engines) is 62,000,000 lbs. of water raised one foot high by the consumption of 1 cwt. of coals. These engines are very large, the steam is used expansively, and condensed, and every appliance adopted to economise fuel. Probably we shall not be far from an average, if we estimate that the small engines used for agricultural purposes will not perform more than one-fourth of this.". "duty," or say, 16,000,000 lbs. of water raised one foot high by the use of 1 cwt. of coals. It must be understood that the same weight of coal will lift half the water to twice the height, or one-fourth the water to four times the height, and so on. Now, supposing that we have to lift the water from a stream to the portion of a field which is ten feet above the level of the river, then 1 cwt. of coal will lift to that height one-tenth of 16,000,000 lbs. of water, or 1,600,000 lbs. A gallon of water weighs 10 lbs., and therefore 160,000 gallons will be lifted, or, as 224 gallons weigh a ton, 714 tons of water may be raised 10 feet with the consumption of only 1 ewt. of coal; and this is almost exactly equal to an inch in depth over seven acres, or an average fortnight's rain in the southern and midland counties of England. 15 endour of bis 0006 too The subjoined table gives the gallons of water which may be lifted to various height by the consumption of 112 lbs. of coal; the pumping appara tus being good, and adapted to the power of the engine, the calculation being based upon the preceding datum of 1,600,000 lbs.jme qd hablary told et

The use of sewage in irrigation, as I long since ventured to predict, will, there is little doubt, be chiefly confined to grass lands. Of this opinion is Professor Voelcker, who on this subject recently addressed the members of the Royal Agricultural Society. In most of the conclusions to which he arrives I heartily concur, and in none more so than when in the course of his able lecture he had occasion to inquire why it is that grass is especially benefited by the sewage of towns. It is so, he added, because it is a quick-growing crop, which allows us to apply a fresh quantity of fertilising matter as soon as a given quantity is exhausted. We can repeatedly manure the grass crop, but we cannot the cereal crop. We should never get our wheat ripened if, after it has passed through its grassy condition, and arrived to some extent at maturitywe should never get the grain formed, if we were to apply sewage to it Neither can we well apply sewage to market produce; at least not on most soils; for sewage has a tendency to close up the pores of the soil, and to encrust it, which is a great practical inconvenience. We should also remember that we must dispose of the sewage of a town at all times of the year, and that we must therefore apply it in very large quantities at a time. Now, to grass lands we can apply very large quantities, because grasses grow very rapidly, and enable us to give a fresh dressing or a large dose of manure.

Upon the importance of these scientific researches to latniera di hollyque Fund gallons. I need hardly remark. The intelligent readers of One cwt. of coal then will raise 1 foot.. 1,600,000 this widely circulating magazine are well aware, diw bengjaw ylleurge gotong2 feet. 800,002 that in working out the great problem as to the brugge a19few tond ad: 13 feet. 533,000 best disposal of the sewage of towns, two noble ob„Aluris sui 4 feet 207400,000 jects are to be attained-1st, the improvement of ada le tgpoms adilonour dea 5 feet 320,000 the public health; and 2ndly, the increased fertility zara admotni bayogion erotian6 feet .. 266,666 of our cultivated soils. The experiments to which I alibuguprodt ris,,tud bou7 feet Jun 228,571 have drawn the reader's attention will materially dside mi,groitulos 10,state out 18 feet..3d Juriq ang lo etoox ggt die 9 feet ed" Laggo adi ni tomato le 10 feet. evolavitijo naivane! adi de 11 feet lame vy ad of hisa a. abl^12 feet bad adipingini augule volt 13 feet. deiland grove begiga ar 614 feet..26114,444 eder eldaulay any do 15 feet.. 8106,666 waad mugi ayolquis,ed mod 16 feet.. 130,000 Bevloeeih nad ere erotiog aldauden sal ne

200,000 tend to promote these great objects, for they will 177,777 enable the cultivator to proceed on safer, because 160,000 still better understood ground. Of one conclusion 145,454 I am quite certain-that if the course of the streams 133,333 of sewage, now commonly worse than wasted, are 123,076 only so altered as to be available to the skilful agriculturists of our country, they will need no arguments to induce them to turn those now noxious streams to a nationally important purpose.

