342 
[ October 9i 1884. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
foul with twitch. The straw of this crop was not more than 2 feet 
high, and the ears and grain were both equally undersized. Another 
neighbour sowed bia Wheat upon heavy undrained land into which 
a heavy dressing of manure, quite a third more than the usual quantity, 
had been ploughed, but the crop was in every way below par. Both 
these cases were examples of extravagant fanning, the first slovenly 
piece of j'ractice being a mere ■waste of seed and labour, and the 
other a wasteful and useless expenditui'e of manure simply from the 
absence of drains and of mechanical division in the soil. High 
farming, in the sense in which it is used here, implies drainage and 
mechanical division of the soil, a clean seed bed, the correct and 
economical application of manure, carefully selected seed, timely 
sowing ill the best way. These are all simple but most important 
matters of detail, but how seldom do we meet with an intelligent 
careful application of them in practice ! Said a sensible landowner 
to a would-be tenant ; “ Give me proof that you possess sufficient 
knowledge and capital to farm ray land in the best way, and I will 
take care that the drainage and buildings are sound and complete.” 
This is the spirit that should animate such contracts, and it will 
doubtless be so eventually. 
The proportion of land for Wheat culture has hitherto on many 
home farms been about one-third of the arable land, but the growing 
importance of green crops for spring folding may lead to some 
reduction of that proportion. Rye, Winter Oats, and Barley Avill be 
sown more extensively as the knowledge of the real value of such 
crops spreads. Rye is especially valuable both for folding and for 
an early supply of green fodder both for cattle and horses in the 
yards. Take the spring of the present year for exam[)le. A mild 
winter and an early growth upon the pastures led us to expect an 
early clearance of the cattle yards, but a sudden change to colder 
weather retarded the turning-out several weeks, rendering the earliest 
cut of Rye of especial value. So, too, with the Winter Oats and 
Barley. There is always the option of turning sheep upon both these 
crops, and then if our land is sound and fertile the corn may be let 
grow again ’\vith the assurance of a fair crop of grain, or these crops 
and Winter Tares are all available for the silo. We regard Winter 
Oats as an especially desirable crop for the grain alone. The plant 
is usually abundant and strong, and the crop of grain good, ripening 
at a time when fine weather may generally be reckoned upon ; and 
the land is available in good time for a crop of roots, which is usually 
a good one, owing in some measure to the fact that the nitrates 
brought to the soil during winter by atmospheric agency are taken 
up and preserved by the roots of the green crop, without which there 
would have been a considerable loss of fertility in the soil. 
White Wheat, either Rough Chaff or Champion, is undoubtedly 
the most profitable under good culture in the mild climate of the 
southern counties ; and for less favoured parts those well-known sorts 
of Red Wheat, Lammas and Golden Drop, are generally considered 
best; yet we have certainly reason to speak well of Square-head Red 
Wheat with its stout sturdy straw, fine ears, and large heavy grain. 
Winter Beans are worth}'' of more general attention, thriving as 
they do in so many kinds of soil. Sown far enough apart for the 
horse hoe the crop is a profitable and easily managed one. The seed 
should be sown by the middle of October. Winter Tares are often 
sown much too early. If sown in September they frequently grow 
so fast before cold weather sets in that the plants become long and 
tender, and are liable to suffer so much from extreme cold that the 
crop becomes worthless. Sown now we get a nice short sturdv 
growth, Avhich passes well through severe winters, and starts into a 
quick strong growth in spring. 
A stale furrow is frequently recommended for Wheat-sowing, but 
we prefer to follow the ploughing closely with the sowing, and by 
using the press drill the grain is buried sufficiently deep to enable the 
roots of the young plants to lay well hold of the soil, which is an 
important matter both to prevent the plant becoming frost-drawm 
and the straw from becoming lodged, which latter most desirable 
thing it will not always ensure, we regret to say ; for after the extra¬ 
ordinary manner in which so much Wheat was levelled to the ground 
just as though a roller had passed over it this year, it would be non¬ 
sensical to say that any method of culture would or could prevent it ; 
but deep-sown seed undoubtedly contributes to the plant ia}’ing well 
hold of the soil. It will be obvious to practical men that our object 
for following the ploughing closely is to ensure early sowing, the 
delay of a day often causing an interval of several weeks between 
lire ploughing and sowing, for when the weather once becomes broken 
at this season of the year it is apt to continue so. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse and Hand Lahour .—Ploughing for the autumn seed corn is 
now the most important work for steam tackle and for horses. When 
steam power is available the work is got through with economy and 
dispatch, the horses following the ploughing closely with the drill, the 
rows being set 10 inches apart, the harrows passing over once after the 
drill, then come the men with the manure sown broadcast, followed by 
the harrows again. The autumn sowing of artificial manure is a quarter 
cwt. nitrate of potash, three-quarters cwt. nitrate of soda, quarter cwt. 
