THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE,

DECEMBER, 1878.

PLATE.

OMEGA AND PRIDE OF OXFORD.

A BOAR AND SOW OF THE SMALL WHITE BREED, THE PROPERTY OF SANDERS SPENCER, Esq. HOLYWELL, ST. IVES, HUNTS.

Omega and Pride of Oxford were bred by Mr. | Northampton and North Walsham, and in 1878 Sanders Spencer, the Fisher Hobbs of the day, whose famous pigs of the small white breed have held their own at the principal agricultural meetings throughout the country, as will be seen by the following list of prizes. We give precedence to the lady, although it is custom with "boors" of any breed to make their better halves follow. In 1877 Pride of Oxford won the first prizes at

at Devonshire, Bath and West of England (Oxford), Norfolk, Suffolk, Royal (Bristol), Hunts, Beds, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Yorkshire, and Northumberland, winning in all £74, while Omega won the first prizes for boars at the same meetings with the exception of North Walsham, Suffolk, Leicestershire, and Yorkshire, where he was second, his winnings being £61.

AGRICULTURAL

ROYAL OF ENGLAND.
MONTHLY COUNCIL, Wednesday, November 6, 1878.
Present:-H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G. (president),
in the chair, the Earl of Feversham, Earl Spencer, K.G.,
General Viscount Bridport, Lord Chesham, Lord Skel-
mersdale, Sir A. K. Macdonald, Sir W. Earle Welby-
Gregory, Bart., Sir M. White Ridley, Bart., M.P., Sir
Brandreth Gibbs, the Hon. W. Egerton, M.P., Mr.
Amos, Mr. Aveling, Mr. Aylmer, Mr. Bowly, Mr.
Cantrell, Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell, Mr. Dent, Mr. Druce,
Mr. Frankish, Mr. Hemsley, Mr. C. Howard, Mr. J.
Howard, Mr. J. Bowen Jones, Col. Kingscote, M.P.,
Mr. Leeds, Mr. Martin, Mr. Masfen, Mr. Odams, Mr.
Pain, Mr. Russell, Mr. Sanday, Mr. Sheraton, Mr.
Shuttleworth, Mr. Stratton, Mr. Jabez Turner, Mr.
Wakefield, Mr. Wells, Mr. Whitehead, Mr. Jacob Wilson,
Mr. Wise, and Prof. Simonds.

Lord Windsor, of Hewel Grange, Bromsgrove, was elected a life governor of the Society, and the following new members were elected :

Ahlborn, Edward, of Hildesheim, Hanover.
Akenhead, Robert, of Otterington Hall, Northallerton.
Ashton, Edmurd, of Abbey Field, Sandbach.
Barrow, Bridgman Langdale, of Sydnope Hall, Matlock.
Batty, Captain David Longfield, of Cherry Hill, Malpas.
Blakeway, William, of Wootton House, Craven Arms,
Onibury.

Broughton, E. W. Delves, of Bryn Elwy, St. Asaph.
Brown, John W., of Manor Farm, Pewsey.

Bull, Wiliam, of Empshot, Petersfield,

CLD SERIES.

SOCIETIES.

Cahusac, Col. Wm. Legh, of Pengethly, Ross.
Chance, T. H., of Gloucester.

Cheney, William James, of Gidding Grove, Oundle.
Christison, John, of Home Farm, Floors Castle, Kelso, N.B.
Crosland, John Smith, of Burbage House, Burbage, Hinckley.
Crutchley, General Charles, of Sunninghill Park, Staines.
Davidson, James, of Bink House, Acklington.
De Laune, C. D. L. Faunne, of Saarsted Court, Sittingbourne.
Douglas, A. P., R.N., of Strathendrie, Halcombe, Manawater,

New Zealand.

