October 13,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 347 
manures by varying the application of dung and hand manures 
alternately. 
In practice we have found for many years that in a continuous 
and close system of cropping, owing to the frequent ploughing and 
opportunities afforded for forking-out any Couch, the land was 
kept perfectly clean by horse labour only, yet it is a matter of 
great importance that steam should be the chief power employed, 
and the horses reduced in number. It is not only the cost to be 
considered. The effect of steam culture, which can be effected 
within a limited time, and in some seasons in particular it is really 
the broad basis of profitable agriculture, enabling the home farmer 
to carry out any possible system and rotation of cropping, even 
with the hindrance of occasional untoward seasons such as have 
prevailed for several years, especially that of 1879. 
These observations have been made as applicable to the home 
farm when it is connected with park and pasture land. "VVe must 
now, however, refer to a system of sale crops entirely upon arable 
land alone, which may be practicable in many districts when 
applied to farms in hand other than the home farm, but especially 
where situated near to railway stations, provincial towns, and 
populous villages. A rotation may then be adopted as follows :— 
Upon farms of 300 acres (or farms of any other size in like pro¬ 
portion) say 100 acres of Wheat, for sale both of straw and corn ; 
100 acres of Lent corn, for sale both of straw and grain ; also 
100 acres consisting of root and pulse crops, including vegetables, 
sold green or saved for seed, such as Potatoes, Beans, Peas, Cab¬ 
bage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots, and Mangold ; also a portion 
of Clover, alternated in growth with Giant Saintfoin, to be cut for 
hay or saved for seed ; say 10 acres early Potatoes, 10 acres late 
Potatoes, 20 acres Clover or Giant Saintfoin, 10 acres of Cabbage 
of sorts, 10 acres in Carrots of sorts, 10 acres Mangold, 10 acres 
of early or late Cauliflower or Broccoli, 10 acres of Beans, and 
10 acres of Peas. In such a rotation we have the opportunity of 
alternation of any of these or other similar crops without disar¬ 
ranging the system. The constant tillage in connection with it 
will with ordinary care keep the land clean. With respect to 
manure we advise liberal dressings of artificial manures, varying 
in value from 50 j. to CO.?, per acre per annum, notwithstanding we 
are told by market gardeners and others that such cropping can¬ 
not be carried out without the use of town or stable dung. We, 
however, deny this in toto, as the result of our experience ; but 
that artificial manures, including chalk or lime judiciously selected 
and applied, are equal to any system of cropping on loamy soils, 
however varied or complicated. In conclusion we ask the home 
farmer to consider that the cereals may be varied and taken in 
accordance with the circumstances by which he may be sur¬ 
rounded, for when the season may be adverse to the sowing of 
autumn Wheat some land may be left over for Lent corn, either 
Barley, Oats, or spring Wheat; in fact, the possible variations 
and alternations are almost endless without vitiating the system. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—This will now consist of drilling Wheat upon the 
chalk hill farms in the most exposed situations first; on the strong 
fiat-lying lands the seeding of Wheat should be done certainly not 
later than the 20th of October ; on the mixed soils on the vale farms 
—such as gravel, sand, and dry loamy land—the sowing may be 
deferred until the last week of October and the first week in Novem¬ 
ber, especially if it is Clover lea preparation, or early roots, or Rape 
fed off by sheep. On lea ground, or on any preparation where the 
land is clean, the usual distance between the rows of Wheat may be 
adopted; but on cold heavy land it should always be drilled at 10 *r 
12 inches apart, so that horse-hoeing in the spring may be effectually 
carried out. After a mild and wet winter the Wheat plant often 
looks weak and sickly, and weeds may threaten to injure the growth. 
