October 3, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
267 
from five to six hundred. It used to be the plan on such holdings 
not to sow wheat oftener than once in six or seven years, and even 
then producing only a very moderate crop. Since the extended 
use of artificial manures, however, upon these high and dry soils, 
root-cultivation has so much improved and increased that rota- 
tions like the four-course have been found to answer almost as 
well as upon some of the better lands more favourably situated. 
The culture for wheat is, however, different, and where large flocks 
of sheep are kept eating oil cake and corn upon outlying lands it 
is very encouraging to know that oil cake and artificial manures 
answer a better purpose and return a better per-centage upon the 
outlay than some more naturally fertile soils. Wheat not only 
succeeds clover lea, but also turnips fed-off by sheep. In fact, the 
sheep are the chief vehicle for manure on this hill land, being 
close folded on the clover leas before ploughing and pressing ; the 
dung made by the horses, cattle,and pigs maintained at the home- 
stead being laid upon the land nearest to the home farm buildings. 
The clover lea should be ploughed early—August is none too 
soon—in order that the land may have time to settle and become 
firm and stale, and thus prevent the wheat plant being thrown 
out and becoming root-false, as it is very apt to do upon these 
loose and hollow soils. The time of sowing likewise should be 
earlier than upon any before-named soils to prevent blight at 
harvest. We have noticed especially two different. systems, 
carried out side by side upon similar soil on a chalk hill farm, 
one farmer sowing early, sometimes during the month of Septem- 
ber, the other sowing the last week in October or early in Novem- 
ber, and we have seen the early-sown produce capital wheat both 
in quantity and quality, whereas the later-sown gaye a full bulk 
of straw, but was seriously blighted and with defective grain. 
The system of maintaining large flocks of sheep, together with 
other circumstances, induces farmers to change or alternate the 
clovers, taking half the lain of broad clover and half in trefoil, to 
be reversed in the next course. In case of the trefoil it is either 
cut for lamb hay or fed early with sheep. In either case it is 
ploughed up at or before midsummer, and then sown with turnips 
or rape, or both in admixture, all the manure intended for the 
wheat crop being applied before the turnips, &c., are sown, so 
that as much of root food as possible should be obtained for 
sheep, and thus increase the manure for wheat. The land, how- 
ever, should be carefully ploughed and pressed for turnips, which 
are often destroyed by wireworm upon this hollow soil. After 
the turnips, &c., have been fed off by sheep it is a very common 
practice to plough the land before sowing the wheat; but we 
prefer to scarify only, in order that the land may have the full 
advantage of the treading of the sheep whilst feeding off the 
turnips, so desirable upon thin chalk soil, Sometimes we have 
known wheat take very well when it was not intended to be 
drilled by sowing before the plough, the ploughing being done 
very shallow and fleet, which is sure to bury the seed well, and 
also it prevents the plants being thrown out in the winter. The 
great point in successful cultivation upon these light and loose 
soils, whether the seed has been drilled or ploughed-in or sown 
after the presser, is that the land should be trodden by sheep 
immediately after sowing, the plan being to carefully drive them 
in regular courses across the field, and when the weather is very 
dry they may with great advantage be driven over the second 
time in the opposite direction to the first drift. This necessary 
work is usually done by the use of dry sheep, such as tegs or 
lambs ; but upon those farms where no dry stock are kept the in- 
jamb ewes may be used for the purpose, except that more care is 
required by driving them steadily without worrying by dogs. In 
concluding this subject we have one general remark to make, 
which will apply with great force upon all the white land chalk- 
hill farms—that in cultivating for all crops the scarifier only 
should be used either by steam or horse power, except in the case 
of clover or saintfoin leas, which will of course require to be 
ploughed and pressed, with the surface roots well tucked under 
in the act of ploughing with the skim coulter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour—Now the seed time for wheat is so near at hand 
horse labour will be employed in different ways-in preparing the 
land for wheat. Where the early turnips have been fed off on 
the heavy and loamy soils the ploughing, drilling, harrowing, &c., 
will be going on. Upon the lea ground the dung will now be 
drawn out, spread and ploughed and pressed. Upon light soils 
with full-sized upstanding horses this work may be done with two 
animals attached to a double furrow plough. This will be good 
economy, with the presser following, being drawn by one or two 
horses according to the weight of the presser. In some cases if 
the weather is dry it will be necessary to roll with the ring roller 
as well as harrow the land before drilling, because the land cannot 
be made too close and firm. The carriage of recently thrashed 
wheat or barley to the mill or the railway station will employ 
some of the horses upon the home farm. Some horses will be 
required in drawing coals and water when thrashing corn is going 
on of ricks made in the fields. Some horses will also be employed 
in harrowing, dragging, &c.. upon the land recently scarified either 
by steam or horse power, so that the grass and weeds which may 
haye been brought to the surface may be got together by the 
chain harrow and then carted away to heap, there to rot for future 
use in various ways. The horses will then have finished all the 
work required upon the autumn fallows, except the fallow plough- 
ing to be done after the wheat seeding is completed. The odd 
horses will find employment by carting hurdles, «c., for the shep- 
herd, in carting early turnips to the homestead for the fatting 
cattle, also carting vetches and oats where they have been grown 
in succession for horses and dairy cows, as the grass if not gone 
is becoming stale on the pastures. The clovers, too, are affording 
a cutting this year in many cases where sown in the wheat and 
oats, and this may be continued in use until the frosts commence 
without injury to the horses, especially if they are allowed a full 
allowance of corn with some extra chaff. 
