58 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEJSi ER. 
[ January 15, 1885. 
cows calving at intervals of a few weeks throughout winter. We 
say try and manape advisedly, for any thought of precision in 
the successional calving of cows is a delusion. In vain do we 
arrange our plans with the greatest nicety and care, for failure m 
some degree is inevitable ; cows wear out, become barren, or do 
not breed as was expected; heifers fail to answer expectations 
formed of them, and so, unless we have an extravagant surplus 
numberof cows, it occasionally becomes a difficult matter to satisfy 
home requirements fully. Just now our supply of milk has fallen 
eo low that very little more than half the quantity of butter 
wanted is made, and we have had to fall back upon our ample 
store of butter potted last summer when the grass was at its 
best. This butter is of a full rich yellow colour, and of such fine 
flavour that it answers our purpose admirably. 
In another fortnight four cows are due to calve within a day 
or two of one another— a Jersey, a Guernsey, a cross-bred Alderney, 
and a cross-bred Shorthorn. A little later on there are others 
to follow, and among them a Kerry heifer of high promise, 
which was put to a Guernsey bull, and if our hopes of getting 
a cow calf from this heifer are realised it is likely to prove a 
valuable animal. Our valuable little black Kerry, which gave 
sixteen quaits of milk a day, went barren, and became so lusty 
and fat upon grass that it had to go to the butcher. 
At midwinter cows should be quite settled in their yards, 
and be quiet and contented. An ample store of dry litter is of 
almost equal importance to enough good focd. At milking time 
they have now bran and sliced Mangolds, they are then turned 
out to the hay cribs, filled in readiness for them now with such 
bay as we do not often have, and it is all alike green and fragrant 
as a posy. Then when each cow’s paunch is full comes the much 
slower process of rumination, and each animal seeks its favourite 
place in the yard on a fine day, or in the open lodge on a wet 
one, and it lays down by preference, but occasionally stands. A 
weakly cow that is liable to be driven and hurt by the others 
generally stands if it is out in the yard during rumination, and 
in rough or wet weather we always have such cows shut up in 
separate light airy lodges by day as well as at night. Now a 
thoughtful cowman will tal e care to have plenty of dry clean 
litter down in readiness for his cows to lay upon always, for he 
knows, or ought to know, that this is necessary for health quite 
as much as for comfort. Depend upon it a heavy animal which 
has nothing but a mass of litter sodden with moisture to lay 
upon, runs great risk of a severe attack of pleurisy, and therefore 
not only should it have a clean dry bed in contact with its body, 
but that bed should rest upon an equally dry floor. Many a case 
of illness, many a loss of valuable animals, is traceable to foul 
litter in sheds, covered it may be occasionally with dry litter, but 
nevertheless in the first stages of fermentation, and constantly 
giving off poisonous gases. We had no veterinary surgeon’s 
bill at Christmas nor have we have had a case of severe illness 
among cattle for many months, and this is in a. considerable 
degree owing to the due exercise of cleanliness combined with 
care in other matters. 
Early in the present month we were driving past a large home 
farm where a fine herd of some twenty cows are kept, and to our 
surprise the whole of them were out upon the grass and laying 
dowrn, for it was early, and they had apparently been turned out 
with full paunches. For what ? There they lay upon the cold 
sodden ground quietly chewing the cud, but some of them were 
pretty certain to suffer from attacks of pleurisy or rheumatism 
subsequently. It is undoubtedly right to let cows run out upon 
grass by day as late in autumn as possible, but in winter, when 
growth has ceased, the cows should be confined altogether to the 
yards. Be it our care that both lodges and yards are as com¬ 
fortable as we can make them. All animals require exercise, and 
it is well to avoid extremes in our treatment of them. They 
should neither be kept constantly tied up in stalls, where we 
sometimes see them with barely room to lay down, nor turned 
into yards so badly drained that the litter is saturated with 
moisture. We have seen yards so bad that we should not have 
liked to venture to walk across them, and yet buildings and 
enclosures were excellent. Avoid extremes we again say, and 
remember that comfortable quarters promote health. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Work .—That horses should be kept off the land while it is so 
tender as it generally is in January is right enough, but to have horses 
standing idle in the stable day after day is wrong, and is an indication 
of faulty management. The home farm should be as entirely under the 
control of the steward as other parts of the estate, so that he may turn it 
to best account at all seasons of the year. He then takes care to keep 
timber-carting and other horse work in the woods in reserve for this 
period of the year. Underwood, too, is not sold uncut by auction, but is 
cut by men drawn from the home farm, who are thus enabled to earn 
excellent wages in winter, and it is a means of keeping a staff of skilful 
labourers upon the estate always, which is decidedly preferable to taking 
on untried men at the busiest season of the year, when we require every 
stroke to tell home. To cut underwood, and to deliver as much of it as 
possible by waggon to the purchaser 3 , is the plan we have found answer 
best. In some instances, where woods are very extensive, recourse must 
be had to auction sales, but such sales ought always to be avoided when 
possible. The salesman’s commission, the annual dinner, and the buyers’ 
profits, are items of expenditure which ought not to be found in the 
accounts of any but large estates. 
