We were likewife often difappointed in reading this book, by being told of improvements, without receiving the leaft fatisfac tion as to the particulars. Thus, fays he, at Drummond caftle, I was informed of a kiln for drying corn, erected at the mill of Baloch, by William Lawfon, tenant there. It fhews great ingenuity in the inventor, is equally expeditious with the common fort, and is preferable in the following refpects: First, it abfolutely prevents fire, to which the ordinary kilns are nuch liable; fecondly, it faves ftraw, a precious commodity in that bare country; and laftly, it dries more equally *.' Why does he not inform his readers, of the general principles on which this valuable kiln has been conftructed? Again. Mr. Thomson merits high regard from the public, for the husbandry-inftruments he has invented. His fanners and ftraw cutters are useful improvements, and will and the teft. His threshing machine is fimple, and eafily moved. I was highly pleafed with its operation +.' The fame objection lies against the following paffage: The water of Leddel, running along the fide of this farm, was conftantly making ravages by its impetuofity. He (Henry Elliot of Peel) has fenced the banks in a very ingenious manner, fo as to prevent it from doing any more mischief, and has gained much good ground by itt. In the preface, it is faid, that Perfons of fkill and enterprife, who have advanced the art of husbandry, living at a distance, and unconnected, have little opportunity to learn from each other. This work, by collecting the experience of all into one view, will beftow upon each the experience of all, and ripen them in their favourite art.' But what benefit do thofe who ftand in need of the knowledge of the above improvements reap from thefe records? They may, indeed, by taking a journey to the spot where they have been put in practice, be taught how to imitate them, but not by reading the book. Farther, he obferves, One article of husbandry I was well pleased with. The tramp ricks of hay are fo ingeniously put up, as to be fecure againft damage while they itand in the field. But he gives no hint wherein the ingenuity of that method confifts. Again. At the Whim, the feat of the Lord Chief Baron, there is a marvellous improvement on a deep and extenfive mofs, The fields are all well inclofed, and trees of every kind make a fine appearance §.' Few foils are more difficult to improve than mofs, or as the Irifh call it, bog. In Ireland, many treatises have been published on that fubject, and numberless Vol. i. p. 163. + Vol. ii. p. 248. § + Ibid. p. 426. unsuccessful unsuccessful attempts made to reclaim them. So unpromifing was this subject, that when the Duke of Argyle determined to attempt the improvement of this fpot in Scotland (for we are well authorifed to fay, that it was the Duke of Argyle who made thefe improvements) he, modeftly doubting of the fuccefs, called it his whim, which name it ftill retains. Thefe particulars, we remember to have heard many years ago; and being uncertain whether or not he was fortunate in the attempt, we were pleafed to find, by the above extract, that he had fucceeded; but we regret, that the account of his improvement of this unpromifing fubject fhould be fo lame We know not, whether the farms of Wefter Dean and Whiterig, which our author immediately mentions, and of which he fays, Good tillage, fallow, and turnip, have been the chief means of improvement, with lime,' be of the fame mofly nature or not; although we are difpofed to believe they are not, as the old ridges are there mentioned. If fo, we have not here, the fmalleft hint of the means used to improve this extenfive mofs: a moft unpardonable omiffion. But thefe, and other fimilar blemishes, we do not wish to dwell upon,-proceeding, with more pleasure, to take notice of such particulars as merit applause. There is nothing fo much wanted in agriculture as judicious experiments. Some of thefe occur in the prefent volumes; the moft remarkable are the following: Every year, he (Alexander Mitchel of Carifton) manures two acres with the water in which his lint was steeped. It is replete with an oily fubftance from the lint, which is a great improver. This trial deferves to be attended to. But the experiment is extremely defective, as we do not here find any ftandard referred to, by which the effects of this manure can be afcertained. Probably Mr. Mitchell reafoned a priori in the manner above recorded, and imagined, that the effects were as he had expected they would be. Nothing has contributed fo much to retard the progrefs of agriculture, as this inaccurate mode of experimenting, and it is our wifh to fee it guarded against as much as poffible. The following experiment of Mr. Colvill, minifter of Ormifton, (whofe attention to agriculture feems to deferve the highest applause) is fo fingular as to deserve a place here. This improver, intent upon experiments, limed one ridge †, at the rate of 140 bolls per acre, another at the rate of 170 bolls, and two ridges he left unlimed. There was no dung given to * Vol. i. p. 371- rate of The rest of the field being limed at the any any part of the field. The lime was ploughed in with a fhallow furrow. Wheat was fowed at the rate of a boll per acre, and the produce of the field [confifting of 21 acres was twenty bolls. But what is extremely fingular, no difference could be perceived in the crop between the parts that were more or less limed, and not limed. In the rotation for eight years following, the white corn crops were varied every year; but every alternate crop was drilled beans dunged in the rows, and carefully horfe and hand-hoed. And it was ftill more fingular, that during all that time, the lime did not appear to have any vifible effect. Another thing was alfo fingular, that though clay, retentive of moisture, is underftood to be the best foil for beans, yet they did not fucceed here. Excepting one year, when the produce was ten bolls per acre, the product was inferior to an ordinary crop. Here is a fubject for conjecture and reasoning. I fhall venture only to observe, that our knowledge of the virtues of lime, and of the nature of foils, is but fcanty; and probably, in the next generation, many articles in husbandry will be cleared up, that to us are not a little puzzling *. We agree with the author in this judicious reflection; and we are fatisfied, that had he kept this conftantly in view, he would not have thought it a matter of such ease as he feems to apprehend it, to prescribe pofitive rules for the