Fixed Engines 315 Multitubular boilers are also supplied by fixed engines, for which they secured the the Company for these engines. They are of with the same care as the Company's larger first prize at Oxford, and also at several of the most simple description, and have a large the previous shows of the Royal. heating surface for each horse-power. IT FIRE ENGINES. T has been said, and with truth, we think, "that he who makes two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, deserves well of his country," and we might add that he who introduces an effective machine which will, in some measure at least, reduce the loss sustained by fires, whether in the farm-yard or elsewhere, is equally deserving of our thanks, if not to something more substantial. The loss that has occurred to farmers within the last twelve months through fire, is something appalling-traced, in some instances, to accident, in others to incendiarism, the results in both cases being equally disastrous. It is doubtless beyond the control of any one to avoid cases of fire, but it should be a necessity with all holders of property, whether insured or not, to have some preparation made to meet an emergency of the kind, and we cannot do better than advise them to have a fire engine always in readiness. We are not insensible to remarks which will naturally be made by some of our readers, that it would be too much to expect that a single member of the community would be expected to purchase and uphold a fire engine; and we would have been quite of his opinion, had we not stumbled, at the Wolverhampton Show of the Royal, upon a number of small but most efficient engines on the stand of Messrs John Warner & Sons, of Cripplegate, London. We give an illustration of one named "Brookes' Fire Engine," the principles and details of construction being patented by Messrs Warner. It may be described as a double-action pump mounted on a strong wrought-iron barrow with a spacious air vessel and large free water-way, especially designed for use on farms as a good general purpose engine, the large waterway admitting of its being used as a force pump for discharging or elevating liquid strong wrought-iron tub on four wheels, manure without the liability of becoming clogged or choked up. At the same time, it forms a most useful and powerful portable fire engine. Two men pumping will throw 30 gallons per minute fully 60 feet high, and with long length of delivery-hose, with a which can be used either with water (about 30 gallons) being placed in the tub, and a continual supply kept with buckets, or by a suction pipe from a pond or well near to it: this is called the "Farmer's Fire Engine," and can be worked by four or six men, it spreader attached to the branch pipe, answers having two handles, and will throw about 30 as a small irrigator. Now, all this has been described supposing that the water could be supplied from a pond, well, or stream; but in some cases, where it is essential for expedition and safety to have the water near, and obtained at any emergency, Messrs Warner make, for this purpose, the same engine, a little larger in the working barrel, mounted on a gallons per minute 70 feet high it is compact, very simple, easily repaired, and is strong, durable, and moderate in price. We have entered thus minutely into a description of these machines, being specially worthy of the notice of farmers for their general utility, and more particularly on account of the probable saving to life and property by their more general use. The Country Gentleman's Magazine 317 M The Farm. THE WHEAT CROP OF 1871. R J. B. LAWES, of Rothamstead, has communicated the following estimate of the wheat crop of 1871 to the Times, which we have pleasure in inserting, at his request, as it is an estimate that can be relied on: and ripening the crop, and arresting blight and mildew. Although coming too late for the production of a full crop, the favourable change has enabled farmers generally to secure what there was in good condition. The following table shews the produce of wheat by different manures in 1871, obtained in a field which has now grown wheat for twenty-eight years in succession. It also gives the produce on the same plots in each of the eight preceding years, there having been no change in the condition of the different plots as to manure during the last twenty years. BUSHELS OF DRESSED CORN PER ACRE. 1863 17% 44 53% 55% 55% 1864 16% 40 434 498 51 54% 49 35% 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 251⁄2 214 444 3438 348 2878 A very severe winter, a cold spring, and 2 great excess of rain in June and July are not seasons favourable for an abundant crop of wheat. It unfortunately happened, that, during a considerable portion of the period of intense cold, comparatively little snow fell; while, of that which did fall, much was swept into the furrows, hollows, and hedges by the high east winds which prevailed. In many fields the wheat plant, thus deprived of the protection of the snow, was either killed or very much injured. In some of my fields the injury was strikingly apparent on the side of the lands sloping towards the north and east. Tooke, in his "History of Prices," mentions the same thing as occurring in other severe winters. A cold spring and summer frequently follow a severe winter. The mean temperatures of May, June, and July were below the average this year, and June and July were both very wet months. At Rothamstead, the rainfall amounted to 3.86 in. in June, and to 4.0 in. in July, giving a total of 7.86 in. for the two months, which is 3 in. more than the total rain which fell during those two months in the three preceding years taken together. The reaping machine has, this year, been almost useless on much of the land on which it would otherwise have been employed, and Av. of 20 hand labour has been unusually scarce. The brilliant weather which prevailed throughout the month of August has, however, been of immense service in drying the soil, drying years 1852-71 36% 40% 45% 45% 43% 94 39 22% 27% 34% 28% It is seen that, in 1871, the produce by farm-yard manure is considerably above, and that without manure, or from artificial manures, much below the average over twenty under the same conditions as to manure. years The characters of the season appear to have a far more marked influence, both for good and for evil, on the crops grown by artificial than on those grown by ordinary manure. Plot 2, with farm-yard manure, and plot 7, with artificial