265
THE ESTATES GAZETTE
February 18, 1899.
It cannot well be denied that the advance of scientific knowledge has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. If steam power had never been thought of there would be no railway accidents, and without printing there would be no libel actions and no smart Society journalism. So with the telephone, there are one or two set-offs, the latest having been discovered by Mr. J. R. Paget, who, in the last of this year’s course of Gilbart Lectures on Banking, expressed his belief that notice of dishonour of a bill of exchange by telephone was permissible. He thought that there was nothing in giving notice that way “ which infringed the common law or the ascertained law merchant; in fact, it seemed to be just one of those cases where, if there were any doubt, it would be possible to add another rule to the law merchant and the common law on the ground that these were always open to new accretions arising from the advance of scientific facilities and the exigencies of modern commerce.” Mr. Paget took it, however, that telegrams and telephonic messages, in such cases, would be confirmed by letter. I should think so too; but meantime the bare idea of being rung up to receive notice of dishonour of a bill adds a new horror to the telephone.
I heard not a bad story a day or two ago of an auctioneer, upon whose identity I shall only give the hint that he carries on business not a hundred miles from this city. He is generally supposed to be “fitted with a shrew,” and put the despairing query to his brother, “ Did’ any man ever yet make anything by opposing a woman’s will?” “Yes,” was the reply, “ I have made a good deal out of that sort of thing myself.” “Ah, but,” answered the other, “ you are a solicitor, and the women whose wills you oppose are always dead! ”
STYLO.
FORESTRY AND ITS AFFINITY TO FARMING.
To the Editor oi the ESTATES GAZETTE.
Sie,—I notice in your issue of 11th inst. that I am reported as saying in my lecture on the above subject, before the members of the Ripon Agricultural Association, “ That the | farmer had often to go to the woods to supply l his wants, and it would be an advantage if,
I instead of always having to apply to his land-׳ lord, he could have 2 per cent, of the woods . allotted to him, provided he kept his portion I in a systematic manner.” This is a reporter’s ! error, for what I suggested was that a farmer should be allowed 2 per cent, of the area of the farm he occupied given to him rent free, for the purpose of growing the timber he now receives from his landlord, but the timber should be planted and attended to in a systematic manner, under proper supervision, but not to be made a game preserve in any way. Further, some farmers or owners might think (and rightly so) that their land was of too good a quality to be devoted to timber growing, and to meet such a case it was suggested that the farmer should have instead an equivalent to 2 per cent, of his farm of land of a poorer quality, and better suited for the purpose of growing timber trees.
In the discussion which followed, I clearly explained that anyone farming 1,000 acres would have 20 acres planted with trees, and the length of the rotation would be regulated so that at no time more than one quarter of an acre could be cleared off in any year, and so on in proportion, i.e., allowing a rotation of 80 years.
Kindly oblige me by correcting the above in your next impression, for which I thank you in anticipation.
Yours, etc.,
failings anît ®mags.
I have heard it said, with what degree of truth I know not, that Government officials in all countries have an objection to typewriting machines. Of course, officials are as a rule conservative. The introduction of typewriters into a department would mean a considerable saving of labour and therefore of expense. This, however, is not so much an object where John Bull pays for all, as it would be in the case of a private business establishment, and, on the other hand, the reform would mean an alteration and diminution of the ■personnel of the staff, and consequent worry and trouble for the T'ite Barnacles. It appears that the German Emperor has recently approved of the use of the labour-saving appliances in the bureaus of his country, thereby showing himself as anxious to get forward! in this as in other directions. In alluding to this subject the Berlin correspondent of a contemporary remarks that old-fashioned German officials pretend to look down on typewriters as plebeian apparatus only fit for the commercial world. “ Government clerks,” it is added, “ however beggarly their pay and their position may be, generally consider themselves something better than people
employed in trade and commerce..............
Everyone has a title, which mostly indicates the kind of work he is employed׳ for, and even in private life he would consider it an insult if people simply called him by his name instead of using his title.” Well, would not Herr Typewriterwitzunden be as good a title as any other?
In order to make sure of his handsome pension of £2,700 a year, I note that Mr. Commissioner Kerr must retire from the Judgeship of the City of London Court in the month of May next. The appointment of his successor rests with the Lord Chancellor, but it is rumoured that the Corporation will suggest that the Court in the future should have two Judges instead of one, so as to make continuous sittings a practical reality. Whether this would involve further expense I do not know. At present the Corporation’s Judge draws £3,500 a year and is entitled to a heavy pension, an arrangement which contrasts very favourably (from the Judge’s point of view) with the remuneration of an ordinary County Court Judge, namely, £1,500 a year and no pension. The £3,500 might, one would think, be conveniently cut in half. The subject is of a good deal of interest to litigants in the City tribunal, some of whom may possibly regret the prospective loss of the brusquerie and impartially, the wit and wisdom of their “ Special ” Commissioner.
