June 12, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
477 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
1 
6 
to 5 
0 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
6 
0 to 10 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
. bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
per doz. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Figs .. .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Filberts.. .. 
. .. ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
5 
0 
Cob3 .. .. 
1 
8 
1 
6 
Pine Apples English .. tb. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Grapes .. 
. .. tb. 
2 
0 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
.. ft. 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Lemon .. .. 
,. case 
15 
0 
21 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
. .each 
2 
0 
6 
0 
VEGETABLES 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
Artichokes 
.. dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
0 
to 1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
.. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Ouions. 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Broccoli .. .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
8 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
.. { sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums .. 
.. 100 
1 
8 
2 
0 
,, Kidney . 
. cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
0 
8 
0 
4 
„ New .. . 
cwt. 
8 
0 
14 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
.. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery .. .. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Coleworts doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
6 
Cucumbers 
.. each 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Shallots. 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Endive .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Leeks .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Lettuce .. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
„ New .. .. 
bunch 
1 
0 
0 
0 
ARABLE AND PASTURE FARMING. 
( Continued from page 458.') 
The best pasture lands are frequently much depreciated when 
occupied by inexperienced tenants, or even by home farmers who are 
employed in districts with which they are totalty unacquainted. This 
is especially the case in such large enclosures as are met with in 
Buckinghamshire, and more particularly in the Yale of Aylesbury, 
where many valuable pastures contain large acreages, and the soil 
consequently varies much in quality as well as the grass produced 
thereon. In consequence these hillocks of various dimensions, although 
they are necessarily fed off by fatting bullocks, contribute but little 
towards fattening the stock. As they cannot be separated, however, 
it is of the highest importance that they should be raised in value as 
nearly as possible equal to that of the best portions. This will be 
best done with applications of earth and dung composts laid out in 
alternate seasons with 4 or 5 cwt. per acre of the best bone super¬ 
phosphate, the latter being applied in February of the year succeeding 
that of the compost manure, and thus continued alternately until the 
desired improvement is secured. We are now referring to those best 
pastures whereon the cattle never receive cake or artificial feeding 
mixtures of any kind, and yet become prime beef by summer feeding. 
Even portions of such fields we have noticed that the Clovers have 
entirely disappeared, probably from sheep feeding combined with 
oxen. It is sometimes conjectured that portions of these pastures are 
too wet, which destroys the Clover ; but let it be remembered there 
is one infallible rule to be observed, that in case no rushes appear it 
is certain that the land is not too wet for growing land ; and were 
it drained it would cause irreparable injury, for we have seen strong 
land pastures after being drained reduced more than half their original 
value, as in the summer season the land would become open, the 
pastures would then for months prove absolutely sterile. Again, 
portions of such land are often injured by hassocks of coarse grass or 
the bunch rushes. In either case the remedy is to cut up with the 
turf-cutter and burn them into ashes, and then sow Cocksfoot Grass 
and White Clover seeds, spreading the ashes and compost manures 
over the surface. This will reclaim any such land which has deteri¬ 
orated through neglect. These improvements are essential, because 
we are now dealing with grass land which lets at a high rental and 
should be made available for bullock-fattening without artificial food, 
because it is this alone which can justify a high rental. On such 
land the labour question ought to be reduced to the lowest possible 
amount ; an instance and illustration of which we can give, as the 
late Mr. James Crew of Wincanton, Somerset, bought two North 
Devon bullocks just beneath the butcher’s quality at the Christmas 
market at Salisbury for £32 each, placed them in his feeding pastures 
in the Vale of Wincanton, and by grazing on the land in summer 
and consuming hay in the winter the produce of the adjoining pasture 
had only a hovel or shed to lie in, but without receiving any other 
food than the produce of the pasture either in grass or hay, were 
fattened and sold at the next year’s Christmas market at Salisbury 
for £64 each. This is an instance of the value of grazing cattle well 
worth the attention of every farmer who has the best grazing land 
in his occupation, for it illustrates most forcibly a leading point in 
grazing, where the produce of arable land or the use of artificial food 
is entirely absent, and with the least cost in labour expended during 
the time of fattening. 
