m 



THE FARMER*S MAGAZINE. 



CALENDAR OF GAEDENING. 



Sow in the first week the main crop of next 

 year's early cabbages : in dry weather water the 

 drills before sowing. Sow winter spinach twice 

 on mellow soils and moderately rich, like that 

 after fresh dug early potatoes. Nitrate of soda 

 has been proved to be a most fertilizing dress, 

 particularly in binding gritty loams : half a pound 

 scattered over a pole of thirty square yards dug 

 in, and the rows a yard apart, sown as the digging 

 proceeds. 



Sow also a sprinkling of horn carrot and turnips, 

 the early stone or Dutch, salads, radish, and 

 lettuce, early, and again after the second week. 

 Sow cauliflower in the third week. 



Dig up early potatoes: allow some of the medium 

 size tubers of the "ash leaved" kidney to lie ex- 

 posed and "green" for seed store. 



Transplant at various times, according to their 

 size, the stout and well formed plants of cabbages, 

 brocoh, savoys, and Brussels sprouts. Mix a 

 quantity of good manure in the soil, to which has 

 been added sulphate of ammonia, half a pound in 

 the square pole. 



Coleworts, for greens, in the same manner, 

 twelve inches apart. 



Celery : for the latest crop, about the 20th of 

 the month. Apply water Hberally if the weather 

 be dry. Never mutilate the plants by cutting the 



leaves. Earth up former plantings timely and 

 carefully. The spade may be used when the plants 

 are strong, and have already been twice earthed. 

 Propagate sweet herbs by slips and cuttings. 

 Take up garlic, shallots, and onions that are ripe. 



Destroy weeds, leave none to spread the evil by 

 seeding, and at this time the attention must be 

 constant and very careful. 



Cut up vegetable marrows and cucumbers as 

 they come on, leaving none to become ripe. Be 

 pai'ticular to gather French beans and runners, for 

 if the pods are ripened, the bearing of eatable 

 pods is wholly checked. " Gather beans and have 

 beans " says the old rule. 



Cut away the brown canes of raspberry bushes 

 that have borne fruit, then take away the super- 

 numerary young shoots, and leave six or seven 

 good canes to grow and ripen exposed to sun and 

 air. Burn the canes that are cut away, and spread 

 the ashes over the bed of bushes. The inorganic 

 salts developed by the fire are thus returned to the 

 earth. 



On fruit trees, as espaliers, the breast or spur 

 wood is regulated by early cutting, and all wander- 

 ing branches shortened by one-third. The future 

 cuttings are very much lightened by an attention 

 at this season of the vear. 



AGRICULTURAL REPORTS. 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR JULY. 



At tbe corresponding period in 1859, we reported the 

 commencement of harvest work in various localities. Now, 

 however, we have to state that in all quarters the crops are 

 " as green as grass," even in our best districts— in point of 

 fact, that they are more backward than we have known 

 them during the last ten jears. Judging from the present 

 appearance of the wheats, our impression is, that they will 

 not be fit for the sickle for at least three weeks from this 

 lime, by which period, in the ordinary course of things, we 

 shall have diminished heat and shorter days. That the crop 

 is in a precarious state, no one can doubt; but should we be 

 favoured with fine dry weather in the period here indicated, 

 we may yet secure a harvest of average abundance, and per- 

 haps of quality superior to last season. 



In the early part of the month there was every indication 

 of a very poor yield of wheat; but since then the growth has 

 progressed steadily. The ears have become well filled; 

 and the blooming season has unquestionably been a most 

 favourable one. On these points no doubt can exist ; but 

 these remarks, if more closely applied, would seem to refer 

 moie particularly to the wheats on the light lands, from 

 ■wliich we anticipate a better return than last season. When, 

 however, we consider the extraordinary changes in the wea- 

 ther, and the prevailing low tempierature, which must retard 

 the ripening progress of the crops, we should hesitate to 

 assert that the aggregate yield will be much, if anything, in 

 excess of 1809, either as regards quantity or quality. It 

 seems to follow, therefore, that wheat is likely to rule some- 

 what high in price during the remainder of the season, even 

 though we may import our usual supply from abroad. 



The appearance of the barleys is anything but satisfactory. 

 They are considerably stunted in growth, and some dis- 

 tricts wiU not yield more than two-thii-ds of their usual 

 supply. Oats, too, are far from promising ; but beans and 



peas are looking well-podded, and for the most part in good 

 order. 



Our advices from nearly all parts of the couuti7 state 

 that the quantity of wheat in the hands of the farmers is 

 considerably less than last season . In many quarters really 

 fine samples are very scarce, and the result is that our 

 markets generally have bet very scantily supplied. As 

 regards other kinds of prodt e, the supply is considerably 

 beneath an average, hence nemiy the whole of our enormous 

 consumption is now met by the foreigner, whose stocks, if 

 reports, apparently derived from authentic sources, are to 

 be relied upon, are sufficiently large to meet any extra 

 demand that may arise here; hence moderate, though re- 

 munerative quotations may be looked forward to. 



In some parts the crop of hay has turned out very large, 

 iu others somewhat deficient. Where the growth has proved 

 heavy, the quality, owing to the incessant rains which fell in 

 June, is very inferior, and in numerous instances an enor- 

 mous quantity has been spoiled from want of weather 

 sufficiently dry to enable the growers to stack it. In this 

 way the losses have been somewhat heavy, and it would 

 appear — even though the second-cut may be a large one — 

 that really good hay will be a very dear article during the 

 winter months. 



The value of wheat has fluctnated with the state of the 

 weather. In the early part of the month prices were cer- 

 tainly lower, but since then they have been on the advance, 

 until fine samples have become worth from 60s. to 64s, per 

 quarter. Barley has changed hands slowly, and no change 

 of importance has taken place in the value of other kinds 

 of spring corn. 



Very conflicting accounts have come to hand respecting the 

 potato crop : some of them state that disease has become 

 general ; others, that both the early and late sorts are pro- 

 gressing well. Aa yet we have discovered nothing in the 



