The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-03-03 00:00:00

'And (Nutt! Expren.

TUESDAY, MAROFI 3, 1874:

NOTES OF THE WEEK.
Lecturing before the Dorcheater Farmer's Club
on Saturday evening, Professor Buckman, o
Bradford Abbas, detailed • series of experiment'
he had made in the cultivation of wheat from
its original grouse, white oats 401 b. to the bushel
from the wild oats of the way-side, and a
valuable barley from very inferior stock. These
results were obtained by selection of the best
seeds year after year, planting them in prepared
soil at due intervals, and giving them proper
attention; and the learned gentleman argued
from there experiment. in favour of using only
the beet seeds of their kind and sowing thinly.
In the discussion which followed, while recoguis-
ing the importance of his suggestions, it was
urged they were largely modified by climate,
soil, ant seasons. There can be no doubt that
th ory tempered by practice is the best guide
to success.
A Board of Trade inquiry, has been held at
Poole concerning the loes of the ship Thorwaldsen
of that port, 799 tons register, Capt. Meadus,_ on
a voyage from Sepal° Sound, Georgia, W.S.,
with a cargo of pitch pine, of which there were
two tiers on deck. When she left Barrow-in-
Furness in ballast the vessel drew 15ft. of water,
and when laden with her cargo 22ft. lain. It
seemed that Capt. Willis, one of the owners,
auperiuteuded the loading, and Capt. Moadus
remonstrated with him for sending a ship to sea
with a deck load at that time of the yosi (20th
December). Going out of harbour the vessel
struck on the bar, and was then found to be mak-
ing "much more water than itauaL" The muter
told Capt. Willis who was on board another
vearel—the Ress/i!--of the causally, when he
replied "Square away the main yard, and make
for home." So the Thoratoladen started. She
encouutered heavy squalls, the leak gained, and
the ship laboured. Within a week of leaving port
it was found necessary to lighten the ship,
but the heavy seas prevented them a doing
more than throwing over part of the
deck load. On the 20th December there
was "every appearance of the ship breaking
up," and next thy the master signalled
" distress," he was taken off with the crew by a
palming barque, and the vessel abandoned.
Striking the bar, the deck load, and the bad
weather caused the loss of the vessel ; but the
deck load was deemed the chief cause of the
disaster, and the Court,. holding Captain Willis
mainly responsible for the loss of the ship,
ordered him to pay the costa of the inquiry,
d returned to Captain Meadus, the master,
his certificate. This e.se shows the importance
of prohibiting deck-loads at certain seasons of
the year. Happily the crew escapvd with their
lives, but it was a providential deliverance.
The memorial, to which we referred last week,
in favour of the establishment of a good public
Middle-Class School in Dorchester, was presented
to the trustees of the several educational founda-
tions of the borough, by Mr. W. E. Brymer,
M.P., and we are given to understand that they
cordially sympathise with the wishes of tte
memorialists, and have made representations to
the Endowed Schools Commissioners which it is
hoped will result in the realization of the desired
object.
The annual dinner of the Blackmoor Vale
Hunt has come off at Sherborne, and been
characterised by all the genbility and spirit that
the good old country open is calculated to
induce. The gallant muter has • trio of
troubles—rabbit traps, lurchers, and horses their
riders cannot hold ; the two former maim foxes
and destroy their food, while an eager un-
manageable field spoils sport and sorely tries the
temper of the muter. The Hon. W. 11. B.
Portman, Ml',, being now of the Opposition,
rejoiced iu his Immunity from telling Govern-
ment intentions, and hoped that Mr. Disraeli,
who, he said, once did him a good turn by making
Dorset • three-cornered coastituency, would
propose to put • heavy tax on rabbit traps in
all counties where hounds are kept. The Black-
mere Vale Hunt always gets good sport, and the
master described his °dice as one of "nearly
unalloyed pleasure." May it long continue so.
It is announced that on the meeting of Parlia-
ment on Thursday next none but formal business
will be transacted. The Government will be
represented by the Hon. Robert i3ourke and by
Lord George Hamilton. An adjournment for a
fortnight or probably three weeks will then take
place for the re-election of Ministers and the pre-
paration of the Queen's Speech. Orders have
already been given at the Treasury to ascertain
the exact coat up to the present of tho Ashantee
evpedition, in order that it may be included in
the Budget, and it is stated that there is every
probability that the Speech from the Throne will
recommend • grant by Parliament in aid of the
sufferers by the famine in Bengal.
At last the Tichborne case is settled, and in
the most decisive way. The jury have decided
that tie late Claimant is not Roger Tichborne,
that he is Arthur Orton • and that, in swearing
that Roger Tichborne ;educed his cousin, Miss
Doughty, he deliberately committed wilful
perjury. For his offence he is sentenced to
penal servitude for 14 years; and as we ventured
to say years ago, it is not unlikely be may by and
bye be seen at Portland Convict Establishment.