474 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 20, 1884. 
may be no hindrance to water flowing from the mouth of a drain see 
that all ditches into which they empty are scoured from end to end. 
This is of special importance in meadows where cattle have been 
last summer, for even if there was no water to tempt them into the 
ditches, flies often drive them there, especially if there are low over¬ 
hanging bonghs, and the soft soil of the ditch sides is liable to be 
trampled over the mouths of the drain pipes. Land having a toler¬ 
ably even slope to a ditch is often drained with separate drains of 
2-inch pipes emptying into the ditch, which then becomes a main 
open drain. We regard 2-inch pipes laid at a sufficiently sharp gra¬ 
dient to ensure perfect action as preferable to larger ones requiring 
gratings over the ends to keep out vermin. We have had a meadow 
drained recently, and as the surface had an uniform slope the men 
only required to know the proper depth to work with accu^ac 3 ^ They 
were accustomed to the work and gave little trouble, but we have 
had beginners who could not be trusted to do any bottom work, and we 
certainly consider draining so important that skilful well-paid labour 
should always be employed upon it. 
Water Supply .—ISorely has many a farmer been tried by the scarcity 
of water during the snmmer and autumn of the present year, and more 
than ordinary attention will now be given to provision for the storage 
of water. Not a building of the farm should be unprovided with 
eave troughs and pipes to catch and convey the water either to tanks 
or ponds. Drains both from the land, roads, and yards should all be 
turned to account for the same purpose. Upon our hill farm springs 
abound, and all the meadows and yards are well supplied with water ; 
but upon the lowlands an artificial provision must be resorted to, the 
most economical method certainly being a simple excavation for a 
pool or pond, which only require a well-puddled bottom to hold water 
well. Although the building of tanks, or the obtaining of any expen¬ 
sive apparatus for water supply, is hardly to be managed in these 
hard times, yet we may usefully call attention to the hydraulic ram 
as a simple means of raising water from low to high levels at a com¬ 
paratively low cost, an efficient self-acting ram with piping for 
throwing water to a height of 200 feet costing about £10. 
Shelter for Suitable materials for the building of rough 
cattle sheds are to be found upon most home farms. Stout posts, 
eave plates, cross beams, and rafters, with ridge boards, laths, rough 
planking or slabs for the sides, and thatching, or, better still, boarding 
for the roof—all should be obtained from ithe timberyard, common 
deal and scantling answering perfectly if due care be taken to tar all 
the exposed sides regularly. Larch posts are very durable, and the 
parts put into the ground should be first steeped in creosote. Every 
meadow should have one or more open lodges erected in it to afford 
cattle shelter from rain, wind, and insects, such shelter contributing 
much to the comfort and health of the animals, which without it in¬ 
variably go at night to the corner most screened from cold by trees or 
hedges, but if heavy showers of rain set in they are much exposed, 
and suffer more or less in health. On stud farms every paddock has 
its open lodge for the brood mares and colts to enter at will, but it is 
very seldom indeed that a similar wise provision is made for sheep 
and cattle. In a wild state cattle are doubtless capable of sustaining 
exposure to inclement weather, but our domestic animals rendered 
delicate by in-and-in breeding require shelter ; and—to place the 
matter on a footing understood by the most careless farmer—they 
certainly may be said to “ payfor it. True economy, then, and 
not extravagance prompts the suggestion to build open lodges, if 
possible, in every grass enclosure, but certainly in all such exposed 
positions as marsh and brook land where it is seldom that there are 
any trees or hedges, the land extending for miles in an unbroken 
expanse over which wind and rain sweeps—it may be harmlessly 
enough in the heat of summer, but in autumn so much harm is done 
that many a fine young beast ripe for the butcher is lost through 
being kept out for that fatal “ other week or two,'’ which an abund¬ 
ance of grass tempts the farmer to venture upon, and which so often 
proves fatal. The beasts are then said to be “ struck ”—an indefinite 
term, which in the sense it is used here takes in all or any causes of 
disease not understood. Yet the evil and its remedy has long been 
patent to thoughtful intelligent men. Exposure to damp and cold 
causes bronchitis, pleurisy, consumption, and whether either form of 
disease is developed in an acute or chronic form, suffering to the 
animal and loss to the farmer is inevitable. Open lodges are there¬ 
fore a means of prevention, and, to make them as efficient as possible, 
have the three sides most exposed to wind and rain closely boarded, 
and the floor either damp-proof or hardened and raised or few inches 
above the common level. 
(To be continued.) 
WORE ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse and Hand Labour, —The fine weather has enabled us to lay in 
a full store of hay for the carriae:e and saddle horses, which are always 
supplied from the home farm. Equal quantities of the best meadow and 
seed hay are sent from the farm for this purpose, the mixed hay being 
much liked for chatfing. We always find coachmen eager to get as much 
seed hay as they can from a popular, but erroneous, idea that it contains 
more nutriment than meadow hay, it being, as they term it, “ strong.’' 
No doubt well-made seed hay is nourishing food, but the excessive 
development of the “ strong” element really implies a loss of nutriment, 
the coarse texture of the hay arising principally from a superabundance 
of seed stalks. The steam corn-thrasher has been at work daily thresh¬ 
ing Peas and Oats, the first being required for the bacon hogs, and Oat 
straw is wanted now for store cattle, all of which are still out upon the 
grass by day, owing to the extraordinary mildness of the autumn and the 
consequent abundance of grass. Hedging, ditching, and draining are 
being pushed on as fast as possible, as some of the men will be wanted 
for cutting underwood as soon as the leaves have fallen. Chestnuts are 
abundant, and an ample store has been collected for sowing in the 
nursery for a supply of plants for underwood. Ash keys and White 
Thorn haws have also been saved for the same purpose and for hedges. 
