The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-10-20 00:00:00

V amps b ire.

81:11IPECTID MUIDIIL —AA • boatman of Bembridge
named Attrell, wss on his way to Portsmouth, on
Wednesday, on approaching the Warder lightship, his
attention was drawn by the man in charge of that
beacon to the body of a well-dressed man nesting In
the water. Attrell at once attached • rope to the body,
and towed it to Bea View. Examination showed that
the deceased's pockets had been rifled and turned inidde
ens, and that a hoary stone wee fastened to his right
leg, thus raising very unpleasant suspicions that deceased
had come to his death by unfair means.
_ _ _

AGRICULTURAL REPORT Jrne HAMM:IR& - The
wheat is yielding several bushels per sere lass than warn
expected; but still it is an abundant crop. and of extra-
ordinary fine quality, the prim also most bi considered
satisfaetory, acd, at the seed time is now at hand, good
wheat of the moat approved aorta for that prirpose are
makings good prim, 58s to 60s per or. beingireely given
for true and deco samples of the "Dwarf, rough char,
Rues White" end the 'Nursery Red," these being the
aorta most sought for, the former being best adapted for
rich and good land, the latter for average land in
ordinary culture. The potato crop, at one time thought
to be a failure from the effect of drought, is, upon lift-
ing, found to be much better than was expected, for
although there are two crops in most instances, yet the
total result appears to be over an average stop of sound
tabors. Horn cattle are selling bettor than during the
drought; but still the prospect tot grazing ie not good,
although at present the pasture' afford a good bite;
bat it le, however' fair to infer that, with the high
temperature of the earth, ernes will continue to grow
until a much later period than usuaL The trade for
sheep does not improve as the season advances". All the
fairs held lately have been large, and great numbers
turned out unsold. Store sheep may, therefore, be
moderate In price, and so they ought to be, to pay the
grazier for • large outlay in purchasing food. The fat
muketa h.,. been largely suPolictd with twth bawl" and
sheep in very middling condition, prime animals of
either sort being unusually scares; in feat the trade are
now killing three aheep instead of two, as in ordinary
season.' and it is pretty much the same as regards
bullocks, and this present sacrifice must eventually tall
upon prices, and make good meat really scene, In our
last report reference was made to the year 1826 as •
cooperative memo, and am the year advances the more
th.t comparison is confirmed in almost every respect in
agriculter al matter.. 1828 was a year of peat abundance
for game and farm-yard poultry of every description, and
so is the present season, and it is to be hoped Viet it will
help to keep in check any extreme price for butchers' meet.
In our last report it was also intimated that the impor-
tant subject of eking out a short winter's provision for
rattle would be alluded to in our next; but it is • lug*
subject, and one, it is feared, too large to be done justice
to within the limits of • monthly report. It is, how-
ever, agreed, on by all that it is one of the worst root
crops and general provision for cattle ever known, and
to meet the enormous deficiency • great many different
methods will be resorted to by the holders of stook to
be enabled to keep them in condition; economy, how-
ever, should be the basis of all attempts to meet the
deficiency of the root crop, and the subject naturally
sasumes two different upsets—via, the keeping of
store cattle and breeding Books of sheep on the one
hand, and the grazing of cattle and sheep for the butcher
on the other hand. As regards the former, any large
outlay upon the hill farms to maintain the usual number
of sheep will be justified toe great extent, because the
land will hear and pay for the dressing left by the
stock; but, with respect to the latter, upon the vale
farms and anything like loamy fertile land, great
caution will be required as to the outlay to meet the
deficiency of root crops, because, unlike the hill farms,
which really require the tread of sheep, the vale lands
do not require the tread of stock, and it has leaterly
been considered by some of the best managers whether
the land would not be more profitably farmed by the
use of guano, he., for Lout WO instead of resorting to
the full extent of root crops and the consequent large
numbers of stock required to consume them. It is to
be noticed in all parts of the county that great efforts
have been made to crop as much land as possible with
backward turnips, rye vetches, trifoliom, Italian rye
gram, kn.; but the result of the turnip crop must depend
upon the weather. Although the hill farms cannot
expect to grow much food, the low lands may possibly
turn out very fair late turnips. Upon the weather,
therefore, will depend the amount of auxiliary food re-
quired to carry the stook through the winter. The
stock Books wall, no doubt, beleathited in various ways,
such ae the use of straw (it being so sweet this year), as
well as hay, sprouted barley must be considered good
for ewes in milk. Oats, barley, and oil oaks will all be
largely used, no doubt; but the pries should be some
guide. Let us take the difilerent kinds of feeding
stuffs a
Oats, a average quallkr, are riling m About 11.9 17 0 per krn
lucUan corn
.8 7.8 „

