142 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August 11 , issi. 
them to the greatest profit. As our Blue Book contains a mine of 
information on matters connected with agriculture of every kind, 
contributed by the most intelligent and experienced men, we 
have only to explore the mine, and endeavour to turn its products 
to the best account; and in continuing the subject, by searching 
the pages of the reports of the Royal Commission we hope to 
bring out all the necessary information found therein to enable 
the home farmer to continue his business with advantage in what¬ 
ever district he may be placed. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
1Torse Labour .—Harvest work now predominates, and all other 
farming operations must in a great measure give way to cutting and 
carting the different crops. If, however, the weather should continue 
favourable we have no doubt that on many home farms Wheat, Peas, 
white Oats, &c., will be thrashed in the field : and it is a wise plan 
too, because it saves a certain amount of labour—that of stacking 
and thatching, by which expense is incurred if the corn is stacked in 
the usual way. During the operations of cutting the cereal crops it 
is not only important to cut them with the reaping machine, but the 
work should be done with the latest improved string-binding machine ; 
because, although we have the advantage of the reaping machines 
without binding, yet in that case it is not done without some risk, 
unless we can find a staff of binders of sufficient number to keep pace 
with the reaping. We have noticed lately that large fields of Wheat 
have been cut and left on the land, which would employ the binders 
several days in tying and setting up in stooks. In the meantime, while 
work of this kind is going on, if heavy thunderstorms should occur 
followed by dull close weather the grain may sprout before it could 
be tied and set up. Herein lies the great value of the self-binding 
machine, for in the event of the corn being only cut when the straw 
is dry we incur no risk, such as occurs when the produce is allowed 
to lie on the ground. 
We must not forget that at every opportunity when the horses do 
not or cannot work in the harvest field, that it is very desirable to 
employ them by ploughing and sowing stubble Turnips in the way 
in which we have often described in these columns—that is, by 
ploughing between the stooks of corn and drilling the seed and 
manure at the same time every evening as fast as the land is ready. 
In this manner we have grown crops equal in weight to those grown 
after green crops fed off, especially in such a favourable season a3 
the present, when the temperature of the soil is not only high but the 
land in most districts moist, so that it can he worked fine with little 
labour, and thus insuring a quick vegetation of the seed. The odd 
horse or horses should be employed in horse-hoeing the crops of 
Swedes or Turnips which may require it. We have often driven the 
horse hoe with the knives set separately across the drills if hand 
labour has been scarce or otherwise employed. This plan will pre¬ 
vent the plants from becoming stunted, so that after a while the 
hand hoes may set them out. In some cases we have had this 
work done by the women in a satisfactory manner. In those cases 
where the Turnips are sown broadcast for any special reason, such as 
the failure of a first drilling, we have by sowing plenty of seed 
obtained a plant sufficiently thick to allow of the horse hoe cutting 
through them for the space of 18 inches and leaving a space of 
9 inches, in which case we have preserved a regular plant, and they 
have been more easily singled than when the seed has been drilled. 
As soon as the land intended for Trifolium is cleared of the crop 
previously grown sowing the three sorts should immediately take 
place, including the early, second early, and late white variety. The 
land should be clean and worked merely on the surface, obtaining 
only just loose soil enough to bury the seed, then leave the land 
rolled. This is the surest plan to succeed in obtaining a regular 
plant, and the likeliest way for the plants to escape the greatest and 
almost the only enemy—the little white slugs. 
Hand Labour .—The work to which we have just alluded will employ 
all the men and women too, for when not engaged in harvest work 
singling root crops will find them full employment during the harvest 
period. 
Live Stoclc .—Horses now engaged in harvest work, and making 
long days of severe and exciting labour, should he well cared for and 
accommodated in their airy loose boxes for the night. We do not 
approve of letting them lie out at night. For instance, on such nights 
as July 27th, when an unusual frost occurred, is it reasonable to sup¬ 
pose that horses during the daytime engaged in severe labour can be 
allowed to remain out on the meadows or parkland at night without 
sustaining injury either in the present or the future ? We know the 
constitutions of valuable horses are often ruined without our suspicion 
or knowledge as to causes, the seeds of disease having been deposited 
by want of care and consideration in the management of the animals. 
Sheep stock must not be neglected in harvest time, for on most 
farms the shepherd will be fully employed in tending the flock, espe¬ 
cially of a breeding flock of ewes, and he should not under any pre¬ 
text be asked to take part in the labour of the harvest field. At this 
time the rams will be turned in with the ewes, and these should have 
regular feeding with the most succulent food on the farm, such as 
Rape or second growth of Clover, and at the same time they may 
well be allowed a few cracked beans or cotton cake, as we find that 
when the ewes are well fed they are likely to bring more twin lambs. 