Hand Labour is still various. Hedges must be finished trim- 
ming ; the dung must be spread upon the wheat land ; men must 
assist in finishing off the straw ricks and carting away the hulls 
where thrashing has been done; straw ricks for sale or for fodder 
should be carefully thatched. It is now too late for hoeing root 
crops, but in consequence of a long succession of stormy weather 
there are many weeds. These should be pulled by hand by women 
if they are to be had for work, otherwise by men. At this time 
many changes of farm servants will be taking place, such as 
teamsmen and shepherds as well as casual labourers; and the 
matter of hiring will require great care and discrimination on the 
part of managers of home farms in the present temper and dis- 
position of the labouring classes. Even in those cases where 
there are cottages to accommodate all the men required upon the 
home farm, yet men of good character only must’ be engaged ; 
and in case they have no strong working lads in their families it 
is well where there is room in the cottages to arrange with them 
to lodge young working fellows which may be engaged for work- 
ing upon the farm, and these should be hired by the year in order 
to insure a sufficient staff of workers at the most important times 
of the year. This is an important matter, too, for the young men 
themselves, as they may learn all kinds of farm work and avoid 
a roaming and roving habit of life when engaged by the year. 
CAMBRIDGE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
SEEING in a contemporary that there will be no Oxford Poultry 
Show this year, it may interest some of your readers to know that 
an Exhibition of Poultry, Pigeons, Rabbits, and Cage Birds is 
intended to be held in the New Corn Exchange at Cambridge, 
under the auspices of the Cambridge Ornithological Society, 
the proposed date being November 6th and 7th, prizes being for _ 
open competition. The New Corn Exchange in Cambridge is 
one of the most evenly lighted and best suited buildings in Eng- 
land for the purpose, having a glass roof with unobstructed 
light from windows on both sides, and is well heated by hot 
water. Cambridge in itself is one of the most convenient of towns 
for railway accommodation. The Great Northern, the Great 
Eastern, the London and North-Western, and the Midland Rail- 
way Companies all have a station. Hampers can be booked 
through to Cambridge from all parts, and each company will 
deliver free of extra charge to the Corn Exchange, and have ° 
booking offices within 200 yards of the building where they re- 
ceive parcels or hampers. The telegraph and post offices are 
within 300 yards. It is to be hoped all fanciers will do their 
utmost to assist the working Committee to make this undertak- 
ing a success. All who wish to encourage the undertaking 
should at once correspond with the Secretary, Mr. R. Peters, jun., 
Accountant, 30, Bridge Street, Cambridge, as there is but little 
time to get through the requisite arrangements—FRANKE J, R. 
Nunn, Clare House, Chesterton Road, Cambridge. 
THE HEMEL HEMPSTEAD POULTRY SHOW. 
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD was en féte on Thursday and Friday. We 
neyer remember having seen the whole population of any place 
so thoroughly interested in a show. The days for it were judi- 
ciously selected, the first being market day, the second the day of 
the annual flower Show ; we believe, too, that it was the first 
poultry Show that had ever been held in the neighbourhood. This 
added to the fact that the famous contest of incubators had for 
twenty-one days being going on in the town, and terminated at 
noon on the first day of the Show, created an extraordinary amount 
of interest in the affair. The weather was lovely, and the streets 
were bright with flags, arches, and Venetian poles. Perhaps not 
the least attraction was the electric light ; we were not ourselves 
able to stay to see its effect, but saw full preparations for it. The 
history of its use there is interesting as showing the extraordinary 
care with which every arrangement for this Show was conducted. 
It was originally stated in the schedule that the birds would not 
be shown by gas light. This arrangement we cordially approve, - 
as we have known great damage done to birds by gas. Mean- 
while the energy with which the scheme was carried out caused 
greater interest to be taken in the matter than could possibly 
haye been anticipated. Many whose daily occupation would not 