ON HARVESTING CORN CROPS.

BY A PRACTICAL FARMER.

The present season is as yet an unsettled one. Stormy winds and occasional rains prevail to a great extent. The winds have certainly done considerable injury to the whole of the corn crops, but more particularly the wheat and bean crops. The former is greatly damaged, large breadths being prematurely laid; and vast numbers of individual stems are broken down at the root, and are strewn throughout the crops. The bean crop is not so much hurt; but great numbers of stalks are broken down, and much injury is done to the general crop by hard flogging. The oat and barley crops have both sustained much damage, the former the less of the two; but very many heads of barley are

1

strewn about, and a vast many others sadly whipped by the wind.

Seeing this is so, it may be useful to your farming readers to offer a few plain suggestions for their consideration, on the best modes of harvesting their corn crops. It is to be noted with some concern, if not censure, that farmers, as a body, are too much wedded to their own practices. "I do so-and-so." Each has his own peculiar method of business; and it is seen in the harvesting of corn crops more prominently than in any other department of it. Now I want all and every established customary practice to be looked at dispassionately, with the view to ascertain if any improve

ments can be introduced, and, if so, that they be at once wheat crop-raking, and securing the rakings at the end energetically adopted and carried out. The most im- of the shocks, as in wheat harvesting. It is the invariportant of the general improvements is the introduction able custom in the district from whence I write, and of the reaping machines. These machines are now ma- universally approved of by the growers. I know that nufactured in great variety, and are very effective and much is advanced against the custom; but I think if it exceedingly useful implements. My first suggestion, was more generally adopted it would grow in favour. then, is that, wherever it is practicable, they should be The sheaves should be small, and the shocks small, so adopted, as by their means the crops will be better cut, as to permit the sun and wind to have full power. In and the harvesting much more expeditiously completed, this way the crop takes less harm than when laid on the which in a precarious season is all-important. The ground, and is more easily and speedily harvested. It question of mowing versus reaping is, I presume, is certainly sooner dry after a shower when so set up. settled at least, I know of but few advocates for reap. If the weather is suitable, i. e., dry and sunny, I should ing, where mowing can be advantageously done; and prefer letting the swathes lie a few hours to wither very few are the crops where it cannot be best cut by before tying. The expense of tying and “shocking” is machine or scythe. The ulterior advantage to the land not greater than the repeated turnings it undergoes. is very manifest. It is at once cleared for cultivation. The great thing is to avoid making the sheaves too big, The seeds of weeds either go with the crop, to be and setting too many of them in a shock: eight or ten dressed out, or they soon vegetate in the stirred soil. is amply large enough. The shocks should all be The straw is of much greater bulk and value, and will turned down previous to leading, so that the bottoms of yield a far greater proportion of marure than stubble, the sheaves become dry. In cases where the grass seeds which soon becomes decayed and nearly worthless, after are high and full, the crop should certainly lie a day or the crop is cut. As a general suggestion, then, I would two to wither; it should then be tied, taking care to roll say, by all means cut down every crop to the very into the middle of the sheaf the more withered top of ground-i. e., mow every crop capable of being mown, 'he swathe: the greener outsides will soon wither as they and cut down the others by "bagging" or some other stand. similar operation, so that all is cut up from the very bottom, if possible.