In certain distiicts of the kingdom where the land is capable of 
fattening an ox without additional food other than grass or hay, it 
must be accepted as the most valuable that can be found. On such 
soils and situations where the pastures are so productive it may be 
safely pronounced that no arable land in the immediate district and 
of similar soil can be cultivated with any comparison in the profits to 
be derived therefrom. These facts are patent to every experienced 
farmer. Such land under cultivation may with the greatest safety 
be laid into pasture and ignore cultivation entirely, especially under 
the influence and the advantage to be derived through the new system 
of using the best pasture grasses as practised by Mr. Faunce de 
Laune, and to which we have recently referred in this Journal, and 
shown therein that there need be not only no failure, but a good 
pasture the first year, and ever afterwards if properly managed. One 
of the most important points, however, must not be overlooked—that 
is, obtaining cattle suitable for grazing these valuable pastures. The 
old system was to purchase four-year-old cattle in good store condition 
before turning them out to graze. It is, however, now very difficult 
to obtain four-year-old bullocks except those which are called worked 
oxen, and these are only available in small numbers. 
We have before us an article headed “ Young Beef," by a member 
of the Smithfield Club, Leeds, in which it is stated that the rapidity 
of growth during the fatting process diminishes year by year with 
age. During six successive years it was 2-58, 2 05, 1 96, L57, 1-37, 
and 089 lb 3 . successively per diem—a fact entirely corroborative of 
our argument. This is an excellent practical illustration of our own 
observation and long experience in this matter, and we can see no 
reason why it should not be applied in the case of grazing the. best 
pastures instead of purchasing only oxen of full age, for it will of 
course prove the best method of promoting and securing commercial 
profits. It, however, involves either a breeding establishment or 
otherwise the rearing of calves selected in the cheese-making districts, 
and reared upon the farm which should necessarily contain some 
arable land for the production of roots, straw, &c., for food and 
accommodation for the young animals in the winter months. The 
foundation would then be laid for their future grazing up to two years 
or thirty months old, from which time they would be grazing for one 
summer and going to market as beef at about three years of age. In 
this way we think it shoifid be the system for adoption in the absence 
of a supply equal to the demand of store animals for grazing. 
Turning our attention to the arable lands of districts to which 
we have been referring, we readily admit that it would be difficult 
to find arable land turned to so good an account commercially as the 
best pasture may be, although the soil and climate may be equal in 
fertility. This appears to be the case at present with so large a 
number of arable farms which are untenanted, indicating with the 
greatest security the benefit of laying down such land to permanent 
pasture under the new method of selection of grass seeds, and of 
seeding in a Wheat crop if possible. The same indications which 
would direct the home farmer in laying down certain soils to per¬ 
manent pasture, point out to him not only the best soils for grazing 
land, but also decide the question of any other soils and variations 
of climate by noting the pastures which have been from time 
immemorial laid in grass. They will also show to what extent the 
mixed soils prevail, and the former management having consisted of 
dairy farming and corn-growing combined it will be seen what changes 
can be made with advantage. We are now alluding to a system of 
dairy farming either for the production of cheese or butter, although 
it will still be a matter for serious consideration that some portion 
of arable is a necessity ; still this should also be viewed and made a 
point of the extent to which arable may be combined in the occupa¬ 
tion. We may also refer to some farms, although containing a large 
portion of arable, whether it may not be an advantageous system in 
the absence of sheep to keep a suckling dairy, and yet. be enabled 
to make profits equal to that of butter and cheese-making without 
the labour, • knowledge, establishment, &c., required in the manu¬ 
facture of these articles. Unless they are manufactured under the 
practical and scientific knowledge which now prevails, the fattening 
by suckling of calves for veal would be the most profitable, the most 
simple, the less risk, and the actual retention of the cows in profit 
for the longest periods, as well as the least labour in management, 
especially when we consider the high price of veal and great require¬ 
ments of the present period, and at the same time bearing in mind 
that choice veal of the best size and quality is now, aid is likely 
to be in the future, like choice young lambs, the principal stock pro¬ 
ductions which do not meet with a foreign competition. In alluding 
to the advantages of a suckling dairy, it is frequently adopted in 
outlying districts farthest from the markets or town, and railway 
