520 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ June 23, 1881. 
reason for this is not far to seek. It consists chiefly of two im¬ 
portant items. First, that smooth rollers are preferred, as they 
crush the clods into dust, whereas the serrated surface only breaks 
them into small angular pieces, yielding but little if any fine 
mould ; the next is that practical farmers often do, and ought to, 
repudiate the policy or necessity of having any large clods to be 
broken, preferring that the labour required for reducing the soil 
into a fine state should be effected as fast as the land is ploughed, 
and reduced before it has time to become hardened. To prove 
the action of heavy smooth cylinder rollers, some fifty years ago 
we took a roller (which cost thirty-six guineas) into our farming 
stock, and it required four really good and powerful animals to 
work it on very rough land ; but the action left the land perfectly 
fine both on the surface and under, for when two clods pressed 
against each other they were broken into dust, and we have often 
found that it would be impossible in some dry seasons to reduce 
really heavy clay land in a rough and cloddy state into tilth by 
any other means. Smooth rollers are most effective and valuable 
for park and pasture lands. Messrs. Woolnough & Co. and other 
makers have them up to the size of 36 inches in diameter of the 
cylinder, the draught of which requires four good horses. 
We now desire to show the use and value of the ordinary two or 
three-ringed presser. The use of the three-ringed implement is 
the following of three ploughs ; and as it is only animal labour to 
which we are referring, two full-sized horses, such as we have 
always recommended for farm work, if in good condition will be 
equal to the draught ; but in the case of a two-ringed implement 
it will require two small horses or oxen, which shows the policy of 
using the presser of three rings. The home farmer will find this 
a most important implement, for all lea ground should be pressed 
at the time of ploughing in order to secure a firm and solid seed 
bed for either Wheat or Oats, to both of which crops it is 
necessary for their healthy growth. Speaking of Wheat, in the 
winter of 1878 and 1879 that which was sown after the presser 
was almost the only crop which maintained a full plant, for the 
seed being buried deeply it evaded the action of the severe frost. 
In the same manner Oats or drege, when sown after the presser, 
obtains a holding upon the firm subsoil at once, and thus to a 
great extent avoids injury by wireworm, grub, &c. We must 
also look to the finishing work of the tillage, for lea ground never 
works off fine and free from tufts of grass, roots, &c., unless the 
land has been pressed, nor is there any roller efficient in this 
work equal to the presser. 
Ring rollers—such as those called the Cambridge, named 
after the original maker—are also capital implements as made by 
Messrs. Howard. These in ordinary work are better than smooth 
cylinder implements, because they can be used for nearly every 
purpose on the farm, grass land included ; but they are especially 
necessary in the seeding of Clover and Grass seeds, for after the 
land is made fine on the surface, whether it is on Wheat land or 
spring corn, if the seeds are sown after the fluted roller the little 
firm channels made by the rings take the seeds so well that they 
become perfectly buried by one tine of the ordinary chain harrow, 
nor is there any other mode of seeding for Clovers and permanent 
pasture to our mind so perfect as that obtained by the use of the 
ring or fluted implement. 
We have now to notice some useful articles required on the home 
farm, such as sheep troughs, cow cribs, cattle troughs, and corn 
bins, all of which are best when made of iron. It is quite common 
to use wooden articles instead of iron, but being constantly in use 
and exposed to all weather they soon wear out. The best gal¬ 
vanised iron sheep troughs for use in the open field are about 8 or 
9 feet long, with two or four wheels, with a rod at the top to pre¬ 
vent the sheep treading in them ; the lip or edge of these troughs 
are turned inwards, thus preventing the sheep from routing out 
the food. They are not covered except when required for the 
feeding of lambs, for when sheep are fed they should never have 
more food than they can eat before leaving the troughs ; but not 
so with lambs, which should never see an empty trough, but 
alwajs have food to eat, especially of corn and cake. In that case 
to prevent waste the troughs should be covered on the top and on 
one side. Iron cow cribs are not only convenient for feeding 
cattle and colts in the yards, but are very enduring ; at the same 
time they are not easily turned over by the animals. Iron corn 
bins are to a certain extent a necessity, as are also the wrought 
iron cattle troughs, to supply water at all times in the stock yards. 
WORK OH THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—This will be conducted according to the state of 
the weather. On some light gravel or sandy land Swedes will be sown 
after this time in order that they may be vigorous in growth during 
the autumn until frost comes, these late-sown roots being the only 
ones which are likely to stand during severe weather in the winter 
months. In preparing for Turnips after green crops, if the land is 
foul with Couch, it is best not to clean-plough the land but rafter- 
plough, and then scarify across the rafter so that no Couch may be 
buried but kept well on the surface, to be dealt with by the self¬ 
lifting drag and roller. After the Couch has been cleared off the 
land may then be clean-ploughed rather shallow, in order that any 
remaining Couch may be worked out and removed before drilling the 
seed. Sow first the Scotch yellow hybrid variety, unless the crop is 
required for early feeding and early clearance, to be followed by 
Wheat, for then the Red Mammoth Turnip is the best variety; for 
when sown as a second crop they not only grow very fast but retain 
their quality and feeding value until a late period if required to stand 
the winter. If the green crops have been fed off by sheep 3 cwt. of 
superphosphate per acre, with 20 bushels of ashes, will be a sufficient 
dressing for drilling with the seed. If, however, the green crops 
have been removed for horses or cattle in the boxes, then 1J to 2 cwt. per 
acre of Peruvian guano should be added to the before-named dressing. 