I will, however, take the crops more in detail. Which is the best method of harvesting the wheat erop? I answer that, where practicable, it should be cut by the reaping machine, as being the most expeditious, the cleanest, and best method of cutting. If too heavy for the machine, then the common scythe must be used, and cut in swathes not exceeding five feet in width. Should it be found too heavy for the scythe, then, and then only, would I permit the sickle, or hook, to be used, providing the whole be cut as low as possible. In either case of the above modes of cutting, it should be followed up immediately tying and stouking. The sheaves to be tied small, and with single bands. The stoukes, or shocks, not to exceed ten sheaves in number, each to be set firm on the ground, and nicely slanting, with the tie turned inwards. The top of the shock to be pressed together, so as to shoot off the wet. In mountainous or wet districts, capping-i. e., setting two sheaves on the top, with their ears hanging downwards-should be adopted. The stubbles should be immediately raked, the rakings tied and set at the end of the shock. The carting to take place as soon as dry, and the weather permits; but on no account let there be any unnecessary delay, and all should be done as quickly as possible, both men and horses being urged to do their utmost. The stack should have temporary coverings of loose straw as soon as convenient. The oat crop, for the most part, may be dealt with in a similar way; but it is not requisite that it should be immediately tied up in sheaf. It is often possible to allow the swathes to lie a short time, to wither, as this crop so frequently ripens unevenly. Nor is it necessary to tie up the rakings; but these should be heaped up at the end of convenient shocks. This crop will always require more field-room than wheat, it being more liable to become "mow-burnt."

The barley crop is one of great importance, and requires every attention, and the best judgment of every farmer to secure it without damage. The colour of the barley is of great moment to the maltster. The freedom from sprouts is of almost equal consequence; hence much care is observed in harvesting this crop. The cutting of it should be by reaping machine, or scythe; but the subsequent management is open to much controversy. For my own part, I prefer to tie it in small sheaves, and shock it precisely as I would the

The bean crop is a most uncertain one as to bulk ; the heavy and tall crop must be "bagged" or "haulmed" as it is called, i, e., cut up close to the ground, and gathered into sheaf by a long-shafted hook. The workmen should first draw up a number of stalks, straighten them, and lay them down for the band; he then commences cutting from a certain breadth, and draws the stalks cut to his leg, and drawing back across his breadth he keeps cutting till he gets sufficient for his sheaf, which he then lays in his band. In a few days the stalks forming the band will be sufficiently withered to tie; they are then set up in shock, and the general crop is gleaned by lads, &c., and the gleanings placed to the shocks. In light or short crops mowing is the better plan, either by scythe or machine, and bands are frequently made from straw, rushes, reed, &c.; it is, however, always best to "tie with its own," if possible. This crop being generally cut rather green, should remain some time in shock before carting, or the beans will turn black in the stack.

The pea crop is a precarious one, both to grow and to harvest. It may be cut before being fully ripe, providing the peas are well filled, and approaching hardness. The common way is by pea-hook, or by scythe. The reaping machine can certainly cut this crop, but it is more in fault here than anywhere else as a reaper. The heaps or haulm should be made small, say about three to the ordinary fork-full, and in fine weather they should be repeatedly turned over, and be kept lightened up, so as to admit the sun and wind. It is highly important that this should be attended to, as the straw is of considerable value when well got. The peas when unstained are also of much greater value than discoloured ones. As so many are required for human food in soups, &c., it is highly necessary to secure the crop so as to prevent heating in the stack, for which purpose every attention must be given.

The rye crop is so similar to the wheat crop that no remark need be made other than that it requires the same management in harvesting.-July 25.

N.B.-I have just returned from viewing several growing crops of wheat and beans. The day is unusually stormy, with a strong wind: much damage is being done by the whipping of the wind, and many fields are sadly storm-broken. I am confident that in some cases a loss of two sacks of wheat per acre will be the result of this and former winds. Thousands of stalks of beans are also broken down.