Edwards, Arthur, of Fern Bank, Tunbridge Wells.
Eyton, Adam, of Plas Llanerch y mor, Holywell, Flints.
Farrer, Matthew George, of Epperstone, Nottingham.
Fellows, Herbert William, of Rickmansworth,
Fosbery, Captain W. T. E., of Warwick
Garne, William Thomas, of Aldsworth, Northleach.
Geary, Sir Francis, Bart., of Os on Hoath, Tunbridge.
Gibbons, J. S., of The Leasowes, Halesowen, Birmingham.
Glenny, William Wallis, of Cecil House, Barking.
Gou'd, Albert E., of Poltimore, Exeter.
Griffiths, Richard John, of Newcourt, Hereford.
Greig, George, of Uppat House, Brora, Sutherland, N.B.
Haggard, William George, of Rotherham.
Hurry, Wm, James, of Dairy Farm, Thorney, Cambs.
Jeffreys, Robert, of Min-avon, Colwyn, Carnarvon.
Knight, A. Halley, of 62, Holland Park, London, W.
Lacon, William Henry, of Oswestry.

Leigh, A. Egerton, of Acton Hill, Stafford.
Lister-Kaye, Charles Wilkinson, of Osberton, Worksop.
Low, Stephen Philpot, of Round Hill, Sydenham, London, S.E.
Matson, Merton, of S. Osyth, Colchester.

Miles, Sir Philip, Bart., M.P., of Leigh Court, Bristol.
Millington, David John, of Kirklington, Southwell.

to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13th and 14th, viz. :-Aspatria Agricultural School, 4; Bedford County School, 2; Devon County School, 2; Glasnevin College (Dublin), 1; Sandbach Grammar School, 4; and Surrey County School, 16. The usual examiners had agreed to act; and gentlemen invited had accepted the ollice of Honorary Local Secretaries. The Committee recommended that the Bewdley Grammar School be added to the list of schools entitled to enter candidates to compete for the Junior Scholarships. The Committee gave notice that at the next Council Meeting they would move for the renewal of the Educational Grant for 1879. The report was adopted.

VETERINARY.

The Hon. W. EGERTON, M.P. (chairman) reported that Mr. Duguid had resigned the offie of Veterinary Inspector, and that Professor Simonds had offered, on behalf of the Royal Veterinary Colege, his services pending the appointment of Mr. Daguid's successor. The Committee had therefore arranged that Professor Simonds should undertake the office of Veterinary Inspector till Dec. 31st, 1878. Professor Axe had been seut by Professor Simonds to examine into an outbreak of disease at Kent. Dr. Burdon Sanderson bad reported that Dr. Greenfield had been appointed as his successor as Pathologist at the Brown Institution.

Dr. BURDON SANDERSON had presented the following report to the Committee :

During the month of September an opportunity offered itself of inoculating twenty-seven animals with the exudation liquor of pleuro-pnemonia at a farm near Loudon (that of Mr. Keevil of Kensal Green). In one of these animals the re alt of the operation, although perform d in the usual manner by Dr. Dguid, was unfavou able. This unlooked for result, which was due to accidental in'ection of the cellular tissue in the neighbourhood of the puncture, compels me to admit that the operation is not so invariably free from danger as I hoped and believed. A the Brown Institution none of the inoculations per ormed by infusion into a vein failed to be harmless, but on the farm were the circumstances were less favourable, one of the twenty-seven animals died, and had to be paid for out of our fund.

Experiments have also been made at this Institution for the purpose of ascertaining whether, with due precautions, the usual and more simple method of inoculation could not be sfely used, it having been suggested that the good results previously obtained were due not so much to the mode of inoculation as to the care used in operating. With this view five animals have been inoculated subcutaneously, with perfectly fresh liquid. At first no signs of local or general infection followed, but after a few days all become severely affected, and two out of the five died, a result which appears to be conclusive as to the impropriety of using this method. There are now at the Institution four inoculated animals, the immunity of which I am very desirous to test by cohabitation with other animals. But in carrying out this purpose I find myself arrested by legal difficulties, and particularly by the Order in Council, which came into force on the 1st of October. According to this Order, no animal may be moved into any place containing infected animals. I therefore find myself compelled to recommend that these animals be sold.

