178 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August 29, 1878. 
or sale. This sort of rye, when drilled at the wide distance, | to stand for several hours by themselves in a pen littered with 
offers a capital opportunity for being seeded in the months of 
February or March with broad clover. The best plan of so doing 
is to sow the clover seed and hand-hoe or horse-hoe between the 
rye, which will effectually bury the seed and prevent the necessity 
of harrowing or rolling; and this is important with a crop like 
rye, which makes such an early leafy plant in the spring. The 
object of seeding with broad clover is a valuable one, and similar 
to that which we have often carried out with early white oats. 
By reaping the corn above the clover as soon as the corn is carted 
away the clover in ordinary seasons will make quick growth, so 
much so that in many seasons we have cut up for foddering a 
heavy produce down to the first week in November without injury 
to the clover plant in the following summer. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour will still be employed in carting the corn and pulse 
crops to the stack or barn. At intervals, however, other work 
must be found for them, and this will depend very much upon the 
style or system of farming adopted. If the ordinary four-course 
rotation of cropping is pursued it will be wise, seeing that stubble 
turnips will be seldom sown, to go on with the autumn tillage of 
corn stubbles upon land coming in for root crops next season. 
This will be necessary upon the mixed soils, which are often more 
or less infested with couch grass; but on many of the chalk-hill 
farms in various counties, and also upon some of the light-land 
farms not given to couch, the horses will be employed in laying 
out farmyard dung upon the lea ground intended for wheat. It 
is, however, sometimes imagined that laying out and spreading 
dung thus early that it loses some of its properties, but on chemical 
analysis this is not found to be the case, and it then becomes a 
question as to whether it would be best to proceed and plough in 
the dung without further delay. This must, however, in a busy 
time like harvest, be a question of opportunity, for such-hke work 
in fine weather must not be allowed to interfere with stacking the 
corn crops. 
The odd horse or horses will still be required in horse-hoeing 
the late turnips and carting of green fodder daily for the horses, 
cattle, and pigs; and in case proper foresight has been used the 
green fodder of the home farm will be available for a long time 
yet. Although the second growth of clover will be rather old 
and dry, the other crops provided, such as late vetches and oats 
mixed, spring-sown trifolium, and the third cutting of lucerne, 
will each in turn be found in good condition for soiling cattle and 
horses at the stalls. 
Hand Labour will still be employed principally in harvest work, 
for although in the early districts the wheat will have been stacked 
and the ricks thatched, the barley will still require attention, and 
be cut and tied into sheaves or carted as loose corn according to 
the condition and growth of the straw. We have at the present 
time barley so laid and twisted and so broken by storms that it 
would be difficult, and probably impossible, to cut with the machine 
and tie into sheaves. We have, therefore, no alternative but to 
cut it with the scythe or fagging hook, whichever may be safest, 
to avoid cutting off the ears of corn, and harvest it as loose corn. 
Much of the oat crop is found to be in some districts in the same 
Jaid and twisted condition, and must be treated accordingly as 
circumstances may require. At any rate, it seems advisable in 
such a stormy harvest as we have hitherto experienced to put up 
ricks in the fields where the corn has grown, in order that a larger 
extent of land may be cleared of the crop in the shortest time 
and secured in the best condition. This is particularly the case 
with barley, for it cannot take much rain after being cut without 
injury to the grain as malting barley. 
Upon the home farm it will also be necessary to attend to the 
pasture and park lands, and, if it has not already been done, the 
grass and weeds which are often found in patches after the cattle 
have been feeding during the summer should now be cut over 
with the scythe, and the grass and weeds immediately raked up 
and carried away in order to prevent injury to cattle by their eat- 
ing the heads of grass seed which may happen to be ergoted. 