THE CENTRAL FARMERS' Amongst the most agreeable feature in the Agenda of the London Farmers' Club is the gradually growing habit of making periodical visits of inspection. Prominent so far amongst such trips stand the Allotment Holiday at Wrest, the Woolston and Weedon Pilgrimage, and the round of the Royal Farms at Windsor. Well worthy in every way to rank with these red-letter days will be the Bedford and Biddenham party of Friday, orginated by the present chairman of the Club, Mr. Charles Howard, and entertained by him with the best taste and unbounded hospitality. Readily backed by his brothers of the well known agricultural firm at Bedford, & most attractive variety was given to the day's proceedings, which commenced where the stranger visitor landed from the train, with a walk through the famous Britannia Works. These are even yet becoming one of the most complete manufactories in the kingdom, for additions are still being made to Mr. Palgrave's first plan, and a new bending shed, now in course of erection, comprises a section of itself, that will increase the area of the building by another fifth. It has more than once been our office to describe the perfection with which the whole business of preparing the material, fashioning the implements, and loading them for transit, is here conducted; and we may so follow the Club, listening rather to their repeated expressions of approval and appreciation, than_gratifying any unappeased curiosity of our own. The pleasant paths of Bedford are familiar enough to our foot-fall, and when orders are given to go on, we feel that we shall have another halt on our march to Biddenbam, and this occurs accordingly at the Hoo farm of the firm, where the steam cultivator is busy on the hill-side, and where the cleanest and healthiest mangels, with two as fine pieces of wheat as any we have seen, attest to the spirit and judgment with which "our Mr. James" takes to the business of practical agriculture. Of course there is some further improvement in the mechanism of the cultivator, and the new double snatch block with the sheath for reducing the surplus "slack," and doing away with the break, is the last new thing for men like Mr. Sowerby, Mr. Pike, and Mr. Bradshaw to study. But the farming itself is a study for the farmer, associated as this is with the already realised result that about the cruellest bit of ground in the county is growing about the best crops. Such a prologue necessarily leads on to the Manor Farm, at Biddenbam, where the committee of the Club see at a glance how happy a selection they have made in the choice of a chairman. With that capital flock of ewrs there is as good a type of a grand useful ram as ever an Oxford Down owned to; and he was bred" at home here." Amongst those high pedigreed shorthorns feeding in front of the house are the dams of commended heifers and prize bulls. That rare cow, so broad and deep and true either to the eye or the hand, is one of the Spencer tribe, Lady Selina, sister of the more famous Lady Salome, and the dam of the prize bull; whilst approaching from the yard is this same Lord Sydney himself, who so surprised the Yorkshiremen last year; and following him an American Cousin, the Second Duke of Thorndale, with Mr. Robinson of Clifton as his body guard, and anxious to challenge the critics as to what they can say about him? He certainly is a grand bull, as long as a town, and with head, neck, and forehand full of blood and masculine beauty. He is shown as " he should be," and people will point to where he might "fill up ;" but his

