The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-06-21 00:00:00

it griculturt

STOSING 01P RoOTPu.—Flaving just seen a
letter from Mr. Healy, of Larne Agricultural School, in
which lie speaks somewhat condemnatory of the prac•
tice hitherto adopted in many districts of storing
turnips with straw covenug, 1 kg to wake a comment,
with the view of correcting what I consider to he
erruneous doctrine calculated to entail unnecessary
labour and eziemet in this particular department of the
busdiesis of tlie farm. As to the most mum-able mow of
stornig tunnio or mangels, there is 110115 equal to that
of paimig, or longing them up in large heaps, convenient
to the place of consumption, securru with thatch and
rupee. The crop may he atored in Ling, of any size, at
pleasure, from 4 to 7 ft. wide at base, and carried up
thereon at equal angled to a fine thin top (takiug care,
in the couree of formation, to throw out all bad or even
slightly damaged turwps, as well as the very smallest in
size, the latter Lienig kept fur the finishing of the hing).
There 1/1 110 danger whatever from fermentation, there
being aufficient ventilatiou through all the straw that is
required for the perfect covernm of the heap. The
straw should be put oh evenly and neatly, and with as
leech eire as in the case or covering a coro stack. This
attended to, a very ordinary supply will suffice, —A heavy
covering is quite unnecessary. I have kept tuniips up
till the noddle of May stored in this manner. and I can
vouch tor the tact, that at that period they were on
that side not stricken by the null an hard and finu and
in every way an as good condition as they were on the
day carted in. I must admit, however, that the
turnips on that side of the long on which the sun
reflected were seuwarhat soft in quality; and, to obviate
this, I would recommend that 1101101 iisrt shaded with
trees should be selected for the place of storing. In the
winter of 1853—the wettest, I believe, in the memory of
inan-1 stored up an innuense quantity of turnips, car-
rots, Re., the former carted in and built up often in the
midst of heavy rains; and, as in this case, building and
covering were carried on at the seine time, and the
mote keeping, as aforesaid, until the enil of their season,
no better proof could be adduced of the safety and
desirability of the method. Mengel' and carrots, lifted
and stored in the time of frost, are sure to give way in
the heaps. Turnips left out in the fields in winters of
protracted frost, will be sure to rot i 1111 l iediately on the
fresh weather betting in. I have never found this to
fail.—R. At. Cairns, Stirling.
THICK OR THIN SOWING—I am about to "6g"
great part of a field of wheat drilled with 44 peek* of
seed per acre. It is too thick. Had I sown 2 bushels
it would have gone down in the gram. The field was
wheat in 1837 and beans in 1858. So much for deep
cultivation, drainage, and cleanliness. A thick crop
is not always the result of • thick sowing, Much money
is lost by sowing large quantities on highly farined lands.
If I were to catechise a farmer I should say: How
many bushels of crop do you get for one bushel of seed?
A Russian noblemen told me he got 2 to 24 for one.
I replied that my crops width he was looking at would
moat probably yield 40 for one. In oats and wheat we
need not be alarmed at Russian productions just yet. ,
His land was sandy and boggy, in the same province as
St. Petersburg. Hoeing and weeding is not a Russian I
practice, consequently they are sure at any rate of •
good crop of weeds.—J. Medi, Tiplrer.

THC HORTICULTURAL SOCIRTT.—The Council of the
Horticultural have just issued the first number of a
monthly report upon the proceedings of the Horticul-
tural Society. A second ballot for plants, of which a
list and particulars are annexed, is arranged to take
place at the rooms of the Society of Arts, which have
been liberally placed at the service of the society. The
Council trust to be in a position to malts a highly im-
portant communication with reference to the formation
of • large garden near the metropolis, upon terms
advantageous to the society. Should their anticipations
be realised, the arrangements connected with 60 great a
change will call for all the means which the society can
possibly make available. It having been ascertained
that gardeners are most unwilling to send their valuable
plants for exhibition in a gas-lighted room, in conse-
quence of the injury they ',obtain from so dry an
atmosphene, the Council have determined upon incurring
no further expense in that direction, and upon aleudon-
ing the meetings which has been announced to take
place in St James's Hall on the 29th and 30th of June.
This will Out, however, affect the Grand Fruit Exhibi-
tioii in December next, which will certainly be held in
London. The disinterested support which the society
haa received from the public during a period of very
great difficulty. and the prospect now opened of the
sacrifices which have been made being about to be amply
rewarded, lead the Council to rely with coodilenee upon
the measures now announced being regarded as the
dictates of a sound and prudent policy, by which they
hope and believe the Horticultural Society will Le pre-
served in the high position it has so long occupied
among His luost useful associations of the United King-
dom, for the advancement of every branch of horticul-
ture. It is understood that the situation contemplated
for A large garden near Loudon is the centre of the land
at Kensington Gore. belonging to the Royal Commis-
smilers of the exhibitiou of le3l.

STRIKING CUTTINGS. —M. Loiseau reontnmends that
the usual itiethoil of sti ;kin,: cuttings should be altered.
When, he observes, • cutting is put iir
the up, whose natural tendency is to rise. isexpended
in pushing forward a new bud instead of forming a root.
But if a cutting is laid horicontally or even with its
lower end higher than the uyper, that is not the use ;
the sap prefers to move towards the higher end, or at all
events is evenly distributed between the two extremi-
ties. This Games time callus to form so rapidly that if
the cuttings are put in a warm !dace, eight or ten days
are enough to secure its formation or even that of roots.
Autuum•struck cuttings taken off • little before the up
ceases to move, and treated in this manner Corn' their
callus so quickly, that they are ready for planting out
before winter. In winter it is necessary to at cuttings
in a gentle heat (use couehe tit,k), or beneath leaves
deep enough to keep off frost. and even then a callus
will be found to have formed by spring time. As for
cuttings taken off in Msy they must have more beat,
such for instance as is afforded by a hotbed or • hot-
house, and they will then take, in many uses, in • few
days.—Gardeners' Chr(Oliele.

