The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-12 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Journal of the 12;y;1.2g;icii:Itural Society of Eng-
land. Vol. VIII. Part 1. London: Murray.
This Journal forms by far the most valuable part
of the operations of the Royal Agricultural Society,
and frequently contains papers which reflect great
credit upon the practical agriculturists as a class.
We say the practical agriculturists, because the ma-
jority of the able and useful papers published in the
journal front its commencement have been written
by men engaged in husbandry or otherwise in the
management of land as their daily business. There
have likewise appeared many papers of a purely
scientific character, bearing upon agriculture, and
proving that the " agricultural mind" is prepared to
investigate and apply the truths of science. The
Journal is conducted by a committee of the society,
of which Mr. Philip Pusev is the chairman, and
we presume virtually the editor of the work itself.
It is published half-yearly, in January and July,
each subscriber being entitled to a copy, and it is also
sold to the public in the ordinary way. The contents
are derived from two sources—first, the voluntary
contributions of its members; and secondly, essays
which have obtained the various prizes offered by
the society. Amongst the first there have been some
papers of great value by leading members of the
society, of whom we may particularly mention the
late Earl Spencer and Mr. Puny ; but most of the
papers furnished by the aristocratic members are
reports made to them by their bailiffs and managers,
on particular farms or operations. There are besides
many minor papers from humbler members, from
which the observant farmer may often obtain some
useful hints. The prize essays, however, and the
professional articles form the staple contents of the
ournal. These are essays on different branches of
husbandry, reports on the farming of particular
counties or districts, and scientific papers. The pert
now before us is a fair and good specimen of the
work, and contains several papers which must be
interesting and useful to the general as well as to
the agricultural reader. The leading article is the
society's prize essay on "The Management of Sheep,"
by Robert Smith, of Burleron-the-hill, Rutland.
Mr. Smith is well known as a successful breeder of
Leicester sheep: he was the winner of a printer sheep
at the late Northampton Agricultural Meeting,—and
his.paper, therefore, has all the authority which is
derived from successful practice.

The three great classes of sheep treated of in this
essay are Leicester's, South-Downs, and Long-Wools,
which are unquestionably the kinds which will ulti-
mately occupy the whole country. Mr. Smith truly
says, no other animal is so worthy of attention to the
farmer and the nation as the sheep ;—to the farmer
because it is raised with ease, and in situations where
other animals could not exist, and in general makes a
better return, for the quantity and quality of food
consumed, than any other animal;—to the nation, as
supplying a staple article of food, and for mannfitc-
tures ; end that the:production and general management
of sheep claims to be treated as the foundation of good
and profitable husbandry. After some excellent
directions for the breeding, weaning, and after-
management of Leicester and South-Down sheep,
which are not convenient for extract, he makes the
following comparison of the properties of the Lei-
, cestere and Downs, which seems to be judicious.

Of late years they (Downs) have ale fsalrbeirwq We the
more distant counties, to to tatted Nee the tieslpesis. The ewe
trade has also materially Inereemed. &NINON MIN NM at fhe
purple of crossing erlde Ms wart* • r Wig mode; they in then
included with the gur eel Ink asely sr mei big get afll, and
mate !recut beerosimst. Maw NMI will afbalsesli BM are
found to predate eon Lehr doe ones one ptert he than. but
modem lese wheel met MIONSISMON rd. width Dame by
the Modes esperbmt :—Os Me lat of Newasesh I" IN Down
ewes wen OWN st cm Ids of UM. Wet Ma Mak end 100
IMAM ewes es tlos Now; they wire ash Mend ell &NAM to
eat; on di* DIM& de bend woe mond es Mb sides WINO the
Down ewes wen loud Is have astis s bra me Dm Mr
Lem out of the ems. the seep befog es ma am h Ist
the ewes pseud sass the MN The MON of DM. Is
peculiar to We brad of ihsep. She Ile we me 0, tht
general obJeets, whymope the peseta of our
I ancient flock-reastee Ma the Me se Nest. the al.