Canvassing is being recommended as an employment for women. “ Intelligent women,” says a female writer, “ with fluent tongues and business instincts may succeed׳ very well as canvassers. There is a great variety of ground open to the canvasser. In election times political parties are often glad to pay women to canvass for them. (This, the writer may not know, would be distinctly illegal.).
Then, periodicals and newspapers employ agents to solicit business firms, etc., for advertising, patentees engage people to make their goods known, etc. The difficulty is to get into the swim of such work,” etc. That is all very well, but some people would say that all canvassers are a nuisance—and female canvassers 1 It is fearful to contemplate how women would talk if the exuberant verbosity which is natural to them were stimulated by the prospect of earning a commission!
WM. FORBES.
Swinton, Masham, Yorks,
February 14, 1899.
THE AUCTIONEERS’ INSTITUTE.
KENT, SURREY AND SUSSEX BRANCH.
The annual meetings of the above branch will be held at Tunbridge Wells, on the 22nd inst., when the officers for the ensuing year will be elected. A new feature will also be introduced at the meeting in the shape of a paper to be read, to which all the members of the branch have been asked to contribute. In this paper instances will be given of any unusual effects or properties that the members of the branch have had to dispose of by auction ; also examples of unusual places in which they have had to conduct sales, and instances of exceptional, amusing or startling experiences they have had in the auction room. The members of the branch have in addition been requested to send in any suggestions they can offer for the adoption of new methods which will increase the usefulness of the branch.
We are informed that new members have been constantly coming in during the past year, and the Kent, Surrey and Sussex branch, though the youngest, is now the largest of tire English branches of the Institute.
A propos of canvassers and canvassing, an amusing and instructive case was recently heard in the Shoreditch County Court. The claim was made against Captain Henry MacFarlane, of Arbroath, for wine supplied to him by Messrs. Ehrmann Brothers, the proprietors of the “ Golden Goblet ” champagne, of Finsbury-square. The Captain, the report says, repudiated liability, and read four sheets of foolscap setting forth that the action was brought from vindictive motives. He had introduced the firm’s name to members of the Royal Family and of the aristocracy, but owing to their peculiar system of doing business he had lost much of his “connection.” He alleged that the wine in respect of which the present action was brought was a free gift, and went on to add—though it did not appear that he had pleaded the facts by way of counter-claim —׳that the plaintiffs had taken his father’s crest, coat-of-arms, and the tartan of the clan, and had them copied as a label for a whisky which they called “Macfarlane whisky.” “It is misleading to the public and a gross libel on my family! ” said the defendant, hotly, m concluding; but, said׳ Judge French, “I fail to see what all this has to do with the case, except that you say the wine was a present at the time. The plaintiffs don’t prove otherwise, so I order a nonsuit.” The Highland Captain scored this time.
book-keeping and rendering accounts learned, I but the principles of tenant-right valuations, the value of live and dead stock, produce, timber, etc., and many other points are dealt with which do not come to the pupil who serves with . a resident agent.
But wherever the pupil goes, it nearly all depends upon himself whether he learns anything at all, for he must love his work and take an interest in it, and try to learn something whenever he can, or he will never get very competent. Then, if possible, a small subagency should be got hold of—very good advice, but perhaps difficult to follow, for these stepping-stones to bigger things are few and far between ; but if not this, a clerkship in an estate office is better and more profitable than wasting time at home waiting for a situation. Young men of twenty-two or twenty-three do not realise that they are rather of tender years to undertake a big agency, and that they must be content to wait patiently until getting on for thirty before they can hope for a good berth, unless specially favoured. The concluding words of one of the letters in the “ Field ” are valuable and worth repetition: “ Still, I should not advise any young man to choose land agency as a profession.” Yery good advice, unless you have something certain in store for you.
Tuberculosis, both in man and beast, is receiving a great deal of attention at the present time, and well it may. With regard to the disease, as affecting dairy stock, the Royal -Agricultural Society has issued a leaflet containing many useful suggestions, with the object of assisting dairy farmers in meeting the requirements of the sanitary authorities. The liability of the milk to carry infection is pointed out, and the value of the tuberculin test as the only safe and nearly certain method of discovering the presence of tubercle, even when no indications are apparent. The necessity of removing animals which are affected with diarrhoea, cough or wasting, from contact with other animals is shown, and dairymen are urged to do everything in their power to eradicate the disease from their herds. Overcrowding, bad ventilation, dirt and darkness favour the spreading of the disease, whilst it shows little tendency to increase if the cows lead an open-air life, and are kept under natural conditions. The cleansing and disinfection of cowsheds is an essential, and the free use of water, instead of sweeping, dry brushing and raising of dust, is an important part of the process. The leaflet may be obtained free of charge on application to the secretary, 13, Hanover-square, W.