*— . . - _ - ___ 
Nor does this apply to any breed in particular. There has been great 
scarcity of grass, not oniy in the pastures for grazing the fatting 
cattle as well as for dairy cows ; under any circumstances supple¬ 
mentary food has been required, and if no Vetches and Rape have 
been forthcoming the Mangolds or early Turnips may be resorted to, 
feeding not only the stock we have named but the fatting bullocks 
in the boxes also. 
VARIETIES. 
Marking Fowls. —Miss Kenrick desires to know the best method 
of marking fowls, so as to distinguish those of the same breed from 
one another. We shall be glad if our experienced poultry readers 
can supply the information. 
- The Dairy Show. —We are glad that the Dairy Show will 
not this year clash with Oxford, or indeed come near it, as it is fixed 
for September 15th to 20th. The Judges for poultry and Pigeons are 
announced. Mr. T. C. Burnell takes Dorkings, Brahmas, and Lang- 
shans ; Mr. Leno, Cochins, Leghorns, French, Plymouth Rocks, and 
the Variety class ; Mi - . S. Matthew, Game, Game Bantams, and 
Malays ; Mr. Tecbay, Spanish, Hamburghs, Polish, Minorcas, Anda¬ 
lusians, Silkies, and Bantams ; Mr. Sainsbury, Waterfowl, Turkeys, 
lire. The Pigeons are thus divided—Mr. Gresham takes Pouters ; Mr. 
Esquilant, Tumblers, Archangels, Any variety, and Homers ; Capt. 
Heaton, Carriers and Jacobins ; Mr. Jones, Fantails, Nuns, Trum¬ 
peters, Magpies, and Runts ; Mr. Gell, Barbs, Owls, and Swallows ; 
and Mr. Ludlow, Turbits, Dragoons, and Antwerps. We are also glad 
to see that at the said Show Silkies, Minorcas, and Polish have classes 
to themselves. 
- Pigeons for Showing. —We would remind our readers that 
it is about time for those Pigeons which will be required for the great 
shows to be separated. We have, in common with many fanciers, 
often made the mistake of keeping our breeding birds too long at 
work. This impairs their health, especially that of cocks ; they 
moult late and irregularly, are unfit for the autumn shows, and unfit 
again to be paired early in the spring. Of course it is vexatious to 
throw away a pair of valuable eggs, for often Pigeons breed so fast 
that before one pair of squeakers can possibly be taken from their 
parents another pair of eggs is laid; but if no common birds are 
kept to which they can be transferred, thrown away they must be. 
The cocks, as we have said, specially suffer from late breeding, for 
they continue to feed the squeakers after the hens ; in fact, a good 
cock is constantly feeding for months, giving to successive pairs of 
birds not only all his own eaten nourishment, but all the digestive 
juices, and at the end of the time is sorely in need of care, rest, and 
good food himself.—C. 
- Illustrated British Ballads.—P art 7 of this excellent 
work, now being issued by Messrs. Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, contains 
Sir Walter Scott’s “ The Eve of St. John,” Jamieson’s “ Fair Annie 
of Lochroyan,” Thomas Hood’s “Fair Ines,” and the same writer’s 
noted punning ballad “ Faithless Nelly Gray,” and Thomas Delone’s 
“Fair Rosamond,” each being illustrated by admirably executed 
engravings. 
-Packing Eggs and Dead Poultry.—A t the meeting of the 
Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, at which a Committee was 
nominated for drawing up a scheme for offering prizes for fruit and 
vegetables, as referred to in our gardening columns, the above subject 
was discussed ; and on the motion of Mr. Jacob Wilson the Committee 
were empowered to extend the scope of their scheme so as to include 
dead poultry and poultry management, Mr. Wilson remarking that in 
the matter of packing eg gs and dead poultry England is very much 
behind her foreign competitors. 
- New Wheat in Suffolk. —At the Bury St Edmunds market 
last week several samples of new Talavera Wheat were offered, and 
in one case changed hand^ at 53 s. per quarter. This sample was in 
very fair condition, and of good average weight. The mildew will, 
it is expected, seriously affect the late-sown Wheats, but the early 
crops will not be much deteriorated by it. 
- The Value of Land.—T he Estates Gazette says there have 
been a considerable number of estates put up by auction during the 
past two or three months chiefly by order of the mortgagees, but very 
