20G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Angmst 28, 1834. 
VEGETABLES 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Artichokes 
. dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Lettuce. 
dozen 
1 
0 to 
1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
0 
0 
1 
6 
Beet, Red 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Onions . 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Brussels Sprouts . 
. i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
8 
0 
Cabbage . 
. dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Capcicums .. . 
. 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
,, Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
C.iulifiowers .. 
. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Coieworts dcz. 
bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
6 
Cucumbers .. . 
. each 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Shallots. 
.. ft. 
0 
8 
0 
0 
Enlive. 
. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Herbs . 
. bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes 
.. ft. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Leeks 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
LAND TILLAGE AFTER HARARE ST. 
Clean land, tborongli drainage, fertility, niecbanical division 
of the soil, timely culture, clean seed, no bare fallows—these 
are the watchwords at the present time of earnest, thoughtful, 
teachable farmers whose minds are open to the healthy inhuence 
of true progress, and whom a happy combination of good sense, 
caution, shrewdness, and energy has enabled to bear the brunt of 
hard times, and as a means to that end every real improvement 
in culture and practice has been eagerly adopted by them. 
The speedy in-gathering of the coin and the near conclu¬ 
sion of harvest time, bringing us face to face with the work o^ 
preparation for another season, has given rise to the thought 
which we have thus recorded, and we now turn to the considera¬ 
tion of cleaning the stubbles as a matter iiressing upon us for 
immediate attention. As soon as horses and men can be spared 
not a day should be lost in setting .about this work, so that as 
much as possible may be done while the weather is so favourable. 
First of all let all stubble straw be got oft the land and carted to 
the cattle yards. The soil is so dry and hard that harrowing 
will not do this thoroughly, and a horse hoe, cultivator, or broad 
share wall have to be used. Then each field must be treated 
according to its condition. AVe have found one field which despite 
its foulness has yielded a full crop of Oats, where the plough, 
scarifier, and harrows, as well as men with steel forks, will be 
required to get rid of as much as possible of the couch grass and 
other weeds infesting it. If the weather continues fine no time 
will be wasted in carting off rubbish, but burning will be resorted 
to, and where the land is heavy clods of it containing weed roots 
will be heaped upon the fires and burnt. The advantages of 
such fires are many, the most important being the fertility 
derived from the ashes of all vegetable matter, the mechanical 
division imparted by burnt soil, and the thorough eradication of 
weeds, roots, and seeds. 
On all sides one hears the expression that this is one of the 
finest harvests we have had in the present generation. A special 
effort should therefore be made to push the process of land¬ 
cleaning as far as possible. Not only should we do all we may 
upon the stubbles, but land under exhausted seeds, and any 
required from pastures or waste land for arable culture, should 
also be taken in hand at once. That weeds follow seeds is noto¬ 
rious, but that is an inevitable outcome of plcughing after seeds. 
Set the paring plough to work at once upon exlmusted seeds, and 
make a point of following so closely with fires that each day’s 
parings if not actually burnt then areheajped upon strong fires over¬ 
night, so as to destroy noxious insects as much as possible before 
they have time to escape, as well as to burn up seeds and roots 
laying near the surface. Turf-paring is of equal importance, 
and by way of trial in bringing some waste land into cultivation 
two years ago part was pared and burnt, and part only ploughed 
deeply with four horses. The result was remarkable. Upon the 
burnt part the crop of Oats in both straw and grain was quite 
double that upon the unburnt turf, notwithstanding that the 
entire field had a spring dressing of artificial manui-e, so that the 
crops clearly paid for the extra outlay involved in the paring 
and burning, in addition to the advantage of getting rid of the 
roots of Gorse, Broom, and Heather. 
