242 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t September 13, 1883. 
sucking those ewes whose lambs have died or have been killed, as 
well as their own dams. To this afterwards is added cow’s milk, 
so that they are fit for market in the course of about sis or seven 
weeks. The disposition to take the ram so early, the quality of 
the mutton, and the circumstance of the ewes being very good 
nurses, gives a special value to this breed, and by thoughtful 
men it is much regretted that it has not been still more improved 
by judicious selection and management. 
The Kerry breed may be considered as the type of the various 
mountain breeds which are found chiefly in the west of Ireland. 
They are something larger than the sheep of the Wicklow and 
Welsh mountains. They are, however, a hardy, but at the same 
time an unthrifty race, feeding slowly, and a long while arriving 
at maturity. Their fat accumulates in the inside, and the animals 
exhibit no rotundity of form externally. They have small crooked 
horns, which are usually wanting in the female. They much re¬ 
semble in their general appearance the antelope races. They 
pick up their subsistence amidst the peat bogs, occasionally 
taking provender clandestinely from the neighbouring farms. 
The only redeeming point in this class of sheep is the excellence 
of the mutton. 
The forest and mountain breeds of sheep in the west of 
England are the Exmoor and Dartmoor varieties. These are 
located in the higher situations of Devonshire and Cornwall, 
and are a hardy race adapted to the poverty of the pasturage 
which the forests of Dartmoor and Exmoor afford. The Ex¬ 
moors are rather smaller sheep than the Dartmoor, and are 
spread over the purely hill districts, but since the “ Commons 
Enclosure Act ” many farmers have crossed them with the 
Leicester, and larger sheep has been secured, but at the expense 
of stamina and numbers. The original Exmoors are better 
nurses than the improved or crossed stock, and bring a large 
proportion of doublets at lambing time. The ewes are always 
brought down to the vale lands to lamb and get a few roots and 
oats. The ewes are put to the ram at two years old, and are 
drafted for sale after three crops of lambs. The best points 
in the breed are a very strong constitution, which will bear 
being buried in a snowdrift for several days, with a fine curly 
horn, a broad square loin, round ribs, drum-like and not a square 
carcass on short legs, and close set fleece, with wool well up to 
the cheeks. Wether lambs are usually kept on the hills and 
feed on the Heather except in the winter months, and are re¬ 
tained until they are three or four years old. Dealers buy the 
wethers at the farms and send them by rail on to Bristol, 
Salisbury, Southampton, and other south-coast towns. We 
have noticed splendid specimens taking the prize at the Christ¬ 
mas Cattle Show in London, particularly those exhibited by 
Mr. Merson years ago, also those bred by Messrs. Quartly, 
which have averaged 29 lbs. per quarter as four-year-olds off 
the hill. Frequently this breed has done wonders; Mr. Tapps’ 
prize pen at Christmas have reached 42 lbs. per quarter. This, 
of course, only applies to very well fed flocks in an exceptional 
season, but for their size there are no sheep go the scale so well, 
nor more perfect in form. In referring to the Dartmoor breed, 
although they have derived their name from a certain district, 
they are very small, having soft wool, white faces and legs. 
They thrive slowly, averaging when fat about 10 lbs. per quarter. 
Though bred on the heath they are fattened in the plains, and 
their mutton is considered excellent by the epicure as well as 
the purveyor, and it commands a ready sale. Wethers of this 
breed at four years old have been occasionally, by high feed¬ 
ing made to weigh from 25 lbs. to 30 lbs. per quarter, whh a 
large proportion of lean flesh, which makes them very much in 
request by the metropolitan and coast-town purveyors. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour in most districts is still partially or entirely employed 
in work connected with the harvest. In some of the early counties many 
farmers have completed the corn and second-growth hay harvest, the 
remaining work being only the Beans and pulse crops. It is now a good 
time to employ steam power for cultivating the com stubbles, as in many 
cases they are foul with couch and weeds owing to the wet seasons which 
have prevailed, but especially this is found to be the case on the mixed 
soils farmed under the four-course rotation. The steam power should be 
hired where it does not form part of the implements of the farm ; the 
work may then be contracted for. We like to cultivate about as deep as 
the plough goes, but not deeper, and if this is done both lengthways and 
crossways the land will be well stirred and lie rough if the work has 
been carefully done and no spaces missed by the tackle. The horses may 
after a few days ora week be set to work on the steam-cultivated land by 
dragging with Howard’s self-lifting drag or harrow, as it is the best 
implement for the purpose ; and the longer the couch can be kept on the 
surface exposed to the weather the better, as the land not only becomes 
aerated, but also mellow and kind for working fine enough to remove the 
couch, after which the land will be ready for the seeding of catch crops, 
such as Rye, winter Tares, winter Barley, and Trifolium. The latter 
should be first seeded for, because as the nights get longer and the dews 
heavier the small white slugs, the greatest enemy to Trifolium, are sure 
to be busily engaged in feeding on the first leaves of the young plant, 
therefore early seeding is the surest way of obtaining a full plant. 
Sowing a full quantity of seed when rather late is, however, important, 
and from this time not less than 25 lbs. per acre should be sown. 
