February io, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 121 
drawn and strewed over the land for the ewes. As soon as the lambs 
will eat they should, together with ewes, go into the root land and he 
allowed to run in advance of the ewes, receiving the best of food; 
as stock lambs they may have the range of the field, eating off the 
Swede greens, with good hay in their racks. As soon as they will eat 
cake it may be advisable for them to have a little in their troughs, 
especially the wether lambs intended for sale. The dry sheep may 
now be pushed forward with a full allowance of cake meal mixed 
with the cut roots in troughs, whether of Turnips, Swedes, or Man¬ 
golds. These sheep or, in fact, ewes and lambs, when they are 
accustomed to be fed in troughs should never be removed on account 
of wet weather. In case of removal to pasture or old lea ground the 
sheep become unsettled, and do not thrive so well as when regularly 
fed in their troughs, removing them on to fresh ground daily. Ewes 
with lambs should not be removed, for although they may have 
plenty of food they lose their regular habit of feeding, and probably 
before they get settled down the weather may become fine and dry. 
Feeding live stock with malt should now be well considered by the 
home farmer, because there is usually a portion of the Barley crop 
which is thin and not fit for malting purposes as required by the 
brewers. It may, however, be made into malt for consumption 
by cattle instead of being sold at a low price in the market. The 
advantages of this practice are as yet not well defined. We there¬ 
fore advise farmers who have the opportunity to make it a matter of 
experiment. When a heavy duty was levied on malt experiments 
were made, some of which were adverse to it, partially caused by the 
duty upon the article. We remember when malt and Carrots were 
used for feeding colts and young horses, particularly in Suffolk, and 
it was generally admitted that nothing would bring horses for sale 
into better condition. There is no doubt but that malt may be 
advantageously used as a flavouring material in admixture with 
injured hay and straw. It may also be mixed with the food of 
calves and young lambs as an inducement to them to eat their trough 
food at the earliest period. In a suckling dairy in which calves are 
fattened for sale as veal malt will prove about the best food that 
could be given, and also for dairy cows to increase the milk. 
VARIETIES. 
Sale of Pigeons. —We understand that Mr. John Waters of 
Belfast has recently sold his entire collection of Jacobins, and has 
purchased Mr. Salter’s stud of Fantails, numbering seventy bird 
(Whites, Blacks, Blues, and Laced). Mr. Waters thus buys back the 
greater portion of his own birds sold by him to Mr. Salter a year ago. 
In the collection are two of the best Black hens known. We wish 
Mr. Waters success. 
- Occupation for Women. —Madame Lina (from Geneva) 
of 399, Edgware Road, London, requests us to notice her efforts 
to make watchmaking a woman’s occupation. Our correspondent 
writes :—“ The odds are greatly against me; and although I have 
succumbed to trade opposition and lost heavily, I am, nevertheless, 
determined to succeed in my undertaking to make watchmaking a 
woman’s occupation, or perish in the attempt.” A woman so earnest 
in benefiting her class deserves encouragement and success. 
- Death of a well-known Brahma Hen. — We regret to 
hear that Mr. Norris has recently lost his beautifully pencilled Dark 
Brahma hen. This bird, which was bred by Mr. Garner and was for 
some time in the yaids of Miss E. Shuter, was a model in colour and 
pencilling. It failed a little in shape and foot feather, but even so 
it was a veiy strong bird in the pen. 
- American Food Products.—T he exports of beef from 
America in 1880 have been computed by the “ American Cultivator ” 
at 20,500,000 lbs., mostly going to England. A feature of the trade 
in cattle has been the large increase in the production in Montana, 
where the business of cattle-raising is being developed more rapidly 
than in any other part of the United States. But the largest and 
most notable increase has been in breadstuffs. The shipments of corn 
and Wheat aggregate fully 15,000,000 bushels, against 12,000,000 
bushels in 1879; and the shipments of flour aggregate 1,100,000 
barrels, against 250,000 barrels in the previous year. 
