20 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 5, 1883. 
As ploughing with oxen became a less common practice pro¬ 
portionally more attention was paid to the beef-points, until we 
have in the massive and symmetrical Sussex cattle of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England, the Smithfield Club, and the 
Bath and West of England Society the results of continuously 
repeated selection, extending over many generations. The breed 
as it is now, its breeders maintain, is the old breed of the last 
century, and of time immemorial improved up to grazier’s 
standard—improved, as any breed may be improved, by skilful 
breeding and good management within its own limits. It was 
always a breed of hardy active animals, kindly feeders, and 
only wanted a little care to translate the form from that of 
a draught ox to the butcher’s model, and encouragement of the 
fattening propensity to cover the improved frame with prime 
beef in the most valuable parts. These desiderata have been 
supplied. Messrs. E. & A. Stanford’s father, while keeping on 
the line here indicated, did not, as already stated, leave any 
record of his work, as step by step, link by link, it was con¬ 
tinued from his father’s time. He used pure-bred bulls, avoid¬ 
ing near relationship in animals paired; but their names and 
order of succession are not known. One remarkable sire, how¬ 
ever, is remembered. In the year 1839, when the first meeting 
of the Royal Agricultural Society of England was held at 
Oxford, Mr. Rutland of Firle, near Lewes, sent his ‘ Brown 
Bull,’ who walked all the way to Oxford, and carried off the 
first prize. Brown Bull was purchased by Messrs. Stanford's 
father and used in his herd.” 
We will now make a quotation from the account given by 
Mr. A. Heasman, an eminent breeder and exhibitor of the 
Sussex cattle, as stated in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England. He says:—“This breed of a deep red 
colour is fast becoming close’y assimilated in character to the 
Devon. This useful class of stock was formerly bred princi¬ 
pally for draught purposes, being converted into food for the 
public after they had cultivated the soil of the Weald of Sussex 
and Kent—some of the heaviest tilled land in the kingdom. 
Even in those early days the Sussex cattle were fully appre¬ 
ciated, and always possessed the finest quality of flesh, were 
never neglected by the grazier. Times have very much altered, 
and the Sussex beasts are no longer what they were, neither are 
they reared to the same extent or for the same purpose. They 
have given place to horse and steam power, and now take up the 
position as one of the useful and established breeds of the 
kingdom. The breed has been too well appreciated by the 
tenant farmer to be allowed to die out, and great pains and 
attention have been taken latterly in endeavouring to alter its 
style and type by breeding from the smallest bone with the 
greatest amount of flesh. This seems to have been successful 
when we compare the present animals with what may be called 
the old-fashioned sort, one of which, of enormous frame and 
weight, was fattened many years ago at Burton Park, near 
Petworth, Sussex, and called the Burton Ox.” 
The Sussex stock, which we have known and seen at the exhi¬ 
bitions of the Royal Bath and West, also Royal Counties, 
Agricultural Societies,, are epual to the other best breeds as 
regards early maturity and weight for age, which has been 
proved by the weights of the animals shown at the Smithfield 
Club meetings, and are great favourites both of the butcher and 
consumer. At three years old well-fed steers will frequently 
weigh from twelve to fourteen score pounds per quarter. The 
Sussex men, however, do not often spoil their best animals by 
over-feeding. After having carefully looked over all the best 
exhibited at the various meetings for prizes during many years, 
we may be allowed to describe tlieir general features and points 
as follows:—The nose rather wide, the muzzle of a rich yellow 
colour, thin between the nostril and eyes; eyes rather prominent; 
the forehead wide, especially of the bulls; horns of greater 
length than the Devon, fine,and rather turning up at the points; 
neck not over-long; sides straight, and not coarse at the shoulder 
point; full and wide at the breast, which should project at the 
front; deep in girth, legs not too. long, chine bone straight, but 
they are often rather too narrow in the chine, which point may 
easily be corrected; ribs, too, are sometimes rather less arched 
than in some.other breeds; loin full of tiesh and wide; hip bones 
not too prominent, but well covered; rump long and quite flat; 
tail should drop perpendicularly, the outside of the thigh being 
flat, but full of flesh otherwise; the hair soft and silky, with a 
firm but mellow skin. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour. —Hay-carting both of field and meadow crops will now 
be going on, but in various localities the Clover and Sainfoin hay crops 
have been somewhat injured, for from the 15th to the 23rd of June rain 
more or less occurred every day in various districts. This, however, has 
been favourable for early root crops, such as Mangold, Carrots, Cabbage, 
and Swedish Turnips, which have been horse-hoed and hand hoed in favour¬ 
able weather, and bid fair for the production of over an average crop. 
Common Turnips, too, which are best sown for winter feeding in the 
first and second week of July, may now be sown under favourable 
circumstances. The month of July is also the month for cutting grass 
for hay on the low-lying meadows, water meadows, and pastures of the 
midland districts, the work attending which, together with the tillage 
of fallows in the strong land districts, will keep both horses and men 
in full employment at all favourable opportunities ; and we must call 
the attention of the home farmer to the advantage of cutting his grass 
crops earlier than is customary, in order to secure the first and best 
quality of hay, and to get rid of the work of carting and stacking before 
the harvest commences, it being difficult to cope with both these 
farming operations at one and the same time. 
