142 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE A D COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 12, 1885. 
nesinm, and iron, may be disregarded by farmers. This is the plain 
teaching of Professor Jamieson, and we have repeatedly followed his 
advice and proved him to be a safe guide. His formulae for various 
crops have proved so valuable that we give them here in full :— 
For Grass Crop (Per Acre). 
b cwt. nitrate of potash J cwt. mineral superphosphate 
| cwt. nitrate of soda b cwt. steamed bone flour 
(The mixture for grass is intended to be applied yearly.) 
For Grain Crop (Per Acre). 
b cwt. nitrate of potash b cwt. steamed bone flour 
1 b cwt. nitrate of soda b cwt. ground coprolite 
In the case of the Wheat crop one-half of the mixture should be 
given in autumn, and the other half in spring. Other autumn-sown 
corn crops are treated in the same way advantageously. Our winter 
Oats had the half dressing when sown in October, and the plant now 
looks exceedingly well. 
For Eoot Crop (Per Acre). 
§ cwt. nitrate of potash 2b cwt. ground coprolite 
b cwt. nitrate of soda 10 tons farmyard manure 
2 b cwt. steamed bone flour 
If no farmyard manure is available the artificial mixture for roots 
should be doubled. 
We give the prescription for roots with the others advisedly, be¬ 
cause it is decidedly advantageous to procure the whole supply of 
manure for the season at the same time, the rate per ton being much 
less than it is for lesser quantities. We have pointed this out to 
tenant farmers, and recommended them to combine and give one large 
order, and so effect a considerable saving. Each kind of manure 
should be had separately, the weighing and mixing being done at the 
farm, and then we have a mixture free from adulteration and as pure 
as it is possible to have it. Need we again point out the advantage— 
the economy of this plan—in comparison with the old easy-going 
practice of buying dealers’ specialities ? Well has Professor Jamieson 
said that the farmer’s eyes would be opened if he would lay his 
manure bill before a chemist, and ask him to calculate how much he 
had paid for useless or hurtful ingredients. 
The quantities given for the grass land enable it to yield a fair 
average crop, but when poor grass land is taken in hand double the 
quantity of manure is not too much, the outlay being 72s. as com¬ 
pared with 36s. for an ordinary dressing. We tried a double quantity 
both upon meadow and rye grass last year, and the result fully justified 
the extra cost. The wiser course probably in view of a permanent 
improvement of poor grass land would be to give an ordinary dressing 
of the mixed manures and with it 10 cwt. per acre of half-inch bones. 
This would of course involve a greater immediate outlay, but it would 
be an outlay for the future, the slow decay of the bones proving 
beneficial to the land for several years. We have a seven-acre 
meadow which was so treated some jmars ago, and subsequently with 
the ordinary annual dressings of artificial manure excellent crops of 
grass have always been had. Much prejudice still exists in favour of 
farmyard manure, and for root crops the 65 to 80 per cent, of water 
contained in it is of especial value in a hot dry summer ; but used as 
a top-dressing for grass that high per-centage of water certainly appears 
useless, for most of it passes by evaporation into the air. Let it be 
clearly understood that the fertility of a ton of farmyard manure 
consists in from 9 to 15 lbs. of nitrogen, the same quantity of potash, 
and 4 to 9 lbs. of phosphoric acid. If we could we certainly should 
use nothing but artificial manure upon grass land. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Live Stock .—Where sheep-folding on Turnips is still practised at this 
season of the year the recent heavy rain will have caused the folds to be 
about the most unsuitable places for the sheep that could be found. 
When they are kept week after week confined in folds so muddy and wet 
that at times they are unable to lie down can we wonder at an outbreak 
of foot-rot ? Let us have more permanent pasture on which our flocks 
may winter, more sound roads upon farms, so that the carting of roots 
may be an easy matter. Our object in folding is twofold—to manure the 
land and to fatten the sheep. Rather, much rather, would we do this 
upon sound urass land, and instead of trampling the arable land into a 
puddle which requires weeks of fine weather to make it dry we would 
apply artificial manure to it, or manure it with green crops' later on in 
summer. The mild weather is favourable for early lambs, and as we 
entered our lambing quarters this morning the shelter of a high hedge 
along the north and east sides and bright sunshine rendered the air soft 
and balmy. The meadow lies high, and its surface slopes gen*ly down¬ 
wards to the south-west, so that the position is most favourable for the 
health of both ewes and lambs. 
Upon home farms it is customary to try and have some cows to calve 
during winter in order to keep up as good a supply of sweet fresh butter 
as possible. Upon dairy farms generally calving has now begun, and with 
ordinary care lliere will be very little trouble. Avoid nostrums. Very 
wonderful are the compounds which are still given to cows at calving. If 
they contain no diugs little if any harm follows; but it is time all such 
nonsense is at an end. Abortion and difficulty in calving are not often 
hings of a moment, for we then probably witness the baneful effects of 
injury or fright caused some time previously. Cows require quiet kindly 
treatment at all times, careful feeding, a cessation of milking fully six 
weeks before the calving, a large roomy box or lodge for the calving, 
warm bran mashes, and no cold water for three days after calving, but no 
medicine whatever of any kind, unless there is swollen udder, symptoms 
of fever, or straining ; then, and then only, a dose or two of half a pound 
of Epsom salts does good, and it may be necessary to soothe and stop 
the straining by the use of oil and carbolic acid. Very seldom indeed 
is it that we are obliged to have recourse to such remedies, for a healthy 
cow that is kept constantly in that sleek condition which is the best 
possible medium between fat and lean stock, and has gentle kindly treat¬ 
ment, is pretty sure to “ have a good time,” and to give no extra trouble. 