During the past six months experiment have been continued as to the nature and mode of propagation of several anthracoid diseases. I am desirous to go on with these experiments during the present winter. Reports on them will be forth

coming before next spring.

I have, lastly, to state that the expenditure at the Brown Institution in connection with the experiments has exceeded the sum last received by £120.

The Committee gave notice that at the next Council Meeting they would move for the renewal of the Veter. inary Grant for 1879.

This report was adopted.

SELECTION.

Mr. JACOB WILSON, Lord Skelmersdale was elected a vice-president of the Society in the room of the late Sir William Miles, Bart., and the Committee of Selection nominated a member of the Council to fill the vacancy created by the election of Lord Skelmersdale as a vice-president.

SEEDS AND PLANT-DISEASES.

Mr. WHITEHEAD (chairman), reported that the Consulting Botanist had examined many samples of seeds during the past quarter, and that he had found much unwillingness on the part of those who submit seeds for examination, to supply him with information as to their source. In one case of grass seeds, which were proved to be of especially bad quality, the sender refused to say from whence he obtained them. It is hoped that the members of the Society who send samples of seed to be tested by the Consulting Botanist will not hesitate to furnish such information as may lead to the prevention of the adulteration and killing of seeds. The Consulting Botanist submitted the following report affecting the production of new varieties of grain :

Changes in plants are due to

1. Soil, food, climate, &c. These belong to the individua plant, and are not transmitted to its descendants.

2. Sports, which arise without any apparent cause, and which are handed down to a larger or smaller number of the plants' descendants.

3. Cross-breeding, whereby more or less of the peculiarities of both parents are found in the descendants. Crossbreeding may be of three kinds-(a) of individuals of the same species, and this may either be natural, as in the case of splants which are actually or practically uni-sexual, or artificia', when man inter eres, and applies the pollen of one individu d to the stigm of another; (b) of permanent varieties of the same species, as in cultivated plants; and (e) of different pecies of the same genus.

New varieties require to be tested by cultivation. Some of the descendants lose the character for which the variety is prized, and revert to the original stock; while others retain these qualities, and in some they may become intensified.

It is necessary to select the seed after each harvesting, in order to secu e a uniform and permanent variety. Time is thus necessary to the production of a new variety. A variety secured by experiment in 1879 should be sown by the person who secures it for at least three years; that is, during 188), 1881, and 1882, in order to establish its permanency, to g t rid of the parent forms that may appear, and to secure a certain amount of seed. The seed might be sent after the harvest of 1882, and be tested in various localities by the Society in 1883.

In accordance with the above report, the Committee recommended the Council to offer two prizes of £25 and £10 each in connection with the forthcoming exhibition in London, for ditinctly new varieties of wheat which shall combine the largest yield of grain and straw per acre with approved form and size, smooth and thin skin, full aud white kernel, and high specific gravity in the seed, and with bright, firm, and stiff straw. The history of each variety must accompany each entry. One sack must be delivered to the Society, together with a sample bundle of the straw, before the 1st of October, 1879. A portion of each sample will be kept for comparison, and the remainder, divided into equal portions, will be cultivated in the ensuing season, in four localities differing in respect of soil and climate, to be selected by the Society. The prizes will be awarded for the best varieties of the crop of 1880, thus cultivated under the Society's auspices, if in the opinion of the judges they possess qualities which entitle them to distinction. The produce of the experimental crop of 1880 will be the property of the Society, and will be offered first to the competitors who submitted the seed. The Committee also recommended the Council to offer prizes of £25 and £10 for new varieties of wheat,

On the motion of Mr. DENT (chairman), seconded by upon the same conditions as those enumerated before,