22 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January S, 1884. 
dairy practices upon farms distant from towns where the sale of 
milk and butter is not convenient. The home farmer should 
remember that the labour bill is at present the greatest obstacle 
in all parts of the farming business ; now with a dairy of good 
milking Shorthorn cows, with calves well selected for suckling, 
will prove more profitable than any other system of using dairy 
produce upon outlying farms. When well managed the labour 
is very little, and the cows will last longer in milk than they do 
either in butter-making or milk-selling, owing to the careless 
manner in which hand-milking is frequently carried out. 
The selection of calves is of importance, and it is from the 
southern and western counties from which they should be 
obtained, for our own experience has taught us that Devon 
calves are the best for quality and light weights for veal. The 
Herefords and Sussex calves are the best for general profit and 
heavy weights, but the Shorthorns are beneath those named for 
quality. We advise the breeding and rearing of all the horned 
cattle required upon the farm as the best security against the 
foot-and-mouth disease, for in case the dairies are made up by 
the purchase of animals at the local markets it is extremely 
difficult to avoid contagion whilst this disease is rife in the 
country. When, however, all the cattle for milking or butter¬ 
making dairies are bred on the estate, and intruders of different 
callings are forbid len approach to the yards and premises, the 
disease will be generally avoided. To illustrate the truth of 
these observations the reports state that at present the counties 
of Cornwall and Devon are free from this disease, whereas the 
eastern counties are seriously affected; the former being for the 
most part breeding districts, and the latter, where mixed or 
arable farming prevails, the cattle are often obtained by pur¬ 
chase from distant parts and largely from Irish importations 
We may here caution the home farmer not to believe the various 
stories about this disease being spontaneous or even epidemic, 
for in every instance it is due to contagion, although it is so 
subtle that the cause cannot in every instance be traced to its 
true source. It is correct to assume that after all our serious 
losses and experience contagion is the only means by which 
this disease can be propagated. 
Tillage and cropping on the home farm, as well as the 
management of pasture and parklands, have received particular 
attention in this Journal during the past three years under 
various headings, including “ Stock-farming ” and “ Manuring by 
Ploughing-in Green Crops.” We will, to support our experience 
and practice, refer to the observations of Mr. Clare S. Read, 
late member for Norfolk, who said at the meeting of the 
London Farmers’ Club lately: “ What my friend Mr. Carington 
Smith may say about the advantages derived from turning 
arable land to grass in Staffordshire, I have not the slightest 
doubt myself that if an acre of land is put down to grass in any 
of the East Anglian counties that we should lose the production 
of corn now it is under the plough, and we should not at any 
rate get any more but rather less meat from it than we do at 
the present moment; therefore, one of the great things to do 
to increase the number of stock in the kingdom would be, if 
possible, to make arable land pay better than it does now. 
That, I am afraid, is lather a difficult matter.” 
Here we must observe it has been our endeavour for several 
years past, by alterations and combinations of systems on 
every opportunity, to show in this Journal and to illustrate 
some of the points worth the serious attention of the home 
farmer. The reporter of Hampshire farming states:—“Depres¬ 
sion in agriculture still prevails, and has been caused to a great 
extent by adverse seasons; but the leading rent-paying crops 
after all are Wheat, Barley, Oats, and other sale crops according 
to the soil. Large crops are therefore a necessity both in acreage 
and acreable produce, and form the chief point worth the atten¬ 
tion of the home farmer. When we consider that rent, tithes, 
and rates are comparatively fixed charges, and will be best met 
in the future by increased acreages of sale crops, it makes all 
the difference whether only half the tillage land is cropped or 
extended to two-thirds, for the fixed charges are the same in 
either case. Again, it is worth inquiry what real gain the sheep 
contribute to the farm ; for although they are said in some cases 
to pay the rent, let it be fairly calculated what remains as a 
commercial profit after having charged interest on the large 
capital employed and the heavy charges of labour directly and 
i nchrectly attendant upon sheep-farming. It ought further to 
be considered that large outlays in feeding materials are made 
where sheep are said to pay the rent, accompanied by a reduced 
acreage of the rent-paying crops, delays of seed time, extra 
tillage required, the losses of stock which cannot always be con¬ 
trolled, and finally the consumed, or commercially speaking sold 
to the stock even at a very low price, nothing is left but the 
manure on the land, and after estimating this, in a comparison 
with other systems of cropping, it shows that we can obtain or 
buy manure cheaper than the sheep can make it. In conclusion, 
it is by comparison only that just estimates of anything can be 
made, let it be made between sheep-farming and ploughing-in 
green crops as manure for the production of corn and other sale 
crops.” 
