522 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 26, 1834. 
As we Lave constantly seen some of the Longhorns at the 
cattle shows we have been struck with their hardy and robust 
appearance as compared with some of the best-bred Shorthorns 
and Herefords. The day may come when a breed like the Long¬ 
horn may stand us in good stead when, from weakness of con¬ 
stitution consequent upon high breeding and high feeding, cattle 
of the present and days to come may be greatly benefited by the 
L mghorn blood in order to strengthen the consti tution of some 
of our most cherished herds. We have seen in the above remarks 
as made by Mr, USTevill Fitt that the Longhorns at the early 
period lost caste, and, as it were, neai’ly killed with kindness, and 
that their constitutions under the treatment now resorted to for 
the prize-winning stock and herds of the present day became 
weakened. This will arise again in the Shorthorns, &C.', at a 
future time without doubt more or less, and therefore it is highly 
desirable that the Longhorns as we now see them should be 
maintained as nearly as possible as they have been of late years, 
for it may prove eventually a mine of wealth to the best cattle 
breeders of the future. By utilising the Longhorn blood many 
herd - may be improved, but especially of the Herefords for the 
Longhorn and Hereford in a cross would nick better than any 
other of our leading herds. We must also remember that the 
Welsh and some other breeds amongst which many inferior 
herds may be seen, would be greatly improved by a single cross 
with the Longhorn without loss of character, but especially those 
breeds which are found deficient in lean meat as well as we ight 
for age and early maturity. We entertain a strong opinion that 
half-bred Hereford and Longhorn would be a cross capable of 
furnishing rare and valuable specimens of baby beef, and would 
make out great weights at two years old when boxed during their 
whole life, as we have frequently done it with Shorthorns. 
With the strong constitution of the Longhorn, combined with 
the aptitude to fatten of the Hereford, we can clearly see that 
the result would be very beneficial to the breeder and feeder 
of such a cross, for it is well known that the generality of baby 
beef animals, although often very fat, are more like veal than 
beef, yet with a full amount of firm lean flesh combined and 
obtained, as it would be by the Longhorn cross, would be a move 
in the right direction. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Ilorse Labour .—Horses are still engaged by turns with hay-cartiDg 
and preparing for seeding the land appointed for common Turnips. 
Swede-seeding having been finished, also the Cabbage-planting, the 
growth of which has been greatly improved by the late rains—in fact, 
we have never been favoured with finer rains than those which occurred 
about the 10th of June, which have been plentiful without being flooding 
as thunderstorms are frequently. The first growth of Mustard has been 
ploughed in, and the land worked fine as fast as ploughed and the second 
growth seeded for, which, after these fine rains, will be sure to be of 
quick growth, giving plenty of time before harvest for ploughing in and 
re-seeding for the third growth. That also must be ploughed in and the land 
seeded to Wheat without further manure, because this practice has been 
proved equal to a full crop of Wheat with Lent corn and Clover to follow 
without any further manuring ; and if the second growth of Clover is 
ploughed in also the next crop of Wheat will be also abundant without 
any further manuring. Horse-hoeing the Mangolds, the Cabbages, the 
Carrots, and the Swedes will be the next work before hand-hoeing. As 
soon as the field hay has been stacked the meadow grass will be cut and 
made as soon as possible, for we have a large heap of earth and other 
composts now ready for laying-out as fast as the meadows are cleared of 
the hay. This will bring a full aftermath for feeding with young cattle, 
and prove equal to a full crop of hay the next year. We are now cutting 
and have nearly finished the early Trifolium now cutt ng for soiling 
horses and cattle ; the late variety of white-blossomed will follow up 
and hold out until the second week of July, when the land will be all 
rafter-ploughed, worked down and scarified, then drilled with Greystone 
Turnip seed, manured with 2^ cwt. per acre of bone superphosphate. 
In this way last year we got Turnip plants of thick and full foliage, the 
whole being ploughed in without any other manure for Wheat, and the 
Wheat promises an abundant crop of straw. The yield, of course, will 
depend on a favourable time for setting the grain and ripening. 
Hand Labour .—Men and horses are mowing the grass for hay, and 
two horses being constantly engaged attached to the mower, but by relays 
of fresh horses every four or five hours, because it is very hard work 
although the crop is not so heavy this year as it has been on the average 
of a few past seasons. Men will be engaged at the stacking of hay, 
hoeing of Mangolds, Carrots, Cabbage, and Swedes as fast as they be¬ 
come ready for singling. In fact, after the second horse-hoeing and the 
Mangold plants properly set out and singled, ljlb. of Greystone Turnip 
seed per acre will be sown broadcast over the field both of Mangolds and 
Swedes as they are drilled, or should be at 30 inches to 3G inches apart 
between the lines, in order to give the young Turnip plants a kttle light 
and air to favour the growth of foliage, for the object is to only produce 
gross foliage, to be ploughed in with greens of the Mangolds and Swedes, 
as the crops will be pull d and carfert the store for horses, cattle, and 
dairy cows in the wintt r, for we entirely repudiate the feeding of sheep 
on the land in the winter months. The feeding of them on the land is a 
great drawback and displacement of the seeding for corn and sale crops, 
whereas cattle are fed at the homestead without injury to the land, espe¬ 
cially dairy cows when properly managed and provided for by stores of 
Mangold, Cajobage, Carrots, and white Oat straw. 
