328 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 11, 1883. 
Our recommendation is to grow two crops in succession for 
liay by cutting them both very young, vhich not only favours 
future growth but insures the most nutritious hay. When both 
crops are cut young we can often get a good third cutting, 
frequently enough for plonghing-in, which is a matter of great 
consequence, for when properly done it will insure a good 
average Wheat crop if the land is clean and otherwise in good 
condition. It also gives the best result by saving Clover for 
seed, instead of sheep feeding the second growth as proved by 
our own practice for many years, and also by Dr. Yoelckiron’s 
experiments at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire it was corro¬ 
borated, and the benefit derived was decided to have been 
obtained by the increased weight per acre and value of the 
Clover roots as manure for the Wheat crop. Readers re¬ 
quiring information relating to the culture of Broad Clover 
should refer to the numbers of this Journal dated December 
i'th and Kith, 1880. 
In referring to Italian Rye Grass we can only say that it lias 
commanded more attention during the past twenty years than 
formerly, and especially the foreign imported seed; and although 
much of this has been used, and when saved for seed has been 
sold for use in this country, the seed which is saved in the 
British Isles is far inferior to the foreign seed in regard to the 
production, not only of the earliest grass, but also in its value as 
a crop of quick succession. It has depreciated in value, and we 
therefore recommend the home farmer to obtain foreign seed. 
Caution must, however, be exercised, for it is so often found to 
be mixed with twitch and other grass seeds, that unless it is 
carefully examined by those who are perfectly acquainted with 
the various seeds of grass, as well of spurious as genuine, it 
cannot be easily detected, hence the seed should be warranted 
true and genuine and of foreign growth. It is extremely valuable 
as forming the basis of profitable and continuous growth for land 
under irrigation by town sewage, or the sewage from dairy cattle 
in their sheds, and will yield more and greater weight of green 
fodder than any other variety of grass in cultivation. It is also 
recommended for the purpose of ensilage, thus giving an oppor¬ 
tunity when large crops are produced in summer time, and in 
excess of immediate requirements of preserving it containing its 
full value for cows and horses without risk of loss by the weather 
like hay-made provender, and when the silo is perfect and the 
grass properly secured it is quite as valuable as newly-cut grass 
for soiling, and even more so, as it comes to use in the winter 
months. There is no question of its great feeding power for the 
production of milk and butter when used with discretion and 
judgment. 
Lentils are not much grown in this country, but may prove 
useful as green fodder when treated in the same way as Vetches, 
especially as there are two varieties, one for winter or autumn 
sowing, and the other for seeding in the spring like summer 
Tares, and may be used in the same way as food for the same 
kinds of stock. Some of our cereal crops are valuable as green 
fodder as well as for the production of grain and straw. We 
must say that they deserve a share of attention, for in the green 
state Rye is not only a useful green fodder, but comes early into 
use, especially for sheep which have a daily or nightly fold of it 
while feeding in the irrigated meadows. At the same time it is 
good food for dairy cows, producing abundance of milk. It is 
also used when cut into chaff with sweet straw for farm horses, 
and it is well to introduce them to the season of green fodder in 
that way, for -we know practically that a sudden change to green 
fodder from all dry provender suddenly, frequently injures the 
health of some animals, or partially disables them for a time. 
Rye is of two sorts, the common or Giant Rye, the latter being 
very early and productive, while the common sort is the most 
hardy in severe winters, and the likeliest to yield a full crop of 
grain in our English climate. It also produces most valuable 
straw for thatching stacks and cottage*, it being much more 
wiry and lasting than Wheat straw. It is, however, in some 
cases sown in April and cut for hay, in imitation of the oat 
or prairie hay made in America, and proves extremely valuable 
when used as chaff for hunting and carriage horses, nor is there 
any doubt but Rye ensilage will be valuable if cut in due season 
aud properly secured in the silo. One of the great benefits to be 
elerived from Rye is, that almost any root crop may be grown in 
full bulk after the Rye is removed from the land. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Ilorse Labour. —Horses are now almost continually employed in the 
preparation and seeding the land with Wheat, Winter Vetches, Winter 
Oats and Winter Beans. It is a matter of such great consequence that 
those sorts of Wheat best suited to the soil and climate should be used in 
preference, that we will give our experience and recommendation as to 
the best sorts for cropping and quality of the grain produced. First iu 
our estimation as adapted for the highest cultivation and best Wheat 
land is the Dwarf Essex Rough Chaff, for we know that on a veiy 
shallow soil near the seacoast in a southern county it has given thirteen 
sacks per acre of first miller’s quality for three years in succession, 1880, 
1881, and 1882. And the maximum produce ever attained wdthin ou? 
knowledge from this Wheat was nineteen sacks and one bushel per acre 
in 1870, of splendid quality upon a friable loam out of Clover lea iu n> 
southern county. Upon thin or shallow soils in good condition we would! 
