhall be reduced to the necelTity of ufing iron-braces in- ftead of timber-knees.J In the prefent fcarcity of thefe valuable articles, it is not only the bufinefs of the furveyors, but the duty of every member of the community, who is bled with the means, to try at their produdion. The French have attempted it by fufpending weights to the heads of (lender fap- lings, bowing them haftily towards the ground, which is not only an expenfive, but inefficacious method, for it injures the plant by draining the bark and rupturing the fap-veflfels. Let us take nature for our guide, ftudy her means, and imitate her ways, • Two thoufand loads yearly on an average of the lafl 20 years. The confumption of the docks is 25,000 loads. f Vide Falconer's IVlarine Dictionary — article Knee. X The contraftors for India (hips have been already neceflltated to ufe iron braces, through the fcarcity of large knees, and in tr> - ding (hips they are found convenient, as leaving more room for tu freight ; but in a man of war, the folidity of the timber knees adds greatly to the ftrength and (lability of her fides, enabling them to refill the batteries of the enemy for longer continuance, and pre- ferving the men in great raeafure from the defhuftivQ power o , fpUntcrs. E 3 Whoever [ 54 ] Whoever traverfes a foreft, with the eye of cu- riofity awake, muft remark, that almoft every thorn becomes a nurfe for timber. Acorns, or beech- mafts, or fometimes both, dropped by birds or fquirrels, vegetate freely ttnder the fhade and pro- te(fbion of the bnfhes, till they rife above the bite of cattle. Small groupes and fingle trees are thus produced ; their guardian thorns when overpowered perifh. Then, having open fpace for their roots to range in, their growth becomes rapid, their bodies bulky, their limbs large and extenfive j cattle refort to them for Ihelter, enrich the ground with their droppings, the timber derives advantage from the manure, becomes produ6tive of knees, crooks, and compafs pieces, the chief requifites in naval archi- tedure. Vide No. I. If lords of manors, and men of landed property, would purfue the hint which nature here throws out, and employ the aged and infirm, to colledt and dib among the thorns (with which the wailes, furzy commons, and aukward corners of their eflates abound) fuch tree-feeds as thd foil is bed adapted to ; how foon would the face of the country be improved ! What varieties of flourifhing trees would in a few years prefent themfelves ! What provifion made for pofterity hereafter ! Parks Plate I / [ 5S I Parks and pleafure-grounds might be rendered enchantingly beautiful, by clumps of quickfets, black-thorns, hollies, &c. interfperfed here and there for the proteftion of acorns,* purpofed to be fown among them. Under their umbrage, oak- faplings, which delight in Ihade, would thrive ex- ceedingly i be fafe from the brouze of cattle, with- out the expence of fencing, and the lawns become, bounded with (lately timber, not only a lading but improving ornament to future generations. Why fhould we truft to chance to fow our woods? What would be the expence of a bufhel or two of acorns' fet by hand a year before each cutting ? when a man might pafs between the flubs, planting them in vacant places at ten or a dozen fleps apart j at fuch diftances they would have room to grow with- out annoying the underwood, till their own value made amends for its deficiency. Clofe planting I profefs rnyfelfno friend toj oaks drawn up like hop-poles, excite my indignation 5 * Some years acorns are fcarce and difHcult to be got, but as fuch years of fcarcity generally Tucceed to years of plenty, num- bers of fecdling oaks may be drawn from wheat-ftubbles in the neighbourhood of woods, which if taken up careful and planted ^he fame day, will grow readily and gain a year. E 4 for [ 56 ] for it is with planters as with gardeners, the one thins not his trees, nor the other his fruit, till the mifchief has been donej we fuffer them to remain and impair each other, before we have refolution to difplace themj and at laft perform the bufinefs ill or fparingly ;* not reflecfting, that one prime oak, or one prime beech, is worth a fcore of ftarvelings. yjde Mr. Nichols's Accoynt of ^ Plantation ii\ New Foreft. » In plantations thus begun, however divefled of incumbrances in • the advanced ftages of their * I remember a circular thicket of oaks on an eminence, which had at a dillance the raoft pleafmg effeft, afTuming the appearance of one immenfe round head, reaching almoll to the ground. On a ijearer approach, the ftems of the clulter became vifible, but flood fo thick, that like the famous Indian Fig, they feemed to form a congeries uniting in one trunk. When amongft them, however, they were from 4 to 6 feet apart, drawn up to the height of 50 feet or more, but fo ilender as not to exceed 6 inches diameter in the middle of their fliafts. They were great favourites of their owner, who fet the acorns whilft a boy under the dire^ljon of his father, in whole time they had been thinned twice, and once by himfelf afterwards j on my lamenting that they had fo little fpace alloted them, he acknowledged more room would have been better, and \^ a few years after thinned them rafhly, taking away two-thirds at once, which he fold for 7s. a piece, leaving the beft, as he thought, to improve. But thefe, divefted of their fupporters, bent like reeds before the wind, and after every fudden guft, reverberating forcibly, clafhed their branches one againft the other till dafhed to pieces, thofe in the outer ring alone efcaping. This hopeful grove of plants ^hus periflied at h^lf growth for want of early thinning. growth, i^ H 7)y ^ \ .-. •\. -.W [ i7 ] growth, few if any knees or naval crooks will be found, except upon their borders -, we mud look for thefe either in fingle trees, like No. I. in fnnall groupes or in hedge-rows. In groiipes, one or other often gains the maftery, as reprefented in No. II. or HI. and forces the reft to bend forv/ard till they have room for afcent. Trees, when few in num- ber, enjoy a liberty nearly equal to fingle ones; each has a fpace where its roots may draw nu- trition; and as thefe and the branches ufually follow the fame direflion, the leading roots of the infe- rior trees will tend outwards, and finding nothing to obftrufl their paflage, will furnilh fupply fufficient to keep them thriving, notwithftanding the fupe^ riority of their antagonifts. In this age, when our (lock of timber is fo very low, and our impatience fuch, that we cannot wait till the fmall quantity that is left attains maturity, we muft not expedl: to find many capital crooks in branches like thofe of the Langley Oak, but muft produce them in the ftem or bole of the tree ;* which can only be done by a regular and conftant • Deformity in a tree, like the fame defeft in the human body, deviates from the line of beauty, but national intereft requires it to be promoted, that we may not, like our neighbours, be compelled to fubftitute iron braces iii the room of knees and crooks. oppreflion ; [ 58. 3 oppreflion; the efted whereof may be feen in figures No. IL and III. and in hedge-rows where the timber (lands thick, as No. IV. reprefents. The centre flick of the three, growing behind the others, and not finding room to fpend its fap by rifing betwixt their tops, made its way out to the fun and air, as appears in the draught annexed, fprming a capital knee and valuable crook above it. In thefe inllances we find a plain and ufeful leflbn, viz. that trees, impelled to a certain diredion whilil young, will continue growing in the fame di- redion as long as they exifl. Their natural ten- dency is doubtlefs towards a perpendicular; but if conftrained to change this difpofition early, they will proceed horizontally till they have room to afcend freely ; and though they then immediately rife upwards, the curve they have taken^ will in great meafure be preferved, even when the op- prefibrs which caufed it are no more. Hence it is manifeft, that any quick-growing trees of fmall value, may be ufed as inftruments for forcing feed- ling, oaks out of their upright line. Cuttings o£ coppice withy* will, by the freedom of their growth, * It may be obferved, that I no where recommend the beech as a companion to the oak. It is in fa^. too mighty for it. When one Hands near the other, the tree of the firft confequence yields to the quicker growth of its rival, and comes to little. (as fi .o:'!o5P >S;^' =5 >. [ 59 ] .(as reprefented No. V.) overpower the fapHngs^ bearing them down almoft to the ground for a tioie, and the purpofe being efFe<51:ed, may for relief of the oaks be cut down as oftea as requifite, till, as they gain power, the withies in their turn give way. Plants like thefe, which extradt nutrition of a dif- ferent nature, though they promote a crook, will not ftarve or check the oaks beneath them. Trees growing out of a bank frequently take a favourable turn like No. VI. Suqli are accepted by the king's purveyors as compafs pieces, which gain admifTion into the dock-yards, though of lefs dimenfions, and at a higher price than ftraighter timber. It may be proper therefore, in new in- clofures, to throw up the banks high and broad, to plant quickfets on the outer flope, on the top withies, and at due diftances near the bafe of the inner flope to dib in acorns ; which in their fu- ture growth muft incline forwards to avoid the pro- jedling withies, and be fome y^ars before they can attempt a perpendicular. In fuch cafe the crook will be near the butt in the ftouteft part of the timber, and the curve, thus formed in infancy, will retain its fhape as long as the tree endures. Having now fhewn the means by which naval- crooks may be obtained at an eafy expencci I pro- ceed [ 60 3 cced to recommend the growth of oaks, in pre-, ferencc to other timber, to every one who is pof- fefied of foils fuited to their prodiidlion. Thofc who have waftes and furze-grounds thinly fcattered with trees, and of fmall prefent value, may, by attention to the hints here given, render them not only of great confequence to themfelves and fa- milies, but highly beneficial to the ftate. All who with generous views, in this the time of fcarcenefs, warmly apply themfelves to raifing oaks for publick good, giving up prefent advantages for their defcendants' future gain, defcrve a civick crown. In fuch attempts, let every liberal mind enjoy its own ideas ; fome following one, and fome another way. Then, whether we try faplings from the nurfery, for open groves ; fow acorns mixed with nuts for coppices, or fet them among buflies, it fignifies little, fo we do but plant, proted them from the bite of cattle, and thin them often, that they may not croud and fpoil each other. Defects of which inftances have been given, that the like in future may be avoided. I acknowledge to have thought with Mr. Mil- ler, that oaks for timber fhould be raifed from acorns fown upon the fpot, rather than by tranfplantations j that [61] that method, therefore, has generally been my pradlice. Mr. Marfham now indeed has nearly made a convert of me. That gentleman's fuccefi almoft exceeds belief; but he is blefled with a happy foil, and no one more defcrves fuccefs than he does. For fowing acorns, the Inverted fod of the fur- veyors feems not equal to Mr. Pavicr's method ot preparing the ground by bringing it into good tilth, I would add, dung it well for wheat, throw it up into ridges, fbw hazle-nuts, floes, haws, holly- berries, alhen and maple-keys, broad-cad with the wheat, and dib in acorns at ten or twelve feet dis- tance, along the mid- ridges where the foil is bed. At reaping-time, leave the ftubble long to fhelter the fcedlings, and in the Ipring following, fcatter fome clover feed over the ground j much of it will grow to Ihade and prote6t the oaks when the ftub- ble rots away. Patches of clover or wild vetches meliorate the foil, and promote the progrefs of the feediings rapidly. Thefe, as they advance, may be thinned and trained either to crooks or upright ftems, asbeft fuitsthe planter's purpofe; for oaks, whilft the bark is fmooth and white, may be divefted of their ftraggling flioots without injury, for die wounds not being large will foon heal over, leaving neither blemifh or dead knot behind. For l^or planting, the ground fhould be well trenched^ and the oaks, if drawn from a warm nurfery, muft be fet thick at firfl; but as foon as they appear in a growing ftate,' fhould be thinned every three or four years at fortheft, till fet at twenty or thirty feet apart ; even thefe diftances are fcarce fufficient for naval timber. Such as are taken out may be planted in vacant fpots elfewhere ; and if dug up carefully, there will be little danger of their failing. Agriculture/ the life and foul of every Hate, hath been wifely and liberally encouraged by the Bath Society, under whofe aufpices it haftily ad-^ vances towards perfedion. Planting, whilft it does not interfere too far with their chief objc6l, lays the next claim to favour* Under the like fandion, methinks I already fee our timber fiourifh. Honorary rewards incite the nobleft minds to aftion, emulation of courfe enfues, and that fpirit once abroad, the work is half performed. From the fmall freeholder, little can be expedled fave the ralfing an orchard for his own convenience. It is to the owners 6f extenfive property, that we are to look up for grand improvements. The growth t ^i 1 growth of timber foiefy r^s witli them. 'The prefervation of their own families, the welfare" of the community, nay, the very exiftence of their country, as a maritime ' ffate, depends upon their ipcedy exertions. The devaftation which prevails in our woods, threatens their total deflrudlion.* — Without forbearance, the fmall (lock that is left will prefently be exhaufted. Britifh timber will no longer ride triumphant on the main. The docks muft (land indebted to foreign countries for fdpply. Our fhips will be of fhort duration, and our expences wonderfully enlarged. To conclude : — The exigency of the times fo immediately demands attention, that had I the ma- gick power of perfiiafion to reach the heart of every thoughtlefs land-owner, I would never ceafe ex- claiming, O my countiymen ! my countrymen ! let us no longer yawn in indolence, left a fatal le- thargy cnfue. No longer let us truft to chance, to birds, to fquirrels, to be our planters, but beftir ourfelves/ Let us inftantly refrain from felling half- • If there be not i-5th part of the naval timber that there was 50 years ago now left, and the annual confumption in the dock- yards, be 25,000 loads, exclufive of the (hips built for government in private y?irds, together with the increafing demands for com- merce, Eaft-India (hips as big as men of war, &c. ice. what muft be the confequence ? Unlefs fome check be given to our im- prudence, another twenty years compleats our ruin. grown t 64 ] grown trees ; employ the poor and needy to fcattel* acorns with a liberal hand ; befeech the Almighty of his goodnefs to profper our endeavours ; then we may live to fee our woodlands once more crowned with naval timber, our landfcapes fkirted round with lordly oaks, and our eftates defcending to pofterity, with the fure and glorious profpe6t of enriching and protecting their poffeflbrs 1 I am, &c. &c. BoJJington. T. SOUTH* ADDITINOAL LETTER TO THE SECRETARV. \l'he SubjeB announced in the following Letter y is of Jo inter efting a Nature^ as to befpeak the Attention of Country Gentlemen at large ^ And the JVorkpre-^ faring for the PrefSy hy Jo able a Handy cannot fail of being impatiently expelled by the curious in, Wall'Fruits:\ Sir, BY many of your obliging letters, 1 have been invited to communicate to the Society further accounts of my rural labours than thofe I have already troubled you with. Such have been con- fined within the narrow compafs of twenty acres of meadow> t «5 ] meadow, Ibme fcattered plantations, an acre and a half of garden-ground, and the produ6lion of the? Peach and Ncdtarine. iThe improvement of the former has been amply enlarged upon by abler hands. The culture of the latter Teems to have been either little attended to, or imperfeflly underftood. That trees, with Ikilful management, will produce fruits fuperior in fize, beauty, and flavour, to thofe of the lame fpecies in' an indifi^erent ftate of culture, is a fadb too well known to be controverted. When wc meet with aqueous infipidity, where vinous juices (hould prevail^ our climate is condemned as un- favourable, and the ill confequences of our own mifcondu6l, negligence, or ignorance, are attributed to its want of benignity. Bad foils, and wet fea- Ibns, make indeed great difference in the flavour of their productions ; but the former may be cor- redled, and the latter fo feldom happens in the ex- treme, that nine years out of ten, I truft we can produce both, the peach and neflarine within this kingdom, equal, if not fuperior, in quality to the boafted produce of our neighbours on the continent. I dare not rifk an aflertion fo opppfite to the ge- neral-opinion of my countrymen, (who think they muft travel fouthwards to tafle thefe fruits in per- •V^t, VI. 1 fecliioa) t 66 ] feflion) without producing teftlmonies to my ere* dit. I therefore refer to Sharpe's Letters,* already in * « Whilft I was in England, I never heard the words Northern ** Climate pronounced, but they conreyed to me aii idea of bar- ** rennefs and imperfe6lion. I had always conceived, that vegc- ** tables and garden fruits obtained a flavour in the more Southern «< climes, unknown to the latitude of 52. But to my great fur- «* prize, I do not find that they are equal in tafte and fweetnefs to •* thofe which grow in our gardens, and what is ftill more fur- ** prizing, few of their fruits excel ours ; I believe none, except «* their water melons, their grapes, and their figs. If they have not; '* peaches to be compared to ours, I prefume it is owing to the •* violence of the fummer funs, though poflibly it may arife from ** their ignorance of cultivation in Italy." A certain noble of Ve- ** nice, well known in the polite world for his attachment to the «* fine arts, has procured a (kilful gardener from England, within " thefe few years, in hopes of improving the culture of his gar- " den ; I converfed with this gardener, whom I found under a " ftate of dilcouragement and defpair. He told me he had not ever *< tailed a peach in Italy of a true flavour, and he believed he •* never fhould j for that he was thwarted and obftrufted by the *' other gardeners in his attempts to reform their praftice i that he " had no authority over them, but was confined to his own proper «* department, which he told me would anfwer but very little •* purpofe." ^ Sharpens Letters from Italy ^ dated Naples, Nov, 1765. Peaches in Rio de Janeiro [almoft under the Tropic of Ca- pricorn] are meally and infipid. Cook's Voyage, by Hawkefwortbj a vol, p. 33. [Mr. S. though handled roughly by the writer of the Senti- mental Journey, poflefled a foul congenial to his own. Had that • Periiaps from both caufes, celebrated [ 67 1 in the hands of the publick, and to a private lettef or two inclofed) in confirmation of what is ad*. celebrated author fecn him (a« 1 did) perform the following office of humanity, he would have treated him more tenderly, and for liis virtue's fake, have bUried his foibles in oblivion. ANECDOTE. Mr. Sharpe, when he refided in Surry, ufed frequently to hunt with Mr. Korthey's harriers. I was riding with hinl by the fide of them one day, when a heetUefs fervant galloped in among the pack, kicking one of them to a diltance; the poor animal yelled woefully; Mr. S. flopped immediately, and ordered his groom to examine the hurt j a leg was broke in t^Vo plaon his own great-coat, on the pummel of liis fervant' s fuddle, direi^led hint to walk liis horfe gently with it to Epfom, told him the pofition it fhould be confined in, and that it fhould be fed by hand till a callous was formed, which being readily complied with, (as it was a favourite dog of Mri. Northey's) it foon grew well, and before the hunting-feafon was over, followed the fport with its wonted keennefs. Though fond of the diverfion, and impatient of delay when the hounds were i-unning, I tarried on this occafion, and was eye-wit- nefs to the fcene, which I think preponderates in the fcale of hu^ manity, before eitlier of thofe famous ones of the Monk and his fnuff-box, the dead afs, or weeping Maria, fo inimitably wrought up by Sterne himfelf. As Mr. Sharpe was well known at Batli, it is With pleafurc that I fend thither this tribute to his memory, T. SOUTH. Tlic above anecdote, though not agricultural, will not be unylcafing to the lovers of humanity in that line,] F 2 vanced. [ 68 ] vanccd, and from long obfervation can venture. Sir, to afliire you, that a due fouth afped, hitherto thought abfolutely neceflary to bring thefe fruits to perfedion, often proves injurious to our choiceft peaches, and caufes our ne(5larine trees to caft their fruit unripe. In cold wet fummers, France may have the ad- vantage of us, but in warm and dry ones, I am confidently perfuaded to the contrary. The un- ufual heat of the 2d, 3d, and 4th of Auguft 1788, afFe^led my fruit on the fouth and fouth-weft walls, in fuch a manner as to alter its very nature, fo that the Montabon, the Noblefs, and other peaches, ufually juicy, rich and vinous, became in fuch a,f- pe6ls, that fummer, dry and mealy. Hence I ra- tionally draw this conclufion, that our climate, how- ever it may have been rafhly condemned, is more appofite to the production of thefe fruits, than any other whatfoever, unlefs perhaps fome di(lri6ts of Perfia, to which they are indigenous, may prove an exception. Above thirty years experience and clofe attention to their culture, warrant fuch a conclufion. The unprecedented fuccefs with which my la- bours have' been crowned, induces my friends to be Iblicitous, that the knowledge I have obtained, may not die with me. In compliance with their requeft. t ^9 1 rcqueft, I have begun pfeparinjg a communication of my praflicc to the publick; and in order to qua- lify, myfelf to throw the ftrongeft light pofliblc on the fubjc(5l, have (locked my garden with every fpecics or variety of thefc fruits now cultivated ei- ther in France or England. Such another colleftion is not, 1 believe, to be found in this country. The generality of fruits have long been familiar to me ; of the particulars hitherto unobferved, many are in a train for bearing next fummer, and the reft the year following : — when, having grown them all in the fame kind of foil, and under one and the fame mode of treatment, it will be eafy to determine whether the varieties pretended to, really exift, to mai'k the fpecifick differences of one from the other, to judge of their refpedive merits as to fize and flavour, fo as decidedly to point out thofe which de- fcrve future propagation, from thofe which, being <:omparatively worthlefs, ought to be condemned to perpetual exclufion. Having made this fingle branch of horticulture my ftudy, both in theory and pradlice, for thirty years and upwards, and having proved, to the afto- nilhment of many, that wall-trees will perfe<5lly con*- form to the will of the pruner in the due arrange- ment of their branches j in their general rcfemblance to each other i in an aptitude to furnifli tjie wall in F 3 every even' part with the richefl garniture of leaves, bloom, and fruit, in their refpedtive feafons ; I think I may, without prefumption, attempt to inftfu6t others how by the fame means they may cffcd the like purpofes. To do this methodically, I fhall begin with trees in their infancy, advance gradually through the feveral ftages of their progrefs, and ac- company them till they arrive at maturity. To point out the miftakes that fome have fallen into ; to flicw the defedls of modern pradice ; to contrail imperfe6t with perfedl figures, will require copper-' plates exhibiting their varied appearances in the pruned and unpruned (late ; by which an accurate obferver may, with the afTiilance of the remarks accompanying them, eafily attain a knowledge of the fuhje(5l fufficient to enable him to manage his own wall-trees, and obtain fuch fruit as he fcldom fees elfe where. A new field of innocent and ufe* ful amufement will here b^ laid open for the coun- try gentleman to employ his leifure hours in rural retirement, and to fill up the intervals of fludy, to the refident clergy, in a way by no means uabecom.ing their fundion, Mr. Laurence, re6lor of Bilhop's Weremouth in Durham, the befl pruner of his time, recommends the pradjce to his brethren as a recreation that will fill up thofe little parenthefes of of their lives, which commonly go for nothing, in an intereiling and pleafurable manner, Having [ 7» ] Having read mod of the books hitherto pub- lifhed relating to this art, and not finding one that teaches the true rudiments, there feems to be an opening left for a work of this kind, which I have fjot in contemplation only, but in fome forwardnefs, as you will perceive by the drawings fcnt herewith.* Many of them being in a rough unfinifhed flate, fhall I trouble you with laying them before the ar- till who reduced the oaks, to know whether he will copy and improve fome particulars, and fhade and finifh others, according to the diredlions accompa- nying them ? In cafting your eye over the drawings, with the few explanations which attend them, you may give a guefs at the defign and utility of the work. If you wifh to communicate them to fome few of the ingenious members of your fociety, you have my permifTion. If in your united opinions, a work • Thefe drawings arc in themfelves mafterly, and the artift now employed in finiftiiug them is a man of firft-rate abilities. The tef- timonies to the fuperior excellence of the author's fruits, are the Tnoft rcfpeaable and full. W. M. The work is to be entitled, " The Gentleman's Recreation in •« the Fruit Garden ; or, a Treatife on the Culture of Peaches and «« Ne^arines ; embcUilhed with plates, and notes explanatory to a «* regular fyftem, for the training, pruning, and management of ** Wall-trees, from their infancy to advanced old age : with direc- «' tions how to obtain a conftant even crop of the moll deliciouf ** fruit ; with thoughts on the produ»^ion of flavour j cures for «« the feveral difeales fruit-trees arc prone to; the prevention of «« blights, dertruftion of vermin, and prefervation of thr fruit iii «< full beauty, till arrived at the height of pcrfe^JUon." F4 ^f I 72 ) of this nature may prove A^orthy the patronage of the publick, it will excite a glow of fpirits fufficient to fupport me through the labour of a quartp pub- Ikation, intended to make its appeara^nce in 1793, if nothing happen to prevent it. Improvements i^ Agriculture, under the aufpices of th^ Society, may admit fome intervals of leifure, for attention to the luxuries of the wall; I intend therefore to beg tl)e favour of tjie Society, to add a copy of the w^k l<> their colle6tion 3 and if it fhall be found to merit ap-^ probation, to honour the authpr with giving it their fupport. I aqa, -Sir, &q. - . ,.,.... Mr. V/illiam Matthews. ' T,. SOUTH. fN. B. The foregoing familiar Letter, &c. &c. were not fent by the Author for publication in this volume ; but he will pardon the freedom of the iniertion, in proportion as it muft give pleafure to the publick. And to announce a work to which the publick favour will become due, is compatible with that advancement of Science, which this Society profeffes.], ... ; ,- Article II. A Dejcription of the Jnftrumenty called a Sward- Cutter,' invented hy the Hon, Robert Sandilands Jome time agOy -n^w much improved^ particularly with regard to the ExfencCy it being reduced from 15/. or 16/. to 5/. or 61. FIG. r; No: I, A. A. &c. a fquare frame 'tliree feet four inches from the fore to the hind part, by four feet three inches, the breadth of the .f-'. f h I w ] the machine within fide; the timber (when of fir) four inches fquare, placed on two wheels B. B. three feet diameter, a little more or lefs, (the old fore- wheels of a chaife may anfwer the purpofe) to fup- port the hind part of the machine. - ' ' ■ f 1/ .'. . , .^ . ' '...*.. * €v*C^^^8r«. 'fiJt 'ftrdn^' pieces of wood, called bulls, three feet long, five inches and a half broad, the thickftefs fix inches at E, No. a, and' tapering to three inches at F. Into thefe bulls are fixed thfc' cutting wheels, which are iron, 13 inches diameter, 3-quarters of an' inch thick at the centre, about an inch diameter, for piei'cing holes to fix the iron axles in; from that they are to be o^futh thicknefs, as to allow the edges to be well fteeled. Thefe wheeU are fixed by two boltsr going through the bulls, with eyes on one end, for the axles of the wheels to ruii in, and nuts and fcrews on the other, to make therri very firm by, and funk in the bulls, to prevent thtit interfering with the weights L. refting on them. G. G. in No. 1, are hollow pieces of wood, called thorlesy each three inches and a half long, which in- clofe the bolt M. and keep the bulls C. C. at their proper diftances, but may be made longer or fhorter at pleafure, as the ward requires to be cut in larger or fmaller pieces. They are in two pieces, and bound together, and jointed by a (trap of leather or cord. [ 74 ] cord, which allows them to be readily changed, when the cutting wheels require to be kept at more or lefs diftance. The iron-bolt M. No. i. goes through two pieces of wood or iron, feven inches long, clear of the wood, fupported by iron ftays, fixed to the frame, and through all the bulls, as at T. No. 3, it re- quires to be ftrong, as the draught of the horfes terminate there. H. H. No. 2 and 3, a cylinder or fegment of wood, feven inches diameter, called a rocking-treey which goes acrofs the frame, and moves on the pivots fijced into it, one at each end, fupported by an iron- bolt, or piece of wood morticed into the frame, eight inches high, as appears in No, 1 and 3, to which fix chains or ropes are fixed by hooks, at dif^ ferent diftances, as you want your cuts, at 9, 8, 7, or 6 inches from one another, and are joined to the end of each bull, in which the cutting wheels run 5 fo that when the rocking tree is turned about by the lever I. fixed in the middle of it, all the bulls^^ with their cutting wheels, are raifed out of the ground at once, as in No. 3, by which means the machine may be turned, or moved from place to place with great eafe, without any danger of ftrain^ ing the wheels, [ 75 ] N.B. The rocking tree is not delineated in No, l| In order that the plan of the frame may be more cafily underftood, L. L. No. I, 2; 3, are weights of frec-ftonc, s6 inches long, fix inches broad, the under one four inches thick, the upper one of the fame dimen- fions, and three inches thick, which will weigh (ac* cording to the gravity of the ftone) about four flone the under, and three the upper, all of them having two holes in them, thro' which iron fpikes, firmly fixed in the bulls, pafs, in order to keep them fteady. When the ground is eafily cut, the under flone, of four ftone weight may an/wer 5 when more dif- ficult, the other ftone of three ftone weight may be added, fo that every wheel may have feven ftone weight upon it, which has been found fufficient for ^he ftifFeft land and taugheft fward the machine has ^ver been tried on. Caft-iron weights will anfwer fully better, but are more expenfive, which die in^ ventor wiflies by all means to avoid. The lever I. No. a, 3, which ought to be fivi feet long, muft have a Aiding rope on it, fixed to the back part of the frame, fo that when the cutting wheels aie all taken out of the ground three or foiir JAches, [ 76 ] incb/ffs, by the rocking tree's being turned partly round by the lever, the rope is then fixed to it, by putting a loop at the end of the rope over the pin R. No. 3, (it ought to be placed three kct four inches from '^ the;' extremity : of the ' lever. I.) which keeps all the ciitting wheels out of the ground till the machine is turned, and then, by moving.the loop of the pin, , it flips back towards the frame, and the lever is gently let back to its place, as in No. 2, by which the cutting wheels are put ihto their for- mer pofture, by the weights fixed on: the) bulls in t^hich they run. The levers may be made of good tough aih. P. No. I, a fmall bolt of iron, with a hook on one end of it, (one is fufBcient) to flrengthen the bolt M. to be hooked on the centre of :it, ;mid joined to the frame by a nut and fcrew. '■' The grooves, in which the cutting wheels run, may be covered below -at the hinder part with a plate of thin black iron, fix inches long, three in- ches broad, having a flit in it where the tvheels run, to prevent (if found neceflfary) any grafs, weeds, or fmall Hones, from filling the grooves, and ^ clagging the wheels i the form of which is fecn ^t the letter L ' • To [ 77 3 To the frame, as feen at Noi l/ arc fixed (for a donble-horfe Sward-cutter) three fhafts, as in at waggon, of fuch length, ftrength, and diftance from one another, as any workman may think proper. For a fingle-horfe Sward-cutter (which has only four cutting wheels) a pair of fhafts are ufed, and may make the two fides of the frame without any joinings. The width of the frame, in proportion to the double-horfe Sward-cutter, is as four to fix. It is recommended for a double-horfe Sward- cutter to have eight bulls and wheels, that when it is ufcd to reduce hard cloddy fummer fallow, or land for barley, before the lad furrow, or even af- ter it, the whole weight, 42 (lone, employed in fward-cutting the fliffcfl: land and tougheft fward, may be applied to the eight bulls then at fix inches from one another : the four flone weights to be ap- plied to Cix of the bulls, and two of the three flonc weights to each of the additional bulls, which is thought will prove a fufficient weight for the pur- pofe, and will efFeclually prevent a clod, at any ume,\^^more than fix inches broad, from efcaping being broke to pieces. In the fame manner, a fingle-horfe Sward-cutter rtiay have fix bulls for the above-mentioned pur- pofe; t 78 ] pofe ; the 28 (lone belonging to it, divided thus l the four flone weights to four of the bulls, and two of the three ftone weights to each of the additional bulls. It was thought better to be rather minute here, than trouble the perfon employed in ufing the fward- cutter with any calculations. That the inftrument may come as cheap as pof- fible to the publick, the inventor is of opinion, that the expence of the two wheels and the iron axle (which is confiderable) may be faved, by joining ftrongly to the frame at S. No. 3, a piece of wood with a little curve at the extremity of it, refembling the foot of a fledge, formerly much ufed in Scot- land, to carry in the corn from the field ; the par^ of it refling on the ground being kept 1 8 inches (the half diameter of the wheels) from the frame, by a ftrong fupport of wood. As the two outer bulls next the frame arc apt to get under it, fo as to prevent the cutting wheels from being taken out of the ground, a thin flip of iron fixed to the infide of the frame, nearly oppofite to the back end of the bulls> of convenient length, will be found neceflary* A Jhort [ 79 3 ^ J}jort Account of the ufes of the Infirument called a Sward* Cutter, with the advantages attending it^ and the manner of ufing it. THE original intention of this machine was to prepare old grafs-ground for the plough, by cut- ting it acrofs the ridges, in the beginning of, or during winter, when the ground is foft, in order to anfwcr all the purpofes that Mr. Tull propofed by his four-coulter plough, fo ftrongly recommended by him for bringing grafs-ground that has been long rcfted into tilth. This the Sward-cutter has been found to do, much more effedually and ex- peditioufly, as Mr. TuU's plough, with four coul- ters, cut the fward in the fame diredion with the plough, and is liable, • from every ftone, or other obftrudion any of the coulters meet with, to be thrown out of its work altogether, or the infiru- ment broke, to which the Sward-cutter, confifting of four, fix, or more cutting wheels, is never liable, from their being entirely independent of one an- other, cutting the ground acrofs the ridges before plowing, and rendering that operation eafier to two horfes than it would be to three without its being cut* The furrow being cut acrofs, falls finely from the plough in fquares of any fize required, not under fix inches, in place of long flips of tough fward, feldom t 80 ] feldom and imperfediy broke by the four-coultered^ plough. Any perfon who reads Mr. TuU's defcrlptlon of his foiir-coultered plough, and what he propofed by it, will foon fee the great advantage the fward- cutter has over it, in producing the defired effedt of bringing old refted grafs-ground into tilth ; an ob- jedt univerfally allowed to be of nofnnall inaportancc to agriculture. This inflrument is very fit for preparing ground for burnbating, as it will fave much hand-labour. It may be properly ufed in crofs-cutting clover, of one or two years {landing, to prepare the ground for wheat, if the land be ftiff and moift enough. It may be applied to cutting and crofs-cutting pafture-ground, intended to have manure of any- kind put upon it to meliorate the grafs. In this it will far exceed the fcarilicator, mentioned in one of Mr. Young's tours, as that inftrument is liable, as well as the four-coultercd plough, to be thrown out of its work when meeting with a flone.or other in- terruption. This the fward-cutter is proof againft, which is looked on as its greateft excellence. In It •» 1 in preparing for barley, the fward-cutter excels a roller of any kind, in reducing the large hard clods in clay land, occafioncd by a fuddcn drought, after fe being plowed too wet ; and it is likcwife very proper for reducing fuch clay land, when under a fummer-fallow. In this operation the fward-cut- ter is greatly to be preferred to the cutting roller, likewife mentioned by Mr. Young in one of his tours, from its wheels being all dependent one on another, fo that whtm one is thrown out by a ftone, three or four muil fhare the fame fate : befides, the cutting roller has but feven wheels in fix feet, and the fward-cutter has fix in four feet three inches, at nine inches diftant ; and, if neceffary, may hare xhem io near as fix inclies. ■ After old grafs-ground is c\jt crofe with the fward-cutter, ^od plowed, it has a very uncom- mon and worklike appearance, from each fquare, turned over by the plough, being raifed up an inch or two at the fide lafl moved by the earth-board j fo that the field, when finiihed, is all prettily waved, and refembles a piece of water when blown on by a gentle breeze. By this means a very great deal of the land's furface is expofed to the froftj and other influences of die air> which cannot fail to have a good effeft on it. Vol. VL G Two t 8a ] Two horfes are fufficient for the draught 6f a double-horfe fward-cutter, and one horfe for a •fingle-horfe one; one man manages, the machine, and drives the horfes* He begins his operation by firfl meafuring off twenty or thirty paces from the machine, lefs or more, as he inclines, and there fixes a pole. He then cuts the field crofs, as near at right angles with the ridges as he can. When the cutting wheels are paft the laft furrow about a yard or foy and the machine is upon the outmoft ridge of the field on which it muft turn, he muft ftop "the horfes, then take hold of the lever I. fig. i, No. a, and by pulling it to him, he raifes the cutting wheels out of the ground, which are kept fo by the loop of the rope being put over the pin R. in the lever I. No. 3, till the machine is turned and brought to its proper place, which is done by meafuring off the fame diftance formerly done on the oppofite fide of the field. When the cutting wheels are exadly over the outmoft furrow, then, on the horfes being Hopped, flipc off the pin R. and the lever returned to its former place, as reprefented No. 2, which allows the weights L. L. &c. to force the cutting wheels into the ground again. He then goes on till the interval betwixt the firft and fecond ftroke of the machine is all cut. In this manner the field is to be finifhed, after which you may begin to plow when E U 3 when you plcafc. N. B. There muft be a pole at each fide of the field. It is of no confequence whether the land to be fward-cut is in crooked ridges, or ftraight, in flat ridges, or in very high-raifed ridges; fuch as arc fi-equently met with in Scotland. Be the furface ever [o uneven, it does not fignify, as the cutting wheels being all independent of one another, are forced by their weights into every furrow or hollow. One Sward-cutter will cut as much ii>one day^af fix ploughs will plow. The land may lie feveral months in winter after being fward-cut, when there is no vegetation to make the cuts grow together again before it is plowed; but the fooner it is plowed afttr cutting, the better, that it may have the benefit of all the winter's froft, which makes it harrow better and eafier at feed time. When the ground is harrowed, the harrows ought to go with the waves that appear after plow- ing, not againft them, as by that means they are lefs •pt to tear up the furrows all cut into fquares. This need only be attended refpefting the firft two tines, as they are called, of the harrowing. G a Any Any common wright and fmith may make the inflrument. It is very ftrong, very fimple, and eafily managed, and moved from place to place j and if put under cover, will laft many years. Fig. II. is the plan of a harrow invented by Mr. Sandilands, which he recommends in a particular manner, and to which he has given the name of the Ojain and Screw Harrow, Its properties are, that if your ridges are high, and you wifh to harrow them froni one end to the other, by lengthening the chain (which the fcrew commands) the har- row, when drawn along, forms an angle down- •wards, and mifles none of the curve of the ridge, fo far as it extends, which may be nine feet, the dif- tance from A. to B. The diftance from C. ta D. is five feet fix inches. When the crowns of the ridges have got what is thought fufficient harrowing ^ iengthwife, you Ihorten the chain by the fcrew, which forms an angle upwards ; the harrow is then drawn by the horfes, one on each fide of the fur- row, which completely harrows it, and the fides of the ridge if eighteen feet broad* When you want to harrow even ground or high ridges acrofs, with the fcrew you can bring the harrow to be horizontal, fo as to work as a folid harrow without a joint. f as ] The tcedi arc formed and fixed in the common manner, iquare, not in the fafliion of coulters, and are nine or ten inches below the wood, and of fuch ftrcngth as is thought thoUand requires. The teeth ijut, or rather tear the ground at every four inches without variation, though feemingly placed irre- gularly without any rifk of choaking, except fome- times at the extreme angles, where the teeth are ne- ceflarily near each other, which may be cleaned with die greatefl eafe, by raifing them a little from the grpund. The figures i, a, &c. point out where the twelve teeth on eachfide the harrow are placed, Where a ftrong brake-harrow is not necefTary, by making the teeth fhorter or lighter, you may have forty-eight teeth, which will tear the ground at every two inches, or near it, cover the feed well, and make a fine mould, -i 1 ., : It is recommended, that harrows fv>r every pur- pofe, and of any fizc, be made on the above prin- ciple, from which no tooth can ever follow the track of another, and all are kept conflantly acting. . : Fig. 3, and 4, the plan and profile of a harrow likewife invented by Mr. Sandilands, called a Wrack Jlarrow^ from its very expeditious manner of bring- [ 86 3 ing the wrack or roots of couch-grafs and other weeds together. It confifts of a plank of timber, fix feet long, nine inches broad, and two inches thick, in which there are two rows of teeth fixed, twelve in front, and thirteen in rear^ about four inches row from row, and about five inches from each other, which, in efFedb, brings the t^eth to operate at two inches and a half one from another. They are in length about feven inches below the wood, three quarters of an inch fqu are, not fharp, but pointed diamond ways, fo as not to penetrate the foil, but only to 'catch what by preceding thorough harrowing is brought above ground. To the plank is joined fhafts for a horfe, and handles for a man, of fuch length and ftrength as any v/orkman may think necelTary. The manner of ufmg the harrow is as follows : When the land is fo well harrowed, as that all the roots of the quickens or couch-grafs. Sec, ' are brought to the furface, the harrow is drawn acrofs the field, the holder prefTing a little, not much, on the handles, till the plank is immediately over the firfl furrow i on which, without flopping the horfe, he fuddenly lifts the harrow which the fhafts fup- port