steamed bone flour, quarter cwt. superphosphate, quarter cwt. coprolite, 
or 1| cwt. per acre. Procure the manures separately from a reliable firm, 
and have them mixed at the farm under careful supervision. More 
money has been squandered upon worthless artificial rnanures of late 
years than upon anything else in farming. Of the quantities of seed to 
be sown per acre opinions, and in fact requirements, are different. In 
soil in a high state of cultivation every good seed may be expected to 
germinate and produce a plant, and the lesser quantity will suffice ; but 
in badly cultivated or freshly broken-up soil so much seed is spoilt that 
there must be a proportionate increase in the quantity sown. Of Wheat 
sow two to two and a half bushels, Oats four to six bushels, Barley three 
to four bushels. Beans two to three bushels, and Rye three to four 
bushels. See that the seed beds are harrowed thoroughly, and finished 
in a neat and workmanlike manner. On land of a heavy or close 
texture that is liable to be beaten down to a hard surface by heavy 
make enough open furrows or drains to carry off surface water quickly , 
and upon long sloping fields have a few diagonal drains to check an 
excessive flow of water along any of the open drains. Remember that 
the plough cannot finish such drains at the ends, where hedges prevent 
the horses drawing the plough quite through the headlands, and that a 
man is required to go round each field with a spade to finish them. 
The weather has continued so fine that land-cleaning can hardly be 
said to be at an end till heavy rain sets in ; so much good work has been 
done in this direction that our land is unusually clean, and autumn 
cleaning is infinitely preferable to spring cleaning. As the different 
implements of the farm can be spared see that they are well cleaned, 
oiled, painted, and put into thorough repair. It is by far too common to 
see tools left in the fields after work is done, or if brought to the build¬ 
ings just crowded together, and left without any attention being given to 
cleaning or repairs. One should remember that costly implements 
represent just so much property entrusted to our care, and it is un¬ 
doubtedly a point of duty to keep everything in the best order. Repeatedly 
have we been to farm auction sales at the season of the year, and very 
seldom indeed have we found the implements in good order. 
FARM LITERATURE FOR EMIGRANTS. 
I AM going to Tasmania with the intention of farming, and should 
like to take with me a good set of books on the science of agriculture, 
the dairy, cheese-making, cattle-breeding, &c., &c. If the writer of your 
“ Home Farm ” articles would make up a list pf such books I should be 
greatly obliged.— Twenty-yeabs Subscriber. 
[“D.airy Farming,” Cassell, Better, Galpin & Co.,Belle Sauvage Yard, 
Ludgate Hill ; “The Book of the Horse,” and “ The Book of Poultry, ’ 
by the same firm. These works are the best and latest upon the subjects 
of which they treat, each of them being thoroughly full and exhaustive. 
In addition take “ Text Book of Veterinary Obstetrics.” by George 
Fleming, F.R.C.Y.S, ; Balli^re, Tindall & Co., King William Street, 
Strand. “ Tropical Agriculture ; ” Spon, Charing Cross. “ The 
Gardener’s and Farmer’s Reason Why; ” Houlston & Wright, Pater¬ 
noster Row. A set of the Journals of the Royal Agricultural Society of 
England, of which there are eighteen volumes; published by John 
Muiray, Albemarle Street. “Agricultural Engineering, Farm Buildings, 
Motive Powers and Machinery of the Steading. Field Machines, and 
Implements ; ” by G . H. Andrews, C.E. “ Clay Lands and Loamy 
Soils ; ” by Professor Donaldson. “ Outlines of Modern Farming ; ’ by 
R. Scott Burn. “ The Drainage of Districts and Lands,” by G. Drys- 
dale Dempsey, C.E.; Crosby Lockwood & Co., 7, Stationers’ Hall Court, 
Ludgate Hill, E.C. Two other works may be useful to you—“The 
Emigrant’s Guide to Tasmania and New Zealand,” “ General Hints to 
Emigrants,” both published by Crosby Lockwood & Co.] 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdex Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" ’V.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
*5 
Ph 
18S4. 
September 
and 
October. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32S 
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 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
fS 
30.1 77 
G1.6 
57.0 
S.E. 
57.0 
G7.1 
52.0 
96.8 
45.8 
0.010 
Monday. 
29 
30.007 
G1 9 
58.4 
Calm 
58.0 
G3.4 
65.4 
72.5 
50.1 
O.OID 
Tuesday. 
30 
30.222 
53.1 
47.7 
N. 
57.0 
01.8 
40.6 
81.1 
33.6 
0.010 
Wednesday .. 
1 
.30.(132 
56 9 
54.4 
S.W. 
5G.I 
63.4 
50.8 
104.7 
45.2 
— 
Thursday .... 
2 
sn.i'V 
50.2 
47.7 
Cal m 
55.5 
61.2 
39 9 
62.5 
33.4 
0.025 
Friday. 
3 
30.083 
54.1) 
50.2 
W. 
55.4 
C2.3 
47.4 
105.8 
41.9 
— 
Saturday .... 
4 
30.47G 
49.8 
44.9 
N.W. 
54.2 
60.3 
37.8 
103.0 
29.9 
— 
30.156 
55.2 
51.5 
50.2 
62 8 
46.3 
89.6 
40.0 
0.055 
REMARKS. 
28th.—Fair, but generally cloudy. 
29 th.—Dull drizzl}' daj'. 
SOth.—Fog most of morning ; fine afternoon and evening. 
1st.—Fine and bright; not so cold. 
2nd.—Foggy early ; dull day with showers. 
3rd.—Fine, bright, and clear. 
4th.—Cold morning, first grass frost; afterwards fine and bright. 
The rainfall continues slight, and the barometer high, with almost precisely the 
average temperature for the time of year.—G. J. Symons. 