I "Me of artificial menoss est the etteshad to the
hooks, looted um tt se theriZersereftrarallarinle pee r& Lee'
but by the rapid strides la the et Midst amerekthe old
system is fast wing out of It Meg sew sorely lesella4
ow-
apt by oomb;on upon the Mae ad Wefts where it ti saddered
better to fold on the land don efiew the asp to Dm et INN In
the general practice of
fold Sr the peso et seessrlsi is toed
fur wheat or otberwke, le by repested esidelelesh thst the
deterioration of the animal the Mel' the Mpg: same
'when compared with the prised peal end
my sem ef the sew
artificial manures), u the disturbs= et de mimed, the
sham of their hours of feeding el net tom thessgess le Use
Lord, and their being- 1a hose lonely eta DDSS
domestic habit and I the ono Ins Mews le
the transfer of the prates of ipso MI le M NAN
whereby the breeder meg the Morn d NIL In
RitllltiCo.ll, where foldiat Is it le far better le Ms
loNsred ehrep.l.6. Nth Om or
where they would eerie inVqmolity el mem. Ms=
oornfortable, and be suppled th cut elever,she‘ re, or lei.
than to (bid them quickly upcm a bleak ettieediegt, cram ly
when they are pieced a mama night Who me fold
which in usual wham • te good thet h sequireL The strongert
adenine" for folding are the Mil We lbonag whe state tt to be
better for the &beep to Amok mom It Dm eitastions than by

carting—an endless task. Would it not in such Nitrations be better
to ley them down " sheep walks" or use artafleial manure
The following passages relate to that fine breed of
sheep, the loaf,/ wools, chiefly bred at present in Olou- '
cestershire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. In Lin-
colnshire the improvement of sheep and of tillage has
been simultaneous :
Mc sheep bred open the heath and In the mldde of the county are
the "improved Line:elite" (before mentioned) and their management
is closely assimilatedto the lekeettr, particularly upon the heaths
near Lincoln. With the addition of their spirited husbandry ht sup-
plying them with artificial ford throughout the year, the universal
plan of three breed:to Le to will their lamb-hop in the spruig from
tamps; coenquently every moment is brought to bear upon the
production of first-rate fat lamb-hogs, whereby an immenee return is
made in the shape of wool and mutton, as also In the succeeding
crops of barley, seeds, and wheat. The effect of sheep haslnedry on
the prodoctiveness of the sod is an important feature in the general
roles laid down upon the heath farms; for, as the coil encl• es arti-
ficial aid, no data the importance of producing sheep at= early age be-
come Potential. By constant attention to an equal and proper distribution
of the flocks fed upon artificial food, immense results fellow, it
being better to veal a portion of the money eel ankle for artificial
manure in the purchase of oil-cake, he , to be pared through the
animal 43 the soil, thereby gaining • second return, than to expend
the whole amount in the production of vegetables. Again, each are
the propensities of the best cheep to eaV.en, that an ample return of
wool and mutton is made for the cotta keeping allowed them, and
the lend is mouthed ate cheap and easy rate. Further, by the use of
artificial food the vegetable produce is mach economised, the animal
is kept longer upon the land, and becomes more healthy and lees
liable to diariee. Thisrmult I fully proved by an experiment in the year
18M. On the 2fith Oct., part of a fieldof Bwediehturnipairsamertzured
off, amounting to eght acres, and 80 'tether lamb and 80 ewe lambs
were placed upon them in separate pent% the wether lambs commen-
cing on one side and the ewe lambs on the other. Earth lot watt penned
SC7OIB the lands so that there might be no difference in the crop or
after-management. The wetter lambs were allowed half-a-touni of
014:eke each per day during the winter ; the ewe lambs were kept
entirely upon turnips; each lot had the turnip' cut for them; and
when the roots were all consumed, and the lambs met, the land wag
again measured, and the ewe lambs were found to have eaten 4 acres
32 perches of turnips ; the nether lambs 3 acres 3 roods, and 8 perches
—thee showing a gain of 1 rood 24 perches of turnip' by the use of
artificial food and longer duration upon the land.
The value of these sheep as wool-bearing animals,
may be judged of by the fact that one of the breed,
a three-year old sheep, shown at Northampton, was
certified to have produced, when shorn on the sth of
May last, a fleece weighing 191 be. Of the Oxfords,
Mr. Smith says:
The new Oxfords are termed long-wooht, but more from the eireum-
stance of their not corniest under the denomination of lesicestem than
from their extra wool-hearing propernek They are bred principally
in Oxfordshire and the surrounding districts, particularly in the
neighbourhood of Broadwell, the residence of Mr. Clarks Large:
Charibury, the residence of Mr. Smith; and flevenhamptem, the reel-
deuce of Mr. Randy,—the most eminent breeders, and to wham the
greatest credit le due for their exertions in editing this valuable breed
to its present high slate of perfection. They are of large dimenrions,
and have • great propensity to fatten, arising chiefly from their wide
frame, quietude, and open texture Mlle* which is of quick growth,
and eonaeluently expands limit mere rapidly than many other
qualiths • but they do not pouter that 'amines. of form Feet:ll-1 r to
animals,eruall though they hare a better. For many years the male
animals have been eagerly sought after, with a view to tier-ream the
sire and frame of other long-mooned breeds.