Horse-hoeing the Mangolds and Carrot crops will still be going on. 
We hear of considerable deficiencies in the plant of Mangold this 
year, but we cannot advise ploughing and resowing if Mangolds are 
required on the home farm, as they generally are ; but we should 
prefer to plant Cabbage, Kohl Rabi, and Thousand-headed Kale. 
But the setting should be done at the back of the spade, as it moves 
the ground nicely round the plants, and also lets the plants down 
into the moist land—an important point, especially if the weather 
should be very hot and dry. In the sandy soils there will often be 
some Couch left, and which will show up at the time of horse-hoeing 
between the rows of Mangold, Turnips, and Cabbages. In this case 
we send women to take up the bunches of grass before the horse-hoes, 
and the Couch is eradicated for that season. 
Hand Labour .— The men will be engaged in hand-hoeing and 
singling the root crops. In the latter work the women should assist, 
also in attending upon the hay when the weather is fine. After the 
ricks are made they should be tucked into shape and topped with 
straw, ready for thatching at the first opportunity if they are doing 
well and not likely to overheat. Hoeing Carrots must be continued 
between the lines. We prefer pulling them for the purpose of singling 
instead of using the hoe, because if the plants are set out singly as 
soon as the hoe can do it, then the crop is very liable to become a 
prey to the brown grub, for they grow slowly after being hoed out 
early. On the other hand, if they are allowed to become too large for 
the grub to eat before hoeing, a large bulk of food will be destroyed 
by the hoe to no purpose, whereas if they are hand-pulled the roots 
furnish a large amount of valuable food. We have obtained in this 
way from 7 tons to 10 tons per acre available as food for cattle, and 
if of the red intermediate sort there is a ready sale for them in towns 
as food for the people. The advantages, therefore, of pulling over 
hoeing are, first, you ensure a plant; then, if they are not pulled for 
thinning until the roots are the size of the finger or thumb, the 
ground is opened and loosened close to the standard plants, enabling 
them to swell very quickly. Again, the pulled roots are, if not sold, 
valuable food for all kinds of cattle, including horses and pigs. The 
work of planting Cabbage, Kohl Rabi, and Kale, should be continued, 
and upon land lately cleared of green fodder crops we prefer planting 
Cabbage plants to sowing with Turnips, for there is an amount of 
uncertainty connected with seeding which is not to be expected if 
planting any of the Cabbage tribe is properly done with the spade, 
and the land is made rich enough and kind enough by dung and good 
tillage to produce them in abundance, and especially we should pro¬ 
vide abundance of plants for making out deficiencies and loss of 
plant amongst any of the root crops. We must not forget the value 
of Broccoli of the early sorts which come fit to sell from November 
to Christmas, as these pay remarkably well, and may be said to be a 
valuable accessory to our ordinary root crops, as they can be sold in 
towns and sent by rail to any part of the kingdom in the same 
manner that we get them packed and sent over from France and 
other parts abroad. They require, however, to be grown in a sheltered 
position and manured with guano, superphosphate, or nitrate of soda, 
and will pay well for it in some districts, the stumps being used 
as cattle food passed through the cutter and mixed with cake or bean 
meal. In this way we have fattened our bullocks on various occa¬ 
sions with as much profit as with Swedish Turnips prepared and 
given in the same manner. 
Live Stock .—The cattle in the boxes are now getting forward for 
sale or for exhibition, and may have Clover, Saintfoin, Lucerne, 
Vetches, <fcc., with an ample allowance of cake and bean meal; and it 
will pay better on an average of seasons for cutting Clover twice or 
thrice than running the risk of making it into hay. We never make 
so good manure or make beef faster than when cattle are fed as 
above stated. Sheep should now have all been shorn of their wool, 
and all the lambs have been weaned also by this time. Weaning the 
lambs early tells in their favour as well as in advantage to the ewes, 
especially if the latter are intended for the butcher at the earliest 
period. 
VARIETIES. 
Stock-feeding. —It is claimed by some feeders of stock that 
100 lbs. of cornmeal and 100 lbs. of bran mixed will give a greater 
gain in flesh than 200 lbs. of meal. Meal and bran mixed is a better 
food than meal alone. Bran contains a larger per-centage of phos- 
