The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-16 00:00:00

MR. MECHI AND HIS BALANCE-SHEET.

Mr. Mechi has published the following reflections
upon the objections to his farming balance-sheet :
" What a storm has burst upon my poor devoted
head ! and bow various its ingredients ! Political
rancour, personal insult, friendly pity, serious cen-
sure, malicious imputation! Surely I may say with
Yorick, ' No crown of fame can ever fit it.
"I do confess that lam an agricultural sinner—
that I have deviated from the beaten track—that I
pulled down rotten buildings and substituted 9-inch
walls and slated roofs—that I have made tanks and
erected steam power—that I have well-drained and
subsoiled—that I have removed trees and fences—that
I have made good roads—that I have employed much
labour—made much, but wasted little manure—that
I have made no long fallows—that I have cropped
half my land every year with wheat—and that I have
a try
and permanently increased its fertility !
" All this is bad enough, but it was infinitely worse
to let the world know it, and, above all (wretch that
clearly
lam 1) to express an opinion that such operations
might possibly ultimately prove remunerative. lam
paying the penalty of my indiscretion, and I
can
never again hope to recover from y disgrace,
and lok
practical agriculture full in the face !
" Even Punch says lam ' Dun up,' so I must hide
myself carefully iu the deepest recesses of agricultu-
ral consolation.

..._ _ o
Amid the general gloom an occasional ray from
e (thanks to Mr. Hill's penny
dreary path and supports my fal-
tppellorsiiitnoaggoeps)thelipci lights
tisnltimeolyiwi delightfulintelligence
a'
is this consolation from
uncommon minds I It compensates fur whole volumes
of vulgar abuse.
greaterh.
Thereth ey
" Well, let us veil the disagreeable and proceed to
i :di: ruin ft
it
eStojd, disbelief.
eecmfso(oturwr correct
hehol a few o f the
it is a simple matter of facts
independent of politics, passion, or
oatiitat all disappointed that even my
abnuds
prejudice.i nfiegs lls ,re for,slauafimtteern
showing an apparent. loss has not pleased everybody,
although I am. quite sure that, had circumstances per-
will some day) a very large
would have been the discontent
is really a mania for agricultural
apmrmunr
proceed to the question at issue, permit
statements that sometimes beset me. First, then, my
land is all perfectly drained, and has not been re-
drained ; secondly, my buildings have not been pulled
down and rebuilt, although I have added to them ;
thirdly (and I say it without vanity), I am not a bad
manager of stock, for it is the opinion of my imme-
diate practical
neighbours and labourers that Ido
make as much meat out of a given quantity of food
as most people. I readily admit that our Essex stock
is generally hardly so well bred as in more favoured
districts, excepting always our pigs, which formed a
material feature of my stock. In my balance-sheet
there was an
apparent loss of about 6001. upon 1,6001.
of purchased food, which I said is compensated for
by the extra manure. ' Oh,' says one, ' but you
didn't value the manure from food purchased in 1851,
which, of
of course it was not as much, nor half as much. In
course, was as much as in 1850.' I reply,
fact, it was only during the last four years that I saw
the advantage
considerably
of feeding with purchased food, and I
remember when first I commenced farming being
abused and laughed at about my 'soli-
tary pig,' which was all the live stock the critic then
happened to see in the yards. There is one im-
portant fact that some of my objectors, and even my
friends,
appear to have most unaccountably over-
looked, and it is, that the revolution of the land for a
new rental was made on the 30th of October, 1850,
and, instead of being fixed at 12s:, the then value of
similar unimproved lands in the neighbourhood, it was
raised to 365. per acre, thus, in fact, tripling the fee-
simple. Why was it so raised ? Not because it was
poorer, but because by buildings., drainage, and im-
provements, and by the greatly increased fertility and
improved condition of the soil itself, it was more pro-
lific, although it had been cropped alternate years
with wheat. The benefits of former manures were
partially the causes of that increased valuation, and
you will see that I have charged this greatly increased
rent in my accounts. ' Oh! but says another critic,
' because you have expended 1,6001. in 1851 in pur-
chased food, of course you will continue to do so, and
thus lose 6001. annually.'
" Now, a reasonable person would infer that, having
bought so unusual a quantity, and thus brought my
land into such a state of fertility, I should not require
to buy any more artificial food or manures ; and, in
fact, it is my present impression, that my outlay in
food and manures will seldom exceed 1501. per annum
or 20s. per acre, and still I shall be able to keep
plenty of stock from the produce of half my farm, it
being now in a thriving condition, well filled with
manure.
"It has been assumed that 6001. is too great a loss
on the consumption of 1,6001. purchased food, and
that one-third of the cost is too great a sum for the
value of the manure. Now, as this is the great ques-
tion of agriculture, with every deference I be to
state that no animal will pay for feeding on purchased
food if you leave out of view the value of the manure.
"It matters not whether it be hay, turnips, corn,
ooff straw chaff, consumed with the
fine
straw, or oilcake ; and further, if you deduct attend-
ance, labour, &c., in connexion with the extra manure
made, also allow for casualties to stock, one-third
loss on the purchased food will be a fair and safe cal-
culation.
" You cannot buy turnips or mangold for removal
under 12s. to 15s. per ton, and certainly the stock
paywi
will
305.n0 a tpay more than G. or 7s. for them. If you
ton for straw, or 31. for hay, the animals
will not return above half the cost. lam not agreed
with the able and intelligent editor of an excellent
agricultural publication, that I have overvalued my
mangold at 63., and my swedes at ss. 6d. per ton,
consuming price.
ton b. o
If it takes 1601 b. of turnips to make 11b,, net
weight, of meat, a ton would make 141 b., at a. d.
5d 5 10
56
turnips, 901 b. of straw to make llb.
is 6lb. at sd. .......
of l
meat,

