86 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 24. 1884. 
HAYMAKING. 
THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LAND FOR HAY. 
(^Continued Jroni x^agc 62 ) 
When the seven-acre field to which siiecial reference was 
made last week was first taken in hand, we were walking^ over it 
and considering ways and means for its improvement, w'hen onr 
attention was arrested by the sight of an ant hill upon which 
the grass was long and of a dark green colour, in striking con¬ 
trast to the brown, stunted, starved appearance of the other 
grass. Closer inspection of the ant hill showed that its exti-a- 
ordinary fertility was owing to the excrement of rabbits and to 
its drainage. Here was a hint from Nature wdiich showed clearly 
how to bring the land from a state of semi-barrenness into one of 
high fertility. It said in language too plain to be mistaken, 
First drain the inert soil so that w’ater may percolate Heely 
though it and pass away, and the air enter it to impart warmth 
and some fertility; it will then be in condition for its true pur¬ 
pose of a food vehicle, and its pores may be charged with nutri¬ 
ment for the grass roots with an absolute certainty of benefit. 
Valuable as this knowledge is, some caution is requisite in its 
application. Poor land may doubtless be brought into a tho¬ 
roughly fertile condition in a single season if necessary; but 
such a mode of procedure involves a heavy outlay for which an 
adequate return can hardly be expected at once, and it will 
generally answer better to follow the progressive method of 
impi'ovement to which we have called attention, both because 
the home farmer can afford to wait, and he will then not bestow 
an undue proportion of the manure at his disposal upon one 
portion of the farm at the expense of the remainder. Rash 
measures are rarely satisfactory in the end, however praise¬ 
worthy and apparently justifiable that end may be. 
When artificial manures are used largely it is important to 
know that nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are our three indis¬ 
pensable elements f-r plant food, and that safe proportions to 
begin with are about a half part of the nitrogen to one part each 
of the phosphorus and potash. Probably the very best method 
of applying manure to grass would be a dressing of farmyard 
manure and wood ashes in October, followed by the mixture of 
nitrate of potash, nitrate of soda, superphosphate, and steamed 
bone dour about the middle of February. The autumn dressing 
is in course of preparation now, the dung being carted from the 
yards upon a bed of ashes of sufficient thickness to afford enough 
for mixing with and covering the mixen w'hen it is turned, so as 
to arrest and absorb gases generated in the mixen by the heating 
which is inevitable in heaps of half-decayed manure. The bene¬ 
ficial effect of wood ashes is evident in the vigorous growth of 
Clover and Trefoil among the grass. We had a few cartloads 
of ashes alone spreal upon a somewhat poor piece of grass last 
autumn and added no dung, but put dung upon the adjoining 
piece of grass by way of experiment. The contrast in the two 
pieces w’as remarkable and instructive. The ashes caused a 
strong dense growth of Clover and Trefoil, all the more striking 
from the fact of the somewhat feeble growth of grass among it, 
while the dung stimulated a much stronger growHh of grass than 
of Clover. Our soil is naturally thin and poor, and while valuing 
highly such hints and formula) as are offered for the genera) 
guidance of farmers, we strive never to forget that soil is a 
vehicle for food; that however we may store it with nutriment, 
that store is bound to be exhausted sooner or later, and therefore 
we must study its peculiar requirements, and learn by experi¬ 
ment and watchfulness how much, how often, and when manure 
may best be applied in order that the grass may derive full 
benefit from it. 
Drainage is to be regarded as an indispensable preliminary 
step in the improvement of the soil: without it vain will be our 
efforts, and our application of manure will be decidedly wasteful. 
“ On all wet soils,” says Professor Sheldon, “ no improvements 
can be made to pay until the primary one of drainage has been 
done ; and drainage alone in many cases effects greater changes 
for good than any other single improvement that can be named.” 
It is obvious, then, that an operation of such vital importance 
must be well done, and this can only be effected by having the 
trenches excavated, the pipes laid and tested with water before 
any of the soil is put back, and then the actual covering of the 
pipes must be wmtched closely, and the first layer of soil be 
rammed carefully upon them before the work can be left entirely 
to the hands of an ordinary labourer. A pipe disarranged; an 
improper slope, will lead sooner or later to a stoppage, which, 
apart from the injury to the soil, is also an expensive affair when 
drains are made at the ordinary depth of 4 feet. We call special 
attention to this important matter perforce of dear-bought expe¬ 
rience, and from knowing how frequently drainage is entrusted 
to incompetent men at per rod ; the lines being marked, the 
pipes carted, and the remainder of the work left comparatively 
unwatched. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Hand LaVonr .—The finishing of the haymaking has set the men at 
liberty in good time for thinning and hoeing Turnips, Carrot'?, and 
Mangolds, all which, as well as the main crop of Potatoes, have derived 
much benefit from the rain which has frequently fallen since the hay 
was saved. The advantage of sowing Mangolds in April was never more 
apparent than now, the earliest sowings being a fine vigorous plant in 
striking contrast to the later sowings, which are not half the size of the 
earlier plants and have suffered much from flea in the hot dry weather. 
