JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
410 
r May 19, 188X. 
yield of butter; indeed, some contend that the Jersey will yield 
more butter,” This is not quite satisfactory, when we state from 
our experience of more than fifty years, and from the general 
opinion of practical dairymen also, that the Guernsey cow gives 
less milk in quantity, but extremely rich in cream as compared 
with the Jersey, the latter giving a larger quantity of milk, yield¬ 
ing far less cream in proportion. In our opinion the error in this 
case is mistaking the Alderney produce in milk and cream for 
that of the Guernsey, for it is notorious that the Alderney cows 
will often give large yields bath of milk and butter also, whereas 
the Guernsey are famous only for the immense yield of butter in 
proportion to the quantity of milk, and their disposition to carry 
flesh whilst milking, and fattening readily when dry or barren. 
Although we have recommended farmers to purchase pedigree 
stock, still we prefer to purchase at auctions, because there is 
generally a record of both bulls or cows when they are descendants 
of extraordinary milking animals ; but not so in the “ Herd-book 
of Jersey Cattle,” which simply records the produce of certain 
cows and bulls. They give no assistance whatever to the uniniti¬ 
ated in discovering the merit or defect of the animal recorded. 
We have recently inspected some imported Channel Island cattle 
just arrived ; they were in three separate divisions—some Guern¬ 
seys, some Jerseys, and a few Alderneys, each division containing 
individual heifers of great merit. One Jersey heifer, however, 
was beneath the average appearance in outline and correctness of 
form ; but upon examination we pronounced her certainly the 
most promising as a future dairy cow, and we were immediately 
informed that she had just been sold to one of our best breeders 
and judges of Jersey cattle. In this animal we particularly 
recognised a point which we always insist upon as a necessary 
accompaniment of first-rate milking capacity—that of a thin 
spare shoulder top, and a narrow span on the back close behind 
the shoulder. There is another point which is fast gaining 
adherents as to its being a guide to good milking quality, and 
it is concluded that from the ways and forms in which the 
reversed hair above the back of the udder, now called the 
escutcheon, grew in these parts, that the good or bad milking 
properties of animals might be ascertained, even before they 
calved. We do not, however, consider this as any guide to an 
ordinary purchaser or dairyman, because even breeders and judges 
are obliged to study the matter in various ways before they can 
become qualified to judge by it. It may, therefore, prove a great 
deception if attempted by the uninitiated. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—Horses have lately been continued with good effect 
on the tillage of the land, not only in finishing off and drilling-in the 
Mangold seed, and in some cases the Swede seed, but also in the pre¬ 
paration of the land for the various root crops to be seeded later in 
the season. Only careless or incompetent managers can have Couch 
left on the fallows for roots, ifcc., this season. We find that wherever 
steam power was used at the early period, or, indeed, where the horse 
power is equal to the work required for all the preparations for root 
crops and fallowing work for all purposes, it is in a very forward 
state. Hpon the heavy land farms, which have suffered so much on 
account of several unfavourable seasons, the fallowing ought now to 
be in a forward state if the plough has been constantly at work. In 
a dry time, such as we have lately experienced, the strong soils need 
not be dragged or worked fine by harrows or roller ; because if the 
land is kept rough so much the better, as the weeds are sure to die, 
and the land will be thoroughly dried and can be worked fine when¬ 
ever a sufficiency of rain occurs—in fact, after heavy land has been 
once thoroughly dried in the fallowing process it gives the best pro¬ 
mise of future productiveness, especially for the Wheat crop to be 
sown next autumn. When we refer to the summer management of 
the root land it is a very different matter, for in that case we should 
not allow the land to become too dry ; for where the land has been 
cleaned in March and April, then during the May month it should 
either be seeded for root crops or kept in a fine and moist condition. 