CLUB IN BEDFORDSHIRE.
touch is very fine, and Mr. Smythies, with all
his Hereford sympathies, handles the Duke with some
admiration of what he cannot exactly appreciate. The
duly initiated, however, pronounce the quality surpass-
ingly excellent of its kind; while Fisher Hobbs, at his
back, maintains such a bull will get milkers, and the
lucus-a-non Mr. Little traces his pedigree back to Tort-
worth. Then another look round-another stroll by the
side of the winding Ouse, soon lets out the secret as to
where the Britannia yeomen got their system of clean
farming. Nothing can be done better, and the wheat
crop is set at something considerably higher even
than that we have just seen, with the moral of
the day's story pointed again in the rising
smoke of another cultivator, which is "tearing" away
more for illustration than as any argument of its being
just the season for beginning on "light land like this.”
It is not every public prize-winner who will as success-
fully stand a look in at home; but we really believe that
rapidly as Mr. Charles Howard has gone to the top of the
tree as a public man, he is still higher to be estimated
for the judgment and ability he has displayed in the exer-
cise of his daily vocation as a practical farmer. It is on
this showing that he should take his rank as the chairman
of a National Farmers' Club; and it was by this proof
that all who visited him on Friday so warmly supported
his strong claims for such an appointment. The farm and
the homestead having been duly inspected, the company
were next summoned to the pleasure grounds, where, in
a capitally arranged tent, there was one of the most
bountiful, and at the same time one of the most
really elegant repasts provided that it was ever the good
fortune of a hungry agriculturist to sit down to. Up-
wards of forty, representing some fourteen or fifteen
different counties, responded to the challenge:-Mr.
King, of Beedon, answering for Berks; Mr. Robinson,
of Clifton, for Bucks; Mr. Fisher Hobbs for Essex;
Mr. G. Smythies for Herefordshire; Mr. Brown, of
Tring, for Herts; Mr. Tuxford, Mr. J. N. Lee, Mr. H.
Corbet, and Mr. Frere for London and Middlesex; Mr.
Sowerby and Mr. Spencer Skelton for North and
South Lincolnshire, Mr. Gibson for Lancashire,
Mr. S. Druce for Oxford, Mr. Paull, of Ilminster, for
Somerset ; Mr. James Wood and Mr. Dumbrell for
Sussex; Mr. Coussmaker, Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Cozens,
and Mr. Cressingham for Surrey; Mr. Edmonds, of
Rugby, for Warwickshire; Mr. Chandler, Mr. Little,
and Mr. J. W. Browne for Wilts; while the home
county of Bedford furnished, amongst others, Messrs.
John Thomas, H. Trethewy, Bennett (Woburn), Cole-
man (Woburn), Pike, Rogers, Wythes, Gostling, Rey-
nolds, Paulett, Battams, Hipwell, with Messrs. James
and Frederick Howard, of the Britannia Works, ac-
companied by Mr. Sutton, one of the most active
officers of their staff. The Reverend Chernoche Smith,
the Vicar of Biddenham, gave, appropriately enough,
"Success to the Club," when he could number the Chair-
man amongst his parishioners; and the Mayor of Bedford
now for the fourth year in succession, appeared in the
person of Mr. John Howard, the Patriarch of the
Family; and who, in one of the very happiest speeches
of the evening, confessed to the pride and pleasure it
afforded him to see the energies of his three sons thus
appreciated.

It is not our purpose to dwell on the kindly tone
which so generally pervaded the different addresses of
the occasion; but high in history as Bedfordshire has
stood in times gone by, for its rural gatherings, there
"went" better, or pro-
have been few that ever
mised more than the DAY AT BIDDENHAM.

By ROBERT SMITH, a Member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society.

The practice of agriculture, however rude in early times, assumes a very different character in the present age. Agriculturists who have remained at home, and thus confined their observations to one district, are comparatively unfit to exercise their profession in another. The recent discoveries in mechanical art have led to the most important improvements. Agriculture is in consequence no longer a work of labour, but of science; hence the advantages of scientific knowledge, and the susceptibility of progressive advancement in the art. The rustic scythe of the ancient Briton had given place to modern implements, the mode of operations of shaking, loading, and stacking of hay by the hand had given way to the fork, the rake, and the stage, and a higher value had been placed upon well-made hay, even before the days of the Royal Agricultural Society. Since the formation of the Society agriculture has more rapidly improved. The once-surplus labour market has been reduced by other interests the militia-man, the railway porter, the rural policeman, the emigrant, and the influx to the towns' population, having been draughted from the rural homes; thus of late the village haymakers have been scarce, even wanting in material strength, the lusty mower having become at a premium, and the old, the young, and the helpers collectively unequal to the task of the ingathering of the hay crop. Many a suggestion ensued; some would reduce their acreage, others would give up their hay farms," while the man of progress united mechanical aid to supply the deficiency. The scytheman is now set free, for the grass mower" most efficiently performs his work. The "haymaker"" tedds" the grasses to the sun and wind; the American rake "I hacks in the rows; the horse rake cleans the land, and a new น hay-safe" receives the crop for security against the every-day uncertainties of an English climate.

