The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-10-11 00:00:00

agriculnirt.

NORTHALLERTON CATTLE FAIIA-Thig largo autumn
cattle and sheep fair took place on the 3rd and 4th inst.
There was a large show of cattle. ?rime fat and Wirers
were in much request, and • good deal of business was
done at late prices. Other cattle were rather lower.
Fat cattle, Gs. 6d. to Ti. 6d. per stone of 141 b; calvers,
£l2 to £2O each; short-homed steers, L'9 11.4. to £l4;
heifers, a 16.. to £l2; black cattle, ato £10; bul-
locks, £.5 to ; Irish cattle, 4.1 15s. to £l3 each.
There was a good show of lean sheep, but under an
average of fat ones. The fair for all kinds of sheep was
active. Fat sheep sold at Gd to sid. per lb.; long-
woolled ewes, 46.. to 56.. each; shearing, 36e. to 411..;
lambs, 235. to MM.; hull bred lambs, 12s. Gd. to 16s. Gd.;
Scotch ewes, 12s. to 13s. Gd.

READING Hop FAIR.—.k new fair for the sale of
hops was opened at Iteading on Wednesday last, and it
continu,d until Thursday afternoon, when it closed.
From Surrey and Kent there ass a very good supply of
hops, and growers from other ilhdricts also sent, making
the quantity on sale to number between I.OOU and I.rou
pockets. A large quantity from Ifni:wahine and other
places was offered by sample. On both days the busi-
ness was carried on in a spirited manner, and the num-
ber of sales that took place amply satisfied those who
had bet:: at the expense of sending their produce. For
the Fend:anis especially the demand was liberal, and
the terms obtained were nOs., lOUs., to 112 s. ; country,
to 90s. ; Suseex, Us. to 651" t. ; Weald of Kent, 634.
to 755. ; East Kent, 1:15s. to 144.15. A famous planter
from Langrish, Mr. Merriman, obtained 130 t. for • fine
sample of country Farnham... The fair closed by the
Mayor of the town thanking the growers and merchants
for supporting it, and Mr. Wolton, from the borough,
and another merchant moved and seconded • vote of
thanks to the Mayor for the accommodation afforded.
London merchants were particularly satisfied with the
mutt of the fair, and the leading men publicly declared
their intention of supporting it.

INCREASED PRODUCTIVENIRS OF THE HOP PLANT.
—The increase in the amount of hops produced from
the plant during the last 70 years has been most re-
markable. From the year 1792 to the present time the
gross produce of each decennial period has gradually in-
creased, so that the last eight years, from 1852 to 18i9,
both inclusive, have given a total duty of £1,852,000, or
an annual average of £34,000, being an increase of
more than 40 per cent, over the average of the prece-
ding years. But the most curious point is, that while
the annual product has shown an increase 01 40 per cent.,
the amount of area under cultivation has only increased
9 per cent., according to the Board of Trade. The con-
clusion to be drawn from this would appear to be that
much of the increased amount of produce obtained from
the same source is attributable to the unproved methods
of cultivation and to the application of fresh manures.
1 t is true that the hop is peculiarly susceptible from
attacks of vermin, and from violent change in the
weather; but, inasmuch as the plant has been at
variouti times during thi• past tire years, especially the
year before last, severely tried, and yet hay produced
an iumienae crop, the inference to be drawn is, that by
improved cultivation its strength may be so increased as
to render it much isore hardy and less liable to suffer
from the the vicissitudes of the English climate and the
attacks of vermin.

