130 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t August 9, 1883. 
We consider that one of the leading points in corn-feeding is 
that these ought always he bruised or crushed to obtain the 
full nutriment to be found in them, besides which, some horses 
have defective teeth ; others, especially when fed in stalls side by 
side, often eat so fast that proper mastication becomes impos¬ 
sible, and, therefore, as they are not ruminating animals, the 
whole grain passes them without contributing that support to 
the system which is necessary. We notice, too, that in some 
cases bran or millers’ offal of some kind is advised in the feeding 
of horses. We, however, repudiate and object to it entirely, for 
we have seen the results and fatal cases of animals after being 
fed with bran for a considerable period. Only last week that 
we noticed exhibited in a market hall where the farmers were 
in attendance, four stones or kind of concrete which had been 
found in horses which had died. Our attention was called to 
them, and it was stated that they were taken from two horses, 
each of them owned by millers in the county of Middlesex, whose 
habit was to feed their horses principally upon bran. We also 
recollect various instances of the same kind, one of them which 
occurred within our knowledge sixty years ago, when a whole 
team of millers’ horses died from the same cause, stones weigh¬ 
ing from 6 lbs. to 24 lbs. being found in their intestines. We, 
therefore, name these cases to put horse-keepers on their guard 
against using millers’ offal except in moderation. Another 
reason why we object to bran is that machine-crushed Wheat 
would be cheaper, and at the same time would be free from the 
millstone grit, which is the principal cause of mischief. 
The value of the horses’ labour cannot be calculated entirely 
upon the animals’ weight, height, Ac., but must also be reckoned 
on by condition; for the chief benefit arising from keeping 
horses in good condition is that two horses well fed and cared 
for properly will do the labour of three horses badly kept and 
otherwise ill provided for, so that two to a plough will be suffi¬ 
cient during the busy periods of the year. In corroboration of 
the advantages of liberality in feeding farm horses, we will 
state the observations of a railway contractor upon the subject. 
He was asked whether he reduced the food of his horses when 
the cost of the food consumed was unusually dear. He replied, 
that he had been sorely punished by extravagant prices at cer¬ 
tain periods, notwithstanding which he gave the same amount 
of food to his horses, which, in fact, was almost unlimited, 
averaging three bushels of Oats and half a bushel of Beans each 
horse per week, and the best hay ad libitum. On being again 
asked if he was quite sure that he could not reduce the amount 
of corn with advantage, he rejoined that he tried the plan, 
but was convinced that the system he adopted w T as the cheapest 
in the end, particularly when his horses worked hard for twelve 
hours in a summer’s day. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—This is still being required and continued on the land 
where Trifolium has been removed and now in preparation for Turnips, 
as the land required rafter-ploughing and scarifying to comb out the 
couch ; so it will require harrowing to dispose of it by either burning 
if weather if dry ; if not, carting it away must be done, for time and 
season wait for no man. Turnip-sowing cannot be delayed many more 
days without lessening the prospect of a full crop ; still the Greystone 
sort will grow very fast with manure under and favourable weather above 
them. We, however, have not yet decided whether to drill the seed with 
manure or sow both broadcast, for in the event of the crop being required 
for ploughing-in for Wheat we shall not require bulbs, but a thick and 
regular plant as luxuriant as can be obtained, for a matted crop of gross 
greens is better for ploughing in as a green crop than bulbs which require 
labour of reducing before being ploughed under. Thus the labour of 
hoeing and singling the plants is also saved, and a greater amount of 
fertility left in the land if the plants do not bulb, for the bulk of food 
produced will be derived from the air and rainfall. Hay-carting will 
still be going on in all the latest districts and in the water meadows 
where they were fed by sheep in the spring and the growth of grass 
gathered late ; but to this date the weather generally has been very fickle 
and but ill adapted for producing hay of good quality, in fact we can 
scarcely remember a more difficult period for haying than has persistently 
occurred ever since the first week in June. Working on the fallows for 
Wheat will be required for some time yet, as so much couch has been 
left on various farms by outgoing tenants for several years past; that in 
parsing through the various districts we cannot travel far in any direction 
without seeing farms lying neglected in a foul state, but especially in the 
heavy land districts, aul these foul fields must now be cleared or allowed 
to run to waste. On some estates much land not tenanted has been 
allowed to run waste ( r growing rough grass and weeds ; the only thing 
being done is keeping a few Scotch sheep, which it is said is all profit, 
but it must prove a vf ry small rental obtained, if any. The aftermath 
in the meadows and Clovers will be very productive if the showery 
weather ccn inues, and which now prevails. Weeds everywhere are 
growing in an extraord'nnsy manner, and the only way to be free from 
lhem is not to wait and kill them, but to horse-hoe between the drills of 
root crops before they make much growth, because moving the ground 
is quite enough on a dry day to destroy young weeds, but stronger ones 
may be cut up without getting rid of them. It is therefore a mistake to 
say it is no use to hoe the weeds, as they do no injury yet. Just so ; bub 
it is the time to destroy them in their infancy and early leaf. 