Such, then, are the changes effected in a span of years, The trial-manual labour versus machinery for the purposes of haymaking-is now on; the transition state is close at hand; witnesses from the trial-fields have done their part, and results are stubborn things: one year more, and the triumph will be complete, for machinery will gain the day,

We now turn to the practical bearings of our subject, the "recent improvements in haymaking."

To be profitable, hay must be well grown, saved, and sold-three important branches, viz., hay-growing, haymaking, and hay-selling.

southern and hilly sheep districts, for "baying" the sheep at turnips-an expensive process.

It is a known fact that when beans are worth lid. per lb, and oats 1d. per lb., hay may be purchased at 01d. per lb. But the former are more concentrated and valuable for the purposes of making fat, muscle, and bone, while the tendency of hay is to fill the animal to stay the watery turnip. If the art of irrigation were more encouraged, and the marshy wastes drained, haymaking would be far more profitable than at present. Water meadows are favourable to the scythe, and quickly recover their lost crop. Not so with the dry land meadows: they ever and anon are calling out for equivalents, by subsequent manurings, viz.: bought manures from

a distance!

culations as to "profit and loss," or to frame a " balance However, it is not our present business to make calsheet" of our hay crops; but this we may supply: First, learn the cost of growing your crop, the cost of saving it, and lastly, the safe mode of selling it, before you Venture upon the wholesale scheme of selling hay and well rolling, and early laying up of a meadow, have much buying manure! Clean husbandry, early manuring, to do with the profit, as by this means an earlier harvest may be expected, a better quality of herbage secured, and a better chance of saving the hay calculated upon. With due attention to the above, profit may ensue; but if the elements should prove unfavourable at the time of harvesting, "loss" may be expected. Hence the uncertainties of hay-making! While this nervous state of things is going on, the grazier with his sheep or cattle will be steadily plodding along to his one desired endcertain return; for with him no carts are in requisition, bought, no stacks take harm, and no establishment no labourers have to be paid, no horses fed, or manure charges arise. His selected animal walks to market with his collected produce upon his frame, and the margin beyond "cost price" is the farmer's gain, and the cycle of his season is complete.

notices of the different methods of manuring, and it is The "text words" of our subject forbid explanatory to be assumed that the draining (at least of all meadow may be made, they should be! lands) is now complete. If not, this passing remark as no operation in husbandry will pay better than this. As regards manures, we may note that a hay-maker's dependence need not rest solely upon the use of bought dung, however accessible it may be for back-carriage on delivery of the bay Hay-growing. This pursuit is by no means a popu- crop. If we want to sweeten the herbage and to make lar one, especially when separated from the certainty of a lasting improvement upon meadow lands, we may use good and ready-money markets. As a commodity to lime and bones; if to increase our quantity of grass be grown for the use of the farm-to be turned to ac- for present return, and to stimulate the meadows, guano, count by the consumption of cattle, horses, or sheep-nitrate of soda, soot, or other ammoniacal manure. In it is found to be a less-paying crop than most others. It is nevertheless a useful branch under difficult circum. stances. The consuming price of hay upon a farm is not more than half that usually obtained at market. In the best farming districts but little attention is paid to its growth. Oat sheaves are cut into chaff for the horses, and straw substituted amongst the cattle, with roots or artificials. Hay is still a favourite article of food in the

the latter case a mixture of equal weights of best Peruvian guano, nitrate of soda, and common salt, to be used in early spring at the rate of 3 or 4 cwt. per acre, according to the condition of the land, will be found an effective dressing.

The Grasses.-No permanent grass has been found equal to the rye-grass for the purposes of convertible husbandry, but others have been selected which are con

The principal of thrown out, tedded," turned once, "hacked" into small rows, and left in "grasscocks."