158 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 22, 1878. 
Notwithstanding this, such soils will produce good crops of 
common turnips if fairly tilled and manured after the Trifolium 
crop is taken for seed. We have likewise noticed that soils in our 
own occupation, upon which we had repeatedly failed to obtain a 
plant of broad clover, have, when the Trifolium has been fed with 
sheep followed by roots and barley, produced a regular plant and 
fine crop of broad clover, and itis in fact the only remedy we know 
of in cropping for land which is termed “clover sick.” It some- 
times occurs when Trifolium is sown in August under favourable 
circumstance that it becomes very luxuriant, and likely to become 
laid and twisted with the autumn rains. Im such case we have 
seen it fed by forward ewes and lambs in the months of October 
and November, but not penned in a close fold, which would 
damage the crop. When sheep are only allowed to take off a 
little of the strongest plants it protects it from damage, and, 
although rather later, it will prove a good crop in the spring. 
The feeding value of Trifolium is different when used for certain 
kinds of animals. For instance, when given to farm horses whilst 
in flower, it is so good and sustaining to them in their work upon 
the land that we have known them refuse their usual allowance of 
oats, and have frequently found a portion of their corn and chaff 
food in the mangers uneaten when they have had access to a full 
bait of the Trifolium. Fatting cattle eat it well atthe racks, and 
we have found them lay on flesh faster when eating Trifolium than 
when consuming clover, Italian rye grass, or any other green 
fodder. We have not, however, found that it is best for milch 
cows, as in some instances the cows’ milk would decrease as com- 
pared with the yield under clover or grass feeding. It is equally 
good for young heifers or steers when used as supplementary 
food whilst grazing on pastures, but more particularly we have 
found it beneficial when given to our young animals in the boxes 
whilst feeding for “baby beef.” It is equally good for store pigs 
and breeding sows. We, therefore, conclude that the great value 
of the produce consists in its power of sustaining working horses 
or forwarding the condition of cattle intended for the shambles. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Herse Labour is now principally required in carting the cereal 
produce to stack or barn, also the pulse crop, such as beans, peas, 
or vetches as they come ready for harvest. We will here remark 
that we have noticed some extraordinary crops of mixed pulse, 
such as beans and winter vetches, also beans and the small late 
maple peas grown in admixture. These are nearly sure to answer 
well grown as a double crop, because they hardly ever both blight 
in the same season. It is for that reason that they are grown in 
admixture, and are certainly a much safer crop than when grown 
separately. When the season happens to be favourable for beth 
it is quite astonishing the quantity of pulse which is sometimes 
produced, for the beans not only produce in great abundance, but 
they support either peas or vetches, so that they flower and pod 
with great luxuriance. 
At intervals, when the horses are not employed in harvest 
carting, they should be engaged in ploughing for stubble turnips, 
and when these are sown the horse-power upon the home farm 
should be directed to. autumn cultivation, and as much of this as 
possible should be done before the laying out dung, &c.,in prepara- 
tion for the wheat crop commences. The chances are that after 
the preparation for the wheat sowing commences there will be no ! 
opportunity for further cultivation of the land intended for roots 
next year, except that the portion which had been suriace-tilled 
before the autumn rains set in may then be deeply ploughed or 
ridged up for the reception of the various changes of weather 
during the winter months, all of which contribute to fertilise the 
Jand and reduce it to a state fitting it for the growth of root crops 
in perfection. 
The odd horse will still be engaged in horse-hoeing the latest- 
sown Swedes and common turnips, and during the harvest period 
the work of carting green fodder for the horses and cattle will fill 
up the time of one horse and man. We find, too, that the borders 
which afforded gross crops of grass, hogweed, and cow parsley, &c., 
up to midsummer have been fit to cut the second time for several 
weeks past, and give at the present time a lot of good succulent 
green fodder, which is eaten readily by young cattle at the stalls 
and by dairy cows. This is especially relished by the breeding sows 
and store pigs feeding on for early quarter pork, the latter getting 
an allowance of Indian corn and barleymeal. The green food 
gives the animals a good appetite for the meal, &c., and thus keeps 
them growing as well as fattening. Under this way of feeding 
the manure made is yaluable, especially when the sties are 
bottomed with good loamy earth, and littered with straw as 
cleanliness requires. It is, however, found when the grass, &c., 
from field borders are given to pigs, the whole is not always con- 
sumed, the remainder going far towards economising straw 
required for litter. . 