The following remarks are worthy the attention of
the sheep farmer:
From close observation, 1 have found the quality and quantity of
wool to be governed by the quality or description of flesh upon the
animal : hence, certain wool and certain mutton go together. Fur-
ther, so often an the word is observed to change upon the back, or
otherwise, of the sheep, so duet the quality of flesh change, corn-
meocing at the exact division of the 'sureties of wool—thus showing
the importance of eeleeting thee animate that powers the best de•
seri:Alen of wool and mutton. Now these carry but one sort of woo:
upon their frames, and that of a mellow, moderately long, thick,
bunchy character, under which in found the mellow firth peculiar to
first-rate animals, which flesh is foundto spread or expand itself more
rapidly than any other, bet with a sufficient degree of lirennea
tinder chart fine wool is found extra firm or hard flesh, which does
not expand or grow in proportion. With thin-set, strong wool, we
find the animal to have a white objectionable head, with tome or
warm-grained flesh. wanting in quality in due
.proportions to
the wool it bears, and the animal ls never in oonsequener
known to spread wan, but represents its degree of fat-
nem along the back. In the selection of n ale anintale,
it is even better to choose a strong animal from a well-bred
flock of the Fame family, than to step out of " the line" to crate with
• lary ramp of inferior blood, as practice has shown that the pro-
duce from a large inferior looking sheep, selected from a pure-bred
flock, has been far better than those produced from an apparently
good sheep selected from a crate bred flak. in matching the ani-
mals, I have found it des:rabic that the female ehould pewee the
larger frame, for tupplylng an Increased support:4o tbhimprneed pro-
geny, particularly when the object ism produce inn'e animals ; thus
it la equally important to keep up the strength of the ewes to afford
this advantage, which can alone be done by strict attention to that
ob•ect, by mixing strong cheep with those ewes that are not
termed " ram-breeders," and the well-formed cheep with the
*there, as the offspring inviriably partakes in the propor-
tion of three-fifths after the male, again showing the ins.
portance of procuring good males of pure descent ; harm the Lel-1
meters will correct and assist what are termed the larger breeds, but
in no instance have the huger moles improved the beet Leleesters;
and more particularly when the " cross " has been on extreme one,
which is frequently shown is a twin prodooe, as they often represent
oppooaite qugitir a. again, in reference to the principle of breeding—
aith ugh the Lela/ems will improve the larger breed, we find tart
whew mined with smaller breeds, the produce require additional sup-
port to maintain the inoreased ere : for inetanoe, our mountain breed,
may be enlarged by teeing; but the progeny will act prosper on the
hilly pasture of their dams, and wonld be equally an on the
peethre of their aree, bat succeed equally as well on the intermediate
'mallow ; thus clearly thowing the importance of assisliag nature,
by waiting the animal to the particular mil, elt.tion, and climate,
rather than leaving it to climates or adjust itself to the locality in
which it is placed.
We have preferred to make extracts from this one
essay rather than from several, because the subject is
one of great interest to the community, and because
it fairly shows the degree of intelligence our best
fanners bring to the discussion of agricultural sub-
jects.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL.
tsivEnslTT op Lori ,OW.—First examination for the
degree of Bachelor of Medicine.—l&C. The following is a list of the
e.sciiidates who have passed this examination :
First IL P., I:niv. Coll. ; Beth, T. S., Unit.. Coll. ;
Black, C., Edinburgh Sob. Med.; Bramwell, C. C., run. Coll.;
Bridgwater, T., King's Coll.; anickerhattv, Soorjoo Coomar, Unir.
Coil. ; Clapp, W. T. G. W. Univ. Coll. ; Culitt, G. It.. Kings Oolt ;
Devenisb, 9. W , Giry's Hosp. ; Drew, J Mancbeyer Sch. Med.;
Griffith, ek, King's Coll.; Iwo, F. W. P., Leedom Hosp.; Lynch, J.
C., King's 001. ; Morrie, J., Univ. Coll.; Shelley, IL, Guy's Hoop.;
Willett, J. Guys Hosp.
Second division.—Bailey, J., Univ. COIL; Franklyn, E. J., Vine,
Coll. ; Green. T., Coll. Sorg., Ireland ; King*" G. R., M. Bar.
tholornew's Hosp. ; M'Crea, George's hoop.; Perlin, H.,
King's Coll.; sankey, W. H. 0, St. Bartholomew's Hap. ; Whitaker.
E., Manchu :ter Sc.b. Med.