Some tree belts being required to give shelter to an orchard and to some 
grass land for cattle, the land is being trenched two spits deep at Is. per 
square rod, and the planting will follow immediately. Larch and 
Norway Spruce Fir being used, the first for nurses 6 feet apart, and 
the last for the permanent belt 15 feet apart. The extra expense incurred 
for trenching is more than recouped by the strong fast growth of the 
trees. Manure-carting is again going on rapidly and well, and the 
manure is being spread quickly afterwards. The carting of timber, 
gravel, coal, and litter is part of the extra work which is now being done 
as opportunity offers. Motive power on the home farm is a matter of 
considerable importance, and is worthy of our best consideration. Water¬ 
pumping, chaffing, pulping, grinding and crushing corn, and crushing 
cake, all has to be provided for. Steam power, at once expeditious and 
economical, is by far the m st generally used ; but where several horses 
have to be kept it is worth while seeing if we cannot have horse gear 
sufficiently powerful to drive the necessary machinery, and to erect a 
plain building over it so that the horses as well as the men may be 
usefully employed in wet weather. With faithful energetic supervision 
much useful work might so be done, and done well too, and a considerable 
saving be effected in both time and money. As a matter of policy, as 
well as duty, we commend it to the attention of the managers of home 
farms, for depend upon it, it is the man who, while getting the work well 
done, continues to reduce expenditure to whom the landowner must in 
future give preference in these times of reduced rents and straitened 
means. 
PREPAEING FOR PERMANENT PASTURE. 
I HAVE a field of rather poor soil somewhat chalky. I wish to lay 
down permanent grass. It had Wheat last year, and was manured for it, 
and the farmer proposes corn again. Could I give an extra manuring 
now, then sow corn, and sow the grass in spring among the corn ? Would 
the land require extra cleaning and twitch-clearing, and when ? It is 
not yet ploughed.—W. H. A., Surrey. 
[Advantage should have been taken of the fine autumn to thoroughly 
clean the land, but if the fine weather lasts long enough it may be done 
now, the land manured, and Wheat sown. Next spring sow 10 lbs. 
Cocksfoot, 10 lbs. Timothy, 5 lbs. Hard Fescue, 1 peck Perennial Rye 
Grass, 5 lbs. Dutch Clover, 4 lbs. Cow Grass, 2 lbs. Perennial Red Clover, 
4 lbs. Alsike, 2 lbs. Trefoil, and 2 lbs. Rib Grass per acre. A spring 
dressing of half a ton of quarter-inch bones per acre should also be given. 
It is so important that the land should be clean before being laid down 
for permanent pasture, that if you are unable to clean it now it will be 
far better to give it a summer fallow, clean it, and sow Wheat as directed 
next autumn, and grass the following spring.] 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Beet as Food for Stock [It. S.). — There is no doubt about Beet being of 
higher feeding value than any variety of Mangold, but only as it contains 
more sugar than common Mangold. As, however, the yellow Tankard 
Mangold is most valuable as regards nutrition, and the weight grown per 
acre is greatly in excess of Beet, we should prefer it as farm produce for the 
feeding of stock. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdex Square, London. 
Lat.61° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
8 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
1884. 
d CO <D QJ 
> 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
4.3 d 
1 Temp, of 
1 Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
B 
"5 
oi 
November. 
os 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
graSvS. 
Sunday . 
9 
Inches. 
30.290 
deg. 
51.7 
deg. 
46.8 
s. 
deg. 
48.0 
deg. 
65.7 
deg. 
40.8 
deg. 
68.7 
deg. 
38.8 
In 
0.014 
Monday . 
10 
80.570 
48.1 
46.3 
E. 
48.9 
54.6 
44.0 
70.2 
35.4 
_ 
Tuesday. 
11 
30.437 
45.7 
44.1 
E. 
48.8 
53 2 
43.4 
60.7 
34.8 
_ 
Wednesday .. 
12 
30.312 
4.1.9 
42.6 
E. 
47.8 
48.6 
42.9 
52.0 
34.1 
_ 
Thursday .... 
13 
30.374 
4.5.3 
42.8 
N. 
47.8 
49.1 
43 9 
54.6 
40.4 
_ 
Friday. 
14 
30.488 
40.1 
39.0 
N.E. 
47.4 
46.9 
36.4 
60.3 
29.7 
_ 
Saturday .... 
15 
30.466 
38.0 
36.5 
E. 
45.2 
43.5 
30.1 
50.8 
21.5 
— 
30.420 
45.0 
42.6 
47.7 
50.2 
40.2 
59.6 
33.5 
0.014 
REMARKS. 
9tli.—Dull, with slight rain in evening. 
10th.—Fine and pleasant, 
nth.—Pine, bnt not bright. 
12th.—Cloudy bnt fine. 
13th.—Dull, but no rain. 
14th.—Fine, .some sunshine, 
16th.—Dull hut fair. 
A very fine week, though with little sun except at the beginning. Sharp frost on the 
last day.—G. J. STMONS. 
