A catechism of Agriculture (1892)

alex04w

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
I was going through an old box of family papers today, and at the bottom of it found a small book with my great grandfathers name on it and a date of 1897. It is Book II in the University Series - A Catechism of Agriculture.. It was published in Belfast in 1892.

There is some cracking stuff in it! I have not photographed every page, but the following will give you an idea.

For Sheep

What should be done with sheep before shearing them?
They should be washed in a running stream of water, so as to remove any dirt that collects in the wool. :oops:
How many do that today? :scratchhead: Wait till Red Tractor gets that idea in the standards.

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For dairy

Why is it objectionable to keep milk in a bedroom?
Because the foul air of a bedroom will be injurious to the milk.

Why is straw a good roof for a dairy?
Because it keeps the dairy cool in summer and warm in winter.

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For Beef

How is the land stocked?
At a rate of two beasts for every three statute acres.

When does it pay to give oats and barley to cattle?
When the price of these crops is low, and the price of meat is high.

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For Pigs

When do store pigs get exercise and when not?
They get exercise when intended for bacon, but when intended for pork they are kept almost constantly in the sty.
(At least until Red Tractor or animal rights catch you :ROFLMAO:

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alex04w

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
For root crops

Cabbage
Why is the cabbage so profitable to the cottager?
Because it is a most wholesome and nutritious vegetable, and any which the cottager does not require for his table can be given to cows and pigs.

Parsnips
State some of the merits of parsnips?
It is an excellent vegetable, it is a hardy crop, and can be sold for a high price in most parts of the country.

Carrots
Why is the carrot not so suitable a crop as the parsnip for the cottage garden?
Because the carrot is not so valuable for human use, nor so saleable as the parsnip.

How tastes change, and the relative merits of crops!

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For poultry

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RushesToo

Member
Location
Fingringhoe
For root crops

Cabbage
Why is the cabbage so profitable to the cottager?
Because it is a most wholesome and nutritious vegetable, and any which the cottager does not require for his table can be given to cows and pigs.

Parsnips
State some of the merits of parsnips?
It is an excellent vegetable, it is a hardy crop, and can be sold for a high price in most parts of the country.

Carrots
Why is the carrot not so suitable a crop as the parsnip for the cottage garden?
Because the carrot is not so valuable for human use, nor so saleable as the parsnip.

How tastes change, and the relative merits of crops!

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For poultry

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@alex04w Thank you for this - I have to say that the stock pages would have a few breed societies at each others throats.
Wonderful reading!
 

digger64

Member
That was my thought too. Shows how much we waste. And these wouldn’t be super lean, heavily muscled, £250k( :ROFLMAO: ) limmys, but traditional native breeds
Yes but looking at the old pictures around their idea of fat was somewhat different to ours, also the fat/lard was a highly valued commodity before the advent of rape and vegetable oils
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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