conduct of farmers, upon foils, with the nature of which, he is confeffedly as little acquainted as with this, which lies in the very parish in which he actually refides; nor would he be fo apt to speak in fuch a decifive tone as he often does, of matters, about which he can only be hypothetically acquainted. This obfervation is still more applicable to Mr. Young than to Mr. Wight. It were well if no other writers could be accufed of the fame defect. J Another experiment nearly as inexplicable as the former, is recorded by Mr. Wight, as follows: A field of twenty-five acres, all of the fame foil, was laid down by Mr. Mill (at Craigendinnie) in grafs, and pastured feven or eight years. In order for a crop of corn, eighty bolls powdered lime per acre, were laid upon the half of this field; and, though the liming of the other half could not be overtaken, the whole field was plowed together, and cropped for five years. The crop was equally good on both parts of the field; and no person could fay, that what was limed did better than what was not. Then the unlimed part was fallowed and dunged, and sown with corn and grafs-feeds. The limed part was afterwards (Query, in the fame season or not?) fallowed; but without dung. The Vol. ii. p. 155. fallow fallow was completed in the month of July, at which time, there was a fall of rain. Mr. Mill took this opportunity to fow grafs feeds on the fallow. The quantity on each part was the fame. Both crops were cut for hay this year and the part which had been limed fix years before, gave a double quantity *.' This experiment is very inaccurately recorded. We had fome doubts about the propriety of recommending a very large quantity of grafs-feeds in Lord Kames's Gentleman Farmer t, the following experiment of Sir George Suttie, feems to confirm our opinion. On different acres of the fame foil, and in the fame field, he has fowed, fifteen, twenty, twentyfive, and thirty pounds of red clover; and has always found the heaviest crop from fifteen to twenty pounds of feed per acre; and that it turned meaner and meaner, in proportion to the quantity of feed above twenty pounds ‡.' By an experiment of Mr. Givan of Kimflut, it appears, that the urine of cattle is a valuable manure. He recommends, that it should be sprinkled upon the ground nearly in the fame way they water dufty roads in the fouth of England. He thinks, the urine of turnip-fed cattle, even of greater value than their Jung' We wish to fee the following experiment repeated, because we much doubt if the fame effect would invariably be produced by it. One experiment of Mr. Maxwell's (of Ferraughty) concerning fog, it would be unpardonable to omit. The old pafture, on the fide of the river, is infefted with fog. Being averfe to tillage, for fear of the foil being washed of, in case of any high flood in the river, he tried what lime would do, On part of a large field over-run with fog, he laid 120 bushels fhell lime, Winchester measure, per acre; which, at the rate of fixpence halfpenny per bufhel, carriage included, amounted to 31. 5 s. per acre. The effect was furprising. In two years after the lime was applied, the fog had moftly disappeared; and at the time I viewed the field, which was the fifth year, there was not a veftige remaining of it. The fubfequent trials on the fame field, were equally fuccefsful §.' We have, without doubt, feen ground that had been copiously limed much infefted with the plant here called fog. Befides thefe, which may be properly filed experiments in agriculture, we meet with many judicious modes of culture, confirmed by the experience of different farmers recorded in these volumes. Among the most new and useful of these modes of culture, are the following: • Vol. ii. p. 258. Vol. ii. p. 200. + See Rev. for February laft, p. 98. § Ibid. 451. "Mr. Mr. Anderson (of Caftletown) manages a thin clay foil, inclining to moor, as under: After a thorough fummer fallow oats and red clover are fown on the winter furrow: five & firlots halle oat feed, produce feven bolls: and of red clover, twenty pounds are given per acre. As the crop of clover is not rank, it is paftured while in the flower with horfes and cattle. The 1ft of August, when eat bare, the field gets a cross plowing, which makes water-furrowing neceffary; a fecond ploughing about the month of October, along the ridges. Oats and clover-feed are fown in the fpring, as before: the product of the oats runs from fix to eight bolls per acre. Mr. Anderfon, fays, he has followed this practice above twenty years; and he. finds no decay whether of clover or oats *. "A field of very light foil, apt to be blown away with the wind, is managed by Mr. Anderson in a manner that has given great content. After ploughing, three and one half bolls potatoes are planted on an acre, the rows fourteen inches wide, and diftant eight inches in the row. The royal forefter is chosen, because it is good for eating, and never grows rank; which affords opportunity for much hand-hoeing, where neceffary. Laft year fixty bolls were produced on an acre. As foon as the crop of potatoes is removed, fea-weed is fpread on the furface, and ploughed in with a neat furrow: three firlots of barley per acre produce twelve bolls. A repetition of this fhort rotation has been tried feveral years with equal fuccefs.' Mr. Anderson has alfo difcovered that clover, as well as peas, fown with the first crop after old grafs, totally prevents any damage from worms. Sir George Suttie's experience entirely confirms that of Mr. Anderfon, with regard to alternate crops of oats and clover, upon a stiff and poor foil. The crops in that foil, at the time Sir George entered with it, did not exceed four boils per acre. He begun with a complete fummer-fallow, without dung, fowed oats, with fifteen to twenty pounds red clover, and one bushel of ryegrafs. The corn and hay crops were both of them good. As foon as the hay is removed, the field gets two ploughings, and three if poffible; then is fowed with oats and clover as before. Sir George informed me, that the product these twenty years has not been under fix bolls per acre of oats, and from one hundred and twenty five to one hundred and fifty ftone of hay. This is an amazing improvement without dung.' These concurring teftimonies seem to confirm the beneficial tendency of this practice. Many other judicious rotations of crops occur in these volumes, particularly that of Mr. Colvill minifter of Ormiston, Vol. ii. p. 187. which + the firlot here meant is 51⁄2 Gallons more than the Winchester bushel. |