The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-01-30 00:00:00

DORCHESTER FARNIERS' CLUB.

At the monthly meeting of this club on Saturday
evening, at the Kings' Anne Hotel, there were present :
—Mr. Gorge (in the chair). Mr. G. W. Homer, Mr.
T. r. Saunders, Mr. F. Eddison, Mr. IL Damen, Mr.
11. Taylor, Mr. 0. Saunders, Mr. H. W. Hawkins,
Mr. S, Symes, Mr. J. Caddy, Mr. Aylesbury, Mr.
Beale,: Mr. A. Pope, Mr. A. 11. Lock, Mr. J. M.
Lush, Mr. .1. A. ftwith. Mr. W. IL Dean, Mr. W.
Chick, Mr J. T. Ensor, Mr. G. J. Andrews (hon.
sec.), &c., kr

THE KELM:fees or at EISA.
Mr. CHAPMAN Ral'lSPeas introduceil this subject by
reading the following paper :
Mr. President and Gentlemen,—The subject for dis-
cussion this evening, and which I have undertaken to
introduce to your riot i.e. in on, ot a practical nature, and,
perhaps although it may not have been much discussed at
meetings of this kind, yet 1 think it is one of considerable
importance. us the production of good crops depends en
the selection of the right and primer variety, whether it
loin OM,. grasses
.or roots; alio 'at much as the time
of sowing awl con.ition of the sill. Great and increased
attention is gives to the breeding of all kind.' of stock on
an to secure the best sniinals fir lwessiing purpose& which
may be found .4 a true character am! known pedigree ;
and, no doubt, that the general class of stick of every
kind in the country has hien very much improved
theicli' ; especially on comparing those reared at the
present time to three of thirty or forty ream ago : so also
I hull it to Ise desirable, on similar principles, to be
careful in maims a.'4. careful, and repeated selection
of the seeds of the facia, eater sown aloe, that ix, of
one kind only, as corn—or mixed with ethers of a similar
character, as in the case of grasses. No stailst kind
of plank which are now in ordinary cultivation no
farms were raised by careful selection of some plant found
growing in a wild state. in some particular country or
locality, it inny be sonic thimmnds of miles distant ; and,
naturally with those varieties, there is a tendency to
degeneration to the original stock, which, it saints
probable, is that Isis! cultivation in any shape would
assilst further toward that cud: hence it is desirable to
cultivate well nstwithstanding at the same time it is
also destratile to s.bange or vary every crop as much as
possible; and to aveia a. leech an possible having two
crops of the same class or kin.i ic succession by that I
mean that the growth of two trope et mom gr two crops
of mots in successive years, without sonic sort of catch"
between, is not to be recommended without good reasons
for so doing. I have especially found this the case with
roots—more especially with turnips or swedes—which in
the second year,that is on land on w hich turni its were grown
the previous year. the rises almost always heroine more
or less rotten when nearly full-grown, and sometimes of
very little use for food. To avoid the loss arising in this
way I endeavour to grow rape„ mangold, or cabbage
instead, and as touch an p.issible. the swami year ; but it
may arise that in a few yeass cyen these plants may stiffer,
as the land becomes more t.r.sl of growing roots of the
present usual kinds cultivated ; therefore, 1 trust every
encouragement will lie given to the prieciple Mts.,-
during cultivation and acclimatizing any new plant or a
variety which may be found in distant lands, which
might fie seniceable as a change, when the time arrives,
that it is rendered more difficult to manitably continue
the cultivation of any particular crop, which now fail 01
account of the land becoming what is termed tired of any
particelar crop. "The Ilutelred-liewled Kale," first
intrislueeil by the Messrs. Russell, into Kent, and whirls
bani been grown to is small extent in this county, will, I
think, with a little more judicious and continuesl selec-
tion, heroine a valuable tr.', the more so where used as
a change CU laud more tired than other if root culture.
The apsiearance of tho hundred-heeled kale somewhat
resembles rape, and 'Nukes, if isesthie, being sown
somewhat earlier: say at the end ot 4.pril ti get a heavy
crop, and the expense of celtivating cannet i.e more than
that of rape or turnips, although I read a short time :files
of someone who had grown a little, and it coot him at this
rate of all per acre—in what way I cannot comprehend.
No doubt it does best in a comparatively rich soil, and
from what I have seen of it on the farm of a friend, I
should fancy it would stand some amount of winter. I
hope to give it a trial the co iii ill g year, and to sow a few
acres after rots the iirevious year, and where turnips
would probably become rotten and of little value cons-
pared to some other healthy food for sheep. I is not
apprehend the plant I have Au+ .1 to will be very eaten- !
sieely grown lust rat, and to supersede swede and turnips
entirely; lout occasioually with some considerable &dean. '
lege. A few words as to earn crowing. In selecting
wheat to grow it would he ridieuloas te 'same any
particular sort as universally adopted, and the most Is:Mit
able to grow on every farm alike, as soils vary so much,
not less also does the climate, which has so great an
influence on the crop in ruany localities, oftentimes
within a few weeks of harvest, and especially so near the
sea coast. I usually now Brovvick red for winter, and that
alone, an by experience I have found that to answer the
beet. In the spring I like the nursery wheat; but I think,
Perhaps, of tentinies a crop of eats, when the land is reedy,
iii the early part of the year pays almost as well in an
uncertain climate. Remembering that oats in the last
few years base risen in value comparatively ; whilst
wheat iußuenced in value by increasing foreign importa-
tion has been gredually decreasing in value, sonic
advocate a great change of vee,l, and there may he sonic
censideralile gain in MO doing; having a coasiderable
variety of soil I change my seed corn in that way
$o much as I ein but do not make it a positive
rule every year to procure seed at a great distance.
As to harley, 1 sow Ilalletts pedigree only, getting an
occasional selected parcel, and change ray seed from one
class to another, and I have been pretty fortunate in
growing a fair quantity As well as quality. Whether as
regards is TO or roots, 1 believe the selection of plants for
sosa is of impertanre, and I ails always ready to pay an
extra price to the grower of any kind I may require, Ai
the rot of see-I per acre is but rather more. provided I
can only get true seeds that are uniform in charse'er and
which I have found to answer the lest. Not less, also, do I
prefer new sects—that is of the last year's growth
generally—although turnip seeds niay be seen a third
season where all is known tosise seed of the same year's
growth and has been stored dry during the year; hut, of
course, rather more per acre should be sown in such cases
to make up for the seeds which at that age fail to grow—
it may be at the rate of SO per cent. lam speaking from
experience, as I usually grow one sort of turnip or swede
each year, selecting the root, and growing only one sort
in one year. Them is no chance of hylindisation, and I
have the advantage of knowing something of the seed I
grow, both as to sort and power of vegetation. The way
in which mine of the turnip used sold is produced, or
reared, is by sowing small patches of land late in the
seamen and allowing the crop to seed as it grows ; but this
caunot be satisfactory, as, even in a well grown lot of
mots, very many have to he discarded as bad for one
reason or another. Cases such as these are, perhaps, not
sere common, hut only as the means of supplying the
trade with a lower priced and an inferior article. and not
the method adopted by the high class business men, who
make seed grosving a study as well tat profitable and
successful business, and who are, therefere, person, to
whom you may with confidence tenet your °niers on pay-
ment only of a small extra price for what you may require.
With mangold I usually select my roots for seed in the
land just before the crop is raised and stored in the
autumn. Those intended for seed are placed separately