280 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 4 1884. 
Simply because the land lacks mechanical division and drainage. 
It was once our happy lot to manage a large farm whereon 
neither drains nor artificial mechanical division were required, 
for it was naturally perfect in both these important points. 
Now we have to deal with a silicious soil practically void of 
stones, and consisting in its virgin state of such minute particles 
that it settles down into a hard inert mass almost impervious to 
moisture. One field, rightly termed Cinder Field, contains a large 
quantity of slags from some exhausted ironworks. This slag 
mixed with the soil renders it so porous and sound that we can 
plough with a certainty of a good seed bed however wet the 
season may be, but we dare not venture to do so elsewhere till 
the condition of the soil has been changed by drainage, and 
dressings of lime and ashes or burnt earth. 
It was recently our privilege to listen to a lecture by Professor 
Jamieson, under whose guidance some 1300 farmers are success¬ 
fully bearing the strain of hard times by the practice of a sensible 
and energetic method of farming in Aberdeenshire, and we were 
much impressed by the earnest manner with which he dwelt 
upon the importance of a clear knowledge by farmers of the in¬ 
fluence of water and air upon the soil and the crops growing in 
it. Without attempting to give a full report of his lecture we 
may adduce some points of it bearing upon our subject. Regard¬ 
ing the soil as a vehicle for plant food, it is clearly our business 
to render its condition suitable for that purpose. In doing this 
we have first of all to insure thorough drainage and mechanical 
division. We then draw off superfluous water quickly, causing 
it to act as a scavenger of the soil, and also as a solvent of 
fertilising gases which pass into the soil and are taken up by the 
plant roots growing in it. Water passing thus through soil gives 
place to air, which, pressing as it does at the rate of 15 lbs. to 
each square inch of surface, enters the soil as its pores become 
open to it. The high importance of this action will be in some 
degree apparent when it is understood that 97 to 98 per cent, of 
plant food comes from the air. Here Professor Jamieson goes 
even further than the French chemist, M. Georges Yille, who 
gives 9o*.75 parts of plants as derived from air and rain. The 
difference is unimportant if we can only grasp the principle and 
act upon it. Well-drained soil has its temperature raised; and 
instead of retaining water liurtfully to plant life, it becomes the 
vehicle of water to plants, it gets rid of noxious matter, and in 
part opens the soil for the entrance into it of the warm fer¬ 
tilising atmosphere about it, thus promoting what has been 
termed circulation in the soil. In order to grasp fully how much 
air and water contribute to the growth of plants, we have only 
to look at the bulk of a full crop taken froui a field; and yet, 
although the 1 or 2 per cent, per acre of chemical ingredients 
added by us is comparatively trivial, yet without it and the 
proper cultivation of the soil all the rest is useless or very 
nearly so. 
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are the elements of fertility 
with which we have to keep the soil supplied, but before we do 
so the condition of the soil must be rendered suitable for it. 
This startling fact cannot be repeated too often, pointing as it 
does unmistakeably to a clear saving upon the wasteful outlay 
upon manures which has so long been the bane of farmers. In 
doing all we can now to clean the land as the corn is cleared 
from the stubbles, we must avoid extremes. Land that is clean— 
by which is meant only having straw stubble and harmless weeds 
in it—requires neither harrow nor scarifier, the stubble being 
ploughed in as a manure, all the more valuable for its slow decay. 
Land foul with couch grass. Dock, and Thistle roots. Crowfoot, 
and the seeds of weeds ought certainly to be pared and buimt if 
possible, both for a thorough eradication of such pests, and for 
the valuable ashes to be so obtained. The burning of humus, 
valuable for plant food, has been justly condemned, and we fully 
agree, but we are bound to insist upon the excellent effect of 
burning noxious perennial weeds not easily got rid of by any 
other means. 
To the home farmer the gradual improvement of the condi¬ 
tion of the soil is as important as it is to the tenant farmer. We 
advocate no lash measures involving a heavy outlay; rather 
would we proceed with caution step by step, doing all that is 
possible to one or moi'e fields now, so that the superior crops 
which may be reasonably expected to follow may carry convic¬ 
tion of the soundness of the process, and prove that money so 
spent affords a fair margin of profit, while half measures only 
lead to failure, or success so trivial as to be unworthy of the 
name. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Morse and Mand Labour .—Cleaning the land is our primary object 
so long as fine weather lasts. Where steam tackle can be had*for the 
purpose, not only is the work done expeditiously, but the horses are at 
liberty immediately after harvest for carting work, which should be 
pressed on while the land is dry and firm. Carting dung for Wheat should 
be done forthwith ; but Wheat-growing on the old system of bare fallow 
and farmyard manure does not pay, and is clearly a thing of the past. 
Well-drained land, thoroughly stirred and dressed with genuine artificial 
manures, is the method which pays in a good season. Major Sergison, 
Cuckfield Park, Sussex, who farms a thousand acres of his estate himself, 
states that he has this year grown thirty-six bushels of head Wheat 
(white) per acre, and a splendid crop of straw. He has been offered i2s. 
per quarter of eight bu.shels for it ; but taking it at 40s., its value per 
acre is £9, the straw is estimated at £4 per acre, making a total of £13. 
