142 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t February it , lm. 
only safe provision for stock. The home farmer should call to mind 
how often we have advised the heaping and covering, commonly 
called pitting, of the Swede crop, not only to protect the roots against 
frost and rabbits, but also to prevent them from striking winter roots 
and throwing up early greens, which they will do during a mild 
winter, and very much injuring their quality or feeding value for 
stock. It has been our own system for many years to pit the whole 
of our roots, whether Swedes, Mangold, or Carrots, in the field when 
required by the sheep to be fed on the land, and this plan also facili¬ 
tates the daily use of the roots, for whether frost or snow prevails 
one heap at a time is opened and passes with little trouble or waste 
through the Gardner’s cutter. About four or six rods’ produce—ac¬ 
cording to crop—furnishes roots enough for each conical round heap 
to be handy at making up and also at the opening for use, so that one 
or two heaps, according to the size of the flock, may be used daily 
enclosed by the fresh fold. As we have lately called the attention of 
the home farmer to the plans we advise for the feeding both ewes 
and lambs we need not repeat it here, but with such weather as has 
prevailed all the minutiae of the management we described will have 
been required to maintain the condition of the animals. 
With respect to the stock in the yards and cattle courts the roots 
in store will have been handy and useful in furnishing both heifers or 
steers, as well as dairy cows in calf, with a generous supply during 
the late bad weather, and no doubt they will have passed through 
the winter thus far with satisfaction if a full supply of sweet straw 
or ordinary hay has been given. The fatting pigs which have re¬ 
ceived pulped Mangold or Carrots mixed with barleymeal, mixed in 
the proportion of one-third meal at first, gradually reducing until the 
last fortnight of feeding, when the roots may be omitted and meal 
only given to finish off the animals for the butcher. The breeding 
sows which are in farrow should have a small yard and hovel to run 
in, and be fed with roots in part, either Swedes or Carrots, and wash 
with a little meal in it twice a day; but we always like to contrive 
the sow’s yard to be fenced with moveable iron hurdles and placed 
near the cart-horse stables, so that the long straw manure thrown 
out every day should furnish a bottom and bedding for the sows to 
eatl their roots' on, and in order also that the manure may not only 
be trodden down and preserved but further improved by the droppings 
of the pigs. 
VARIETIES. 
The Brighton Poultry Show. — We regret to learn that 
the Committee of this excellently conducted Show are £130 out of 
pocket. The Secretary, Mr. T. K. Cucksey, Chichester, Sussex, 
appeals to successful exhibitors for subscriptions, and announces that, 
notwithstanding the monetary failure of the last Show, it is intended 
to hold another in October next. The Committee have kept all their 
promises to exhibitors in a most exemplary manner, and have, not¬ 
withstanding the loss, sent out the ornamental prize cards which 
they promised. We trust they will receive support from fanciers. 
-“Practical Artificial Incubation,” by Edward Brown 
(Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.).—We have received the second edition 
of this work, which we reviewed at length when it was first published. 
The new edition is based very much upon the lines of the former one, 
but Mr. Brown has added details of all the recent inventions and 
improvements both in incubators and rearing apparatus. It is the 
most complete work upon the subject yet published, and will well 
repay a careful perusal. 
- Woodside, Aberdeen, Poultry Show.—A correspondent 
obligingly sent us last week a report of this Show, but it arrived too 
late for insertion. It was the tenth annual Exhibition. Considering 
the very stormy weather that prevailed the display was a very credit¬ 
able one. The entries, including poultry and Pigeons, amounted to 
about 400. Messrs. Campbell and Stewart judged the poultry. 
- The Colorado Beetle. —The Devonshire people have, we 
learn, been in a considerable state of excitement by reason of the arrival 
of this beetle. It appears that a Mr. Horton brought with him from 
Canada in December a number of these insects. Some witnesses say 
there were nearly thirty, and the introducer himself admits he had 
twenty. He says that he looked upon the beetles as a curiosity, and 
wished to show them to his friends. However that may be, most of 
them reached this country alive. Mr. Horton has been charged before 
the magistrates and fined £5, a penalty which has been indignantly 
condemned by the Devonians as altogether inadequate to the offence. 
