When on this subject, another nearly connected with it may be noticed, namely, the trade in the different varieties of turnip-seeds. It is well known, that four or five years ago, it was scarcely practicable to obtain a pound weight of rota baga, or Swedish turnip-seed. pure and uncontaminated, from any shop whatever, as, owing to the negligence of growers, some communication or other had always taken place with other plants, when the blossoming process was going forward. Owing to this negligence, heavy losses were sustained by many farmers, till at last some of them more sagacious than others found that the only remedy was to raise seed for their own supply, in which way the true species of rota baga has again been happily restored to agriculturists. Perhaps a recent decision of the supreme court in Scot land, will be of eminent advantage to the farming in terest. The principles adopted by the court, when deciding upon the cause alluded to, were, that if the purchaser could not make the seller liable for selling seeds of a different description from what he bargained for, the public could have no security whatever, that they would get the article they were in want of from the seedsmen. Besides, the court seems to have held it to be agreeable to the principles of strict law, that every man, who sells a commodity to another at a fair price, virtually warrants the commodity as of good qual ity ; and that, if one commodity is sold under the name of another, the seller must be answerable for the con sequences.
In the proceedings alluded to, the supreme court ap pears to have been guided by sound and correct prin ciples; and their decision, we have no doubt, will be attended with the most happy consequences. The ex ternal appearance of many seeds, does not furnish a proof of their particular qualities, as evidenced in the fullest manner by what has happened with some farmers of the first rate abilities, who, even for a great many years, have been in the regular practice of saying these very seeds in considerable quantities. We have seen seed sold for that of turnip, and apparently of excellent quality, which in fact turned ont to be a weed of an un describable nature, and of a species hitherto unknown in this country. In a word, there is no other method of making the grower attentive to the article which lie disposes of, but the one lately adopted by the supreme court, which, we trust, will be followed by the happiest effects.
On H;:t.s.
Hops arc a necessary article in brewing, hut not ad vantageous in en agricultural point of 1 : because much manure is abstracted by them, while little or none is returned. They are an uncertain article of growth, often yielding large profits to the cultivator, and as often making an imperfect return, barely sufficient to defray the expenses of labour. in fact, hops are exposed to rimy more diseases than any other plant with which we are acquainted ; and the trade affords a greater room Inca speculation, then any other exercised within the Bri tish dominions.
\Vhcn a piece of land is intended to be planted, the first thing is to plough the land as deep as possible, early in October, and to harrow it level : it is then me ted each vl ay With a four rod chain, placing pieces of reed stick at every tenth link, to mark the place of the hills, which makes 10.10 per acre. This is the general
method ; but some few g•onnds are planted 800, and sonic 120 per acre ; sonic are planted wider one way than the other, in order to admit ploughing between the hills, instead of digging. But this practice, although it has been tried ninny years, does not seem to increase, on account of the difficulty of digging along the rows, where the plough cannot go ; that part, being much trodden with the horses in ploughing, digs so much the worse, that an extra expense is incurred, vv hich in sonic mea sure defeats the economy of the plan. When the hills are marked out, holes are dug about the size of a gal lon, which are filled with fine mould, and the nursery plants placed in them.
Some put three plants, others two, and some only one good plant to each hole. If the land is planted with cuttings, instead of nursery-plants, the holes are dug in the spring, as soon as cutting time commences. Some fine mould is provided to fill up the holes, in which are placed four or five cuttings, each about three or four inches in length. They are covered about an inch deep with fine mould, and pressed down close with the hand. When the land is planted with cuttings, no sticks are required ; but, if nursery plants are used, they require sticks, or small poles, six or seven feet high the first year. In both cases, the land is kept clean, during the summer, by horse and hand hoeing ; the next winter clog with a spade ; and early in the spring the old binds are cut off smooth, about an inch below the surface ; a little fine mould is then drawn over the crown of the hills. As soon as the young shoots appear, so that the hills may be seen, they are stuck with small poles, from se ven to ten feet long, in proportion to the length it is ex pected the bind w ill run. These poles are called se conds, and are generally bought in the woods, at from 5s. to 8s. per hundred, and three of them are placed to each hill. As soon as the binds get about two feet in length, women arc employed to tic them to the poles. The land is kept clean during the summer, by horse and hand hoeing, as before mentioned. The proper time for gathering them is known by the hop rubbing freely to pieces, and the seed beginning to turn brown. They are picked in baskets, containing five bushels each, and are c arricd to the oast in bags, at noon and even ing, for drying. Great care and skill are necessary in this branch of the business; the smallest neglect or ignorance in the management of the fires, will spoil the hops, and occasion great loss to the philter. When dried, and sufficiently cool to get a Ittde tough, so as not to crumble to powder, they are put into bags, or pctrkets, former containing two hundred weight and a half, and the latter, an hundred and a quarter : they are then trodden very close, and weighed by the ex ciseman.