214 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 1 , 1881 . 
occasionally dragged or harrowed in fine weather, they will make up 
very useful food in the spring when throwing up a seed stem, and 
when fed oft by sheep eating cake a capital preparation is made for a 
crop of Mangold, as every portion of roots or stems not consumed 
serve to manure the land when ploughed under and decayed. 
Manual Labour will as yet be engaged in harvest operations in 
nearly every district in the kingdom more or less ; at other times it 
will be required in hoeing late root crops, the women assisting in 
singling the plants. Dung-spieading and filling manure into carts will 
also engage some of the men, except in the case of using the new farm 
implement for spreading the manure at the time of laying out. As 
this implement is attached to the dung cart the laying-out and 
spreading is done at one operation. This can be recommended, espe¬ 
cially on farms of considerable extent, and in those districts where 
labour is scarce and dear. This brings us into contact with the 
labour question, which is one of great significance, and which if we 
cannot control we must endeavour to utilise as far as possible. We 
hear great complaints of the quantity and quality of the work done, 
especially in the southern and eastern parts of the kingdom ; and in 
comparing the amount of wages given in various districts, we find 
those in the northern counties much higher than in other districts, 
and probably in the future farmers may discover that it is in conse¬ 
quence of the low wages paid, with but little piecework, that induces 
the best men to migrate into other districts or go into towns for 
employment. In the interest of gentlemen having home farms these 
are serious matters for future consideration, and may well induce 
them to maintain a sufficiency of cottages on the farm, so that a 
sufficient number of men and lads may always be available. 
THE POULTRY OF THE FARM.* 
It must be satisfactory to everyone who recognises the value of 
poultry-keeping as a branch of national industry to know that 
the Royal Agricultural Society of England is sufficiently alive to 
its importance to publish a pamphlet on the subject. The author 
of this pamphlet now before us is the Rev. W. G. Pope, an old 
fancier of the old English Dorking, and therefore well qualified 
for his task. Mr. Pope not inaptly prefaces his essay with some 
remarks upon the peculiarity of the days as regards agriculture 
in which we live, and observes, “ Such a competition is going on 
between us and the foreigner that all our resources must be looked 
into carefully, or the weakest will soon go to the wall. Our 
energies must ire employed to prevent the loss of anything either 
worth keeping or capable of conversion into something useful and 
valuable ; and so the stray corns on a farm and the scraps from 
a house are to be duly utilised by poultry-keeping.” Another 
point upon which he lightly touches is one which from experience 
we know to be a really important one—viz., that the poultry yard 
may be “ a school for the youth, wherein he may acquire habits 
of regularity, or carry on such a cultivation of the eye as may 
enable it to take in readily the condition, points, and require¬ 
ments of “ the live stock of the farm.” Such it has often been to 
our knowdedge, and many a breeder of prize poultry in younger 
and poorer days has by degrees become a lover and successful 
cultivator of shorthorns and other pedigree stock. In coming to 
the more practical pait of his subject—viz., advice as to the 
selection of a breed, Mr. Pope divides the possible requirements 
into four headings : 1, Eggs; 2, Chickens ; 3, Chickens and 
Eggs ; 4, Appearance. 
1, He properly dismisses “mongrels” as unsatisfactory. For 
the production of eggs he recommends Minorcas, Blue Anda¬ 
lusians, Leghorns, and Hamburghs. We quite endorse bis re¬ 
commendations, though there is nothing novel in them, for they 
are those of every good poultry book. 2, For the production of 
chickens, Dorkings pure or Dorkings crossed with either Game or 
Brahmas are recommended. We have repeatedly in these pages 
suggested the same crosses. Mr. Pope is well known as a stickler 
for the white foot in the Dorking, and naturally insists upon it 
here. 3, For the production of both eggs and chickens the 
Brahma-Dorking cross is suggested, and pure Plymouth Rocks. 
4, “On the point of appearance” Mr. Pope justly observes, “I 
will only say that it is a pity to sacrifice our best table varieties, 
whilst so many beautiful breeds afford a chance of indulging the 
fancy.” “ Having decided on our breed of fowls, we put our¬ 
selves in the hands of some breeder of good repute, from whom 
we obtain at a moderate price well-bred, but not exhibition birds, 
likely, however, to breed really good chickens.” 
* The Poultry of the Farm. By the Rev. W. G. ForE, Godmanstone Rectory, 
Dorchester. Loudon : Royal Agricultural Society of England. 1881. 
The advice which follows on the general management of poultry 
is very good in its way, though we must confess that most of it 
seems culled from books and articles, and might, we fancy, have 
been put together in a rather more methodical and forcible way. 