Nothing, therefore, will be so likely to improve the crop as a horse- 
hoeing which will effectually break the surface. The quantity of 
seed per acre for Wheat is still a vexed question, and it is likely to 
remain so when we consider that the period of sowing, the soil and 
preparation, and climate must each have some influence on the ques¬ 
tion of the quantity of seed. The sorts of Wheat now m use are 
numerous, and the selection should depend upon the district in which 
the home farm is situated, and we also recommend the sowing of new 
and approved varieties, such as HalLft’s Pedigree of sorts, Champion 
White from Reading, Berks ; Roush Chaff from Essex, Nursery from 
Sussex and the fenlands of Cambridgeshire, Fenton White from the 
northern counties and the Lothians of Scotland, Morton’s White from 
Gloucestershire, the Golden Drop Red Wheat from the chalk hills of 
Hants, Berks, and Oxon. These sorts offer a good opportunity for 
change from different districts. Some of them, however, are held for 
high prices, in which case it may be well to purchase only a few 
sacks, and use the increase in the future if found suitable for soil and 
climate. Very early sowing has been recommended by some farmers, 
sowing only a bushel per acre of seed, or less in the month of Sep¬ 
tember, in order that it may tiller cut and fill up a thick plant early 
in the spring. Upon many well-managed farms, however, early sow¬ 
ing would be attended with various practical difficulties, much incon¬ 
venience, and derangement of the usual mode of culture and sheep¬ 
feeding. For instance, if all the Wheat on the home farm was to be 
sown, drilled, or planted in the month of September how could any 
autumn cultivation for future root and spring crops be effected? and 
how could the different crops preparatory for Wheat be cultivated 
following such crops as Potatoes, Turnips, and Rape, which will be 
in process of digging and feeding-off by sheep during the months of 
October and November upon dry soils on the vale farms ? What is 
the advantage of saving a bushel of seed Wheat per acre compared 
with the benefit to be derived from various important items of tillage, 
sheep-feeding, &c., being done in due season ? 
Hand / abour. —Hedge-trimming should be finished, cutting wood 
and bushes in the woodlands or hedgerows may now be done, and 
making dead hedges commenced by using these materials. Men, 
women, and boys will be employed in gathering Potatoes behind 
the lifting plough and frame. The odd horse and man will be en¬ 
gaged in cutting up Clover and the grasses which have grown up in 
the Oat and Wheat stubbles, for since the rains in August the young 
Clovers in various instances have sprung up like magic, affording 
good green fodder for horses and other cattle, and as the season 
promises at present it may be continued as we have often done into 
the month of November. 
Live Stock .—The wether sheep now eating-off early Turnips and 
Rape should be encouraged with an allowance of half a pound 
of oilcake per day, or 1 tb. of cotton cake, until the nights get 
longer, when they should receive hay or hay and straw chaff in addi¬ 
tion. The leaves of Mangold will now be available for sheep and 
cattle, as it is now time to secure the crop, especially upon cold or 
strong land, in order that the carting may be done without injury to 
the land ; in fact, it is a good plan to have them pitted in small heaps 
in the field, particularly if they will be required for feeding on the 
land in the spring. If, however, they are to be stored for preservation 
in the winter months at the home farm they may be covered with 
seaweed where it can be obtained, or with grass, &c., cut from the 
borders of fields or the plantations on the home farm, and after a 
month covered with earth to receive the frosts of winter. The dairy 
cows now demand attention, for after the middle of October the grass 
usually becomes short and stale and deficient in quality. We now 
begin to give them Cabbages strewed on the pastures, otherwise we 
give the Cabbage cut and mixed with sweet Oat straw chaff in the 
mangers at milking time night and morning, and we find them do 
well without decreasing their milk. 
We hear constant complaints of delay in the payment of 
poultry prizes. This is unwise on the part of committees and 
unjust. We believe that nothing has contributed more to the 
success of certain shows than the fact becoming known, as it is 
sure to be known, that the prize money is promptly paid, as it is 
from Oxford, Hemel Hempstead, and other well-managed exhi¬ 
bitions. We shall not at present name the places where such a 
procrastinating course is adopted, but committees may take 
warning and hasten to make up their accounts. 
We understand that a testimonial is being prepared for Mr. 
Fredk. Wragg, who for a long time has been the manager of Lady 
Gwydyr’s poultry yards. We have more than once been most 
kindly shown over this beautiful establishment by Mr. Wragg, 
and are pleased to see this recognition of his civility to many 
visitors. _ 
At the meeting of the National Peristeronic Society last week 
an unusually good lot of young Pigeons were shown. Among 
the new members of the Society we observe the name of Lord 
St. Leonards, known chiefly hitherto as a fancier of Game fowls. 
Two or three months ago we received a circular about the 
formation of a club for the encouragement of the breeding of 
“ German Toys.” We fear the scheme is in abeyance, as we have 
heard no more about it, though we gave in our names as willing 
under certain conditions to become members. 
We have lately seen in a well-known western poultry yard 
some pure white Polish fowls with fine crests and well-bearded. 
We understand that they will not appear in public till the strain 
has been further perfected and established. 
In the aviaries of the same establishment we have seen a 
curious Archangel Pigeon, which has bright copper bars on its 
