Scope and Content
Containing farming tips and instructions received from other farmers or copied from local and national journals and newspapers. A range of topics are covered including (but not exclusively):
Produce:
- Mangel wurzel (pp. 2, 13, 51, 58, 65, 81, 155)
- Lucerne (pp. 6, 73)
- Turnips and Swedish turnips (pp. 16, 71, 77, 102, 107, 123-125, 163)
- Potatoes (pp. 26, 75, 91, 95, 127, 148, 149, 151, 157)
- ‘Cultivation of fruit bushes’ (p. 7)
- ‘Turnip cabbage… facts of Mr Denton’s experience, Madingley, Cambridgeshire’ (p.9)
- ‘Value of turnips compared with potatoes’ (pp. 86, 103)
- ‘Advantages of potatoes steamed instead of boiled’ (p. 141)
Farming methods:
- ‘On the relative advantages of the drill or broadcast systems’ (p. 5)
- ‘Ploughing and draining’ (p. 11)
- ‘The green crop system’ (pp. 21, 87)
- ‘Advantages of renewing the soil by fresh earth’ from Farmers Magazine, June 1837 (p. 27)
- ‘The Rackheath Plough’ (p. 31)
- ‘On the growth of green crops and soiling’ (p. 35-6)
- ‘Ploughing and trenching (p. 41)
- ‘Alternate system of cropping’ (p. 49)
- ‘Improvement of small pastures’ (p. 59)
- ‘The advantages of deep cultivation’ (pp. 101, 137)
- ‘Extraordinary yield of wheat from one ear’ (p. 106)
- ‘The drill husbandry and a scientific education to agriculturalists’ (p. 109)
- ‘On the soiling system’ (p. 113)
- ‘Use and abuse of lime’ (p. 129)
- ‘Lime: It’s power as a manure’ (p. 137)
- ‘Why does the green crop system yield at last 5 times more dung than any crop of corn and straw?’ (p. 152)
- ‘The abundance of corn the result of abundance of green crops’ (p. 160)
Economics:
- ‘Rural economy’ (p. 55)
- ‘On agricultural relief’ (p. 62)
- ‘Profitable agricultural investment’ (p. 63)
- ‘Observation on the employment of labourers’ (p. 69)
- ‘End of bad farming or driving land’ (p. 84)
- ‘Large farms an evil’ (p. 91)
- ‘Wages in Derbyshire in the 14th century’ (p. 128)
- ‘The grand desideratum of agriculture’ (p. 140)
- ‘The most scientific and profitable system of farming’, 9 June 1845 (p. 162)
Pests:
- Turnip fly (pp. 6, 15, 27)
- ‘Certain remedy against mice destroying peas’ by W. Tebbitt of Clapham Common (p. 79)
- ‘Flies effectually destroyed’ (p. 156)
Manure (pp. 17, 29, 37, 45, 51, 71, 83, 105, 108, 112, 119, 130, 137, 138, 150, 159)
Livestock and animals:
- ‘Sentry cats’ copied from Farmers Magazine (p. 23)
- ‘Feeding pigs on apples’ (p. 47)
- ‘Corn feeding opposed to cake feeding’ from a correspondent at Manor Farm, Bedfordshire (p. 53)
- ‘On the treatment of sheep with a view to the improvements of the fleece’ (p. 60)
- ‘On the utility of green and root crops for the support of cattle’, 17 March 1838 (p. 67)
- ‘Economical feeding of farm horses’ (p. 76)
- ‘Calculation on feeding hogs upon steamed green crops viz. mangel wurzel, turnips, potatoes etc. thereby devoting all your straw to daily litter under cover’ (p. 89)
- ‘The very great gain by keeping stock well’, 30 May 1846 (p. 98)
- ‘On the nature and management of livestock’ (p. 99)
- ‘Cheapest plan of feeding draught horses’ (p. 134)
- ‘Pig population’ (p. 140)
- ‘Cobbett’s system of feeding hogs’ (p. 141)
- ‘Hogs for London Market’ , information from Mr John Darrington of Chawson, 3 February 1843 (p. 143)
- ‘Expenses of importing beasts from Hamburg’ (p. 147)
- ‘Feeding pigs on new milk with other food’ (p. 151)
- ‘Food for weaning calves’ (p. 157)
- ‘Most profitable time for cows to calve’ (p. 161)
- The Rev. Kilvington's recommendations for treating foot rot and a recipe for a cordial for calving cows (p. 164)
The second half of the book contains several notes and tips presumably compiled in conversation with other local farmers. These include:
- Mr. Adams of Girtford “says soot is particularly adapted for the growth of wheat…” (p. 70)
- Mr. Adams of Girtford’s treatment of cows after calving (p. 161)
- Mr. Ayres “potato merchant, Earith [Hunts]” p. 151)
- John Darrington of Chawson’s recommendations for taking hogs to London markets (p. 143)
- John Franklin of St Neots’ comments on a neighbour’s experiences on the cost of pork and feeding pigs (p. 153)
- Martin George of the Anchor in Tempsford’s notes on the most profitable time for cow’s to calve (p. 161)
- Mr Heding “keeps always 6 breeding sows…” (p. 156)
- R. Judd “says he believes J.S. grew 1000 bushels per acre of potatoes last year…” (p. 149)
- Mr. Maine of Toseland [Hunts] “says breeding pigs is far more profitable than buying them…” (p. 151)
- Mr. Martin of Blunham “says grow them once & use them observingly…” (p. 149)
- John Moor of Sandy “always keeps his cows fastened up…” , March 1844 (p. 156)
- Chas. F. Palgrave’s composition for softening leather (p. 136)
- Chas. Palgrave’s recipe for treating murrain in beasts (p. 161)
- Chas. F. Palgrave’s ‘Turnip Protection’ (p. 163)
- Chas. Powers of Tempsford “in 1846 used a similar quantity…” (p. 70)
- Mr. Pullman of Great Staughton “has grown wheat 8 years in regular succession” (p. 69)
- John Purser “said a person at Bythorn had grown wheat constantly 6 years…” (p. 69)
- Wm. Sutton of Hamlet End [Girtford?] “recommends soot before any other compost…” (p. 69)
- Jos. Thomas “says he never fears spending money with prudence in fertilising his land…” (p. 149)
- J. Topham of Eaton “has frequently bought them…” (p. 151)
- J. Topham “calculated which paid best, calves or pigs…” (p. 151)
- Jos. Usher of Blunham “is now feeding 20 hogs with food proportioned as follows…” February 1844 (p. 154)
- J. Usher’s suggestion for “food for weaning calves” (p. 157)
- Wm. Wagstaff of Offord “in 1845 used 400 bushels on 8 acres and was certain it paid him well…” (p. 70)
‘Memorandums of 1843’ gives a brief account of the destruction caused by a hail storm on 9 August (p. 155).
There are also a couple of personal references:
- A poem titled ‘Plato’s Salutary Advice’ which was “copied from the Cambridge Independent Press of September 1846 by J.H. [Joseph Humbly]” (opening pages)
- ‘Extract from a magazine of Mr. R. Parnell Chapman of Saltfleetby All Saints on the 11th August 1845 by J. H. [Joseph Humbly] whilst visiting his worthy father in law the Rev. R. Kilvington’ (p. 108)
- “J.H. and Mrs. H. returned from Saltfleetby on Thursday August 14th 1845” (p. 164)
- ‘The Rev. Rich. Kilvington frequently gives powdered nitre in the food and water of his horse…’ with recommendations for dealing with foot rot in sheep and recipes for cordials to treat cows after calving (p. 164)