Clay-burning as a means of imparting mechanical division to 
the soil should also be proceeded with as soon as possible. The 
very best dressing for this purpose upon heavy land is coal 
ashes and lime, the coal ashes being really of permanent use. 3t 
is time that cultivators of heavy land made a special effort so to 
alter its condition as to be able to plough and sow in good time 
even in a wet season; and failing the coal ashes, which are cer¬ 
tainly not easily to be had in sufficient quantity for the work, 
clay-burning is a sound detail of practice which should obtain 
ready adoption by the home farmer, who ought to seta reasonable 
example of high and profitable farming to the tenantry of the 
estate. By so doing he would not only be able eventually to 
show a good paying balance sheet, but would enable the land¬ 
lord to have that best of all answers to complaints of hard times 
—a farm that pays its way. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse and Hand Labour .—In the southern and home counties the har¬ 
vest is fast approaching conclusion, and cleaning the land is following as 
fast as possible. This fine season we feel able once more to venture 
upon leaving the ricks a few days to settle down, but then thatching should 
be proceeded with without further delay. We get our thatching done well 
with due attention to neatness and finish at the rate of 1.?. 2d. per square 
of 100 square feet. Trifolium inearnatum should be sown as advised last 
week upon clean but unploughed stubbles. The value has been proved of 
a green crop upon land in winter to preserve and store up nitric acid 
and prevent its waste by being washed into the drains by the heavy rains 
of autumn and winter. Farmers of heavy land may well hesitate to adopt 
the plan, but for light friable soil it is certainly advisable. Therefore 
when the land is clean, sow Rye, or Italian Rye-grass, to be ploughed-in 
in spring for Peas, Oats or Barley. To those who hesitate upon the score 
of cost of seed and extra labour, we say Give the plan a trial upon a mode¬ 
rate scale, so as to test it fairly, by watching its effect upon the corn crop 
next year. Let grass around the boundaries of corn fields be cut and 
saved for litter, and where Bracken can be had it should be cut, dried, and 
stacked at once, as it makes capital soft bedding litter for horses and cattle, 
enabling us to turn the straw to better account. If farmyard manure is 
used for Wheat the carting should be pushed on as opportunity off-rs, for 
there are so many demands upon the horse power on the home farm for 
general estate work as renders it frequently a difficult matter to keep 
abreast of seasonable work. Coal and wood-carting, timber-drawing, 
general carting for carriage drives, as well as for the repairing of farm 
roads, carting for the gardens where no horse is kept for that department, 
all have to be done, often, too, at times when one is much pressed on the 
farm. Well is it, therefore, to take every spare day for bringing up arrears 
of estate work. Hedges should now be clipped and made trim, so that 
the clippings may be burnt upon the nearest land bare of a crop. 
Live Stock .—All yards and enclosures for live stock should now be 
put into thorough repair ; fences and gates made sound and strong ; drains 
and gutters cleaned ; any hollow places likely to retain much water filled 
up ; the lodges made snug and thoroughly cleansed with limewash, and the 
water supply rearranged if necessary, so that every yard has a regular 
supply of fresh water. It is our custom to have a stack of dry litter made 
close by each yard, and if the yards are large enough a big heap or two of 
litter inside is much liked by the cattle. Sheep require looking closely 
after to guard against and apply prompt remedies to cases of fly-striking, 
to which the hot weather renders them liable. 
METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain 
1884. 
August. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 328 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Sunday.17 
Monday. 18 
Tuesday.19 
Wednesday .. 20 
Thursday .... 21 
Friday.22 
Saturday .... 23 
Inches. 
30.026 
29.952 
29.920 
30.0.51 
30.217 
30.202 
30.146 
deg. 
69.9 
67.2 
6.5.7 
63.4 
67.4 
68.0 
68.1 
deg. 
62.8 
60.9 
68.0 
57.3 
60.9 
68.2 
64.2 
N.E. 
N.W. 
S.E. 
N. 
E. 
E. 
N.E. 
deg. 
66.1 
66.4 
66.5 
65.0 
65.6 
65.3 
65.7 
deg. 
84.6 
80.9 
72 6 
75.4 
78.0 
80.7 
82.6 
deg. 
63.6 
64.7 
62 3 
49.8 
53.5 
52 6 
53.8 
deg. 
121.6 
119.6 
104.9 
115.4 
101.2 
113.1 
122.4 
de«, 
48.8 
48.4 
4t>.8 
44.4 
47A 
47.(5 
4S.2 
In. 
0.017 
30.073 
67.1 
60.3 
65 8 
79.3 
52.9 
114.0 
47.4 
0.0 17 
REMARKS. 
17th.—Hazy morning; hot and rather oppressive day. 
18th.—A fine pleasant day, the sunshine tempered by occasional cloud. 
13th.—Fine morning; cloudy afternoon ; rain in evening ; fine night with lightning. 
2(ith.—Fine, cool, and pleasant. 
21st.—Fine, but occasionally cloudy. 
22nd.—Bright and pleasant. 
2hd.—Fog early ; fine, bright, hot day. 
The fine summer weather which had prevailed since the beginning of the month lasted 
through this week, but it was not quite so hot, the temperature being about 3® below that 
of the preceding week, though still considerably above the average. The rainfall Is again 
almost inappreciable, so that in this locality the drought has now lasted for twenty-five 
days.—Q J. SYMONS. 
