THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



old, off whose ribs I ahould be quite content to eat my Christ- 

 mas dinner. 



I shall pasa the Shorthorn steers and oseu, with no other 

 remark than that in general they fell far below the mark, and 

 many of them had no business there at all, bayiiig neither 

 symmetry nor anything else to recommend them to notice ex- 

 cept size. The heifers of this breed, however, were more 

 creditable, and Bomarsund, No. 82 class 12, which gained 

 the £20 prize, was as fine a type of the breed as could be ex- 

 hibited. 



The Sussex cattle, both steer? and heifers, were well repre- 

 sented, and I thougbt them rcore numerous than last year. 

 They are new acquaintances of mine, and I scarcely know 

 their good qualities, but I shonl j think they are well cal- 

 culated for workic? oxen, and that they fat slowly. Am I 

 right ? 



My own county and its neighbour Suffolk, I am sorry to 

 say, cut but a sorry figure. No. 103, cla^s 15 (to which in the 

 catalogue I see I have attached the epithet. Bait !) took the 

 first prize because it had no competitor. I cannot reconcile 

 my mind to the idea of giving a prize in such a case, as it can 

 be no honour to the receiver, and is therefore thrown away. 

 There are other similar cases, against one of which, No. 127, 

 class 24, the judges themselves have put " no merit," in the 

 catalogue of prizes. It was, in fact, the only Irish animal in 

 the " show." 



Referring back, however, to the Norfolk and Suffolk polled 

 cattle, I must claim for them the character of excellent milkers, 

 whatever they may want in symmetry; but in an exhibition 

 where this last qualification is so much thought of, they have 

 little chance of being admired. There were only four speci- 

 mens, one Norfolk, No. 105, class 16, belonging to Mr. R. 

 Cooke, of Livermere, which was a decent animal, but had no- 

 thing particularly striking about it. 



Long-horned cattle appear to be getting out of fashion, 

 only three of the breed being exhibited, each of which took a 

 prize. Lucky fellows, in having no rivals ! 



The Highland and West Highland cattle were fine stal- 

 wart fellows, but they made as outre a figure at the " show," 

 as so many Caffres in the " no-dress of undress," or North 

 American Indians, would do in Cheapside or in Buckingham 

 Palace. They might have been taken for buffaloes from the 

 American Prairies had they a little more mane, so shaggy are 

 their coats. I wonder the Highland farmers do not shear 

 them in the spring, as well as their sheep. Certainly their 

 wool would be as useful as that of the Llama of America, and 

 would make excellent cushions at any rate. The owners ought 

 tD give me credit for this hint. 



The Galloway Scots are a more civilized race, and I was 

 sorry to see so few of them, as they are rather favourites with 

 me. Here again Mr. Heath took a prize, but not the first, 

 which was properly awarded to No. 124, a remarkably fine 

 animal. I was sorry, I say, to find so few of this breed at the 

 show, for next to the Devona they are the best stock for graz- 

 ing of any, in my opinion, and they are less trouble in the 

 yard. 



There were only three Welsh cattle. The first prize, 129, 

 was a- very fine animal. 



There were some excellent animals amongst the cross or 

 mixed breeds, which I think were equal in condition to any 

 exhibited. Nos. 135, class 28, belonging to Mr. Edmund 

 Beare, a three-year-old off steer, and 141, class 29, the pro- 

 perty of Mr. R. Gibbs (albeit the latter did not get a prize), 

 were particularly fine animals. These races of cross-bred 

 cattle are not favourites with the professional men, who will 

 patronize nothing but pure blood, when they can get it. 



Amongst the extra stock there were some good specimens ; 

 but I have exceeded my limits of a letter, and must reserve 

 my notice of the sheep and piga to another week. 

 Yours truly, 



An Old Norfolk Fakmer, 

 London, December 15. 



The Farmers' Almanack, by Messrs. C. W. Johnson 

 and W. Shaw, has long been a favourite with the agricultural 

 public for the clearness of its information, its scientific cha- 

 jacter, and its hearty smack of country life and occupation, 

 jemarkably useful and intelligible. — John Bull, 



A WORD UPON THE PRESENT WHEAT 

 SOWING. 