before -, by this means, all the fluff gathered by the harrow, drops in the furrow 3 fo on he mufl gOi [i «^' 1 go ; and when he has croffed the field, he turns to the right or left, and croffes the ridges again, as mentioned, obferving not to mifs any of the land, keeping clofe by the laft track. From this operia- tion, the whole wrack, &c. is left in the furrows, ready to be carted off the field, or burnt, as the far- ' mer chufcs. If the horfe is not fteady, a boy mud be employed to lead him. lUiil* \\' — imw . .J.J.I • Article III. ^erks of Mr. Le Blanc, reJpeBing the culiure of 'Turnip-rooted Cabbages y with Anjwers to the Jame^ by Sir Thomas BesvoRj, Barf^ ^ I. A RE they not a much longer time before -iTV they are fit to be hoed than turnips ? y£ , Yes, three weeks or a month. ^.2. Is not the hoeing confequently the more difficult and expenfive, as the weeds have the greater advantage over them ? A. In a wet feafon the hoeing is certaihly more difficult ; on a clean fallow, and in a dry feafon, very G 4 little [i 88 ]f little more ; and I have never paid more for hoeing them, than for common turnips. ^, 3, The colour of the plant being darker than that of a turnip, and more difficuH to diilinguifl^ from the charlock, which generally abounds in tur-.. nip fallows, particularly the moft early fown, is i^, not another reafon why the hoeing Ihould be more difficult and expenfive ? A, My workmen fay, they can readily diftinguifh them from charlocks \ and have never yet charged me more for them. ^ 4, How many times arc they hoed, and at v^hat price ? A, This muft depend partly on the feafon; they are generally twice hoed, 4s, for the firft hoeing, and 2s. for the fecond, ^ 5. Has it ever been obferved, that the.hard- ncfs of the root affedls the fheep -s teeth \ that objec- tion having been made to them by fhepherds ? A. Not keeping any breeding Iheep, but only wethers, which are fold fat after having fed on themt in the latter part of the fpring of one feafon, or twQ at the moft j I have never obferved the mifchief charged to them. ^6. I5 C 8? ] ^ 6, Is there any difficulty in making thejheep CAt them up ckan ? A, I have not obferved any, by making a lean (lock follow the fat ; but if there be, hugs will greedily cat up all the pieces, and thrive greatly upon them. O^^L^ Article IV. On various Subjects. To the Secretary. ■ Sir, Hethel, Nov. ao, X7gi» THE honour done me by your alTurancef, that the Gentlemen of the Bath Society would l5e pleafed to receive the communication of any fuch fadVs or opinions, connected with their views, as fhall have fallen under my obfervation, being too flattering not to have excited in me the utmoft am- bition to comply with their defire ; I have, in con- formity with their wilhes, ventured to addrefs to you a few articles of information on fome of the dif- ferent fubjefts of their enquiries. Immediately on the receipt of your laft let,ter, I made frequent en- quiry amongfi: the Gentlemen of my acquaintance in this county, who have large fir plantations on their ellates, whether they had ever obferved that great [ 90 ] great damage done aitiohgft them by the Jqtiirrelsy which is fo much complained of by fome gentlemen in the counties of Somerfct and Wilts j and I have reafon to believe, from that enquiry, that the evil is not confined to the abovementioned counties, as on two eftates in this county, on which I believe the plantations of Fir are by far the mofl confiderable, — I mean thofe of the Marquis of Townfhend and Mr. Coke, — I am informed by the latter Gentle- man, that the injury done to thofe trees is fo very great, that the price of a fhilling per head is paid by him for all fuch of thefe mifchievous little ani- mals as are deftroyed in his plantations; at the fame time he told me, that, in Lord Sherborne's park in Gloucefterfhire, the mifchief done by thefe animals among the beech trees is very confiderable : in my own plantations, neither beech nor fir-trees, of which laft I have many, have fuffered from them ; but they every year bite off moft of the young fhoots of the young horfe-chefnut trees, fo as totally to deprive them of one of their principal ornaments, that of their flowers, for which they have long been profcribed by me. In anfwer to your enquiry, refpecSting Oak Plan- tations, I have inclofed to you thofe returned by the gentlemen of this county, to the queftions on that I 9« 1 that fubje^t, addreflcd by the CommlfTionf rs of the Land Revenue to the Chairman of their Quarter- feflTions; which anfwers, having been drawn up from the bed information that could be obtained from fcveral principal timber merchants, as well as from the obfervations which were communicated to me by fome of the mod intelligent gentlemen of this county, may, I think, be fairly deemed, though -perhaps not the univerfal, yet the general opinion of thofe here, who are moft and bcft informed upon the flibj«a ' ''^ '' =■' ' ''^^ -jmtjab 3d Jon- In the ad Number of the fecond volume of Dr. Anderfon's periodical publication, called the Bee, yovi have, I make no doubt, fcen a new and eafy method of forcing early potatoes, very accurately defcribed by the Doctor, as alfo in the 8th No. of the jd volume of the fame entertaining and ufeful performance, the account which I gave him of my accidental difcovery of the mode of obtaining them in the moft early part of the fpring. To that account, whether it fhall ferve only for amufement, or may eventually be of any public benefit, I hope I may be allowed to add, that in order to fee whether the Potatoes, produced as therein mentioned, had aU the properties of thofe growing in the regular and ordinary courfe, and would reproduce as good a croj) C 92 3 crop as their parent; roots i I took feme of thofe which had grown in the houfe, and planted them in jny garden j which, although planted fo late as in 4he latter pait.of the momth of June, have groAyn well, and afforded me feveral roots as large and good as any of thofe grown this year in the field -, at tlii^ my furprife has been the greater, becaufe the fets had but a few eyes, and thofe were very fmall. If this , experiment {l:^ould ever enable a poor man, whofe (lock of |^otatoes has been much diminifhed by the wants of himfelf and family, to find a fuf- ficiency for his future crop, it cannot be deemed wholly ufelefs. I have this year on my farm fome acres of the Swedifh Turnip, called Ruta Baga, which notwith- ftanding thedrynefs of ^fhe fummerhave grown to a reafonable fize, weighing upon an average about three pounds and a half each without their leaves : this crop was, not fown until the 27th of June, whereas had it been fown earlier, which the drought prevented, I . am very certain the plants had been much larger 5 as on thofe gentlemen's lands where they were fown in May, the roots are at leaft one third bigger. However, their want of fize never dj- miniflies the crop fo much as is apprelicnded, if, at ^he tiiije of hoeing them^ they ar<; left proportionably tliicker t 93 1 fixicker on the ground. From that experience which I have had of them, I conceive from eight to ten inches to be a fufficient diftance for thefe plants. On the firft of Odtober lafl, I had fome of thofe which had perfefted their feeds in the autumn taken out of the ground, and found their roots found and veiy palatable; but for a juft and true account of thefe moft valuable turnips, and the proper ufe of them, I cannot do better than refer all farmers to the account given of them in the eighth Number of the Third Volume of the Bee. The dibbling of wheat, notwithflanding the in- troduction of Mr. Cook's drill-plough by feveral gentlemen and fome farmers upon their lands, flill cpntinues to be the mofl general and favourite pradlice of this county; if the crops, raifed by this method be equally good, (and no experience has yet proved them to be otherwife) I cannot but wifh, for the lake of the poor, that it may never be aban- doned for any other. I am, with real regard and efleeni, Ypur's, " r: BfeEvoR, ^ I 94 3 ^ueftions addrejfed by the CommiJJioner's of the Land Revenue to the Chairman of the garter -Sejfions' of the County of Norfolk. ^eflion i^. Whether the quantity of large oak timber in general, fit for the ufe of the navy, growing in the county aforefaid, is increafed or di- minilhed within memory ? Anfwer. It is certainly diminifhed in Ibme parts of the county, but not generally fo. ^ 2» Whether particularly the quantity o{ Juch timber, growing in woods, is increafed or dimi- nifhed? A. The quantity of/«f^ timber growing in woods appears to be inconfiderable, and neither much in- creafed or diminifhed. ^. 3* Whether there is an increafe or decreafe of the quantity of fuch timber growing in hedge- rows ? A. The timber in the hedge-rows is decreafed, owing to the circumftances mentioned in the next anfwer. ^. 4. Whether the growth of oak timber in hedge-rows Ls generally encouraged, or whether ; ' the ( El <*s 3 the grubbing up of hedge-rows for the enlarging fields and improving arable ground is become com- mon in the county ? . • I ■ » . ... A, From the convcrfion of pafture land to arablej the enlargement of fields, and above all, the mif- chievous pra^ice of both the farmer and the poor, of trimming up, and cutting off all the lateral branches, the trees in the hedge-rows are few and little worth in many places, ^. 5, Whether in fuch oaken woods as are cut at dated times in fucceflion, it is cuftomary to leave young faplings at each cutting? and if fo, whether they are generally barked at the fecond fall and cut down for country ufes, or preferved for timber ? ' A. There is in every part of the county proper attention paid to the leaving young faplings, which are never barked at the fecond fall, nor felled for country ufes : Fir being in almoft general ufe, ex- cept when oak is abfolutely necefTary. ^ 6. Whether the improvement of roads and the navigable canals, made during the lafl thirty ycat^, have not, by reducing the cxpence of carriage, bceh the means of bringing large fupplies to the Dock-yards, which could not othen^ife have bcca brought there? A. The E 96 ] A, The timber in this county was always well fituated for removal, and though the roads are much better than formerly, yet the price of land carriage is increafed from 3d. to 6d. per load, per mile, within the lad 20 years, which may be accounted for from the high price of horfes, the extra charge of keeping them, and other fundry reafons. There is no navigable canal in the county, nor have larger fupplies of timber been fent to the dock-yards on the above accounts. ^. 7, Whether of late years greater quantities of timber have not, in confequence of this increafed facility of carriage, been felled in thofe parts of the country which were before inacceflible, than they will be able permanently to fupply ? A. There are few or no parts in this county which are, or ever were inacceffible, nor any greatly increafed facility of carriage ; therefore no greater quantity of timber lias been felled on thofe accounts. ^. 8. Whether the general confumption of oak timber for building, or other ufes, within the county^ is increafed or diminillied ; and to what caufe ii> your opinion is fuch increafc or decre^fc tq b^ iq^r imputed? ■•;] A. The C 97 ] A. The ufe of oak timber for building, &a & certainly diminifhed for the following reafbn, to wit, from the cheapnefs of fir-timber, and the great eafe with which it is worked, and converted to ufe. ^. 9. Whether the price of oak timber, for car- penters or other ufes, is increafed within the laft ' 40 years, and in what proportion ? A. The price of oak timber for carpenters and country ufes, is very litde, if at all, increafed within the laft 40 years, for the reafon mentioned in the foregoing anfwer, ^.10. Whether the improvements of roads, anci the navigable canals, have not introduced the ufe of coals in parts of the country, in which wood was before generally ufed for fuel ? and whether in fuch parts the demand for underwood, and the value of it, have been increafed or leffened ? A, The ufe of coals is much more general than formerly, partly perhaps owing to the improvement of the roads, but more to the decreafe of pollard trees and hedge-rows: the value of fire- wood is fomewhat increafed. ^.11. Whether in thofe parts of the country in which underwood is more valuable, in confequence Vol. VI. H of t 98 1 of a demand for hop-poles, or from other cau fes, it has become the pradice for many years more than formerly, to cut down the great timber -trees on ac- count of the injury they do to the underwood ? A, There are few or no hops grown in this county; and the great timber-trees are not more cut down for the benefit of the underwood than heretofore. ^. 1 2. Whether there has been a greater quan- tity of woodland, formerly producing oak, converted to tillage within memory, than of land of a fit foil newly planted with oak ? A. It is generally thought, there has not for up- wards of fifty years back, ^. 13. Whether the plantations which have been made within memory, have been chiefly of oak, or of the kinds of trees not fit for the navy ? A, From about 20 to 40 years back, Scotch fir, and other foft and ornamental wood, were much planted: fince that time, oaks have been much more planted and fown. ^. 14. Whether there are any commons, or coiipmonable woods, of confiderable extent in the county ? c 99 ^ county? and whether the quantity of timber grow- ing in fuch woods or commons is confiderable ? A. There are not many wade or commonable woodlands of any confiderable extent in this county i and the quantity of timber in thofc few which there are, is not confiderable. ^.15. Whether the timber in fuch commons or commonable woods, is well prefcrved, or fuffers great depredation and wafte ? A. What few timbers there are, feem to have little care taken of them s in general they fufFer much de- predation. ^. 1 6, Whether on fuch commons or common- able woodlands, as have been divided and inclofed, any confiderable quantities of wood or timber have been raifed? A, The commons and commonable lands which have been inclofed, have been either large arable fields, or pafture land, which has been chiefly on its inclofure converted to arable : of courfe no great quantity of wood can have been raifed in them. ^. 17. Whether a further divifion and inclofure of fuch conunons and commonable woodlands, H % would [ 100 ] would in your opinion be the means of increafing the quantity of wood and timber ?* A. A divifion and inclofure, under proper regu- lations, might poflibly be the means of increafing the quantity of timber; but unlefs there was fome' compulfory claufe inferted in the adb to fet apart a certain proportion for the growth of timber, fuch lands would chiefly be ufed in tillage. General Observations. The growth and improvement of oak timber, is certainly a matter of fo much confequence, and of fuch great national concern, that the want of it can- not be too greatly dreaded, or precautions for the prevention of it too foon adopted : however, at pre- fent there does not feem to be in this county any juft ground to apprehend the want of it, at leaft of fmall timber. The only two ports of note here, for building and repairing fhips, are Yarmouth and Lynn, in which there has been no alteration in the price of timber for many years, excepting only fmall cccqfional fludtuations in it. And if the price of large oak timber has in the kingdom at large increafed (as it is faid to have done) from 7s. 6d. to los. per * Any further obfervations or information, on the fubjeft of the preceding queftions, will be very acceptable. Dated, Land Revenue Office, Dec, aotb, 1790. load. [ 101 ] load, it fhould at the fatne time be remembered, that the confumption of oak timber between the years 1777 and 1783, fix years only, was more than for the preceding 23 years. In the year 1783,1 have been informed there were 43 fail of the line, and 52 forty-gun fhips building in the public and private yards i befides ten Eaft-India fhips of 900 tons each. Article V. Oh Mowing Cabbage. To THE Secretary. Dear Sir, T^HE manner in which the gentlemen of your "*" Society have always received thofe few arti- cles of intelligence which it has been in my power to communicate to them, is exprefled by you in fuch terms, as to imprefs upon me the highcfl fenfe of their candour, as well as of your polite and mofl friendly difpofition towards me. I wifh I could flatter myfelf, that I had ever been, or could yet be deferving of their and your efleem. By a note inclofed in your lafl letter, you tell me that a gentleman had been with you, wifhing to know, whether the mowing Cabbage had been H 3 found [ 102 ] found by me to (hoot again, after having been fed down-, to which, I am forry to anfwer, that it did not do fo with me, in any fuch degree, as to make it worth preferring for that purpofe: when I fay that I am forry to anfwer fo, it is becaufe, had the refult of the trial been otherwife, the cultivation of thofe plants would have been an invaluable prac- tice, on fuch hot burning foils as will afford little or no grafs in the fummer feafon. However, it muft be obferved, that mine were fed down by Iheep, perhaps too clofely, and that the very few fprouts which afterwards appeared, were, I believe, fome of them eaten down by the hares. The anfwers to the queries, which I tranfmitted to you in my laft letter, were fuch as, on the moft exa6t and flrid enquiry, I could obtain from the principal timber merchants, as well as from the beft informed gentlemen of this county; and I have rea- fon to think may be fully relied upon, I have the fatisfa^lion to be able to add, that the propaga- tion of oaks, by fowing the acorns, and planting young trees from the feed- beds, is now frequently and extenfively pradtifed here by gentlemen in their ornamental and other plantations. I am, &c. THOMAS BEEVOR. Hsthl, Jan, 7, 1792, [ 103 ] Article VI. On Accuracy in the Cbara£feriftick Dijlin^iovs of Plants, 6ff . To THE Secretary. Dear Sir, T N almoft all the communications of new difco- ^ veries and experiments, particularly in agricul- ture, it has been obferved, that the firft publifhers of them are fo apt to fee, and reprefent them in a flattering light, that the public, perpetually deceived and difappointed in their high-raifed expedlations, becomes fceptical, and even averfe to all trial of them. Would Gentlemen, therefore, be fatisfied, with barely relating, and with due precifion mark- ing, the feveral refpedlive difadvantages, as well as the advantages attending the culture of the particu- lar plants they judge proper to recommend to no- tice, we fhould much feldomer hear the reproachful terms of fpeculative and vifionary triflers bellowed upon them. . What has led me to make the above remark, is, that amongft all the plants lately re- commended for the winter food of cattle, (to wit, the Mangel- Wurzel, Turnip-rooted Cabbage, Ruta-Baga, Mowing-Cabbage, and Cow-Cabbage) none of their particular properties |iave been fo dif- criminatcd [ 104 ] criminated and fairly ftated, as to have left the cul- tivators without fome confiderable fhare of difap^^ pointment, in the proper ufe and value of thenn. To do this juftly, I feel rayfelf fo very incompetent, that I (hall leave the tafk to others better qualified, and of more leifure, refting contented with having furnifhed the hint only. To explain my meaning, I would, for inftance, have it mentioned among their other properties, (if by experience it fhould be found to be fo,) that the Mangel- Wurzel will not endure our frofts, if left in the ground during the winter;— that the Turnip-rooted Cabbages willVefiit the fevereft frofts, but are attended with very great trouble and expence to get them out of the earthy that when taken up they require to be cut to enable the cattle to eat them, and fhould be ufed only the laft of all other green food, which they, will well fupply, until there is a fufEciency of grafs -, — that the Ruta-Baga plants, though they appear to afford the fweeteft and moft nutritive food of all the roots, ^nd though the value of the root has been found to be little or nothing diminifhed, even after it has borne its feed, yet will it not abide the feverity of froft much if at all better than the common turnip;* to which may be added, that one confiderable ad- vantage attendant upon them, as well as the Turnip- rooted Cabbages, i« the vaft abundance of food they each [ ^5 ] each of them fupply by their bufhy tops in the fpring; — that the Mowing Cabbage feems better calculated for culinary ufes, than for cattle i — and that the Cow Cabbages, to pay the greateft profit, fhould certainly be all fpent before Chriflmas. Of the juftice of all the above hints, I will not prefume ablblutely to vouch, but that they have appeared in fuch a light to me, I will venture t© fayj and as the fole defign of this letter is but o invite better and fuller information -, if that end be obtained by it, it will not have proved quite ufelefs, although it Ihould be thought not void of miftakcs, I am. Sir, With great regard, your's, THOMAS .BEEVOR. Helbel, March i, 1792. • N. B. Gn the ftrongeft part of the foil they have, with me, grovm the largeft, to upwards of four pounds each ; and contrary, I think, to the common turnips, they rot univerlally from the tap^ root upwards, fo that all of them above ground appear and prove to be quite found, and uninjured by the froft, whilft almoft all the part in the earth is quite decayed, and a mere pulp. Obibrvation. The iveigbt of this plant, as JIaUd by SirTbomas, nvefindto be far below tbe a'verage 'weighty produced on thefrongefi lands in other parti of tbe kingdom. Article [ io6 ] Article VII. Onlbe ^efi Method of pJan^ingMAUGLL-WvKZLLy and fif its U/e and Value for feeding Pigs, Cattle, ^c^ To THE Secretary. Sir, I Apprehend the beft and mod acceptable return I can make your very refpedable Society for the Mangel-Wurzel feed you were fo kind as to fend me, will be to fend them a particular account cf the method I ufed in the culture, and the ufes I applied it to, with my obfervations thereon. It was the beginning of April when I received the feed; as I had no ground ready for fowing, it was the 13th of the fame month before I could put it into the ground, which was by no means in fit condition for lowing; but as the feafon was already too far ad- vanced, no time was to be loft. I had the ground ploughed up in two-bout ridges, which makes them about three feet wide from the middle of one fur- row to that of another ; the tops of the ridges about two feet, and the furrow or interval between them one. By this method the mould on the ridges was laid confiderably thicker, which is a great advantage to tap-rooted plants of every kind. My method of planting was as follows: I have [ 107 ] I have a fhort cylinder, or rather roller, made of oak, about two feet long, and 14 or 15 inches dia- meter. The length is divided into five equal parts, and in the circumference of each is inferted a cir- cular row of wooden tines or pegs, exactly fix inches diftant from each other. They were cut out of fpine oak an inch and a half fquare, bluntly pointed at top, and projedt about three inches from the furface of the roller. This inftrument, being drawn along upon the middle of a ridge, indents the fame in five lines, with holes exadtly fix inches every way from each other. I began with planting three rows out of the five in each ridge, that is to fay, the middle and two outfide ones. This was done by dropping two feeds in each hole. The rows then are one foot afunder, and the feeds in the rowsjuft fix inches. When one ridge was planted in this manner, I thought the plants would be much too near, and the intervals too narrow for horfe-hoeing. In the remainder of the ridges, therefore, I only planted two rows, next the outfide ones, leaving out the middle and the two outfide ones, and in the rows palTed every other hole, fo that the plants would now (land a foot apart in the rows, and the intervals were two feet wide, which was quite fulBcient for borfe-hoeing. * [ io8 ] At length the plants came up very regularly and well J but the ground having had but one plough- ing, the weeds very foon overtopped them. Wo- men were then fet to work to weed them by hand, which they performed very completely. The plants at that time made a wretched appearance ; but in lefs than a month after were indeed very promifing. The weeds came up again very thick, and grew faftj the hand-hoes were then fet to work, and immediately followed by the horfe-hoe. This left them very clean, gave them frefh well pulverized earth, and from this time they grew very rapidly. In July the outfide leaves feemed to have at- tained their full growth nearly s they were therefore plucked off, and given to the pigs. This mode of planting fucceeded very well, yet I think it is capable of confiderable improvement. When I plant this article again, I will have the ground ploughed in ridges of the fame fize as before; but inflead of two or three rows, I would have but one, which Ihould be exadly in the middle ot each ridge, the fpare ground then between the jows would be a yard wider, which would admit of the horfe-hoe being worked very freely. The kcd fhould be dropped eight or nine inches apart, and one [ 109 ] one good feed only in a hole. Siippofing all fhould grow, then the plants would (land three feet row from row, and at eight or nine inches diftancc in the rows ; but this would be juft double the num- ber of plants neceflaryj for i6 or i8 inches is quite near enough. Sufficient, therefore, might be drawn from thefe, to fupply the deficiencies that would ncceflarily happen from imperfe(5l feeds, &c. and if not wanted might be eafily cut up with the weeds in hand-hoeing, for they fliould by no means be fijffercd to fland too thick. I have at this time fome plants in a very thriving condition, which were tranfplanted; and though in general I have no great opinion of tranfplanting tap-rooted plants, efpecially fuch whofe roots con- ftitute the principal part of the produce,' yet I know not if, upon the whole, this would not be the mod profitable method of cultivating this plant. In that cafe, the feeds (hould be fown in a nurfery-bed as early in March as the feafon will admit, and in the interim between fowing and tranfplanting, the ridges fhould be well prepared for the reception of the plants. The advantage of being removed into a clean well-pulverized foil is great indeed, if a fa- vourable feafon be taken for that bufinefs ! It is the method I have followed fcvcral years with the turnip- I no ] turnip-rooted cabbage, and I am well convinced It is the moft profitable and ceconomical of any ufage in pradlice. It may, perhaps, be thought by fome too labori- ous and expenfive, but if they would make the ex- periment, they would foon be convinced of the, contrary. A dexterous labourer would fet a large piece of ground in a day, and when fet they would be done with, all but weeding; for being planted at due and regular diftances, the whole of the opera- tion at once is finifhed. But if the feeds are fown or dropt, the plants muft be fet out to a proper diftance, which would be found to be as expenfive as tranfplanting, and the ground by no means fo clean and in fuch perfedt condition as it mufl be made for tranfplanting. The difficult queflion is, whether the roots of the tranfplanted would be equally fine with thofe which had never been re- moved. This, from fome obfervations I have made, feems to depend albch upon the age and fize of the plants when they are removed. The root in its firft growth pretty much refcmbles the carrot, and if it be drawn when not above three or at moft four inches long, and the hole in which it is to be planted be made deep enough to receive it without bending or diftorting it, the root will receive no in- juryj [Ill 1 jury ; but if it be bent, broken, or twiftcd, it will certainly occafion an unnatural fhape, and I IhouU fear diminilh its fize. Being planted in this manner at the diftancc of three feet row from row, the intervals by horfc- hoeing may be kept perfeftly clean, and the ground between the plants equally fo by hand-hoeing. The foil then would be in a mod defirable ftate for a crop of barley the fpring following. In the next place, I propofe to give fome account of the crop and its beneficial ufes. Between July and November, both inclufive, the leaves were cut three times, and a plentiful crop there was at each cutting. We began with plucking off the outfide leaves, but this was foon found too tedious and troublefome. I therefore ordered them to be cut clean oflF about an inch above the crown of the root. This is a neceflary precaution, for if they are cut too clofe, the rain lodges on the top and rots the root. A dextrous labourer with a fharp knife with a long blade would cut enough for a great many hogs in a fhort time. The laft winter was very mild, and neither the herbage ngr roots fuffcred any injury from froft. t "2 ] froft; indeed they put forth frelh leaves through the winter; therefore I did not take up any of the roots till the end of December; I then caufed about half of them to be taken up, piled in a heap in the barton, and covered them over with ftraw. This preferved them till the time came for planting them out for feed. The other half, left in the ground to ftand for feed, is now (in Auguft) vigorous and healthy, and promifes a large quantity of feed, as do thofe alfo which were tranfplanted ; but they do not ftand fo firmly in the ground as thofe that were not removed, I am next to fpeak of the ufes they were put to. The leaves were cut every morning, and given frefti to the pigs two or three times a day. It is not eafy to defcribe how voracioufly they ate them. I know no food they are equally fond of. Even the hogs that are fatting would often leave their peafe and barley-meal, to feed on the leaves of the Mangel Wurzel. The cows alfo ate them with an exceed- ing good appetite, and were certainly very defirous of them. After harveft the weaned calves were turned into the field, at one end of which they grew, they foon found them out, feafted delicioufly upon them, and were manifeftly improved by them. During [ "3 ] During the time the plants were growing, I often gave a few of the roots and greens together, but neither cows or pig's were at all fond of the roots, in that ilage of their growth; they always left the greateft part of thena. This circumftance alarmed mc; but was entirely done away in the winter, for then both cows and pigs ate them as kindly as they would have done any food whatever. The roots in general w^re fo hard and firm, that I found it ne- ceflary to have them cut in dices, which a labourer did with a fmall bill-hook on a treflel, and could cut feveral bufhels in an hqur. The greateft inconvenience that attends them is the great quantity of mould that fo firmly adheres to them. The roots are covered with innirmerable fibres, which embrace the mould too firmly to be cafily feparated from it. This is a matter of no great fignification in feeding hogs, who are con- ftandy delving in the dirt; but perhaps it is not quite fo clear that in time it might not prove inju- rious to cow cattle. As my cows and pigs were fed with them pro-» mifcuoufly together with other food, I am unable to afcertain what would be the amount of the pro- duce on any given quantity of land valued in Vol. VI. I money j t >H ]• money; but I am f^retty certain, that an acre of land' planted as above, would well maintain twenty ftore pigs from fix to eight months, and in that time their improvement could not be lefs than 14 or 15s. a pig. The labour of preparing this article of food would indeed be a confiderable deduction from the fum, whatever might be the amount. How- ever, at all events, it muft be allowed to be a very valuable article of culture, and well worthy the hufbandman*s attention. I am. Sir, your's, &c. JOSEPH WIMPEY. Bockhamptony Aug, 10, 1790. P. S, I obferve Sir Thomas Beevor's account of the Mangel- Wurzel (Art. 36. vol. 5,) is by no means fo favourable as the above. More than half of his plants were not found and fit for ufe in March, Whereas mine, efpecially thofe left in the ground, were not injured at all by the cold of the winter. The laft winter, it is true, was uncommonly mild, but I fear, indeed, that they cannot bear the feve- rity of a hard one. From Sir Thomas's account in a former paper, of the fuperior fize of his, I ihould apprehend [ "5 3 apprehend his foil is richer and moifter than mine. He fays (I think) that fome of his were i8 inches in circunnference, and upwards -, whereas the largefl: of mine were not nnore than 14 or 15; but the far greater part were only from 10 to 12. My foil is gravelly apd dry, which feems not favourable to the large growth of this root, but then it is lefs fufcep- tible of froft, and probably for that reafon they were not fo liable to be injured by it. The ftems of fome of my plants are now feven feet high, and nearly as thick as a man's hand-wrift. The feeds feem nearly of a full fize, but are as green as ever, and I think will not be fit to cut thefe five or fix weeks. At all events, I think this plant would afford a very large quantity of defirable food for 'fix months out of the twelve, (fay, from the beginning of July to the end of December) and in a favourable feafon, two or three months longer. But inTevere winters I am afraid there can be no dependancc upon it after Chriftmas, unlefs means fimilar to thofe ufed to preferve potatoes be adopted for their prcfervation. 6kX-. ^ I a Article , [ "6 ] Article VIL OftU Cauje of the Smut in Wheat, In a Letter to the Secretary. Sir, TN a former paper on this very difficult fubjedl,* I obferved, it was no unufual thing to meet with ears both of fmutty and found corn ififuing from the fame root. Alfo, that it frequently happened that fmutty and found grains were to be found in the fame ear. That I had then by me the corn I had picked ouf of fuch an ear. It contained forty fmut balls, 2 1 grains that appeared to be perfedtly found, a»d five grains which had one end black and fmutty, and the other found. Thefe I made the fubjed of experiment, the refult of which I now beg leave to lay before the Society for their con- fideration. On the 2d of September 17S9, 1 put the twenty- one grains abovementioned into a two-ounce phial of puihp-water, which I very well fhook together. It Was then fet by till the next day, when the water was poured off, and the corn divided into two par- cels. Having filled a two-quart garden-pot with common mould, ten of the grains were fet in five • Article xvii. vol, 56. holes [ "7.) holes about two inches deep. The other eleven ere returned into the phial, being firft nearly filled with a ftrong pickle of fait and wa- ter. After (landing 24 hours, thefe were alfo fet in a garden-pot, in all refpedls fimilar to the other. My intention in thefe different procefles was to dif- cover, ift, if corn fiom a fmutty ear, merely by rincing in fimple water^ would produce found corn free of fmut j and 2dly, if a flrong folution of fait and water would more effedtually anfwer that definable purpofe, as was generally believed and^ infilled on. The beginning of December I obferved the plants feemed much crouded, and wanted more fuftenance than the fmall quantity of earth the pots contained could fupply. On the 8th day, therefore, I took them out of the pots, and planted them in a row in the field, about eight inches apart, keeping, liowever, the plants of each pot feparate. There was no perceivable difference in the plants, both pots had ihot vigoroufly, and it was truly amazing to fee the immenfe quantity of roots the pots con- tained ; the fides being completely lined, with the fume running round and rOund, to an incredible length, from whence it feems very probable, that the roots of wheat in good land, well pulverized, I 3 rnay [ ii8 ] may extend and colled fuftenance at fome feet diftance from the parent feed. At this feafon vegetation is nearly at a ftand. It was the end of March, or beginning of April, be- fore the plants began to fhew the lead appearance of recovery from the check occafioned by tranf- planting: however, they then began to fhoot vi- goroufly, and at length, acquired an uncommon degree of ftrength, length, and fize of ear and plumpnefs of grain, and from 1 2 to 24 offsets, or llalks from each plant. I reckon I am much within compafs in fuppofing that the produce of thefe 21 grains was not lefs than 15,000, and the grain as plump and fine as ever I faw, and every corn perfedly free from fmut. It would be ri- dtculous to fuppofe, that this corn was in any refped better than it would have been from found and per- fect feed. Its extraordinary vigour I impute folely to its being tranfplanted into freih ground, well pulverized, which could not fail to give much ad- ditional fuftenance and ftrength to the plants, and would probably afford the greateft produce pof- fible on any given quantity of land. But I am fen- fible it could never anfwer the extra expence, nor be at all pradicable on a large fcale, notwithftanding fome mere fpeculative men have wildly imagined the contrary. From \ [ 119 ] From this account, it is as certain as experiment can make it, that a fmutty crop of wheat is not the necedary refult of Towing feed from corn that is fmutty ; nor that it owes its corruption to any vi- cious principle or defc<5l in the feed. In this ex- periment we fee the feed, rinfed or foaked in fimple water, produced as clean and perfed grain as that which was foaked in a ftrong folution of fait and water ; and therefore were not in the lead tainted by the fmutty grains in the fame ear, nor at all affected by the caufe, whatever it was, that vitiated them; or if they were, that the foaking and rinfmg in fimple water was as effeftual to the prefervation of the crop from fmut, as the ftrong pickle. But it is a truth univerfally known from experience, that in unfavourable years corn is generally fmutty, notwithftanding brining, liming, and every precau- tion hitherto ufed to prevent it. From all which it clearly appears, that the general caufe of the fmut does not exift in the feed, but is owing, if not al- together, yet in a very great degree, to fome viti- ating principle in the air, a conftant concomitant of cold, wet, ftormy, tempeftuous fummers, which are ever attended by fmutty crops. My reafon for fuppofing the fmut may fometimes pofTibly be de- rived from the feed will appear hereafter, I 4 ''in C I20 ] In the above experiment, one thing occurred which I mufl not omit, for it well deferves to be noticed. One part of the ked was foaked in clear wa^er only, the other in a flrong folution of fait and water. I could perceive no difference in the plants on a comparative view, from the time of their firft coming up to the maturity of their growth, except in their tillering. The plants in both experiments were equally vigorous, equally tall and flrong, the ears equally long, large and full, and the grains equally plump and heavy ; but thofe fleeped in the brine tillered out confiderably more, that is, put out many more flalks, than thofe fleeped in water only; confequently were much more produdlive. What the fuperior fru6lification was owing to, is well worth enquiry. The feed was out of the fame ear, and though fet in two different pots, it was in the fame earth, and tranfplanted into the fame ground ; the culture in every refpe(5l the fame ; the only difference was, in one the feed was fleeped in .clear water 24 hours, and then planted; the other, after being fleeped 24 hours in the fame water, was fleeped 24 hours more in fait and water. The queflion is then, and a very interefling one it is, whether the fuperior fecundity of the latter was owing to the feed being fleeped twice as long as the other, or to its being impregnated with the fait ufed E III ] iifed in the folution, or to fome fccret caufe not dif- covered,< and poflibly not capable of being dif-' covered, by the e^Jperimentor. By repeating and varying thefe experiments, it would be eafy todifcover, whether fertility is pro- motable by deeping a longer or a left time in wa- ter ; and 2dly, if water in which a good quantity of fait has been diflblved, does not encourage and promote vegetation more than fimple water ? — If itfhould be found to do fo in any confiderablc degree, I cannot have a doubt but a ftrong lixivium made of wood afhes would promote it much more. I have always been of opinion, that fuch men- flruums were ufelefs, or at moil, that their aids at beft extended no further thah the firft rudiments of plants i but the fa6l recited above ftrongly inclines me to repeat the experiment, in order, if pofTible, to fully afcertain the fads. In the next place I propofe to give an account of an experiment made with the five grains men- tioned above, which were fmutty at one end, and found at the other. Thefe were fet in a fmall gar- den-pot like the former, one^ of which only came up. In the fpring it feemed to want more rooms I therefore dug a- hole in the ground, and, taking the mould [ ^22 ] mould out whole from the pot, it was planted in the ftme without difturbing the roots. It foon grew vigoroufly, but never had the healthy and robufl appearance of the former. It had always a fickly greenifli yellow look, which betrayed its malady j ^notwithftanding its ftems grew to a good height, and tillered furprifingly. I counted 24 ears from this fingle grain, moft of them of a good length, but lank and thin, very unlike the appearance of thofe fmutty ears which are not affeded till the blowing feafonj for thefe very often are the fineft and plumped ears in the field, till that time. Of thefe 24 ears, 23 of them were entirely fmutty, not a found corn could be found among them. The other was quite a fmall underhng ear, which did not appear till a full month after the other, but al- ways bore a healthy countenvincc. This ear pro- duced 14 corns only, and thofe fmall and thin, but found and perfed. Thefe were planted again laft Augufl, and are now as fine.and promifing as any corn in the field. From this experiment it feems ro appear, that a grain wliich is vitiated with the fmut, yet has enough of the vegetative principle found to enable it to grow, infallibly produces fmutty grain. -That one ear. [ 1^3 ] car, and one only, out of 24, fhould be found, is indeed veiy ftrangcj but perhaps not more fo than that, in the animal creation, the offspring of a dif- tempered fire may in general be affeded by the vitiated (lamina of the fire, yet fome one or more may efcape the hereditary taint, and appear per- fectly found. From thefe, and the experiments of the forrher paper, the following corollaries are clearly deducible: \Jl. That found grains, from very fmutty ears, produce as clean and as found crops as feed from corn that is perfeClly free from fmut. 2dly. That feed from the foundefl: and cleanefl crops doth frequently, in wet, cold, unfavourable feafons, produce fmutty crops, in fpite of deeping, brining, liming, change of feed, and every device and invention which the wit of man hath ever pradtifed. ^dly. That in fine, dry, warm fummers, it fre- quently happens there is little or no fmut at all, and that in many inftances, where fmutty feed has been fown, the produce has been clean and perfeyith this quality, infomuch that their pulp, added in a pro- portion of about a fourth or fifth' part to apples baked in fmall pies, gives the required fweetnefs, and it has feemed to me pleafing to every palate as though fweetened with fugar: the fame requifite fweetnefs is likewife communicated by the infpiffated juice in which they are baked, which juice or fyrup is formed by a portion of beer or water put to the pears before they are put into the ovenj and which feems to attrad the native juice of the pear, in a larger proportion than what might flow if baked without an added fluid. This apparent lyrup im- preffes the palate with the fweetnefs of real fugar, and which imparts to milk and the acid pulp of apples, its fweet quality, not difl:inguifliable in thefe fubjcfls from what it is ufed for. I therefore cannot but find myfelf interefl:ed, in earneftly wifliing that ibnrie encouragement might ' be [ '37 ) Ije given, to afcertain whether fuch a fubftance as fugar is not obtainable from this lufcious fruit when thus prepared by fire. I need not add, what 1 con- ceive muft appear from what has preceded, that in fomc inftances it may fcrve as a fucccdaneum to leflen the confumption of what is now, by the man-r ner of its being obtained, become obnoxious to the public fenfibilityj and the extradling this qualitjr, from a fruit eafily propagated, (congenial, if not; native, to our climate) will in its confequence be favourable to the intereft as well ^s convenience of this kingdom.