Root Ceors.—lhe healthy growth of our root mope
appears to be much influenced by the physical condition
of the soil. A careless and imperfect tillage of the
land gives evidence of its unsatisfactory influence not
only by a small crop but alio by its liability to mildew.
In fact we have already shown that where the condition
of the soil is favourable to the growth of the crop less
injury arises from this disease, but we may with some
advantage examine more fully tether circumstances
which also influence this result. The great point to be
attained is to keep swedes growing up to the commence-
ment of winter no that neither the hot weather of
autumn, nor indeed any other cause, shall stop their
growth and thus give the fungi an opportunity of esta-
blishing tbenixelves upon the tissues of the plant. A
deep bed of soil through which the roots can traverse
and gain the required supplies of food is a necessary
condition, and this must be secured not only by good
cultivation before the seed is sown, but by the repeated
use of the horse hoc afterwards. The passage of the
rain through the soil, and its natural gravitating powers,
tend to aonsohdate the soil, and to overcome this we
must disturb its repose even when the soil may be free
from sedum weeds. If these are present there is a
double necessity for the work, but after • shallow hoe-
ing the moil must be moved deeply. It is the deep stir-
ring which favours the growth of the crop, and it may
be confidently relied upon as one of the results of the
more perfect cultivation of land by steam power that we
shall secure the soil in such supenor working order that
the growth of our root crops will be far less liable to he
impeded than even upon our best fanned land when
worked by horse labour. The influence of manure is
also very important, and the results are almost as de-
pendent upon the mode of its use as upon its composi-
tion. You may employ farmyard manure or its subal-
terns in the form of our various artificial manures and
thus supply nourishment in an equally desirable condi-
tion ; but the result will be materially influenced by the
mode in which the plants gain their supplies from it. If
for example the farmyard manure were spread between
the ridges, and thus distributed over only half the
ground, it is clear that although the crop may have free
amen to the manure thus presented to it, still its
powers of search are seriously impeded. There limo
inducement for the roots to strike out into the moil
around and draw therefrom additional supplies. This
is a decided objection to this anode of using such manure.
If the manure were spread upon the land and more
generally distributed through the soil. the roots in fol-
lowing after the manure secure portions of the soil
which would not otherwise come within their reach.
Thus we more fully realise the advantages of stimulat-
ing manures, or in other words, manures which give
energy to the plant to take up other matter in addition
to the excitant Ralf. The advantages of a general dis-
tribution thron.,-rh the soil are very evident in those
Cafes in which the manure is applied in the autumn and
ploughed in before winter. Here the spring tillage
causes it to be generally distributed throughout the soil,
and the manure thus exerts its stimulating powers to
the greatest advantage, because the excitant action is
accompanied by supplies of food ready to be used. We
do not pretend to say that this condition—important
though it be—is sufficient to Bet aside the use of manure
in ridges; but its influence is decidedly objectionable,
and therefore we are not surprised to find Insny farmers
opposed to this system of applying dung when the pecu-
liar advantages of the practice are not necessary. In
the nes of artificial manures we observe similar
results equally at our disposal. How frequently do we
see—in cases where no dung remains for the root crop
—the whole of the manure applied to consist of a nar-
row and thin line of artificial manure drilled imme-
diately under the ssed. As soon as the plant gains
access to it, it makes a rapid development. and the
early period of growth is generally satisfactory. After
a time, much to the regret of the =Wester, the growth
becomes more slow, ultimately it becomes quite Wag-
gish, and the appearance of the mildew endorses the
final result, for further growth ceases. The rootlets of
such plants. extending somewhat in proportion to the
growth of the plant, as they increase in length so they
lizcoine more distant from the supply of food, for as
they strike into the soil they beconie dependent upon it
in its uninanured condition. The result is that as soon
as the artificial inanure is used up so the growth gradu-
ally diminishes ; anal at the very time when you need a
vigorous circulation and an active growth to defend the
crop from the mildew you have the plants in a feeble
state, quite unprepared to do battle with the enemy.
This results not only from the deficiency of trod but
more especially from the fact of its supervening upon a
period of rapid growth. A corresponding example is
seen in those eases where farmyard manure has been
liberally employed; but in consequence of a defective
tillage of the soil the early luxuriant growth has been
soca eded by a check which has enabled the mildew to
gain the day. In like manner the moist and humid air
in some district. favours • rapid growth of roots; these
when checked by frosty nights coining between hot days,
such as are by no imam unconimon in the autumn, have
a tendency to produce a similar result, and even under
good management certainly favour the mildew. It may
be very well when farmyard manure has beet well in-
termixed with the soil to drill the artificial manure,
because then you push forward the early growth, and
there is enough distributed in the soil to continue its
later and more complete development. If, however,
artificial manure is solely relied upon it would appear
desirably to drill only a portion of it—sufficient to push
forward its early growth—and spread the residue over
the land. To avoid mildew you should maintain a con-
tinued growth until the winter weaklier commences, and
this will be most satisfactorily done by combining a
thorough and long-continued working of the soil with •
general distribution of We manure used.— T.—dgried•
taral Gazdte.

