6. Wool; if our legislature would raise the bounty for killing panthers and wolves, to a law of extermination; for the mountains on the heads of these rivers, are better sheep pastures than the mountains in Spain. 7. Such a system of improvements would tend to encourage agriculture in all its branches; and when every visionary system of speculation is fully tried and proves abortive we may then adopt the language of John, "As for the earth out of it cometh bread."-chap. 7, 5. Thine respectfully, SAMUEL PRESTON. Extract of a Communication to the late Bernard M'Mahon, of Philadelphia, deceased, on the culture, management, and uses of the Mangel Wurzel, or Root of Scarcity, by Mr. John Lloyd. Fully convinced of the manifold important advantages to be derived from the cultivation of this invaluable vegetable production, I take the liberty of transmitting you the following detail of its culture, management, and uses. This root, not being well known with respect to its culture and use, fell into disrepute, until within these four or five years, when the Marchioness of Salisbury introduced it among the agriculturists of England. Many of those who received this valuable root from her ladyship, have repeatedly saved from 60 to 90 tons off the English acre. Its seed was introduced into this country, (Ireland) in the year 1787, by a Mr. Edward Lindsey, who, at that time, procured some packages from Dr. Letsom, of London. Its good qualities not being then known, or mode of culture understood, it fell into disuse, as in England, and has only been revived within these few years. Mr. E. Lindsey, wishing to further the general cultivation of this inestimable vegetable, constructed a machine to fecilitate the sowing, which has answered the purpose remarkably well, and now large fields are to be seen of it; and most persons have had abundant crops. The leaves produce two or more crops in the seasons of summer and autumn, and both leaves and roots are most valuable for feeding milch cattle, and unlike Turnips or the Brassica species, communicates no bad taste to the milk, but much improves it with a very delicious flavour. They are also allowed to be remarkably good for feeding pigs. From the many instances which can be adduced, one only is here necessary to point out the superior merits of Mangel Wurzel :- Wolf M'Neil, Esq. of Ballymorscanton, near Dundalk, (a gentleman who has cultivated it to the greatest per ection,) sowed one acre, from the leaves of which he fed forty pigs through the seasons of last summer and autumn; after which he saved 84 tons of roots, and upon these fed nine cows and five calves during the winter, and had upon the 22d April 1815, eight tons remaining, exclusive of one hundred of roots, which he transplanted for the purpose of preserving good seed. This circumstance is in itself considered sufficient, without bringing forward any more of the many proofs which could be adduced in its favour, to completely establish the usefulness of the Mangel Wurzel. Culture. Time of sowing, months of April and May.-Prepare a plot or field as for Turnips or Potatoes; open two drills with the plough, two feet apart, and put in a sufficient quantity of dung, according to the state of the ground; then cover the dung with the double mouldboard plough at once, or the single plough at twice, by ridging them up as high as can be well done, with a man shovelling between the drills, right and left, smoothing the surface of the dung, which will leave the ridge about a space of ten or twelve inches broad. This complete method of fallowing, will repay the trouble of shovelling, by raising a full proportion of earth under the roots. When the ground is thus completely prepared, two boys or girls can sow from two to three acres per day. After sowing, it should be well rolled, which completes the whole process. The crop is afterwards to be treated the same as turnips or potatoes, by putting to, and taking off, mould, &c. After the roots have been raised, the ground is in remarkably fine order for wheat, or any other crop. I subjoin, for your complete satisfaction, the following letter to the editor of "The Irish Farmers' Journal." "Sir, notwithstanding the multiplicity of communications respecting Mangel Wurtzel, for the last two months, I cannot resist sending you a statement of an intelligent practical man, corroborative of the wholesomeness of the plant, and instructive as to the use of the tops or stems, which some able agriculturists have hitherto considered of no value; whereas they have been applied by him as food for cattle, and have proved as efficacious in fattening, as either leaf or root. "1813. I put in a very poor cow, and for some time fed her upon Mangel Wurtzel tops. When the frost came, she was fed with roots, of which she ate seven and a half stone per day, with eight pounds of hay. She was fat in three months from the time she got the roots. When put in, her value was seven pounds. She had eighty-one pounds of tallow, and never appeared, from the day she was put in, to the day she left me, to have any disorder whatever. "1814. I purchased four heifers, on the 17th of August, in very bad condition; put them on the second run of after grass; took them off the 10th of November following, and put them in stake on the tops of the Mangel Wurtzel, and about seven pounds of hay per day, during which time they improved very much. The first cost of the above heifers was twenty-four pounds; they were sold about the 12th of January, 1815, at forty-five pounds ten shillings, during which time, they never showed any symptoms of weakness, or disorder of any kind. 66 " I never knew the slightest appearance of any disorder, in any of the cattle, fed with either root or leaf, for beef or milk. "I have at present eight bullocks and two cows, feeding with Mangel Wurtzel and turnips, with eight pounds of hay to each; on an average, they consume about five stone of Mangel Wurtzel, and six stone of turnips, each, per day, and are improving very much. "I also got four pigs on the 2d of October, 1814, very thin; put them up, and fed them with Mangel Wurtzel root; and, for experiment, one day tried them with some raw potatoes, of which they would not taste, while the above root lasted. I killed one of them on the 29th of December, 1814, for pork, of which I would not wish for better, and well flavoured. "JOHN LLOYD. "Steward to the Bishop of Derry. "Dated this 20th January, 1815." |