OUR LETTER BOX, 
Kerry Cows (/. S’.).—Kerry cows are undoubtedly profitable, excellent 
for the dairy, yielding milk rich in cream, which makes butter of the highest 
quality. They are small, hardy, gentle, kindly animals, easily fattened; 
barren cows only requiring a summer run upon grass to become ripe for the 
butcher, and are therefore inexpensive in comparison with the more delicate 
Channel Island cattle. But the formation of a herd of really good cows is 
a work of time, there being always considerable difference in the milking 
qualities of imported heifers. We were once so fortunate as to purchase one 
which gave sixteen quarts of rich milk daily, but then others purchased 
with it gave much less. Unless you are prepared to pay a high price for 
cows of proved excellence you must proceed by selection, purchasing im¬ 
ported cows or heifers in calf, keeping the good ones to breed from and 
passing the inferior milkers on to the butcher. The best herds of this or 
any other breed are generally the descendants of one cow, and it may be said 
to require half a lifetime to form one. You can, however, soon get together 
enough useful cows for the supply of an ordinary daiiy ; till you have done 
so do not part with the cows which you already have, but let the change be 
so gradual that no inconvenience may arise from any break in the regular 
supply of milk and butter. 
Abortion (R. C.). —Excitement, fright, being driven or knocked about 
by other cows, walking through deep mud or a yielding mass of soft sodden 
litter, slipping or falling down, drinking very cold or foul water, eating 
frozen roots. These are some of the causes of abortion or calf-slipping. 
When this happens to a young cow it is liable to become habitual, and the 
cow should be fattened and sold. As your cow is eight or nine years old we 
think you may venture to try her again, and see that she is not bullied or 
driven about by other cows, nor exposed to heavy rain or cold windy 
weather. Alderneys and Jerseys are weak delicate animals, requiring much 
care and kind treatment. Your treatment of the cow was quite right. Your 
cleansing drink is worthless, and should be discarded. Nothing of the kind 
is required by a cow at calving. Give warm—not hot—bran mashes for 
three days, keep it from cold water for that length of time, and on the 
fourth day it may safely revert to its ordinary food. If after calving the 
cow is feverish and its udder becomes hard, a dose of half a pound of Epsom 
salts dissolved in warm water is a safe cooling chink. If there is any 
apparent risk of milk fever a veterinary surgeon should at once be called in. 
Hard Butter (A. K. C .).—Mangold is certainly not the cause of butter 
being hard or coming in the churn in fragments. It is at this season of the 
year, when cows have been long in milk and the time for a cessation of 
milking for the rest before calving is close at band, that complaints similar 
to yours as to the hardness of butter are very prevalent. It is generally 
found that by pouring cold water into the churn just at the time when the 
butter is about to gather, and lowering the contents to about 54°, that the 
butter does not mass together, but remains in pieces like small peas, and the 
lower the temperature the smaller will be the pieces, while at a temperature 
of G0° to 70° they mass together. Professor Sheldon considers the use of 
cold water desirable. If it is so used special pains must be taken with the 
working of the butter—preferably by a butter worker. 
Artificial Manure for Grass Land ( F. Y .).—Our article upon this 
subject will afford all the information you require about manures and bones. 
A dressing of wood ashes twenty bushels to the acre will re-invigorate the 
Clover and cause it to spread quickly and grow so strongly as to be con¬ 
spicuous among the grass. If you have to sow Clover again with grass for 
permanent pasture sow a pound each of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Cow 
Grass (Trifolium pratense perenne), Alsike (Trifolium hybridum), Perennial 
White Clover (Trifolium repens). 
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. 
February. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
| Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Id oh es. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
1 
29.206 
42.3 
42.0 
s.w. 
41.8 
49.2 
41.7 
59.0 
38.8 
0.191 
Monday. 
2 
29.271 
50.2 
45.9 
s. 
41.8 
54.0 
40.8 
71.4 
36.5 
0.058 
Tuesday. 
3 
20 240 
44.7 
42.3 
s. 
42.0 
49 0 
41.2 
59.2 
35.4 
0.010 
Wednesday .. 
4 
29.416 
41.2 
40.2 
s. 
41.2 
46 8 
33.4 
59 2 
20.8 
0.309 
Thursday .... 
5 
29.360 
39.8 
37.2 
S.E. 
40 4 
4 8.2 
31.8 
66.4 
26.1 
— 
Friday. 
<; 
29.815 
42.4 
39.7 
s. 
39.6 
47.7 
34 8 
58.2 
27.8 
0.159 
Saturday .... 
7 
29.655 
44.8 
42.3 
s. 
40.5 
50.9 
41.5 
69.6 
34.7 
— 
29.424 
43.5 
41.4 
41.0 
49.4 
37.9 
03.3 
32.3 
0.727 
REMARKS. 
1st.—Wet till l n .45 A.M., fine afternoon, wet and windy evening. 
2 nd.—Dull early, windy, then bright.; afternoon very wet; bright night. 
3rd.—Generally fine, but threatening rain after 4 P.M.: fine, night. 
4th.—Fair early, fine mid-day, very heavy ra'n 5 to 7.30 p.M. 
5th.—Fine early, iliower at io a M., fine afterwards with sun. 
6 th—Fine morning, dnll afternoon, wet gusty evening. 
7th.-Generally fine. 
Another mild week, more like April than the early part of February.—3. J. SYMONS. 