TUC CoIIrOSITION Or MANIACAL—A valuable paper
by Dr. Macadam, read before the chemical section of
the British Association at Aberdeen, calls attention to
the need of simplifying the reports of the composition of
manures, so as to confine the attention of the purchaser
to those items on which alone the value of his Furthers
depends. Thus instead of speaking of soluble phos-
phates, insoluble phosphates, hydrated sulphate of lime,
alkaline salts, ailicia, organic matters, water, and am-
mania—let the analysis name ammonia, insoluble and
soluble pbcephate4 alone. In valuing the ingredients
again, ammonia, put at 1:56 a ton, is so valuable only in
the forms of organic matter which yield it emily. Some
kinds yield it so slowly, by so tedious a putrefactive
process, that their value is proportionately smaller.
Soluble phosphates are fairly worth r2B per ton, and
insoluble phosphates, if derived from bones. are worth
£7 a ton, while that of mineral origin is of very little
v 4148. Dr. Macadam referred further to the sale of
adulterated manures. He said :—" During the last
season I have had forwarded to we for analysis and
valuation • considerable number of samples of guano
which had been sold as Peruvian guano, which were of
so inferior quality that they contained in the average
50 per cent, of unmistakable sand; and a calculation of
these manures showed their average value to be about
1,2 per ton, instead of I:12, which they were sold at.
Now, it would be manifestly incorrect to regard 6 tons
of the inferior guano as equal to 1 tons of the superior;
for,
.though posseming the same money value of manu-
rial ingredients, yet the question of carriage from the
market town or seaport to the farm, cartage from the
tarzaar's store to his UWE, aad distribution than:oa, are

all multiplied six times over, to get the same manurial
Nal uo and probable effects. In such circumstances it is
my coiumon practice to calculate the value of all very
inferior 1111111Urel according to tb rates previously re-
ferred to, but with proviso, that at the I:2 or other low
figure, the manure mast be delivered to the farmer car-
riage paid; in other words, that the manure is only
worth that sum to the farmer when it is delivered on his
premises."

M.,l's AND STATUTEB.—We recently noticed in the
Tisietthat an effort was beim; made in Gloucestenoliire
by several of the nobility, landlords, and farm tenants of
the county to &bulb!' the prevalent system of hiring
agricultural servants at statute, as tending to consider-
able demoralisation. A public meeting was held at
which Earl Dude presided, when it was resolved to
establish country register-offices for the pumas of
facilitating the hiring of agricultural servants, and the
great annual Olocester statute held on Monday week
was to test the efficiency of the plan. The farmers who
had signed a resolution to support the proposed he
for the most part remained at home, and invited change
labourers in their several parishes to do the same, and,
in many they did so, but by far the largest majority of
the labourers, who, being hired for a year, were on
Monday at liberty, preferred resorting to the statute
fair at Glocester, and accordingly the Cross, where the
hirings have from time immemorial taken place in the
open street, was nearly as much crowded as usual.
Dairymaids, house servants, carters, wagon boys, plough
boys, thatchers, hedgers, and labourers were there,
their particular department of servitude being signified
by a whip Lash, a bit of horsehair, or straw in their
hat*, and the masters and mistresses seemed as busy as
ever making hiring' for the year. It is evident that if
the scheme should answer at all it will be some time
before old customs will be abolished, and as long as the
inurement is only a partial one, and as long as masters
and mistresses can be found to attend the statutes, the
servants will prefer that mode of hiring, as it gives them
a holiday at • time when they can meet their acquaint-
ances, and when there is always a large supply of enter-
tainments at hand. The Gloucestershire society For
abolishing statute hiring proposes to meet this by giv.a.g
the labourers an annual holyday, but the offer amemma
not to have been ountliolered no equivalent fur the enter-
tainment the labouring population have been used to.
As usual, the publichouses were tilled, but there was
certainly less excess than has been noticed on former
occasions. A siini4' r movement for abolishing mop ,
hirinvi has been set WI foot by Sir E. A. H. Lechinere,
awl a requisition, which has been signed by several
noblemen and leading wen of the county, has been got
up, calling upon the Lord-Lieutenant to convene •
county meeting on the subject.