There are various weeds which if not carried away as fast as cut 
will leave the seeds. We have especially noticed in different dry 
pastures the yellow-flowered ragwort, which is the worst weed 
we know of. It sheds its seed in a most extraordinary manner, 
and more than any other weed will be well described by the old 
lines, “That one year’s seeding makes seven years’ weeding.” Ii 
is also necessary in some meadows, particularly those which re- 
quire to be drained, that the rushes will now be strong and should 
be cut down and carried away for littering of cattle and pigs. 
This will weaken the rushes and give a better chance for the after- 
grass to grow, and a better opportunity for the cattle to feed 
upon it. 
The shepherd will now be required to give particular attention 
to the sheep which have been recently purchased, as they often 
fall lame from foot rot in consequence of driving to and from the 
sheep fairs, and in treating them it is necessary to attend to them 
every day and dress the feet as fast as the disease appears, and 
after applying the usual remedies the animals should be allowed 
clean dry straw. 
CHICKENS DYING. 
In answer to “TWELVE-YEARS READER,” we rear many 
hundreds of chickens. We do not lose two per cent. For four 
days they are under the hen. They are then put out on the grass, 
the hen being under a rip. The birds are fed on groats, ground 
oats, bread and milk, chopped egg, and boiled greaves. They 
always do well. Failure is the exception, at intervals of some 
years. This, of course, assumes they are not provided with or 
tempted with food sufficiently poisonous to cause death, Young 
chickens are not to be benefited by nostrums. It is very nonsense 
to suppose sufficient knowledge in any man to prescribe for a 
chicken. You have made aconnecting link between two centuries. 
In the last century the administration of a peppercorn was held 
to be a sovereign remedy. The sacrifice of a cock to Esculapius 
was a panacea, and in our own time we have heard a “ wise woman ” 
say, that for a dislocation the white of a new-laid egg laid on with 
the wing feather of a hen was a remedy. 
Hatch your eggs under hens. When hatched keep them a few 
days in confinement, then put the hen under her rip on the grass. 
Feed the young on bread and milk, soaked greaves, boiled egg 
chopped fine, and bruised corn. They will want neither help nor 
medicine. Observe common-sense rules. If the previous meal is 
not eaten give no more. If, in spite of this feeding, the chickens 
still droop, give them stale bread steeped in strong ale. The last 
we believe would have saved all your chickens. 
DURHAM COUNTY SHOW OF POULTRY, &c. 
THE annual Show of the Durham Agricultural Association was 
held at South Shields on the 21st and 22nd inst, An excellent 
marquee was provided for the poultry and Pigeons, and this 
proved a great boon. 
Poultry was about a repetition of the Ryhope Show, but in con- 
sequence of the birds bemg under canvas a few of the awards were 
reversed. 
Pigeons were a capital entry, almost all classes being well filled, 
although the Carriers were to some extent an exception, and 
Short-faced Tumblers had no entry. Tumblers, Long-faced, were 
very good. Pouters were a grand class, every bird deserving a 
prize, and two extra prizes were awarded, The first, second, and 
third were Blues, and extra second and third Yellow and Red. 
Dragoons were good in both classes, and all the six prizes were 
carried off by the Mansfield loft. In Nuns many were severely 
trimmed, and in consequence left out of the list. Owls were a 
very good class ; first and second Silver English, and third White 
African. Turbits were an uncommonly good class, almost every 
bird noticed, and the prizes awarded to Blues and Reds. Barbs 
were poor, and Jacobins a moderate lot, as also the Fantails. In 
Magpies were three of the best Reds that have been seen in the 
fancy. The Selling classes were well up in quality, and most of 
the birds quickly changed hands. 
There were three classes of Rabbits, the best being the Lop- 
ears, and one of Cats. 
POULTRY.—COCHIN-CHINA—1 and 2, G. H. Proctor. BRAHMA POOTRAS. 
—Dark.—1 and 2, Dr. J..Macrae. Lighi—-1, H.W. & H. King. 2, Wilson and 
Gowland. 3, S. Lucas. SPANISH.—1, R. S. Allen, 2 and 38, ‘IT, Newlands. 