* * 1 wifli to add to what I have mentioned in niy former communication on this fubjed, of the mode in which this fruit may be propagated, and in addi- tion to hawthorn flocks, obferve, that they take with known facility upon the quince, the flocks of which may be eafily propagated by their cuttings. I farther wifh to obferve, that in unifon with the fpirit of difinterefted patriotifm, which hath dif- tinguiflied the Bath Society, they may find it eligi- ble to encourage the reception of feeds or feminal plants of the acer faccharinum of America: and I • Sq far as this is conneded with the political' intereft of the nation, deeper coniiderations are involved, may [ »38 ] may farther notice, that with a large fample of re- fined fugar, which I laft fummer received from thence, I received a paper of its feeds; two plants from which made their appearance in autumn, and I perfuade myfelf more will in the enfuing fpring, as thefe feeds are in formation and genus like our maple feed, and I have no doubt but their habits are like them, and afhen keys, which rarely vegetate until they have laid in the earth at leaft one winter. It may not be improper to fubjoin an extradc from a letter I received, with the above-mentioned fugar and feeds, from a refpe(5lable chara6ler of Pennfyl- vania, (viz. Henry Drinker) on the progrefs their manufactory of fugar had made, dated in a fpring month of 1 79 1. " Laft year one perfon brought *^ to market from a neighbourhood not ten miles ** fquare, about fifty tierces of this (brown maple) *' fugar, weighing from twelve to fifteen tons. In " all probability the exertions and advances made " in this truly promifing bufinefs, will produce ten ** times the quantity ever before made." I am, fmcerely and refpeftfully, &c. Nerzvicby Feb. JOHN WAGSTAFFE, 24//&, 1792. Article [ >39 ] Article XIII. On Mangel' PFurzel, and other crops for Feeding CattU. TO THE SECRETARY. DEAR SIR> 1AM forry and furprized to read Dr. J. Anderfon's letter in your 5th vol. p. 146, depreciating the root of Scarcity. It is very clear he had not the true fort, as he fays he bought it at a common feed (hop. I have never yet been able to buy un- mixed feed at any Ihopi always finding a great proportion of red and green beet ; therefore I fhall always raife my own feed, which requires very little trouble. Dr. Lettfom*s defcription and account of the true fort is very accurate, but it is not worth while for a great farmer to gather the leaves; and it is very doubtful whether the root will increafe more by taking away fome of the leaves; if they fall and rot on the ground, they will preferve moif- ture, and be of fervice there. But the great queftion is as to the weight and value of the roots, for feed- ing horfes, cattle, fheep, and hogs, or any of them, and whether they have any, and what advantage over the plants and roots before in ufe. This is a very copious fubjed, and I have not time to write fully on every part of it, Doftor u [ 1 40 ] Do6tor Andcrfon, p. 150, fays, " The fibres that fpring from the roots are fo numerous and ftrong ' as to entangle a great deal of earth among them^^ from which it is difficult to difengage itj in wet " weather in winter, I do not fee how it would be « poffible, &c." The root of the beet is entirely under ground, with ftrong fibres like the turnip- rooted cabbage, but the true Mangel- Wurzel grows moftly above the ground and is very eafily drawnj and all thofe animal^ will, when hungry, eat at firft both root and leaves, but fome creatures are at firft averfe to new food, and will refufe turnips, carrots, &c. which they af- terwards become very fond of, fo that no one fhould judge and determine precipitately, as it is known that many ftieep will almoft ftarve before they will eat turnips. All writers do not fufficiently diftinguifh the crops that beft fuit clay-land, ftrong loam, and a light fandy gravel; nor do they give diftindl ac- counts of thofe crops that may be drawn off the land at Michaelmas, in order to fow wheat, and thofe that will beft ftand the winter to be eaten off the land, which is the cheapeft and moft beneficial method, where the foil and fituation is dry enough; but even in that cafe to raife potatoes, . mangel- wurzel, carrots, or parfnips, in the fummer fallows, and f «4l 1 aiid houfe fudi crops before winter, near the fold yards for cattPe, &c. will enable the farmer to keep- more (lock in winter to tread his draw, and greatl/ increafb thac valuable thingonafarm called dung or muck. Having land of various forts, I pradife a little of each, and find no difficulty in farming advan- tageoufly, but to get my workmen to be honcft and diligent; as I can feldom fpare time to look after them fufficiently, the very beft bailiff cannot or will not get as much done as the mailer can. I fee for the firft time a Ihort account of the roota baga, and mowing cabbage, in Sir Tho. Beevor's letter, of which I wifli for further information, and CO obtain the feed next fpring. . '; Wro \ . Sir Thomas feems to think Mangel- Wurzel of little or no fuperior value, as it will not ftand the froftj which fo very large a root, growing moftly above the ground, cannot be expeded to do; for roots are generally tender in proportion to their bulk, and the quicknefs of their growth: and it is fo with trees, the flowed growers are mod hard and durable. I think that turnip-rooted cabbage dands the winter better than any other root in ufc, but it grows flowly, and never produces fo large a crop as the other roots I have mentioned; and there is t H2 ] is much trouble and difficulty in feparating the earth (if clammy and ftifF) from the roots. On the whole I know no crop fo certain, and fo producStive and ufeful, as potatoes j they will feed moft, if not all kinds of ftock. Thofe farmers who have moft leifure, fhould af- certain for their own government, in their refpec- tive foils and fituation, the comparative degree of nourifhment in a given weight of each root now in \]fe, to feed every kind of farmer's ftock ^ perhaps the leaft perifhable, are at once the moft folid and the moft nouriftiing. Thofe that abound with faccharine juices are certainly fo; and fuch are car- rots and parfnips, which are difficult and uncertain to raife and keep free from weeds, and are only fit for a deep light foil. I write in a hurry thefe general ideas, as they occur to mes if they are of any ufe I ihall be glad. And am. Sir, Your obliged humble fervant, Lamnihangley J. FRANKLEN. July igthy 1790, Article [ 143 1 Ai.nCLE XIV. On Wool, Sheep, (^c. TO THE SECRETARY. Sir, THE premium offered by the Bath Agricultural Society, for afcertaining in the Weftern Counties, by any experimental method, the beft breed of Sheep in Carcafe and Wooly feems perfeftly judicious. Both thefe being equally eflential to us: the one as adding to the fupply of food; the other, to the means of induftry obtaining it. The great miftake of either, feparately attended to, I conjec- ture to be, the rearing on an enormous carcafe a very cbarfe, though long wool; which can only be applied to thofe inferior manufadlures, in which the ingenuity is io trivial, that the raw material makes nearly half the value of the fabrick; or the rearing on a fmall carcafe, of moderate meat, a fmall quan- tity of that fine wool, fo effential to the more deli- cate and artful manufactures. Wool of this fort, at the rate of one to two pounds per Iheep, is col- lected herefrom the moft ragged ramblers of our commons; and worth, when culled, half-a-crown a pound. The extent, fhortnefs, and fweetncfs of their feed, throwing the value into the fmall fleece. But to encourage, or even permit, as in fpite of our C >44 ] our boafted improvements is flill done, a collec- , tion of commonage, for affording a fcanty pittance of fhort feed, on a wide ramble, in order to gather in return a few fleeces, comparatively, of even the fineft wool, would be fupporting the boaft of manu- facture at the expence of food and population. At fuch expence is the pride of Spain in her flocks now fupported, — a policy far from enviable ! That the finefl: broad- cloth has gradually decreafed in goodnefs, and the narrow- cloth equally improved, is very palpable; and has probably arifen from an increafe by cultivation of that fort of pafliurage, which maintains a far greater number of the beft Iheep, with fome diminution in their fleece of finer wool ; — too great a mixture of Spanifli with Eng- lilh wool in the fabrick, in order to remedy this decline of our own, only procuring the ufual fine- nefs at the expence of the old texture. Since the improved culture of Norfolk and Suffolk, by converting extenfive flieep-walks into fine inclofures of wheat, barley, clover, and turnips, with rye and tares; the wool of their provincial fpecies has decreafed in finenefs ; but been amply compenfated by the larger quantity raifed on more numerous flocks, fupporting and fupported by the moil improved agriculture ; and at the fame time fupplying [ '45 3 lupplying the market with fome of the beft winter mutton. The SufTex South-Down breed, lately introduced into thefe counties, will feel the fame cfFe6l of change, from Ihort, natural, and extenlive, to confined, fucculent and artificial pafturage; and however profitable on the whole to the grazier, and beneficial to the community, as from the greater numbers fupported on a given quantity of paflurage every late trial at prefent confirms ; yet from the very beneficial mode of their fupport, will gradually decline in the delicacy of their fleece, unlefs amply and annually fupplied with additions to the flock from the original flock on the Downs. The wool of them in this neighbourhood has been fold hitherto at ad. and 3d, per pound lower than the fame in SufTex ; and the wool of the fecond year of impor- tation from SufTex, of the fanrle fheep, was not equal to thatofthe firfl. I have been informed, by a very eminent manu- fafturer, that many years fince an attempt, from a fuppofed fimilarity of paflure, was made to intro- duce the long-wooled Lincolnfhire breed into thp hundreds of EfTex. The ftaple was perfed at the firft year, declined in the fecond, and was lofl at the fifth. Repeated new fupplies and crofTings might have kept up fomewhat of the fpecies, and fettled at Vol. VI. L" ^^ [ '4.6 ] laft a near approach to it. This is now trying here between the Norfolk and the South-Downs ; and promifes a breed that may unite very tolerable wool with a very fine carcafej equally proper for the fold and artificial pafturage ; of a bulk fuperior to the South-Downs, inferior to the Norfolk, but fmaller in the bone, rounder in the form, tamer in difpofition, and thriving with equal profit on lefs food. From the drawing and defcription o{ the Mouffloriy a wild fheep of Tartary, and fuppofed by fome na- turalifts to be the primitive race ; the Norfolk, of all our fpecies, feems moft like this original. A lean long head, large curved horns, a rifing back- bone; when {landing, the fore-legs ftraight, the hinder bent inwards, flrong in his whole make, agile in his movements, and in look wild and bold. Neither this, nor any other provincial fort, have been attempted to be reared to an higher degree of perfection, by perfeverance in culling, preferving, and occafionally crofling the more peculiarly per- fe6b ones of the breed, till the Leicefterlhire Society aftonilhed the kingdom, and I may fay, all Europe, with their (kill in the trial, their fuccefs in the event, and the incredible return to their perfeverance and fagacity, from the price paid by thofe who moft laudably [ ?47 3 laudably aimed at fharing in the pride and benefit of fuch improvement. If any little artifice of trade hath been exerted in this extraordinary Ipeculation, the publick has probably fhared fully in its refult, by the ardour raifed and excited to follow up fuch an example, by equal attempts ; which, if in other counties, more fuitable for foil and fituation for that purpofe, caii produce a ifiner ftaple of wool on a carcafe tolerably equivalent, will probably bp ftill more beneficial, in not only fupplying the market with fine meat, but the manufadlory with is fine wool. That the extremeil finenefs in wool may^ ia forne climates be united with the longed ftaple, I nave proof in a very fmall quantity that I took from one of a few rough fleeces, brought as a little adventure by the Captain of an Eaft-India fhip frdm the Manillas; it is white as fnow, and foft as filk; was bought by the very ingenious manufac- turer at eight Ihillings the pound, and fo readily acknowledged by him to have a far fuperior value in the purpofes to which, from its delicacy, it could extenfively be applied; (the advanced price of the raw material being comparatively as nothing to Ac value of the improved manufacture ingenuity can make of it;) that an order was given to colle(5t La in [ H8 ] in the Eaft-Indies, at a more advanced price, any quantity that could be procured of the fanrie. Yet fuch was the influence of the VEJ-prit du Corps^ (of Which all profelTions have their full Ihare) that even thiii inftance did not convince the propriety of al- lowing, by an open fale, the bed price as the ne- ceflary encouragement for raifing at home the befl wool the foil and climate would allow, and of thus preventing the manufa6turers of our coarfeft and inartificial fabricks from afTuming, to the reftraint of every fine one, too large a portion of our wool; by the encouragement thus given to the grower, to confider the quantity as more valuable than the quality of his fleece. A mofl: glaring abfurdity! which, as far as legijlative approbation of it can go, mufl: continue, till that period, when a reform in our mode of eledion and reprefentation fhall have, agreeably to the fpirit of the confl:itution, re- ftored to the landed interefl; an influence and energy equivalent to that of the manufadurers. It is prouder to deferve, than to receive publick encouragementi and from a tafl:e extremely pro- moted, in my opinion, among Country Gentlemen, by the writings of Arthur Young, efqj ofamufing flremfelves in agricultural purfuits, it feems as if the improvement of flieep and wool would rife under [ H9 ] under its opprefliop, and be fhewn to have defcrved a„ fairer treatment. Grazing ought ever to be the leading objed in the farming of mere Gentlemen; and to them, that of Iheep will be the moft amu- finjg, and the lead hazardous. The verieft farmeJ-j^p^ to a full flock muft have, and extremely confide in, for every profit, a regular fhepherdj the Gentleman needs do no morej and with a little additional al- lowance will, in this traffick, and this alone, (land on as fafe footing for his amufement, as his tenant does foir his fupport, againft wafte, idlenefs, and imDofitlon. For the arable neceflary for the fup- ply of artificial feed during winter and fpring, need be only in fuch very moderate quantity, as to re- ' qui^e little labour and expence; the mod extenfive lawn is thus turfed by the clofe bite, and thickened by^tl>e manure of the flock; the fineft wool, for that fhould certainly be a principal objedl, is gra- cluaily obtained; and the breed, found by expe- rience moft fuitable to it, maintained on a foil kept by that very means in a conftant ftate of im- provement, Exclufive of the private advantage of thus cultivating a demefne in the moft profitable mode, and the rational entertainment refulting from experiment on an animal whofe varieties are fo great, as to receive from change of climate and food a perceptible diftin(5lion of form and qualities; L 3 the [ '5° ] the general benefit of every county is immediately confulted by the only means in which the common farmers can gain the chance at an eafy charge, and fpeedy rate, to have the beft breeds gradually con- veyed within their reach; and the kingdom thus flocked with what is mofl profitable under its pre- fent circumftances. To a confiderable increafe of population, we mud certainly attribute the alarming report of a late committee, that this kingdom does not at prefent, grow more corn than is neceflary for its own con- fumption. It is therefore in policy a criminal dif- grace to permit the waftes to remain uninclofed, even where they are a tolerable flieep-walks when by an apportionment of wafle to individuals, under the prefent rotation of crops on arable land, flocks, upon the whole of fuperior value, might be kept up in not inferior numbers -, and with due . encou- ragement, not lefs delicate in the wool. At the fame time, they would contribute by the fold to raife corn for the fupport of that multitude to which the manufacturing of their fleece affords employ- ment, and in confequence has added to the increafe. From the North of Scotland, where the climate renders grazing the only proper agriculture, we may may expefb, under the attention, induftry, and cx- pence of its patriot adventurers, the bed breed for the fined fleece, and confequently, I prefume, of Icfs valuable carcafe. But in England, to reach perfc(5lion in the latter, and approach to it in the former, is agreeable to our (ky and foil; necefTary tp^ our culture and population ; and every encourage- ment and reward that roufes competition for their mutual attainment, excited by publick virtue, and regulated by good fenfe, I am, rcfpedfully, your's, &c. CHARLES ONLEY. Stifted'Hall^ EJfex, Jan. 31, 1792. Article XV. On Plantingy Craftings and making Cyder, TO THE SECRETARY. Sir, A Premium being offered by the Bath and Weft of England Society for the beft pra<5lical EfTay, founded on experience, on raifing Apple- Stocks, and the mod fuccefsful method of grafting and I '52 ] and raifing apple-trccs for the orchard; together with the beft eflay on gathering apples, makings them into cyder, and of managing that cyder until it fhall become fit for ufe; induces me to tranfmit through your hands the method I have fuccelsfully praftifed. If it ftiould be confidered worthy the attention of the Society, I fhall efleem it the highefl lionour. I am. Sir, your obedient fervant, J. N. MORSE. I^ewenty Dec, 5, 179 1. After the apples are ground in a mill, and the juice for cyder (or if crabs, the verjuice) is prefTed from the rind, flalks, core and kernels; this is called the mufty and fhould. be crumbled quite fmall, and laid thin on a board floor to dry; for if it be laid thick, it will heat and deflroy the vegetation of the kernels. To prevent its heating it Ihould often be turned with a malt-fhovel. Prepare a piece of ground by well digging and Qlearing from weeds, keeping the furface fmooth ; and* in February or March lay the mufl thereon, (ind fbovel-turn it in, that it may be two inches deep; in C »53 ]' in about fix weeks the young plants will appear/ and: mud be kept clean from weeds -, let them remain' two or ' dircc years in the feed-beds, when they^ Ihould be taken up, and the tap-root cut ofF, as' alfo feme of the fpreading branches. There now' fhould be another piece of ground prepared by double digging, wherein to tranfplant the flocks, laid out in beds four feet widej plant them in rowi^ acrofs the beds about one foot diflance between the rows, and eight or ten inches diflance in the rows ; let them fland here three years, when they mufl mufl again be taken up, the roots and tops drefl, and planted in rows about eighteen inches diflance in the rows, and three feet between the rows; but four feet is better, as it will be more room to dig the ground between them, which fhould be done at leafl once a year, and kept clean from weeds, &c. by hoeing. Tranfplanting them twice, and pruning their roots, makes them root better and flronger, and commonly rife with a wig or fibery root. They are to fland in this nurfery until of fuffi- cient fize to plant in orchards ; fome may be large enough when ten years old, others not until fourteen or fiftcenj for they may be of very different fizes, although fown and planted at the fame time. Here they are to be carefully trained up flraight, and pruned C '54 ] pruned every year, by cutting off five or fix of the largeft knots or fprays each year, and not nnany more in one year, as it would make the flock grow top-heavy and throw out more branches. This pruning Ihould be done in the fpring feafon, as the wounds will heal fooneft when the fap is rifing; but if pruned in autumn or winter, the wounds will be long in healing, and be very black, and continue fo for years. Stocks ought to be ftrong for planting orchards that they may the fooner grow out of the way of cattle, which very often does them great injury. The fize I choofe to plant is from one inch and a quarter to one inch ^nd a half in diameter at the grafting place; that is, about five feet fix inches, from the ground. The method I purfue in planting orchards is, firft lay out the field by fetting up ftakes equidiftant; 20 or 22 yards from each other, I look upon as the befi: diflance. After they are properly arranged, dig a hole confiderably larger than will take the roots of the (lock, that the earth may be foft and mellow for them to ftrike therein more freely ; have your flock ready with the roots and head pruned, particularly thofe that werebruifed in raifingi place it it upright in the hole. If fome better mould, fuch as ftrcct-fhovclings, or a compoft made with rotten dung, good mould and lime, (lime kills the ants, which are very deftrudlive to flocks and trees,) were mixed with the foil to fill the hole, it will ex- pedite the growth of the ftock. Care fhould be taken to fill up every vacancy between the roots, fhakipg the ftock well whilft filling; when filled, tr^ad the earth down to the roots pretty hard, then h^ve a ftake four, or five feet long driven fideways in, the ground leaning againft the ftock, pointing to the weft wind, and firmly tie the ftock to the ftakc with an ozier twig, placing a hayband be- twec;n the ftock and the ftake, to prevent galling; - this will prevent the wind fhaking the ftock, which very often injures it, and prevents its taking root. We fliould then have fix or eight black-thorns, pointed and ftuck in the ground round the ftock, reaching up to the. head; thefe ftiould be tied in two places with twigs, to prevent cattle or ftieep from brouCng on, or rubbing, or peeling the ftocks, which they are very apt to do, particularly young ftieep. I have had ftocks peeled quite round by, ftieep. The greafe of the wool, when ftieep rubi againft them, injures and retards their growth. Where wood is plenty, if three pofts be ereded tri- angularly round the ftock, and laths nailed to the pofts. [' iW r tVi pods, it is the beft fence. The flocks inuft nbw"^ (land three'years to take full foot i at the expiration,^' thofe that have made free fhoote fhould be grafted with what fort of apples the planter may pleafe. The method of grafting thefc large ftocks is that in the clift, and performed as follows: firft, with a," law cut off the head of the ffock in a fmooth placel at five feet or five feet fix incKes from the ground, pare it very fmpoth; tlien with a flrong knife and mallet cleave the flock about one and half inchl down, a little on one fide the heart of the flock; draw out the knife and put a wedge, driving it eafy " in the flit at the top to keep it a little open. Then with a knife made for that, purpofe, only open the flit about one and half inch lone, half an inch wide . on the rind, bringing it to a feather-edge near the heart, and to a point at the bottom of the flit. You ' mufl now have your grafts or fcions ready, which mufl be cut with a keen knife very fmooth to fit,^ and place it in the clift, fo that the rind of the graft may exaftly meet the rind of the flock. If the Hock be large enough you may put an©ther graft on the other fide -, when rightly placed, draw out the wedge at top, taking care not to difplace the '\ grafts, and the flock will clofe in and hold fafl the grafts, when you mufl have fome fmooth clay mixed with [t ?57 } with fine hay, made into pledgets, aj^dwind round tiie grafts and flock, making it fmooth on the out- fide^ this will keep the wet and air out of the crown of the flock, and the fun from exhaufling the fap. The befl time for performing this bufi- ne(S ii in February and March. Whip-grafting is pradlifed with great fuccefs, and generally on fmall flocks about half an inch in diameter. The graft or fcion nearly the fize of the (lock. This flock mufl be cut off in a floping diredlion, and the graft alfo, about one and half inch in length j pare both ftock and graft fmooth, and to fit each other, par- ticularly betwixt the wood and rind, that the fap may freely circulate; then cut a flit or tongue about half an inch in the fcion upward, the fame in the flock downward, to receive the tongue in the fcion; in that manner fix the graft in the flock; immediately tie a firing of foft bafs or yarn round to keep the flock and graft in its right pofition; and immediately cover the place with fome grafting clay. In May or June the bandages muft be taken off^. Saddle-grafting is fomewhat funilar; the flock being cut ofi^ floping, and die fcion made to fit, and tied on as in whip-grafting. Apples t '58 ] Apples fliould be gathered when full ripe, and will quit the tree by gentle fliaking ; if gathered before ripe the cyder will be rough and hard, and feldom pleafant or good flavoured. Lay them on the ground in a fruit-yard, better if upon a gravel walk, as the wet will run from them and they will lie dry in the bottom ; fliouid not lie thicker than ten or twelve inches, and are better kept without than . within doors. Care iliould be taken to place fruits of equal riperiefs and good qualities by themfelves^ for if of different ripenefs the cyder will be apt to ferment too much, which will caufe it to grow hard, and never be rich, full and fine-flavoured. When the fruit is thoroughly mellow, it mufl be cotnmitted to the mill for the purpofe of cyder- making, made with a flone chafe and roller, fome- thing firhilar to a bark or a fugar-mill. The roller drawn round the chafe by a horfe. Here it fhould be ground to a pulp, that no bit of apple may be feen, and until you cannot hold it in your hand, if you take a handful and fqueeze it i the kernels and rind will then be well broken, and will give the li- quor a fine flavour. Let it be put into tubs or hogftieads with one head out, and remain there two days, then prefs it through hair-cloths. I ufe four- teen or fifteen, putting about two pails full in each, turning I m 1 turning up the fides and corners; then put anbtha: on until the whole are filled, when prcfs it with a fcrewj put the juice into hoglheads; after it has been there a few days it will work and throw up a thick fubftance at the bung-hole, fomewhat like barm, but of a darker colour; when this appears it generally is dropt fine, and fhould be immediately rack'd into a clean cafk; for if the fubftance be fuf- fered to fall, the grounds from the bottom will rife, and the whole will be in a ferment and very foul, and perhaps muft be racked three or four times be- fore it can again be feparated and got fine; and will run a rifque of making the cyder harfh. So long as it remains fine and free from fermenting, it may remain in the cafk, but if it ferments much it (hould be racked, and the grounds or lees* taken from it; it often requires four or five rackings. Cyder made with different forts of apples keeps beft by breaking and mixing together ; but this ftiould not be done until it is fine, when the proprietor may blend it to his palate. After the whole is done, a bung may be placed over the bung-hole, but ftiould • N. B. The ke$ may be dropt through a bag or bags of coaifc cloth, made in the foiin of a jelly-bag, with a hoop fown round the top to hold about a pail full j by doing this very little cyder will be wafted, and the droppings added to the cyder will be a means to keep it from fermenting, and will alfo help the colour. not . [ i6o ] not be clofe ftopt until February or March, when It it will be fit for fale or ufe. If cyder do not fine, fome people ufe ifinglafs. For one hogfhead of a hundred gallons beat about one ounce and a half and pull it to pieces j add to it about two quarts of liquor, and whifk it together; next day add more liquor, and whifk it : repeat this until it be diflblved, and beaten fine. Rack your foul liquor, throw in the dififolved glafs, and flir it together with a (lick. As foon as it drops fine, rack it off into a clean cafk. Cyder fhould not be bottled until fixteen or eigh- teen months after it is made, as it would endanger the breaking the bottles. J. N. Morse. Article XVI. On a particuluar Kind of Apple, (^c. TO THE SECRETARY. Sir, ARTICLE xxth of the 4th volume of your Society's Papers is furely interefting to the planters of orchards. Yjour judicious comment in a note, and humane invitations to the publick to fur- nifh t ^6I T ni{h fcions of fiich different fruit as may coatribute to the general good, by improving the ftock of fg valuable an article, merits praife,—- If the following charadcr of the fruit of a certain apple-tree be thought worthy of your Society's attention, ^ fcir fcions are at their fervice. Having purchafed a fmall freehold in the year 1777, the lail proprietor inforoocd me there was a certain tree in tlie orchard (which orchard in general wa^ in a deplorable ftate) of fo excellent a kind, that they could always fell the fruit ac an advanced price; nay, was fo good as to require no liigar whea made into a pye. Being a litde hard of belief to- wards this laft aflertion, trial at leaft ought to be made, which was done by adding the ufuaj J^^ices, refer ving only the fugar. The confequence was, the paflry was fo well relifhed, that diis apple t9 this day maintains its fuperiority at table, without the addition of a grain of fugar.* I requefted an eminent nurferyman in this neighbourhood to e;i- amine the tree and the fruit, anditi^rm nae, if he could, what kind it was. Of the tree he could fi^m no guefsi having tafted the fruit, he called k ti» Orange Pippin, the fhape being finciilar to an old • Slugrfy If a fair trial were made, would not mai^y kinds ofpur beft tablc-fniit do the feme > Vol. VL M fruit t i62 ] fruit of that name, and its colour when ripe fonac- thing refembling an orange. He begged a few fcionS) (the kind it fhould fcem was not general) and has difperfed fince, over the country, great numbers. The fliape of the tree is the bed poffible for an apple, its 'branches extending horizontally, and when loaden with fruit, bending downwards. It is a conftant and generally produ(^tive bearer; I think never quite barren. As to the flavour of its fruit, the neareft I can compare it to, is that of the Ribftone Pippin, but not quite fo high (i. e. inferior probably.) After Chriflmas it lofes fome of its excellencies, but will keep found till the feafon of goofeberries* It is no bad oeconomy, when any particular plant is found congenial to, or to flourifh in a certain foil, to cultivate that plant. As this tree agreed fo well with my ground, and the fruit had fo many recom- mcndations of its own, I determined that this apple (retaining a few varieties) fhould be chiefly culti- vated here. The young plants are but lately be- come bearers. I am forry to obferve, that although the fruit is good, it is yet inferior to the parent flock: here then appears a degeneracy. I have not yet learned how it has anfwered in other places. Such as it is, a few fcions are at the Society's fervice, by fending [ «63 ] fending direftions how and whither they may be fcnt, in a line direded to. Sir, Your obedient fervant, JOHN HOLT. Walton near Liverpool, Jan. 3, 1790. ^ This gentlcman^s offer was thankfully accepted, and the fcions difpofed of to gentlemen mott likely to propagate them. We take this opportunity of repeating, that if any gentlemen who may think themfelves poflelTed of fuperior fruits, will be fo obliging as to off«r cions to the publick, through the medium of the Secretary of this Society, it will be deemed an eflential fervice. Article XVII. On I'ranjplanting Wheat, Csff. TO THE SECRETARY. SIR, I Beg leave to offer a few thoughts upon dividing and tranfplanting Wheat, on which fubject a premium has been offered, upon two varied ex- periments, and which originated, it may be pre- fumed, from the amazing quantity raifed from a fingle grain of corn, repeatedly divided and tranf- M a , planted [ '64 ] planted, as recorded in your tranfac^ions; I cannoa refer to the particular volume, not being in polfel- fion of the work.* It is a fad: well known, that to eftablifli fomc ^vourite hypothefis, or in purfuit of fomc favourite fcheme, perfeverance in the profecution has been almofl incredible, to enfure a fuccefsful iflfue : hence different effeds from different motives. In otli^r words, when reduced to common prad:ice in the rude hands of the labourer, who has no other mo- tive to aftion than to obtain the hire of his induflry, the effects are not always favourable. The wifdom of providence has ordained, that the mofl ufeful knowledge is with leaft difficulty obtained; and the mofl ufeful pra6lices mofl eafily executed. The a6i: of dividing a root of corn, which confifls of fever al branches, requires no imall degree of de- licacy in the operation, to prcferve fome part of the original root to each feparately divided ftem. To this difficulty may be added, the chance of obtain- ing a proper and feafonable opportunity; without moiflure either from fhowers or watering, the plants mufl inevitably perifh under the- operation : under the mofi favourable- circumflances, the plants re- ' Vol. iii. ^age 388* quire [ i6j ] quire fome portion of time to acquire their former health and rigour, confequently this check, accord- ing w the number of rqx:titions, will proportion- oWy retard the maturity of the grain. Nor is this rcflfoning from theory, but aiftual experience ; and that the cultivator of this extraordinary produce was well aware of thefe fads, is evident : for the grain 6(f wheat was committed to the earth, if I recoiled: liruly, in June, four months previous to the natu- ral feafon of fowing this fpecies of grain j fo that it had this length of time, or nearly two feafons, or one fummer in advance, as it were, to aid thefe fcveral checks or drawbacks on vegetation. From the foregoing premifes it fhould feem, that although the fad may be pradicable by the dili- gently curious, it can never bfceome ufefiil to the pradical cultivator. Far- from depreciating thefe ingenious trials of perfevering induftry and fkilli they may be produdive of utility, and ought to be recorded. Hints generate hints; and the experi- ment under confideration has produced the follow- irtg, of fcparating the different branches from a fingle potatoe, and replanting each item thus di- vided, and taken from the original ict. Whether this pradice will be produdive of any good, re- mains to be afcertained, as this experiment is only M 3 in [ i66 ] in procefs; but this I already obferve, that the Hems feparate without difficulty, (no lefs than four- teen from one root) and vegetate again with vigour} more fo than any fpecies of grain I have hitherto divided or tranfplanted. It cannot be doubted that a moid feafon was adopted. I cannot forbear mentioning one method of tranf- planting wheat, which may be worthy the attention of the induftrious^ labourer, to whom a few hours extra work may not be an obje6l equal to the faving of purchafing feed, or faving the grain for the ufe of his family : it was this fpecies of oeco- nomy that pointed out that ufeful method of dib- bling wheat, firft praftifed in Norfolk: I mean colleding feedling plants from the wheat-ftubbles which have been felf-fown the preceding autumn. Thefe plants are not of the lead utility to the farmer, but are fometimes, by hurricanes or other accidents, fo abundant on the ground as to afford fufficient ftock to plant many acres. It may happen the autumnal feafon is not favourable to the feed har- veft, the land may be wet, &c. In fuch cafes thefe feedling plants, which would otherwife be loft, may be rendered extremely ufeful. Under thefe cir- cumftances, I planted a piece of potatoe ground in March laft with feedling plants, collected from a wheat- E 167 ] whcat-llubblc, which at this prcfent jundhire have a moft proniifing afpecfl. I wifh you health to fee the Lancalhire apple flourifh in your neighbourhood. And ann. Sir, With much efteem. Your obedient fervant, J. HOLT. JValtoHy near Liverpool^ May 31, 1790. Article VIII. ' On the Lofs of Weight in Grainy fcfr. to the secretary. Dear Sir, FROM a variety of experiments made upon evaporation, I have feledled and fent the fol- lowing, as falling more properly under the plan of your Society. The fads ipay afford fome ufeful hints to the farmer, and fervc to inftrudt him, that befides I i68 J befidcs tkc rats, mice, and other vermin, he has a fecretand filent,but never-ceafing en cmjr, continually making depredations upon his property, as the fol- lowing experiments, to aibertain the lofs that grain, efpecially wheat, fuftains, will verify. EXPERIMENT I. AUGU^ST 51ft, 1789. Gathered and rubbed a few ears of wheat during a glowing fun, which being immediately put into the fcales weighed 2 ounces 11 drams. October the 1 8th, being put into the fcales again, then weighed 2 ounces 7 drams. The lofs of weight per bulhel of 70 pounds (the cuftomary meafure of this neigh- bourhood) is 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and 3 drams, nearly, or almoft one-tenth of the whole in 49 days. But this is the greateft lofs that grain can pofTibly fuftain, which, although perfedlly ripe, had neither the advantage of being dried in the fun after being reaped, nor had it undergone the procefs of fermen- tation after being got together.— —N. B. Thirty- two grains weighed one penny-weight. Barley. E»p. ir. Sffpf. 2. Under the fame circumftances put into the fcales 2 ounces and 2 drariis of barkyv which t »69 ] which, being tried again Oft. the i8th, weighed | ounce and 1 2 drams, or, at 60 pounds to the buflicl, had loft 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and 22 drams, or about one ft venth of the whole in forty-fcven days. N. B, Twenty-four grains of this barley weighed one pennyweight two grains, fo that this corn muft have been fofter, or in a Icis matured ftate, than the grains of wheat in the firft experiment* Since 24 grains of plump wheat are reckoned to weigh one* pennyweight, and hence the ftandard of that weight; whereas we fee the pennyweight took 32 grains. Wheat. Exp. hi. O^, I2d. Put into the fcales fix ounces three drams, which in 24 days loft three drjims, or after the rate of two pounds one ounce, fift^dn drams, per bulhel. Wheat. Exp, IV. Jan. '^th, 1790. Took two ounces two drams of wheat, which in thirty-two days loft after the rate of 2 pounds 15 drams per bufhel. From thcfe cxperinfients it appears that the decreafe in weight was pretty regular from the time of harveft, and the time taken in afcertaining the lofe of [ 170 3 of each quantity : in other words, that the fum of the matter evaporated becomes gradually lefs ac- cording to the length of time kept on hand, but proves that the fooQpr the crop is brought to mar- ket, ceteris paribus^ the greater is the advantage to the farmer. N.B. The number of grains to a pennyweight in the two laft experiments was omitted, or forgotten to be regiftered. After the lofs fuftained in the experiment No. 4 had been afcertained, the grain was expofed a few minutes before the fire, and when weighed again had loft three pennyweights. If fuch be the lofs in weight of grain, we may conclude the potatoe, which evidently contains a confiderable quantity of water, muft alfo fufFer by evaporation, although its quality may by this lofs^ be improved. Jug. lytb, 1789. Took a pint-eye potatoe, frefh from the earth and well cleaned, which weighed two ounces, nine dwts. and twenty grainsj the day following it had loft twenty grains j two days after' twenty-fix grains; in four days more thirty- one grains; in ten days more, or at the end of feventeen days, it had loft forty grains. But we obferve it loft as much the firft day, as the laft fixteen; in three days^ fix [ '7> r fix grains; whereas in thirteen days more, it only loft fourteen grains. If fuch be the progrefs of nature, we may natu- rally conclude this efFed is increafed by the culinary procefs. A potatoe that weighed 2 ounces, 7 dwts. and 5 grains, in its natural ftate, after being roafted only weighed i ounce, 5 dwts. another before being put into water weighed 2 ounces, 5 dwts. and 6 grains, but immediately after being boiled, had loft 54 grains. , Left you fhould fear I am entering uponafyftcm of cookery, I abruptly conclude. Sir, Your obedient fervant, JOHN HOLT. Waltony near Liverpool^ Nov. i/, 1790. Article t '72 ] Article XIX. Ohjervations on the Suhje5fs propojed by the Bath r.