SNIT/WIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW FOR 1859.—The
above agricultural annual exhibition will take place this
year, on Tuesday, the 6th of December, and will last
for four successive days, terminating on Friday, the 9th
instant, at nine o'clock p.m. Within the lad two
years, the Smithfield Club Cattle Show has been thrown
out upon a far more liberal scale than what it was accus-
tomed to be; the number of prizes have been increased
in number under the respective classes, and • fair open-
lag has been made for the Sussex, Norfolk, Suffolk,
long-horned and short-horned breeds, Scotch-polled,
Irish and Welsh, as well as mixed breeds. The whole
of these are enumerated under distinct and separate
classes, with the amount of prizes awarded to those
which excel in competition for them. Thus the addi-
tional arrangements will be found fully qualified to
maintain the principles of the exhibition upon an im-
proved scale of importance. There is expected this
year to be entered an allotment of Irish cattle in the
show-yard. The short-horned breed of this order of
stock has of late years been greatly encouraged in the
sister kingdom, and at the late great national agricultu-
ral exhibition in Ireland, as well as that held at Water-
ford, during the past year, some very highly-commended
animals were shown, to which appropriate prizes were
awarded. There are ten pure and distiuct breeds of
beasts, which are open to compete for prizes and medals
besides • separate class for mixed breeds. These are
thrown out into 29 classes, to each of which classes
prizes and medals will be adjudged to the several suc-
cessful oompetitoni exhibiting their respective breeds.
To the Devon, Hereford. and abort-borned breeds, which
are oompreliended in 12 classes, are appropriated the
sum total of 1:4115, and in each clams a silver medal to
the breeder of the most approved sample of stock ex-
hibited. To the Sweet breed 61 appointed to be given
£45 in the two classes, and two silver medals. To the
Norfolk and Suffolk breeds in the four deem; will be
awarded Mk, and four silver medals. Ti the Scotch
horned breed 1:45, and two silver medals. To the Scotch'
polled breed 1:4:5, and two silver medals. To the Irish
EIS, And two silver medals. To the Welsh ditto, £35,
and two silver medals. To the cruse and mixed ditto,
£,15, and three silver medals, in the three classes. A
gold medal to be awarded also to the exhibitor of the best
steer or ox, as also • similar presentation to that of the
beat heifer or cow in any of the dares. There are nine
classes of sheep—three for long-woollni breeds, two for
cross-breeds, three for short-woolled ditto, and one for
such not being Southdowns. To the three climes of long-
woolled sheep 1:110, and three silver medals are open
for competition. To the two dames of cross-breeds “5,
and two silver medals. To the three pens of short-
woolled ditto, £B5, and three silver medals; and to the
fat wetter sheep, not being Suutbdowns, in the last class
(38) £3O and one silver medal. Also two gold 'sedate to
the exhibitor of the hest long-ermined and ditto short-
woolled sheep in the 35th, 36th. or 38th classes. There
are four claims of pigs. Fifteen pounds, in two prises
of £ll3 and 1:5, are open for competition in each elan,
besides • silver medal in each. There is also • gold
medal to the exhibitor of the best pig in any of time
classes. In extra stock there are eight silver medals open
for competition, for cattle, sheep, and pigs. The groan
amount of monied prises, offered upon the forthcoming
occasion, is for cattle, £740, and 29 silver medals; for
sheep, £270, and 9 silver medals; for pigs, £l5 and four
silver znedals—making • gross total of L'1,005, six gold,
and fifty diver medals, besides a silver one presented to
the butcher who shall purchase to the largest extent out
of the show.