The cost of all the operations of husbandry, from the first ploughing in 
1883 to taking the corn to the mill in August, and including chemical 
manure, seed, rent, rates, and tithe, was £9 18s. 8rZ. per acre ; showing a 
profit of £3 per acre. IProfessor Jamieson’s prescription for grain crop 
per acre was followed. It is—half a cwt. nitrate of potash, 1^ cwt. 
nitrate of soda, half cwt. steamed bone flour, half cwt. superphosphate, 
half cwt. coprolite. Cost should be about 33,?. per acre. Half of this 
quantity to be given in autumn aud the remainder in spring. We, too, 
have applied this formula to all our corn land this year. Till the com is 
thrashed we cannot state results, but we have ample reason to regard 
them as entirely satisfactory, notwithstanding that most of the Wheat 
was lodged and the reaping proportionately expensive. If the sowing of 
Trifolium has not been done no further time should be lost. Winter 
Tares, on the contrary, should not be got in till the end of the month ; 
if sown before then they are liable to become so forward as to be killed 
by subsequent severe weather. Rye may now be sown, as the land is 
clean and ready ; three to four bushels of seed per acre—more rather 
than less for a winter crop. Mustard, too, should be sown for folding at 
the rate of 20 lbs. of seed per acre. Only take care to get the land clean, 
and then do not let it lay idle; a winter green crop, either for folding or 
ploughing in, preserves nitrates that are washed from bare soil. If coal 
carting falls upon the home farm, now is the time to lay in a stock for 
winter while the roads are Arm and draught light. Finish stacking litter 
as soon as may be, and let each stack be thatched, both for neatness and 
to preserve the litter as long as may be necessary. We obtain bracken at 
9.?. to 10.?. per waggonload, but a sharp look-out has to be kept to prevent 
cheating. Upon receiving the first load this season we got upon the top 
and in a few minutes had trodden it half-way down the “ ladders.” 
The cutters had put it upon the waggon with a light hand, taking care 
not to trample it, calculating that it would pass muster, as it does not 
sink upon the waggon like the litter. 
Bath and West oe England Society. —At a Council meeting held at 
Bristol last Tuesday, August 26th, there were present:—The Right Hon. 
Sir T. D. Acland, Bart., M.P., in the chair. Mr. Moysey, as Chairman of 
Finance, reported the payment by the Brighton Local Committee of the 
sum of £800 required by the Society in connection with the meeting next 
year in that town. Mr. Brown brought forward a resolution in favour of 
a special grant being made by the Society for the encouragement of dairy 
husbandry, and the sum of £50 was voted for distribution in special 
prizes for dairy produce at the Brighton meeting. A special committee 
was appointed to suggest how the amount should be apportioned. The 
Chairman of the Stock Prize Sheet Committee (Colonel Luttrell) and the 
Steward of Poultry (Mr. R. H. Bush) applied for grants for the prizes 
proposed to be included in the 1885 prize sheet, and £2060 was voted for 
the purpose, in addition to the special prizes. On the application of the 
Stewards of Horticulture (the Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen) and music 
(Mr. Gray and Colonel Troyte) the amounts required were allotted for 
these departments. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat.61° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
"S 
Pi 
1884. 
August. 
fl « D (U 
2 0) 
^ no C3’^ 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
O 
a 
<t>> 
5o 
^ 4-» . 
. o3 
p,— o 
g|S 
hH 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass. 
Sunday.24 
Monday.25 
Tuesday.28 
Wednesday .. 27 
Thursday .... 28 
Friday. 29 
Saturday .... SO 
Inches. 
30.10g 
20.984 
30.1(58 
20.931 
29.3(j7 
29.703 
20.009 
deg. 
71.7 
65.3 
57.2 
55.8 
61.1 
57.8 
58.4 
deer, 
62.7 
61.8 
61.3 
52.0 
59.7 
56.6 
55.6 
E. 
N. 
N.W. 
E. 
W. 
W. 
E. 
deg. 
66.3 
67.0 
63 9 
62.2 
61.4 
61.0 
60.6 
deg. 
86.7 
67.4 
61.4 
59.4 
69.3 
67.1 
6.5.7 
deg. 
54.0 
61.3 
4.5.7 
48.7 
53.6 
51.3 
51.9 
deg. 
119.8 
82.6 
101.3 
74.7 
113.4 
114 2 
91.3 
deg. 
48.3 
52.6 
38.7 
43.4 
52.7 
46.2 
46.4 
In. 
0.033 
0.300 
0.130 
0.152 
29.929 
61.0 
57.1 
63 2 
68 6 
52.4 
99.6 
46.9 
0.614 
REMARKS. 
24th.—Hazy early ; fine, bright, and very hot. 
25th.—Rain in early morning ; cloudy cold day. 
28th.—Fine, clear, and bright early; but cloudy most of the day. 
27th.—Dull cloudy morning; rain in afternoon and night. 
2Sth.—Heavy rain early; fine bright morning; heavy shower in afternoon (0,12 in. fell 
in seven minutes) ; fine evening. 
29th.—Fine bright morning ; afternoon frequently cloudy, with spots of rain at times. 
80th.—Cloudy with showers. 
With the exception of Sunday the week was dull, cool, and unsettled, appearing quite 
autumnal after the brilliant weather that preceded it. Temperature about 6“ below that 
of the preceding week, but very little below the average.—G. J. SYMoNS. 