^^r^tiilyj in their Circular Letter af Juiy ;}oth, 1791, for Enquiry of the fever al Perfins ts whom 4hifmd Leu^- iiMi addreffed. . JS^uB fr(m Circular Letter, ^ The S(>t'iety has httti mform6 it is ufelefs to plant at all, and where of courfe the under branches of the trees cannot be preferved; we mud not make our plantations, as is too frequently done, of fo fmall a fize, that, inftead of being (as they are intended to be) a (helter to the adjacent country, the trees will not even llielter each other from the winds, but become mofly and ftunted, and catch colds which they never recover. And when the owner has flattered himfelf for 30 or 40 years, that he fhall live to fee the fruits of his labour come to perfection, he finds he has it all to do over again. The great damage generally done to planta- tions, next to that of fufFering them to be eaten up by cattle, which is not uncommon, is by, the cold winds (in this county the fouth-weftern) which [ 177 ] which afFd6ls them moft ferioufly, when they begirt to throw off their lower branches, and leave their bodies naked. To this period we ought to look forward in all our plantations. Till that time, trees may be made to grow and thrive in almoft any fituation ; but (lielter is perhaps of more confe- quence than foil to the growth of trees. If that cannot be obtained from the natural fituation, we muft make the plantations a fhelter to themfelves. In the firft place w« muft make them big enough, that the wind may not blow through them when grown up-, and fecondly we muft thin them early and often, and inure them gradually to bear that de- gree of cold, which it will be neceflary for them to bear, when nature has deprived then of their under branches, and left their bodies naked. Plantations fo made and managed, will prove beneficial to the owner, ornamental to the country, and ufeful to the community. Ob/ervations on thejuppofed NegleEl and Scarcity of Oak 'Timber. Extras from the Society s Letter. ** AS from the fuppofed negle£l and fcarcity of Oak " Timber, planting and the prefcrvation of woods is *' become an obje£t of great national confequence. " The fociety wifh to know your fcntimcnts on the Vox.. VI. N •• prcfent [ 178 ] «« prefcnt ftatc of oak plantations in general, and how " far you think the Uirch^ or any other tree capable " of being fubftituteJ for oak in any branch of (hip *' buildihg, has been attentively cultivated." ^be following vhfervations rejultingfrom an experience of near 29 y^^r^y ^«^ ^^^' ^ '^^O' ^^^^'^fcd Englifh grown fir, for almoft all domcftick purpofes, in the dry, for 10 years pad, and finds no wood except oak equal to it; and we have an inftance of a cart-houfe, which has been built with Englifli grown fir upwards of 70 years, now almoft asperfed as when new. If [ i84 ] If therefore the ufes of oak timber for domeftick purpofes can, as undoubtedly many of them can, be fupplied by other timber, of which there are fuch amazing quantities daily planted ; I think we need not be afraid that the fcarcity of oak timber for Ihip-building will ever be alarming. Let us at leaft firft be convinced, that the price rifes, before we be^ lieve that there is any fcarcity at all. For it is as evident, as that efFedb follows caufe, that there can be no real fcarcity, fo long as the price continues nearly the fame, much more when that of the crooked pieces, fo indifpenfably neceflary in the con- ftrudlion of a fliip, are funk from 25 to 30 per cent. The fubjed of trees and timber has been my favourite (ludy, and my daily employ, for near 30 years. The number of trees that have been planted under my dire6lion, and the quantity of timber of which I have had the difpofal, have been greater than can fall to the lot of many men. Any com- munications which the fociety may at any time wifli on this fubjed, fhall be given with the greateft pleafure. By their ajnd your obedient fervant, THOMAS DAVIS. P, S, Since C 185 ] p. S. Since writing the above letter, I have feen large quantities of oak timber in Devon and Corn- wall, cut down merely on accotint of the high price of bark; the buyers of which offered to fell the tim- ber again, asfoon as they hadftripped (viz. barked) it> from 6d. down to 4d. a foot; and yet this tim- ber was fit for building fmall coafting vefTels, for which the demand increafes, as that for fhips of war dccreafes. Does this look like a fcarcity? If there fhould be a likelihood that the vafl de- mand for bark, particularly in Ireland, will occafion much timber to be cut in wafte, merely for the bark, the fociety would do fervice to the publick, by offering a very handjome reward for a chemical pre- paratipn, to anfwer the purpofes of oak bark in tanning leather. It has been many times attempted with fome degree of fuccefs; but the principal ob- jedllon has been, that the price would be too great for general ufe ; but when it is confidered that the fame bark which fells in England at 4I. a ton, is now worth more than jl. in Ireland ; a chemical pre- paration which would anfwer as well as bark, after the rate of 61. per ton, would ferve Ireland, and keep the Englifh bark at home (where there is no fear of a demand for it) at the price ap which it is fjpw fold, Ahticl? [ i86 ] Article XX. On Smut in Wheat y new tnethodoffowhig by Handy &ff. TO THE SJECRETARY. Sir, IN the 5th volume of the Society's Papers, Art. 17, 1 obferye an anonymous writer on the fmut in wheat, who profefles to have made it a fub- jc6t of enquiry, afTert, it is cau fed by a cold, wet feafon when in bloom. He muft have been very in- attentive not to have obferved, that fmutty ears not only never blow in any feafon, but have never any figns of that which, appearing on wheat ears, is called bloom, and which in ears of wheat are to be found inclofed, by opening the chaff before blowing j but if the weather at that time prove cold and un- favourable, fb much as to prevent the chaff opening and the bloom from being difcharged, no grain is produced therein, as it caufes what is here techni- cally called a m'ljs in the car: therefore if the wea- ther has any thing to do with the caufe of fmut^ (which I doubt) it certainly mufl be in a much earlier date of vegetation than your correfpondent fuppofes ; for tlie fmut is to be difcovered as foon as the wheat is podded; and immediately on the burfting of tho pod, if the ear be picked out, it will be [ '87 ] be found to contain a very fmall green bud ; and if that ear (before ever having been expofed to the atmofphere) be rubbed on the hand, it will give out that difagreeablc odour, of which we arc very fcnfible in the more advanced ftage of it, but contains not the lead appearrance of what is deemed bloom in a wheat ear i therefore, I apprehend, his fmutty wheat in the cold wet fummer proceeded more from the preceding damp harveft, whereby the feed was more infeded with the difeafe (which I have ob- ferved) than from the feafon in which it grew. I am willing to admit his argument, that none but he who can repel blights can reward the hufbandman; but hope that the fociety will not on fuch grounds flop their enquiries. The phyfician might on .this principle withhold his aid; for we all know that man muft die, but nobody knows when, and all wifli to poftpone the day. He is very far from having proved that blight is the caufe of fmut: from many years clofe attention to this enquiry, I am certain it gene- rally is not; for I cannot caufe a blight, but certainly can the fmut in wheat, cither in a wet or dry fummer. I never difcovered any difference in the roots or knots, but it is to be diftinguiHied by an attentive obferver, before it comes to ear, having more the appearance of a wild oat than wheat, the leaf is of a darker green, and fo is the ear on its firft appearance. Sir [188] Sir T. Beevor's drill roller is, I think, an implc- ment well adapted for wheat which requires a clofc bottom, but I fliould prefer drilling for barley, as it delights in a warm loofe fituation; but as the well looking of Sir T. Beevor's work depends in a great meafurc on the corn being well fown, and as through moll countries, I have obferved that bufinefs is generally badly done, I am induced to fend you what I think the grcatefl improvement the old hufbandry has met with in this century ^ (I have not feen it pradifed elfewhere, nor any account of it in the agricultural publications) that is to fay, the new method of /owing hy hand\ the old method was to fow in warps, viz. 20 furrows at the time, proceeding down the right hand fide of the warp, and returning on the left fide, calling the feed with the right hand acrofs the warp, the whole was finifhed, and probably, as either going or returning the feedf- man was obliged to call againfl the wind, the work was badly done. By the new method, the feedfman always calls before the wind, takes a lefs quantity in his hand, and advances {^vt'Ci furrows each time, which is about three times over a warp, exadlly as tiles are pl;jcedi if in the beginning he proceeds to fow with his right hand, at the end he advances feven furrows and returns fowing with his left hand, pro- feeding alternately with his right and left hands, till tj^e [ i89 1 the field is finifhed; the only care required is to de- liver the corn thin on the mark, by which method it is in all weathers accurately fown, and not liable to be hand-platted, I have for Teveral years drilled the grcateft part of my corn, and have experienced that feven inches is the mod profitable diftance for the farmer; nine and ten inches is too far (except on very rich land) as in thin land, the corn ^viIl be too much cxpofcd to weeds and injury by dry weather. It was rc\y former pra61:ice, and I am fatisfied I was right when I rc- linquilhed it. Nothing has dcprefled the fpirit for drilling fo much, as the fallacious idea held forth and maintained by its enthufiaftick advocates, that large crops may be obtained with little feed, and rows at a great diftance; the defpicable crops I have feen from fuch management, could not efcape the obfervation and cenfure of thofe of another opinion, when a generous diftritution of double the quantity of feed would not only have prevented the ridicule, but have been doubly advantageous to the theorilL Some feed may no doubt be faved, and enough to pay the cxpence of drilling; I never drill lefs than two bulhels of wheat, feven inch furrows, and three and half barley; whatever may have been faid to the contrary, I never found the old farmers fo fliallow patcd. [ 190 ] pated, as to withhold diemfelves from what thcy/aw a fucccfiiful practice, confequendy this mode of drilling is generally adopted in this part of Kent, the event j unifying the pradcice. Drilling has been in vogue here near 40 years, and T believe the work XK) where better done, or better implements for the purpofe. I wifh you could perfuade Mr. Wimpey to favour me with an account of his five-furrow drill, in the 4th article.* There is no farmer in this country of 40L per annum without a drill, and I have no doubt would procure better were they to be had on eafy terms. Being furrounded with water, and much inleiled with rats, I have tried various recipes without efFed, viz. the Miller's infallible powder, Dutch pafte, Northy's fpecifick, arfenick, fublimate, and opium, all which have been eaten without deftroying, I verily believe, five rats j we never found more than two. Perhaps the fociety may be in pofTeflion of a fpecifick for this kind of vermin 5 furely it is adefi- deratum in rural ceconomy, and well worth enquiring after. J will thank you for the beft recipe you have.f Your moft obedient humble fervant, JAMES WYBORN. Hully near Deal, Feb, i']thy 1792. • This drill is now at the fociety's rooms, and is partly defcribed in this volume.— t A premium is offered for the difcovery. [ 19. ] Article X)fl. On the Smut in IVbeat contlntted, by the fame, SIR, \fiL Befperandumy is a motto that every man who wifhes to inveftigate abftrufe fubjeds, ought always to have before him. Is not fmut ball a fubftance in its nature generated through a wheat grain and its plant? Strange and abfurd as this hypothcfis may appear to us at firft fight, yet if we refled on the various phenomena in the animal and vegetable fyftem, that daily prefent themfelves to \is, we (hall perhaps think it not altogether unwor- thy of our attention and enquiry. The oftrich, wc arc told, trufh her egg to warm fand to produce its progeny ; the cuckow, we know, in our own coun- try, depends on the incubation of the hedge-fparrow to -produce, and afterwards to its foftering care to nourilh its young, till it is able to procure fufte- nance for itfelf. We fee the mifletoe produced and nourifhed by various kinds of trees j the like of many fpccics of mofs ; cabbage- feed producing col- liflowers, and colliflower feed cabbages, and mules partaking of both. We know divers infeds are produced on and within vegetables ; but to come nearer to the queftion: as well as fmut ball, coded ^rows grows in the ears that nature feemed to have formed for wheat, and (as in fmut) I have feen ears which contained part cockel and part wheat ; may not this pofTibly proceed from an imperfed generation ? I never knew, or heard it aflerted, that ear cockel (as it is called) was ever found amongft wheat, where it was not obfcrved in the feed before fowings that it grew fpontaneoufly, or was caufed by ^n untoward feafon. It is a fmall, nearly black berry, about die fize of a fmut ball, the flour is greyifli j that part of the ear which contains them, I am informed, does not bloflbm, as I have obferved by fmut , and I do not recoUedt ever to have feen it grow amongfl: any wheat but the old Kentifh brown, of which there is now very litde fown in this part of Kent, I fhall leave the field open for other opinions, by only faying, it may pofTibly be produced in this manner, or be a difeafe, as I have obferved in the laft vo- lume of Young*s annals. It is fufHcient for the farmer to know the fa6b, that fmut is generally produced by fmut; at leaft that it can be fo produced -, but how that is effedled, we mull leave to Lewenhoc, and other nice ob- fervers of the works of nature j* for whether, as I • See the contrary opiiuons maintained by the writ«r alluded to JH a following paper, have have fiiid before, it is produced by generation, or is a difeafe, it is immaterial, if we know a remedy that will ftop its progrefs, either by curing the latterj or rendering impotent the former. Afolu tion of fub^- limate, arfcnick, or other cauftick alkali, my expe- rience tells me, will anfwer bur expedlations; that of arfenick is a fafe, clean, and cheap remedy ; a firft confideration to a pradlical farmer! But we arc told in your 5th vol. p. 245, " that it is fo dange- ** rous and abfurd, that men of common fenfe zrt '^ afraid and alhamed of the pradlice." Are then mercury, antimony, opium, and bark, the bafis of pf the Materia Medica, to give place to powder of poft, becaufe in injudicious hands they have pro- duced the word corifcquences ? and their prefcribers be accufed of wanting common fenfe ? Surely not. Herculean difeafes require Herculean remedies ; the folution of arfenick has not been ufed only on an acre or two of land by way of experiment, but on hundreds of acres, to the entire fatisfaftion of my- felf and other farmers that have ufed it; and they may reft affured (provided the corn be Town within 24 hours after immerfion) that no danger will arifc to the feed, although it may have been many hours in the water, and no lime ufed i but as the weather at that feafon is uncertain, it is beft to wet it as you have occafionj fifteen minutes is fufficient for its be- VoL. VI. O ing [ 194 ] ing in the water, and it will be dry enough for fowing in an hour or two after; if any fufpicion of fmut in the feed, it njay rennain fome hours in the water without injury. I ufe no lime, It drilling better without. This is the pradiice of. Sir, your mofl obedient humble fervant, JAMES WYBORN. UulUFtace^ Feb. liy 1792. P. S. My gardener, a very ingenious Scot, has of- ten aflured me, that in the early culture of cucumbers in frames, on finding a female open and expanding herfelf before any male was prefent, Iffe has had re- courfe to a little dry duft from the border, which has fo tickled her fancy as to produce in a few days as fine a cucumber as the farina of the llouteft male could have effedled j if this be true, (and I have no reafon to doubt his word) furely it militates againfl fome received opinions. This experiment is eafily tried by any who wilh to be better fatisfied. We read that the dufl which arifes like fmoke from that fpecies of fungus called puff-ball, appears on a mi- crofcopic obfervation to be the embryos of that fpe- cies, or fo many little puff-balls. I wifh thofe who have an opportunity would thus examine the pow- der of fmut ball. ARTfCLB A [ '95 ] Article XXII. noughts on the fame SuhjeSf. TO THE SECRETARY. SIR> Gentleman put into my hands the five vo- lumes publilhed by the order of the Bath Society for the encouragement of Agriculture. I have perufed them with much pleafure and great attention, and think in general the fubjedls treated of are carried to great perfedion. We have an old adage, A word to the wife is fufficienti if by a few hints I can any ways alTift the gentlemen concerned in that laudable mftitution, it will give me much fatisfadion. The fubjedl I have contemplated on mod, is, IVbat are the caujes which 'produce the Smut iA Wheat? The following 1 fuppofe are the principal: ift. Avoid fowing infedled feed, procuring it from a friend you can rely on. idly. After having properly watered your feed, (no brine required) lime it plentifully^ for I think much depends on this procefs, to keep tl^e feed from O 2 injury C 196 ] injury whilft it lies' on the furfacc of the ground, or but (lightly covered; for I imagine the dijeaje then begins, and continues 'till the fmut- balls are formed j befides, the lime adls as a ftimulator after It is efFedlually covered. If the injury be owing, as fome of your corre- fpondents have fuppofed, to the inclemency of the weather at the time of blooming; what Ihali we fay, when we fee two adjoining lands, for inftance, in a common field, belonging to different occupiers, who ufed different feed, begin their blowing at the fame time; one fhall be almoft free from fmut, and the other very much injured ? This cannot be owing to the atmofphere, for they have both the fame,* Every grain, when committed to the earth has, or Ihould have, its embryo perfed ; and having ab- forbed fome moiilure, a fermentation commences, and the fixed air in the corn begins its motion, and by a rapid circulation warms the germ and its con- comitant parts; fome parr at that jun6bure receives a check, and a mortification enfues, but in fo frnall a way as not to aff^fl the great progrefs of vegeta- tion, *till nature has almoft finifhed her work. * Sec Mr. Wimpey's opinion on this point, in his next letter. [ 197 ] To prevent this malady, having got good feed, limed after the ufual manner, fow early before the feverc froft begins j for I imagine it perforates the grain, and wounds fome part of it. Sometimes in a very wet morning the lime is wafhed from the feed, and this contributes to produce fmut. At prefent this is chiefly ideal, not fufficiently authenticated by experience. The pureft feed, if fown dry and late in the autumn, will mod probably turn to fmut, to the very great lofs of the farmer. We know good and fmutty corns are produced in the fame ear. Is it very improbable but nature has given to each grain a tube or condu6lor from its root? If fo, it may account for my hypothefis. I have taken the liberty to trouble you with my thoughts on this very interefting fubjed, fuppofing, under your patronage, it may undergo a farther in- vefVigation. I am, Gentlemen, With great refpe(5l. Your obedient fervant, J^IaUcnbeaJ, Berks. W. R. O 3 A&TICLK [ '98 ] Article XXIII. Further Remarks on the Cauje of the Smut in Wheat -, and on planting Potatoes. In a Letter to the Secretary. SIR> TN a former letter on this fubjed, I mentioned -■• my having then more experiments on foot, with a view to the further inveftigation of the caufe of the fmut in wheat; I now do myfelf the honour of requefting leave to fubmit the refult to the confide- ration of your very refpedtable Society. It is true, that, although thofe experiments were numerous, they have afforded no new difcovery ; I mean nothing different from the refult of thofe I formerly related; yet I think they may be of great life, as they may ferve to corroborate and confirm the opinion I maintained refpeding the caufe of an evil fo extenfive and alarming. To give a circumftantial relation of each experi- ment would be both tedious and unimportant ; fuf- fice it then to fay, they were made with found corn picked out of fmutty ears, fet at different times and on different foils, prepared by fteeping in different • liquors; [ ^99 ] liquors j fome in fimple water, and fome without any preparation at all. The refult was, that one fmutty ear was not to be found in any one of the experiments. It is true indeed the wheat of laft year was in general pretty free from fmutj but if the caufe of the evil originate in the feed, and not in the feafon, the produce of the above experiments would have been jufl as liable to the fmut, being taken from fmutty cars, as in any other feafon whatever. Some of the feed of thofe experiments was deeped in a folution of fait, fome in a lixivium of wood afhes, fome in a folution of fugar, fome in ftrong ale, fome in clear water, fome were fet dry as they came from the ear; but at harveft there- was no perceptible difference, either as to ftrength of plants, or foundnefs and plumpnefs of grain. I could not perceive that any advantage had been gained by any of theinfufions made ufe of, excepting that the corn from the unwaihed feed abounded much more with weeds, than that from the feed which had been ftceped and wafhed; which was rather contrary to what 1 had hoped and expeded, from a former ex- periment of fteeping, which feemed to promife aa increafe of fertility and produce. There [ 200 ] There is one experiment, however, I would beg icayc to relate a Uttle more particularly : The firft experiment I made on fmutty wheat was four years ago, on fome found corns I picked put of a fmutty ear of white wheat, faid to be originally from Canada. The corn from this feed I have continued to plant ever fmce, to try if there WQyI.d be any return of the original taint, or fymp- tjpmof that diforder. The produce ever fince has been not only free from it, but the grain remarkably plump and fine. In the harveft of 1790 the whole of it was nearly deflroyed by birds, I did not fave a teath part of it, and that from the weakeft and Ja^tcft ripe ears ; however, I faved ail I could, and planted it in my garden the Auguft following^ and to prevent a like devaftation from the birds, I had part of a ridge dug in the middle of a field of wheat referved for that purpofe, and in February following tranfplanted it there in rows, at 9 inches diftance, and 6 inches apart in the rowsj when the plants were about a foot high, they were completely cat down by the hares, and I thought them de- flroyed irrecoverably ; but they foon fhot up again, and at harveft produced a^ long and fine ears, and plump found good corn, as I ever faw. The pro- duce was at the rate of 374. buflxels to the acre, and ^ the die weight of the bufliel 72 pounds, 9 gallon mca- fore. The foil^a poor binding loanny fand, which if undiflurbed foon grows moffy. It had borne fix ijrillcd crops in fucceflion, four of them wheat, without any manure whatever. From this and fomc other obfervations I jiave made on tranfplanted wheat, I am convinced no ihode of pradbice would equal tranfplanring as to quantity of produce j but from the great labour and cxpence, and number of hands it would require, that mode of cultivation on a large fcale is abfo- lutely impradicable, and therefore not to be thought of. But to return to our fubjed. Some who favour the opinion that the caufe of the fmut is from the depravity of the feed, have obferved, that " when two adjoining fields have *^ begun their blooming at the fame time, but be- ** longing to different owners, and therefore fown ** with different feed, one fhall be almoft free from " fmut, and the other greatly infefted with it; this *' cannot be owing to the atmofphere, (fay they,) " for they have both the fame; now what then can " be faid to this by thofe who fuppofe the fmut is " owing to the unfavourablenefs of the weather at " the time of blooming ? I anfwer. [ ^02 ] I anfwer, the objedion feems calculated to give countenance to their opinion, but ^t by no means enters far enough into the bufinefs to inveftigate the truth J for though the fields are contiguous, and their atmofphere equally fo -, corredly and truly fpeaking, the latter may be no more the fame than the, former, probably in refpedt to quality far more different. When we fpeak of the atmofphere, we mean, not only the circumambient air, but every principle of whatever nature or kind that floats in it. Thefe are fometimes of a very malignant na- ture, and extend far and near, but are frequently confined to a kind of flream or current, like water in a river, and affed thofe objeds only which fland in their way and obftrucl their paffage. It is not very uncommon to fee trees and plants blighted and blafted on one fide, while the other fhews not the leafl fign or mark of being injured. Such par- tial fufferings happen at times to almoft every field, and every kind of plant it b^ars. It hath many times fallen within my obfervation, that the eaft and fouth fides of a field of wheat have been exceedingly fmutty, when the north and weft, and the odier parts of the field, have been little affedled. by it. But further, we have frequendy found both, found and fmutty ears growing from the fame [ 203 ] feme root; and what is dill more, found and fmutty grains, at the fame time in one and the fame ear. To imitate our objedors, then, and attempt to obviate one difficulty by darting another; will they permit me to afk what they can fay to this ? If fmutty feed infallibly produces a fmutty crop, as they maintain, what produces the found ears which grow out of the fame root with the fmutty ears, and the found grains which are found in the fame ear with the fmut-balls ? This fingle obfervation clearly refutes their whple argument. It is an eftablifhed maxim in phyficks, *^ that the fame caujes infallibly produce the fame " effeSiSi' and were it not fo, human knowledge of any future event would be an impolfible thing; for this is the principle which directs adions to ends ; without it, intention or defign would have no obje6l. To fay then that both found and fmutty grain proceed from the fame root, which root is vitiated and de- praved, yet is the efficient caufe of both, is as pal- pable a contradiftion as to aflert, that good whole- fome blood, and a putrid, malignant, poifonous ichor, may be taken from the fame vein at one and the fame moment.* • A friend of Mr. Wirapey's, on reading this remark, obfervcs, that even tliis may be poflible. The ftrcam of the lame moment may contain good and highly contaminated particles. It [ 204 ] It is univcrfally admitted, that the fmut moftiy abounds in cold, wet, inclement feafons. If the fmut then, as thefe gentlennen think, proceed froni corrupt or viti;ited feed, we ihould find moft of it the year following any year in which it much abounded; for if it proceed from fmutty feed as its fole caufe, as they maintain, certainly every iucceed- ing crop would increafe in fmut, as the quantity of fmutty feed Town would in fome degree at lead: be in proportion to the quantity of fmut in the crop of the year preceding; therefore, if this were the cafe, the fmut would annually increafe, till in a very few years we fhould have none that would be free from fmuti that is, it would be all fmut, and we fhould have no wheat at all ; for fmut-balls contain no- thing but an effete {linking powder, totally deftitute of every principle of hfe, and therefore never vege- tate at all. But this is fo far from being the cafe, that a very fmutty year is often fucceeded by one that has little if any fmut. This generally hap- pens as often as a damp, cold, inclement feafon is fucceeded by one that is warm, diy, and favour-* able to the growth and ripening of grain. In Ihort; it is not cafy to enumerate the argu- ments that might be adduced in fupport and con- firmation gf the opinion here advanced; I iliall tlicrefore I 205 ) therefore content nriyfelf with the recital of the two recent cafes following: In the year 1790, a near neighbour of mine, an intelligent farmer, in a large way of bufinefs, pro- cured a fample of very fine, clean, found wheat, of which he purchafed enough to fow a large field. The reft of his land he fowed with wheat of his own growth. From the feed he had purchafed he hoped to reap enough good corn to fupply him with feed for his whole crop the following feafon, but at harveft how great was his difappointment ! The produce of his fine feed turned out very fmttty, whereas the crop from the feed of his own growth had little if any in it. Another farmer, who lived about a mile from me, being rather in low circumftanccs, was induced to fow, the fame feafon as above, fome very fmutty wheat he had by him> it not being convenient to purchalV good clean kcd-, but' very fortunately fat hitti, his crop proved as clean and as good as any in the neighbourhood, having very little if any fmut in it. — Thcfc cafts are far from being fingular, for many fuch have come to my knowledge. Now if any advocate for the opinion that the fmut proceeds from feminal corruption or depravity, will account [ 206 ] account for the pofTibility of thefe fadls confiftentljr with his own principles, I will be one of the firft to vote him a ftatiie to perpetuate his fame for ini- imitable fkill in the folution of difficulties. 0/ POTATOES. I formerly had the honour of fubmitting to the confideration of your Society (vol. v. p. 230.) an account of an experiment to difcover whether whole potatoes or cuttings are to be preferred in planting. — From that account, it clearly appeared, that the advantage lay greatly on the fide of cuttings. But as, from long experience, I know conclufions drawn from fingle experiments cannot be fafely depended on, and the refult of that experiment differing fb widely from an account given by a very refpedtable correfpondent of the Society, whofe accuracy is well known, and of whofe probity and veracity I have the higheft opinion j I refolved to repeat my for- mer experiment as exactly as poflible, by way of cftablifhing a fa6l fo interefting to the public if found juft, or of retracing an error if it fhould appear to be one. In the fpring of 1791, I prepared about three acres of ground, and in April planted it with po- tatoes. [ ao7 ] tatocs, A certain quantity of the largefl: and fincft were fcleded, one half of which were planted whole, the other cut into pieces of a moderate fize. An cxa^ account of each was kept at taking up, when it appeared that the acreable produce was much the fame as in the former experiment; but as the cut potatoes planted nearly four times the ground that the whole fcts did, the advantage lay in the fame proportion on the fide of planting with cut potatoes; therefore I think there cannot be the lead doubt that the preference is to be given to cuttings, as the fuccefs of the two experiments fo nearly coincides, I have been ufed for fome years to furnifh my neighbours with potatoes for planting. The laft feafon one of them defired I would let him have them all fmall. He faid he had planted fmall ones feveral years, that he found tliem equally produdlive with the largefl, and faved much trouble in cutting. Others preferred the largeft, who carried their oeco- nomy much further; they it feems ufed to pare them, eat the flefhy part, and plant the rinds only. Upon enquiry, I found it was not an unufual prac- tice among the cottagers, and I have been credibly informed they get as large crops and as good po- tatoes in that method of planting as in any other whatever. If this be a fafl, it fcems to appear that the [ 208 ] the flefhy part of the bulb is of no ufe in fupplying nourilhnient to the young fruit after the fibrous <► roots have put forth and laid hold of the ground. Perhaps an experiment of this fort may be thought worjh making. ^ I am/ Sir, your mofl obedient fervant, JOSEPH WIMPEY. Bratton^Clovelly near Okehamptoriy Devon^ April 1792. Article XXIV. On the heji Method of providing for the Poor. WITH PRELIMINARY AND SUBSEQUENT CONSIDERA-^ TIONS, BY THE SECRETARY, THE materials which compofe th» former vo- lumes of this Society, are for the moft part a recital of experiments and practical opinions in the great department of Agriculture, To advance the knowledge of that fcience was a primary objefb in the inftitution of the Society, and it is confefTedly an obje6l, in every enlightened country, paramount to every other confideration. The favourable re- ception [ ao9 ] ccption thcfe volumes have met with among the landed gentlemen, and liberal-minded farmers, may be confidered as a proof that the proceedings of the Society have not been unfuccefsfblly devoted to their main end. The papers contained in the prefent volume, though a continuation of former exertions in the publick caufe, will be found to embrace objedls of improvement beyond the common province of the farmer. Among them that of planting, the em- bellifliment of eftates, and the provifion of a na- tional ftore of oak timber, are confidered as par- ticularly worthy of the publick attention ; the atten- tion efpecially of opulent land-owners, who poiTefs from that opulence, and from their leifure, powers of exertion peculiar to themfelves. In this clafs of the community there are obvioufly other powers of doing good, which, happily exerted, muft redound to their lafting honour, and no lefs to the happinefs and folid glory of their country. Nor will it be a circumftance of fmall encouragement to an exertion of their natural influence, when an objedt fhall be held out, in the accompliftiment of which the manu- fadlurer and the fedulous tradefman are found qua- lified as able coadjutors. To the latter defcription of citizens it will alfo afford much encouragement, VoL.VL P to [ ^^o ] to be fupported in their efforts by the weighf and influence of the fornaer. To both, it muft be a ftrong inducerpent to a cordiality of exertion, where the end to be acconapliflied l^y their joint: endea- vours is didlated at once by political wifdom, and the benevolent laws of the Supreme Being. The object which, by the encouragement of the proper com- mittee, I am induced toxonfider in this paper, is, THE BEST METHOD OF PROVIDING FOR THE POOR. This Is an objedt which needs no apology in a work like the prefent; it is a moil important branch of political oeconomy, clofely conneded with the^ general good, and, in the prefent ftate of the country,^ of in^menfe magnitude. A learned and truly refpe6table Phyfician, aYice- Prefident of this Society, gave, in a former volume, his thoughts on the moft fimple and obvious mean^j of preferving the heakh of labouring perfons,^ en>r> ployed Jn agriculture. That paper has been re- . ceived with the praife due to its merit, and will be regarded as a valuable diredory to the benevolent farmer and mafter, fludious of the health of his feryaAt, It is with due rcfpc6t tp equal benevo- lence, i »" 1 knee, and due deference to fuperior abilities, that i fervant of the Society prcfumes to follow him in re- fle<5tions for the comfort and happinefs, not only of the fame clafs, but of every clafs of labouring people. A patriotic fenator* was employed for a feries of y^ars, in framing a bill for the regulation of the Poor Lawsy and thereby to leflcn the general bur- den of the country, by Amplifying the parochial management, guarding againft the fuffering of the worthy, and the impofitions of the idle and licen- tious poor. What, if any, will be the refult of his labours in parliament for thefe ends, is yet to be proved. Every friend to the general happinefs of mankind, muft wifh that fuch a bill may be adopted at laft, as may tend to the aid of virtuous indigence, and the moil efFedlual corredtion of publick abufe. While this great and difficult fubjedb fhall be in agi- tation, it is much to be defired, that gentlemen of kifurc and talents in different parts of the country, would give that attention to it which the liberal views of fo adive an advocate have invited, and which its importance fo loudly calls for. In every civilized country its interior political cecoilomy, which involves the moral good and the •'Mr. Cnbert. P 2 focial C ai2 ] Ibcial comfort of a large proportion of inconfiideratc and impotent perfons, is a ftiidy highly worthy of the philofopher and the Chriftian. In this country, pofTefling as it does, in an emi- nent manner, various local advantages, the lights of knowledge, the freedom of religion, and com- .paratively happy in the freedom of its government; fiich men are peculiarly called on to exert their ta- lents for the prevention of mifery, and the promo- tion of general order and happinefs in the fubordi- nate clafles of Society. The perfect attainment of theie ends, by national laws and regulations, is not to be expedled. Human laws, the fchemes of hu- man imperfedion, and which are neceflarily in fome degree theoretical, mud ever be inadequate to the production of perfedl virtue, and confequent felicity. It is fufficient if they be the bell that human pru- dence could devife, to anfwer the befl ends. Such laws will at leaft ferve as general fecurities of order, union, and profperity. But after all which the wifeft policy can enadl, a large field will remain open for the more private offices of the adlive and benevolent citizen; and whatever can be privately done, by plans of local oeconomy, moving on the provident principles of morality and virtue, will be fo much in aid of the wifeft laws of the (late; or rather [ ^'3 ] rather it will fupply the natural and necefTary defcd of them. What can be more worthy of a wife and good man, than to be employed in effedbing a good, which a government cannot accomplifli, and that by exercfmg, mod to his own rational delight, the be- nevolence of his own mind ? Of the Vagrant Poor^ — thofe who under various pretences wander about the country without any vifiblc means of getting a maintenance, and who fiirnilh but too common a fufpicion of their being worfe than fturdy beggars, — we (hall fay but little. As vagrants, the laws now in force provide for their being treated as they too generally defcrve ; and if fuch pcrfons were more frequently taken into puftody, and compelled to give an account of themfelves, it would be equally good in its confequences to them and to the community. In this refped die adivity of magiftrates, in pu« niihing the idle and profligate on the on^ hand, while on the other they exercife their authority in their diftridls, to prevent parochial oppreflions, and negleds of duty towards the diftreffed, will prevent rpuch irregular drolling, and corredl the motives to it. This very important part of a ma- giftrate's duty, though in itfelf an unpleafant and invidious one, cannot be too much commended, P 3 vvhercver [ ^H ] wherever difcharged with a due regard to jufticc and humanity. The charadler of fuch a vigilant :jnd worthy magiilrate will operate to the terror of idle wanderers, while the cafually diftrefled poor traveller will be fecured frona fannine, and the bitter temptation to Ileal. But the claffes of poor for whofe benefit thii^ article is principally intended, are, the refident la- bourers in hufbandry, manufadlures, and mechanics. Such may be faid to form the bulk, arid the valuable bulk too, of the people in this country j to render their poverty the leaft irkfome to themfelves and to the publick, and as much as poflible to prevent poverty, will be allowed in every point of view to be a work of exalted charity and univerfal be- nefit. It wifely anticipates natural evil, by the timely application of moral principles. This we may fairly hope is pra6ticable in mod pariflies, be- caufe it has been found eafily pra6ticable in various fituations. The eftablilhment of Provident Societies, for a provifion in health againft the day of ficknefs, has been tried, and wherever it has been tried, the effed has been uniformly good. The mode of this provifion has been in its outhne generally the fame, i, e. by [215 ] 1. c. by infducing the labouring clafTes to appropriate fome fmall part of their earnings to a fund, from which they may draw fuccour in the hour of need. This plan has indeed fometimes originated with the mod fenfible of the p6or themfelves, and has been carried into effedt without much patronage frorti the wealthy. But ^herfe the latter have been adive in aiding, by their example and protei^ion, this com- mendable difpofition, it has fuccecded in a pro^ portionable degree. And fo confiderable in fome inftances has that degree beeii, as to make it a matter of fufpfife that fuch ceconomy has not been univerfal ! The reafon, indeed, of this defed of exertion is to be found, where every other moral dcfcdb has its origin ; in the natural propenfity of the human mind to do thofe things which ought not to be done, and to omit thofe which fhould be performed. To dwell on a moral defedt is a far lefs pleafing tafk, than to urge the wifdom and happinefs of doing well. This, therefore, we will endeavour to do, as the mod likely means of engaging that atten- tion, which may be favourable to the end in view. Now with every common deduction from the good- fiefs of human nature, it feems obvious that the mind of man is prone to commend^ at lead, the amiablenefs [ ai6 ] amiablenefs of virtue, and fmcerely to approve thofe deeds of fecial kindnefs which appear moft confpicuous in any character. Never, perhaps, was there an inftitution, well-planned by human forefight for alleviating human mifery, that did not fooner or later gain the applaufe of the publick. The virtuous aftive citizen, wherever he has been found devoting his labours and his wealth to the protection of the indigent, the maimed, or the fick, has been generally beloved while living, ^nd his memory after death has been honoured and re- vered. The hero may be remembered, from the iplendor of his devaftations, with a mixture of admi- ration and difguft : the fage will be renowned for the acutenefs of his judgment j but it is the cha- racter formed on the principles of " the Man of " Rofs," that excites the tribute ofuniverfalefteem. Such a tribute produces a reflected pleafure on the mind that beflows it; while the benevolent feelings of that man who deferves it, are his own higheft reward. They preferve in his bofom a perpetual glow of delight, with which mere amufement or fenfuality can never be connected. Various have been the outlines of plans, fuL- mitted to the publick examination, with a view of bringing the fubJeCt before parliament, fo as tp obtain f "7 ] obtain a national reform, by authority. But im- provements by inftitutions of authority, have long been waited for in vain. Some have held forth the neceflity of large buildings under the names of work-houfes, houfes of induftry, &:c. to becfta- blifhed in certain diftrids through the nation, for carrying on different branches of manufadlure, by means of the indigent, who fhould want relief; thereby fuppofing that fuch poor would be more certainly employed, more regularly fuperintendcd, better provided for, and at a cheaper rate* Others have reprobated that fyftem in totOy and maintained that while fuch houfes would be attended with an enormous expence of building, they would do nothing towards leflening the general burden j but that the poor in them, committed as to fo many jails, would be rendered unhappy i their morals, from a crowded way of life, would become more corrupt } their labour would be lefs, and their work worfe done; confequently, that manufadlures would be injured : that the maintenance of the poor would coft more, and that the peafantry would be enervated by fuch early confinement and reftraint. Under fuch contradictory opinions, the fubjeft has r(?ceivcd but little elucidation j and the uncer- tainty t 218 ] tainty of a new national regulation continues as great as ever; while, notwithflranding the flourilh- ing (late of moll manufadtures, the poors-rates are making a conftant advance. The laft circum- ibnce muft prove, either that population has been rapidly increafing, or that ' the fyftem of l¥ia- naging the poor is daily beconning worffe^ The former of thefe may be true; the latter cannot be the cafe, without a national degeneracy in the morals and habits of the poor. To obviate fuch a pro- bable evil, as well as to lighten the general burden, it has been a favourite theory of feveral intelligent writers, that the poor may be made to maintain themfelves. Under the preflure of infufHcient mil- lions of expenditure, this fhould feem a paradox; and yet fo plaufible, and indeed rational, h^ve been fome calculations, that the poflibiiity of almoft real- izing fuch a fcheme, is not v6id of hope. Among the moft ingenious of thofe fchemes may be confidered that of Mr. Pew, late of Welling- borough, but now of Shaftefbury. His treatife, which is intitled 'Twenty Minutes Obfervations on a better Mode of 'providing for the Poory feems to have been long undefervedly out of print, and not to have been known in proportion to its merit. As containing fadls, refpe6ting an aflbciation in one place, attended with remarkable fuccefs, and rea- fpning 1 ai9 ] foning very fairly from thofe (o general advantages of the like nature; it has been thought advifeablc by the Connmittee of this Society's papers to folicit the author's confent to its being republifhed at the Society's expence. And it was with particular plea- fure that the Committee received his confent for fhat purpofe in the moft obliging terms. In juf- ticc to the mafterly outline which this trad exhibits, and totheftyle and manner of the author, the whole is given without alteration. twenty Minutes Ohfervations on a better Mode of fro* vidingfor the Poor ; in which it is rendered probable that they may be effe^ually relieved, in a manner more agreeable to the general Feelings^ of Mankind^ at the fame time that 'Two Millions flerling, or more, may be annually faved to the nation. By RICHARD PEW, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, Edimburgh, I PREFACE. Regulations which tend to increafe the.happinefs of in- dividuals, at the fame time that they diminifh the general burthens of the community, will command the attention of a difcerning Legiflature. The author flatters himfelf that both thefe ends may be in a great meafure accom- plifhed, by the plan he is about to propofe ; and he there- fore makes no apology for communicating his fentiments (0 the publick, twenty [ 110 ] Twenty Minutes Ohjervations &c. THE rapid and enormous increafe of the poor's rate in this kingdom, during the laft few years, has for fome time created in the landed intereft the moft general and juft apprehenfionsj many plans have been fuggefted, and many fchemes devifed, to remedy or diminifh the grievance, but hitherto with little or no efFed; nor ought it perhaps to be ex- peded that the burthen fhould ever be totally re- moved, although it may be very much alleviated. At any rate, it is an object of the moft ferious con- cern, that its increafe fhould, if polTible, be prevented, and its prelTure, as far as can be, equalized. To this end there is reafon to hope that the bills lately framed by Mr. Gilbert may a good deal contribute; but is there not a pofiibility of doing fomething more ? Thofe bills are ratl^er calculated to corred the evil; may we not in fome meafure, by anticipa- tion, prevent it? — In this perfuafion, I fhall venture to offer a few obfervations. — I believe it may be afierted with juftice, that moft of the diftrefles of ^he poor in this country are more artificial than real diftrefles; they do not depend fo much on any diffi- culty in procuring the necefiaries, or even the con- veniencies of life, as upon a total want of oeconomy amongft the poor, in the management of what they earn; t "« 3 earn; ic being too much the cuftom with them (ultimately certain of relief from the parifh) to fquan- der immediately all they get, be it little or much} fo that our manufa6burers and labourers, with very few exceptions, are equally poor at the week's end, whether they have earned in that week a guinea or five fhillings; the furplus in fummer, or a time of plenty, inftead of being laid up againft winter, or a time of fcarcity, is (quandered away in at beft what is unncceflary, and often in acquiring habits of idle- nefs, extravagance, and intemperance, not eafily to be relinquiflied. It is the bufinefs of a wife legifla- ture to corrc6t, if poflible, this extravagant tendency of the people, and, where it cannot hope for a natural and pofitivc habit of oeconomy, to fubftitute, if practicable, a negative and artificial one ; that fome kind of equilibrium and uniformity may take place between the income and the expenditure of the poor throughout the year; for as matters now (land, (from this total want of ceconomy) the wants of the labourer are greater in winter, when he has fewer means of fupplying them, than they are in the fum- mer, when he can earn much more ; fo likewife in the fingle (late, and in the vigour of youth, a man's "wants are inconfiderable to what they are in the mar- ried ftatCi and in the winter of age, when from the diminution of his ftrength, or the increafe of hi« family. [ 222 3 family, he is leifs able to fupply them. Yet not- withftanding thefe fad:s are continually pafling be- fore our eyes, we find that mankind have not of themfelves fufficient refolution to be oeconomical^ or to lay up- any thing in health and profperity, againft the attacks of poverty and difeafc. It has been my fortune to be placed in a fituation, which obliges me often to vifit the dreary manfions of the .wretched, when the jaundiced eye of difeafe gives additional horror to the meagre countenance of poverty. With a mixture of forrow, indignation, and pity, have I often- feena young man, capable of earning fourteen Ihillings a week, with a wife in perfed health, and only one childy reduced by a fingle week'sillnefs to the neceffity of feeking relief from the parilh ! whilft the furniture of his houfe, and the coverings of what was called his bed, were fuiEcient, from their filth and naftincfs alone, to occafion difeafe in the mofl robuft conftitution. Could this extreme poverty proceed from any other caufe than the moll fhameful mifmanagement •?