Live Stock .—A slight tendency to scour was perceptible among the 
tegs upon Mustard, and they have now chopped hay regularly, as well as 
acorns, of which we hare still a considerable quantity. A fresh supply of 
rock salt has also been distributed among all the animals. If the tegs 
were required for sale or killing soon, crushed corn and bran would be 
added liberally to the chopped hay, but we require a supply of tbree- 
year-old mutton, and therefore avoid the high-pressure system, under 
which most sheep are now forced to early maturity. A few sheep still 
remain of a flock having the taint of foot-rot They are in excellent 
conditicn, and are being used as fast as possible, other sheep being kept 
entirely away from them, and we hope when these sheep are gone to have 
done with foot-rot. Preparation for the lambing season must now be 
made. Large lodges with yards having high enclosures are best, failing 
which tolerably snug quarters for the ewes and lambs may be contrived 
with thatched hurdles. Avoid exposure to cold cutting winds, which in¬ 
variably proves fatal to many lambs. Select a warm sheltered meadow, 
and keep them there till the lambs are strong enough to bear some expo¬ 
sure. It i3 during the first few weeks of a lamb’s existence that constant 
care is necessary, as it is certainly profitable, for with such attention there 
need be hardly any losses. Of the other things to be got in readiness for 
the lambing season we shall call attention next wesk. 
“ Purdon’s Irish Farmers’ and Gardeners’ Almanack.” —This 
useful annual, published at the Irish Farmers' Gazette Office, contains 
the usual serviceable calendarial matter, with articles on Cattle-feeding, 
Rot in Sheep, Weights and Measurement of Auimals, Measurement and 
Weight of Hay, Manures, and various tables which the agriculturist 
can consult with advantage in the prosecution of his duties throughout 
the year. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Chickens Dying (P. M .).—Your birds are suffering from some form of 
inflammation brought on by the highly unnatural treatment which yon 
adopt. A cement floor unless covered at least an inch deep in dry earth, 
sand, or ashes is about as bad for them as could be, while to confine theirs 
to an outhouse with a fire would kill them later on with leg-weakness if 
they stood the other treatment. Coop them out under an open shed or in 
the open air on all but the very worst days. Discontinue the fire altogether. 
Your feeding is too constipating, and you say nothing as to supplying grit, 
such as small gravel or crushed oystershells, for their gizzards. If you con¬ 
tinue to use the house at all thoroughly disinfect it with limewash and 
sulphur fumes or chlorine gas. The disease is most likely something of a 
typhoid character, induced and aggravated by your treatment. Be very 
particular as to cleanliness. Discontinue the ale and the boiled milk. Give 
a liberal supply of sweet milk in clean vessels two or three times a day. 
Fowls for Exhibition ( Inquirer ).—If the birds are at all dirty you had 
better wash them a few days before the show. This must be done thoroughly 
with soapsuds, soaking all the feathers thoroughly, using a sponge or brush 
to any soiled part 3 . Afterwards rinse out the soap very carefully in two or 
three waters, in the last of which you may put just a little “blue.” Dry 
with a clean sponge and soft cloth, and afterwards in front of a warm fire, 
taking care that the feathers do not get curled. Comb them through if 
necessary. You had better try on one that you are not going to show first. 
In any case wash the feet and combs thoroughly, using a nail brush to the 
latter. No tonic is necessary. Why not take “ Poultry,” published weekly. 
Id., at this office ? 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.: Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain 
1885. 
January. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, ot 
Soil at 
I 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
dee. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
4 
30.172 
35.0 
34.7 
N. 
36.6 
89.0 
32.5 
4'.).8 
32.8 
— 
Monday. 
e 
80.051 
43.8 
42.8 
S.E. 
37.0 
47 6 
32.9 
48.8 
268 
0.024' 
Tuesday. 
6 
30.241 
31.3 
30.7 
N.W. 
38 2 
40.3 
29 2 
62.4 
21.5 
— 
Wednesday .. 
7 
30.422 
30.5 
29.0 
S.W. 
87 2 
39.2 
27.8 
46.2 
20.4 
0.013 
Thursday .... 
8 
30.026 
38.4 
36.8 
s.w. 
3(5.4 
41.7 
29.8 
45.6 
24.2 
0.108- 
Friday. 
9 
29 803 
30.9 
30.8 
N. 
36.2 
40 9 
29 4 
45.2 
26.5 
0.182 
Saturday .... 
10 
29.429 
45.8 
45.4 
S.W. 
38.8 
51.2 
28.2 
51.5 
26.4 
0.314 
30.021 
36.5 
85.9 
36.9 
42 8 
30.0 
48.6 
25.5 
0.641 
REMARKS. 
4th.—Dull, hut fair. 
5th.—Slightly foggy and damp all day; very much warmer. 
6th.—Foggy early; fine morning. 
7th.—Foggy early; fine, bright winter’s day. 
8th.—Fine and fairly bright; warmer ; rain from 4 80 p.m. 
9th.—Foggy morning; fine afternoon ; rain at 5.30 p m ; wet evening. 
10th.—Very wet except part of afternoon ; hail and much wind at 5.45 p.m.; starlight 
night. 
Rainfall above the average ; temperature rather below it. The most noticeable feature 
was the squall at 5.45 p.m. on Saturday.—G. J. SYMONS. 