Gardeners and farmers differ in their opinions as to the planting of potatoes of medium size whole as seed, or cutting up larger ones. Probably most prefer the latter method, as this ensures decay of the tuber and so provides food to nourish the new crop in its early stages of growth. A good deal depends upon how the potatoes reserved for seed are treated when stored during the winter months, the difficulty when large quantities are being dealt with being to preserve them from loss of strength by over !sprouting. A small quantity can be well kept by spreading out in single layers on a cold floor, but several tons cannot be so treated. Full exposure to air and light as much as possible checks growth as well as anything.
A remarkably prolific cart mare is owned by the Hon. W. F. D. Smith, M.P., on his farm in Buckinghamshire. She is 26 years old, and has bred 20 colts, most of them following her in colour. At one of the annual valuations ten of her colts, all roans, were standing in one stable, and nearly all the 50 horses on the farm claim as her offspring directly or indirectly.
In spite of the continued wet-, reports from the Hampshire Down and Dorset flocks are mostly satisfactory, and lambs and ewes appear to be doing well, and there is quite an average percentage of twins. Roots are very scarce, but hay is plentiful, so the greater use of dry food majr account for the good health of the flocks. The necessity of using a larger quantity of artificials, for hay alone will not keep ewes up, will make the season an expensive one to flockowners, and take away from the profit of the flock.
The corn trade at present is anything but brisk, and the markets are lowering all round, with	the excep-
tion of oats, which keep fairly level. Few samples of English wheat exceed 30s., which is not a very high figure for the best. The imperial averages for the week ending February 11 were : —Wheat, 26s. 8d. ; barley, 27s. 2d. ; oats, 17s.
JTarnt an& JFtflir.
BY A LAND AGENT.
[SPECIALLY CONTRIBUTED.]
The remarks made in this column recently on the carelessness of some farmers in their treatment of fruit destined to be converted into cider seem to have hit the wrong quarter. Letters have been received from cider manufacturers in various parts of the country protesting against such statements, and complaining that they may prejudice many persons and prevent them from drinking this popular beverage, who otherwise would do so. In fact, however, the notes referred to should have been an advertisement to our big growers and bottlers, for they would tend׳ to influence the consumer to take care that he dealt with a firm of good standing, such as Whiteway and Co., of Whimple; Waterer, of Baltons-borough ; Aylmer, etc., than trust to the small farmer for his supply. It was for some of this latter class that the remarks were intended. No one who is familiar with the counties of Somerset and Devon can deny that many of the orchards are very slovenly managed, but of course, this is not the general rule, .even amongst the ordinary farmers, and when one comes to the large growers and manufacturers nothing can be cleaner than their treatment of the fruit and nothing more delicious than the product. When cider making is carried on on a large scale the plant used is of the most modem and scientific description. Absolute cleanliness is required, and the best makers use only the genuine juice of the apple and employ no chemicals or artificial sweetening or aeration. The sparkling bottled ciders are not, however, all sweet, for dry and extra dry brands can also be obtained.
Whilst on the subject, it may not be out of place to draw attention to the medical testimony in favour of this beverage as a wholesome and healthful drink. On all sides the doctors speak well of it as a preventive of gout and rheumatism, and a much-to-be-desired substitute for beer, especially amongst schoolboys and young people. From a medicinal point of view it is necessary that cider should be pure and not made up in any way, and this genuine production can be obtained of our growers at home without going in for foreign brands, which often contain more of potato than of apple juice. It is to be hoped that these few lines will disabuse the minds of readers of the idea that there was any intention to run down cider as a drink by anything said in this column—only let them try a glass of good cider after a long, hot walk, or cycle ride, and it will take a lot of disparaging remarks to prevent them returning to a similar source of refreshment on the next occasion.
An interesting correspondence has been running in the “ Field ” for the last few weeks under the heading of “ Land and Estate Management,” dealing with the training and prospects of young land agents. Yery sensible are the remarks of most of the writers as to the crowded condition of the profession (but what trade or profession is not overdone now?), the necessity of proper training for the young agent, and the difficulties of obtaining a first berth. One correspondent describes very truly the method which most young fellows adopt to fit themselves for the responsible position of managing landed property for others. Two or ■three years in the office of somebody’s agent, where the pupil rarely gets the chance of doing or seeing any work, and for want of a job drifts into country sports and amusements, filling his time up with hunting three days a week, fishing, playing cricket, tennis, etc., and then, after this period of rigorous “ training,” applies for the management of a large but heavily encumbered and embarrassed estate, requiring the most experienced hand at the helm. Indeed, drawn from life, with but little added touches.
The advantages of a course at an agricultural college, if properly made use of, are very great, as a thorough grounding in the theory of the many varied !subjects, a knowledge of which is essential to the making of a good agent, can there be acquired, and where thereTs a farm attached and managed by the principal, the practical side can also be picked up. From here the student should enter the office of an agent where he can really enter into the work qi the estate, or perhaps go on a farm for a year or so and actually take a part in the various operations going on. For good training, to enter the office of a firm of auctioneers who are agents for several estates, large and small, and who manage a home farm or two, cannot be excelled, as the pupil there sees a variety of practice which cannot but serve him in good stead. Not only are good systems of