* * As a proof that it could not, I have now within my eye a poor honeft felldw, who earns no more than fix fhillings per week, has five children under nine years of age> and his wife big with the fixth, who held out, notwithftanding, under aftate of total ina6livity, for full four weeks, without applying to a parilh, and without running inrdebt. and I ?^3 1 ai>^, L^ it not the dyty of ^very government to oblige fuch perfons to be ceconomical, whether they will of themfelves or not, and to conapel them, if pofli^ ble, to lay up fomething in health and youth againfl thcJVttacks of a numerous &ipi|y> ficknefs, or ag^? It Aall be my bufinefs to examine the poflibility of plotting an e(j.uitable fchemc for this purpofe into execution — let. others determbe how far it be com- I^bk wijh^tiiCqfpjfil^j^tthe^j^ifi co^tution. Jn, matters purely fpeculative, no certain conclu- fiW^Cfn be drawn a friori of their fuccefs, when reduced to praiflicej we a^re obliged, therefore^, tor rcafon from the bcft. analogies we can find, and to ioxtn our conjedures of the probability of their fuc- ceeding, by a comparifon with other plans, which experience; has; proved to be fuccefsfuL It is known to everybody, that there are in this kingdom many aflbciations under the title of clubs, or friendly focie- tie^ the objedt of which is to fecure to the members of them, when incapable of labour, a certain fum weekly, during fuch interruption; of thefe I fhall take for my example one inftituted in this town* about forty years ago, upon the fame principle^ I believe, as moft other aflbciations of this nature throughout the kingdon : every member pays into the hands of the Treafurcr one (hilling every four • Welluigborough. WCcks, [ 224 ] weeks, which muft be depofited for one year corn- pleat, before he becomes intitled to any relief from the fociety; after that period, when rendered in- capable of labour, he receives fix fhillings per week for the fpace of fix months; but if his incapability continues longer than that time, his pay is reduced to three fhillings p6r week, which he receives until he gets well, or otherwife as long as he lives. The fame provifion is made for thofe perfons who are rendered incapable of labour by age ; for the firft fix months they receive 6s. per week, afterwards 3s. It alfo provides for burying the dead in a decent manner, and allows for each funeral three pounds. -—This flendcr monthly contribution has been found fo perfe6lly adequate to the purpofes intended by it, that it has not only proved fufficient to defray every expence, agreeable to the conditions held out, but has alfo enabled the fociety, without rifk, to return a guinea to each member every two or three years (the number 48) retaining many pounds as Bank flocks The perfon who ties my hair has been in this afTociation for the laft feven years j he has £. s, d, paid annually thirteen fhillings, - - 4 1 1 o Without having received any thing on account of ficknefs, he has withdrawn at three feveral times one guinea, - 3 3 ^ ^v>j^^y~ Balance paid 180 t 22J ] So tliiat in faA ll. 8s. is all that he has difburfcd in the (pace of feven years, or 4s. per annum; a tri- flirigTum indeed, when compared with the advan- tages he might, if neceflary, have derived from the inftitution; but after all there remains in ftock 36I. tk's. One forty-eighth part of which, or 15s. 2id. liiay be confidered as his property, fo that he has, in reality, in the courfe of feven years, //^;/^ no more than I2S. 9ld. or is. lod. per annum.* That the income of the fund may fufFer no dimi- nution or interruption, every difabled member con- tinues to pay his monthly conrribution as at other times, although he is upon the fick lift. Now if lb frriall a contribution as one Ihilling irt a month, or one twenty-fourth part of a common labourer's wages, be fufficient, iox forty years together y permanently to maintain a flmd more than adequate to the purpofe of affording to each member a com- fortable fubfiftence when affl idled with ficknefs, or cxhaufted by age, might not k fund be drawn from the people at large upon the fame principle (almoft without their feeling it when in health and prolperity) fufficient, or nearly fufficient, to fupport them in * Not above one-icventb part of the fum origiiiially paid, tbree^ pence per week. Vol. VI. Q^ tine it "6 ] time of ficknds or in old age? In fhort, may not every parifli be inducedy or compelled, to form them- felves into one or more friendly aflbciations, to which each individual above a certain age (fuppofe males 1 8, females 17)* fhould be obliged to contribute a fmall proportion of their fuppofed income, for the purpofe of fupporting them when unable to get their own livelihood ? Let us inquire what would be the probable effedis when applied to a particular town 3 I fhall as before take that of Wellingborough. It appears by an adlual and exad enumeration, made under my dire(5lion, that the number of in- habitants refiding in Wellingborough amounts in the whole to 2857; that outof thefe 847 males, and 1 100 females, are above the age fpecified^ the fum therefore paid by thefe perfons would be 847 fhil- lings, and 11 00 four-pences, every four weeks^ amounting in the whole to 60I. 13s. ?d. or 788!^ 17s. 8d. per annum. The expence of the poor in Wellingborough, upon the average of three years lad paft, appears to have * About thefe ages, refpeftively, a fpirit of independance ufually becomes manifeft ; it is this fpirit I wilh to catch, and topreforvc it unfubdued through life. been f 217 J been 1191I 4s. ii|d. from which deduA 788I. 17s. 8d. there remains 402L 7s. j^d. or very little more than one-third of the prefent expences of the parifli. Let this be applied to the whole kingdom, taking the expence of the poor to be, as in 1773, three millions,* the f^ing to the nation will amount to the fum of 1,984,8851. fterling, a fum well worthy the attention of the legiflature; and this might be raifed in a man- ner fo eafy and gentle, and fo perfectly congenial to the wifbes of the people, as fcarcely to be felt, much lefs complained of, by any individual, efpeci- alljr in manufacturing towns, where the poor are always the mod numerous, and always the moft wretched; fince the fum here fpecified would fel- dom amount to one 48th part of the artificer's wages; yet the return, in the time of his neceflity, would be much greater than it would be poflible for the parifh to afford him, however well difpofed they might be, and however great his diftrefs. N. B. The computation here made is extremely moderate, fince it allows nothing for the number of contributors prohibited from receiving,! the ia- • I ftate thl» on the authority of Lord Kaimi. Mr. Gilbert, who has been moft laudably attentive to this fubje^, eftimates the total expence at about two millions and a half. t About one-fifth, which, it is fuppofed, will be nearly equal to the fum neccffary fbr the relief of large families, of widows, and of orphans. Q^a creafed [ "8 ] creafed frugality of the poor, which may reafonablyi be cxpcded, the prevention of impofition on pa- rifhcs, (to an aftonifhing amount) by the clamorous and idle J the expence of removing paupers, the litigations concerning fcttlements, the number of payable males now abfent in the army and navyJf orl3 the furplus which conftantly takes place in all pri-» ^ vate inftitutions of this nature ^ all which circum-' llances taken together would certainly amount to 2s fum not far Ihort of the 1,015^1151. unprovided for; nay, perhaps this inftitution may hereafter be brmight, by proper management, to afford a con- fiderable furplus for the ufe of the ftate; and thus the lower orders of the community, inftead of being a burthen, would become, in every fenfe of the word, beneficial to the nation j whereas the poor laws now in being, however benevolent in their original in- tention, do certainly operate as a fevere tax upon honefi indufiry^ and as a bounty upon extravagance, " In Do6lor Davenant's time (fays Lord Kaims) " the peor-rates were about 700,0001. annually; ta ** the year 1764 they amounted to 2,ioo,oool. in " the year 177 J they amounted to 3,000,000!. " equal to iix Hiillings in the pound land-tax. "f • This was written in the year 1783, during the American war. t ^ketches of the Hiftory of Man. Sketch 10. Now [ 229 ] . Now if they have increafed in an equal progrcf- fion fince the year 1773, which tlure is too much reafon to apprehend; they muft (fuppofing this calculation to be juft) have amounted in the year 1782 to 3,8oo,oool. (lerling; and the faving by the plan here propofed will be increafed in proportion, that is, to the enormous fum of 2,500,000!. and this, even admitting the whole fum now raifcd for the poor to be abfolutely neceflaiy, and that the de- ficiency of the fums raifed by thefe contributrorts muft be made up, how aftonifhingly great then will be the advantages to this nation, Ihould the funds alone, as they probably will, prove adequate to the ends propofed by them ! ' Out of this fund every man, who is really incapa:- ble of labour, fliall have a right to demartci' fix* fhillings per week, for the firft fix months, Ihould his illncfs laft fo long, and three (hillings per week after that period, until he again becomes capable of labour; every woman fhould have a right to demand two fhillings per week for the firfl fix months, and afterv^ards one fhilling and fix-pence per week, until ihc is again able to work, i would aifo wi(h • I am inclined to believe that thefe proportioni are not the beft which may be atlopted ; but they ai e fuch as the people have choleii for themrelves, and perhaps it might not be iafe to alter them, at l<;aft for the prefcnt. 0.3 to I 230 1 to extend the advantages of this inftitution, as a matter of right, to thofe induflrious poor perfons who are opprefled by large families, to the father- lefs, the widow, and the orphan.* For I find upon enquiry amongft- fome of the moft induftrious of the poor, that it is almoft im- poffible for a man to maintain a wife and three chil- .dren, under nine years of age, upon fix fhillings per week, the wife's time being fp much taken up in the neceflary duties of her family, that ihe can, under fuch circunaflances, earn nothing; with two children under that age they acknowledge they can do tole- rably well, and after they are nine years of age they can, if in health, nearly earn their own maintenance; every common labourer or manufacturer then, earn- ing Qo more than fix ihillings per week, having three children under nine years of age, ihall receive from the fund one fhilling and fix- pence per week until the eldeft of thole children fliall attain the age of nine years, or until one of them fiiall happen to * For there is no reafon why the terrors of poverty fliQuld damp the inftijiftive parental joy, which ever accompanies the birth of a helplefs innocent; why hunger ftiould aggravate the affliftion of the widow i or why contempt and indigence fliouid necelTarily embitter the irreparable lofs of afFeftionate parents : no, let us mitigate thefe unavoidable calamities, as far as lies in our power, by a fnigal, an unhumiliating, and a determinate provifion. diCi [ ajl ] cficj and if any one or more of his children (hall happen to be idiotic, infane, or any ways fo far dif* ablcd cither in body or mind, as to be utterly in- capable of labour, each of them (hall beconfidered as if ftill under the age of nine years, and paid for accordingly. If a motJier (hould be left a widow with three children, under feven years of age, (he (hall receive from the fund five (hillings, if with two children three (hillings, and if with one child one (hilling and fix-pence per week ; if with more than three under that age, one (hilling per week for each above that number, it being confidered that all her time is taken up by three, and allowance made fgr it, but that (he is capable of looking after and taking care of a greater number, which however will very rarely happen. Orphans will be attended with fomewhat more di(Hcultyj the fame proportions, however, (hould be allotted from the fund for their maintenance, and fome receptacle provided for them, where they may be taught to get their own living by the age of nine years -, and widows, without children, under the age of 65, may, when in health, be confidered as able to get their own fubfiftence. Providing thus early againft the poiTibility of nece(rary poverty, will be attended with the moft liappy [ 232 ] happy effedls, (for the pofitive advantages of this plan, however great, I confider as fcarcely equal to the negative ones) cherifh that fpirit of independency which is natural to the human mind, and in a Ihort time there will be found fcarcely a really poor perfon in his Majefty's dominions.* It is with the poor man as it is with the tradef- man ; the latter, as long as the balance at the year's end appears in his favour, and he adds fomething annually to his capital flock, continues unremittingly to exert himfelf to the utmoft of his abilitesj but if, notwithftanding his exertions, the balance of trade goes againft him, and he finds his capital an- nually decreafing, he begins at firfl to look into his accounts with relu\5lance, then negledls them alto- gether, and at length feeks relief in continual dif- fipation. So it is with the poor man ; as long as he continues in perfect healthy his earnings are generally fufficient to procure him a comfortable fubfiftence^ and if he ♦ The tnith of this idea may be inferred from hence, that upon the raoft ftri(5l enquiry I do not find more than one or two inflances where any member of the afTociation became chargeable to the parifti; and thefe were imder the preflure of very large families, labouring •♦under general ficknefs, both which circumlhnces would by this fcheme be provided againft. is f »53 ] is in debt to no one on Saturday night, he lays him- felf down contented. Let -us fuppofe him now afflided with a few days'^ illriefs, that his credit is good, and he runs a little in debt; as foon as he re- covers, he nukes fome efforts to pay it, but before he can accomplilh this, a fecond illnefs overtakes himfelf, his wife, or his family, his debt of necefTity increafeSj'and at length airives to fuch a height, that he ices it is impoflible, by any exertions he can make, to recover himfelf; he feels hurt at the idea, his fpirit is broken, and if no one from charity, or good policy, (Icps in to relieve him from his prefent dilemma, his defire of independency is loft for EVER; he applies to the overfeers for relief, and having once furmounted the pride natural to man, and been beholden (as they call it) to the parifh, he is determined to get as much from it as he can; and thus, by an aggregation of fuch cafes, the poor's rate is extended beyond all bounds. Such is the progrefs of the human mind,' in the l6\v^r orders of fociety, as 1 have too frequenfly had occafion to obfcrve. Let us now turn our eyes to the fcheme here pro- pofcd, the eafy pradticability of which rrtay be in- ferred from the general tendency of the people, bo^h male and female, to run into fuch aflbciations, under many I ^34 1 many difficulties, in every part of the kingdonti, and its probable effects we have traced at fome length before. It is true thefe aflbciations are, at prefent, chiefly compofed of the more induftrious part of the people, the lower clafs of tradefmenj but wc have made ample allowance, as I think, for the moil confiderable difficulties which can poffibly arife, even amongft the mod neceffitous part of the community. Could fuch a fcheme be carried into execution, many advantages would arife to the kingdom, indepen- dent of the increafe of population, the relief it would afford to the landed intereft, and flability it would give to public credit. By it the youthful, the vigo- rous, and the adive, would infenfibly become the fupporters of the aged, the infirm, and the difeafed; the fingle man, finding that he mufl contribute to the fupport of the married man's children, would find it his intereft early to obey the di(5lates of na- ture, and marry likewife, from which he would no longer be deterred, by, the fear that himfelf and his offspring might become beggars. Equally and enviably fecured againfl the incon- veniencies of poverty or riches, fupporting and fup- ported in turn by his fellow parifhioners, the peafant would pafs his days, the father of a numerous and vigoroiis offspring, in eafe, tranquillity, and peace. As t « J5 1 •As all would be interefted in the ftability of the fund, each individual would become the ovei feer of his neighbour; and as all would be provided for upon an equal footing, no difcontent could arife on jliccount of partiality; whilft every one being fecure of a cortifortable and determinate fubfiftence, there ^Quld be no temptations to vice from necefTity, and |t(U %o be hoped fewer than at pr^lcnt from example. The indolent man, not contributing his quota, would be equally obnoxious to the fquire and to the peafant; and as from his deficiency he would be immediately deteded, fo his idlenefs fhould inevi- tably meet its proper antidotes, confinement and labour. By proper certificates from one aflbciation to another, the detrimental, expenfivc, and often in- human removal of paupers, generally under a ftate of difeafe, and frequently in the agonies of death ! would be rendered unneceflary; the amiable long- ings of thofe individuals (who have gained fettlc- ments at a diftance) to pafs the evening of their days in their native place, with their carlieft: friends, relations, and acquaintance, might be fafely gratified j the litigations between parilhes concerning the fct- tjements of paupers would be heard of no more; the [ 236 3 the petty fliufBings and underhand tricks to evade or diminifli the poor-rates, fo common at prefent, would be annihilated, and every human being, with- out fear or moleftation, would be enabled to feek his lubfiftence wherever his genius, his inclination, or his intereft, might lead himj but, above all, the lum of human happinefs would be confiderably aug- mented, by the comfort which every man of mode- rate defires and independent principles muft feel, when he recoUeds, that whatever accident can befall him, to deprive him of the power of getting his lubfiftence, he is certain of a comfortable main- tenance, without any difgrace to himfelf, or any obligation to others. " In the days of my profperity (fays he to the Treafurer of the fund) I depofited a fum of money in your hands to fupport me when I lliould fall under the preflure of adverfity j that period is now arrived, I demand therefore on your part the fulfilment of the contradl-j pay me the fum 1 flipu- lated to receive." Such are the advantages which fecm naturally to arife from the plan .1 have ventured to propofe; but perhaps difficulties may occur in the execution, which I, in my zeal, may have overlooked, or which cannot at present be forefeen ; and which may render the fcheme in fome meafure aboFtive, Thefe diffi-^ cultics. [ 137 ] culties, fo far as they appeared, it was my intention to have pointed out in this place, together with fiich regulations as feeiiied to nne, fron^ a confiderable attention to this pleafing fubje<5l, nnofl: likely to ob- viate them; but I could not render them fo perfcdb as to fatisfy my own mind, in time for the prefcnt publication, which T was unwilling any longer to delay, from an apprchenfion that a bill would be brought into the I loufe of Commons by Mr. Gilbert foon after the Chriftmas reccfs, which appeared to me lefs adequate to the end propofed. There is a principle in the human mind, which renders it im- patient of controul; mankind in gen who might be fur- niflied jufl as they may happen to want, and in a manner the moft compatible with their circum- fiances. A poor family, which, without fuch a plan, could not confiflently with their income have any beer at^ al), might on this lay out from one penny to fix-pence without trouble orlofs of time ^ and having this beverage would be lefs likely to make a common beverage of tea^ which, with the expence of refined fugar and butter, is enough to impoverifh the parents,. as well as to enervate their offspring. But fuch an eflabiifhment of breweries, jf ufeful at all, as it is prefumed they would be, mufl fucceed befl under the advice and encourage- ment of principal men in a parifh, who will be the .bcfl i 249 1 bcft judges o£ the qualification, proper difpofition, and fituation3> of thofe who fhould be induced to engage. It may not always be neceflary, and cer- tainly would not, for thofe who embark to fpend their whole time in fuch an undertaking; much other ufeful bufinefs may be done, when brewing is fuf- pended, while a fingle individual of the family might draw and ferve out the beer to the perfons who fetch it. Such a plan, in large towns where com- mon breweries are already eftablifhed, feems to be fuperfcded, by the felling of this article at chan- dlers* Ihopsj but the abundant convenience and great advantage of that fupply, without the ne- ceffity of going to the alehoufe, is a ftrong recom- mendation for an attempt to be made in a more extenfiyc manner. W, M. It may be pleafing to fome gentlemen, to read any additional, and recent fentiments of fo ingenious a writer as Mr. Pew, on his favourite fubjefbj his letter, therefore, refpeding the inferuon of fiis pamphlet, is fubjoined. TO THE SECRETARY, DEAR SIR, I am much obliged to you for your polite letter, of the 24th inftant, which I juft now received, and C ^50 J and feci myfelf highly honoured by the approbation which the Bath and Weft of England Agricultural Society are plcafed to exprefs of my fmall pamphlet refpeding a better mode of 'providing for the Poor^ publiflied in 17835 and if my feeble efforts can be of any avail, in feconding the endeavours of fo re- ipedlable a Society, to bring about a more equal diftribution of the bounties of Providence among all the fons of men ; I can affure you, that as it has been always an object indeed very near my hearty it will give me the moft unfeigned fatisfafbion. In that pamphlet I endeavoured to give, in the moft condenjed form, the principal advantages, both pofitive and negative, which might reafonably be expedted from fuch a regulation ; and now, after the lapfe of eight years, I cannot call to mind any addi- tional arguments \vhich are likely to convince thofe whofe underftandings the former ftatement did not reach. If the Society do me the honour, therefore^ (which I much wifh) to infert my paper in their next volume, I fliould v^rifh only to corred the fev7 errors of the prefs as marked in the copy herewith fent, and to add the two notes, which by fome mif- take of the printer, were formerly omitted j for as t9 entering on the pradical part, or framing a bill by which the plan might be carried into executionjj it [ asi ] it fcems to me, upon reflection, not only to be highly prefumptuous in any individual, but might perhaps be confidercd as a dirc<5l infuk to the legif- Utive wifdom of this country, without whofc affift- ance, I am clearly of opinion, no permanent ox very ejfential advantages can accrue from it ^ but when I fay this, I mean only to exprefs my own private opinion ; for no one will be more happy to fee fuch additional arguments as may have fuggefled them- i^\yts to any gentlemen of the Society. Two difficulties feem to have occurred to feveral gentlemen, who I am fure are my friends, and well- wiftiers to mankind j the firil, as to the pradlicabi- lity of the fcheme 5 the fecond, as to its legality. In anfwer to the firft, I can only fay, that if govern- ment would furnifh me with the neceflary powers,. I would forfeit my life, or > carry it generally into execution; and with regard to the fecond, I confcft I can fee nothing more illegal or oppreflive in taxing a man for the future contingent fupport o( bimfelf and his family y than in taxing him directly for the? fupport of others. I am, dear Sir, your's, &c, R. PEW. Sbajlon, Dfic, 39, 1791. P.S. With P^S. With the pamphlet I will fend a eopy of Dean Tucker's letter tx) Dr, Stonhoufe, on perufing ray plan; not out of oftentation, but to fhew how raiich that refpedlable politician coincides in opinion witfe the gentlemen of the Society and myfelf. ^' Gloceftcry Fei, \i^ 17^3:- ; :/:.'*!l>EAR Sir, " I thank you for the perufal of Mr. Few's pam- phlet; it i§ a well written, fenfible performance; and if he can "extend the fcheme of frugal and pro- vident clubs, fo as to comprehend the whole, or even a confiderable part of our national poor, he will, in my efteem,. deferve more of his country and of mankind, than all the Marlboroughs, or Chat- ham?, Or Rodneys, that ever lived. I remember to have had a good, deal of talk with the late Sir One- fjphorus Paul, on this very fubjedt. SirOnefiphorus encouraged thefe clubs as much as he could, and continued, I believe, a member of fevyral of them till his dying' day, in order to countenance them, and let a good example. But in converfation, we then concluded that they mud be. voluntary affociations, and not compulfory aflem.blies ; that they were mpft practicable in manufadluring diflridls, far re- mote from the vortex of eleflioneering boroughs^ (which (which is the cafe of Stroud in Glocefterfliire) and that they might be introduced to good purpofc into tovius of 5 or 600 houfes, but could hardly iuit with thofe of 5 or 6000. " The affair of granting certificates to the mem- bers of ahy of thde clubs, to remove to other places if they chofe to go, (a liberty that ought never to be denied them) is at prefent another difficulty, which I wilh to fee well removed, and the law altered which enables a churchwarden, a conftable, or an overfeer, to prevent a perfon of another pa- rifh from fettling among them. "Therefore, v;ith my beft wifhes of fuccefs to the author's laudable endeavours, " I remain, dear Sir, '* moft fincercly yours, " J, TUCKER." « To the *' Rev. Dr. Stonhoufe, M. D. <^ Briflol." Article C 254 ] Article XXV. A Plan for the better Maintenance and Regulation tf the Parochial Poor, ** The number of indigent perfons being greatly increafed, by <* withdrawing the ahns of the monallerics, a plan was formed ** in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, more humane and benefi- " cial than even feeding and clothing of millions ; by affording *« them the means (with proper induftry) to feed and to clothe <« themfelves. And the farther any fubfequent plans for main- *« taining the poor have departed from this inftitution, the ** more impraftirable and even pernicious their vifionaiy at- *« tempts have proved.'* Blackjione's Com, iv. 43a. TO THE SECRETARY. SIR, LOOKING over the lift of premiums of your refpedtable Society, I obferve one is directed for the improvement of the Poor Laws. This has put me on recolledling fome circumftances, which, in the courfe of near twenty-five years pra6lice as a juftice of the peace in the county of Hants, have occurred to me as likely to conduce much to the comfort of the poor, by making them more induftrious than they are found to be at pre- fent ', and alfo to introduce a laudable emxilation and fpirit of good order among that ufeful part of the community. The propofitions are but few in number, but feem to me to be efFe6tual to the point in view. The propofal is as follows: ijl. That \fi. That in a bill to be brought into parliament, claufes may be inferted to authorize the juftices of the peace to order a bounty on work, in" certain cafes, with a view to producing better effefts than by giving money to the poor. 1 ft. This has been put in pra^ke (hy recommenda- tkn) for near fifteen or fifteen years paji \ and has been found to produce an excellent effe5}. So that three fhillings per week dtjpenjed hy the overfeersy but thought injiifficient for the fupport of a family ^ confifling of fix people i have^ by a different mode of difpojal^ in the way of bounty y produced the comfortable income ofnineflnU lings per week for the fupport of the fame family. But later experience, introduced by the adiHce of a ma- nufa^urer, has abundantly evinced y the greater benefit of proportioning the propofed bounty to each floilling earned^ as the latter methods apply to the quality cf work as well as the quantity, l!he former to quantity onlyJ* idly. That certificates given agreeably to the Acl of the 8th and 9th of King William the Third, and other fubfequent afls, for the amendment of the • lllujtration. A. and B. are fet to fpinrting, and are promifed a bounty on their work, in the proportion of fixpencc bounty to each /hilling earned. A. draws her work to a finenefs of is. 6d. per pound, and B. only to is. A. of courlc is entitled to nine-pence, ivhile B. deTerves only fix-pence. famcj fame, be hereafter limited to fliort terms of years. See Gilbert*s plan, 178 1. adly. ^be uje of this is Jo very obvious^ and pro^ miftng of improvement y that it is fuppojed eight or ten certificates will he granted under the limitation, injiead of one in the prefent mode. And thereby the number of indufirious people in the nation will be much increafed. As it is found on obfervationy that the certificated la- bcurers are abundantly more active and indufirious than the fettled inhabitants, Andy further^ that ifjuch cer^ tificate he granted for a year only, the juftices of the divifton may enforce the granting it, 2th and gth 1 2^ly, That a difcriminate and fpe- TVilliam III.>cial ufe of the badge be applied by Cap. 30. 3 the overfeers, with the confent of the majority of a veftry, (fubje6t to appeal to the divi- fion or diftridt juftices, at their petty feflions) as a cenfure and punifliment to the diforderly and lazy poor only. 3dly. . // is fuppofed that' a creditable mark or token of diftin^ion might alfo be added with excellent effeEf^ As a rezvardy for inftanccy to an indufirious labourer y or. an ingenious ar fifty who has bred up a numerous or confideraUe family in a reputable manner y without alliance [ ^57 ] affijlance from the parijh in which he is Jtttlcd. Some real benefit may aljo he added thereto— fuch as^ an ex^ imption from highway duty for a certain time, or for every as in the cafe of militia-men enrolled in their own right, and not as fubflitutes. Other ufeful fervices to a neighbourhood may likewife be rewarded in the fame manner-, as for inftance, to thofe who prcjecute or make difcovery of perfons guilty of mifdemeanours, and the fever al degrees of larcenies and felonious offences. Thefe obfervations are fubmltted to the confider- ation of the publick, as conftituting an expedient for the better management and regulation of the poor of this kingdom. And it is prefumed that, by thefe means, the general body of the poor may be fupported in the proportion of half the expence which has been incurred, on their account, for any given period of time within the laft feven years ; that better order and regularity will be eftabliflied and kept up among them; the national flock of induftry increafed ; that the plan is eafy, fimple, and fpeedy ir\ its execution ; and laftly, that the largeft county in the kingdom will not require one hundred pounds to carry the plan into pradlice, as the meaneft cot- tage will, by the bounty propofed, become a work- houfe for one family, fo long as it will be wanted : a circumftance, it is imagined, of no ordinary con- VoL. VI. S fcquence^ \ C ^58 1 fequence, at a feafon when the kingdom has bcefl put to large and heavy expences on account of inn- proving gaols and publick prifons. This, Sir, is the refult of nny obfervation; and, I truft and believe, it contains hints that would be found effe6lual to the intended purpofe. If it Ihould meet with the approbation of the committee, I own I fhali think myfelf honoured by their good opinion -, but if it fhall only be the means of urging fome more experienced perfon to propofe a better plan, the community will receive the greater be- nefit, and I fhall be a partaker -of the general good, V as an individual. I am, Sir, your moft humble feiTant, THOMAS HALL. Prejlon-Candover near Odiham^ ^HdntSy May 12, 1792. P. S, It is fuppofed that this plan will operate peculiarly in manufafluring towns; where there are aged or finking manufadlurers; and will enable a mafter to reward merit, or'fupport the diftrefs of an individual labourer, without danger of advancing the general price of labour. Article t ^S9 1 Article XXVI. On the Damage of Fir^PlantatioHSi in reply to the enquiry inftitutedby this Society^ ds before alluded /#► by Mr. Davis of Longleat. TO THE SECRETARV. Sir, UPON reading over the minutes of the laft general meeting of the Bath Agriculture Society, as advertifcd by you the 14th June laft, I obierved that the fociety had received information from Mr. Horner, that his fir-plantations at Mells park have of late years fuffered in a very alarming manner by fquirrels preying upon the bark, whereby great numbers of his fineft trees have been killed, ahd a general deftru<5tion threatened; and that the fcdety, wiftied to inftitute an enquiry how far other gentlemen's woods have fuffered from the fame caule, and would be obliged by any communica- tions on the fubjeft, Happy in complying with the wifhes of my brother members of the fociety, I take up my pen to inform them, that I have been a fellow-fuffcrcr with Mr. Horner, for near thefe dozen years laft paft, in my fir-plantations at this place, from the lame dcftruftive animals. S 2 Many t 2i6o ] Many years ago, thinking the fquirrels very harm- lefs creatures, and liking to fee them fpring from tree to tree, I '^ave orders that none of them fhould be c}c(Vroyedj by which means they increafed exceed* ingly. I found no inconvenience enfue, till about 10 or 12 years ago; when, after along and fevere winter, I took notice one day, in going round my walks in the wood about the beginning of April, that feveral of my young Scotch firs, which had then been planted about 15 or 16 years, and were very thriving trees, were flripped of their bark in feveral places, and the ftrips of the bark five or fix inches long, lying at the feet of the trees. I at firft thought that fome roguifh boys had been playing tricks, but upon further examination I found the trees in many places were flripped fo high up, that no boys could poffibly have got at them : at laft, after watch- ing feveral times in order to find out what could damage the trees in this manner, I caught the fquirrels in the fad of ftripping and tearing ofi^the bark, and throwing it upon the ground. I never perceived any of my trees thus injured before^ but fince they have begun, they have never failed more or lefs to attack my fir-trees every year both fmall and great. Of one whole plantation of Scotch firs, of about 2500, which I planted out in the year 1766, there is fcarcely a tree has efcaped their ravages. Wherever [ 26i I Wherever they bark the tree all round, there is a difcontinuance of a due circulation of the fap, and that part of the tree, which is above the injury fuf- taincd, dies, and is generally broken off by the firft high winds in the enfuing winter^ and the trees, de- prived of their tops, make a mod unfightly appear- ance and are fpoiled. Befides thefe younger trees that are thus barked, I have many large trees, of at Icaft 50 years growth, which are in like manner damaged, by thefe mifchievous animals, in their upper branches and leading fhoots. I have particularly obferved that thefe animals attack no' other fpecies of the fir or pine kind but the Scotch fir, notwithftanding the Scotch fir has the roughed and hardeft bark of any. The fprucc, the filver, the Weymouth, the larch, the pinafter, and the cedar of Lebanon, though intermixed^oc- cafionally with the Scotch in my woods, remain unattacked and unmolefted by them. I have ob- ferved too that the fquirrels never begin their attacks till about the beginning of April, and generally ceafe from their deftrudivc works about the latter end of May. From this circumftance I have been induced to draw this inference; that thefe animals, which ar6 S 3 known [ 262 ] known to lay up in the autumn their hoards of nuts, chefnuts, beech mafts, acorns, &c. for their winter -confumption, never attack the firs while they can get ripe fruits in the fummer, or while their hoards remain unconfumed in the winter; but that as foon as their winter ftorcs are exhaufled, which will fome- times happen in long and hard winters followed by a late fpring, (as was the cafe when they firft attacked my fir-trees lo or 12 years ago) they are driven by necefTity to ftek for food wherever they can find it. This neceflity probably firfl prompted them to try what the Scotch fir might produces and having once tafted t:he refinous particles, they relifhed it fo well, that they have ever fipce reforted to ^he fame fpurce of fupply whenever the calls of hunger urged then> to it. What further perhaps induces thefe animals to apply to the Scotch fir in preference to the other forts of firs, may be the funilarity pf tafle between the feeds of the Scotch fir cones, (of which the fquirrels are remarkably fond) and the refinous par- ticles which lie beneath the inner rind of the Scotch fir; for it is, I apprehend, thefe refinous particles which |:hey eat, and are in fearch of when they flrip off the bark, and not the bark itfelf, whicja ^hey always rejedl and throw down. Aftg: mild winters their ravages are not fo great, their hoards not being fo feon exhauftedi to this reafon I impute it that my [ 263 ] my trees have efcaped this fpring (after fo mild a winter as the laft) without fuffering much damage. Having thus pointed out the mifchicf, and in fome mcafurc accounted for the caufe of iti I wifh I could as eafily point out the remedy. The deftru6lion of the animal of courfe is the firft that offers itfelfj but that is not, in large woods efpecially, fo eafily accomplilhed. There are various ways, by which their numbers may be diminifhed, but in the fhelter and harbour of extenfive planta- tions^, their agility and their cautious fhynefs and cunning, will baffle all our endeavours j however, they may be greatly leflened by degrees, and in time perhaps in a great meafure extirpated, cither by taking their nefts and deftroying their young year after year, when they can be got at, which is. not always to be done, as they generally build their nefts at the extremities of the branches; or by hunt- ing or (hooting them. But where they are nume-r rous, all thefe methods will hardly be fufficient^ unlefs purfued by an unremitting perfeverance. If any rnore effedlual method can be thought of for deftroying thefe animajs^ I (hall be very gald to be made acquainted with it. Thus I have committed to paper fuch particulars d( have ggcurred to my obfervation relative to thefe de(b-u(ftiv^ [ a64 ] deftrudive creatures j which I miifl beg you will lay- before the fociety at their next meeting, with my moft refpedlful compliments. ' I am, Sir, Your moft humble fervant, JAMES BERNARD. Crowcombe-Courty July 6th ^ 1791. Article XXVII. On thejuhje5i of the foregoing Article ^ Plant ingy ^c, Sali/huryy 051, 6 thy 179 1. T Have taken every opportunity of enquiring into ' ■*" the matters ftated in your letter of the 30th of July. Some injury, as I have been informed, was done by fquirrels to the fir plantations of Lord Arundell, of Wardour, as much as ten or twelve years ago. The plantations of the Earl of Ailefbury, at Tottenham-park, have alfo been attacked in hke manner. The damage complained of is, however, I believe, far from being general j nor have I heard of it in fo great a degree as that which you .mention. Very [ «65 1 Very few plantations, except fnnall ornamental ones, have been made in this neighbourhood. The raifing of oak timber for future navies was, I know, confidered as an objed of great national importance by John Pitt, efq; late furveyor-general of the King*s^woods and forefts; who directed his attention to planting part of thofe unprofitable lands. Near twenty years ago he feledted two thoufand acres for planting in different parts of the Foreft of Dean, and one thoufand acres in the New Foreft. The lan4 was inclofed for that purpofe at a very confiderable expence. Since receiving your letter I have feen part of thofe plantations in the New Foreft, and have been well informed refpedting the remainder. I am truly forry to add, that they ap- pear to have been neglefted, expofed to damage, and arc now in a deplorable ftate. The growth of timber in general, and oak timber in particular, is, I fear, much on the decline. Rough uncultivated land is the natural nurfery of a young oak ; but every foil is not well adapted to its growth. \Vhen fuitable land is farmed out, an induftrious tenant will probably clear, and bring it into cultiva- tion. If left in its uncultivated ftate, cattle are turned in, and dcftroy the young plants. It has generally generally been held that an oak does not remove well./ The furveyor-general before mentioned, who paid great attention to his own plantations, informed m? that by removing an oak twice or thrice, when very young, and each time cutting off the tap or principal root, it would afterwards profper as well as any other tree, Itfeldom happens that timber is raifed on farms let out to tenants to cultivate, except particular attention be paid to it by the landlord or his (leward. It is not merely the giving orders for a number of trees to be planted that I mean. The man who fucceeds mufl plant that which is fuitable to the foil, preferve it from d?mage, and take pleafure in feeing it flourifh. There are few forts of timber proper for hedge-rows. Perhaps elm generally fucceeds the befl, and does the leaft damage to quick fences. When a hedge is new plafhed, the labourer cuts ofF^ many young faplings, which would, if let (land, make timber. It is good policy to give thefe men a fmall gratuity for every do^en of foplings that they fpare. This is adually pradtifed on the eftate of the Marquis pf Bath, through the good condudl of his fteward, Qnc of our wordiy and very intelligent members. After trees arc planted, or led up in this manner, it ^cquire^ particular attcntipn to preferve them. The/ r »67 ] are fometimes deftroyed by cattle biting off tho young fhoots, or rubbing againft them ; and arc frequently fpoiled for timber by being lopped, fhrouded, or headed, by the farmer or his fcrvdnts. The timber which is raifed belongs to the landlord, nor is it the intereft of the tenant to encourage its growth. The dropping of trees frequently deftroys * his quick fences, and their (hade confiderably injures bis land. When a tree is converted to a pollard, by taking off the head, or mutilated by lopping or flirouding, it does lefs injury, and the farmer has generally the'privilege of taking the lops and flircuds for his own ufe. A ftrid attention, with proper covenants in the leafe, may prevent thefe abufes. On the contrary, tenants who carefully nurfe up . young timber fhould be encouraged by rewards, or allowances; or by occafionally affigning them tim- ber for their ufe. As the raifing of timber on farms requires more attention than it generally receives, and the royal forefts have, I fear, been too much negleded, it is to noblemen and gentlemen who hold large tra BENJAMIN PRYCE* To Mr. Wm. Matthews, Secretary. Article [ 270 ] ARTldLK XXVIII. ^he fame SuhjeEi continued^ TO THE secretary; Sir, IT has been obferved that fir-trees m Lord Ailefbury's plaiitations> particularly Scotch firs, have been barked in the manner defcribed in your circular letter; generally at the bottom of