Live Stock .—Where a breeding flock is kept of the horned Dorset and 
Somerset ewes the rams now should be in service in order that the 
lambing time may commence in November ; but the off-going ewes 
will have been with the rams for some time past in order that they may 
bring their lambs in October. The early Dorset Downs should now also 
be with the rams, for many of these flocks where kept on pastures of 
limestone subsoil will often bring lambs in November, and when thus 
early to lamb will make a loDg price to go into the southern and home 
counties for producing early lambs for the Metropolitan market at or 
before Easter. Bullocks grazing for beef on the best pastures will now 
be doing well, but should have access to water at all times ; if, however, 
the pastures are not first-rate, the animals should soon get some cotton, 
cake or Maize meal, or both, and if given with cut Mangolds mixed in 
their skeps they will do well; in fact, on those pastures which will not 
feed a bullock fat without trough food, a store of Mangolds should always 
be retained on purpose, for it is one of the best mediums of supplementary 
summer feeding which can be devised. Dairy cows now require parti¬ 
cular attention, and if possible should be brought to the stalls in sunny 
weather during the heat of the day, getting a good bait of green fodder 
at milking time, both night and morning, of Clover, Trifolium, Vetches, 
&r. ; and when in their stalls they will lie down in quietude as compared 
with the frantic excitement they suffer oftentimes under the attack of 
(lies when in the fields, park lands, and pastures, for even when they 
take shelter under the trees they are still teased by the flies. This is 
frequently the cause not only of a diminution of the flow of milk in the 
summer, but also induces the animals to go dry at an earlier period. 
The castration of all male colts over a year old should not be longer 
deferred ; and after the operation has been carefully performed by a 
skilful veterinary the animal should be kept in a quiet shady building or 
barn now until quite recovered before being allowed to run the pastures 
by day and by night. In the case of setting out an establishment for the 
suckling of calves for veal, it is best to arrange for taking such a number 
of calves as required per week or month with dealers who are prepared 
to supply them rather than trust to buying in the ordinary markets. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Houses for Cows and Calves (T. S .).—Our plan is to have the cows in 
boxes standing tethered two in each and their calves tethered behind them. 
These boxes are about 9 feet wide by 12 feet long, filled with earth at the 
bottom about 18 inches deep and littered with short straw as cleanliness 
dictates. This at all times furnishes a pure atmosphere for the calves to live 
in, particularly in the summer months when the cows go out to graze and 
only come in to suckle the calves twice in the twenty-four hours. The boxes 
should be made warm and the light excluded as much as possible, so that the 
calves should be induced to lie and sleep the greater part of the time between 
the hours of feeding and suckling, and also to prevent them being disturbed 
and annoyed by flies, which always follow the sunlight. In ordinary cow¬ 
sheds the calves seldom have good healthy lairs, the air being often more or 
less impregnated with ammonia. This is often the cause of diarrhoea, the 
most fatal and damaging complaint to which calves are subject. It should 
be borne in mind that it is of far more consequence to maintain the health of 
veal calves than of the weaned calves, because the latter may live through it 
without any serious injury ; but not so with the former, for although they 
may recover their health they will never recover the time lost whilst suffering 
from disease of any kind. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 61° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
5 
”5 
« 
1884. 
June. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of VVind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 t foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet 
Max. 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday _ 
.. IS 
30.308 
oo. i 
53.9 
N.E. 
59 0 
68.1 
47.8 
116.8 
42.4 
— 
Mondav .... 
.. 10 
30.202 
00.0 
53.6 
N. 
59 2 
65.0 
51.2 
111.0 
46 2 
— 
I’uesday_ 
.. 17 
30.187 
55.4 
50.3 
N.W. 
58.6 
63 4 
46. * 
100.4 
41.6 
— 
Wednesday 
.. ]H 
30.22 
5 >8 
52.5 
N. 
58.6 
61.5 
47 5 
98.7 
43.3 
— 
Thursday .. 
. 19 
an 234 
58.3 
55.0 
N.E; 
58.2 
71.4 
53 7 
101.9 
51.4 
— 
Friday. 
. 2 ) 
30.238 
58.6 
55 7 
E. 
59 0 
71.3 
52.8 
107.4 
47.3 
— 
Saturday .. 
. 21 
80.243 
56 7 
52.8 
N.E. 
59. L 
72.2 
51.2 
116.2 
45.4 
— 
80.235 
58.0 
53.4 
58 8 
~C8 0 
50.1 
106.8 
45.5 
— 
REMARKS. 
15tb.—Generally fine. 
16th.—Rather cloudy. 
17th.—Generally dull, and a sprinkle of rain about 6.30 P.M., but not measurable. 
18th.—Another dull day, very little sun. 
19th.—Dull morning and frequently overcast. 
20th.—Slight fog early, and generally cloudy. 
21st.—Clear morning, but cloudy afterwards 
A dry week of nearly average temperature, but with an excess of cVud.—G. J. SYJIOXS 
