366 
[ April 30, 1885. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
growth in vegetation returned to us once more, the store of 
hay, straw, and roots became exhausted, and only dairy 
farmers could afford to buy more because they do business 
upon the safe principle of small profits and quick returns. 
Many a man was sorely puzzled as to what was best to do 
under such trying circumstances. Blame was cast upon the 
seasons, the times, and in many instances upon the landlords 
also ; but to how many men did it occur to think the matter 
out, and to inquire, “ Am I to blame ? ” The time for easy¬ 
going farming is past, and well for us will it be if the drought 
of last summer and the cold late spring of the present year 
serve to bring home to our minds this important fact, and 
stir us up to see if we cannot do something more to modify 
and soften evils which, do what we may, are not to be 
avoided altogether. The term is a happy one, for depend 
upon it to avoid a possible evil so far as lies in our power is 
altogether better than trying—often vainly trying—to over¬ 
come it. This is the thought which prompts us to write this 
article, our aim being to urge upon our readers the import¬ 
ance of timely culture, and the provision of an ample store 
of home-grown food for winter and early spring. The papers 
on artificial manures, seed time, alternate husbandry, and 
still more recent papers, all bear upon this matter, and we 
say to the farmer who deliberately fills his yards with cattle 
and his folds with sheep from autumn till spring without 
making ample provision of food for them, however late the 
spring may prove, that he is to blame, and that if he cannot 
arrange his business upon a sound safe basis he is unfit to 
have the control of it. 
Of the failures of crops last year arising from the drought 
the hay and root crop suffered most—why ? Now, we cannot 
agree with the too common opinion that in a hot dry summer 
a light crop of hay is inevitable. It is true enough that the 
crop was so inferior upon much land last year as to be hardly 
worth saving. We saw several meadows where no tedder 
was required, the grass when mown being so thin that it 
required no turning or tossing about, the very small quantity 
being got together by raking ; but that land was very poor, 
and if manure had been applied to it it had been used so 
late in the season when the barometer was at set fair, and 
no rain fell to dissolve and convey it to the roots. But where 
artificial manure was used in February and sheep kept off 
the grass after that month a full crop of hay was the result 
—and such hay! Certainly we never made better hay, 
seldom so good ; and we had pleasing evidence of the 
truth of the saying, that the best hay costs much less 
to make than bad or inferior hay. To have hay as good 
in quality as is possible no rain must fall upon it after 
the mowing, and it therefore requires very little making. 
This reference to the hay crop cannot, we fear, do much good 
for this season; but the matter is so important, and faulty 
practice in the management of grass land is so common, that 
we omit no opportunity of calling attention to it. 
Turning to the equally important question of root crops, 
perhaps a crucial test of last year’s results would be to inquire 
what use has been made upon a farm of roots during the past 
winter, and what quantity remains in store now ? Upon 
many a farm the Mangold crop was a failure, wholly or in 
part, and Turnips have been the mainstay for winter folding. 
In Mangold and Swede culture considerable difference of 
opinion exists as to sowing upon ridges or upon the flat. 
Ought this to be a matter of opinion ? We think not. In a 
deep rich soil in thorough cultivation ridges are uncalled for, 
and the labour of making them should be avoided. In a 
poor thin soil the advantage of ridges is, on the contrary, so 
obvious that no doubt or difference of opinion should exist 
among intelligent farmers. Sow pure home-mixed artificial 
manure in the quantities we have repeatedly given in these 
pages broadcast upon the land, then stir it well with horse 
hoes or cultivators, rolling and harrowing if necessary to get 
a fine tilth; strike out deep furrows with the double-breasted 
plough 2 feet apart, put farmyard manure along the bot¬ 
tom of the furrows, cover it by passing the plough between 
the furrows and so form the ridges, upon the top of which 
sow the seed and then press lightly by passing a light 
wooden roller over it. By this method we gain depth of 
soil, and an ample store of moist humus is ready for the main 
roots, so that the plant is able to withstand the effects of a 
drought severe even as that of last summer, and we get a 
crop of such weight and bulk as to be more valuable than 
the land upon which it was grown. So treated, our soil is 
brought into condition to grow any kind of Mangold, and we 
can afford to smile at the seedsmen’s statement that Mam¬ 
moth Long Bed Mangolds require a deep soil. To those 
who have not yet sown the seed of this useful crop we would 
urge the importance of losing no more time; our own seed 
was sown early in April, and the seed is now germinating 
freely. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Live Stocli .—Since the cows have had an abundant supply of Ry& 
there has been a material difference in the quantity of the milk ; the 
cream is richer, and the butter deepens in colour and improves in flavour. 