" I
consider the value of the ton of roots with
the strhaiws (minus attendance, &c.) O
used as an auxiliary purchased food, the loss on the
purchased food would absorb much of the -value of
your turnips. It is well to have a proper understand-
ing on this important question, both asf course,
tothe
loss on
the purchase of food and of the benefit derived in the
manure, which are about equivalent. The principle
is the same, whether it be 1/. or 1,0001. I therefore
insist on this truth, that all purchased food (rape-
cake, if you
perhaps, excepted) must leave a loss or charge
for the manure resulting from it. Still it is clearly
shown to be a cheaper way of restoring fertility than
purchased manure. A. wise farmer, therefore, having
his land in a state of fertility, will endeavour to main-
tain it by deep and ample cultivation, and by the con-
sumption of one-half its produce with the straw of the
other half. I predict the time to be coming when the
boarded-floor system will be generally adopted for
animals, and straw will be deemed far too precious to
be trampled under foot; it will be used as food.
" Before I conclude these remarks, let me entreat
those who have capital to consider the poor unem-
ployed labourer at this dull season of the year. I
have 40 extra men now employed digging the land
ten inches deep and throwing it up on ridges at 21
per rod of five yards and a half square, or 11. 6s. Bd.
per acre. It ,is a labour test, combining, in my
opinion,with charity
profit. It is true they can earn
but about ls. per day, but I offer it to all the odd
men and strong youths who can get nothing else to
do, and who must otherwise starve, go into the de-
tested union, or involve themselves in debt. This
operation is cheaper and infinitely y better than plough-
ing, and the eagerness with which it is availed of im-
presses me with a very y high sentiment of respect fur
the industry of our rural population and their distaste
for idleness. or
-- Course, I supply them with steel
spades and forks which are far
made in Birmingham,
superior in, ease, effect, and price to the ordinary
bungling utensils of most agricultural localities. A
great retorm is required in the matter of tools.
I, In conclusion, I repeat that my transaction has
been, on the whole, profitable ; and we may easily
imagine what would be the effect of tripling (by the
application of skill and capital) the rentals and fee_
simples of the poor lands of this kingdom. It has
been done in my case, and may in others, under the
same circumstances. No doubt many will be horri-
fied at the idea of an overwhelming supply of bread
and beef, but, if th • • •le is worthanything,
r principle the
less we producetheir
the happier we shall be. Ido not
envy such people their logic or their feelings. I
shall go on unflinchingly, so long as it pleases God to
spare me, in what I believe to be the path of agricul-
tural profit
andtruth.
" I. J. Mitcixt.
" Tiptree hall, Belvedon, Essex, Jan. 6."

THE LATE BoTLER EXPLOSION AT GREAT-BRIDGE.
—The inquest on the bodies of the four unfortunate men
killed by the explosion on Wednesday morning last, at the
iron-works of Messrs. Davis and Bloomer, of Gold-hill, was
resumed on Tuesday. It will be recollected that the inquiry
was adjourned on Friday, in order that a further examina-
tion of the boiler might be made, ani more satisfactory
evidence obtained as to its strength and fitness for the
work upon which it was employed. On the former occasion
an engineer named George Davies gave it as his opinion
that the boiler which exploded was such a one as ought not
to have been used, and that the accident was caused by its
malconstruction and excess of pressure at the time the en-
gine was stopped. On the other hand, Mr. Millington,
another engineer, deposed that the boiler was made of the
best quality of iron ; that the plates, in his opinion, had not
been red ; were stronger than usually used ; and would have
borne a pressure of 401bs. to the square inch. The kind of
boiler which had exploded was generally in use at the time.
that it was constructed, but improvements had since taken
place. He could scarcely form an opinion as to the cause of
the accident. Yesterday Daniel Bradbury was required as
the first witness, but in consequence of the injuries he had
sustained he was unable to attend, and the inquest was
further adjourned until Friday next.