-American Butter, Cheese, and Eggs.—O f butter some 
140,000 packages have been exported, and of cheese 109,000 packages 
have been sent across the water. These figures show a large increase 
both in receipts and exports compared with 1879. It is the universal 
testimony of dealers that the finest grades of butter have met with 
quick sales all through the year, but poor grades have had a hard 
time of it in fulfilling their mission, whatever that might be. Com¬ 
pared with previous years the receipts of first-class butter have been 
in larger proportion, thus showing that butter makers are more fully 
appreciating the imperative importance of sending only a really good 
article to market for family use. The increased production of oleo¬ 
margarine may have had some influence upon the butter market in 
regulating its demand or volume consumed ; but we are assured that 
such is the increased opposition to the “ stuff,” that now nobody who 
has any respect for their taste or stomach will use oleomargarine if 
they know it. The receipts of eggs have also shown a material 
increase over the previous year, the return being for 1880 177,000 
cases, 22,000 barrels, and 29,000 boxes, against 135,000 cases, 10,000 
barrels, and 25,000 boxes in 1879. Prices of eggs have declined of 
late on account of increased receipts. 
-“Floods: their Causes, Mitigation, and Cure,” is the 
title of a pamphlet received, by “ Aquarius,” and published by 
Fletcher & Son, Norwich. Referring to the greater prevalence of 
floods now than in earlier periods, the author observes with some force 
that “ When the surface of the country was covered with primaeval 
forest, the bulk of that part of water produced by rainfall which 
reached the streams reached them by very much slower processes 
than it does now. First, the foliage and branches of tall trees had 
to be wetted, then the lower-growing vegetation underneath, both of 
which would hold a large amount of water in suspension ; next, a 
considerable thickness of decayed and decaying vegetable matter, 
holding water like a sponge, and parting with it very slowly to the 
brooks and rivers. But when trees were cut down and forests cleared, 
and when so many thousands of acres of land in the watersheds of 
our rivers are covered by the roofs of rain-proof buildings, by paved 
footways, streets, and roads, and when wet lands are carefully and 
thoroughly drained, the water has no sooner fallen than it is hurried 
on to the brooks and rivers as quickly as troughs, pipes, gutters, 
sewers, and drains can carry it; thus causing an overflow, frequently 
with very disastrous results.” 
Several correspondents have written to us asking for some 
additional information to supplement that contained in “ Fanny 
Field’s” letter which we published a fortnight since. It is 
rather late in the season to say much upon the subject now, but 
a few plain directions may even yet be of use, and we trust our 
readers will bear our hints in mind and be prepared in good time 
for next winter. 
In the first place a comfortable house, warm without being 
overheated, well ventilated without being draughty, and thoroughly 
dry under foot, is indispensable. To secure the necessary warmth 
a southern aspect maybe chosen, or the house may be built against 
the chimney or flue of a greenhouse or stable, or some simple 
heating apparatus may be used in very cold weather. Care must 
be taken, however, that the house is not overheated. Nothing is 
more fatal to birds than a sudden transition from great heat to 
cold. We lost a valuable bird a short time since from a chill 
which he caught on removal on a frosty day from an exhibition 
pen in the kitchen to his run. The heating power should there¬ 
fore only be sufficient to exclude frost in severe weather, and the 
heat should not be raised over 60° at any time. 
Ventilation presents no great difficulty. The birds should have 
a house of sufficient size to allow them about 10 cubic feet of air 
space each. Three sides of the house should be perfectly air¬ 
tight ; on the fourth side there should be an opening near the 
bottom to admit fresh air. The open space at the foot of the 
door, or the small door for the ingress and egress of the birds, is 
generally sufficient for this purpose. Then near the roof there 
should be another opening to allow the foul air to escape. It is 
as well to make this so that it can be kept partly closed in severe 
weather and very open in summer. A good glazed window on 
the south side of the house is an important point, as the birds will 
not resort to their house in the daytime unless it be well lighted. 
Sheds are all very well in summer, but in winter a well-ventilated 
house is a more comfortable place than an open shed. 
Dryness of the floor of the house can only be secured by having 
