The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-07 00:00:00

Oa tbs coldest nwht, Feb. 17,

Awed 13
„ 3

Showing a difference f
Oa Feb. IS, the outride registered to of' frost. 10
Insitlo „ naps.
1157 16, the outride registered 33 freezing.
Inside „ 41 i.e. 10 above freezing.
As to manure—it can se.trcely be necessary to remark that
its quality must be materially improved by protection from
rain. The area of the covered home-stall is sunk about 18
inches below the level of the surrounding ground; and the
' beaes are littered from time to time as occasion requires.
In the larger yard represented in the model there have been
from 10 to 12 beasts ever since last November. The dung
ia now (in the centre of the yard) more than 2 feet thick,
and as solid as possible : it is perfectly made and fit for use.
Two of the smaller yards were cleaned out the last week in
I April, carted at once to the land. and ploughed in for man-
gold wursell. The remainder of the dung will remain till
I required for swede turnips, when it will b, carted at once to
the land and ploughed in without waste or loss. During the
present season I have been obliged to buy straw for fodder
at from 16s. to 20s. per load; and in the small space of 60
feet square I have used upwards of 30 loads, practising the
greatest economy in its use. Experience, however, has
taught me I was wrong on this point of economy, for I find
that buying straw at the price I have named I can manu-
facture dung at less than Is. 9d. per cubic yard, and such
dung made with roots, cake, and corn, must be cheap at
that price. I shall know better for the future and be more

There were used, between Nov. and April, 231 loads of
trussed straw, a lands of lane straw, and 2 loads of l s. d.
haulm. costing delivered ..
The yawl is 60 Get square, end the average depth of the
shag tally le locks; thin will gore 20 cubic yards; but
as the data is or very solid, in filling for carrying on to
the bed the quantity is bummed, so that it pads mond
mates it yards as tilled into the carte : applying theism
pnearthm, the 200 yards will be alma m eV yards,
',Well at Is. 7d. Is
Or, in solid yards, 900 yards, et es. ed. is 27 10 0
Nlther way the price is much less than farmers an mu&
toned to pay for town twig, tences the enema of
carting.
Formerly the plan pursued was, to keep what are called
straw yard beasts, fed on scarcely anything but straw—
experience
has taught us that even with the prospect of
little or no profit on the animals, the fanner must keep a
larger quantity cf stock, and feed it better, if only for the
sake of improving his manure—the consequence is, that
large quantities of cake and corn aret consumed by which a
veryie sedlttioouttyareis incurred
been bCstbuewi:dgu protectionse.,
of the manure so expensively made—buildings without
water troughs—yards so formed that the liquid part of
the manure runs away—large dunghills by the side of
ditches or ponds, from which the " brown stout" is allowed
to escape, double cartage of manure, unchecked fermenta-
tion, by which dung in unnecessarily wasted in quantity and
injured in quality, are points of great importance, but to
which farmers do not as a body sufficiently attend. In this
and a variety of other ways the agriculturist must be re-
minded of the fable, and boldly told to put his own shoulder
to the wheel before he calls on Hercules to help him. The
air in the home-stall is perfectly pure and sweet, undefiled
by any escape of ammonia or any other gas; but once break
the top crust, and your olfactory nerves must be strong, in-
deed, if you can venture a sniff. There is no surplus
moisture, and no tanks are required ; the straw takes up all
liquid manure and holds it.
lir. Beadel afterwards observed that it would be asked—
flow is the tenant farmer to obtain those covered home-
stalls ? The landlord will not and the tenant cannot prn-
dently erect them. He would say a word or two on each of
these points. So long as a large quantity of the land in this
country belongs to parties having only a temporary or life
interest in it, and while, in many instances, the remainder
man is a stranger, all matters tending to the permanent im-
provement of the soil and agricultural buildings will be, if
not withheld, at most but grudgingly granted. Noreen we
wonder that such should be the case. Another impediment
in the way of improvement is want of means ; and, though
the fact excites regret, it must be allowed that them are poor
landlords as well as poor tenants. But still leaving out of the
calculation all the lands affected by either of the above cir-
cumstances, there are thousands of cases in which the owner,
if fairly and properly moved thereto, would readily concur
in carrying out any of those great and important improve-
ments, shown by experience to he profitable, or which the
pressing necessities of the times reqiure. (Hear.) And further
while fully admitting that the proper and requisite build-
ings should be put up and maintained by the owner, I am