manure, give nearly the same average produce over twenty years. But, while the difference between the highest and lowest produce obtained over that period is with farm-yard manure, only 25 bushels, it is with the artificial manure, 311⁄2 bushels; and, taking only the nine years referred to in the table, the difference is with farm-yard manure only 16%1⁄2 bushels, and with the artificial manure, 311⁄2 bushels. Taking, as in former years, the mean of the produce without manure, of that by farm-yard manure, and of the three artificial manures taken as one, we get an average produce for 1871 of 251⁄2 bushels. This is more than 6 bushels less than last year, and nearly 4 bushels less than the average of twenty years. As shewn in the lower part of the table, the average weight per bushel fluctuates very much from year to year. In order, therefore, to make the comparison more correct, it is necessary to assume a uniform weight per bushel. Adopting 61 lb. per bushel as the standard, the 251⁄2 bushels at 571⁄2 lb. per bushel will be reduced to 24 bushels of 61 lb. This is 4 bushels below the average produce of the last twenty years calculated in the same way; and the deficiency is equal to rather more than 14 per cent. Before accepting the above result as indicating the probable average yield of the crop of 1871 throughout the United Kingdom, it will be well to take into consideration the amount of produce obtained in some cases of ordinary cultivation, and to compare them with the results obtained somewhat similarly in former years. The best portion of a field which had been summer-fallowed, and folded with sheep, has given 374 bushels per acre, and another field 334 bushels. Again, The deficiency of the produce of 1871, compared with that of the two preceding years, is, upon the whole, considerably greater in these cases than in those in which wheat has been grown for so many years in succession on the same land. In the latter, the crops stood up comparatively well against the storms of wind and rain in July, while every one of the twenty varieties grown together in an adjoining field was more or less laid, and some of them very much so. In my letter on the wheat crop of 1870, published in your journal of August 26, last year, I estimated the average produce of the United Kingdom at 30 bushels per acre, and that it would require an importation of rather more than 7,500,000 qrs. to supply an average of 51⁄2 bushels of wheat per head of the population. The actual quantity of imports, less exports, from September 1, 1870, to August 31, 1871, is, according to the My returns, a little over 8,000,000 qrs. estimate was founded upon the assumption that the average population of the United Kingdom requiring to be fed would amount to only 31,000,000, whereas the recent Census Returns shew that this figure was probably about 500,000 too low. Again, I took the number of acres under wheat in 1870 to be somewhat less than in 1869, but equal to The Wheat Crop of 1871 that in 1868-viz., 3,937,275 acres; but, sources. according to the agricultural statistics since published, this estimate of acreage for 1870 was too high by 163,612 acres, the actual number returned being 3,773,663. Adopting for the harvest year September 1, 1870, to August 31, 1871, the increased number of the population and the reduced area thus indicated, the amount of wheat required to be imported for the supply of the period would be rather over 8,500,000 qrs. Calculated according to the Census Returns of 1871, the average number to be fed in the British Islands during the next twelve months will be 31,843,970; and assuming the average consumption to be 51⁄2 bushels per head, the quantity of wheat required will be little short of 22,000,000 qrs. Taking the home produce at 24 bushels per acre (of 61 lb. per bushel), and the area under wheat to be the same as returned for 1870-namely, 3,773,663 acres the gross produce of the United Kingdom will amount to about 14,666,667 qrs. Deducting from this 2 bushels per acre for seed, we have left for consumption as food about 10,250,000 qrs., leaving a requirement of over 11,500,000 qrs. to be supplied from foreign 319 How far this estimate is well founded time will shew. It may be that the wheat crop has suffered more in this than in the average of districts; but there can be little doubt that, at any rate, in many districts the yield will be below the estimate formed of it, and that disappointment will follow the test of thrashing. There are several circumstances pointing to a large consumption of bread during the coming harvest year. Meat is exceedingly dear; labour is in great demand, and full wages are paid. The potato disease has appeared in various districts, and although it is too early to form any estimate of its ravages, it is certain that the crop will not be plentiful. The information at present at command leaves no reason to fear that there will be any deficiency of foreign corn to supply our wants. But those wants will undoubtedly be large; and as France will require considerable quantities to supplement her own deficient crop, it is probable that the price of wheat will advance considerably before the spring of next year. In conclusion, I may remark that although my wheat crop is so deficient, both barley and oats are, on the same farm, unusually abundant. WITH THE STORING OF ROOT CROPS. WITH regard to turnips, of course, it greatly depends upon how the farmer intends to consume them during the winter, and spring how he will store them; that is whether they are to be consumed in the byres and sheds by cattle, or in the fields by sheep. In my calculation, I have always endeavoured as nearly as possible to consume two-thirds of my turnip crop upon the ground by sheep, the remaining one-third being drawn off the fields for the feeding of other cattle at the homestead; and my plan of + Paper read before Penrith Farmers' Club. storage has been as follows:-If the turnips are intended for hoggs, my plan has been to put them into pits containing about three cartloads each, in rows, covering them with a little straw, and above that a layer of 2 or 3 inches of soil, allowing an opening in the top of the pit for any air to escape through that may have been caused from heating, &c. For Swedish turnips that have been sown early, say in May, that have attained to their growth, and which are intended to be consumed by feeding hoggs, I have found no plan succeed so well as this, both for the safe keeping of the turnips, and also for ad |