JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t Augugt 24, i 882 
pany with the ram which is in good time. We approve of crossing 
the long-woolled ewes with short-woolled rams, and vice versa, if the 
lambs resulting from the cross are to be sold as fat lambs ; in fact, 
the Dorset horned ram is often used with advantage when mated 
with long-woolled ewes, as the number of twins is sure to be great, 
and the lambs for fatting are most approved by the butcher, the wool 
being short. Sheep are at present extremely dear, and will scarcely 
pay for the outlay of cake and corn-feeding in addition to that of hay 
and roots ; in fact, we advise the home farmer to try the experiment 
by keeping a short stock for fattening, in order that some part of a 
crop of roots may be passed through an old cutter, greens and all, 
then spread and ploughed in. When the land is afterwards all sown 
with drege or Barley let him note the result next harvest, and we 
will engage that the corn will be stouter where the roots had been 
ploughed in than where they were fed off by sheep eating cake, hay, 
and roots. The dairy cows now should have Clover or any green 
fodder supplied to them in their racks morning and evening, as the 
pastures are becoming stale and short of grass, especially where they 
have been grazed all the summer. Breeding sows may now be fed 
with green fodder with advantage, as they will then eat a few Beans 
or Peas with avidity, which will maintain them in good condition. 
BARLEY “BIGG.” 
A lady submits to me some specimens of diseased Barley 
“ B'gg»” with the following information “ It is often produced 
in branched stalks on one plant. The straw is like wire ; the ears 
are erect when ripe. It will not grind up into meal, but into 
heavy chips. No animals will eat it. Donkeys and pigs refuse it 
when prepared for them. ’ I cannot give a satisfactory reply, and 
therefore beg to ask your information through the medium of the 
Journal of Horticulture. Barley “Bigg” was given me as the 
name of the disease, but I rather take that to be the name of 
the variety.—L. 
[The sample of winter Barley enclosed is not ripe, and the 
grain is therefore unusually thin ; it is, however, never a full 
grain, like malting Barley. It is not a diseased sample. There 
are two varieties of winter Barley, as we call it, one being a 
white grain, and called “ Bere ; ” the other a black grain, and 
called “ Bigg.” These kinds of grain are of Russian origin, and 
in certain districts are made into bread for peasant classes of the 
people. The white variety is imported into this country largely, 
and is used for mealing purposes ; but it makes light and coarse 
meal. In this country it is grown by itself, like Rye, for green 
fodder purposes. When required for meal it should stand to be 
dead ripe, and then the beard and husk will be broken off by 
threshing and hummelling, the grain will then make useful meal 
for feeding pigs, poultry. &c. If given to other animals it should 
be used after being broken and mixed with hay chaff ; but for 
fatting sheep and cattle, or for milch cows, the meal should be 
mixed with cut roots. If further and full information should be 
required it will be found in the Journal of Horticulture, Oct. 16th, 
1879. The straw is valuable for thatching, and is very durable.] 
POULTRY NOTES. 
We have before us the schedule of the Poultry Show in con¬ 
nection with the Dairy Show, to be held on October 3rd to 6th. 
It is a great improvement that it is now held within a week, and 
does not, as formerly, extend over a Sunday. There seems little 
alteration in the classes from last year. Entry fees for the general 
public are the same as at the Crystal Palace, but there is a reduc¬ 
tion for members of the “ British Dairy Farmers’ Association.” 
The Committee of the Wolverhampton Show are to be con¬ 
gratulated upon having changed their date for the coming season 
from February to October. Their schedule is not yet in our 
hands, but if it be on its usual liberal scale it can hardly fail to 
bring a large entry of chickens at its altered date. 
A third show of poultry and Pigeons will be held at Newn- 
ham-on-Severn on September 21st. The former shows have had 
wonderful entries considering the modest dimensions of the 
schedule. As before, Mr. 0. E. Cresswell will ju Ige both poultry 
and Pigeons. 
We think it right to warn our readers against sending any of 
their superfluous feathered stock to unknown applicants in Ireland 
just at present. Several curious instances have come to our 
knowledge in which people, apparently ladies and gentlemen of 
some position, have got pens of valuable birds from English 
exhibitors without prepayment. Payment does not follow, and the 
law, or it may be its present abeyance, seems unable to extract it. 
We should remind our Tigeon-fancying readers that the time 
has now fully come at which pairs of valuable Pigeons must be 
separated if they are required for autumn exhibitions. Where 
some less good stock is kept the last eggs of the better birds may 
be transferred to them, but where there are none such these had 
far better be sacrificed than the parents allowed to go on breeding 
through the moult. 