It must be admitted that these are practical remarks worth 
attention both by the landowner and home farmer. If we notice 
in almost every district sheep-farming is almost entirely pur¬ 
sued by men of capital who are fond of the pursuit, in fact 
frequently make it a hobby and are prepared to lose or win by it. 
The home farmer must, however, be prepared to preface his 
accounts by a good system, and submit them with a good 
balance of profits. 
Much stress has been laid upon the subject of stock versus 
corn, as it has been fashionable during agricultural depression 
to assert boldly that corn does not pay, and that stock onlyii 
worth the attention of the farmer. Sir J. B. Lawes in a lettc r 
to the Times a short while ago, under the heading of “ Modern 
Farming,” says—“So certain was I that ccrn-growing as the 
main source of profit in farming could no longer be depended 
upon, that about ten years ago I began to lay down my arable 
land in permanent pasture, and at the present time one-half of 
my farm is grass.” Farther on he says—“Stock, however, as 
the main element of farming, requires a large amount of capital; 
corn can be grown by means of artificial manures with very little 
capital. Granted that stock-farming is profitable, exclusive of 
the risk of disease, wffiat is the value of that risk ? I should be 
very sorry to advise any young man who had a few thousand 
pounds in his possession to embark in farming. I should say to 
him, You cannot farm profitably without stock, and some disease, 
which all your precautions cannot prevent, may cripple your 
resources at any moment.” 
In thinking over them first observations we are struck 
forcibly with the assumptions contained in them without any 
practical comparison being made to support them, not even by 
calling attention to the fact that all or even a large portion of 
arable land cannot be male into good permanent pasture, 
Mr. 0. S. Read's statement to wit. Jn the other observations 
he says that so large an amount of capital is required that 
the risk of stock-keeping is too great. Now this is a strong 
corroboration of our opinions; but he makes no comparisons to 
justify the different conclusions at which he arrives by assuming 
that corn-growing cannot be made to pay, and therefore encou¬ 
raging the fashionable delusion which prevails. Our objections 
refer principally to sheep-farming and the folly of laying land 
into grass not possessing sufficient staple for its success. We 
quite believe that, setting the foot-and-mouth disease aside, 
cattle may be made profitable upon ordinary park or pasture 
land by dairy cows kept either for milking, or butter-making, or 
suckling purposes; also that upon rich grazing land bullocks 
can be fed with advantage, but under any circumstances it is 
safer to breed the whole, of the stock required on the farm. 
In conclusion we are aware of the great intelligence, in¬ 
dustry, and perseverance required by the home farmer to 
successfully grapple with all the difficulties of the times and 
circumstances of soil and climate by which he is surrounded; 
and in the absence of any specific calculation supporting the 
opinions in all their variety as given by different authorities 
which if attempted will prove unreliable, because it is practi¬ 
cally impossible to make comparison in figures. 
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. 
a 
"3 
(4 
1883. 
December. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
l Soil at 
I 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 . 
23 
30.246 
40.2 
37.3 
W. 
42.0 
49.5 
39.4 
60.4 
36.0 
— 
HondaY. 
24 
30.536 
45.2 
45. L 
s.w. 
40.9 
48.5 
33.4 
49.8 
28.0 
_ 
Tuesday. 
25 
30.603 
42.4 
42.4 
N. W. 
42.3 
43.1 
42.1 
48 2 
42.3 
_ 
Wednesday .. 
26 
30.58.3 
39.3 
30.2 
t aim 
42.3 
42.6 
37.6 
42.5 
39.0 
0.010 
Thursday .... 
27 
30.449 
36.4 
36.4 
Cal m 
42.1 
42.2 
36.1 
42.3 
37.7 
0 010 
Friday. 
28 
30.348 
41.0 
40.0 
N.W. 
41.G 
43.3 
35.3 
45.3 
37.2 
0.012 
Saturday .... 
29 
30.288 
38.7 
38.6 
Calm 
4L.7 
43.4 
38.2 
43.2 
38.8 
0.010 
30.436 
40.5 
39.9 
41.8 
44 7 
37.4 
47.4 
37.0 
0.042 
REMARKS. 
2Srd.—Pine day ; rather thick in evening. 
21th.—Cloudy and rather dull all day ; fog in morning. 
25th.—Foggy, dull, and damp. 
26th.—Cooler, but foggy and dull. 
27 th.—Fog all day. 
28th.—Dull and damp. 
29th.—Overcast, cold, and damp. 
A dull damp week with very little wind, scare dy any sun, and remarkably email 
range of temperature.—G. J. SYMONS. 