the leader of each branch; the ground under fome of the trees has been covered with the woody parts that have been chewed, in fuch quantities, that a peck or more might be colledled under one tree. This mifchief has- been found to be more frequent, in fcafons when there has been a large breed of fquir- rels, and at a time when it may be fuppofed their autumnal colledlions have been cxhaufted; and about four years ago, when fquirrels were uncom- monly numerous about Tottenham- park, upwards of fift)^ trees, called Hornbeam, were barked in the! trunks and branches a confiderable way down, which occafioned moft of them to die* The in* jury we at firft fuppofed to have been done by a racoon, which efcaped from a gentleman's houfe in the, neighbourhood, and went towards Tottenham- park ; but I dp not find there was any good ground for believing fo much execution could have been done by one animal. This t ^71 1 This mifchief, however, in Lord Aileftury'a neighbourhood, hai been inconfiderable, in compa- rifon with that done to the plantations of the gen- tleman alluded to by your letter* Plantations here have fuffered much more material Injury, by not having been properly thinned on growing up. Gentlemen, whofe difpofition leads them to make plantations, have feldom refolution enough to make ufe of the ax as they enlarge, and the confequence is, that the trees run each other up into ftriplings, and feldom if ever make fine timber j yet it is ne- cefTary they fhould at firft be planted pretty thick, cfpecially in expofed fituations for fhelterj and if horfe chefnut, Scotch fir, fycamore, and other faft- growing trees of fmall value as timber, are planted with better kinds of trees, they will pay well to be thinned out, and furnilli no temptation to the owner to keep them growing too long. I am forry to fay, that except on fome parts of the eftate of Lord Ailefbury, who for the laft thirty or forty years has paid unremitting attention to this important article, the ftate of oak and other timber in this neighbourhood is not to be boafted of} and even on his manors, it is fometimes a diffi- cult matter to prevent the lopping and pollarding timber-trees, particularly of alb, which will burn while green. The [ 272 ] The railing of young timber on eftates has not been fufHcicntly attended to. Land -owners know- ing they have little chance of living to cut down and ftrll the tree they are at the expence of planting, do not often confider, that their eftate is notwith- ftanding increafed in value and improved in beauty by being well planted, and confequently would at any time fell for abundantly more than would repay them the firft expence of planting with intereft. But tenants for life or years have no great induce- ment to improvements of this fort; on the contrary, they would incumber their lands without any profit; and this generally occafions them to be as backward in railing timber, as they are induftrious in pollard- ing what does get up. Lord Ailefbury has introduced a covenant in his leafes, whereby his tenants engage to plant and pre- ferve a certain number of trees yearly, in proportion to the fize of their eftates ; but even this is not fully -complied with, and he has lately employed a perfon to go over his farms, to feek out the fitteft place? in hedge-rows, &c. for planting, and afterwards knt plants fronfi his own nurferies, and had them planted. The fame perfon marks for referves any felf- plantcd trees he can find in the coppices and hedge- rows that come in courfe for cutting, to fave them from being cut down with the underwood. Tlie t ^73 1 The foil in this part of the country has not in general fufficlcnt depth to produce fine oak timber; where it does groW well, as in Savernake-foreft, it feems peculiarly welfadapted for knee-timber ; but from the want of water-carriage, and of a purchafer at hand, many a valuable lot of good knee-timber is jfed for the mod inferior purpofes of repairs, gate-pods, & and a publick benefit to the country. I am. Sir, Your mofl obedient fervant, JOHN WARD. Marlborough i 051 » io, 179 1. P. S. Lord Ailefbury is purfuing the fame fyflem of planting on his Yorkfhire eflate, where oak tim- ber grows in great perfeftioh. T 2 A&TICLS t ^76 3 ARtlCLE XXlX. On Shetland or Zetland Sheep, and JVosL TO THE BATH AGftlCULtuftE SOCtETY. , Gentlemen, TO a Society fo eminently diftinguifhed for its laudable exertions, and its beneficial confe- quences as yours, every addrefs ought to contain fomething conducive to the good of mankind. If the following corne not fo recommended, it defervcs at Icaft the praife of a good intention. The fubjedb is the celebrated Zetland Wool, with a fcheme the moft likely to make it advanta- geous to this kingdom in general, and a fupport to that ifland in particular. Zetland extends from more than 59** to more than 6 1* N. L. and as it lies in an oblique direc- tion is confiderably longer than a degree j its breadth is variable, from 6 miles to 20. It is compofed of a number of ifles interfedled by founds and firths, which are flored with an abundant variety of fifli ; and the harbours are the bed in Europe. The fea is very ftormy, efpecially in winter, when the fpray is [ ^77 ] is carried over a great part of the ifland, Ind ren- ders the grafs peculiarly good for feeding; this likewife prevents the fnow from lying long on the pafture grounds ; but entirely mars the growth of trees. It is inhabited by about twenty thoufand people, who depend upon the fummer fifhing, and knitting of ftockings, for their fcanty and precarious fubfiflence; the fifh is fent to Barcelona, Leghorn, or Hamburgh; and the ftockings fold to the Dutch filhermen, or fent to Hamburgh; and the fine ftockings to Edinburgh, where they fell from three fhillings to one guinea and a half a pair. The landholders let their lands from year to year, on condition of fome perfonal fervices, and all their produdl at a fmall price in the option of the buyers^ who are often tackfmen, and rent the people's fer- vices at about fool, for forty or fifty boats with fix men each. The people are faid to be indolent; the reafon of which is, that the landholders, by a barbarous policy, and by a variety of mean », contrive to bring them into debt, to prevent their leaving their country; [N. B. Few of the people can either write or number ; for the fame policy prevents good ichools being kept:] and they, defpairing of iodependence^ become hopelefs and indolent, T 3 The [ 278 ] The ftieep are finall, and diftinguifhed from other fheep by marks unneceffary to relate 5 — arc fubjeft to few difeafesj and fell at about 5s. a head. Each Iheep has about two pounds of wool, one-fourth of which is very fine 5 the hatters in Edinburgh have offered four or five fhillings per pound for it, but it fells at one Ihilling per pound.* The oldeft ewes have the finefl wool, but the coarfeft is thought fine in Scotland. I have heard that the fame breed of iheep may be found in Ireland and Herefordfhirej but little diflinguifhed by the finenefs of their wool. The number of fheep may be about ninety thou- fand, but might be increafid to four times that num- ber ; to point out the means of which was the chief defign of this effay. The caufes of decreafe are many: \ft. The landholders fubdivide their lands fo often for the purpofe of getting a number of filhers, \N, B, Six acres is a large farm] — that few tenants are rich enough to purchafe fheep, wherefore the mafler gives them fome in fleelbow, that is, the te« nant keeps them, and the mafler has the half of all the produd -, but as he never claims the dead, the tenants, urged by hunger and difpirited by oppref- fion, often /W fheep dead by accidents unknown. * This feems unaccountable, adly. The I ^79 3 adiy. The mafter receives part of his rent, and the parfon his tithes in lambs j and the people, to prevent a true account, never gather them from the hills, nor tend them, but mark them and let them run. Some are ftolen, 2dly* Many fall viftims to dogs, eagles, and ra- vens, in fpring j and fome are fmothered or drowned in winter, by almoft a total negleft of them by the owners, /^hly. As tenants feldom receive money from thefe monopolizing mailers, they are forced to fell their ftock privately to purchafe neceff^ies. Stbfy. From a fhort-fightednefs peculiar to ^his people, they feldom look beyond the enjoyments of the day. Cau/e: As foon as a farmer is thri- ving, he gets a warning to remove, and muft buy his peace by a fum of money proportioned to his circumftances. Indeed, premiums have been offered to encou- rage breedings but as the landholders diftributp thcfe, no fhare is allotted to the farmers, who alone have the power of giving effed to thefe defigns. . Now Now the means propofed, I think, would be effedual and profitable to thofe who Ihould under- take the defign. Let any company of clothiers take a ten or twelve year's leafe of as many fcattalds (paftu re- grounds) as poflible, with all the Iheep upon them. Let fome Ihepherds be got from Scotland, (I would not- truft a Zetlander) who know the management of Iheep in fnowy hills, and who could be trufted with another's property. Let there be wool-forters got; and as the Zetlanders are the beft fpinners in Bri- tain, let the wool be Ipun, and yarn fent to Eng- land, for veft-pieces, &c. &c. By this their num- bers would increafe, and the overplus would belong to the company ; and it would become beneficial to the ifland in giving employment to the poor, many of whom are now ftarving for want. Even other branches of trade might be carried on by the fame company to their own and the country's mu- tual advantage; — an account of which I will readily give, if ever it be required. ON THE FINENESS OF WOOL. For the fuperior finenefs of the Zetland wool, there are many conjeftures 5— but I am of opinion, there t 281 ] there are many concurring caufes, and the nioft of thefc locaL The chief is the peculiar breed of flieep. The next, I hunnbly conceive, to be the nature of the pafturej which, by its proximity to the fea, is ftrongly impregnated by fait particles, carried up by the winds; becaufe the grafs on head-lands and banks is foft and clofe, different from the inland or meadow grafs, and the fheep are fond of it; and becaufe it is known that a daily fupply of fait is given to the Spanifh Iheep at the watering- places J and it is thought to contribute to the fine- nefe of the wooK Another reafon is, their plucking the wool, or al- lowing it to fall off; — this may be confirmed by obferving that the oldeft ewes have the fineft wool. Another great caufe is, their northern fituation i for all animals have more hair than in Scotland, as horfes, cows, &c. Cats, rabbits, and otters, have finer fur. And however ridiculous it may appear, even fwine have hair on certain parts of the body. Now, as all this is probable, an experiment fi- milar to that in Scodand might be made, by fixing upon [ 282 ] vpon fome fmall ifle or peninfula, on the fea-coaft of Wales, Devonfliire, or Cornwall, where the fheep could be allowed to. feed as in Zetland 5 and by the increafe confequent on a proper care, they might multiply to a great number. Or, as in Spain, fome flocks might be fed in the mountains during fummer, and in the low-lands in winter ; but as this laft feems impradicable, I Ihall only obferve, that the temperature which the Spa- nilh iheep enjoy, is thought to be the reafon that the hot climate has not the fame effed on the Iheep there, as it has in every other hot country. By means of the former experiment, a gradual im- provement, if not a new flock, might be introduced. N. B. Five or fix fiieep of the Zetland breed may be fed with the food of one Englifh. An account of the current trade and probable fchemes of improvement of Zetland, may be had ifneceflary. . I am, your's, &c. J. TOMPSON, Burfcrd'SdooL , Article I t a83 ] Article XXX. On Mifcellaneous topics of Hujhandry, TO THE SECRETARY. SIR> Have a pleafure in commuhicaring to the Bath Society every thing that occurs to me in farm- ing, in hopes that part of it may by th6m be thought of ufe to the public. I informed you that I found raw potatoes as nouriihing for hogs as boiled; the expence and trouble of boiling would be too much to be fol- lowed on a large fcale. The great uncertainty of having a good crop of turnips, made me laft year plant eight acres with zploughy with which I turned them out of the ground in Odtober, and carted them into one end of a barn rather in a wet bad ftate, as I was in a hurry to fow wheat in the land, and there Was no profpeft of dry weather. I think I had 60 or 70 tons, which I could have Tent to Briftol for aboiit 15s. per ton, and probably have neated about aos. per ton, if I had fold them; but 1 preferred trying, the experiment of feeding my ftock with them, and accordingly I preferved them with once turning till January, and then began to give them "^ith hay to my fat oxen, working oxen, tows, work- ing [ 284 ] ing horfes, faddle horfes, and colts, of all ages, and to my hogs; and they all ate them greedily, and looked much better than ufualj fo that I think thefe potatoes will yield me, in the faving of hay and other food, and in the increafe of manure, about 20s. per ton, and be always in future a good refource in ca(e of a dry fummer, a fcarcity of hay, and failure of my turnip crops. But near great cities, where 40s. per ton may be made of them, and manure brought home from thence, the advantage of my praftice will be lefs J and I confefs- 1 am difappointed in not being able to get my fheep to eat much of them which I have endeavoured to force them to do in this way : — I have folded fome fheep and lambs in an old garden where there are fome laurels, lauruftini, box, and yews, but very little poor moiTy grafs; and tliere I have for fome weeks fed them on mangel- wurzel, roota-baga, or Swedifli turnips, cabbages, potatoes, carrots, parfnips, ivy leaves, and a little hay. They prefer each of thofe things to potatoes, and eat all the evergreen Jhrubs, except box, which being bitter, they will not tafte it; they eat fome of the potatoes, and would probably eat more, if they were very hungry, and left a day without otlier food. Do<5lor Anderfon mufl have had wrong fcedy 01; he would not have been prejudiced againft npangel- wurzelj Vrur2el, which will yield 30 tons an acre (exclufivC of the kaves) of good food, which may be houfcd like potatoes; and wheat fown in the land, which is certainly a great advantage, to avoid the neceflity of naked or barren fiimmer fallows. I had laft year about 50 tons an acre of Drumhead cabbages, which will yield great plenty irt December, January, and February, and they may be fucceeded by mangel-wurzel and potatoes, and thefe by roota- baga, and turnip-rooted cabbage, which bear froft much better than common turnips, \ Sheep are fhy of food they are not ufed to eat, but hunger will bring them to eat moft things fit for them. They are remarkably fond of roota-baga^ which are lefs fpungy and more folid and fweet than the common turnip in April. I have this year kept them very good in the ground till I had a good bite of vetches, clover, and rye-grafs i the leaf is fmooth like the cabbage tribe, and the flieep are very fond of them. When I was writing this, I found in your fccond volume, p. 262, a letter from Mr. Wimpey, recom- mending the houfeing of fheep and lambs in winter, to avoid a kind of v/ind-colic, which kills a great number [ 286 ] number of the fatted lambs when the nights begin to be cold and frofty. I have for many years faved my lambs much better than my neighbours, by houfeing them, and giving them hay after drenching them with tar, butter and garlick, which makes thend lax for a day or two. They have a cuftom in Lan- calhire, of rubbing tar and butter on the (kins of Iheep, which they call falving, to thicken the wool, and preferve them from the fcab. I have not heard of this pra6lice in the fouthern parts of this ifland^ After writing the above, I received your favour of the 2ift, for which I thank you, and ihall add a few lines in anfwer to your queries. I had my roota-haga from a principal feedfman in London, very good, and have preferved fome for feed, as I ihall of thofe you have been fo good as to fend me. I like to try every thing new, and therefore wifh to have fome of the mowing cab- bage, mentioned by Sir T. Beevor in your laft volume. My Carolina grafs all died, and I fear it has no merit. The farming gentlemen in North and South Wales are fo remote from, that they have no inter- courfe with, each other; nor have thofe of different counties much; they are moftly divided by hills; and C 387 1 and the foil varies fo much, that each county (houl4 have a fociety for promoting agriculture, and other improvements for their local advantages, in which the general good will neceffarily be involved. In Breconfliire there has been one above 30 years i we followed them, and I have long been furprifed that there fnould be a county in the ifland without a fund raifed by the voluntary fubfcriptions of the affluent, to promote fuch objefts of public utility as the majority of the fubfcribers approve; but there is a want of public fpirit, fo that improvements go on very flowly, though I think much fafter in this than any former age. The vale of this county, bordering on th(* Briftol channel, far exceeds any other vale in Wales in extent and fertility. We have a very good breed of horfes, cattle, and fheep, and are improv- ing; but in the north-fide of the county, there are thoufands of acres of heathy hills, where all animals arc nearly in a Hate of nature. - The people live in very narrow valleys, and are moftly employed in herding their fmall horfes, cattle, and fheep, on the hills i to the breed of which they give no attention, as they pay very litde for their pafture. Their great difficulty is to preferve them in winter; they houfe the catde, but the fheep are often buried in k fnow t 288 ] fnow many days, and I have known one farnlei* lofe above 500 lambs in one Ipring, and be feveral years breeding a frefli flock on die fame hills, as thofe brought from other hills would not (lay on his fhcep-walks, and moft of his neighbours fufFered by the fame caufe and had none to fpare. Thefe fheep yield about one pound of wool each, which is made more hairy by being expofed to rain and fnow; I think that fmall fheep, fhort fweet paflure, and fhelter from rain and fnow, are all efTential to pro- duce very fine wool ; but the fize of the animals muft fuit the richnefs of land, to yield the farmer profit, and that mufl ever be his firft confideration. Tithe, and the indolence and infidelity of fervants, will ever be a great difcouragement to gentkmen ifl farming, though I believe there never were fo many gendemen farmers as at this time^ and that mofl of the modern improvements have been made by them. Let the partial and unjufl law of tithe be abolifhed^ and an equal pound-rate fubltituted; and let all owners of eflates have a power to grant the terre tenant a leafe for 21 or even 14 years; and let a general inclofing and road bill be pafTed, without facrificing the intereftof the ptiblick to the emolu- ment of the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons^ and his officers i and improvements in this ifland would [ 289 ] would now go on rapidly, beyond our moft fah- guine cxpedations, and inftead of encouraging thc_ fuinous pradlice of gambling, by giving King's plates under a pretence of improving the breed of horfes, let the government give a certain fum (in proportion to the amount of the land-tax in each County) upon condition that double Or treble that fum be raifed by the inhabitants, and applied to improve agriculture, and other objcdts of pub- lick utility there> and it would then ftimulate the gentlemen to meet and exert themfelves, as it would be a difgrace to lofe the publick bounty, througli their own indolence and want of patriotifm. The national advantages of inclofures, inftead of wilds and race-grounds, would then foon be better attended to and linderftood. There would always be too much land lininclofed on the tops of hills, and fheep will always be too profitable to be neg- ledledj if it were poflible to inclofe the more level parts of the whole ifland; fo that the objedion to inclofing on account of iheep-walks, and alfo on account of the poor, (who are much more wretched for want of work near commons, than where all the land is inclofcd,) is futile and ill-founded, for want of a more general and perfe^ft knowledge of fadls. The arable farmer is a very ufcful member of fo- ciety ; he employs twenty times as many people as Vot.VI. U the [ ^90 ] the grazier, and ten tirT>c$ as m^ny as the dairy- man, on a farm of equal value ; furnifhes propor- tionably more of the neceiTaries of life ; and oftea lays out fronn 5 to 81. per acre in ploughing, liming, and feeding an acre of wheat; and as foon as he has cut it the redor* comes ^xid Jweeps away one- tenth of his crop, when the remainder is much too little to repay him his expences. Is there any equity, qt fhadow of juftice in this? Why fhould this laborious induftrious man pay five times, and in fome cafes ten times as much as his neighbour, for having a fermon preached to him once a week, by an im- moral curate, who is often hired by the abfent redtor for one-eighth or one-tenth of the value of the living ? And what is ftill more mortifying to the farmer, and derogatory from the original in- tention is, that ecclefiaftical corporations and lay impropriators live in luxury, vice, and folly, on the labour and induftry of the poor arable farmer. To encourage the plough would be a much more effectual way to reduce the price of corn, and en- rich the country, than to reftrain exportation, and pay a bounty for importing what could be abun- • This Is conFeffedly a ferious difcouragement to agricultural im» proyements, and calls aloud for a reformation. The reftor, in fuch qafcs, IS not to be blamed j he has the law on his fide, and the farmer cannot expe<^ bim tP forego his Jegal right. dantly t ^91 1 dandy fupplicd from the thoufands of acres now lying waftc. J heartily wifti the utnioft fuccefs to your patri- otic fociety, and all other attempts to promote the publick good. I am, Sir, your's, &c. J. FRANKLEN. Uanmihangky /^pril 25, 17 91. Article XXXI. EfctraSl of a letter fram a Gentleman in Scotland concerning the Ruta-Baga» '' T Have introduced into this country the Ruta- -*• Baga, or Swedifh Turnip, conceiving that it might be of great ufe as an article of green food after the month of March, when ufually our com- mon turnips run all to feed, and we find ourfclves at a lofs for food until our grafs grounds are ready j which they feldom are until the firft week of May : hence my experience of this plant is moftly con- fined to the fpring. *' The firft trial I made was in the year 178 91 not knowing better, I followed the common method Ua ©f of rowing the feeds in my garden, upon an hot-bed, feme time about the I2th or 15th of Aprils about the loth of June I tranfplanted them into the field, where I had turnips, carrots, and other drilled crops; the quantity of ground planted was exadlly half a Scotch acre. It had been ploughed and dunged in the ufual manner, the fame as the reft of the field, where the turnips were fown and drilled in the fame way into three feet ridges. About the beginning of July they were horfe-hoed and hand- hoed, and ma- naged exadtly the fame as the turnips. I forgot to mention the plants were fet nine inches feparate in the row, and not one of them failed taking roojt. '« In winter I began taking up a few for my. table; they feemcd in general fmaller than our common turnips, and longer, moftly of the figure and fize of a quart bottle ; but iwke as heavy as a turnip of the fame fize. For their ufe for the table, I can - confidently recommend them as of fuperior flavour, fo much fo indeed, that after eating them none of my family would talle the other turnips. " I tried my cows and my fatting oxen with them, and they ate them as readily as the common turnips. My iheep uniformly refufed them as long as rhey could get other turnips j this I did not- wonder r ^93 y wonder at, as all my (heep are fix and kven years old, and their want of teeth makes it difficult for them to cat a root fo much harder than turnips. ** To try how the Ruta-Baga would keep after being taken up, I had a few pulled in November ; one half cart-load I put up in fand in a barn, and the reft I laid upon a grafs-walk in my garden, to be fafe from being eaten upj they lay there entirely cxpofed to the weather until April, when they were juft as good, and the cattle ate them juft as well, as if they had been frefli; thofe in the barn were juft the fame; we had them both at our own table, and found them quite as good as thofe we had eaten in November. This trial abundantly convinces me of their hardinefs, as we had in 1789, from the 15th of March thro* all April, very hard and fevere ftorms of froft and fnow with little or no intermiftion. *' In 1790, there was no froft. Imagining this a year that the tranfplanting was ttoublefome, and that they might grow larger if fown on the place where they were to ftand, I caufed half an acre to be fown the firft week in June, in drills of three (ccty and laid out the plants like common turnips i the event anfwered my expectation j the roots were iponfiderably larger than laft ye^r^ although fown on U 2 much [ 294 ] much worfe ground. Except what was ufed for the table, the whole was pulled up the 20th or 25 th of March, and laid in heaps in the barn yard, entirely uncovered fronn the weather, and were given to my fatting oxen after all our common turnips were gone. I think they lafted about three weeks, which was of the greateft advantage to me, for the mild-, nefs of the weather caufed all our turnips to feed, and having no grafs, our cattle were ftarving. " On the whole, I am already of opinion that the Ruta-Baga is a moft valuable root ; whether it be ufed by taking up a quantity previous to a ftorm of fnow, when the other turnips cannot be got at, or by pulling up in fpring and laid by, to be ufed after our common turnips are gone." Article XXXII. On Butt^r-rMakingi — and the Author's Pamphlet en Dairying. to the secretary. Sir, ABOUT the time I publifhed the fecond edi- tion of Dairying Exemplified^ being foon after the death of my good friend Mr. Rack, who was carneft for the fuccefs pf it, as he thought it had a tendency r 295 1 tendency to great utility; I wrote a letter, direfted to the Secretary of the Bath Agriculture Society, mentioning how defirous Mr. Rack, with whom I had exchanged feveral letters on the fubje^t, was, for the publifliing an edition on dairying alone, (my firft having contained a treatife on orchards, and on vegetation) which he thought, as it would come cheaper, would be an inducement to hufbandmen and dairy-women to purchafe, and apply it, I did cxpedl the Society would have ordered fome of them, as Mr. Rack afTurcd me they highly approved of the work, and defired him to fignify the fame to me; and alfo that they would take care to have them difperfcd as much as lay in their power, for publick benefit. I fhould have fent one hundred copies to Mr. Rack, if he had lived till after they were publilhed. He had at different times fome dozens of the former edition, which he diftributed where he thought they would be ufeful. Meffrs. Wilkes, of Leicefterlhire, who I exped many of the Society are acquainted with, ordered one hun- dred of them, and have had feveral dozens of the fecond edition. Lately reading in the Appendix to the Monthly Review fome remarks from a publication on the phyfical and chemical properties of milk, tranflated from the French, I was led to take notice of their experiments [ 296 ] experiments touching fome things related in my fecond edition, concerning butter, as their remark$ in many refpe6ls confirm the opinion I ventured to pubhfh; and this encourages me to give my farther thoughts thereon to the Society, which I wifh you to communicate to them, as I think all people Ihould render every endeavour in their power to promote publick advantage ; and as butter is now become of univerfal confequence, from its very ge^ neral ufe, and many juft complaints are made by dealers in it, of an improper management in the making of it, which caufes it very foon to turn rancid, and often become of a very foul nature when calked up for trade, and is what I could never meet with any body who could give a rational account of. In my fecond edition I mentioned it as my opinion, that the caufe of butter foon becoming rancid and foul, was, in general, from heating the milk when fet up, in order to increafe the quantity of cream; a method which I underftand is generally ufed in pnoft counties that make butter for wholefale trade. Thus by beating the oily particles of the cream, it becomes pinguid or greafy; and it is well known that every fat fubftance that is heated will in a lliort time become rancid or reezey; as bacon does, fo far as the heat gets into it. And it is from known caufes alone that we can fairly reafon to effefts. From I 297 3 • From the publication before remarked, it appears that there is in milk an acid volatile alkaline, and an un(^uous particle, befidcs other chemical proper- tics; among the reft, a fixed alkali j a muriatic or briny acid; it is alfo remarked, that the volatile fubftance which flies off, and occafions the particular odour, is peculiar to animal bodies -, and although from its volatility it eludes every enquiry into its fpecifick nature, yet there is reafon to imagine that it is a confiilcnt part of the milk, and confequcntly not deftitute of utility. This is the firft time I ever met with any account of the volatile part of milk; but from which I ex- pedl many ufeful obfervations may be made. It is fuppofed that churning effeftuates a chemical change in the cream; and that the particles of butter cannot be produced by any other method;— that heating cream when on the milk, caufes the volatile particles to fly off, and fets the cheefy particles more at liberty ; they are apt to rife with the cream and incorporate with it, which caufes the butter in a very little time to become foul and rancid, as I fuppofe the cheefy particles foon fcpa- rate from the butter ; which in a fhort time makes it foul, as it acquires more of the nature of butter- milk; that the cream that rifes without the aid of warmth^ f 298 ] warmth, while perfe<5lly frefli, will yield the moft delicate butter, and may be preferved fweet for the longeft time. From the method ufed of heating the milk is produced what is called clouted cream, which I fuppofe fhould be termed clotted creamy as the warmth caufing the cheefy particles to incorpo- rate with the cream, makes it clot and become more mucid or flimyi and if to any confiderable degree, will diflfolve into a cheefy or curdy fub- fiance, and appear white and foul, as well as rank and bad tailed, and be afFeded with a diflblving quality fomewhat like to the nature of flip curd in cheefe, which I have defcribed in my book, as the greatefl evil that attends cheefe-making, and what has been die lead known or confidered bjr dairy-w^omen. The reafon of offering my opinion to the Society concerning the improvement in making butter, was the hint I mentioned above, concerning the quality of milk; and not having found any thing analagous to it in any author I have met with, regarding butter; and being inclined to urge my opinion that heating cream to make butter is a very improper and hurtful method, and what ought to be difcou- raged as much as pofTible, I imagined it cannot be done fo well as through a fociety formed, for the improvement of agriculture. As [ ^99 I . As I publilhcd a large edition of my book, the firft having gone off very foon, I have lome quan- tity on hand, and I think it will be of great fervicc to dairying to have them difperfcd. I fhail not publilh another editions as I am convinced that dairy- women and farmers are not people to write for. I think twenty or thirty years hence the work will be better known, and more fet by, I am, with due efteem, your's, &c. JOSIAH TWAMLEY, ff^arwick, July 1 6, 1791, Article XXXIII. Remarks en planting Inclojures^ &?r. . In a Letter to a Friend. DEAR SIR, YOU faid the other day, you Ihould fhortly be concerned in fome inclofure bills. Will you permit me to fay a word or two refpedling the ge- neral mode of inclofing? The modern inclofures that I liave obferved, have univerfally been made with white-thorn, an article pretty and neat, that will thrive in mod foils, and foon make a fence Ycry dcfireable near a dwelling-houfe, being of all live f 300 ] Kvc fences mofl: readily kept within narrow bounds, and in any form moft pleafing to the proprietor ; but like all other live fences/ will grow hollow at bottom, and from time to time require new making, when its fuperfluous branches will not repay the labour: moreover it is annually unprodu(5live of any profitable fruit. The motives for inclofing open fields are obvious, utility and profits therefore, as foon as it is deter- mined to divide the land, the fecond confideration is to divide it with materials that will be both pro* fitable and ufeful. I have not the fmalleft doubt, but that if all the hedges in England had been ori- ginally planted in the moft profitable manner, they would have for centuries paft produced, and would continue t^ produce, beverage, and rnaterials for a fufficient fupply of fpirits, for the inhabitants of the whole kingdom ^ and likewife a fufficiency of food for fattening all the hogs,* and paying the expence§ of new making, as often as occafion re- quires; and all this without being more injurious to the land than the hedges now in ufe. Will you pardon my poIntiBg out a mode, that I am per- fuaded would produce all thefe advantages ? To obtain all thefe benefits, plant at the diftance of every twelve, fixteen, or twenty feet, a Spanifh • Surely not all, chefnut. I 301 ] chernut, midway plant a crab, midway between the chefnut and crab plant a common plumb-ftock, midway between the feveral chefnuts, plumb, and crab (locks, plant a white-thorn ; when thefe fe- veral plantations have been made three or four years, and are in a thriving ftate, about the end of February or March, cut them off with a fharp knife, about an inch or two from the ground; they will then throw out many fhoots ; keep them well weeded, and let them continue growing until the chefnut Ihoots are large enough for flakes and binders, whicli will be in about fix, feven, or eight years, according as the foil fuits the plants; when the plants are formed into a hedge, for which there will be a plentiful fupply of fteepers, (lakes, and all the re- quifite materials ; at the diflance of every hundred, hundred and fifty, or two^hwndred feet, or at whatever diflance fancy leads you, leave a flraight handfomc (hoot of the chefnut, to grow into a tree; if you prefer^ timber, let it remain, and it will 'grow into a good timber tree: if fruit, let it be grafted with grafts from the befl chefnuts you can obtain; it would be defirable if you had an opportunity to procure the grafts from Spain; in like manner leave a flraight handfome fhoot of the-crab flock, and graft it with an apple ; in like manner leave a plumb-flock, and graft it with a damfon, or any good i 301 3 good bearing plumb; likewife leave a handfome ihoot of the white-thorn, and graft it with a medlar; thus will you have a very produ6tive fruit-garden, that will always continue, as you may perpetually renovate by leaving frelh llocks every time the hedge is new made, without any wafte of ground, and a permanent hedge equalled by few, and by none excelled. It is of confequence, as much as can be, to have the hedge on every fide belonging to the fame field ; then, when the hedge is new made, the plough, which is the moft efFedlual pro- testor, will preferve the whole fence without any cxpence ; artificial protedion is very expenfive, and very uncertain; it is of material confequence to preferve a new-made hedge from the bite of cattle, and perhaps nothing is more deflrudive than calves, which will go round a whole field and bite ofi^ every frefh Ihoot; afles are likewife peculiarly deftrudlive, as they will not only bite off the frefh ihoots, but likewife peel off the rind, and thereby deftroy the fteepers, Howroever firm and flrong a hedge may be, it will neverthelefs give way to violence, on which account it is necelfary to have materials at hand to repair any damages that may happen j it is therefore very proper to have in each corner of the field, a ftock or two of chefnuts for an occafional fupply of Hakes, and likewife a ftock or two of white- C 303 J white- thorn for a fupply of bufliesj this would he no real lofs of ground, when in tillage, as the plough cannot reach the extremity of the angles ; and whea in grafs it is beft to have the angles a little rounded off, for a malicious bullock will frequendy, when it gets an underling into a corner, feverely gore it, or force it through the hedge; but fhould it happen that thefe fupplies are not wanted, the wood of the chefnut will amply repay the value of the ground. It is neceffary for every pafture field to have a fup- ply of water, therefore if the foil is compaft enough to hold water, a pond fhould be dug in the lowefl: corner of every field, and the fides planted in like manner as the hedges, the roots of which will pre- ferve the banks, and the branches in a great mcar fure the water from the exhaling efFefts of the fun* ; The all-bountiful Creator has fupplied the earth with a great variety of very produdive vegetables, jnriany of which require their peculiar foil and cli- fiiatej many others will thrive in a variety of foils and climates ; many arc now growing in the open air in England, that at their firfl introduction were confined to the hot or green-houfe. It furely is the duty of man to aim at extending the blefTings of Providence, I know the farmer will cry, " no, no, " I want no fruit in my hedges j I don't want to " tempt t 304 ] " tempt the idle to break down and defiroy mf " fences." Believe me, my dear Sir, it is the cry of ignorance. Were every field furrounded with fruit, no one would heed to trample over hedges for an handful^ and no one would grudge his neigh- bour or the thirfty traveller a gratification fo eafily fuppliedj the farmer would hardly turn his head to look at a perfon gathering a fevv apples, or picking a handful of plumbs; it is the fcarcity of the com- modity that fills the mind of the farmer with thefe puerile fears.