March 16,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 227 
ever, frequently grown abundant crops of both Mangold and Carrots 
after a crop of Trifolium has been cleared off for cattle or sheep¬ 
feeding ; but the land should be ploughed and drilled the same day 
with either Carrots or Mangold. To save time portable hand manures 
only should be applied, as yard manure takes time in carting and 
spreading, but one of the great advantages of artificial manures is the 
facility of application, as well as the saving of time. The growth of 
Mangolds and Carrots as a double crop in alternate lines answers well, 
because the Mangold plants form much foliage and spread over a 
large surface, whereas the Carrot requires but little room, having but 
small foliage; its roots, however, penetrate deeply where the soil is 
loose, but if not, the White Belgian variety will grow much out of 
ground and give a good crop. The Mangold plant forms more roots 
near the surface, thus the character and growth of the roots under 
ground and above are both different, and the combined crops answer 
well, especially when cultivated on the stetch, which facilitates horse 
and hand-hoeing at any stage during the growth of the crop. We 
have sown our early white Oats and Barley upon very forward dry 
soil, and we expect to harvest them a fortnight before the Wheat is 
ready. Two advantages therefore are obtained—the quality of the 
straw, and the opportunity of growing a crop of stubble Turnips, or 
an autumn cutting of Clover if the crop was seeded. Rolling on the 
parkland and pastures should now be done before the land is too 
dry and hard. 
Hand Labour .—This is in a forward state both as regards the work 
for men as well as light work suitable for women. The routine work 
of the farms has had but little hindrance by the weather, such as 
hedging, trenching, filling dung, preparing and planting Potatoes, 
breaking and screening guano in readiness to be applied to the 
Potatoes now being planted, and the Oats. We, however, prefer to 
purchase manures specially prepared for certain crops, because the 
workpeople do not take the trouble to properly amalgamate the 
manure and in due proportion. But we must deal with a firm of 
manure vendors of established character, the articles being gua¬ 
ranteed to contain the required proportion of manures by analysis ; 
in doing this we not only save the time of the v-orkmen, but obtain 
the manures adapted for the crops of every kind. Upon all those 
farms where a good quantity of Swedish Turnips has been grown 
they are now throwing up their leaves fast, and where required for 
feeding purposes in April and May the women may now be employed 
in crowning down the roots, as we call it, by cutting off the stems 
down to the crown level with the rim formed by the fall of the first 
leaves. In this way we have preserved the roots in the land, and fed 
sheep on them as late as the 23rd and 28th of June, and in one year 
as late as the 4th of July, the Swedes being in capital condition. 
When cut close with the fagging hook they are unable to make any 
growth. They also make but- few fresh roots, and thus the feeding 
value is retained. This was our plan many years ago, but now we 
prefer to grow Mangold for summer feeding. 
Live Stoc7c .—The long-woolled ewes will now be lambing, and at 
this time of year with ordinary care but little loss will occur in the 
absence of the epidemic lameness, and the grass will be forwarder 
than usual to receive the ewes and their young lambs. Italian Rye¬ 
grass and Mangolds, liberal feeding with oil-cake or cotton-cake for 
the ewes, and cracked beans with linseed cake for the lambs, giving 
the cake, however, in the meal state with bean meal mixed with cut 
Mangold is the perfection of lamb-feeding. The early-horned ewes 
have done well, and where they lambed in due course the lambs are 
nearly all sold, and the ewes also are nearly ready for the butcher, 
and to finish them ofE in prime condition cracked beans and cake is 
the best food, as it makes the flesh firm—a matter of great importance 
in those ewes w-hich have reared their lambs. The dairy cows may 
now run on the pastures and parkland, going into the stalls at night¬ 
time, and they now should receive a full allowance of undecorticated 
cotton cake, for this will prevent the tendency to diarrhoea whilst the 
grass is young and Mangold forms part of their food. The fatting 
bullocks in the boxes should now have a full allowance of cake and 
bean meal mixed with their roots, the latter not exceeding 56 lbs. of 
Mangold per day ; the former should not exceed 4 tbs. of cake and 
2 tbs', of bean meal per day, and sweet oat straw ad libitum. Bullocks, 
now hay is dear, cannot be fed to profit with it, except in those dis¬ 
tricts where sweet and good straw is nearly or quite as high-priced as 
hay. All the young heifers and steers in the yards should get a fan- 
allowance of Mangold and straw, otherwise the most inferior hay, 
always, however, giving each animal about 3 lbs. of cotton cake in 
addition, for they should not run on the pastures until the first week 
in May, or until there is a surety of a good succession of grass. 
These, especially on some farms, when sent to grass very early are 
subject to the quarter-ill, the most fatal and difficult disease the 
farmer has to contend with in his young cattle. Working horses 
should still be allowed about 10 lbs. of roots per day each in addition 
to hay and corn, and until green fodder such as Rye, <Src., is ready for 
fodder. Pigs may now be fattened with meal and Mangolds pulped, 
gradually diminishing the Mangold as the animals approach maturity, 
or as they become fat enough for the butcher. 
