62 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ July ir, 1884. 
above the average, and we began mowing it on Monday, Jane 23rd, 
under a cloudy sky but with a rising barometer. The weather 
cleared gradually, and on Thursday of that week carting began, 
and was continued till late on Saturday night. All went well, 
there was no hindrance of any kind, and the first rick is one of 
the best in quality that we have made for several years. In the 
following week we were not so fortunate. The mowing machine 
was repeatedly broken; four of the labourers fell ill, so too did 
one of our best horses; but the weather continued bright and 
fine, and—well, difficulties are to be overcome by energy and care, 
and we only mention them to show that they will occur, and 
cannot be ignored in a calculation of ways and means. 
Cold nights and want of rain in Api-il and May checked the 
growth of the grass so much upon poor meadows that complaints 
of a short crop of hay are very general. We attribute our good 
crop to the careful, I'egular, and timely application of manure. 
This consists of farmyard manure applied at the rate of thirty 
cartloads per acre either now, immediately after the hay is carted, 
or in autumn when the cattle are taken to the yards. If done 
now the dung must be so old and rotten as to become pulverised 
quickly, and easily broken and worked into the gi’ass by the bush 
or chan harro.v, so as not to offer a serious check to the growth 
of the aftermath. This ought only to be attempted where ex¬ 
ceptional facilities exist for doing it quickly and well, growth 
coming so soon after the hay is cleared that it is several inches 
high in a few days. Early in October may, therefore, be given 
as the best time, and half-decayed manure then answers perfectly. 
It continues decaying fast; its rich nutriment is washed down 
to the roots by the autumn rain and is quickly taken up, so that 
the grass, instead of presenting the bare brown aspect commonly 
seen on pastui-es at that season of the year, becomes green as an 
emei'ald. continues so throughout winter, starts eaidy into a free 
strong growth in spring, and is then very little affected by cold 
or drought. We know no greater contrast in farming than the 
appearance of good and bad, or rather well and badly managed, 
grass land in winter and spring. 
Thirty-six acres of our grass land for hay had no farmyard 
manure, and artificial manure had to be used. The formula 
issued by Professor Jamieson to the Agricultural Research 
Association was closely followed, and consists of half cwt. nitrate 
of potash, three-quarters cwt. nitrate of soda, half cwt. super¬ 
phosphate of lime, half cwt. steamed bone Hour per acre. These 
manures were procured separately, mixed at the farm, and applied 
to the land at a total cost of about 30.-f. per acre in the first week 
of March. Enough rain followed to dissolve and wash in the 
manure ; a week later dry weather set in, and later dressings of 
manure could have done very little good to the hay crop. We 
have long had a strong conviction of the importance of an early 
application of manure; it is strengthened by this satisfactory 
result, and we are certainly disposed to have it done even earlier 
next year. The mixture of artificial manures was new to us, 
and by way of experiment we applied a double portion of the 
mixture to an acre of Rye Grass and half an acre of our poorest 
Meadow Grass. Its beneHcial effect upon the Rye Grass was 
clearly visible in a week after the dressing, and it grew with such 
extraordinary vigour that it soon overtopped an adjoining piece 
which was top-dressed in the autumn with farmyard manure. 
The growth of the Meadow Grass was even more remarkable, 
the crop at the time of mowing being more than double its usual 
bulk from that particular piece. VVe are therefore naturally 
disposed to inquire, if by the outlay of an additional 30«. per 
acre we get from £4 to £5 worth more hay, would not a similar 
expenditure upon poor land be justifiable upon a much larger 
scale? Certainly we have reason to think so, and hope to act 
upon it next season. For richer land the quantity given by 
Professor Jamieson is doubtless sufficient. In proof of this we 
have a seven-acre meadow taken in hand six years ago to test the 
effects of a steadily progressive application of artificial manures. 
So poor was it then that not more than half a load of Bents was 
mowed upon the whole of it. A dressing of half-inch bones the 
first year, followed by annual spring dressings of Lawes’ grass 
manure, for which Crown Manure was substituted last year, and 
the Jamieson mixture this year, has led to a gradual but decided 
improvement, and this year we have no better crop upon any 
portion of the land reserved for hay. No doubt a radical change 
of condition might have been brought about sooner, but then 
our experiment would have been neither so useful nor economical. 
CTo be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Hand LaHaymaking will soon be over, and care must be taken 
not to have the ricks thatched for a week or ten days after they are huilt 
and are in a proper state for heating. Although the hay has been got 
together in excellent condition this year, we have adhered to our old plan 
of having a sack stuffed with hay put in the middle of the large ricks and 
drawn upwards as the rick is made to a point slightly above the eaves, so 
as to make a slight funnel for the escape of superfluous heat. As the 
rick gradually settles down the funnel becomes closed, so that there is 
only a trace of it when the hay is cut. See that the ricks are carefully 
pulled and securely thatched. The edges of the thatch should be 
clipped, and a neat symmetrical appearance given to the rick as possible. 
