The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-11-06 00:00:00

fiCkle4 STO'LIitBRIDG-1E OBSERVER,

in the leaves of tnangolds was one great cause of scour.
There was a danger of over-manuring root crops, i
which tended to an exceeeive growth of leaf, ''lute the
root was of dimikjshed size and of inferior quality.
Luxuriantly-growfag roots always contained more
water than others, and monster beets were lese nutri-
tious than beets of moderate size. Sugar beet might he
grown with 91i per cent. of water, while in a good
nutritious beet the proportion of water was as little
as 82 per cent. It was a childish practice to exhibit
monster roots at agricultural shows and to award
prizes for their growth. Such roots might delight or
astonish women and children, but of what practical
use could they be when they generally contained from
93 to 94 per cent, of water and but little sugar? Nitro-
genous matter, such as Peruvian guano, rotten dung,
and fleshy substances, was not at all adapted for cold
clay soils, but was particularly suitable for light soils,
as had been proved by the experience of Scotch farmers.
All root crops should be drilled in with from two to
three cwt. of superphosphate, that being the only kind
of manure which could be safely drilled in with the
seed, all others retarding germination. In speaking of
town sewage, Dr. Voelcker said it was undoubtedly a
fertiliser for root crops if applied at the right time and
in proper quantities, adding that almost any quantity
might be applied during the first two or three months
of the growth of the root, but that after that period
the application should cease. Some of the worst man-
golds he had ever seen was grown with sewage and he
had come to the conclusion that the injudicious use of
sewage was the great evil to be guarded against.
Mr. Fowler opened the discussion on the paper, and
spoke on an experiment by him now carried out for
about four years, in the cultivation of sugar-beets in
the neighbourhood of Aylesbury; and he did not re-
gard with disfavour the growth of the sugar-beets as a
fertilizer in preparation for cereal crops, as, he said all
root crops must be regarded. He mentioned, as an
fnstance of the value of the sugar-beet, that if that
and other roots were thrown before pigs the animal
would show its estimate of the value by selecting the
beet first. The speaker referred to the huge roots of
agricultural shows, and spoke lightly of the feeding
value of such roots, agreeing with the reader of the
paper that the chief purpose of such roots was to
astonish women and children.
Mr. Coussmaker, of Westwood, Guildford, urged
the value of the root crops, used in the proper months,
for fattening sheep.
Mr. Caldecott held, contrary to the reader of the
paper, that mangold did not comptve in value for feed-
ing with the swede. He did not agree with Dr.
Voelcker either in the opinion that sewage was useful
in the first two months as he had found it brought up
weeds; but he held that it was most valuable at a later
time.
Mr. H. J. Little spoke of his experienoe of the value
of farm-yard manure on a crop of mangold.
Mr. J. J. Mechi spoke of his practice in the growth
of root crops. He said mangold was always grown by
him on the heavy soils, and never tried on the light.
This year he had grown 40 tons per acre, and had
grown 43, and this on poor soil. The value of the ,
marigold as a food depended, he said, on the time when
it was given to the animals, and with what other food,
for, in some cases, he said, it would act as physic.
Mr. Trethewy, of Ampthill, urged the value of the
kohl abi, which he declared was one of our best roots.
He contended that the south of England could better
grow the mangold than the north, and he declared that
if properly stored the mangold could be kept from
year's end to year's end.
Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., said as hd had spent some
time this summer and autumn in wandering over Eng-
land, Scotland, and the Continent, he had had some
opportunity of observing that which Dr. Voelcker
treated last and least—climate. He expressed his
wonder at seeing that Norfolk was doing so ill in that
which Scotland was doing so well in—the growth of
mangold. The wretched crops obtained in Norfolk
must be owing to the soil being sick of the mangold,
or else the manures were too stimulating, for while
gentlemen were talking of raising 40 tons per acre,
the average in Norfolk was not more than 10 tons.
He had tried kohl. rabi, but had given up that. As
to the time of using mangold some had said it
should not be used until July, but he would use
the current crop in October, if it had been pulled up
for two or three weeks before use. As to the large
crops, a year ago he had -made a remark expressing
doubts as to large crops (of 46 tons to the acre), and to
those who agreed with him in his doubts he would say
that if they went into the south of England and into
Scotland they would be astonished at the growth of
root crops. He could say, too, that it was astonishing
that the diseases of swedes did not seem to extend to
Scotland, for he saw more bad swedes on his farm than
he had seen in the whole of Scotland. He considered
that in the least the growth of mangold must be per-
severed with.
The Rev. Mr. Davis, Mr. T. Honey, and other
members addressed the meeting, which closed with a
vote of thanks to the reader of the paper.

