THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



361 



riou3 to our crops we ate likely to receive a little compensa- 

 tion in the way of reduced labour upon our fallows, which we 

 never remember to have seen in a more kind state. We hear 

 of great losses of both ewes and lambs, and believe they were 

 in a great measure occasioned by the previous wet seasons. — 

 March 23. 



HERTFORDSHIRE SOUTH. 



In entering upon the spring quarter we sincerely hope that 

 we have seen the last of wiuter, which for all purposes con- 

 nected with farming and the care of live stock has been th e 

 longest and most trying in our recollection. Nor do we think 

 the pinch has yet come, unless we are favoured with exceed- 

 ingly fine and forcing weather, as all kinds of roots are fast 

 being worked up, and how the sheep and cattle are to be kept 

 until the grass grows is in every farmer's thoughts. The 

 aspect of the country at this time is rather desolate, from the 

 utter want of any green thing in our arable lands. Winter 

 beans and winter oats alike cut a sorry figure, particularly on 

 wet soils, and many fields of beans will not recover, having 

 considerably lost plant. The wheat makes very slow progress, 

 and much of it is unpromising. Several fields of nutumu 

 wheat have been ploughed up, and though it is too early to 

 say what the crop may prove, at present the bulk of the fields 

 of wheat are backward, thin, and sickly. Nor has the season 

 been suitable for extensive planting of spring wheat. Though 

 much has been sown, a considerable portion of the strong lands 

 must be sown with oats or barley, the land being yet very 

 wet and tender. As we have scarcely had two fine days to- 

 gether, no great progress had been made in the sowing of 

 spring corn, which we have been compelled to put in by 

 stealth, a day now, and a day then, the imceasing rain re- 

 turning, at evening and entirely upsetting our arrangements 

 for the following day. Light lands work well after a brisk 

 windy day. The practice of scarifying winter-ploughed land 

 previous to drilling, is on the increase. We think poppies, 

 charlock, and other weeds are more effectually checked by the 

 scarifier than by harrows alone, and, if practicable, we make a 

 tilth for our peas, oats, and barley. Where a piece of swedes 

 is yet standing, there is not a green shoot to be seen, and 

 what is far worse, the swedes are little better than rotten 

 roots, eked out for the sheep in the absence of other food. 

 The only turnip we can hear of which has stood the winter is 

 the old-fashioned green top swede, every other variety having 

 failed. We have found a piece of drum-head cabbages of 

 great value this season. Even now, some which were planted 

 in Angust last are affording excellent keep for our ewes and 

 lambs, and we dole them out with great care, scarcely knowing 

 what to do with our flock when the cabbages are gone. This 

 is the time to sow a seed-bed to raise cabbage plants for trans- 

 planting in June and July. Cabbage is a gross feeder, and 

 those who purpose planting any shouH reserve a good supply 

 of dung. Wurzel in clamp has wasted fully one-third, and 

 many growers have lost half their produce. There will be a 

 very small quantity of wmzel left in our neighbourhood at 

 May-day. The violent storms of wind we have lately had 

 have uprooted many large trees. We should not mind if the 

 trees in our narrow lanes and hedge-rows were considerably 

 thinned by this or any other process. In many places they 

 stand so thick that nothing short of a convulsion of nature 

 will move them. As a sample of our highways and byeways 

 let us psrticularize the road known as " Blind Lane," in our 

 locality. It is decidedly on the " narrow gauge," the hedges 

 abounding in trees, nut bushes, and treacherous briars, which 

 the unlucky traveller will find out to his cost ; for if he do not 

 keep his eyes open, he runs a serious risk of losing them. 

 The twistings and turnings of our Blind Lane are of the true 

 corkscrew character, and, as it belongs to nobody in particular, 

 and we do not rejoice in a district surveyor, the hedges are 

 never trimmed, the trees seldom lopped, and we have in vain 

 endeavoured to ascertain the cultivation of the adjoining fields 

 as we passed by. Our Blind Lane would not be complete 

 without its dell-hole at one of the ugliest turns, with half-a- 

 dozen trees growing about the dell, charitably left by the lord 

 of the manor for the benefit of travellers on a dark night. 