not at all emineed to ecelentdeo that when the owner cannot
or will aeythe leant may net both wisely and pendently
erect than Massif. Maar, hem.). It is • monies prao-
ties is this great metroesolist and us other large cities and
towns for paellas sagged in mercantile pursuits to hire
premises for • limited period, and expend large sums on
their improvement, content if by the economy effected in
the management of their bus Wes, or by the facilities
r afforded for carrying it on, they ma secure an annual ad-
ivantage, which by the end of their teem will have returned
them principal, interest, and a profit. Now the same
I mode of calculation Is applicable to the farmer's
ease in the matter before us. Take the Instance of a
tenant farmer who has a 14 years'
lease, and cannot Judaea
his landlord to erect a covered home-sell the question for
his consideration will be, whether the advantages to result
I from the use of such a building during his tenancy will be
equal to a return of principal, interest, and a profit; and
: if so, no one can question the propriety of his incurring
the expense. Such a homestall as mine can be erected fee
2001. ; we will, therefore, assume that as the sum required.
Now it appears from the tables used by mercantile houses
in making their calculations for similar purposes, that if
an outlay of 8!. 141. Ild. will secure a return of 11. per
annum for 14 years, the 11. per annum will, by the end of
the term, have returned the principal sum expended, to-
gether with interest thereon at 7 per cent. By a simple
calculation our farmer may, therefore, see that 2001.
laid out at the commencement of his fourteen years' lease,
will be amply repaid, with interest at 7 per cent., if ho
can realise upon that outlay 724. 17s. lid. per annum.
or 114 per cent. on his outlay; one 7 years' lease the same
table shows that a return of 371. 2s. 24d. or 184 per cent.
will be an equivalent at the same rate of interest; and on
a lease of 21 years 181. 9s. 2d. per annum, or 9} per cent.
will suffice. Now the farmer will be able to make in the
area of his homestall (601 L. square) 800 cubic yards of dung
in each year, which, if worth only Is. per yard more than
the manure made in the ordinary way, gives 401. a year or
20 per cent. upon the outlay, quite sufficient to cover the
expense and return 7 per cent. interest even on a 7 years'
lease' without taking into consideration the fact that his
stock will fatten mutt faster on less food, that a much less
quantity of dung will be more effective and less expensive
in application to the land. Who then will say that the
man would act imprudently or unwisely in making the
outlay to secure such advantage, even in the event of his
being compelled at the end of his term to leave the home-
stall to his landlord ? But I have no doubt covered home-
stalls may be so constructed that the tenant may remove
them at the end of his term, and if so there can be nothing
to prevent their general adoption but the want of means,
or a blind adherence to antiquated methods which science
and her handmaid Practice have shown to be erroneous,
and which most ere long be exploded.
Several members having borne testimony to the advan-
tage of the plan adopted by Mr. Beadel, and Mr. Mechi
having observed that " he was a happy man now, for eight
cars ago he was laughed at, and something more, for keep-
ing his animals warm and dry, but a great change had come
over the agricultural mind, and no longer should he he
pained by seeing those brown streams running down to the
ditches and so on to the sea;" and the following resolution
was adopted:
" That this meeting is of opinion that Mr. Beadel has
proved the advantages of covered hornestalls in the cases to
which he has referred, and, looking to the moderate cost at
which they can be erected, and the benefits to be derived
from their adoption, the subject is of such importance as to
demand earnest attention of landlords and tenants."