Hand Labour.—The hand labour, for which the demand during 
harvest is always great, will now consist of tying the corn behind 
the reaping machine. Upon some small home farms, ‘however, 
hand-reaping, mowing, and fagging are still a necessity unless a 
reaping machine can be hired for the occasion. After heavy 
storms of wind and rain hands will often be required to set up 
the sheaves which have been blown down, and in setting them up 
into shock again in exposed situations we prefer to set them up in 
round shocks, which are not so easily blown down. The thatchers, 
too, will now be busy, for they will be required to thatch not only 
the corn ricks but the ricks of second cutting of clover hay. It 
is desirable, even after the ricks of corn haye taken rain, to thatch 
them immediately, for we have always found it better to thatch 
in the damp than expose the ricks to further risk: we find any 
damp under the thatch will always dry out. 
When the men cannot tie the corn they should not be allowed 
to cut it but put to other work, such as drawing straw in readiness 
for the thatchers during the intervals when corm cannot be cut. 
The hoeing or second hoeing of Swedes or turnips may be done, as 
work of this kind will not wait, and cannot be put off indefinitely 
without serious damage to the root crops. At this time of the 
year the great fairs for the sale of sheep are held, and the 
Tequirements of the home farm must be attended to, and such 
breeds of sheep purchased as are adapted to the soil and climate 
and the nature of the food to be consumed: The corn stubbles 
and pastures will be generally full of good keeping for sheep 
during the coming autumn, and the sheep now being offered for 
sale in both the midland and southern counties, either of ewes 
or lambs, are in prime condition, and we have not seen them 
better or freer from lameness and disease than at present for many — 
years. It is a good plan, therefore, now to purchase the ewes for 
breeding, because when they are in good condition they are more 
likely to offer to the ram earlier and with more regularity, and 
zhis matter will be found of great importance at the lambing time. 
EARLY CHICKEN SHOWS. 
WE have always consistently advocated poultry showing merely 
as a means to an end—viz., the ultimate improvement of our breeds 
of poultry, which is only likely to be attained by the diffusion of 
a more thorough interest in and knowledge of the subject. Asa 
mere objectless pastime, for which birds are sent about from show 
to show till they are ruined, we have always deprecated it ; con- 
sequently we have never been among those who greatly patronise 
many early chicken shows, at which immaiure cockerels and 
pullets necessarily appear. These early shows, however, are by 
no means useless, and contribute considerably to the amusement 
of many fanciers, who could hardly be expected to give them time 
and attention to the far-off end of leaving a good strain of fowls 
behind them, without some diversions meanwhile from comparison 
of their stock with that of their neighbours and the merited 
rewards of successful production. We will, therefore, say a few 
words about the advantages of these shows and about the system 
of preparing birds for them. Early maturity is greatly to be 
desired in our young poultry both for table use and for the pro- 
duction of a good supply of late summer and autumn eggs. As 
a test, therefore, of who can rear the earliest spring chickens, so 
yaluable both for home use and sale, and the most matronly 
pullets to provide eggs, the prize list of an early show is of con- 
siderable value. 
The, price of really good spring chickens in London and other 
towns has become quite exorbitant ; it is no little credit, then, to 
a breeder to be able to supply his own table or the market with 
delicious chickens when most of the world are obliged either to 
go without them altogether or to eat meagre apologies for them 
in the shape of dwarfed autumn birds, or veritable old cocks and 
hens. Eggs, too, become yearly dearer. Even in the country we 
are now asked as a favour for our superfluous eggs at Is. td. a 
dozen in the summer months to be sold again ata profit! Harly 
pullets which will produce them in abundance from July into the 
late autumn are obviously yery valuable. Chicken shows, then, 
at which none but really early birds have a chance of winning, 
must give a stimulus to the breeding of such stock. Some breeders, 
it may always be observed, are more successful at the early, others 
at the later shows. This may depend upon their system, or upok 
the situation and climate of their yards. We have of late ceased 
ourselves to attempt early exhibitions from living in a high posi- 
tion much exposed to spring winds, where the stock birds seldom 
lay in winter, and where the growth of early chickens is so much 
checked that they never come to large size. Others, again, who 
have great success in rearing chickens actually in the winter fail 
entirely to keep later birds growing through the autumn. Some 
few who are fortunate enough to have great space or variety of 
ground are equally successful at the early and late shows. 
We have in previous numbers written about the management 
of early chickens in their infancy; if they have duly developed 
the best o them should by this time be fit for the show pen. 
for the later shows, the great object is to keep them growing and 
chicken-like as long as possible ; so of course for the early, birds it 
is to bring them into full plumage with rosy combs. For this pur- 
pose the cockerels and pullets to be shown together are generally 
allowed to run together for some while before the exhibition. Tt 
they must be so shown this is better than putting them together 
for the first time in the show pen, from which a skirmish is sure 
to ensue. Where, however, they are shown separately we should — 
jn the case of the larger varieties, especially Dorkings, prefer 