The only possible objection to early-sown Mangolds is the liability of an 
exceedingly small per-centage to bolt to seed. The same remarks are 
certainly applicable to Carrots this year, quite half the later sowings 
proving a failure, while nothing can be more satisfactory than the flomdsh- 
ing ajjpearance of the early ones. Turnip fly has been troublesome, but 
the timely driving of the sheep over the young plants while wet with dew 
early in the morning has had the usual good effect of coating the plants 
with dust and knocking off the fly. The hayricks are in course of being 
thatched, and will be finished as soon as possible, as we have kept a 
portion of the crop of outlying pasture in reserve for filling our silo, and 
some men are required for filling it now. Spudding and pulling Thistles, 
hedge-clipping, turning mixens, tarring and painting outbuildings and 
fences, repairing stock yards and other enlosures, are all matters to be 
seen to between haying and harvest. Hop-washing has been done for 
the fourth time, and the foliage is now clean and healthy. 
Horse Labour .—A green crop of Mustard upon clean land in course 
of preparation for Wheat has been ploughed in and more Mustard sown. 
The hot dry weather has so much helped the work of clearing a fallow 
foul with couch grass that we have been able to pronounce it clean, and 
apply a dressing of lime fresh from the kiln at the rate of 100 bushels 
per acre. Laid in small heaps upon the land the lime is soon slackened, 
and is then at once spread and ploughed in. The land cleared of winter 
Tares required for Turnips has had a dressing of dung for ploughing and 
sowing at once. The horse hoe is in almost daily use among the root 
crops and Hops. The value of work so done by a light strong tool is 
incalculable. Surface-stiiTing in hot dry weather serves both to destroy 
weeds and to check evaporation. It cannot be too often explained that 
the more the surface is stirred the better does the soil retain moisture. 
Lire Stock .—Ewe and teg sheep may now be dipped without fear of 
harm to wounds made at the shearing. Lambs should have been dipped 
when the ewes were shorn; if this was not done let them be dipped now 
to render them safe from the attacks of maggot fly during the busy time 
of harvest. We have invariably found Cooper’s dipping powder excellent 
for this purpose, and also as a cure for scab, which we once had in an 
outlying flock. A watchful eye must be given to jiastures now, and a 
change given to cattle before herbage is so closely eaten as to become 
scarce. 
METEOHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
HATE. 
y A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
B, 
1884. 
July. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
1 Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
13 
29.916 
72.5 
67.0 
E. 
62.2 
81.8 
57.9 
114.4 
52.2 
— 
Monday. 
14 
29.981 
65.3 
60.6 
S. 
62.9 
74 3 
54.2 
121.4 
49.1 
0.02S- 
Tuesday. 
15 
£9.9.17 
62.6 
61.6 
s.iv. 
63.4 
73.6 
5 / .0 
112.5 
54.1 
0.098 
Wednesday .. 
16 
29.702 
64.1 
62.9 
S.W. 
63 3 
71.0 
61 6 
107.8 
5(5.4 
— 
Thursday ... 
17 
29.781 
63.7 
59.6 
s. 
62.5 
73.7 
53 4 
1-2.1 
48.4 
0.071) 
Friday. 
18 
SO. 58 
63.7 
68.0 
S.W. 
C2.2 
69.4 
51.1 
115.6 
46.7 
— 
Saturday .... 
19 
30.133 
57.3 
53.7 
N.E. 
61.2 
67 9 
48.(5 
115.8 
45.3 
29.933 
64.2 
60.5 
62.5 
73.1 
54.8 
115.7 
50.3 
0.194 
REMARKS. 
13tli.—Fine hot day; cool pleasant breeze in evening. 
14tli.—Slight shower early ; fine day ; shower in late evening ; cloudy night. 
15th.—IVet in early morning, and showery during day, but some sunshine. 
16th.—Ue.avy rain early; dull day; fine pleasant evening. 
17th.—Fair day, at times cloudy; very heavy shower about 4.15 PM. 
18th.—Fine, but not very bright. 
19th.—Fine, but frequently cloudy; some hot sunshine in afternoon. 
A rather unsettled week, without much clear bright sunshine, giving the impression 
of more rain than real'y fell. Temperature about 3® below that of receding week» 
but still above the average.—Q. J. SYMONS. 