Horses will still be required on those fallows which are not finished for 
every opportunity when the land is dry. Working the land fine and 
removing any remaining couch and weed should be completed, so that 
the land may get stale on the surface before the last or ridge-ploughing 
takes place, which on strong land should not be later than the 1st of 
October. With regard to the question of manuring land for Wheat with 
farmyard manure, we recommend that on strong soil situated at some 
considerable distance may be dressed with artificial manures, applying 
4 cwt. of bone superphosphate at the time of sowing, and using nitrate of 
soda in the spring, as much as may be required according to the season 
and appearance of the young Wheat plants the first week in April. The 
farmyard dung, however, may be applied upon lea ground lying nearest 
to the homestead, and in a busy time the laying it out may be deferred 
until October, and then spread and ploughed in and sown as fast as 
ploughed. This plan is, however, only recommended in case of pressure 
of work on the farm, for as a rule it is better to lay the dung out early in 
September and plough early, so that the land may have time to settle 
and get stale and mellow before the seed time. 
Hand Labour .—The hedges and borders should now be trimmed 
close, and the border growth of coarse grass may be retained for use 
in the covering of Mangolds and other roots, for which it answers a good 
purpose when stored in heaps. The men will now be required in filling 
and spreading yard manure as fast as laid out. There are, however, such 
jobs as turning the dung in the farmyard for the purpose of mixing and 
equalising the value of it before laying out to be attended to. Any earth 
heaps also which may have been turned in the summer will again require 
to be turned over, taking care to bury any weeds or other vegetation 
which will decay and enhance its value for application on pasture land. 
Live Stock .—The grazing bullocks will now require to be looked over, 
and those which are fit for the butcher sold before the ruck of cattle 
usually thrown on the market in October takes place ; those not now fit 
for the shambles may be fed with a little extra cake and meal, mixed 
with a few early Turnips cut with Gardner’s cutter, and placed in troughs 
or skeps on their pasture in order that they may become accustomed to 
root and meal feeding before they enter the boxes for the fattening, 
commencing in October. The dairy cows should now be allowed some 
few pounds of cotton cake per day at the stalls night and morning at 
milking time. As, however, those in full milk cannot be too well fed, 
yet those in calf and gone dry should be herded or fed separately and 
not fed so highly, otherwise it may be found that they have laid on fat 
internally, which may seriously injure their well-doing at calving time. 
Young stock cattle may well replace the fatting bullocks when sold, and 
if required to be sold at an early period, the sooner they get a fair allow¬ 
ance of cake the better, as the days are shortening. The early-lambing 
Dorset and Somerset horned ewes will now be forward in lamb, and 
instead of the ewes being sent to fairs for sale, we prefer to buy them 
of their breeders and send them direct by road to their new home. We 
dislike very much the practice of sending these ewes heavy in lamb 
either to fairs or to the farm of the purchaser by railway, as we have 
known serious losses of lambs occur through being overcrowded into 
trucks on the railroad. When driven by short stages on the high road& 
they seldom suffer injury or losses at lambing time. Having kept 
this kind of stock for more than thirty years, rearing lambs for the 
metropolitan or other markets, we have found them more advantageous 
than other stock where the soil and climate is favourable, for foreign 
importations do not affect the lamb sales at the earliest period. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 61° 32' 40’' N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0” W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
1883. 
CD 0} c3,__ 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
September. 
o ti 1 ® > 
ter. 
a 
perature. 
Temperature. 
"S 
4 
a i-'ShI 
0)OQph 
In 
On 
ci 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
ch 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
2 
28.902 
60.9 
56.2 
S.W. 
60.8 
63.5 
55.9 
91.3 
53.3 
0.188 
Monday. 
8 
29.404 
58.1 
53.0 
S.W. 
60.2 
66.7 
543 
112.8 
52.4 
— 
Tuesday. 
4 
29.737 
57.2 
51.0 
N.W. 
59.2 
66.3 
47.8 
120.7 
44.3 
0.288 
Wednesday .. 
6 
29.822 
51.6 
50.3 
N. 
88.7 
64.2 
47.4 
110.6 
45.7 
_ 
Thursday .... 
6 
30.016 
51.7 
50.0 
S.W. 
57.5 
59.3 
42.0 
77.3 
39.4 
— 
Friday. 
7 
29.904 
57.4 
52.6 
S.W. 
56.6 
62.3 
46.7 
101.7 
41.8 
0.072 
Saturday .... 
« 
29.866 
55.8 
55.2 
S.W. 
56.5 
65.7 
49.8 
112.3 
45.3 
0.032 
29.664 
56.1 
52.6 
58.5 
64.0 
49.1 
103.8 
46.0 
0.580 
REMARKS. 
2nd.—Strong S.W. gale all night, very stormy day with rain. 
3rd.—Gale in night, fine day with gusty wind, calm in evening. 
4th.—Fine, slight showers latter part of day. 
5th.—Wet early, fine bright day. 
6th.—Fog early; overcast, dull day, and cold. 
7th.—Fine, but dull. 
8th.—Wet morning, clear about 11 a.m, rest of day remarkably clear and bright. 
A remarkably strong gale for the time of year occurred on Sunday September 2nd, 
after which the temperature fell considerably, s« that the week has been colder than the 
average. —G. J. Symoxs. 