It must not be forgotten that sun is very detrimental to the 
colours of Pigeons in the moult. The better, however, the colour 
of the bird the less susceptible is it of harm from this source. 
Pigeons with an inclination to unsoundness of colour are quite 
spoilt by exposure. 
The multitude of poultry schedules which the post brings us 
just now makes it quite an embarrassing task to make our selec¬ 
tion. For those who, ambitious of early success in the show pen, 
we may give a hint that it is far better to send their favourites 
where there are separate classes for both sexes, than in pairs.—C. 
Thb Warwick Frauds. — I was much pleased to read “A. C.’s.” 
communication to your pages of August 4th to the effect that the 
Warwick swindlers have been brought to justice. His suggestion 
that the vigilance and promptitude of Sergeant Hall are worthy of 
recognition is an excellent one. I for one shall be glad to subscribe 
5s. towards this object—viz., a quarter of the entry fees which I was 
incautious enough to send, provided that I recover them.— O. Ernest 
Cresswell. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
White Leghorns as Layers (C. R .).—These birds have the reputation 
of being good layers, but, as in most other varieties, laying has been in many 
cases sacrificed to the production of fancy points. If you can get some of a 
family which has not been bred for exhibition they will probably answer your 
purpose. Their combs are single and their legs yellow and free from feathers. 
We have recently heard very favourable accouuts of the laying qualities of a 
cross between Spanish and Black Hamburghs. Leghorn-Brahmas also lay well 
as a rule. Crosses very frequently bring out latent laying qualities which have 
been lost in the pure breeds through too fine breeding. 
Cutting Beans (D. 0. —The best time for cutting is when the eye of 
the corn is turned black, the haulm being but little guide, as that will often be 
comparatively green, although the beans will be matured sufficiently. As, how¬ 
ever, winter beans, particularly after a severe winter, grow very short, and are 
often podded close to the ground, we prefer to pull them by baud, and after being 
tied the sheaves stand several inches more above ground. The early cutting is 
of the utmost importance, because they will then take showery weather without 
the shedding of the corn by the shrinking and opening of the pods. In tying 
the sheaves we prefer tying with yarn, as the straw bonds do not answer all the 
purposes, as they are apt to break in stacking or in hauling to the machine at 
thrashing time. _ Formerly, instead of tying into sheaves at the time of cutting, 
it was the practice to set them up in loose state, tying the tops with a wisp of 
straw, and when dry then to tie into sheaves for stacking. 
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. 
1881. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
& 
cti 
M 
August. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
Sun. 13 
Inches. 
29.809 
deg. 
64.3 
deg. 
61.6 
S.W. 
deg. 
62.6 
deg 
71.3 
deg. 
60.4 
deg 
98.3 
deft. 
5'!. 8 
In. 
Mon. 14 
29.888 
69.7 
63.9 
S. 
62.6 
74.6 
59.3 
11 .8 
53.6 
0.010 
Tues. 15 
29.732 
64.9 
59.4 
S.E. 
63.0 
69.0 
60.4 
113.6 
58 3 
0.098 
Wed. 16 
29.628 
54.1 
52.4 
N.W. 
61 2 
67.6 
50.9 
116.9 
45.7 
49.2 
0.053 
Thurs. 17 
29.831 
59.2 
66.7 
W. 
60.8 
67.4 
53.3 
79.7 
Friday 18 
29.989 
63.6 
60.4 
N.N.W. 
60.3 
72.9 
52.1 
91.4 
47.8 
Satur. 19 
29.917 
64.7 
61.2 
S.W. 
61.0 
71.6 
68.5 
105.6 
55.5 
— 
29.832 
62.9 
59.4 
61.6 
70.6 
56.4 
104.0 
o2-4 
e.161 
REMARKS. 
13th.—Dull cloudy morning; fair afternoon, with occasional glimpses of sun¬ 
shine. 
14th.—On the whole fine and bright, but occasional thunder and sprinkles of 
rain in the morning. 
15th.—A cloudy showery day, but with some bright sunshine. 
16th.—Rain in early morning, and a heavy shower at 1 P.M., but the day was 
on the whole fine and fairly bright. 
17th.—Wet early, dull cloudy day. 
18th.—Dull day, drizzle in afternoon ; fine evening. 
19th.—Dull morning, slight shower about midday; dull afternoon and evening. 
Weather during the week dull and unsettled, but the amount of rain was 
inconsiderable. Barometer readings about one-third of an inch above the pre¬ 
ceding week. Mean temperature rather above the average, and alnust identical 
with that of the preceding week.—G. J. Symons. 