If the usual growth of weeds appear let the land be scarified and 
harrowed to destroy them, but not ploughed, because ploughing 
allows the precious moisture to evaporate and escape. This mode of 
treatment, even if the season should change to wet weather, as it did 
last year during the haying season, the plan recommended will be 
found to be correct. In case any Couch grass is left in the land 
after the last ploughing it should not be ploughed again on that 
account, for we have now a patent self-lifting harrow, which will 
most effectually comb out the Couch without losing the moisture of 
the land. Again, in ploughing the Rye stubbles, or after any green 
crop, the ploughing and working down by harrowing and rolling 
should all be done simultaneously, and this may also include the 
drilling of the seed, which must be done as fast as the land is ready 
during the day. Upon small occupations, or those of several hun¬ 
dred acres, the one-horse drill is very useful indeed, for it will seed 
the land as fast as many horses’ labour will get it ready, and secure 
the vegetation of the seed in the driest weather if the land is light 
and free-working. 
Hand Labour .—At this time of year a man’s labour will be continu¬ 
ally required to go with the odd horse or horses, for in those cases where 
much fodder in the green state is supplied to cattle, it should be the 
work of one man to cut and of another to cart away the Trifolium, 
Vetches, Clover, or other green crops, such as Lucerne or even meadow 
grass which may be required for fatting cattle, dairy cows, or any 
stock in the boxes. We think it desirable, and it has been our own 
practice for many years, to employ the man who cuts green crops for 
other stock to cut that also which may be required for the cart 
horses. It is customary on some farms for the teamsmen to use the 
scythe and cut all the green fodder required for their horses, but we 
strongly object to it, as it is too often made the excuse for shortening 
the horse labour; and it is of special consequence when the horses 
are required to make a long day or days for completing any impor¬ 
tant operation within a given time. Live stock will now require a 
frequent change from grass land to the green crops upon arable 
land ; and grass land should not be fed off too closely, as that 
paralyses the after growth. It is, however, another matter if the 
grass is grazed by the dairy cows in irrigated meadows, for in that 
case it cannot be grazed too closely, and then irrigated for a future 
crop, either of hay or after feeding. This brings us to the point of 
considering the importance of cutting grass for hay, especially if it is 
required for sheep or lambs. If for the latter the earlier the grass is 
cut and the finer and softer the herbage is the better the hay will be 
for them, for they under any circumstances cannot eat much in 
quantity, and therefore it is the more necessary that it should be 
of the best quality. 
VARIETIES. 
Egg-Eating. —We were asked the other day by a friend as to the 
best cure for egg-eating. We do not know of any certain remedy, 
but unless the habit be of long standing the following plans may 
be tried with a fair prospect of success. Boil some eggs hard, scoop 
out nearly all the inside, fill up with a mixture of mustard and the 
hottest red pepper you can get, and place these sham eggs in the 
nests. The culprits will eat them up, and probably conclude that 
eggs are not so nice as they thought. Or procure some delf nest 
eggs and shut the egg-eater up in a coop with them, when she will 
spend all her time in trying ineffectually to eat the sham eggs and 
thus get tired of the business. Keeping the laying nests very dark, 
and seeing that the hens have plenty of lime rubbish to peck at, also 
sometimes aid a cure. If none of these methods succeed, and the 
hen is not valuable, it is best to kill her before she teaches her com¬ 
panions the bad habit. If the hen be valuable, a nest with a sloping 
false bottom made in such a way that the egg as soon as laid rolls 
under the false bottom of the nest out of reach of the hen may be 
used. The nest is padded so that the egg may sustain no injury, 
and a nest egg fixed on the false bottom completes the arrangement. 
-The Hatching Season.—W e hear various accounts of the 
results of the season’s work. Some of our friends, and we regret to 
say that they are the majority, have doleful tales to tell of their 
want of success. From hens and incubators alike the return in 
chickens has been but a small per-centage of the eggs set. Others 
again are more fortunate, and some few have had extraordinarily 
successful results. We shall be glad to hear from others of our 
readers how they have fared. 
- Lord Beaconsfield’s Peacocks. —The two favourite Pea¬ 
cocks of the late Lord Beaconsfield were sent on Saturday last from 
Hughenden Manor to the Queen at Windsor Castle by Her Majesty’s 
desire. After their arrival Her Majesty, Princess Beatrice, and Prince 
Leopold drove to the Royal aviary to see the birds. 
- Agriculture in Ireland.— We are informed that agricul¬ 
tural prospects have improved greatly within the last two or three 
days. Heavy showers, with intervals of warm and brilliant sunshine, 
fell on Saturday and Sunday, and the result has been to give a great 
stimulus to vegetation. The cereal crops look healthy, but will 