So engros ing has been the haymaking in the fine weather with which we 
have been favoured that work among root crops is somewhat in arrears. 
Men set hoeing and thinning of Mangolds, Carrots, and Turnips in the 
morning have been taken off for the hay each day as soon as carrying 
began. There are some blanks among the Mangolds, for which plants 
have been reserved, and will be put in now as soon as possible. Careful 
transplantation of Mangolds is successfully done, but such roots are 
always undersized, yet they are large enough to be useful. 
Horse Labour .—Any manure-carting from the yards to mixers still 
unfinished should be now done as soon as possible, especially if required 
for Wheat or the autumn dressing of grass land. The winter-sown tares 
kept for horses and cattle will soon be finished, and the land ploughed and 
sown with white Turnips. Other tares have been folded with sheep, and 
this is an excellent plan with a ewe flock, especially on farms where good 
pasture is scarce. By tare-folding and judicious feeding some of the most 
forward drafts of lamb are brought on for down fairs in July and August, 
and the land is either ploughed for roots or for white Mustard in prepara¬ 
tion for Wheat. The horse hoe, after being of much use among the field 
Potatoes before the soiling was done, is now in daily use among the other 
root crops and Hops, where it is all-important that surface-stirring should 
be frequent during the season of growth. Owing to the foul condition of 
Hop foliage so much time has been given to washing it that horse-hoeing 
had been somewhat behindhand. Both are important, and it is unwise to 
neglect anything in so profitable a crop as the Hop. Though not grown 
generally by the home farmer, yet it is by many, and for those we append 
a well-tried recipe for the destruction of insects on Hop leaves;—6 lbs. 
of softsoap, 6 lbs. of soda, 6 lbs. of quassia chips. The quassia chips are 
put in a bag and boiled in the water, then the soap and soda are added. 
With 1 gallon of this liquor added to 8 gallons of water the foliage is 
syringed, care being taken to force it well upon the under side of the leaf, 
for it is there that most insects are found. Three or four or more washings 
are often necessary to destroy successive broods of aphides. Without this 
washing the crop would often prove a total failure. 
Live Stock .—Owing to the hot dry weather some of the pastures are 
already becoming somewhat bare ; a portion of the cattle should therefore 
be put upon what afterwards can be spared from the dairy cows and 
lambs, which when weaned thrive if turned upon the young succulent 
grass, the ewes being kept upon the older growths with equal advantage. 
Hasten the ripening of fattening beasts forward in flesh by moderate cake¬ 
feeding on the pasture, so as to begin drafting early all that are not 
required for the yards or stall feeding next winter. Old horses put to 
hard work should then have a little corn as well as plenty of green food. 
Such an outlay by keeping them sound is really a saving in the end, and 
staves off many an item in the veterinary surgeon’s account. The dairy 
cows will now receive much benefit from the aftermath, which should 
afford them an ample supply of food without rambling far for it. A cow 
will consume enough grass for rumination in about two hours if it be 
plentiful. If the meadows are bare of trees there should be open lodges 
for shade for cattle, and for some protection from flies. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdex Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
*S 
Pi 
1884. 
July. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32'< 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
1 Temp, of 
1 Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
saa. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
6 
29.981 
63.0 
58.9 
N.E. 
65.1 
71.8 
54.7 
HS.7 
52.1 
0.437 
Monday. 
7 
30. 17 
65.5 
60.6 
E. 
63.7 
77.4 
55.3 
119.1 
S2.5 
Tuesday. 
8 
29.918 
72.7 
66.0 
E. 
63.9 
84.4 
53.6 
119.7 
48.2 
Wednesday .. 
9 
29.828 
73.7 
66.6 
N.E. 
65.3 
85 3 
60 9 
124.2 
54.8 
0.601 
Thursday .... 
10 
29.647 
63.2 
62.6 
S.W. 
66.0 
74.5 
58.8 
105.7 
52.U 
0.174 
Friday. 
11 
S9.784 
61.7 
56.7 
S.E. 
64.0 
71.6 
53 1 
lll.O 
48.6 
0.074 
Saturday .... 
12 
29.877 
68.2 
63.2 
S.E. 
63.1 
71.1 
56.5 
97.3 
51.0 
0.134 
29.8o3 
66.9 
62.1 
64.4 
76.6 
56.1 
113.2 
5L3 
7.420 
REMARKS. 
eth.—Overcast morning; rain at 2 p.m., and heavy rain with thunder 4.15 to 4.30 pji. 
7th.—Dull morning ; fine afternoon and night. 
8 th.—Fine and hot. 
9th.—Very fine and hot. 
10th.—Very heavy rain 8.30 to 8.45 a.m. ; fair tiU 4 p.m., then rain tUl 7 p.m. 
11th.—Generally duU, shower at 7.30 P.M., and very dark at 8 P.M. sharp shower at 
midnight. 
12th.—DuU morning, rain in afternoon; fair at night 
A fine summer week, with high temperature and two short heavy rains.—G. J. Sxkons 