ley (sprouted) .. .. • •
O.lsT ((ridding) • • • • • •

if i
•1010 o „
10 o o „

Oil claw, it from £lO 100 to .. 13 0 0 7,
Now, these feeding materials, together with the various
oompounds for cattle food, open a wide field for map,
end the point, to be wondered Sr. somewhat ines.
motive of value per ton, because oats, Indian corn, and
sprouted barley mined with oil cake, may be best for
feeding ewes in milk, whams' grinding barley, beans,
cake, ka. , may best for fatting bullocks and sheep. It
must, however, be borne in mind that cake consumed
on the land will produce better succeeding orops than
either corn or pulse, the outlay being of the mime
amount. We advise that, during the corning season,
straw cut late ehsff should form a considerable portion
oI the mixture of food for sheep end bullocks of all
kinds, as well es for dairy cows ; the writer having fed
all his fatting bullocks upon straw as fodder, without
hey, can confidently recomnend it for more general
purposes. The large Socks on the bill farms, if supplied
with straw in addition to hey, more particularly if not
out into abaft, should commence feeding with straw,
reserving hey until • later period, as we know many
farmers who have found the Moak do well upon it in
years peat. The year 1884 taught us • lemon on the
economy of roots, owing to their partial (Miura
In that year. A much less quantity of root food,
whether for beads or sheep, le now used than formerly
—solb. of =mold per day, or 6516. of Swedish turnip,
being ample for the largest stied bullock when receiving
• fair allowano• of dry food, whereas formerly it was •
common practice to give either bulloeks or sheep as
much they would eat of any kind of roots. Having
alluded chiefly to whiter feeding, let us now turn our
attention to the provisions for early spring, end see
bow it mu be best met, and how the green mope of rye,
trifolium, ko., may be economised. And here the
preetios, near • large town, leeches that, however early
the green crop may be,it can be used some ten or twelve
days earlier by mixing with straw and out into chaff.
Take rye for instance—lf taken at half growth, and out
with straw, it makes very valuable food, and more
healthy for cattle or hones than when used alone.
The mime remark applies to trifolium, and other perm
crop. Rye will often be found forward enough on
the tot of April, and • few day's gain must be madderod
of immense Importance, with &short winter's provision.
In conclusion it should be considered that farmers, like
commercial men, ought to have their periods of realising
upon their outlay and investment. And this leads to
the inquiry whether investment ought to go on every
year sub, with refennoe to the matte of the *ore.
:manes need as feeding stuffs. The present year
tipplers to offer • better opportunity for realising upon
former outlay than usual Wheat brinp • better
screable money value than my year since the
Russian war; Lent corn end pules, although • poor
crop, Is • good prim, end gives an average sAyaibts
money return. AU feeding stuffs are very high in
price, and it may be fairly smarted that true seogiony
should dater parties from malting large outlays in the
purchue of materials for feeding cheap peep and
bullocks; bat, inotead, to lock for reiatation upon
former inveelinents, believing deo that investments
are beet made when feeding materials ere ehaaper.—
Joaira BLUNDELL, Boutin= pten.