Tug GARDENING PRGFERAION."—At the anniver-
sary of the (4ardeners' Royal Benevolent Instituti in,
held at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday week. Mr.
Justice Haliburton. M.P.. better known as "Sam
• reinarked : If I was put into the witness-box I
could give impartial testimony. and I would with sin-
cerity and truth declare that I know of no body of men
in this country fur whom I entertain so great a respect
and regard as the gardeners of England. I have visited
this country at different intervals and marked its pro-
gress. In nothing have I noticed it so much MI in the
decorative art of the gardener. I believe we are more
indebted to the gardener in this country than we, who
have lived in the country, are aware of. There are one
or two things expressed in the report which I should
like to see expunged. I see it called the 'trade' of gar-
dening. Now, when I consider the scientific knowledge,
the general attainments, the great skill, the particular
accomplishments necessary to make a gardener, I don't
see why we should call him a 'tradesman.' Nor will I
advance him to the learned professions, but I would put
him among the liberal professions of England. There is
also another word in the report which I should like to
see expunged, and that is, that this societ.y is called •
'charity.' It is no such thing as a charity. There is a
great deal in words, more than we think—a great deal
in the station of a man, and I would therefore advance
the gardener himself to the dignity of a profession.
This would raise him in the estimation of his employ-
em, and whilst he and they contribute largely out of
their profits to the wants of their aged body, it livery
we ong to call that •charity. I should be wrong so to call
the grateful offerings we have to make here to those who
have contributed so much to our pleasure add modified
our taste—and we ought not to hurt their feelings by
calling it a charitable association. This society may
not certainly have been called by this name before Itkitt,
but it existed long before then, for our first forefather
Adam was a gardener, and I believe myself that if
the Female gardener had not eaten before elm
had seen the beautiful fruit which has been
6tributed here at this particular season of
the year, she would I ardly have risked so
much for an Apple. It must have been very inferior in
flavour to the fruit whi.di liu been spread before us to-
day ; still a moral may he drawn from it, which is that
• gardener may admonish his wife not to touch forbidden
fruit. The society's stock is invested in Government
funds, and the treasurer is called Robert Wrench, Esq.
A capital noise, as lie will be wanted to put the screw
on occasionally, but I hope it will be unnecessary in this
case to put the screw on anybody. I have been, on •
email scale, myself a practical gardener • and I know
that the progress of farming is lie& on tile experience
of the gardener. Now there are three important things
which you all know must be done if you wish to succeed
in farming or gardening, and they are—make your land
dry, let it be warm, and keep it clean. Thou three
great axioms we owe to the iinnciplia of underdraining
shown us by the market gardener ; the deep trenching
and the deep and beautiful cultivation which they
practice. Therefore, let us give praise where it is due.
Here to-lay we are honoured, as every isiciety must be
honoured who lies the good fortune to have it, and as
esery society most receive a oTe At advantage from it—l
meantime presence of the ladies. lam delighted the)
are here, beeduse a reciprocal benefit is derived, both by
, the Isdies from the gardener awl the gardener from the
, ladies. They give a rettool taste, by the means of their
art, to the ladies of the land, for they do that work
which cannot be done without skill, and the ladies, on
the other hand, are the great patronisers of the gar-
deners. Show me • hely that is food of gardening and
I will show you a lady of refined taste, and those domes-
tic qualities by which you can judge of her character.
There are two words in the report which I have said I
object to, and here are some wore. There is a plant
called 'Prime Minister,' awl I should like to hear what
Lord Derby would say to this description of Lord Pal-
merston, or rice tvred—' Orange crimeon mouth, tine
' form' excellent apike,' whatever that is, and ' a good
bedder.' Then I find in the description of a highly
respectable gentleman—who way bring an action for
I damages—here is Lord Raglan described as 'having a
fine eye, not constant. and with rather loose habits.'
There is another gentleman who is connected, as the
head, with almost all the religious and philanthropic
societies in London—l mean the Earl of Shaftesbury.
No more worthier man is to be found ; but he is des-
arilsed here as 'a line plant, showing the white of his
eyes.' With respect to the ladies, I don't think they
ought to be exposed in this way. There is the Printed;
Matilda, whoever she is, 'has a rosy blush, Anil is very
free.' One lady, whale name I shall not give, is cele-
brated for her 'beautiful white neck.' Then there is
'Mrs. Church.' She has skill throat, great constancy,
and may be depended on.' Now what a character that is,
for there are very few that 'missy be depended on.'
Notwithstanding these latter words that might be
altered there is a great deal to admire, a great deal to
applaud, and a great deal of scientific knowledge in the
gardener.

THE Hop DUTT.—The bop duty for the year 1868 is
to be paid in four instalments. One is to be paid forth-
with, and the others on the following dates :—August
16, 1869; November 16, 1850; February 16, 1860. Or
a joint note-of-hand may be given for the payment olf
the first moiety in November nest, with interest at £4
per oast., bearing date from the 16th of May.

The second show this season of the Royal Botanical
Society took place on Wedoesday last, when the fineness
of the weather induced • large number of pardons to visit
the gardens. Among those present were the Duchess
of aisubelaisi She Prises's XIII. and other members of
the shebang.