* I know a very fmall parifh in the caftern part of England, where the fruit in a fa- vourable year brings into the parifli a thoufand pounds fterling ; a fum till lately (if not now) equal to the rent of the land; and miuch of this fruit grows along the hedge-rows, not in hedges planted in the manner herein defcribed, but from trees planted alongfide the hedges, which are continually extended by frefh plantations every time the hedges are new made. A thoufandth part of a thoufand pounds will repay the expence of repairing many fradtured hedges ^ and twenty or thirty bufhels of * A member of the Society who has pertifed this article remarks, that he knows an eftate in Wales, which a few years ago contained a fine fruitful orchard near the farm-houfe ; but on account of the miferable fcarcity of orchards, the owner thought himfelf obliged to dcllroy this, to prevent the depredations of his neighbours. Wretchetl ftate of a country ! where the very fcarcity of a Valuable article muft occafion its total anniliilation! fruit f 305 } fruit per acre would amply rq^ay the injury other crops might poflibly receive from the trees. Chefrttits are exceeding fine food for fwine or other cattle; and ^eyond all doubt much more nutritious than potatoes. For hunnan food, roafted chefnuts are a principal part of the diet of the pea- fantry in Italy. Apples, almoft every one knows how to ufe. If the produce of plumbs and medlars fhould exceed the confumption of the neighbouring towns, they would prove fufficient in all probability for bringing hogs to that degree of fatnefs neceflary for frefh or butcher's pork; if they exceeded that confumption, the juice might be fermented and dif- tilled, and would probably yield a fpirit fuperior in flavour to malt, and perhaps not inferior to French brandy or Weft-India rum. If you have patience to perfevere thus far in read- ing (I am afraid you will think) an uninterefting letter, let me requeft you not to charge it to my vanity, but to my zeal in endeavouring to point out fome improvement in the prefent barren mode of planting, fo univerfally pra6tifed in this kingdom. To one productive tree, an hundred, if not a thou- fand, barren trees are planted; inftead of the fir, the larch, the poplar, &c. why not plant the chefnut. Vol. VI. X the 1306 1 the walnut, or the beech ? — all produftive trees. I have known a fingle walnut-tree produce forty bulhels in a year j if no other valuable ufe could be found for them, would not fwipe fatten on them? Would mankind but remove the veil of prejudice from before their eyes, and view with a liberal and expanded mind the wonderful works of the great Creator in the vegetable world, what beauties, what treafures would they behold 1 Food and raiment for millions of their brethren, now pining in nakednefs, in want and mifery ! I am, your's, &c, E. C. Bathy Nov. 1791. P, S. I know a gentleman that lives near Afhford in Kent, who has a grove of Spanifh chefnut- trees that fupplies him with good fruit fufficient for his family, and prefents to his friends 5 and frequently yields a furplus that fells for feven or eight pounds; many of the trees contain feven or eight tons of timber. ^m^ '--^' Article C 307 1 Article XXXIV. On the Culture of Rape as Food for Cattle* TO THE SECRETARY, STR, T Beg to trouble you with an account of an experi- '*' ment on Rape treated as cabbage; to which I am encouraged by obferving in your publication of premiums for laft year, that your Society wifhed the experiment made. In hopes that my poor mite may not be unacceptable, I truft for your kindly receiving this effort of Your very obedient fervant, THOMAS J. RAWSON. Glafsealy, Atby^ May i, 1790. HAVING from repeated fuccefsful experiments on fowing Rape on wheat, bere, or barley Hubble, (ploughed as foon as pofTible after reaping the crop) as a fpring feed for fheep, determined to try its ufes cultivated as cabbage, on the 28th of April* l;ift, I had a plot prepared as for cabbage feed, and • The 28th of April is too early to fow the focdj about the 7tli cr 10th of JMay will be the beft feafon, X 2 ibwzi- 11 3^a ] fown with rape; the plants came up, were very pro- mifing, and fit to put out the 20th of June. I had prepared a feven-acre field, which had borne potatoes two years, after being well manured with the common clay gravel, and had it then in fine tilth for turnips. As I had no conception that the rape would rife to fuch magnitude as to injure the turnips, I marked outfurrows with one furrow of the plough at ten feet afunder; laid the rape plants at eighteen inches apart againft the upright fide of the furrow, and covered the roots by returning the earth which the plough had thrown out with eigh- teen inch hoes ; I then fowed the whole field with turnip-feed by a drilling-machine of twelve inches apart, and bufh -harrowed and rolled in the feed without injury to the rape plants. The rape fuc- ceeded beyond any cxpedlation I could have formed, fb as to overfliade and injure the turnips for eigh- teen inches, at either fide, which in the intermediate fpaces were a very fine crop; as nearly as 1 could calculate, two acres of the feven were occupied by rape, and the remaining five by turnips'; the rape continued to flourifh until the ift of November, at which time it averaged upwards of twenty pounds per head, (feveral came up to forty;) fuch was the amazing luxuriance of the crop, that I dreaded its not ftanding the winter j and on the ill day of November [ 309 ] November put two hundred large wethers into an inclofure of thirteen acres of light land, which had been eaten bare, and began to give them the rape^ they immediately took to it with eagernefs, and in three days not a fheep of the whole but would attack the carter for his breakfaftj I continued to give it in profufion without hay or any other food, and it not only kept, but very much pufhed for- ward the 200 fheep until the ift of January. I then began with the five acres of turnips, which (with the help of a quantity of hay) did not laft the fheep more than feven weeks, which evidently fhews that one acre of rape was equal to three acres of turnips, altho' they were as good a crop as I ever faw -y and had the rape been planted in three-feet rows (the manner I now purpofe to treat it) and properly earthed, I have no doubt it would have been, if pofTible, much greater. I kept in a walled yard twenty porkers from the firfl of September to the firft of January on the under leaves; they as well as poultry of all kinds arc exceedingly fond of it. I tried fome Scotch cabbage, in the fame fitu- ation of the rape, but they did not average more than feven pounds per head i evidently rape will flourifli where a cabbage would not exift; and drought, which is the bane of cabbage, will not aiFe6b it. The numberlefs advantages of introdu- X 3 cing [ 310 ] cing rape in addition to turnips and cabbage, (tho' cabbage ought by no means to be haftily excluded) muft be evident to every intelligent hufbandman. Two drills, which I left uncut, ftood the winter re- markably welli fo that my fears were groundlels, and I have no doubt but rape will on trial be found to be the mod profitable vegetable difcovered, for th^jirji and laft of a courfe of fpring>feeding ftieep, I fhall beg to add one other remark, which is, that inftead of my ufual method of ploughing up the ftubble, and fowing rape-feed as herein firft mentioned, I am determined to fow the feed in a prepared bed the firft of July, and when the ftubble ground is ploughed and harrowed in September, tq put in the plants, which I am convinced muft give a ten -fold crop, and would greatly fupply the far- mer's wants in April following, or ^mj; an excellent crop of feed in Auguji, Exv^^CEs of an yfcre of 'Rape, £ ^* ^* One year's rent - - - 150 Three ploughings and. harro wings - 126 Three women fetting the plants -016 Two men returning the earth with fhovels or broad hoes - - - 0 I o A boy and cart attending the flieep 9 weeks, at 1 2s. per week - - -580 Seed not worth charging - - 000 £.7 18 6 [ 3U 3 PRODUCT. Supporting 10 porkers 4 months at 2s. per month 400 Fattening 100 (heep 9 weeks at 6d. per week, being the loweftjoifting price - 22 10 O Mucking 6i acres of light land, very well worth three pounds per acre - - 19 10 o* • — — — _— 46 o o Dedua 7 18 6 Clear profit befides the beft poflible fallow 38 i 6 • It fliould feem on the whole that this gentleman may have made a profitable experiment j but like moft others in new experiments, he ftretches too far in the eftimate of profit. This article feems to be beyond all moderate bounds. The reader therefore will appre- ciate according to his own jud^ent. Article XXXV. On Maple Sugar of ^hterica. TO THE SECRETARY. Sir, THE Sugar Maple is a natural tree of the woods in tJie interior parts of North- America, and is very comaion in particular fituations, from the latitude of 35 to 45 degreesj it does not grow near the fea-coaft, (at leaft not in the middle or fouthern ftates}) but at thediftanceof from 100 to 150 miles dir^dUy [ 31^ ] dlre^lly back from the fea, it is found more or left all through the country, as far as the latitudes I have mentioned, and I believe, to a greater extent both to the northward and fouthward, and as far to the weftward as the country has yet been fettled. Sugar has been made from the trees for 30 or 40 ye^s paftj but the country where thofe trees abound being but thinly fettled, until very lately, it has not been attended to farther than for a few fa- milies, to make fufficient for their own ufe, and until within thefe three or four years fcarce any has been made for fale. In the fummer of 1788 I was in America, and made an excurfion into the northweft parts of Penn- fylvania; at the diftance of about 100 miles from Philadelphia I firft met with Maple Sugar, and from that time until within about the fame diftance at my return, the country people made ufe of no other. My curiofity was excited by finding it fo fimilar to the Weft-India fugar, and led me to make many enquiries as to the manner of their making it, the quantity of fap collefted from each tree, the weight of fugar it yielded, and various other particulars refpe6ting it. The farmers being moftly poor people, new fettlcrs, and not much accuftomcd I 313 1 accuftomed to weights or meafurcs, differed very materially in their accounts, both as to the quantity of fap, and the fugar it yielded, efpecially as the fap runs much more freely and in greater quantities feme fcafons than in others. The refult of my fe- veral enquiries both in thofe and other parts of the country, led me to conclude, that trees' from 18 to 30 inches diameter, which were the fizes gene- rally tapped, upon the average yielded about forty gallons of fap, and this quantity about five pounds of fugar i the fugar trees frequently growing on their bed lands, when they wanted the ground cleared, made the farmers indifferent about preferving them, and the common mode of tapping was by cutting a notch in the tree with an ax, which was enlarged by a frefh cut every year; the fap was colledled in wood troughs made on the fpot from folid logs hollowed out, and the fap boiled down in the wood in their common pots and kettles, handy to where it was colleded. Where the trees were of value, and intended to be preferved, fome people tapped them by boring a hole with an auger or gimbletj this was requifite to be done afrefh every year, or the hole pared larger. The whole of the fap is col- lefted in fix or eight weeks, generally beginning to run early in February, and to ceafc by the laft of March or early in April: this bcipg a feafon of the year C 314 ] year when the farmers have little to do, enables them to pay the greater attention to it, and the ex« pence of manufadluring being little more than their labour, at a feafon when time or labour is of lefs value to them than ufual, makes it a profitable undertaking; and it is fuppofed, when the manu- factory of pot-afhes is more generally eftablifhed, the afhes arifmg from the fqel ufed in boiling the fugar, made into pot-afhes, will, by increafing their profits, tend much to increafe the manufactory of maple fugar. It has been faid in fome of the American newf- papers, that there were large tracts of land that produced upon the average fifty fugar-maple trees per acre ; my own obfervation makes me think otherwife; though I believe there may be found tra<5ts of 100, perhaps 1000 acres, connected toge- ther, that may produce all through from ten to fif- teen trees per acre -, but to take the general face of the country, for ten miles fquare, I do not fuppofe a tradt any where could be found to yield more than five trees to the acre of a fize fit to be tapped. On the whole it appears to me that the produce of the fugar-tree is not of fufficient value to make it worth cultivation.; but that in America, where the tree [ 3^5 T tre€ grows /pontancoufly, and where it is found upon large tradts of land that muft remain for ages before they can be fully cultivated, it is and will be of confiderable ad/ancage to the inhabitants of the country, and that the making of fugar from thofe trees will become more and more an obje6t of con- fequence, and be taken up and carried on by people who will make a trade or bufinefs of it, although I do not cxpeft America ever will make fufficient for their own confumption j it being an article in fb general ufe, the expenditure will mod probably keep pace with the increafe of inhabitants. The fugar-maple tree grows of all fizes as large as from three feet to three and a half or four feet diameters and in the northweft parts of Pennfylvania, are many of them from 80 to 90 feet high. As a confirmation of my being able to form fome judg-t ment of their height, I fhalljuft mention, that I had a white pine-tree cut down for the purpofe of mea- furing its height, and although not more than two feet diameter, it meafured 146 feet high, fome others near it were four feet diameter, and appeared to be thirty feet higher. Trees of every fpecies in that country were higher than I ever noticed them any where clfe, Tho i 3^6 '\ The bark of the fugar-maple is different in ap- pearance fronn that of the common maple, and not iKilike the bark of an Englifli oak ; how far, or whe- ther either of them may be in any refped fimilar to the Engli(h maple, I cannot tell. The leaves of the two American maples appear exactly the fame, and 1 believe there is no material difference in the wood; they are bodi of a light colour, fplit fair and eafy; jM3d the common maple is ufed by the fhoemakers for pegs to fatten the heels of fhoes together, in j- ference to any other wood. Some common m .pie boards have lately been brought to this port from New-England. All trees while young, that grow in a thick wood of large trees, are flow in their growth, and it is dif- ficult to tell their age by the lines that each year's growth makes ; I fhould think it probable that few are fit to tap until they are fifty years old, and that the large trees are generally from 2 to 300 years old. The fugar maple abounds moil in flony ground, in hilly countries, and where the ground is full of Iprings, or fmall brooks of watery they grow in the greatefl plenty on the lower moiil grounds, where the foil is mofl natural to beech, birch, or alh ; and are mixed with a variety of other treeSj though but rarely mixed with oak. In [ 317 } In the northern parts of Pennfylvania there are great quantities of a fpecies of pine called hemlock; which with beech, birch, fugar and other maple, afh, elm, wild cherry, and fome few others, con- ftitutc the timber of the country. When at Philadelphia I was feveral times in com- pany with a perfon who had fettled about 1 50 fa- milies on a traft of land called Oifego, at the head waters of the Sufquehannah j the place was a wil- dcrnefs in the year 1784, not a fingle family withinr many miles of it; I am fince informed that laft feafon he colledled from thofe families, his own fetders, and brought for fale, 30 tierces of maple fugar that weighed from 5 to 6 cwt. each. I have now done with the fubjeft of the fugar maple; but as I am addrefling myfelf to a gende- man who mud feel himfelf much interefted in the promotion of agriculture, I (hall juft mention an article of manure in great ufe in Pennfylvania, that is fcarcely known as fuch here. There are many hundred tons of plaifter of Paris imported yearly into Philadelphia from France and Nova-Scoda; it has generally been fold by the cargo from fix to eight dollars per ton weight; it is firlt broken into fmall pieces by pounding, and then ground between a pair of mill-ftones to a powder, aftd ufed in this Aatc [ 3i8 ] ftate unburnt as a manure for grafs and corn land of every kind; it is fuppofed one bufhel will go as far as ten bufhels of lime. The prifoners in the gaol of Philadelphia have lately been fet to work to grind it, in fmall mills, with a pair of ftones the fame as for grinding wheat, but of a fize to be worked by two or four men j a double advantage has arifen to the ftate from this, by putting to hard work fuch men as were deferving of it, and by ren- dering the article cheaper to the farmers, thereby encouraging them to manure their lands. This hint may be of ufe to the community here. I am, your refpedlful friend, THOMAS CLIFFORD. Brtftol^ Dec. 13, 1791. Article XXXVL Ohjervations in a 'Tour into Suffolk and Surry » TO THE SECRETARY. SIR, ACCORDING to my promife I fend you a fketch of my tours into Suffolk and Surrey. In doing which, I fhall be the fhorter, as the Annals of Agriculture contain much of the good and un- common hu/bandry in thofe counties. The [ 3^9 ] The latter end of March 1788, I vifited Mr. Young at Brad field -hall, where I faw in a large field before his houfe, about three acres of cab- bages, very clean and well managed; and in the fame field, divided by hurdles, turnips, and fhecp feeding on them: one or two cloathed, to im- prove their wool : on that part of the field where the turnips had been eaten off, the ground was turning up for barley, and three ploughings were intended, as well for that part where the horfe- hoed cabbages were, as for that where the hand- hoed turnips grew. Mr. Young's courfe of crops, on fandy loam or gravel, is, 1. To manure for cabbages or turnips. 2. Plough thrice, after either of them, for barley. 3. Clover. 4. Beans. 5. Wheat. His quantity of manure for an acre of cabbages or turnips, is forty-one horfe-put loads per acre. He lays out his ground on two-rod ridges. On' wet loam, upon clay, 9s. per acre, after a moderate i'prinkling of dung, or other manures, he dibbles on one earth on the middle of the flag, nine inches afunder, two buihels an acre of the fmall, black, . I. Horfc ^ [ 320 ] 1. Horfe-beansi 2. Wheat, with 3. Clover, or other graffes. He pays 3s. per buftiel dibbling beans. Mr. Young carries all his hay and corn in one- horfe puts or carts, with a waggon-like apparatus on the body ; and thinks them more commodious than waggons. His fheep-fold, for winter, for a hundred fiieep, is littered with wheat-ftubble daily in rainy weather, or as often as needful. It is partly under cover, where are racks for hay. He feldom gives them turnips there 5 they are put in late in evenings, and out early in mornings, in dry weather. In wet, they have hay always 5 and turnips only in very fnowy or ftormy weather^ depending moftly on hay in the fold. A farmer would do well to learn of Mr. Young to make more dung than ordinary, and better. He lets his dung-heaps lie dry at bottom, daily throw- ing upon them the water of the cattle, having ihoots to carry off the rain from the hanging roofs of his ox-ftalls, entirely out of the court, without carry- ing off any of the richnefs of the dung. He has gutters behind his cattle in the ftalls, which convey their [ 3^1 ] their water into refervoirs made, convenient for re« cciving it, to be thrown upon the dung. Jn April, in warm fhowery weather, he turns over his dung, a boy (landing by with a bafket of fait, ftrewing at the rate of one pound of fait ^o a cubical yard of dung. He has alfo a cowl or veflel on wheels; to remove the refufe of the houfe (dud, &c.) to the farm-yard, which affords feveral good loads of manure a year. The weight of his fmall weighing coop is i cwt. 5 lb. The fteelyard was made on purpofe. The cxpence of the machine was 26s. It will weigh an animal, or any thing not exceeding 6 cwt. When turnips are taken up to clear the ground for Lent-crops, it is ufual about Bury to cut off the tap-roots, and place the turnips on the ground in a dry pafture, fide by fide, till wanted. The green is left, and put uppermoft. But the green is rarely confiderable in lands well adapted to turnips, as they are in that neighbourhood, in comparifon to what it is in heavy and (Irong lands, not very fui table to turnips j where they are apt to run more to green, and lefs to apple. Vol. VI. Y Iflull [ 322 ] I ihall not readily forget the obliging and agree- able manner in which I was entertained at Bradfield- hall, and its environs. Mr. Young invited many gentlemen farmers, both of the clergy and laity> to his houfe; fome of whofe vifits we returned. Their mode of vifitlng is Angularly pleafant and beneficial to the agriculturift; I wifli it were introduced into this and every other county in the kingdom. They meet early enough before dinner to walk or ride over each other's farm, and point out in a friendly way any deficiency of good management. It isr not difficult to imagine what a fpur this is to good hufbandry, and their farms lliew it: It is of publick as well as private advantages contributing at the fame time to health, pleafure, and profit. It is well known, that, about Bury, they plough with two horfes or oxen, abreaft, without a driver. Both at Rougham, and on the road to Bury in their harnefs, I faw the Rev. Mr. Heddington's noble team of oxen, of which, or his turnip or other hufbandry, I fhall fay no more than that he has lately given an account of them in the Annals, well deferving the attention of the farmer. » But, being ftruck with the greater novelties in the mode of hufl^andry of Mr. Mure, of Great- Sa^ham^ t 323 1 Saxbam, with whom we pafled the gcater part of two days. I cannot refrain fronn being fomewhat more particular with refped to it. He fats about 180 black cattle a year; many of them Scotch and Welch, feeding them in (tails all the fummer, by cutting and carrying to them meadow grafs, vetches, &:c. In winter he gives them a peck a day of malted beans. He alfo feeds them with Malted barley; Potatoes ; Cabbages, and chafF or draw cut j ' Turnips, and ftraw not cut; Bean-meal and water ; Barley- meal and water; Dry bean-meal, 9 and, tbetii they are led to Dry barley-meal, ^ water, twice a day. Mr. Mure has erefted a circular building for feeding 46 head of cattle, tied up at 31 feet afunder, outfide of the circle, with covered refervoirs in the centre for depofiting fodder, in inclement weather more cfpecially. The whole was fitted up at a fmall expence, being made of the thinnings of his fir plantations, and covered with thatch; the cribs watded or wreathed. The polls, to which the cattle are tied, very litde above the crib. A gate y 2 leads [ 3H ] leads into the central part, where there Is a way for carts or waggons to go round within the circle, be- tween the ftalls and refervoirs for fodder j he makes the greateft provifion for dung I ever faw, by his ftall-feeding all fummer, cutting and carrying tares, grafs, &c. to his cattle, and bedding them on ftraw or flubble. All the water of his cattle is faved, and daily thrown on his dunghills, as well as Mr. Young's. Mr. Mure plants cabbages earlier than ordinary for food for his cattle. He was planting a field when I was there, which was the laft week in March, in rows wide enough for horfe-hoeing, at 20 inches afunder in the rows. He has a machine for weighing large cattle, which coft him fifteen guineas, befides the building to cover it, &c. Alfo a machine for grinding potatoes, worked generally by hand, but may be worked by a horfej it is a broad nine-inch wheel, turned in and round a wooden frame, in the manner of grind- ing bark. Shortly before I was at Saxham, a bet of a rump and dozen had been determined between Mr. Mure and Mr. Macro 5 the bet was made at a farmer's club, on the queftion. Whether turnips drilled and horfe- [ 325 ] horfe-hoed, or fown broadcaft and hand-hoed, would produce the bed crop ? Mr. Mure was on the fide of horfe-hocing, Mr. Macro ia favour of hand- hoeing; and the point was tried on a field of Mr, Mure's prepared for turnips, which was divided for the purpofe, and the crops put in fide by fide, the length of the field, each party taking care of the crop, according to his adopted plan. After the bet was determined, I had the fatisfac- tion to fee the field of experiment, where the broad- caft part appeared to the eye as good as the drilled j but I undcrftood Tons, The produce of the drilled crop per acre was i^ Of the broadcaft - - - lo Superiority of the drilled per acre - 4j ' Upon which Mr, Macro refolved ever after to drill and horfe-hoe his turnips, and procured the proper apparatus for that purpofe ; but unluckily did no.t live long to carry his intention into execution, Thcfe turnips were weighed in what they call in that neighbourhood, fkippers, (bafkets rather long in fhape, in which they give turnips, &c. to their cattle,) and it was obferved that a fkippcr full of y 3 the t 3^6 ] the horfe-hoed turnips weighed very confidcrably more than a (kipper full of the broad-caft, which ihewed that the plant had received great nourifh- ment, and an iniproved confiftence, from the horfe- hoe, which produced fo much more weight of turnips than the hand -hoe, in the like fpace or compafs, and proved the horfe-hoed crop to be of more value iA fadb than it appeared to be to the eye, in comparifon with the other. But now for the prince of farmers, Mr. Duckitt, oi EJher-place. In April 1788, I vifited his farm, in company with Meffrs. Young and Macros but not having time enough then to make all the obferva- tions I willied, I vifited it again in July following. Mr. Duckitt*s farm is the mod complete, and kept in the cleanefl and bed order, of any I ever faw. He ploughs his lands into beds wide enough to contain nine or ten rows of the crop fown in it, at nine inches afunder, for the mod part. His farm at Eflier is about 500 acres, of which nearly 400 are arable. The land is moftly fand on a gravel bottom; but fome of it clayey, and moft part of it heavy enough for beans, at lead for the fmaller fort, tick, or horfe-beans. He [ 3^7 ] He drills, on his beds of nine or ten rowsj Wheat, Barley, Oats, ^ at nine inches afunder. Rye, Barley and clover,, Tares or vetches, Oats and tares. Rye and tares. Peas and turnips, j at eleven inches afunder. Beans, at eighteen inches afunder. After his ground is well prepared by ploughing, he makes five channels or drills with a drill-plough, with as many fhares and broad-boards ; then his dropping- machine follows, and fheds five rows of feeds, which are covered by an harrow. When the crop is high enough for the purpofe, he has two horfe-hoes, which hoe five alleys or in- tervals apiece, and have each a man to hold and guide them. They work one on each fide of the furrow, which divides the beds, into which the field is thrown; ofcourfe hoeing at once five rows on each bed, or two half beds. The horfe is led in the furrow by a boy, and by ;he help of a long Whipple-^ [ 3^8 ] whippk-tree draws both the horfe-hoes, which completely hoe the ten alleys. When the land is more than ordinarily dry and hard, two horfes are necelTary for the, work. But wet or dry, no in- jury is thereby done to the crop, the horfes always going in the furrow. He has fome horfe-hoes with fix (hares, each of courfe hoeing fix alleys at a time. On Mr. Duckitt's firft invention of his horfe- noes, he thought the work would be more regularly and completely effeded, if the men who guided the horfe-hoes drew them going backward, between the hoes and the draught, which was certainly placing the men in a dangerous fituation, in cafe the horfes fhould become refra6lory, and uncontroulable by the boy who led them. This was obferved by the King, who has feveral times been pleafed to honour this farm with a Royal vifit j and his Majefty very humanely, and with great condefcenfion, having communicated his idea to a fon of Mr. Duckitt*s, the father, in compliance with his Majefty's bene- volent defign, has made other horfe-hoes, which are held by men, who go fafely behind the machines. But Mr. Duckitt informed me, he did not know which did its work the bed; and he ufes them pro- inifcuoufly, as opportunity offers, never kaving un- done E 3^9 ] done or delaying any horfe-hoeing, to wait for the ufe of cither. But furcly, if thofe on the latter con- ftrudion do their work in every refpedb as well as thofe on the firft invention, a preference will be given to them, when new ones are wanted ; and the Royal and humane idea be encouraged and recorded by future pradtice, to the honour of the Sovereign, and fafety of the fubjedt. It is fcarcely to be imagined how completely Mr, Duckitt makes his wheat-mows. They are finely fwollen out to that enormous bulk in the middle, tapered up in fo beautiful a manner to the top, and fo handfomely covered with thatch, that they arc perfeft pidures. And the largeft of thofe I faw muft have contained many hundred bulhels of corn, I had the fatisfadtion to find Mr, Duckitt fowing a field of eleven acres with turnips. It is amazing with what expedition he proceeds j his field was perfedlly ploughed and harrowed ; and he carried on his work, according to his ufual method when he works with two drill-ploughs, by beginning in the middle of his field. One drill-plough branched off one way towards one fide-hedge, the other worked oppofitc to it^ and tended towards the op- ppfit^ fcedge, Jh^ drills iboq worked on faft enough -£ 330 ] enough for the after- work, and were followed by two dropping-machines, going in the tracks made by the drill-ploughs, and there dropping the turnip- feeds. After them went a double-zull, or what is there called a ftrike-furrow plough, to ftrikc up furrows, to throw the work into the beds of ten rows of turnips each, which were dropped at eleven inches afunder. And then followed two horfes, one on each fide of the bed, in the furrows, which, by means of a long whipple-tree, as long as the width of the beds, drew three light harrows fixed to the whipple-tree, that covered the whole breadth of the bed, and harrowed the whole as it went on. Each harrow had five rows of tines or teeth, and fix tines in each row, making ninety in the three harrows j it being neceflary that the harrows Ihould be clofe enough only to cover the feed, and not to fink deep enough to difplace the feed, after it falls from the dropping machine. His drill-plough, after once going, on its return always goes with one fhare, and fometimes two in the fame path it went before, which renders the crops on his whole farm almoft inconceivably pic- turefque to the eye. His barley and all his crops were the befl I had feeni and there are two fubftantial reafons for their being C 331 3 being fo ; his feed is more regularly placed in the ground at a proper depth, and his horfe-hocings pro- mote the vegetation of the plant. Mr. Duckitt's farnm implements arc the moft perfed of any I have feen. I wifh I could do them juftice in defcribing them. I cannot attempt its but I muft: take notice, that his carrot-machine has an iron (hare and clifp both in one ; moves ground nearly two feet below the furface, without turning over the foil ; and would be vaftly ferviceable in preparing ground for plantations of foreft trees ; for, by means of a trenching-plough, with a Ikim- coulter, going before, and the carrot-machine fol- lowing in the fame furrow, the foil may be well ploughed and opened to the depth of more than two feet. Thefe implements are moftly, if not all, 'of his own invention. It would be a great im- provement to agriculture, if they were difperfed all over the kingdom. Thofe adapted to preparing the ground, putting in, and cultivating the crop in its growth, would coft about jcl. I have got what he calls his trenching-plough, with the fkim-coulter, and his bean horfe-hoe with two fhares. They coft me on the fpot nine guineas and a half^ and home eleven pounds thirteen Ihillings. It [ 33^ ] It may not be improper to explain the fkim-. coulter. It k calculated for lay ground i in its work it precedes the other coulter, turning the flag down, which, by the other coulter following, is fo completely covered, that the edges do not appear and produce weeds and grafs as in common plough- ing. It is fit for turning up lay for a bean crop, for which" purpofe I have ufed it to advantage. If a little money from the Exchequer, out of the fame fund which pays the bounty on the growth of fiax, &c. could be fpared, to have complete fets of thefe inftruments fent to the farmers in every county who would make the beft ufe of them, it would be a good thing. I do not like the gloomy ideas of fome of my brother farmers, and wilh they were lefs fevere on adminiflration. There is no good in being for ever croaking. If peace Ihould continue, I will not defpair of feeing encouragenaent given, at proper feafons, to the triieft and mofl permanent in- tereft of the kingdom, by regulations refpedting tithes, general inclofurei, provifions for the poor, an4 many other encouragements to agriculture, particu-. Jarly to fome fuch plan as Mr» Duckitt has formed. His plan, for the improvement of national agri- culture, is, " For himfclf, or fome one under his " diredlion. ♦* direftion, to traverfe the kingdom at the publick " expencej put in crops, on his principle, on all " kinds of foil; and for due attention to be given, *« at the publick expence, to bring thofe crops to " pcrfedion : after which, the farnners may follow « his plan, or purfue their own at their difcretion." Mr. Duckitt himfelf may be now too far ad- vanced in years, and fettled in bufinefs, to be dif- pofed for fuch an undertaking in perfon ; but has fons brought up under him, who may be very capable of doing the more aftive part under his diredion. I (hall conclude this tedious detail, with an ac- count of a fingular honour which was fhewn Mr. Duckitt by the late Marquis of Rockingham, which I think he richly merited, and continues to merit more, by demonftrating the great benefits that may be given to agriculture, by the horfe-hoe, &c. The favour I allude to, which the Marquis (hewed Mr. Duckitt, was prefenting him with a large filver cup, of confiderable value, with the following in- fcription on it: " To William Duckitt, farmer^ who by me- ** chanical (kill, fagacious obfervation, and diligent " purfuic. t 334 1 •' purfuit, rendered the principles of Tull prafti- ** cable and profitable, and thereby perfeded the ** culture of light foils, Charles Marquis of Rock- *' ingham, as a token of his regard to fuch publick *^ merit, has prefented this cup, in the year 1774. " Bonus civis bona agricola r I am, refpedtfully. Sir, your obedient fervant, R. PROCTER ANDERDON. IhitadCi May 16, 1792. Article XXXVIL On the expdiency of Sowing Wheat occafwnally in the Spring. TO THE SECRETARY. SIR, WHEAT being the grain of which bread is chiefly made in almoft all Europe 1 it well deferves the moft diligent care and attention of the farmer. From the very high price it has been fold at for many years pafl, it fhould feem the produce has not been fo great in proportion to the confump- tion [ 33S 1 tlon as formerly. Would it not therefore be pru- dent to promote its cultivation by every means confiflent with convenience and general ceconomy ? In the enumeration of modern improvements, that of fowing wheat occafionally in the fpring (hould not be omitted. By fpring wheat feems to be meant, by writers on this fubjedl, a fpecies of wheat of a peculiar nature, particularly appropriated to that feafon. Whether there be a real fpecifick difference between this and the wheat that is in common ufe, or whether it is a diftindtion without a difference — a manceuvrc fabricated by the fingu- lar ingenuity of the times, is more than I am able to fay at prefent; but I never hear of fpring wheat at I as. a bufhel, but Carolina grafs feed at two guineas a quart immediately pops into my head; nor can I think of fuch fuperlative ingenuity unac- companied by the idea of a suitable reward. Such is the power of affociation ! But whether fpring wheat be a fpecies totally dif- ferent from the forts in common ufe or not, the farmer need not be folicitous about it, for I can affure him, that every fpecies of wheat in common ufe among us, if fown in February, will produce good plump corn, and be ripe and fit to reap in good t 33S 1 good feafon, as I have repeatedly experienced fe-* Veral years paft. I have fowed red lammas, white lammas, bearded or cone, and white wheat from America, called by fome Qiiebeck wheat, all which fucceeded equally well. 06t. 28, 1789, I fowed about nine acres, part of a field of fourteen, with white cone wheat ; the remainder of the field was fo foul and out of tilth, that I determined not to fow it till fpring ; and not with wheat then, unlefs it could be got into proper tilth. 1 had it ploughed into very narrow ridges, and in that condition it remained till the 9th day of February, when it was fown on four-bout ridges, four rows on each ridge. It cut a very poor figure till the month of May, infomuch that the farmers in the neighbourhood advifed my man to plough it up and fow it with barley. From this time it grew away at a great rate, and was in all refpedls as good corn as any that grew upon the farm ; and though of a fpecies that is later in ripening than moft others, it was not above eight or ten days later than that which was fown in October in the fame field. It is not meant by this to infinuate, that fowing wheat in the fpring is preferable to fowing it in the autuirm. The autumn, communibus aunts y is on many accounts to be preferred. But I am thoroughly convinced [ 337 ] convinced, that when from the unfeafonablenefs of the weather, the foulnefs of the ground, and not being in proper tilth, it would be imprudent to fow it, the giving it three or four months fallow at that feafon would give a manifeft fuperiority to the crop fown in February over what might be fown in November, abftraded from the confideration of all injury corn fown fo late in the feafon is liable to from frofts, &c. in its young and tender ftate. It is true there can be no certain dependancc upon fowing in February. Froft and fnow fo fre- quently happen in that month as to render fowing fometimes impracticable: fhould it fo happen, the foil will be in an improved condition for beans or oats in March, or ftill more, if convenient and fuit- able, for peafe or barley in April. Now, after a winter's fallow of five or fix months, I am decidedly of opinion, that a crop of either of the articles above-mentioned, even without manure, would be more profitable than a crop of wheat fown in au tumn in ground that was foul and in imperfedl tilth, though manured at an expencc of feveral pounds an acre. It Ihould never be forgot, that it is the net profit, and not the grofs amount, that is the true and only proper objecfl of the farmer's purfuit. Vol. VI. Z To t 338 1 To thoroughly pulverize the foil, and keep it clean from weeds, is a maxim the farmer fhould never lofe fight of 5 it is the true fine qua non of fuccefsful hufbandry. If this be duly performed, and the land planted in proper feafon, fcarcely any foil is fo poor as not to bear a profitable crop, nor any fo rich and fertile as to be attended with profit without it. To manure ground that is out of tilth and full of weeds, is to give ftrength and encouragement to its greateft enemies, who are perpetually counteracting, and at length defeating the planter's utmoft endeavours. But let him continue to plough them in till they are in a great meafure overcome, they will then prove the means of increafing the fertility which otherwife they would have deftroyed. I have often fowed wheat in November, very feldom with tolerable fuccefs, often with bad; I have therefore left off altogether fowing fo late in the year ; being convinced, from the experience of fome years, that February is a much better feafon, independent of the benefit accruing from three or four months fallow at that feafon of the year, which indeed I find very great. Wheat fowed, I fuppofe, the middle of Novem- ber, feldom or never comes up till the latter end of Decembers i 339 1 December; then juft as it begins to appear, and is in its very tendered ftate, it has two of the fevereft months in the year to contend with; when the ri- gour of the climate generally (hews its utmoft fe- verity, and frequently deftroys great quantities of corn in this its infant and moft tender ftate. I am. Sir, your moft obliged fervant, JOSEPH WIMPEY* North' Bockhampt on, Feb. 28, 1792. Article XXXVIII. On the Culture of Potatoes. THIS root is of vaft importance, whether it be confidered as a food for man or beaft. Its utility fecms to be fo univerfally acknowledged, that every communication rcfpedling its culture muft be well received by the publick. If the following experiments on a root which cleans and enriches land, at the fame time that it affords means of keeping a large ftock of cattle in the winter fcafon, fhould tend to the total exclufion Z 2 of [ 340 ] of a fummcr fallow on light lands y I fh all think I have not written in vain, nor will niy fpeculation be altogether ufelefs. This root has not till lately been the objedb of general attention; even the infiproved counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, a few years ago, knew nothing of it, otherwife than as a garden produdlion. In the county of Somerfet, I well remember the time *when it was an extraordinary thing for a man to have a field of potatoes ; and now, I may fafely fay, there are hundreds of acres every year; and to this, pofTibly, the low price of wheat may, in part, be attributed. In poor families it is almoft the whole fubfiflence of the children ; and a failure of the potatoe is equally alarming with the failure of the wheat crop. Still, there are few. counties the inhabitants of which have fpiritedly entered into the cultivation of this root, on a large fcale, as afcodfor neat cattle^ hogs, andjheep. The turnip hufbandry has been confidered as the ne plus ultra of good farming; and chat moft ufeful animal, the (beep, is almoft folely dependant upon that root for winter provender. Is it not therefore worth while to take their comparative excellence into confidcration ? I would wifh to engage the attention C 341 ] attention of my reader, whilft I draw a fair compa- rative eftimate of the expences and produce of a turnip and potatoe crop. I have in neither inftance, charged rent^ or any thing for manure, as I con- ceive their demands in that refpedt equal. EXPENCES. TURNIPS. 5 plough! ngs 4 harrowings Seed Sowing - 2 hoeings If a very good") crop - \ per acre. s. d. 1$ o 4 o o 9 o 3 7 6 POTATOES. 2 ploughings " I harrowing - Planting - Seed - Hoeing - Digging up, &c. 2 76 300 PRODUCE. If a very good crop, loofack at 2S. 6d. per fack* - ] £■ O O I 2 O S.d. 6 o I o I o o o 76 O Q 5 15 9 12 10 0 Even on the moft fuperficial view, the fuperiority of potatoes is apparent, but when you take into confideration the certainty of one crop, and the un- certainty of the other, a farmer mud be an infidel indeed who will not acknowledge it. ♦ perhaps this might fiuriy have been put higher. Z3 Ic [ 342 ] It is well known that turnips are liable to many accidents. In their infant date, xhtfly^oVy perhaps more properly fpeaking, the Jlugy demolifhes them. If they efcape this enemy, and get into rough leaf, the black canker attacks them, and leaves, in a few days, a whole field anatomized. Should they furvive all maladies, and come to ever fo gre^t perfe6tion, a fevere froft, or deep fnow, debars you from making the moft of them, and after all, it frequently happens, that in the months of February and March, a fevere froft fol- lowing a wet day, deftroys your whole crop, ancj deprives you of every refource, fave the hay-mow. Not fo potatoes : — when pitted and well fecured, they are fafe from all rifque, (the pilfering hand excepted) and are as good in the months of March and April as in Odlober or November. To recommend the culture of potatoes on a large fcale as a food for man would be abfurd ; and few farmers would attend to any recommendation of them as a food for cattle, unlefs their value be fairly afcertained. To determine this point, I began eight years fince a courfe of experiments, the refylt of which I TOW [ 343 ] now lay before you, hoping that if any error in cal- culation may have crept into the ftatements, your readers will attribute it to haftinefs of writing, and not to a defign to miflead. Many tempting, and I fear exaggerated accounts have been given of the produce and value of po- tatoes ; and in this refped, I muft confefs myfelf to be in fome meafure guilty j— for, by a reference to vol.iii. of your Papers, you will find that I cftimated their value as a food for hogs, at 4s. per fack, (2401b.) and I at that time verily thought fuch a reprefentation to be the fair, unbiafled refult of an experiment honeftly conduced; but fubfequent trials have made me alter my opinion ; and I fee the impropriety of drawing certain conclufions from a folitary experiment. Potatoes ihould not be viewed merely In the light of profit, but as the means ofcleanfing the land, and preparing it mod excellently for a corn crop. There is a great difference between an ex- penfive fallow, and a profitable fallow crop: the farmer, therefore, Ihould be contented, if they pay the expences of an ample manuring, and keep th^ land clean, I hav« [ 344 ] I have been informed that potatoes have been raifed to the amount of looo bufhels per acre, but my experiments are not fo flattering; and pofTibly, thofe great crops were on Sijmalljcaley and from a gar- den, which might be nearly a mafs of putrid manure. Such experiments are always fallacious. I have never had a greater produce than a fack in a perch, or 1 60 facks per acre 3 though I know it is poflible . to raife a greater quantity of fome forts ; fuch as the Surinam^ the Ox-mbky and the Horfe-legs\ but are thefe potatoes fa nutritious ? I think not, It may be ejcpe^led that I fhould fay fomething of the curl difeafe, to which this root is in fome de- gree liable j but I mufl confefs, that notwithftand- ing all my attention for twenty years pafl:, during •v^'hich time I have been in the conflant habit of planting on a large fcalc, I cannot fpeak decijively on this fubjedt. It feems involved in impenetrable myftery. I have planted from the fame pit of pota- toes on the fame day, in the fame foil, prepared witl> the fame manure ; part of the crop has come curled, part not ; nay, I have known two fhoots from the /c{me fet, the one curled, the other not. I have raifed from feed, and been careful to gather the feed, from the fineft and moft flguriihing plants ; they [ 345 ] they have been in every refpeft as fubjeft to the diforder as the cuttings of old feed. Left the heat of the pits might be injurious, I have covered them in the place where they grew, and left thenn mdug till the time of planting; — all the fame! I have planted before they fhoot out, and after j — no difference ! In fliort; I once planted two tons of potatoes in the month of June, which were more than half rotten, and purchafed at a trifling fum of a captain of a Dumfries fhip, on Briftol quay, and I never had a much better crop. What certain conclu- fions then can be drawn from thefe premifes — but that, with all our wifdom, we are perfedtly ignorant of Ibme of the moft fimple operations of nature ? I forgot to fay, that I have been in the habit of planting whole potatoes, large cuttings, /mall cut- tings'—nay, the mere eye of the potatoe only; but I never could fee any difference in re(pe6l to the curl. If the potatoe was difpofed to be curled, it proved almoft equally fo in all methods j and on the other hand, 1 never knew a true Dumfries po- tatoe come curled the/r/? year; perhaps the /econd year a few would be curled ; but beware of the fhirdi for be affured, let your foil or manure be ever {q good, almoft all will be curled the third year, if planted in ihc/ame foil or neighbourhood. As C 346 1 As to the land moft favourable to this root, there can be little doubt: — A rich fandy loam is the beft; but potatoes may be grown to advantage on all foils of a looje texture. The richer the land, the more abundant the crop, which varies from 50 to 150 facks, (2401b.) per acre J but let not the farmer confide too much in the flrength of his foil, to the exclufion of manure^ not lefs than twenty cart-loads of which Ihould be put on an acre ; by cart-load I mean 30 bufhels. Of all manures, horfe-dung, well rottedy is the bed; next to it, hog's dung 5 after that, all other forts of animal dung. Lime, marie, chalk, foaper's afhes, and rags, do but litde good J and in fome inftances do harm, by making the potatoes fcabby. Green vetches, or clover, covered in by planting, is good manure. Endeavour, as much as you can, to plant in dry weather, either in the months of April or May, Ufe large fets; that is, pick out the largeft and fineft potatoes for feed, and (lice them in two pieces, from the crown to the root. Notwithftanding the experiments of your learned and indefatigable cor- reipondent Dr. Anderson feem to juftify him in recommending i 347 1 recommending wbole potatoes for feed, my trials have all led to a contrary cpnclufion ; and I much wifh, that your regular correfpgndents would give their opinion on this fubjcd ; from fuch aggregate of information, fomc decided opinion might be formed^ Change your feed every two years, and go as far from home as you can for a fupply. In the vicinity of Briftol, perhaps the ScoUh feed, imported from Dumfries, is the beft. Do not cover your fets in planting with more than three inches depth of earth, and be particularly attentive to the rooks, which by their fagacity of fmell will find them out, and would make great de- predation. After the plants have been up about 3 weeks, fet your hoers to work; but by no means let the hoe be ufed after the plants begin to throw out their ftrings, and form their bulbs : fhould any feat- hered weeds arife, remove them by hand-work. If labourers can be got, prefer digging to ploughing upi and when you dig, compel your men to thruft their (pade under the potatoes, and not dig in per- pendicularly; by this means they avoid cutting the roots. Never dig up in wet weather; and as felt ^s dvg, fecurc them in the following manner: make a trench t 348 ] a trench in a dry pan of the field, eight inches deep and four feet widei fpread a thin layer of dry ftraw on the bottom, and againft the fides ^ then throw in your potatoes, and raife theni to the height of four feet, leaving the top (helving in the form of a roof; on the potatoes thus placed, lay a bed of dry ftraw fix or eight inches thick, and cover the fame with mould, dug from the fides of the pit, and patted on to the thicknefs of a foot; after this, let your thatchcB cover it with ftraw, or the haulm of the potatoe, fufficient to keep out the rain. In this way, I have kept many thoufand facks through the moft fevere winters, without injury. There are various methods of planting; but it may be right to divide them under two diftind heads, viz. the drill and the promifcuous. Both thefe may again be fubdivided ; but as it is not my defign to fatigue my reader, by entering into a dif- cufTion on their refpedlive merits, I fhall only fay, that my experience leads me to prefer the promif- cuous mode; and to plant in beds five feet wide, intervals or alleys three ktty dug and thrown on to the beds, and the fets one foot apart. In this way let the feafon be ever fo wet, the potatoes lie dry. You alfo, in hoeing, have accefs, without treading on E 349 1 on them ; btfides, being planted fo clofe, fuch a putrid fermentation is created by the thick fhade of the potatoe, that the foil is more meliorated, and weeds more compleatly deftroyed, than in any other method. Horfe-hoeing cuts the potatoes, and tears the fibres or firings on which the bulbs are formed. I (hall now proceed to a detail of my experi- ments, which comprehend feven years trial on a pretty large fcale, and in various ways of plantings and though many, who have been fanguine in their ideas refpeding this root, may be difappointed at the coUedive refult, I can only fay, that perhaps as much benefit may accrue from recording an unfuc* cefsful as from the moft flattering and fucccfsful experiment. 