158 
JOURNAL OF HORTiaULlURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 14, 1884. 
much liked for fable, the lare:e plump breasts and small legs forming a 
striking contrast to the big legs and small breasts of the Brahmas, which 
we have discarded. Enough Geese for Michaelmas have been selected 
from the flock, and are being fattened. Turkey poults and Guinea Fowls 
are forward, and we shall begin using them hj the end of the month. 
ENSILAGE. 
At the present time, when so much attention is being paid to ensilage 
and preparations are being made for forming silos, the following remarks 
by Mr. Edward Luekhurst will doubtless be of interest :— 
On the 29th of last November, between four and five hundred Devon¬ 
shire farmers met together at Hallwill Manor, near Holsworthy, by in¬ 
vitation of Mr. J. W. Harris, to see a silo opened and judge for them¬ 
selves as to the value of its contents of ninety tons of ensilage. They 
were told that it consisted of Rye Grass, Clover, and Meadow Grass, cut 
and carted at once to the silo—part of it while it was raining. As it was 
put in it was well trodden down, and 6 to 7 lbs. of salt scattered amongst 
each waggonload. Subsequently, when the silo was quite full, a pressure 
of 130 lbs. to the square foot was put upon the ensilage, and it was care¬ 
fully explained that exclusion of air from it by pi’essure prevents com¬ 
bustion, fermentation, and putrefaction. When cut into, the ensilage was 
described as “ of a dark brown colour, moist even to wetness, possessing 
a strong, penetrating, vinous smell, and a sweetish and not unpleasant 
taste. There was no liquid at the bottom of the silo, and the top portions 
were as wet as those at the bottom, showing that the moisture was evenlv 
distributed by the pressure throughout the bu’k.” Calves, horses, and 
bullocks were seen eating it greedily, and showin? a decided preference 
for it, touching neither corn nor hay w'hile they could get it. 
This instructive sight, doubtless, brought pleasant visions of prospective 
profit to the mind of many an anxious Western farmer, heavily handi¬ 
capped by home difficulties and foreign competition. It was, how'ever, 
only one of several similar meetings held throughout the land, for many 
other gentlemen have go'>e to considerable expense in giving ensilage a 
fair trial, and they, too, have invited the attention of practical agricul¬ 
turists to results so remarkable as to point nnmistakeably to a new de¬ 
parture in farming that must speedily obtain rrniversal adoptioir. Ensilage 
has alrnady passed triumphantly through the primary trial stage; the 
ease and economy with which it is made and kept, and its high valire as 
food for horses, cattle, and sheep has been so clearly and repeatedly 
proved to demonstratioir, that when we are told rt is ** very wholesome, 
nutritious food, having all the healthy feeding succulent properties of mid¬ 
summer grass, with a pleasant, appetising flavour,” and that “ a farmer- 
can. under the new regime, store his crops of grass for winter with very 
little expense, and in defiance of the weather, and ensilage will eventually 
enable him to dispense with the cultivation of Turnips.” While making 
due allowance for arry enthusiastic colom-ing, we are bound to give heed 
to statements enforced by the logic of facts, and to see if we can turn 
them to account in our own practice. 
Here, briefly, are a few of srrch facts collected as being worthy of the 
attention of every farmer. At Standish Hall the total cost of cuttino- 
carting, filhng, covering, and pressing 80 tons of grass in two silos was 
4.?. d^d. per ton; in another instance the entire process cost 4,?. 6d. per 
ton for 70 tons. The quantity of ensilage per acre is said in one instance 
to be eight tons, as against 1^ ton of hay; in another, three tons of 
ensilage to one ton of hay ; and another perfectly reliable statement gives 
^ ensilage to 15 cwt. of hay. Probably as yet a 
little uncertainty exists as to the actual proportion, but that it must be 
gieatly in favour of ensilage is self-evident. Chaffing and salting of 
ensilage, at first thought so important, are both now being discontinued 
as unnecessary. Pressure is the chief factor, and if it be so thorough as 
to exclude air, success is a certainty, no matter how green or wet the 
grass is when it is put into the silo. 200 lbs. per square foot gave an 
excellent sample of ensilage of tares and Oats, both at Swansea and 
Longley Hall. Sheffield For Lord Tollemache’s chaffed fodder, at Peck- 
for ton, a pressure of 56 lbs. per square foot proved sufficient, but this 
difference will be readily understood when it is remembered bow easily 
chaffed fodder yields to prei^sure. The average weight of a cubic foot of 
ensdage may be given at 44 lbs.; in colour it is a dark, bright brown; its 
odour is slightly pungent, and not offensive. It is said to increase the 
yield of milk in cows from 10 to 15 per cent., and its fattening qualities 
are h^hly spoken of. It is certainly beyond dispute that animals have a 
decided liking for it. 
But to all this the question of storage is a yicr contra not easily 
answered. Much, however, may be done in many instances to avoid a 
heavy outlay. In a calculation of ways and means for making a small 
trial silo heie, it was found that a corner could be spared for the purpose 
m a lodge situated in the midst of the grass land, and near the cattle 
yards. There is a hard road to it, the position is high and dry, and the 
land falls^ from it on one side sufficiently to ensure safety from any 
accumulation of water about the silo. For pressin? there is a natural bed 
of sand close by, and an ample store of old artificial manure bags in hand 
to put it in. Such facilities are, doubtless, exceptional, and they are only 
mentioned to show that they lay ready to one’s hand, and only required 
loo’sing for, as is probably the case on many other estates. 
THE HARVEST IN AMERICA. 
