January 5, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
21 
The agricultural year may be considered to commence with 
the month of October, and for one particular reason, that of the 
sowing of Wheat, Rye, winter Oats, Beans, and Barley, and also 
the catch crops, such as Trifolium and Vetches; the past agri¬ 
cultural year will, therefore, according to our view commence 
from October, 1880. The seed time for the crops we have just 
enumerated was from that time carried on with great difficulty, 
especially in certain districts in the north and midland districts, 
includingthe fen lands. The rainfall was great, and it was only 
at short intervals that seeding could be done, and before it could 
be completed frost and snow commenced and prevailed with 
little variation until late in the spring. It will be remembered 
that much of the Wheat was very thin, and with a short acreage 
sown the prospect in the early spring was poor of the Wheat 
and catch crops. These were extremely deficient, and large areas 
were ploughed up and resown in consequence of the severity 
of the winter. The plant of Clover and artificial grasses also 
suffered to some extent from the same cause. However, when 
once the seedtime for Lent corn commenced, Nature paid some of 
her debts by giving us one of the best springs for cultivation of 
the land and sowing the various crops we can remember. Not 
only had we plenty of moisture to make the land work freely, 
but also to enable the Lent corn to vegetate immediately it was 
sown, a larger area also of which was sown in consequence of the 
land unsown with Wheat, and the favourable nature of the spring 
seedtime. 
The first sowing of Mangolds and the planting of Potatoes 
proved very favourable, and a good plant of the former was the 
result, but the weather continued so dry that those farmers who 
were a little later in sowing found the land too dry for the seed 
to germinate regularly. This seriously affected the Mangold crop, 
and those who were unprovided wdth good strong Cattle Cabbage 
plants to make out deficiencies were greatly disappointed, for they 
obtained only a poor crop of roots. The same observations apply 
with equal force to the Swedes, Carrots, and early Turnips in the 
northern districts. But not only did the growers of these roots 
suffer more or less throughout the kingdom from the lack of 
moisture, but the Turnip fly prevailed to such a great extent that 
its depredations were never greater within our recollection. 
The only way that we noticed a successful remedy applied was 
by transplanting Cabbage, Kohl Rabi, and Kale along the lines 
where the plants of Swedes had failed, thus showdng the actual 
necessity of the home farmer being prepared at all seasons of the 
year with plants of all kinds. 
The dry weather which so much injured the root crops also 
had the effect of reducing the hay crop upon all arable land and 
upland or dry parkland pastures. We have, therefore, to record 
from all but irrigated pastures one of the lightest crops we can 
remember. As usual in such seasons, it was generally well got 
and of fine quality, except in some of the northern districts, where 
the grass during the dry weather was allowed to remain and 
increase in growth ; but although the quantity was increased, the 
heavy rains of the following months seriously damaged the 
produce. The result of the short hay crop and the deficiency of 
grass in the pasture districts, as well as on hill farms on the 
chalk and sandstone formations, was very much against the 
occupiers of such lands, for the breeding flocks had a short 
allowance of green fodder during several important months of 
the spring and summer. What, however, made it more disastrous 
was the partial failure of the catch crops, as well as the scanty 
produce of grass, in consequence of which many flocks could be 
maintained in fair condition only by the outlay of considerable 
sums of money for cake and corn feeding. Dairy cattle, too, in 
some instances suffered in some degree, particularly in the absence 
of irrigated meadows. 
We have found that in a few cases after the summer rains 
commenced, and which in the northern districts continued until 
October, that the sheep have suffered from the fluke, but not 
to the same extent as in two previous seasons, for the home 
farmer had very serious reasons for avoiding feeding sheep on 
certain pastures, taking care to have them only with cattle, 
which are not so subject to take the fluke entozoa, especially if 
the grass is not fed down too bare. This, however, induces us to 
notice that a further caution is necessary, which is not to feed 
sheep on pastures adapted for feeding bullocks and dairy cows, 
for we hold that we cannot maintain pastures in a full state of 
fertility if fed off by sheep. The permanent white Clover which 
is found in the best pastures is sure to be injured if not destroyed 
by sheep feeding. 
