September 19, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 233 
unhealthy wheat plants. When wheat is drilled upon these small 
ridges it is of great consequence that the land should lie rounding, 
with a gradual fall from the centre of the ridge to the furrow on 
each side ; and to finish off the work after drilling it is best to strike 
the land furrows with the double mould plough, and after the 
water furrows are struck out with the common plough they should 
be carefully made out with the spade, taking care to have them 
from 2 to 3inches deeper than the land furrows. This will clear 
the water out well from the land furrows. Still it will be neces- 
gary, particularly where the land is flat, to have the water furrows 
Jooked over and made out the second time, immediately after the 
first heavy rains which occur after drilling the wheat. 
Tt is of consequence that the sort of wheat for seed should be 
chosen as best adapted to the soil. We do not approve of any sort 
of white wheat for heavy land, except where the climate is especi- 
ally early and favourable, but prefer the best varieties of red wheat, 
such as Nursery, Golden Drop, Browick, and the Red Lammas. 
These all yield well on the strongest soils. 
The foregoing remarks as to the use of horse power refer only 
+o those home farms where only about a hundred acres or less are 
under cultivation, but on larger occupations we much prefer the 
use of steam power, not only on'account of its better effect on the 
land, but so much may be done in a short time whilst the weather 
is favourable. It is highly desirable where the business is of suffi- 
cient size and importance to have locomotive steam power avail- 
able, not only for tillage purposes, but also for thrashing, and a 
house for the steam engine should be attached to the buildings on 
the farm, so that in the winter months the engine will not only be 
protected and cared for, but will be set to work and give its power 
for the purposes of chaff-cutting, cutting roots, cracking cake, and 
grinding of corn. The engine house, being properly placed near the 
building where the above work is required to be done, shouid be so 
constructed that the floor should be grooved to receive the wheels 
upon a slight incline, and when in position to be blocked and made 
firm in its place ready for all usual work. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour.—This will now be required to prepare the land 
for the sowing of trifolium if not already finished, also for rye 
and winter tares. Should the weather continue favourable all 
speed should be made in autumn fallowing or cleaning of the land 
intended for next year’s root crops, the last ploughing being left to 
be done after the wheat is allsown. Some ricks of wheat as well 
as of barley may now be thrashed by steam power, and the corn 
sold and delivered. The horses will require oats, so that a rick of 
these may well be thrashed and the corn stored in granary ready 
for daily use. Some farmers object to new oats for horses, but it 
is now so common to grow barley in admixture that the corn is 
good for feeding farm horses much earlier than when oats are 
grown alone. In some of the late districts the horses will still be 
employed in carting late crops, such as oats, spring beans, «c. 
The odd horse will be employed in horse-raking the stubbles, 
the proceeds being useful for feeding pigs, poultry, &c.. Clover 
this season is giving in some cases a third cutting, which 
will be carted daily to the homestead, and as soon as the clover 
leas are cleared the young clovers in the stubbles are as flourish- 
ing this autumn as likely to afford a fair cutting,so that the 
feeding of cattle may be continued with advantage until the early 
frosts commence. Many farmers hesitate cutting the young 
seeds, but we find that the clover when cut comes better in the 
spring than it does after sheep-feeding, for these animals are apt 
to bite out the heart or centre buds of the plant, whereas when 
cut with the scythe the centre buds of the plant are left entire 
and uninjured. 
THE AGRICULTURAL HALL POULTRY SHOW. 
THINGS seem coming round to what we have long foreseen and 
predicted. A large number of poultry shows have fallen through 
er are about to do so, and those which are continued will be all 
the better for it and all the more appreciated. Their number, 
especially in or near the metropolis, had been multiphed beyond 
all reason and the demand for them. ‘The only result of this was 
discouragement to committees, who found their schemes financial 
failures, and injury to birds, which were overshown. We are not, 
therefore, at all sorry to see that of the four metropolitan or quasi 
metropolitan shows two alone are to take place this year—viz., 
the Acricultural Hall and Crystal Palace Shows. The schedule 
of the former is before us. There is a particular point in the con- 
tinuation of this Show, inasmuch as it is connected with the 
Dairy Show, and is consequently much helped by thousands of 
visitors who come principally to see the latter. It is an advan- 
tage, too, that those who are really interested in all connected 
with the dairy should have their attention invited to poultry. 