advise, if climate is favourable,the sowing of Imperial or velvet chaff white; 
Wheat, such as is sold by seedsmen who give special attention to this 
branch. We have seen some of this sort grown on dry loamy land last 
harvest, with immense ears, well chested ; we shall certainly sow some 
this year on our own farm. Upon pale lands on the chalk we have seen 
fine samples of the white Wheat called Weeb’s Challenge, and it is a sort 
well suited to this soil. Upon low-lyme: land frequently subject to 
blight, we prefer the best sorts of red Wheat, like Golden Drop and 
Browick. Upon the cold chalk hills we also recommend both of these 
sorts, as well as the old Red Lammas, for they are very hardy and not so 
soon lifted by frost in the early spring. The time has now arrived when 
upon all strong, flat-lying land the Wheat should be sown without 
further delay—look back at last autumn and recollect the great disaster 
of late sowing, and in various instances none could be sown until the 
month of March. We sow two bushels per acre on fallow land early, bu3 
later on two and a half bushels ; on Clover lea we sow two and a half 
bushels early, but later on three bushels per acre, and we prefer sowing 
to drilling on lea ground, unless drilled behind the presser with the drill 
attached ; but on all flat-lying strong land which is usually subject 
to various noxious weeds, we prefer drilling at from 10 to 12 inches 
apart between the lines, for otherwise in some seasons the land must be 
horse-hoed in the spring, and unless this is done the weeds become 
masters of the crop. Again, on such land the Wheat plants will often 
lose colour ; horse-hoeing or hand-hoeing is then the only resource to open 
the surface of the soil and invigorate the plant and renew a healthy 
colour, for a sickly fading colour is sure to result in small ears, and if 
on such land the Wheat is sown broadcast the crop must f ail more or 
less. Again, upon light gravel or sandy land, the red weed or wire weed, 
and often wild Marigold, are sure to injure the crop when sow r n broadcast 
on a fallow surface, and should be drilled wide enough for hoeing, whether 
sown after Turnips fed off or ploughed in for manure. 
Live Stock. —Cattle, except dairy cows and store stock, may now be 
housed or yard-and-shed-accommodated, as the early frosts are very 
injurious to all cattle feeding for the butcher, and the sooner they are 
put into winter quarters and liberally fed with cake or beanmeal’,. 
barleymeal, &c., in admixture with cut roots or cabbage, the more 
benefit they will receive, and wherever boxes can be had, stalling fatting 
cattle is entirely wrong in every respect as to the making of both meat 
and manure. Wether sheep feeding for the butcher, too, should now be 
fed upon roots or cabbage, and not allowed to run out of fold to graze,, 
but receive a full allowance of cake, beanmeal, and good hay, lor if 
ever fatting sheep will pay it must be at the present price of mutton ; 
it is, however, a clever feeder who can make a profit on sheep at the 
present rate of buying-in and stocking the farm. Still, we must not 
forget that the early horned Dorset and Somerset ewes are now beginning 
to lamb, and these, well fed upon dry land so that both the ewes and 
lamb3 shall be fatting together, as they will prove more beneficial to 
feed them fat than the later lambing down ewes or longwools. This goes 
far to illustrate the fact that a breeding flock will pay best, or lose the 
least when not profitable, and we would advise the home farmer or 
young farmer to keep this point steadily in view. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Alderney Cows ( G. G.). —By all means keep them in sheds at night 
now, and also in the daytime when the weather is very inclement, keeping 
them very clean, and feeding and ventilating judiciously. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. : Long'. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1883- 
September 
and 
October. 
on fJ-- 
cos o a) 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
1 
o • 
. 35 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
5 
P* 
3 35 3 J 
HW Cj 
Dry. 
Wet. 
a 
rH 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Sunday . 
30 
Inches. 
29 330 
dev. 
52.1 
deg. 
50.0 
N. 
dec:. 
54.2 
deer. 
57.4 
deg. 
44.3 
deg. 
90.3 
deg. 
41.7 
In. 
0.122 
Monday. 
Tuesday. 
1 
29.728 
50.2 
45.8 
N. 
53.7 
55.7 
46.2 
101.8 
43.3 
0.< 70 
2 
29 988 
47.7 
43.4 
N. 
52.5 
55.5 
39.9 
10:1.8 
36 3 
0.032 
Wednesday .. 
3 
29.097 
49.0 
47.5 
S.W. 
51.7 
49.7 
44.0 
68.4 
38.2 
0.229 
Thursday .... 
4 
29.489 
50.7 
40.9 
N.W. 
50.3 
54.7 
39.0 
766 
36.7 
0.018 
Friday. 
5 
30.116 
49.4 
44.0 
X.N.W. 
50.3 
55.7 
439 
101.4 
39.4 
0.038 
Saturday .... 
6 
30.2e 7 
48.4 
45.9 
N. 
50.2 
58.7 
4 '.9 
1U3.6 
35.2 
— 
29.794 
49.6 
46.2 
51.8 
55.3 
42.0 
91.8 
38.7 
0.5139* 
REMARKS. 
30th.—Wet morning, fine afternoon with sunshine, showery evening. 
1st.—Bright morning, afterwards overcast; a cold day. 
£nl.—Fine, bright, and cold. 
3rd.—Cold wet morning, fine after 8 p.h. 
4th.—Very stormy throughout. 
5th.—Very fine morninv, overcast in the latter part of the day, rain in evening. 
Oth.—Fine and bright all day. 
A cold and unsettled week, frequent showers, but a good deal of bright sunshine. 
Mean temperature 4® below the average, and about 9° below that ot the preceding week _ 
—G. J. Simons. 