POLANDS.—1 and 3, J. Rawnsley. 2, R. Sewell. GAME.—Old-fashioned.—Cock. 
—1,1T. Brown. 2 and 3,M. Borradale. Black Reds—1, Wilson & Gowland. 2, 
T. Dodd. Brown Reds. —1,G. Holmes. 2,R. Miller. 3,C. Venables. Any other 
variety.—l, G. Matthews. 2,G. Holmes. 3, R. Usher. HAMBURGHS.—Golden- 
spangled.—1, R. Keenleyside. 2, J. Rawnsley. 8,G. Holmes. Silver-spangled. 
—land 2, J.Rawnsley. 8,G.Boon. Gold and Silver-pencilled.—l, T. P. Carver. 
2and3,J.Rawnsley. SELLING CLASS.—I,G.Boon. 2,G.Pounder. 3, T. New- 
lands, jun. MALAYS.—1 and 2, R. Hawkins. 3, ‘I’. Newlands, jun. FRENCH. 
—l, Dr. J. Macrae. 2 and 3, J. Newlands. DUCKS.—Rouwen.—l, G. Pounder. 
Any other variely.—1, F. E. Gibson. 2, Wilson & Gowland. 3, J. Henderson. 
BANTAMS.—Black Reds.—1 and 2, J. A. Nelson. 3,M. Borradale. Brown Reds. 
—land 2,R. Miller. 8,W.N.Hudson. Any other variety, J. Durning. 2,J. 
A. Nelson. 38, J. Rawnsley. 
PIGEONS.—CARRIERS.—1 and 2, J. Dye. 3, T. Gallon. TUMBLERS.—1, T. 
Gallon. 2,R. Woods. 3, P. Wilson, POUTERS.—1 and 2, J. Guthrie. Extra 2, 
J. E. Crofts. 3and Extra 3, J. Dye. DRAGOO Blue or Silver.—1, 2, and 3, 
R. Woods. Any other colour.—l, W. C. Mood 1, 2, and 8, R. Woods. NUNS. 
—land 2, R. Woods. 3, R. S. Magee. OWLS.—1 and 2, J. Dye. 3, R. Woods. 
TURBITS.—1 and 2, J.Dye. 3,T.Gallon, BARBS.—1land 2,E. H. Stobbs. 3, W. 
F. Clark. JACOBINS.—2 and 3, W. Dale. 3, J. E. Croft: FANTAILS.—l, J. F- 
Loversidge. 2,1. Gallon. 3,E.H.Stobbs. MAGPIES.—land 3, J. E. Crofts. 2, 
R. Woods. SWALLOWS, PRIES'S, OR TRUMPETERS.—1, W. Chappelow. 2, 
G. Henderson, P. Wilson ANTWERPS.—Long-faced.—1 and 2, J. Rawnsley. 
Short-faced—1, J.Stewart. 2,E.H.Stobbs. 3,W. Dale. ANY OTHER VARIETY. 
—1, R. Woods. 2, P. Wilson. 3, J. Brown, jun. SELLING CLASS.—Price not 
to exceed 30s.—Pair.—l, W. Chappelow. 2, P. Wilson. 8, W. C. Moody. Price 
not to exceed £1.—Cock or Hen—1, W. Chappelow. 2, R.Turner. 38, M. Green. 
RABBITS.—1, J. Kearton. 2, G. Howe. ANY OTHER VARIETY.—1, J. S. 
Robinson. 2, J. Handslip & Son, T. & E. J. Fell. SELLING CLASS.—1, M- 
Borradale. 2, J.8. Robinson. 
CATS.—1, J. Pallister. 2, Rev. W. K. W. Chafy-Chafy. 
JupGn.—Mr. E. Hutton. 
CANARY MANAGEMENT. 
Ir is not of uncommon occurrence that accidents happen to 
Canaries through the want of a little proper management ; for 
instance, a too hurried mode of catching a bird from a cage or fly, 