The Show is to be held on October 10th, 11th, 12th, and 14th, 
thus including a Sunday—far too long a time for chickens, espe- 
cially in a building, well adapted as it is to the purpose, probably 
much crowded and lighted daily during many hours by gas. We 
have reason, however, to hope that this year precautions will be 
taken against the birds suffering from its noxious fumes. We are 
glad to see in the rules signs of the influence which is beginning to 
be brought to bear upon shows by a body of fanciers who have 
united to discourage all fraudulent practices. In rule 6 we read, 
“ Any exhibitor detected in fraudulent practices shall forfeit all or 
any prizes or cups that he may have had awarded to him at the 
Show. No entry fee in such cases will be returned.” And again 
rule 7, modelled on one of the Poultry Club rules, is good—* All 
protests against awards must be lodged with the Secretary within 
six hours after the termination of the judging, and must be accom- 
panied by a deposit of £1. Such protests will be submitted to the 
Committee of the Poultry Show, who, after hearing the decision 
of the Judge or Judges thereupon, will decide as to whether such 
protest is frivolous or made without due ground, in which case 
the deposit will be forfeited.” The only omission seems to be 
that it is nowhere stated who the said Committee of the Poultry 
Show are. 
The classes for poultry are sixty in number with twenty-one 
cups; those for Pigeons fifty-seven with nineteen cups. To 
nearly all of them there are three prizes of £2, £1, and 10s. each. 
In a few of the poultry classes there are four prizes, the first in 
these cases being of the value of £3. Dorkings have five classes, 
Cochins four, Brahmas five, Game six, Ducks five (there being 
one for Pekins), Langshans four, with three cups and an “ oriental 
prize.” The cups in these classes are confined to members of the 
Langshan Club. We do not like this system, which makes it 
possible for the chief distinction to go to inferior specimens. Such 
clubs should confine their private competition to private exhi- 
bitions if they cannot afford to throw open their honours, In 
Pigeons Pouters have four classes; Carriers eight, one being a 
champion class ; Dragoons thirteen, one a champion class ; Tum- 
blers six ; Jacobins three ; Owlsa champion class and four others ; 
Turbits three, one of them for young birds ; Antwerps three. 
We Lane all success to a Show got up on so magnificent a 
scale.—C. 
THE JUDGES OF THE BATH SHOow.—In my account last week 
of the Bath Poultry Show I mentioned one Judge only—viz., Mr. 
Hodson, not being aware that there was a second Judge of the 
fowls. In the catalogue there was a hint as to another, and only 
a hint, for there was printed after Mr. Hodson’s name, “ Mr, 4 
So as I imagine the services of another Judze had not been 
secured when the catalogue was in the printer’s hands, and I did 
not chance to hear that Mr. Biank had become more than a blank. 
I have, however, had a letter from Mr. G. Saunders Sainsbury of 
Devizes, saying that he judged the Game, all the Hamburghs, 
Bantams, Ducks, Any other variety classes, and any other variety 
Selling classes. I must say that I am pleased to find that Mr. 
Sainsbury is again among the poultry. Many of the old readers 
of this Journal who remember not only the frequent occurrence 
of his name in the prize lists, but his articles on poultry, par- 
ticularly on Black Ducks, would be glad to hear that not only was 
he acting as Judge, but was once more a breeder and exhibitor.— 
WILTSHIRE RECTOR. 
THE STEWARTON HIVE. 
“HIGHLY COMMENDED,” and deserves more than “honourable 
mention.” Some time last year I noticed this hive very promi- 
nently, and in doing so quoted from Mr. Hunter’s book a long 
paragraph from the pen of the “ RENFREWSHIRE BEE-KEEPER,” 
wherein his mode of managing it is unfolded. Since then this 
hive has been frequently mentioned and commended in the pages 
of this Journal. Notwithstanding all that has been said in its 
favour during the last twenty-five years it is not well known by 
bee-keepers generally, and is seldom met with. Why it is not 
more widely spread and generally used I cannot say. It is a good 
hive and should be well known, and therefore I shall endeavour 
to give as plain and understandable a description of it as I can, 
with a view to point out its best and most commanding features, 
But let me first say that the Stewarton hive of to-day is not 
what the Stewarton was ten years ago. Formerly this hive had 
a crown board with two narrow holes or slits in it for supering 
purposes. These narrow holes were about half an inch wide and 
4 inches long, cut out of the crown board near its outer edges, 
away from the brood nest. This was said to be one of its dis- 
tinguishing advantages—that is to say, the queen neyer found 
her way to the super through these side and narrow entrances. 
If the Stewarton hive was right then it is wrong now, for it has 
now no crown board at all, and the queen can go into the super 
as often as she pleases without hindrance. The narrow slit was 
of no advantage whatever. The removal of the crown board to 
give the bees free access to the super is a very great improvement 
to the Stewarton. The less complication the better. 
The Stewarton hive is made for work and not for appearance. 
It is unlike all other kinds of hives, and does not possess one 
feature of beauty. As it comes from the carpenter's bench it is a 
strange and unseemly contrivance. Two boxes, octagonal in 