This has been one of the moat diflScult seasons for wheat- 

 seeing ever remembered, and very large breadths have been 

 put in under very doubtful circumstances. The rain has 

 been si heavy and continuous, that but a day now and then 

 could be depended upon for sowing at all, and then most fre- 

 quently the land " worked" in a very unsatisfactory manner ; 

 the tenacious clays could scarcely be worked in I any 

 way, and the seed on almost all retentive soils has 

 been put in very badly, no land has been well pul- 

 verized, and in few cases has the soil been well 

 covered in. Moreover, the soils having become so saturated 

 with water, after a cold summer the seed does not appear to 

 vegetate kindly, and already many "patchy" and thinly 

 planted fields are observable. The grain sown, too, does not 

 possess the usual etrengh and vitality, hence much apprehen- 

 sion is felt relative to the condition of the wheat plant gene- 

 rally. The question then arises as to tha best course advisable 

 to be pursued for the lands yet to sow. That there remains as 

 yet a large breadth to be sown is unquestiosable. What is 

 now the best course to pursue ? My answer is, ou no account 

 to put in the seed improperly. If the land is not 

 dry, and will not work kindly, so that the seed cau be fairly 

 covered in, by all means let it alone. It is of no avail to put 

 in seed at this advanced period, except under very encouraging 

 prospects. Should the weather become comparatively mild 

 and dry, the temptation to proceeed may be, in some cases, 

 yielded to, if all can be done in a business-like way, and 

 the land is not liable to lose plant in the winter; but, 

 if any reasonable doubt is entertained as to safety, it is by 

 far better to wait till February, and take the chance of 

 a favourable opportunity for finishing the seeding as quickly 

 as possible; then taking care to keep all other farm work in a 

 forward state so as to be at liberty for all hands and teams to 

 aid in the completion. This will be found the most advan- 

 tageous plan. Suppose the whole to be got in, the latter 

 seeding will be liable to every depredation. The slug will 

 attack it both beneath and above. The rook?, larks, and other 

 birds will be constant depredators in open weather, and the 

 seed itself, owing to the coldness of the soil, will be very 

 liable to perish from excessive frosts. 



If, however, we grant that the grain may escape the 

 disasters, still, owing to the state of the soil and the lateness 

 of the season, it will scarcely be any forwarder than if sown 

 in February, and then it will be by no mean? so precarious ; 

 the advent of spring is then at hand ; the weather is be- 

 coming gradually warmer, the seed vegetates quickly, 

 and is succoured and fostered by continually increasing 

 warmth, so that it scarcely knows a check from 

 the time it is sown to the time it is reaped. This is 

 of course a desired advantage, and is wel! worth running 

 the hazard of protracted frost * ■ obtain. It is not often, 

 however, that the season is so b: hat the seeding cannot be 

 proceeded with in the latter p^ . of February ; but should 

 such be the case, there is v.o remedy but to wait. 

 In 1852 many fine crops were reaped from wheat sown 

 in March and April,, and it may be the case 

 this season ; but, be that as it may, the seed must 

 be put in under fair and reasonable auspices, or certaiu 

 loss must ensue. It is to no purpose, on the average of soils, 

 to put it in after a doubtful fashion. The cold, excessively 

 saturated land cannot give it due vegetating power, and a 

 sickly vegetation cannot abide a series of severe frosts ; but 

 if it does succeed partially, the drought of summer will so bake 

 these lands that light crops must be the inevitable conse- 

 quence. Land must be open and porous, to allow a free 

 growth; not kneaded like brick earth, and baked as in a slow 

 clamp. 



I am as backward as my neighbours. My intention is to 

 take advantage of every decidedly favourable opportunity of 

 getting my seed in well, as I am not liable to lose plant : but 

 at present I see no hope, and shall therefore wait as patiently 

 as possible for a suitable time. But if indeed that should not 

 come till it is too late, I shall then substitute barley, oats, or 

 potatoes. I see no wondrous advantage in the wheat crop ; 

 and if it is put in so unfavourably as to produce but a "half- 

 crop," why it is infinitely preferable to substitute the crops I 

 have named. It is imperative that everything should be done 

 well and in proper season. 



