Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1857-12-31
HIGH FARMING IN ENGLAND,

At the annual meeting of the Cogge-
shall and United Parishes Agricultural
Society on the Doth ult, Mr.. Mcchi,
the great innovator in English agri-
culture, was called out and made a
speech He said:
He could not help now and then re-
viewing his present position, and com
pairing it with what it was some elev-
en- or fifteen years ago. He seldom at
tended an agricultural society's meet
ing like that, without being considered
either an impostor or the propounder
of some old and visionary theory,
which certainly was not so pleasant
and interesting character as that in
which he now appeared among them.
However, he felt as NJ. de Trehonnais +
had said, they were but creatures of
preinlice. and that the truth would al /
ternatcly prevail. Let them take as
an instance the fact of his putting upa
steam-cnginc on his farm the first, he
believed in this country. 1t certainly
was pronounced by his agricultural
friends to be one of the most absurd
and Improbable things that could be
done. Time passed on, and he now
had the qualification of seeing his
neighbors possessed of a steam engine,
and he believed there was one gentle
man at Chelmsford who had not few
CIR than twelve, which he let out for the
purpose of thrcshing. 1t was curious
fact, Illustrative of what might hereaf
ter happen, that the farmer had ex-
changed an instrument called fail,
which cost one shilling. for an nipple
ment which cost $500, to thrash his
, corn. for, Notwithstanding larger cx
penditurc of capital, it would effect
cheaper result. Agriculturalists must
prepare themselves for still greater
) changes
The other day he went down to
Wordsworth, in company with Mr..
James Card and Mr.. Morton, for the
purpose of seeing a scheme of railway
for agricultural purposes, patented by
Mr.. Halkctt. If hc was to believe
what he then said, and which was
; confirmed by Mr.. Braithwaitc, the En-
ginccr of the Eastern Counties Rail
) way, they were, by that system, to
plough at Is. I'd. per acre, hoe at Is.
3D.. per acre. harrow their corn at Is.
! an acre. and carry their manure upon
G the land at Ill. per ton per mile
t Laughter. Leaving margin for the
: interest of the cost of the railway to be
c laid down on the farm, which, as nc
] understood, was to be GA per acre.
: They might thus carry out this scheme
at about l-l2th of the present cost. al
4 lowing for interest upon the cxpendi-
: turc for the railway They would not
r only he able TO do all this, but what
n might be- deemed remarkable addi-
: ton, like the ordinary travelling by
: railway. they might plough their land
e by night as we'll as by day. Laugh
V ter. Now he liked to hear their
), laugh. because il told him that there
= was still little of the old disbelief re-
I naming in them. Renewed laugh
!. ter. He did not sec any reason to
n doubt the probability of this himself,
4 for he had received letter from Mr..
: Halkett To state that he had tried the
experiment, and found he could plough
+ his land by night with the greatest
e possible ease. Laughter. That they
c should be able to carry manure or cart
i off corn Mt penny per tun per mile
: need excite no surprise, Cor they found
o in practice that railways, with all the
i heavy expenditure connected with
e them. were able to carry Goals at I'll.
). per tun per mile. Hear. hear. +
There was. therefore. still hope that
4 they should be able to feed the people
Y abundantly and cheaply by means OF
h deep cultivation. with the aid Of steam.
!. Perhaps they would like to know. for
y he saw this machine at work. that Mr.
D Halkett's model had platform thirty
"a feet wide (it was proposed to make il
J. fifty. aud il was remarkable to see the
ease with which il took eight plows
"a and mbsoil pillow. turning the land
r over in the most perfect manner. hc
81 should explain that these plows were
$. fixed under the Platforms they had no
II sole and no land side. so that the fric'
&c ton was considerably diminished and