1784. EKPERIMEMT NO, I. SEVEN ACRES. Culture, expences, and produce, of a field of feven acres, foil a gravelly loam, on a bed of limeflone rock, value about 8s. per acre. This field was, in 1 7 83, part of the foreft of Mendip, and was in its uninclofed ftatc worth about 3s. 6d. per acre. SXPENCES, I 350 1 EXPENCES. £• *• ^* Cutting furze and levelling inequalities, 5s, per acre - - - I 15 o 1783, OSioler. Ploughing firft time, 12s. per acre - 440 1784, March, Crofs ploughing, I OS. per acre - - 3 lO O April, Dragging with heavy and long-tined drag, 6s. 220 140 quarters of lime, is. 4d. per quarter - 968 Carriage of ditto, 6d. per quarter % 3 lO o May. Spreading lime, 9d. per acre - "053 Harrowing in lime, IS, per acre - -070 Third ploughing, 3s. - - I I o Harrowing, IS. - ^- -070 Planting in beds 8 htt wide, alleys 4 feet - 660 49 facks (2401b. each) Scotch feed, 6s. per fack 14 14 o [N. B. Sets a foot apart,] Cutting fets at 3d. per fack - ^ o 12 3 June. Keeping off birds - - -060 Hoeing, (beer induded) 5s. - - i 15 o July. Earthing up plants with the loofe earth of the alleys, 5s. - - - i 15 o OSloher and November. •Digging up and fecuring, 40s. per acre 14 o o Rent (no tithe) - - -2160 Intereft of capital, 5s. per acre - - i 15 o Total coft ^^.70 72 PRODUCE. C 35' ] PRODUCE, Five hundred and five facks, prime coft, 2$# lod. per fack or thereabouts - . ^.71 10 xo OBSERVATIONS. Many of my readers will, I doubt not, be fur- prized at the heavy expence of this crop, and yet even with my prefent experience, I can fee but one extravagant charge, and that is, digging out; this amounts to 5d. per fack, allowing -near 4I. for pit- ting and fecuring ; perhaps it fhould have coft no more than 4d. per fack. As to the quantity of feed, which may furprizc Tome, I mud notice that planting large fets requires a much greater quantity of feed than when /mall fets are ufed. The charge of intereft on capital I 4iave long adopted, and I think it right ; as to the quantum, it is fixed on the following principles. One hun- dred acres of land, fuppofing them to be worth on an average 20s. per acre, require 500I. capital; confequently the intereft at 5 per cent, amounts to 5s. per acre. After all, however, here is a rough piece of land, which in its uninclofcd ftate, was worth only 3s. an acre. [ 352 ] acre, brought by one crop unto fuch a flate of pul- verization and amendnaent, as to be worth 15s. and all the expences paid, fuppofing the potatoes to be worth 25. lod. per fack. This field was fown with wheat, but the time of fowing was inevitably protradted to a late feafon. In a cold climate, and on a light foil, never fow wheat after potatoes, but ridge up your land, and leave it for a fpring crop, and perhaps on any foil it is good hufbandry fo to do. 1785. EXPERIxMENT NO. II. 8 ACRES. III. — 12 IV. — 12 32 acres, NO. 2, EIGHT ACRES, Soil a gravelly loam worth 20s. per acre, had been laid down with fainfoin 3 years before, which did not fucceed. This field was marked out into beds, 8 feet wide, leaving '4 feet interval to cover with. Farm-yard dung, 20 cart-loads to an acre, was then fpread equally on the beds, and the fets placed thereon at the diflance of one foot. The interval or alley was then dug to cover the fets, turning the grafs downwards, c^r jurf to turf. This is called by fome the lazy-bed method. EXPENCES. [ 353 ] XXPENCES. 1785, April. '' Setting at il. IIS. 6d. per acre - Liquor - - - Seed, 7 facks to an acre, 5s. 6d. - Manure at 3s. per load (carriage included) Cutting fets at 3d. per facie May, Hoeing, 5s. per acre ^ Earthing up and {hovelling alleys Hand-weeding, 2S. 6d. OSfober. Digging and fecuring Rent and tithe, 25s. Fences and highway, 6d. per acre Intefcft - - • ' PRODUCE. 564 facks, prime coft 3s. per fack. I. s. i. 12 12 0 I II 6 »5 80 24 0 0 0 140 2 0 0 % 0 0 100 14 10 o 2 3 o o o 4 o o o 85 12 6 NO. III. TWELVE ACRES, Same foil as the foregoing j — was in oats 1784; the ftubblc ploughed immediately after harveft. In March 1785, it was crofs-ploughed, and well harrowed \ lines were then drawn longitudinally, with a double-breafted plough, at the diftance of four feet, and in this furrow farm-yard dung was ftrewed, after the rate of 12 loads per acrej on Vol. VI. A a this [ 354 3 this the fets were put, at the diftance of 9 inches, and then covered with a light plough. After the potatoes were about fix inches high, a fur- row was turned froai one fide of the plants, and in a week after, another furrow from the other fide. They were then hand-hoed between the plants, after which the earth on the interval was returned to the plant, by the double-breafted plough. They were after this hand-hoed lightly. Great attention was neceflary to keep off the rooks, both after planting, and after the bulbs were formed; for the wide intervals, and the ele- vation of the foil on which the potatoes grew, gave them an opportunity of free accefs, and I verily believe, had they not been narrowly watched, they would have totally deftroyed the crop. As it was, they did a great deal of damage. Previous to digging out, a furrow was turned in the middle of the interval, fo that the diggers had only a narrow flip of earth to turn over. EXPENCES. 1784, OSiober, £* s» d, Firil ploughing oat-ftubble, 3s. - - i 16 0 1785, March, Crofs ditto, 3s. per acre - - i 16 o Harrowing, is. - . - - o 12 o JpriL Marking out furrows - - 050 Carried over ^^.4 9 0 C 355 ] Brought forward 21 12 0 Manure, 3s. per load - - •» May. Spreading manure, planting, &c. 15s. per acre 900 Seed and cutting, 5 facks to an acre - 21 12 0 June. " Horfe-hoeing, 3s. per acre - I 16 0 Two hand-hoeings, 5s. per ditto <■ 300 Keeping-ofF birds •■ I 40 OSiober, Turning furrow for potatoes • 060 Digging up and fecuring ^ • 14 II 0 Rent and tithe, 25s. per acre - 15 0 0 Fences and highways, 6d. per ditto - 060 Intereft, 5s. per ditto - 3 t) 0 ^.95 16 6 PRODUCE. . 62 1, facks, prime coft, 3s* id. per lack. Part of this field was planted with my own feed, and part with Scotch feed, then imported. The latter^ the beft croj) by nearly one-third. N. B. Should any of my readers think that the price of ploughing is too low, I would inform him, that my ploughing is all performed with the double- furrow plough, with which my man can with cafe turn 2~ acres in eight hours with four oxen. I have known him plough 20 acres of land, four A a 2 inches [ 3S6 1 inches deep, and nine inches wide, in fix days. This may appear incredible to fome, but it is neverthelefs true, and can be done again if required. .NO. ly. TWELVE ACRES. * Soil the fame as the laft. Quality of land the fame- preceding crop and cultivation before planting ^ the fame. A furrow was then turned about 3 inches deep with a light plough, from north to fouthi and the manure being brought, and de- pofited in fmall heaps, at a little diftance, the planters (women) began by putting down the fets at about twelve inches diftance in the furrow, and then covered them with a fprinkling of dung. » The men then followed, and, at the diftance of 18 inches from the ploughed furrow, dug a trench of the fame depth, parallel thereunto, and depo- fited the contents thereof on the potatoes planted. In this ciug trench another woman and man pro- , ceeded in the fame way, fo that the potatoes were fet in rows 18 inches apart, and one foot from plant to plant. The fame feed, and the fame quantity of manure, were made ufe of in the preceding experiment. In the beginning of June, they were carefully hand- [ 357 ] hand-hoed at 6s. per acre. After this no other attention was ncceflary, as the plants grew fo thick, and fo entirely covered the land, as to finother all weeds. When the foil is good, and plenty of manure can be afforded, this is an ex- cellent method i the earth is not poached by tread of horfes, and by digging is depofited fo Ughtly on the potatoes, that the roots are not checked in their extenfion. I do not approve of very wide intervals, either in corn, pulfe, or roots; and perhaps the drilling of corn, which feems to be the rage of the day, will be but a Ihort-lived pradtice, I could ftate many objeftions to it^ arifing from my own experiences but I do not from this infer that it is not an eligible plan oi\ very porfoilsy which want fummer hoeings to enable them to bring their crops to perfedion. EXPENCES. Firft and fecond ploughings and harrowing, as in preceding experiment - .. 440 Manure - - - - 21 12 o 1785, Ma^, Planting, i8s. per acre - • 10 16 o Seed, 96 facks, at 6s. per fack - - 28 16 o June, Hand -hoeing, 6s. per acre . 3 12 o Keeping off birds (rooks) - - 090 Carried over ^f .69 9 0 [ 358 ] O^ober. jT. s. d. Brought forward 69 9 o Ploughing out, 20s. per acre - ' - 1200 Carriage, pitting and fecuring - . 600 Rent, &c. as before ^ - - 18 6 o ^.105 15 9 PRODUCE. 968 facks, prime coft 2s. 2d. per fack. OBSERVATIONS. In this experiment, I endeavoured, as much as poflibly I could, to afcertain the comparative pre- ference due to ploughing or digging out, and I found that a plough with two horfes, a man, a boy, eight women to pick up, and two men to carry to the waggons, could clear but little more than hah an acre a day. The expence cannot therefore be calculated at lefs than 20s. per acre. Thefe potatoes I could have had dug and carried to the pits (if in the fame field) at four-pence per fack, or il. 6s. 8d. per acre. Now the faving of a few fhillings per acre is no compenfation for the quantity bruifed by the tread of horfes, the number left in the ground, let the pickers be ever fo care-^ ful — and the want of pulverization, in comparifon with digging: — befides, fcarce any mode of planting could have been feledted for plough- work fo fa- vourable as this. Had the potatoes been planted on [ 3S9 ] on ridges, with intervals, the digging might have been performed at lefs expence than the ploughing. From this and many other trials, I am inclined to give the preference to digging up, and in all cafes where labourers can be procur^, * 1786. EXPERIMENT NO. V. — FIFTY ACRES. Soil, woodcock loam, 'i8s. per acre; — thefe were two fields of a four«years old ley, and mofly j they wer£ ploughed in November, crofs-plough'd in March, then harrowed and planted in May, in beds five feet wide, alleys 3 feet. EXPENCES. 1785, November, iC. ^. d. Ploughing at 5s. per acre 12 10 0 1786, March.^ Ditto, 5s. ditto , - - 12 10 0 Harrowing, 2s. ditto 500 April 500 quarters of lime, at is. lod. delivered - 45 16 0 600 loads of dung, 3s. per load 90 0 0 Seed (part Scotch) 400 facks, 7s. per fack - 140 0 0 Cutting feed and planting, 19s. per acre 47 18 0 Keeping off rooks . - - I 19 0 Hoeing with a fpade, called fpiddling 27 0 0 Digging-up and fecuring 81 0 0 Rent and tithe - - - 50 0 0 Carried over £.513 13 0 [ 36o ] Brought up 513 13 o Fences and highways - - 150 Intereft of capital - - - 12100 PRODUCE. 3850 facks, prime coil 2s. gd. per fack. OBSERVATIONS. Half of the foregoing 50 acres was fown with wheat in the beginning of November, the other half was ridged up, and left for a fpring crop, and was accordingly fown with white oats in April ; the re- fult of which was, that the crop of oats was un- commonly fine, and the wheat very indifferent, having been deflroyed by the grub or earth-worm in the winter. This refult has been confirmed by many experi- ments 3 therefore, on a light foil, avoid fowing wheat 5 and rely on it, that an oat crop in fuch cafes will turn out of more value than a wheat cropj befides, you proceed in a better courfe of cropping j and this is of effential importance. 1785. EXPERIMENT NO. VI. 8 ACRES. VII.— 2 VIII. — 50 60 acres. f 36. 3 NO. VI. EIGHT ACRES, Of a kind of black earth, approaching to peat, and under it, at the depth of four inches, a ftrong white clay. This kind of foil is as light as chafF, and will not bring any kind of corn (buck-wheat excepted) to perfeftion. I had linned it, and fown it with oats in 1786, but they all withered away before they came out into ear, though at their firft coming up they looked beautifully flourifhing. After fallowing this field, I planted it in ridges five feet wide, and alleys three feet. In digging the intervals or alleys to cover the fets, I made the men dig deep, and bring up two or three inches of the clay. After hoeing, they were earthed up with two or three inches more of the clay, fo that the beds were elevated at leaft a foot above the alleys. When they were dug out, I gave the men 5s. per acre extra to dig the beds down to the level of the alleys i by thefe means a large portion of clay was intimately mbced with the light fpungy furface. This entirely remedied the defeft in the foil, and the field produced the ftibfequent year a very good I 3^^ 3 good crop of oats, and from that time has been worth 20S. per acre. EXPENCES. 1786, November* £• s. rf- Ploughing oat-ftubble, 3s. per acre I 40 1787, Jiprih Crofs-ploughing, 3s. per acre . I 4 0 Harrowing, 2s. per ditto 0 16 0 Lime put on laft year, and no crop 14 8 0 Planting at 25s. per acre 10 0 0 Seed 64 facks, at 6s. per fack 19 4 0 Cutting fets, 3d. per fack 0 16 0 June. Hoeing, 4s. per acre • • » I 12 0 July. Earthing up, los. per acre - 4 0 0 Bird keeping 0 6 0 November, Digging out and fecuring, 35s. per acre 14 0 0 Rent - - - • 4 0 0 Fences, &c. 0 4 0 Interejft of capital - , , 2 0 0 PRODUCE. ' 564 facks, prime coft 2s. 8d. per fack. NO. Vir. TWO ACRES. This land was part of the foreft of Mendip, and a portion of my allotment on the divifion of the common belonging to the parifh of Shepton- Mallet. [ 363 ] Mallet. This was valued by the commifTioners at as. 6d. per acre. In the month of March I fet fire to the furze; after which the field was marked out in beds eight feet wide, allowing in- tervals of four feet for the alleys. On thefe beds hog's-dung was fpread, after the rate of 30 cart- loads per acre. On the dung the. fets were de- pofited, iS inches by 9. Thf rough furface of the intervals or alleys was ^ then (kimm'd off, and placed between the fetsj after which a fpit of mould was dug to cover with, leaving the loofe earth or crumbs to be fliovelled in after the potatoes were up. The produce of this field being well fecured, was kept to the following May, and then all fold at the price of 9s. per fack. This exhibits a re- markable inftance of the value of a potatoe crop in fome circumdances. The produce amounted to forty times the value of the land in fee. EXPENCXS. 1787, March. £, s, d. Burning furze - - - 010 JpriL Planting, 35s. per acre - - 3 10 o Dung, 3s. per load - -900 Scotch feed and cutting - -600 Carried over ^.i8 no t 364 1 May. Brought forward Hoeing ^ - - June. Shovelling alleys - - ^ Novmher. I. 1. d. 18 II 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 Dig^g out, 4d. per fack Securing Rent : 3 13 4 100 050 Fence - - ■m 0 I 0 Intereil •M 0 10 0 £.25 o 4 PRODUCE. 220 facksj prime coft, 2s. 3d. per fack. NO. VIII. FIFTY ACRES, Of a three-year's old ley, planted in the lazy-bed method. EXPENCES. 1787, JpriL To 1000 loads of dung, at 3s. per load - 150 o o Planting 8 feet by 4, 30s. per acre, (or 6d. for every 20 yards in length) 75 0 0 Seed and cutting, 400 facks, 5s. per fack - 100 0 0 May, Hoeing, 5s. per acre 12 10 0 Earthing up, 5s. per ditto 12 10 0 Odoher and November, » Digging out, 6d. per fcore yards 75 0 0 Securing - - - ,- 400 Rent and tithe, 25s. • 62 10 0 Carried over ^^.491 10 o I 365 1 C s. d. Brought forward 491 10 o Fences and hi^ways • - - 150 Intcreft of capital - - - 12 10 o £•505 5 o PRODUCE. 3680 (ackS) prime coll, 2s, 9d« per (ack« OBSERVATIONS. Here is a moft ample and expenfive manuring, and yet the potatoes do not coft more than as* 9d. per fack. A crop of turnips would, in fimilar circum- ftances, and in point of total expence, be about aooL lefsj but were they ever fo abundant a crop, they would not be worth more than 150I. fo that a lofs of 1 5ol, would enfue when compared with po- tatoes, fuppofing them worth 2s. 9d. per fack. 1788. EXPERIMENTS NO. IX.— - ^ ACRES. X.— 80 XI.— 10 xn.— 20 117 acres. KO.IX» C 366 ] NO. IX. SEVEN ACRES. Soil, rich loam. This field was drilled barley in the year 1787 3 the flubble being very clean, it was plough'd after harveft into 32-feet ridges, that it might be dry in the winter. In the month of March a furrow was turned be- tween the ridges, after, which it was crofs- ploughed and well harrowed. Thirty loads per acre of rotten horfe-dung, mixed with brewers hops, were brought. The planting was per-- formed by digging into beds about 8 feet wide, leaving a vacancy (not dug) of 2 feet for earthing it. The fets were placed 18 by 12 inches apart. E5iPENCES. Ridging up, 2s. per acre - - o 14 o 1788, March. Drawing a furrow, is. 6d. per acre - o 10 6 JprI/. Crofs-ploughing, 3s. per acre - - i i o Harrowing, is. 6d. per ditto - - o 10 6 Planting, at 6d. per fcore yards - ' - 14 o o Seed (Scotch) 56 fack J, at 8s. - - .22 8 o Manure, 200 loads, at 3s. - - - 30 o o June. Hoeing - - - i 15 o Earthing - - - 3 10 o Carried over ^.74 90 I 367 1 Brought forward 74 90 Digging out ■ - - 14 14 o Pitting and fccuring - ^ 5 4© Rent and tithe, 35s. per acre - - 12 5 o Fencing and highway - - 036 Intcrdl of capital - - i 15 o ' j£«lo8 10 6 ' PRODUCE. / 1 1 10 facks, prime co(l 2s. per fack. OBSERVATION, In this inftance the expences are very heavy, but ftill the crop is fo abundant that they coft only 2s. per fack. I confider this a great produce, being one of the beft I ever had. NO. X. EIGHT ACRES. A confiderable part of which was in the year 1786 . part of the foreft of Mendip, and was ploughed in the winter, crofs ploughed in May and June 1787, and between that time and Oftober, part of it was limed j — the ren)aining part was limed in the fpringof 1788. Part was planted in rows with the plough, and part on beds by hand. The beds the beft crop ; and as the cxpence of hand-work does not ex- ceed horfe-work more than 8«. per acre, — the former 7\) C 368 ] former I think is to be preferred. The part limed in 1787 was better than that limed in 1788, EXPENCES. 1786-7. £' s.d. Cutting furze and levelling inequalities - 20 0 0 November and December. Firft ploughing, 12s. per acre - 48 0 0 March. Crofs-ploughed half, I2s. per acre - 48 0 0 Dragging, 6s. per ditto - 24 0 0 June to OSiober, 800 quarters of lime, carriage, &c. 2s. per quarter 80 0 0 Harrowing 40 acres, is. per acre - 2 0 0 Ridging ditto, 3s. per ditto - 6 0 0 1788, March and JpriL 810 quarters of lime, 2s. per quarter • 81 0 0 Harrowing, is. per acre - 2 0 0 Ploughing 40 acres, 3s. per ditto - 6 0 0 Harrowing down, 2s. per ditto - 4 0 0 Planting 40 acres, at i8s. per ditto - 36 0 0 Seed, 320 facks, 5s. - 80 0 0 Planting on 40 acres, los. - %o 0 0 Seed, 240 facks, 6s. . 60 0 0 Hoeing the whole, 5s. per acre v- - 20 0 0 Digging out and fecuring - 130 0 0 Rent (no tithe) - 40 0 0 Intereft of capital - 20 0 0 PRODUCE. 4700 facks, prime cofl, 3s. id, per fack. OBSERVATIONS, [ 369 ] OBSERVATrONS, Though in this experiment, the potatoes appear to come high, yet what other crop would have paid expences fo large, and in one year, and at the fame time have left the land in fo good a (late ? I do not know a better method of bringing rough land into tillage. If corn be fown before the fwardand rubbirti arc a little rotten, the grub generally attacks it, and fre- quently deftroys it. EXP. NO. XI. TEN ACRES. Soil, a gravelly loam. Part of this field was winter vetches, fown on a wheat ftubble, and part fpring vetches. In the beginning of May the winter vetches were hurdled off, and fed with fheep, and as faft as they were confumed, potatoes were planted in beds five feet wide, and intervals three feet, without any ploughing. The fpring vetches were fown the fame, and the planting was not finifhed till the middle of June. As the vetches were put in dear, viz. three bufhels ptr acre at 6s. per bufhel, (9 gallon meafure) I have debited the potatoes with the whole year's rent. It is a good way to mow the Vol, VI. B b vetches. t 370 ] vetches, and give them to the fheep in cribs, after withering a little ; this will prevent fuffla- tion — ^provincially called being blafted. 1788, May and June, I- '■ d- Planting, 21s. per acre - 10 10 0 80 facks of feed, (part Scotch) - 24 0 0 July. Hoeing - 2 10 0 Earthing up - - 2 10 0 OSloher and November, Digging up and fecuring - 20 0 0 Rent and tithe - 17 10 0 Fences and highways - 050 Intereft of capital " i 2 10 0 •79 J5 0 PRODUCE. 940 facks, prime coft is. 8d. per fack. In this experiment I could plainly perceive that the Iheep-fold was an excellent manure for potatoes. Even thofe planted in June produced a good crop. I very ftrongly recommend this plan. It is com- pendious. It enables you to keep a large flock, and it is connected with a good courfe of hufbandry —following up the potatoes with a fpring crop and grafs feeds* NO. [ 37T ] EXP. NO. XII. TWENTY ACRES. Thefe were taken from the forcfV, and the foil fbf the moft part, black earth, which is the name given to a fpecies of land occafionally found in the foreft, and which I have before obferved will not in its natural (late bring corn to perfedlion. Pared in the winter, and burnt in March, April, and May. EXPENCES. 1788, May, L- s. d. Paring and burning, 21s. per acre 21 0 0 140 facks of feed, 5s. per fack 35 0 0 Planting, 21s. per acre 21 0 0 July. Hoeing, 5s, per acre - 5 0 0 Ploughing, digging out, and fecuring 20 0 0 Rent - - - 5 0 0 Intereft of capital 5 0 0 jf.II2 O O PRODUCE. 800 facks, prime coft 2S. gd. per fack. N. B. Allowed 120 facks for rotten ones. OBSERVAtlONh In confequence of a wet autumn and a late ri- pening, mapy of the potatoes rotted before they were dug, and many rotted after in the pits. Be B b a careful. [ ' 372 ] careful, therefore, when you plant land of this dc- fcription, to plant early, and take out early. 1789. EXPERIMENTS NO. XIII. — 6 ACRES. XIV. — 15 21 acres. NO. XIII. SIX ACRES, AFTER WHEAT. Soil, a gravelly loam. Ploughed the wheat ftubble in O6tober 5 crofs-ploughed in March, and har- rowed it well. Drilled the potatoes in rows 2 feet apart, and ma- nured with four ton of woollen rags, part of which had been foaked in the refervoir of hog's urine. EXPENCES. 1788, Oaoher. ^^.^. Ploughing, 3s. per acre 0 18 0 1789, March. Crofs-ploughing, 3s. ditto 0 18 0 Harrowing, 2S. ditto 0 12 0 Seed - - , - 10 0 0 Forming drills and planting, 15s. per acre 4 10 0 Rags and fpreading « - - 12 0 0 Hoeing - - - - I 10 0 Ploughing out and fecuring 450 Rent and tithe - - - 7 10 0 Carried over ^.42 3 o [ 373 ] Brought forward 42 3 o Fences and highway - - o 3 0 Intereft of capital - - i 10 o PKODUCE, 245 facks, prime coft 3s. gd. per fack. 43 16 o OBSERVATIONS, Thefe potatoes came up very curled, which I could not attribute|to any defedt in the feed, as I had fome of the fame potatoes planted in another field, which came up well ; — from hence, as well as fome other trials with different crops, fuch as wheat, flax, &c. I am led to conclude, that rags do not fuit my foil, particularly as I cannot fee any efFedt in the field, at this time, and furely they muft now be rotten. EXP. NO. XIV. FIFTEEN ACRES, Old ley. This field was planted ahd managed the fame as No. 1 iA the year 1785. EXPENCES. 1789, May. £. s. d. Planting, il. us. 6d. per acre 23 iz 6 Seed, 107 facks, at 5s. per feck 26 15 0 Cutting ditto 169 Manure 45 0 0 Carried over ^^.96 14 3 [ 374 ] June, Brought up Hoeing, 5s. per acre Earthing, 5s. per acre Weeding by hand - Digging and fecuring Rent and tithe Fences and highways Intereft of capital :.96 H 3 3 15 0 3 15 0 I 176 22 10 0 18 0 0 0 7 6 3 IS 0 ;C'i50 H 3 PRODUCE. 1250 facks, prime coft 2s. 5d. per fack. 1790. EXPERIMENTS NO. XV. 6 ACRES. XVI. 8 14 acres. EXP. NO. XV. SIX ACRES, Of black earth, fuch as 1 have before defcribedj— this was fallowed and limed in the year 1789, in conjundion with 40 acres of red earth which was then fown with wheat. This was left unfown in confequence of its inferti- lity in refpedb to corn. In the beginning of May it was harrowed merely to make the furface a little frefh, and then planted in .beds 5 feet by 3 feet. The produce, at 3s. per fack, amounted to double the value of the wheat crop, though that was fix facks per acre# Labourers becoming very [ 375 ] very fcarce in confequence of the tempting ofFcrs of the Briftol and Bath builders, I was obliged to hire men, at as. per day and beer, from a diflant part of the country to dig them out. Thefe men would not dig by the fack, and confequently the cxpences were enormoufly high. I verily think that my own men, who worked by contradb, did as much in one day as the others did in two. In fhort, manual labour is become fo dear, and la- bourers fo fcarce, that it is now impofllble to cul- tivate this root on a large fcalej — and I riiuft (though reludlantly) be contented with a limited quantity. EXPENCES. 1789. l.s.d. Ploughing, liming, &c. 4I. per acre - 24 o o Planting, 21s. per acre - - 660 Seed 46 facks - - - 1 1 10 o N. B. No hoeing neccflary. Digging out, hauling, and fecuring - 20 3 o Rent - - - - 3 Q o Intereft of capital - - - i 10 o ^.66 9 o \ PRODUCE. 542 facks, prime coll 2s. 6d. per fack. EXPERIMENT NO. XVI. EIGHT ACRES, Rough wet land. This field was pared at the ex- pence of I2S. per acre 5 but the fpring being very wet. [ 376 3 wet, it could not be burnt. The potatoes there- fore were dug in without any manure, in beds about 8 feet wide, leaving a deep furrow between the beds to let off the moifture. The pared turf was laid under the fets, and then a fpit dug on them. In the greateft part of the field I planted whole potatoes, and of the mag- pie fort, which do better without manure than the white Scotch. In a fmall part I had the fets cut ir> two pieces; and at digging, it appeared to me that the potatoes were larger and of greater weight per acre than thofe produced by the whole fets. EXPENC]£S. 1790, March, I' s. d. Paring, at 1 2s. per- acre - , 4 i6 0 May, Planting - - 14 7 0 Seed, 12 facks per acre, 4s. per fack - 19 4 0 July. Hoeing and earthing - - 2 2 0 Keeping birds off - - - 0 15 8 Digging and fecuring - - 12 17 II Rent and tithe . . 6 0 0 Fences, &c. . . 0 4 0 Intereft of capital ■" " 2 0 0 ' ^.62 6 7 PRODUCE. 365 facks, prime coft 3s. 6d, per fack. I 377 1 RECAPITULATION. EXFENCES. PRODUCE. ft J0 if^m. Ftr atrt. Toiaf. Sach. • £. ,. J. £, s. d. £. /. * ? 1784. X 7 fallowed 10 X 0 70 7 » 505 at X 1785. zo 71 10 0 ft 8 ley 10 14 0 8s XX 6 564. — 3 84 IX 0 3 12 fallow 800 95 16 0 6x1 — 3 95 J4 0 ♦ XX ditto 8 x6 0 xos 15 0 968 — X X786. X04 17 0 5 50 ditto 10 XX 0 527 8 0 3850 —X 1787. 5*8 «7 0 6 8 ditto 940 73 14 0 564 — X 7S 0 0 7 X foreft IX xo 0 xs 0 4 XXO X x4 15 0 S 50 ley xo X 0 505 5 0 3680 — X 506 0 0 X788. 9 7 fellow 35 10 0 X08 xo 6 1110 — X XXI 0 0 xo 80 ditto 9x0 7x7 0 0 4700 — 3 7x4 0 0 11 10 vetches 800' 79 15 0 940—1 7« M IX ao burnt 5 la 0 XIX 00 800 — X 1789. no 0 0 33 6 fallow 760 43 16 0 X45 — 3 45 «» 9 J4 IS ley xo 0 0 150 14 3 1x50 — X 1790. XSX x$ 0 '5 6 fallow 1100 66 9 0 S4a ""' a 67 15 0 i6 8 rough 7 16 0 6x 6 7 365—3 63 17 6 301 acres. X839 9 4 X0924 lacks X843 18 3 Average expences per acre 9I. 9s. 3d, Average produce per acre about 70 facks. Average value per acre, prime cod about 2s. 9d. per fack of 240 lb. EXPERIMENTS [ 378 ] 1784-5. • EXPERIMENTS ON FEEDING HOGS. [It may be neceflkry to 'premife that though in the fub- fequent accounts the expences and confumption of the hogs are in fums total; yet the account was taken re- gularly every month, and it is now brought into grofs fums, merely to fhorten the account.^] NO. I. EXPENCES. 1785, January, $. £, s. d. To 12 hogs bought at 25s. each - 15. o o Jprii 13. To attendance, boiling food, ferving, &:c. 14 weeks - - - i 15 o To carriage of pot to boiling-houfe - o 17 6 To coal, 24 bufhels, at 6d. per bufhel - 0120 To 115 facks potatoes, prime coft 2s. i od. per fack 16 510 ♦To 7 1 quarters of barley and oatmeal, 22s. 6d. per quarter - - - 8 8 6 To ftraw, 3^ waggon loads, los. per load - i 15 o To killing - - .- 040 To hauling to Bath - - 0120 ;C45 9 10 PRODUCE. 1786, JpriL By *i 2 hogs fold to Symes, 146 1 fcore at 7s. perfcore - - - 5i y 30 cart-loads of dung, 2s. in place - 3 5 0 6 0 54 Expences 45 5 9 "6 ID Profit ^.8 15 1 * Nine gallon meafure. [ 319 ] OBSERVATIONS. It appeared by this experiment that hogs would pay 4$. per fack for potatoes; but certain favour- able circumftances were connedlcd with this trial. The hogs were bought in remarkably cheap; they took to the food with great good-will, and they were all of them what are called proving hogs. I have in many of the fubfequent experiments bought hogs in no wife better than thefe at 35s. or 40s. each. Barley and oats were alfo at a moderate price, at leafl: fuch as I gave them, which was not of the beft fort. Encouraged however by this experiment, I was induced to enter on a larger fcale into this mode of applying the potatoe crop, I accordingly built a boiling-houfe and (lies; put up a caft-iron furnace, capable of holding two hogfheads; a pump; bought fome old oil-ca(ks, at los. each, to hold the wafli; the coft of all which amounted to about 70I. As the houfe proved very convenient, I fhall de- fcribe it. It was of one ftory, and atout 16 feet fquare, built with ftone, and covered with tile. In the room below were the furnace, tubs, 6cc. and the upper room had a large door, opening to a road- way j [ 38o ] way; through this door the potatoes were thrown into the room out of the waggon. In this upper room was a pump, which conveyed water to a large trough, in which the potatoes were wafhed; and from which they were immediately thrown into the furnace beneath. The foul water was let out thro' an aperture in the wall, adjoining the trough. The potatoes were walhed in a wire fieve. By this faving of labour, one man could ferve ^O or loo hogs. Adjoining the boiling-houfe, were flies, divided into eight compartments, and capable of lodging 80 or 90 hogs. Into thefe flies I put 80 flips of my own, and 10 old fows. I alfo di- vided an ox-flall in another part of my farm for the accommodation of a larger lot, to be purchafedj and having an old brewing-furnace, I put it up at a fmall expence, being fanguine in my hopes of fuc- cefss but at my firfl outfet, difappointment flared me in the face — for going to Briftol to purchafe hogs, I found them fo enormoufly dear, that I could fee no profpedl of their paying any thing. How- ever, I bought 1 1 2 as cheap as I could, and after they were home, I weighed them and found that they cofl 6s. per fcore, live weight. I was in juf- tice therefore bound to value my own fows and flips at a high rate. EXPERIMENT, [ 38i ] 1785.6. EXPERIMENT, NO. II, EXPENCES. 1785, December 3. ^. x. d. To 10 old fows, 30s. - - 15 o o To 80 flips, 6 months old, 25s. - 100 00 1786, January 31. To attendance 8| weeks - - 330 To hauling potatoes - - 2150 To potatoes 410 facks, prime coft 2s. 9d. per fack 56 7 6 To coal 60 bulheis, at 6d. per bufhel - i 10 O To buck-wheat, 7 quarters at 25s. per qr. ground 8150 To barley and oatmeal, 18 quarters at 24s. perqr, 21 I2 o To ftraw, 8 loads, at ids. - - 400 To killing 9 fows - - -040 To hauling to Bath, - - 0120 £.213 18 6 PRODUCE. 1786, January 31. By 77 porkers fold at home for - 154 o 3 [Three died.] By 9 fows to Cottle, average 14 fcore each, at 5s. 6d. per fcore - - - ' 34 '3 O [One died.] By 7.0 cart loads of dung, at 2s. per load - 700 /.195 13 o Lofe - £18 5 6 ^EXPERIMENT [ 382 ] EXPERIMENT NO. III. EXPENCES, 1785, December 27. To 112 hogs bought at Briftol, 40s. per hog 224 0 0 1786, Jpril 25. To attendance 17 weeks, 12s. per week, fay 10 00 To hauling potatoes - - 10 o o To potatoes, 1 244 facks, at 2s. gd. per fack, prime coft - - - 171 i o To coal, 150 bufhels, at 6d. per bufhel - 3 ^5 o To barley and oatmeal, 54 quarters, at 24s. per qr. 64 16 o To tailing wheat -meal, 3 quarters, 40s. per qr. 600 To ftraw, 30 loads, los. per load - 15 o o To killing, at 4d. per head - - i 16 4 To hauling to Bath, 8 journies - 600 PRODUCE. 1786, Jpril 20, 25, May 2. By HO foldj average weight 13 fcore, 7s. per fcore 500 100 [Two died.] By 200 loads of dung, 2s. per load - 20 o o ^.520 10 o Profit jf .8 I 8. OBSERVATIONS. In the courfe of the foregoing experiment many obfervations were made. I found that the water in which the potatoes were boiled was injurious, and therefore avoided mixing it even with the meal. lalfo [ 383 ] I alfo plainly perceived, that the potatoes were better liked when (lightly boiled, than when boileS to a pulp. The preference to be given to large hogs was confirmed, for the fmall growing pigs ate nearly as much food as the large full-grown hogs, and yet they did not appear proportionably to improve either in fize or fat. I experienced alfo a great amendment in the quality of the waih, when a quantity of meal was mixed up a week or two be- fore it was ufed. In this way a kind of fermenta- tion is produced, and fpirit, I prefume, generated. At the commencement of the bufinefs, I found many of the hogs ate the potatoes with reludtance, particularly when given raw, and I invariably found that the quantity of food confumed increafed every week, till the animal became three parts fat ; after this period they ate but little, and almoft all they ate turned to fat. It is therefore good policy to make them compleatly fat, and that can only be done by giving time. Laftly, I found by this experiment, that farther trials were neceflfary, tojuftlfy thc/artguine ideas I had formed of potatoes, from my firfl experiment. EXP£- [ 334 ] 1786-7. EXPERIMENT NO. IV. EXPENCES. 1786, Nov. 15, 19, 26. I. s. d. To 107 flips, my own, valued . 103 14 6 To 212 bought at Briftol, at 5s. 3d, per fcore, live weight - - - 487 12 O To attendance on 107, ten weeks - 990 To ditto on 212, eighteen weeks - 18 18 O To hauling potatoes - - - 26 o o To potatoes 3097 facks, at 2s. 9d. per fack 425 17 o To coal, 420 bufhelsj at 6d. - - 10 10 o To barley and oats, 124 quarters at 24s. 148 16 8 To tailing wheat, 10 quarters at 40s. per qr. 20 o o To ftraw, 70 loads, los. per load - 35 o O Tq killing 210, at 4d. each - - 3 10 o To hauling out - - • 15 o o To fait given with the potatoes - 300 l*^ZO^ 6 6 PRODUCE, 1788, January 15, 20, 26. By 104 porkers fold for 34s. each - 176 16 0 [Three died.] March 20, 26, 31, April 2* By 209 hogs, average weight 15 fcore each, at 7s. per fcore - - 1097 5 o [Three died.] By 350 loads of dung, at 2s. per load - 35 o o . ^'^^^^ ^ "" Profit - ^.i 14 6, OBSERVATION. t 38J ] OBSERVATION. The large hogs ftill have the preference ; and as far as I can judge, fait given with the potatoes is very ufeful. It tennpts the hogs to eat them with great avidity. From a few days trial, I am in- clined to think that a little malted barley, or oats, mixed in their wafh, would do good ; but the feve- rity of the excife laws is a great obftacle to ufeful experiments. 1787-8. EXPERIMENT, NO. V. • EXPENCES. November 2, 4. I' s. d. 6 fows and a cut boar (my own) 66 flips, (my own) valued 15 bought at Briftol - 12 74 35 0 0 0 0 36 December 2, 12, 26. 40 bought at Briftol 65 ditto 92 ditto ': 83 143 155 0 0 8 0 12 0 January 4, 20. [66 fmall hogs fVttendancc on 66, eleven weeks ver 201 .3 o_o 17 0 Carried 0 ^.708 06 Vol, VL C c , t 386 ] May, Brought forward 708 o 6 Attendance on 384, .nineteen weeks - 43 o o Hauling potatoes - - 29 o O Potatoes, 3760 facks, at nearly 2S. gd. a fack 517 00 Coal, 600 bufhels, at 6d. per buftiel, 9 gallons 15 00 Barley and oatmeal, 180 quarters, at 24s. perqr. 216 0 0 Salt - - - • 600 Straw, no loads, at los. per load - 55 o O Killing 381, at 4d. each - - 6 6 8 Hauling to purchafers - - 25 o o ;^.i620 7 2 PRODUCE. 1789, January 18, 24. 61 porkers, at 35s. each - - 106 15 o [Five died.] February 26. 6 fows, &c. 73 fcore, at 5s. 6d. per fcore 20 i 6 375 fows, average weight 1 1 fcore each, at 6s. gd. per fcore - - 1268 15 o [Three died.] 680 loads of dung, at 2s. per load - 68 0 o l^H^Z II 6 Lofs - ;^.i56 15 8. OBSERVATIONS. Here was an alarming lofs indeed j but fome compenfation was made by a confiderable fale, this winter. t 38? J . winter, and in the fpring, of potatoes for the tabic. The average price of which was about 6s. per facjc: this reduced the lofs on the whole to about 40I. The bad fucccfs of this year*s experinnent feemed to arife from the hogs which were bought being fmall and very dear. Few large hogs could be pro- cured at any price. 1788-9. EXPERIMENT, NO. VI. EXPENCES. 1788, OSIoher 6, 8, 15. £. s. d. 14 fpay'd Tows, 31s. 6d each - 22 i .0 79 hogs bought at Briftol - - 143 o o 243 ditto - - - 492 0 0 1789, February 15. Attendance, 17 weeks - - 27 o o Hauling potatoes - - 36 o o Potatoes, 4032 facks, at 2S. 8d. prime coft 537. 12 O Coal, 672 bufhels, at 6d. per buOiel - 16 16 o Barley, buck- wheat, and oatmeal, 160 quarters 186 13 O Salt - - - - 700 Straw, 125 loads - - - 62 10 o Killing 336, at 4d. each - - 5 12 o Carriage to Bath and Briftol * 22 o o ;£-i558 4 o PRODUCE. February 8. 14 fpay'd fows, fold at 55. 6d. per fcore, each fow 16 fcore - - 61 12 o C c 2 February [ 388 ] Brought forward £,()i 12 o February 8, 16, 22. 322 hogs, average i4ifcore,6s. lod. per fcore 1567 o o N. B.' None died. 720 loads of dung, at 2S. per load - 72 o o Profit {^.\\^ 8 0. OBSERVATIONS. £'iyOO 12 O The foregoing experiment fhews, that no kind pays more for the food than fpay'd fows. It is true, they are not worth fo much as other fat hogs, by near is. per fcore, particularly if they are heavy, — but then they get fat quicker, and on lefs food. In the courfe of this experiment, I tried grinding the potatoes in an old apple- mill, inftead of boiling, but did not find it anfwer. If room could have been found, to have mixed them with meal, and depo- fited them in a refervoir, fo as to have fermented, it might have fucceeded. Having near half of my potatoes left, I refolvcd to fat another lot ; but as the fpring was near at hand, I was obliged to pur- chafe fmaller hogs, thinking that large ones would not be faleable. The difpofition of the buyers feemed to be much changed 5 for though they did not regard a few years fince how large fat hogs were, yet I now [ 389 ] now they declined purchafing in the fpring a higher weight than lo fcore per hog. ^ 1788-9. EXPERIMENT, NO, VII. EXPENCES. l^ u d. 1789, March I. 300 hogs, at 228. 6d. - 337 10 0 J^ne 3. ' Attendance 1 3 wcelts - 20 10 0 Haulmg potatoes - - 20 0 0 Potatoes, 2600 facks, at 2s. 8d. perfack - 346 13 0 Coal, 520 bufhels, at 6d. per bufhel - X3 0 0 Barley, buck- wheat, and oat-meal, 120 qrs. 144 0 0 Salt - 4 0 0 Straw, 100 loads, los. per load • - 50 0 0 Killing 296, at 4d. each - 4 18 0 Carriage to Bath - 18 0 0 ;C-958 n 8 PRODUCE. June. 296, average weight 7I fcorp, 7s. 6d. per fcore 832 100 600 loads of dung, at 2s. per load - 60 o o £.892 10 o Lofs ;f ,66 I 8. OBSERVATIONS. [ 390 ] OBSERVATIONS, The preference to be given to large hogs is again confirmed. Thefe young pigs were always refllefs •, it was very diificuk to keep them in the ftiesj and had they not been carefully ringed, they would have worked up with their nofes all the pitching. They were always covered with filthy for though littered very well, we could not keep them clean. They grew inftead of getting fat. 1789-90. EXPERIMENT, NO. VIII • . EXPENCES. 1789, Nov, 15. £. s. d. 96 large hogs, at 50s. each - 240 0 0 1790, JpriL Attendance 20 weeks - . 900 Hauling potatoes - 800 Potatoes, 1220 facks, at 2s. 8d. per fack . 162 13 0 Coal, 320 bufhels, at 6d. per bufhel i. 800 Barley and oatmeal, 90 quarters, 25s. per qr.. 112 10 0 Grains, 300 bufhel s, 4d. per bufhel - 500 Salt - 300 Straw, 30 loads, at los. per load . 15 p 0 Killing 96, at 4d. each . I 12 0 Carriage 800 CSI^ IS 0 PRODUCE. [ 391 1 PRODUCE. 1790, jlpru, 96 hogs, average weight 1 7 fcore each, 79. a fcore 571 40 200 loads of dung, 2s. per load - 10 o O Profit £,% 9 0. OBSERVATIONS. I'S^i 40 This experiment was conduced with particular accuracys and from the refult of it I was led to conclude, that, unlefs circumftances were particu- larly favourable, as. 8d. per fact was the utmoft value of potatoes under the beft management, in this mode of application. The hogs were of the Shropfhire fort, large and fine ; and though bought in dear, they alfo fold out dear. Excepting two or three, they all proved very well. 1790-1. IXPERIMENT, NO. IX. 1790,' Odober. £. j. d. Seven fows and pigs, 50s. each - 24 10 o 1 79 1, JpnL Attendance 6 months - - 500 Carried over ^^.29 10 9 [ 392 ] Brought forward Potatoes, 300 facks, at 3s. 6d. per fack Barley and oatmeal, 24 quarters Hanling potatoes Coal, 70 bufliels, at 6d. per bufhel Grains, 100 bufiiels Straw, 12 loads , - £.93 18 o PRODUCE. 179 1, JpriL Seven fows, valued, being with young - 17 10 o Forty-two flips, 25s. each - - 52 10 o [Eight died.] Dung, 100 loads, at 2s. per load - 1000 £' f. I 29 10 0 22 10 0 30 0 0 2 10 0 I IS 0 I 13 0 6 0 0 Lofs ;^.i3 18 o. OBSERVATIONS. £.80 O O I am difpofed to think that rearing pigs cannot well be efFedled without the affiftance of the dairy; and if you do attempt to rear without that afTiftance, avoid having any litters at the approach of winter. The cold will pinch the young pigs; and if they are once ftopt in their growth, or as it is vulgarly called knity the befl: keeping afterwards will not re- cover them. RECAPITULATION. C ^393 ] RECAPITULATION. PROFIT. £, S. d, 1785, Exp, i. - 8 15 8 1786, iii. - 8 I 8 1787, iv. - I 14 6 1789, vi. 142 8 ; 0 1790, viii. - 8 9 169 8 ic Balance loft 85 12 o £.255 o 10 LOSS. £, s. d. 1786, Exp. i. i8 5 6 1788, V. 156 16 8 1789, vii. 66 I 8 1791, ix. 13 18 o 255 o 10 By balance loft 85 12 By fundry expences in creating boil- ing-houfcs, fties, &c. &c. - 100 o £.185 12 o At 2s. 9d. per fack, this lofs is incurred in feeding hogs fof feven years. OBSERVATIONS. It appears by the preceding accounts that 16,778 fecks of potatoes have been confumed by hogs in the feven years* experiments, and confequently (the fum total raifed being 20,924 facks) that 4146 facks have been fold and planted. Eftimating thefe therefore, at an average of 4s. per fack, a profit will remain (after deducing the above lofs, viz. 185I. 1 23.) of 73I. los. 6d. The refult, therefore, is, that potatoes are worth, as a food for hogs, fomething more than 2S, 6d. per fack of 2401b. weight. Vol. VI. Potatoes [ 394 ] Potatoes will fhrink in pit between the months November and March, about one fack in twenty: when pitted, I allow in my calculation of the quan- tity there depofited after that proportion. I am now proceeding in a courfe of experiments to afcertain the value of potatoes as a food for horfes, cows, fatting oxen, and fheep; which fhall in due time be laid before the Society, Ihould they think it worthy their notice. I am. Gentlemen, your's, &cc, J. BILLINGSLEY. EN^t>r^6L VI, Erratum. Page 366, for 3a-feet, read thne-fnt. DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES. OAK TREES. Plate I. - - Page 54 n. and in. - - 57 Plate IV. - - Page $% V. and VI. - - 59 Sward-Cutter - page 7% NEW EDITIONS o r T H E FIVE PRECEDING VOLUMES OF THE BATH SOCIETY'S PAPERS, WITH THE PLATES, May be had in Boards, price xl. 8s. or either Volume feparately, Alfo, price is, 6d. each, / , I. An ESSAY on the PRESERVATION of the HEALTH of PERSONS employed in AGRICULTURE, and on the NATORB of the DISEASES incident to that Way of Life. By WILLIAM FALCONER, M. D. F.R. S. And Phyfician to the Bath Hofpital. II. CAUTIONS concerning the POISON of LEAD and of COPPER J with a Method of detcfting thefe Metals in Wines, Cyder, and various other Aliments. By A. FOTHERGILL, M. D. F.R.S. Member of the Royal College of Phyficians, London; and of the Medical Societies of London} Edinburgh, and Paris,