nitrated to the iiii7erior, therefore not one drop of mois-
tuie can be evaporated or drawn away. In this state
the bread may be wholly converted into charcoal; bat
until it is altogether BO burnt, the unburnt part
will become more and more wet and unwholesome.
Hence, as it is desirable to have a slice of bread
so toasted as to be pleasant to the palate and easily
digested, not one particle of the surface should be
charred, but be of one uniform light, very light brown
colour, to be wholesome and delicious to the taste. The
method of bringing about the desired effect consists in
keeping the bread at a con sid erable distance f rom the fire,
about a foot (but the distance must be regulated accord-
ing to the heat and size of the fire), and exposing it to
a proper heat for a due length of time. If not cut too
thin, and placed at a proper distance from the fire, and
continued long enough, the slice of bread may
.be
toasted through and through; and it is this operation
that makes properly-toasted bread so much more whole.
some than bread which is not toasted, and still more
preferable to bread burnt on the surface and sodden
beneath. By this means the whole of the water may
be drawn out of it, andi t may be changed fronA dough,
which has a tendency to undergo acetous fermentation
in the stomach, to the pure farina of wheat, which is in
itself one of the most wholesome species of food we
have, not only for the strong and healthy, but more
particularly so for the delicate. As it is turned to
pure farina, the tough and gluey nature is got rid of,
every part can be penetrated, all parts are equally
warm, and no part is BO warm as to turn the butter
into oil, which even in the case of the very best butter
is invariably turning a wholesome delicious substance
into an injurious one.—National Food and Fuel
Reformer.

being in England and Wales, 'viz.; 1 to 15, and the
smallest in Ireland, where ithwas about Ito 100. In
the latter case, however, thefiavc rage sum belonging to
each depositor, viz.,*2l6 14s. nearly, was about £2 16s.
more than the general average.
The gross revenue from postage and money orders,
properly appertaining to the year, was £5,61, t 09, being
an increase of £280,000 on the previous year, or wore
than 5 per cent. The expenditure properly appertain-
ing to the year was £3,915,00) as compared with
£3,793,000 in 1873, showing an increase of more than
3 per cent. The chief items of expense were £1,874,000
for salaries, wages, pensions, &c.; £916,000 for convey-
ance by mail packets and private ships; £650,000 for
conveyance by railway; £157,000 for conveyance by
coaches, carts, and omnibuses; and £169,000 for buikl-
ings, repairs, &c. These items, as compared with
those in 1873, exhibit an increase of £lOO,OOO in
salaries, &c.; of £5,000 for conveyance by railwaY ; of
£9,000 for conveyance by coaches, &c. ; and of £36,060
for buildings, &c. ' • together with a decrease of £29,000
for conveyance by mail packets and pris ate ships.
The net revenue was £1,736,000, as compared with
£1,578,000 in 1873, showing an increase of £158,000,
or about 10 per cent. If the several departments of
wernment had been charged with postage, both the
gross and net revenue from postage would have been
increased by nearly £lOO,OOO.
The gross revenue from telegraphs last year was
£1,160,000, and the expenditure £1,051,000; leaving
the sum of £109,000 applicable to the payment of
interest upon the capital raised for the purchase of the
telegraphs by the State.
The interest on the money placed in the hands of
the National Debt Commissioners on account of the
savings banks was last year £743,000, while the interest
credited to the depositors was £524,000, and the expen-
diture (exclusive, however, of postage, which, if
charged, would have amounted to about £36,000) was
£100,000; making a total of £624,000, and leaving a
profit of £119,000. Including the profit of previous
years, but making no deduction for postage, there is
now an aggregate profit of £829,000.