On this subject, which is of interest to all, the Daily Ne?vs corre¬ 
spondent telegraphed from New York on Monday last:_ 
The progress of the harvest continues satisfactory. The latest official 
reports from the different States indicate that the Wheat crop will exceed 
500,000,000 bushels. A statistician of the Produce Exchange, whose 
estimates in previous years have proved nearly correct, places it above 
that of two years ago, when it was 504,000,000. This is partly confirmed 
by the report of the Department of Agriculture on the spring Wheat, 
which makes the average higher than any for the last seven years. All 
the reports concur in pronouncing the quality exceptionally fine. Last 
year's crop was 420,000,000 by measure, but by actual weight only 
398,000,000. This year the Wheat everywhere has been gathered, excel¬ 
lent in quality as well as larger in quantity. The winter Wheat is all 
harvested. It is estimated at from 360,000,000 to 370,000,000. The 
harvest of the spring Wheat in progress is estimated at from 140,000,000 
to 145,000,000. Some damage by storms is reported from California, and 
excessive rains in Illinois delayed the harvest, but the injury is compara¬ 
tively slight. The prospects of a large Indian Corn crop are still more 
promising. The present average reported by the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture has been exceeded only three times during the last ten years. The 
only danger now is from early frosts. The other small grains are full 
cropq and considerably above the average. This is well nigh assured. 
Cotton is the only crop about which there are serious apprehensions. 
Although the weather lately has been moi-e favourable cn the Atlantic 
seaboard the rains have been excessive, causing a weedy growth, while in 
Texas the long drought threatens serious disaster. During the last few 
days seasonable showers in some parts of the State have been reported, 
but rain is still greatly needed. The present condition of the plant is 
such as to give good results with favourable weather, or show a heavy de¬ 
preciation with excessive rains in one section, and continued drought in 
another. 
Hop Reports. —The warm and brilliant sunshine of the past week has 
done immense good to the Hop gardens, and the reports to hand are gene¬ 
rally favourable. Still the prospect of a good crop has long since vanished, 
and the only question now is, What, under better conditions, at the latter 
part of the growing season, can be expected ? The best news comes from 
the Surrey gardens around Farnham. There, it is stated, the sunshine has 
done wonders. The early sorts are in Hop, and look splendidly, and the 
later sorts are coming into Hop well. The black bine forms a very incon¬ 
siderable portion, and all but the very worst grounds have improved. In 
the Kent district, around Tunbridge Wells, Speldhurst, and Southborough, 
an improvement, very slight, has taken place, but the bad effect of the past 
few weeks will not he obliterated. To the north, at Jghtham, the bines 
still keep a good colour, and the burr is fast developing into Hops. 
From the central parts of East Kent bordering on Sussex, the reports re¬ 
ceived are very hopeful, and exhibit none of the despondency manifested on 
previous occasions. At Staplehurst only a short crop is expected, but at 
Goudhurst a fair crop is looked forward to if the present weather con¬ 
tinues. Matters do not look so well in the gardens to the extreme east of 
Sussex, and the probable yield will be very scanty. In the north-east of 
the county, at Ticehurst and Rotherfield, the late rains have done great 
good, and with the warm nights and sunshiny days we are now having, 
the ultimate result will exceed the anticipations of a month since. Further 
south a general improvement is reported, but there is no prospect of any¬ 
thing sh rt of a poor crop. At Dallington some pieces are blighted beyond 
recovery. Still, in the grounds where attention of the best kind has been 
paid to the plant the prospect is brighter. Hurstmonceaux, Hallingley, 
Ashburnbam, Ninfield, Wartling, and other places make like reports. At 
Fletching, Uckfield, ^faresfield, and the districts in Central Sussex, the 
favourable weather has ha I the best effect, and the plant generally is in a 
very forward state. The weather of the next few weeks will decide the 
fate of the Hop crop of 1884 .—{Southern Weehly News.) 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1 cr 
Hygrome- 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
d 
1884. 
ter. 
perature. 
Temperature. 
s 
In 
On 
MS 03 
Dry. 
Wet. 
M'S 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
3 
30.084 
63.0 
65.2 
N.W. 
63.5 
72.1 
52.1 
121.2 
49.5 
— 
Monday. 
4 
30.230 
65.9 
56.9 
N.E. 
63.2 
74.3 
40.4 
124.8 
44,1 
_ 
Tuesday. 
6 
30.274 
65.1 
59.2 
E. 
63 2 
73 2 
472 
107.0 
41.6 
_ 
Wednesday .. 
6 
30.170 
67.4 
60.5 
E. 
62.4 
78.4 
49.7 
1183 
42.7 
_ 
Thursday .... 
7 
30.009 
71.2 
64.8 
N.E. 
6 i .6 
86.4 
65.3 
122.7 
49.4 
_ 
Friday. 
8 
30.085 
7.3.3 
67.1 
N.E. 
65.1 
88.4 
60.8 
121.3 
55.3 
_ 
Saturday .... 
9 
30.021 
74.2 
66.9 
E. 
666 
85.3 
60.1 
118.3 
54.7 
0.043 
30.133 
68.9 
61.5 
63 9 
79.7 
53.5 
119.1 
48.2 
0.043 
REMARKS. 
3rd.—Very fine. 
4th.—Very fine and bright. 
5th.—Fine and hot, rather close and oppressive in the afternoon. 
6th.—Pine, bright, and very hot. 
7th.—Very hot and fine. 
8th.—Fine and very hot, the hottest day of the year so far. 
9th.—Fine, but rather cooler and a little hazy, clouded over in afternoon, rain in latter 
part of evening. 
A week of glorious summer weather, getting gradually hotter till Friday, which was 
the hottest day since July 15th, 1831, when 94.6° was registered. Temperature of the 
week about 4.5° above the average, and rather more than 2° above that of the preceding 
week,—G. J. Sy.mons. 