Diligent search has been made for the insects, and it is believed they 
have all been destroyed. In 1874 a correspondent stated in our 
columns his opinion, “ that if the pest were introduced into England 
it would be by some enthusiastic naturalist, who would get some 
precious specimens over alive, and then expect a medal from the 
Entomological Society for his skill and perseverance.” It will be 
seen now that a different “ reward ” awaits those who succeed in 
bringing over the dreaded beetle, and they richly deserve it. 
- Eoot-and-Mouth Disease. —The order which prevents the 
holding of markets for store stock all over the country, or nearly so, 
and only permits sales of fat stock under severe restrictions, including 
slaughter within six days after exposure for sale, will cease to operate 
on March 1st next. It may be presumed that the extension of the 
provisions of the order for a longer period—say to the end of March 
—will be a matter of consideration with the Privy Council; and we 
may, without expressing our own opinion, suggest to stock-owners 
and others concerned that the views which the Privy Council may 
entertain may, in some degree at least, be influenced by the opinions 
of practical men. No time, therefore, should be lost in bringing these 
opinions under the notice of the Government. Chambers of agricul¬ 
ture and farmers’ clubs might claim to speak with authority on the 
subject. On Monday evening in the House of Commons Mr. Mar- 
joribanks asked the Vice-President of the Council whether, in view 
of the rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease, he would consider the 
advisability of the total prohibition of the entry of all live stock 
from England and Scotland until May 1st next. Mr. Mundella said 
then, finding the disease was extending northwards and had reached 
Durham, an order has been passed which came into force on January 
28th, by which any local authority in Scotland can prohibit the entry 
into their district of animals from any part of Great Britain. We 
received on Saturday last an official communication from the Town 
Clerk of Glasgow to the effect that the local authorities for that city 
have prohibited the entry of any animal from England or Wales 
between February 3rd and April 1st .—(Agricultural Gazette.) 
- Agricultural Prospects. —Prospects on clay lands have 
been drowned, both literally and figuratively, during the past week. 
In many districts, especially in the unlucky midlands, there was no 
prospect but water; the direction of the roadway and extent of the 
fields being marked out by trees and high hedgerows, whilst the 
Course of the rivers was indicated by the bridges only. Where arable 
lands have been flooded again and again—in Nottinghamshire there 
have been seven distinct and extensive floods—it is impossible to 
form any idea of what farmers’ reasonable prospects may be, but on 
clay lands generally it is useless to shut our eyes to the fact that 
prospects are very materially worse than they were a week ago. 
When the frost broke up the land was not in bad form for the time of 
year; but it is in very bad form now. It is impossible to say what 
may. happen in the way of weather, but unless it should prove 
altogether favourable there is at present very little prospect of 
making good seed beds in March. Some of our correspondents speak 
of work being in arrears, and that has now become a very serious 
matter. Boot crops outstanding at the time of the great storm and 
frost are now nearly worthless. As a matter of fact, the stock of 
roots in most cases now consists only of such as have been stacked. 
Where the young Wheats were exposed they now appear to have 
been hit very hard, but they will pull through, no doubt. Altogether, 
there has been, in our opinion, a very sharp fall in the prospects 
barometer during the past week.— (Mark Lane Express.) 
SPRING POULTRY NOTES. 
Every season in the poultry yard has its especial cares, on the 
due observance of which success later on much depends. It may 
not be out of place to enumerate a few points to be thought of in 
the present month. 
Young chickens should not be allowed to run out into frosted 
ground, least of all on to grass covered with hoarfrost. Their feet 
become contracted, the twist in the toes grows with their growth, 
and often at the Crystal Palace or Birmingham we hear it said, 
“ What a grand cockerel 1 he would have been first but for his 
twisted toes.” 
Ducks should now begin to lay regularly after the break-up of 