Live Stock .—The second growth of grass in the meadows will now 
afford a good pasture for cattle, but it will require great care, especially 
with sheep, for although the same irrigated or other meadows may be 
fed by sheep in the spring, yet it must not be attempted now, or tbe 
sheep may take the entozoa of the fluke and produce the rot. It has 
also been stated that cattle are affected in the same way, but it seldom 
happens to them unless the animals are kept very short of grass food, 
and also without cake or other feeding stuffs. The dairy cows will 
require a constant change of pasture with a full bite of grass, and if 
with 3 lbs. of cotton cake each per day at the stalls when they come 
in to be milked, so much the better, for it is a matter of immense 
importance that the milk should not fall off early, or that the cows 
should go dry at all until about a fortnight before they are due to calve. 
It is letting the cows go dry for several months before they are due to 
calve which is the principal cause of nearly all the disorders which they 
suffer from usually at calving time, but more especially is this the case 
with any well-bred high-conditioned animals ; in fact, it is in conse¬ 
quence of accumulations of internal fat which causes the most serious 
complaints which the dairy cows suffer from. This matter should be 
especially attended to when heifers drop the first calf, for if heifers are 
allowed to go dry for any period before calving, it will be with great 
difficulty they can be prevented from doing so as older cows ; ws 
therefore prefer heifers should suckle calves for veal durffig their first 
season before going into the dairy herd for milking. The foals may now 
soon be weaned where they fell early. It is important, too, that if 
turned out it should be in company with others, and the paddock well 
fenced ; otherwise, which, in fact, was our own plan, give them a shed 
and yard in front, 12 feet by 15 feet, well littered, and let them have 
green fodder, such as the team horses may be receiving, with a moderate 
quantity of crushed oats, to be increased as they grow up as may be 
required. In this way we have reared valuable animals, which have 
been sold when two years of age at from £40 to £G0 each, never having 
been off the straw. 
Bath and West of England Society and Southern Counties- 
Association. —At a Council Meeting held at Bristol on the 31st ult. r 
the Finance Committee reported that the Society’s prizes awarded in the 
various departments at the Bridgwater Show had been paid, and that the 
Maidstone Local Committee had paid the sum of £800 to the Society’s 
Treasurer, in accordance with their agreement with the Society. A com¬ 
munication was read from the Mayor of Brighton stating that at a public¬ 
meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Brighton, held at the Town 
Hall on Thursday the 17th day of May, 1883, to consider the propriety 
of inviting the Society to hold their annual Meeting for 1885 in Brighton, 
and to adopt such resolutions with reference thereto as might be deemed 
expedient, the Deputy Mayor, Henry Davey, Esq., in the chair, it was 
resolved,That this Meeting on behalf of the inhabitants of the Borough 
hereby requests His Worship the Mayor to invite the Bath and West of 
England Society and Southern Counties Association to hold their Meet¬ 
ing and Exhibition for the year 1885 in Brighton.” In accordance with 
the resolution the Mayor invited the Society to hold their 1885 Meeting 
at Brighton. On the motion of Mr. Gray, seconded by Sir J. Duckworth, 
the invitation was unanimously accepted, and it was agreed that after 
the August Council a deputation from the Society should visit Brighton 
at a convenient time to the Mayor and Corporation to inspect the sites, 
exchange signed conditions, &c. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 61° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAV. 
d 
3 
£3 
1883. 
July. 
August. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 82« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
dee. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
dea. 
In. 
Sunday . 
^9 
29.944 
62.9 
5 5.0 
W. 
60.3 
73.4 
47.4 
120.4 
43.3 
0 . 0.57 
Monday. 
an 
29.627 
GL.7 
57.0 
s. 
60.8 
73.3 
53.6 
99.7 
51.2 
0.038 
Tuesday. 
31 
29.718 
60.3 
57.9 
N.W. 
60.2 
746 
54.8 
119.3 
51.6 
0.173- 
Wednesday . 
1 
30.011 
62.7 
54.8 
w. 
61.2 
68.3 
52.8 
113.0 
49.5 
— 
Thursday ... 
. 2 
SO 201 
61.3 
50.7 
N.W. 
60.4 
72.3 
53.3 
116 7 
50.4 
— 
Friday. 
. 3 
30.234 
63.7 
08.6 
N.W. 
61.0 
73.6 
54.6 
123.3 
488 
— 
Saturday ... 
4 
30.247 
57.7 
56.9 
N.W. 
61.7 
71.3 
55.9 
100.8 
50.6 
0.023 
29.997 
61.5 
50.8 
60.8 
72 4 
5SJ 
113.3 
49.5 
0.291 
REMARKS. 
29th.—Bright and warm in the morning ; cloudy latter part of day ; rain at night. 
30th.—Dull day with frequent showers, one at noon very heavy. 
31st.—Bright morning; heavy rain with thunder after 3.30 r.M., lightning at 4.5 p.m. ; 
fair evening. 
1st.—Fine bright day, cloudy evening, with a few spots of rain. 
2nd.—Cloudy nearly all day. 
3rd.—Fine, and on the whole bright. 
4th.—Fog in morning ; fine afternoon and evening. 
Temperature equable and very near the average ; rainfall slight except in afternoon 
of 3lst.—G. J. Symons. 