No sooner did the Rye come into use than hay was turned from, and we 
had to increase the quantity of Rye, and gladly was this done for every 
reason, one of which was the fact that notwithstanding the late spring 
the Rye was fast coming into ear more than a week ago, and it must be 
used quickly or else passed through the chaffing machine. None of the. 
cows or store cattle will leave the yards till the first or second week of 
May, by which time we hope to have an ample store of food for them 
upon the pastures. Calves that are draughted out for veal have been 
fattened and passed on to the butcher at from £4 to £5 apiece for cash, 
and we consider this a paying transaction—quite one of those minor 
points of detail which tell so well upon our balance-sheet. Keep them 
for a year and what are they worth in the market? only £2 or £3 uiore, 
and they must be fairly well bred to produce that amount. Be it 
remembered that we are writing about the calves of dairy cows which 
have to be weaned early, and they cannot fairly be compared to well-bred 
calves left to run with the cows to suck at will. A hundred pounds worth, 
of calves sold now is a matter for congratulation, and it is a wise and 
safe proceeding if we bear in mind the depression of markets, and the 
low, exceedingly low, prices offered for store cattle just now. No doubt 
prices will improve somewhat with warm weather and soft showeis, but 
how few can afford to wait for that this spring ? To purchase enoug 
hay for two or three weeks for forty or fifty head of cattle would take off 
even that margin of profit which we claim to find in the manure, and so 
we fear many a herd of promising beasts has had to be dispersed at so 
low a price as to lead to vexation and disappointment, owing to the 
protracted cold weather and failing supply of winter stores. May we 
apply the lesson? Then we would say, Do not overstock your yaids in 
autumn, but bear in mind that our springs are fickle, often proving 
late and cold ; and if we keep live stock at all it certainly does not 
answer to let them run short of food, apart from the cruelty of such a 
proceeding. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Milking Guernsey Cows (IT.).—It is one of the best traits in the 
character of the Channel Island cattle that they will, when properly milked, 
continue to give milk until the period of calving again ; probably the milk 
may not be fit for use for several days previous to calving. It should, how¬ 
ever, be drawn away to prevent the danger of parturient fever. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
.2 
‘S 
Pd 
1885. 
April. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
(Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
19 
30.319 
56.1 
49.8 
N.E. 
46.7 
70 4 
38.4 
105.7 
29.9 
— 
Monday. 
20 
30.297 
57.6 
499 
W. 
47.5 
72.8 
40.2 
112.3 
30.4 
— 
Tuesday. 
21 
30.158 
59.3 
49.1 
s.w. 
49.2 
71.7 
45 0 
112.8 
35.3 
— 
Wednesday .. 
22 
29.852 
61.4 
53.3 
s. 
50.3 
67.3 
47.2 
108.4 
36.0 
0.029 
Thursday .... 
23 
29.678 
53.2 
49.8 
S.E. 
51.5 
61.0 
46.9 
104.4 
42.4 
0.124 
Friday. 
24 
29.656 
52.0 
48.8 
S.E. 
50.2 
59.7 
42.6 
87.2 
37.5 
0.106 
Saturday .... 
25 
29.388 
55.9 
51.4 
S.E. 
49.8 
62.1 
48.8 
103.2 
44.4 
0.099 
29.907 
56.6 
50.3 
49.3 
66.5 
44.2 
104.9 
36.6 
0.358 
REMARKS. 
19th.—Very fine and warm, foggy towards midnight. 
20th.—Fine, bright, and hot. 
21st.—Very line, and almost cloudless throughout. 
22nd.—Very tine, but cooler and some clouds. 
23rd.—Sunshine and showers, the latter chiefly in the afternoon. 
24th.—Cloudy morning, some sun in afternoon, slight shower in evening. 
25th.—Heavy rain very early, gale in morning, With sun and slight rain ; fine afterwards. 
The first four days of the week exceptionally warm ; the maxima on each of the first 
three exceeding 70°, and being just that usual in the middle of June. Cooler weather 
followed, with a gate on the 25th, which has been very trying to fruit blossom.—G. J. 