If we might make a suggestion to so august a body as the Royal 
Agricultural Society it would be that they should publish cheap 
leaflets on such subjects as “eggs” and “chickens,” with some 
reliable statistics and practical advice showing the loss which 
the importation of eggs and poultry annually entail upon the 
country, and methods by which part of the sum annually paid 
for such foreign produce might remain in English pockets. Hence, 
then, we are incliued to differ a little from Mr. Pope, as when he says 
“ perches should be broad and flat enough for the fowls to roost 
comfortably upon them.” After much observation we have come 
to the conclusion that fowls do best on perches that they can 
clasp, neither broad nor flat. These are some illustrations of simple 
coops, and the author says, “ The old-fashioned coop with a slanting 
roof to shoot off the wet, and with strong upright bars in front, 
answers every purpose.” We do not think it sufficiently answers 
the purpose of keeping wet out, and prefer a coop of our own 
with a slanting weather board in front, which makes a great dif¬ 
ference in the state of things inside during a period of bad weather. 
We are also told “ it is well to have a close front to shut up 
securely by night.” Close fronts are most undesirable ; only those 
can kuow the evil ®f them who occasionally get up early and 
open their own coops ; the wonder is that chickens can exist— 
healthy they cannot be—in coops so closed up. The fronts should 
only reach to about 4 inches from the top ; good ventilation is 
absolutely necessary for health. The observations on diseases 
are decidedly good, and the directions given for operating upon 
chickens suffering from gapes sound practical. “A common pipe, 
stable bucket, a cloth and a smoker, are all that are necessary, 
with tobacco. Place the chickens in the bucket, cover them up, 
pass in the stem of the pipe, blow in the fumes till the sufferers 
are heard falling about, then turn them out at once. Repeat 
in two days. We use boxes and bellows, so that women may 
operate ! ” 
The remarks on Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, and Guinea Fowls are 
really too brief to be of much practical use, and we cannot but 
regret that the author gives no hint of the great advisability of 
causing poultry to migrate over a farm in moveable houses both 
for their good and that of the land. We have candidly pointed 
out what we think errors or omissions in the little work ; there is 
much that is good and useful in it, and we hail its publication as 
a step in the right direction.—C. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Fattening Fowls (J I. I ).).—No operation connected with the poultry yard 
requires greater attention and experience than fattening fowls in coops. Oat¬ 
meal and barleymeal alternately, mixed with milk, and occasionally with a little 
dripping, is good food. The feeding troughs, which must be kept constantly 
scoured, should be placed before the birds at regular intervals, and when they 
have eaten sufficient it is better to remove them, placing a little gravel within 
reach of the coop to assist digestion. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lafc. 51° 32'40" N.; Long.0°8'0" W.; Altitude.lll feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Hygrome- 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
5 
1881. 
ter. 
fl 
P<— O 
n ■- O 
perature. 
Temperature. 
cS 
August. 
a O'+W 
01 </) r-l 
In 
On 
K 2 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5 o 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 21 
29.765 
,59.4 
53.7 
S.E. 
59.0 
65.4 
51.1 
104.2 
50.1 
0.500 
Mon. 22 
29.868 
59.7 
o.i.G 
W. 
58.0 
70.3 
45.6 
]23.3 
41.0 
o.nio 
Tues. 23 
S 9.750 
63.7 
59.3 
N.E. 
58.7 
70.7 
54.7 
101.0 
50.3 
0.438 
Wed. 24 
29.649 
59.7 
54.9 
W. 
59.0 
66.3 
53.7 
104.3 
52.3 
0.096 
Thurs. 25 
29.748 
59.0 
<►7.6 
SAV. 
.58.4 
63.0 
50.8 
74.4 
45.4 
0.352 
Friday 26 
29.424 
62.7 
56.8 
w. 
58.8 
69.1 
57.4 
118.2 
53.7 
0.047 
Satur. 27 
29.718 
59.1 
53.6 
NAV. 
58.5 
66.0 
47.2 
122.3 
42.3 
— 
Means. 
29.703 
60.5 
55.9 
58.0 
67.3 
51.5 
101.8 
47.9 
1.443 
REMARKS. 
21st.—Fair, but dull morning ; rain at 0.45 r.M., and heavy showers during after¬ 
noon ; fair but damp evening. 
22nd.—Fine bright morning ; afternoon overcast, with sprinkle of rain ; even¬ 
ing fine. 
23rd.—Morning fine ; heavy rain in afternoon ; dull gloomy evening. 
24th.—Shower in forenoon, thunder 1.5 r.M. to 1.25 P.M.; rest of day fine, bright, 
and breezy. 
25th.—Dull and gloomy ; rain throughout. 
26th.—Heavy showers, with fine bright intervals. 
27th.—Fine, bright, pleasant day. 
Temperature near the average, but rainfall greatly in excess. -G. J. Symons. 
nil 