Hand Labour .—This consists of haying, Turnip and other roo.t 
hoeings, and singling. In the latter work the women can assist the 
men ; boys, too, can do the same, but these are now at school until 
after a period when they would not only earn money to the advantage 
of the family, but also be learning all sorts of farm work, without 
which various country districts will be denuded of skilled agricultural 
labourers in the future. It is operating at present day by day, and 
in the opinion of many experienced farmers is one of the principal 
causes of the agricultural depression now existing throughout the 
kingdom, whereby thousands of useful farms have been deserted by the 
tenantry, and is also the cause of serious difficulties to the managers 
of various landed estates. In another way the education of the working 
classes not only withdraws young people from the country districts 
where they are so much wanted, but on reaching the towns to which 
they resort for employment, instead of being employed as they expected, 
they find, themselves in the midst of a crowd of applicants who cannot 
obtain office employments and such like opportunities for bettering 
their condition, and in consequence brcome a dissatisfied portion of the 
population. 
Live Stock .—It is now the time when many farmers make purchases 
of their young stock, such as short-woolled lambs. Various important 
fairs will now shortly occur both in Hants and Sussex, where the west 
country and Sussex Down lambs, and also ewes for producing early 
lambs next year, are to be found, because those persons who buy the 
ewes to put to the ram on their arrival at the farm will find it answer 
a good purpose, although they will have to pay long prices ; and we 
allude to this matter in the hope of purchasers possessing stock by 
which they will have not only the full advantage of carrying out their 
objects and stock requirements, but that they will be able to manage and 
care for them in their own way, as the animals will become fully accustomed 
to the climate of their new home before the lambing period arrives. 
The Royal Counties Agricultural Society’s Winchester 
Show. —The champion prize, value £10 10s., for the best ram in any of 
the Sheep classes, presented by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, was awarded to 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales for a remarkably fine animal of the South- 
down breed. His Royal Highness expressed his gratification at winning 
this prize, and his admiration of the silver cup which constituted it. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Incubators (Hal ).—The different kinds have been described and the 
management detailed in the paper devoted to those subjects, “Poultry.” If 
you send a shilling in stamps we will endeavour to send you the information 
you require. There is no more practical book on poultry than Mr. Cook’s 
work, published at this office, price 2*. 2d. post free. 
Fowls in Confinement (S. S. S .).—Plymouth Rocks, Minorcas, or 
Andalusians would probably suit you, but try to get a good laying strain. 
You may keep a cock and six hens, or even one or two more, provided 
you attend very strictly to cleanliness and renew the earth in the run 
occasionally. 
meteorological observations. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' O ' W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
O c5 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Or3 
° rtu 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
a 
1883. 
5 4-t 'J1 >■ 
ter. 
S a 
perature. 
Temperature. 
3 
P3 
June. 
5 h ts 
In 
On 
atS =3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
Max. 
Min. 
Bun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Id. 
Sunday, 24. 
29.90 • 
6 
58.2 
S. 
6'*.u 
76.1 
59.7 
120.4 
57.0 
Monday, 25. 
29.843 
6 .7 
60.7 
N.E. 
61.2 
76.3 
57.6 
122.0 
52.7 
0.053 
Tuesday, 2(3. 
29.760 
5 '.5 
53.7 
s.w. 
60 7 
66.4 
52.7 
112.4 
50.4 
0.128 
Wednesday, 27 .. 
29.93) 
61.7 
55.3 
s.w. 
59.5 
66.4 
54.3 
106.4 
45.5 
0.102 
Thursday, 28 .... 
29 915 
61.9 
59.6 
s. 
59.2 
71.4 
56.9 
117 6 
55.9 
— 
Friday, 29. 
30.023 
72.4 
65.6 
E. 
5 *.7 
85.6 
55.0 
125.5 
49.9 
0.487 
Saturday, 30 .... 
29.991 
71.7 
65.6 
S.W. 
C2.3 
80.1 
61.4 
117.8 
58.3 
— 
29.922 
65.0 
59.8 
60.4 
74 6 
56.2 
117.4 
52.8 
0.770 
REMARKS. 
24t'i.—Dull at first, bright in afternoon, calm and close in evening. 
25th.—Thick and dull at first, bright at noon, heavy shower 5 r.M. and in evening. 
26th.—Showery and cool. 
27th,—Slight showers, bright intervals, heavy rain after 8 p.m. 
28th.—Hull at first; fine, calm, warm evening. 
29th.—Fine and hot; cloudy in evening ; lightning at nigh f . 
30th.—Violent thunder storm ; very heavy rain from 0.42 to 0.49 a.m., 0‘3P of rain falling 
in the seven minutes; lightning afterwards ; oppressive morning; fine warm day. 
A hot week, hotter than any week either this year or last year.—G. J. Symons, 