The reports of the health and condition of all kinds of stock 
from every district are very favourable, and the stock, too, such 
as fat lambs, sheep, and calves, as well as bullocks, are selling 
at a satisfactory price. The supply of all cattle food, instead of 
proving a scarcity as was apprehended at Christmas, has proved to 
be abundant, and is now equal to any emergency without being called 
upon to buy large quantities of cake. &c., as was the case at this 
period last year. The foot-and-mouth disease still lingers in some 
counties, and cattle ought not to be allowed to come out of the 
metropolitan boundaries alive. This is a great evil. 
POULTRY IN CONFINEMENT. 
In answer to “Inquirer” on page 18G, I can only say that my 
nine hens comprised five Silver-spangled Hamburghs, one Golden 
ditto, and three mongrels, with a Silver-spangled cock. I feed 
them only twice a day (at nine in the morning, and four in the 
afternoon), and then only give as much food as they will readily 
pick up— i.e., about 2 ozs. for each bird ; Indian corn and barley 
alternately. Any food given above what they will readily pick up 
I consider wasted. I always have the potato peelings and other 
scraps boiled and mixed with crusts of bread, &c. They are 
given to them hot for the morning meal, and in very cold weather 
a little cayenne pepper is mixed with it. My wire run is about 
9 yards long by 3 wide, which, with their roosting place, is 
always kept clean, and supplied with clean water and green 
cabbage, and they get an occasional run out. Should “ Inquirer ” 
wish I shall be glad to show him my humble poultry farm, or corre¬ 
spond privately with him.—S. Taylor, Acacia , Apperlcy, Leeds. 
P.S.—I must add that a heap of dry earth or ashes should be 
kept and given the fowls, so that they can have their favourite and 
necessary dust bath. 
CONDITION IN POULTRY. 
Our attention is drawn to this subject by the inquiry of 
“ E. P.” on page 186, who certainly gives a somewhat deplorable 
account of the state of his poultry yard through this winter, so 
favourable to poultry in general. What may be the particular 
cau-e of failure in this instance we are unable to determine without 
more precise details. We ought to know the breed, the number of 
birds kept together and to the acreage, the time during which fowls 
have constantly been kept on the same ground, and what the system 
of feeding is. Answers on these particulars would alone enable us 
to satisfy ourselves in giving advice. The question, however, leads 
us to the wider one of condition generally in poultry, about which 
we will say a little, dividing our subject into two headings—1, 
Condition of chickens; 2, Condition of breeding stock. 
1, Chickens should always be kept fat; their rapid growth of 
frame and feather causes a great drain upon the system for the first 
six months of their lives. How to keep them so has so often been 
discussed is our columns that it is needless for us to reiterate our 
instructions. They must have something to fall back upon, other¬ 
wise they easily succumb to fits of inclement weather or to the 
many diseases of chickenhood. Our inquirer says that his birds, as 
chickens, suffered from coughing and sneezing, and have never got 
over it. Such coughing and sneezing is by no means an uncommon 
malady in half-grown chickens; but experience has led me to think 
that it is, in the first instance, a very slight one—not more than a 
cold in a human being, and that if it lasts any length of time, 
specially if it lasts over to the next year, as in this case, the cause 
is more deep-seated than it appears, and that in reality the chickens 
have b j en weakly subjects, ready to fall a prey to any disease. We 
should certainly first inquire if the stock has been bred “ in and in.” 
Apparently our correspondent breeds for use and not for feather; if 
so, it is extremely desirable that the stock should frequently have 
fresh blood introduced. Then, are the runs perfectly sweet and 
untainted, the house dry, well ventilated, and free from vermin ? 
If houses, and still more if sitting nests, are left filthy, vermin 
almost invisible will attack every brood directly it is hatched ; the 
chickens soon cough and sneeze, not from cold caught by exposure, 
but from an affection analogous to “hay fever” in human beings, 
which simply attacks them because they are weak. Even with all 
our precautions about ventilation and cleanliness, and giving fresh 
runs and plenty of room to our broods, we not unfrequently are 
troubled with this sign of weakness in them through the summer 
months. The well-known tonic is administered and the coughs 
soon are cured, save perhaps in the case of one or two constitution¬ 
ally weak birds, which we then have killed and buried. 
it may be well here once more to give the recipe for the tonic 
restorative, which we believe was originally prescribed by Mr John 
Douglas, and which has for many years been the boon of many a 
fancier. “ One pound of sulphate of iron, one ounce of diluted 
sulphuric acid, dissolved in a jug with hot water; then let it stand 
twenty-four hours and add one gallon of spring water. When fit 