 We have blind hedges also, the making and repairing of which 

 is the harvest of Hertfordshire woodmen. Every year these 

 worthies require cart-loads of " staff," with stakes and rods, 

 t9 set our blind hed^^es to rights, A neat job is eventisally 



made, and on completion, our woodman borrows a horse and 

 cart of us, to clear away his " stuff," a'very considerable quan- 

 tity of chips. When will our landlords see the advantage of 

 roads of a fair width, and good white-thorn hedges — an enduring 

 fence ? Another peculiarity in the farming of some parts of 

 this county, especially about Hemel Hempstead and Market 

 Street, is the leaving of a breadth of sward round the arable 

 lands. Some years ago a friend took us over the now notori- 

 ous Flamsteadbury Farm, then in the occupation of Mr. Over- 

 man, to show us how well the farm looked, and how liberally 

 Mr. Overman treated his laud. We were happy to bear testi- 

 mony to Mr. Overman's skill end enterprise at that time, but 

 having been accustomed to cultivate fields close up to stone 

 wall fencing, and within two feet of hedges, we asked why the 

 occupier left these 18 feet margins ? We were informed that 

 a clause is inserted in all leases and agreements in that locality 

 which prohibits the tenants encroaching upon the " landlord's 

 ride," and owing to the great quantity of hedgerow timber it 

 would not pay to cultivate nearer if the tenants had the 

 privilege of doing so. — March 24. 



ISLE OF ELY. 



The winter has lingered long, and appeared reluctant to 

 take leave of us. It commenced with unwonted severity in 

 October, for I find on the night of the 2l8t the thermometer 

 fell as low as 26 degs., and on the 24th as low as 24 degs., 

 and ou the night of the 14th of the present mouth it reached 

 27 degs., and during the intervening five months cold and 

 frost have prevailed. The winter has also been characterized 

 by an unusual amount of downfall. From the Ist of February 

 to the middle of this month, we have not had two successive 

 daj's free from either frost or downfall — either snow or rain. 

 Happily the last three days here have been more spring-like ; 

 the temperature has been higher, and the breezes balmy and 

 genial. Vegetation is backward. The wheat plant has suf- 

 fered rather less than might have been anticipated, although 

 in some instances it looks weak and sickly. The plant on the 

 ff n soils looks stronger and more vigorous than it does on 

 many of the strong tenacious clays. The frequent rains have 

 suited the one, but have been too copious for the other. Uu- 

 drained high lands — alas I some of these are even yet to be 

 found — look miserably bad, and must yield a wretchedly poor 

 crop. On some of our warm gravelly fen lands we see the 

 wheat plant is commencing its spring growth, and with a con- 

 tinuance of suitable weather will soon assume a wdely dif- 

 ferent appearance to that presented during the last six weeks. 

 We have just commenced rolling our fen wheats. Friday last 

 was the first day on which we could perform this most im- 

 portant work. We find the same operation last year was 

 commenced on the 17th of February, and completed on the 

 3rd of March. We roll about 300 acres ourselves, and use 

 the wheel rolls invented by the late Mr. Tupholme, of Horn- 

 castle. These work admirably, and give to the soil a solidity 

 which is of immense service to the vigorous and successful 

 growth of the plant. We employ nine horses in this work — 

 three rollers with three horses each. The land becomes light 

 as the frost lifts and raises it ; and as this dries, it becomes 

 dusty, frequently from two to three inches deep, which pre- 

 vents the wheat from striking a strong root from near the 

 surface of the ground, which it is wont to do at this season of 

 the year. The roll overcomes this difficult}', but requires 

 to be used before the surface becomes dry or dusty, and, in- 

 deed, should be done as soon as it will work clean. These 

 two or three inches of raised soil, which would soon be mere 

 dust, by this process are consolidated, and form firm and 

 Eohd ground, in which the plant can strike its surface roots 

 successfully, the result of which is a strong and vigorous plant. 

 We commend the practice of rolling fen wheats with an un- 

 even surface roller to all fen farmers. A smooth roller leaves 

 the surface too level and fine, and which, with a strong wind, 

 is very liable to blow. Fen farmers will understand this. 

 Beaus and peas are nearly all sown. The land has worked 

 badly in many instances, and the work has been with dif- 

 ficulty accomplished. Oat seeding has commenced, and until 

 the last few days has not done very well. The land has 

 usually been too wet or too har<l. Now, however, it is work- 

 ing admirably, and, with a continuance of the present weather, 

 promige to finish much more satisfactorily than it began. 

 Early SowJoe; isStil! approved by the majority ftftJwr fen farmers, 