During the past year the fall of lambs of the different breeds 
has been a full average, and both sheep and cattle have been 
freer from disease tbau in the previous year, 1880. Still, if we 
look to the statistical returns of our live stock, we shall notice 
that our stock of sheep has diminished by something like six 
millions within a few years, owing probably to the fluke rot, 
epidemic lameness, &c. Foot-and-mouth disease has also affected 
cattle to some extent, but not enough to tell much in reducing 
the total numbers as shown by the statistical returns. Nor is 
there any important change shown in the number of swine and 
horses. 
We must here remark that the principal diseases from which 
our cattle suffer are imported from abroad, and there is a strong 
feeling prevailing that a sufficient supply of dead meat would 
be forthcoming if the live importations were discontinued, the 
imports from America and other countries to wit. These are 
matters which greatly discourage the home markets, to the dis¬ 
advantage of the home farmer. The fact of selling cattle alive 
by the home farmer is a matter requiring his earnest attention, 
and a weighing apparatus should be available on every farm, for 
after a little practice the dead weight of all stock for slaughter 
may be ascertained by comparison with the live weight. A very 
good general rule is, that every imperial stone of 14 lbs. alive 
will yield the same number of London market stones of 8 lbs. of 
dead meat, trifling allowance only being made for difference of 
condition in the animals. The home farmer when he furnishes 
animals for consumption at the mansion has a fine opportunity 
for estimating the difference between live and dead weight. 
In dairy produce during the past year it was found that by the 
sale of milk, the demand for which continues to increase, pays in 
the sale of it, when near to towns or stations, much better than 
cheese-making, for the importations from America are very large 
and of sufficient quality, which is the cause of serious fluctuations 
in the value of home-made cheese. The home farmer has still the 
power of furnishing butter of fine quality for the use of the estab¬ 
lishment at the mansion. Outside this, however, the sale of butter 
made is seriously injured by importations from the continental 
States, from whence enormous supplies arrive in this country of a 
spurious article called “ bosch,” a compound of oleomargerine, 
oil, bullock fat, and some cream to give it a butter taste, and this 
manufacture is now grown into a great trade, which seriously im¬ 
pedes the sale and profits of home-made butter. One firm alone 
sends to England from 70 to 90 tons of artificial butter per week 
from Holland. The values of imported butter in 1881 amount to 
£8,251,221 ; for cheese the amount is £4,124,463 ; for poultry and 
game, £215,204 ; for eggs, £1,795,133. The home farmer ought 
to feel greatly interested in ascertaining the extent of competition 
with which he has to contend, and his endeavour should be to no 
longer remain under such a serious reproach as being told these 
importations may be excluded to a great extent by increased 
exertions and production at home. The importations of corn and 
stock are still enormous, but we have not space here to enumerate 
their value. 
We must now refer to the rapid development of improved agri¬ 
cultural machinery, all of which may be termed labour-saving. 
It is, however, a curious truth when we find that the labour bill of 
the farm has not decreased with the use of all the improved im¬ 
plements as compared with well-conducted farms and their ac¬ 
counts given twenty-five or thirty years ago. The cause for this, 
independent of the large amount of capital expended i'n machinery, 
its repairs and interest thereon, is said to be the increase of wages, 
which have risen from 25 to 30 per cent, on manual labour, and 
the inefficiency of the same amounting to a depreciation of 20 per 
cent. 
Returning again to the effects of the season of 1881 upon the 
condition of the land and the crops, harvest, &c., we find that the 
moderation of the rainfall during the year has improved the 
general condition of the land by raising the temperature of the 
soil, which had been very low for several previous seasons. Much 
land has consequently been cleared of couch, and it is notice¬ 
able that the meadows and pastures show improved herbage as 
compared with the previous wet seasons. The harvest, always 
the most important matter on the home farm, has varied in 
its results considerably in different districts, the early and for¬ 
ward soils having the advantage over the later climates and 
cold soils. The cereal produce, as well as pulse crops, have not 
exceeded the average in the southern and south-eastern counties ; 
but in the western, midland, aud northern counties, including 
Scotland and Ireland, the produce of corn may be stated as a little 
under the average, but in the fen lands of Lincolnshire and other 
counties the crops both of corn and pulse have seriously suffered 
from blight and mildew. In early districts, including the home 
counties, harvest was commenced the latter part of July with fair 
prospects, and a considerable breadth of corn was harvested in 
good condition until the first week in August, when the rainfall 
commenced, and with only short intervals continued for two 
months. Th : s not only impeded the stacking of corn in the 
